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London (CNN) -- Violence has returned to the streets of Cairo -- this time in fresh confrontations between army forces and pro-Coptic Christian protesters.
Accounts of the casualties vary but an Egyptian health ministry spokesman told CNN that 25 people had been killed and more than 272 injured during the weekend protests that were sparked by the burning of a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt.
There has been long-standing tension between Egypt's Coptic Christians and Muslims but CNN's Ben Wedeman in Cairo says that since this year's revolution that removed the former President Hosni Mubarak there have been more of these clashes.
In the aftermath of the latest violence, Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has vowed to ban all discrimination based on religion, language, gender or ethnicity.
But why has the violence erupted after a revolution which promises to deliver fresh democratic elections, who are the Coptic Christians and what will the new measures achieve? CNN examines the background.
After a revolution that brought change, do people have renewed confidence in being able to protest? Are they seeing an opportunity to make their voices heard ahead of elections?
Ben Wedeman reports that at least among activists, there is a growing concern that any form of political activity, particularly demonstrations, that target the regime will be met by the kind of force used Sunday evening
One Coptic man told our correspondent that the military is more than happy to allow "millions of Muslim fundamentalists to occupy Tahrir Square every Friday, and cooperate with them in doing so, but when it comes to people who criticize -- Copts, Muslims, secular people -- the military, they use their guns."
He says it's also important to keep in mind that one thing that occupies the minds of many Egyptians is that since the revolution the economy has gone from bad to worse. Tourists are scarce, foreign investment is drying up. One Egyptian told him: "If people don't get back to work within the next five months, there could be famine and chaos."
Why did the military react with such a heavy hand, given its experiences in the revolution?
Wedeman says it is a good question to which no one really has an answer, but offers this analysis:
During the revolution the army stood on the sidelines, and were cheered by the masses
The military, however, adds Wedeman, is not an organization which by its nature is well adapted to dealing with civil disturbances, and that has been clear for some time. They often stand by when the situation goes out of control -- something they did during the revolution when regime thugs tried to attack the protesters in Tahrir Square.
There are concerns among some that with the spread of Islamic fundamentalism within Egyptian society as a whole that religious hardliners have gained a foothold in the officer corps, and that is reflected in the way they dealt with the Coptic protesters.
One sometimes hears Muslims describe Christians as "kufar" -- infidel -- even though the traditional interpretation of Islam was that Christians and Jews are not "kufar" but rather "Ahl al-Kitab" -- the people of the book -- meaning that they are followers of books holy in the Abrahamic tradition.
Who are the Coptic Christians?
The Coptic Christians make up somewhere between 8 and 11 % of the 80 million Egyptians, most of whom are Sunni Muslims. They are not ethnically distinct. They base their theology on the teachings of the Apostle Mark, who introduced Christianity to Egypt, according to St. Takla Church in Alexandria, the capital of Coptic Christianity. Copts split from other Christians in the 5th century over the definition of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
The Copts have been a target of violence in the past but there have been dozens of casualties this year. The New Year's Day bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria left 23 people dead, and during sectarian clashes in Cairo on May 7 at least 12 people were killed. The most recent protests follow the September 30 burning of the Mar Girgis church in Edfu, a city in Aswan governorate in southern Egypt.
Sectarian violence in Egypt is nothing new. Maha Azzam, | [
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"where is the violence?",
"What percentage of the population is Coptic Christian?",
"How many percent do Christians make up?"
] | [
[
"army forces and pro-Coptic Christian protesters."
],
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"since this year's revolution that removed the former President Hosni Mubarak there have been more of these clashes."
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],
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"8 and 11 %"
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"somewhere between 8 and 11 %"
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] | Coptic Christians make up between 8 -11% of the population, most of whom are Sunni Muslims .
Tensions focus on religious conversions, attacks on places of worship and resentment over building licenses .
CNN's Ben Wedeman says Muslim community has sent condolences to the Copts .
Maha Azzam says the use of force reflects a military that is unable to deal with dissent . |
London (CNN) -- With her cheeky grin and bright, mischievous eyes, it is hard to imagine that four-year-old Selsabeel Ageli has spent months wishing for the death of an elderly man.
But the British-Libyan youngster has done just that, going to bed every night in recent months praying that ousted Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi would be killed.
On Thursday, Selsabeel's wishes came true.
The deposed tyrant was the reason Selsabeel never knew her grandfather, Libyan trade unionist Amer Deghayes. The family says he was murdered by the Gadhafi regime when her mother was a child, prompting them to flee to Britain.
Within hours of the news of Gadhafi's death, Selsabeel and her older sister Bilquees, aged eight, and their parents were among a jubilant crowd of former Libyan dissidents celebrating noisily outside the Libyan Embassy in central London.
"My father was killed by Gadhafi in 1980 when I was five," the girls' mother, Amani Deghayes, told CNN as her daughters waved Libyan flags nearby.
"They never got to meet him, so I am so glad that my kids have been able to see that there is a happy ending to this story.
"I never thought it would happen, really. Now I just hope that everything works out, and that Libya can become a stable, free and democratic country."
That is a wish echoed by many of those who gathered at the embassy, amid the beeping of car horns and waving of flags, to sing, chant and wish each other "Mabrouk" -- congratulations -- over Gadhafi's final downfall.
Mahmoud Al Nacua, Libya's ambassador to the UK, told those gathered: "Libyan freedom fighters have finally succeeded in throwing the curtain on Gadhafi's crimes.
"Their brave actions have spared Libya and the world from any further suffering of his evils. Today Libya's future begins. Gadhafi, a black era, has come to an end forever."
Lockerbie victim's brother calls Gadhafi's death justice
Consulate worker Abdusalam Zbida told CNN he hopes to be able to return to his homeland to visit family for the first time in five years following Gadhafi's death.
"It is a big day for Libyan history," said Zbida. "It will definitely help restore peace and security in Libya. I hope it will be a fresh start."
Others who have not been in London as long are also hoping to go back to their friends and loved ones soon.
"It's been a tough couple of months, but things are getting better," said Amira Elgardi, whose husband and parents are still in Libya.
"We have a three-and-a-half-year old son, and we decided that with all the gunshots and everything it would be safer here, but hopefully we will be able to go back soon -- Inshallah [God willing]."
Victim's brother writes: I have fought for this day
They and many others spoke of their relief that Gadhafi's long reign of terror in Libya is finally over.
"I'm so excited -- look, I'm trembling," said Sana Maziq, who moved to London from Tripoli with her three young sons seven months ago to escape the trouble there.
"We knew that Gadhafi was basically finished, but it is so nice to know that there won't be any more bloodshed."
"We can't quite believe it," added her friend Aida Shebani. "The regime had gone, but Gadhafi still made us afraid, so now we are so happy. The Libyan people really suffered under him, so we deserve this happiness." | [
"Where did dozens of Libyans gather",
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"where were they gathered",
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"Amer Deghayes."
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] | Dozens of Libyans gathered outside embassy in London to celebrate Gadhafi's death .
Crowds chanted, cheered, sang and waved Libyan flag to celebrate dictator's end .
Four-year-old girl had spent months praying for Gadhafi's death .
Family says Selsabeel Ageli's grandfather was murdered by Gadhafi regime . |
London, England (CNN) -- A British man who strangled his wife in his sleep while dreaming that she was an intruder walked free from court Friday after the case against him was withdrawn, prosecutors said.
The UK's Crown Prosecution Service requested that the case against Brian Thomas, who killed wife Christine while they were on vacation in 2008, be dropped due to a "unique set of circumstances."
Thomas, 59, of Neath, South Wales, had been on trial for murder at Swansea Crown Court, with prosecutors seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity that would have resulted in psychiatric custody.
But they said a closer study of evidence led them to believe the defendant should be released without further action.
"We have duty to keep cases under continuous review, and following expert evidence from a psychiatrist it was suggested no useful purpose would be served by Mr Thomas being detained and treated in a psychiatric hospital," prosecutor Iwan Jenkins said in a statement.
Jenkins said that there had never been any doubt that Thomas caused his wife's death, but the prosecution accepted evidence from experts on sleep disorders that indicated he should not be convicted of murder or manslaughter.
"We therefore have offered no further evidence and asked the jury to return a simple verdict of not guilty."
The court erupted in shouts of "yes" as family members greeted the outcome with jubilation, according to the UK Press Association.
"The death of Christine Thomas was thoroughly investigated by Dyfed Powys Police. Investigations continued after Mr Thomas was charged and involved the instruction of experts in several fields," Jenkins said.
"I must emphasize that the circumstances of this case are almost unique in the UK and there have been fewer than 50 instances recorded worldwide. It is only because of highly sophisticated tests carried out by sleep experts that Mr Thomas's condition could be confirmed.
"Our thoughts remain with the family of Brian and Christine Thomas, who have remained dignified throughout this difficult time."
The brief trial, which opened Tuesday, heard that Thomas killed his wife while the pair were taking a camper van vacation in western Wales, PA reported.
One night, Thomas -- who experts said may have been suffering worsening dreams due to withdrawal from anti-depressants -- experienced a violent nightmare in which he attacked and fought an intruder and got him in a headlock, only to wake and find he had strangled his wife.
Dismissing the charges, High Court Judge Justice Davis described Thomas as a "decent man and devoted husband" who bore no responsibility for his wife's death, PA reported.
Thomas's brother Raymond Thomas said the family were "delighted" by the outcome, the news agency said.
"He has always been a loving husband and a family man," he said. " This was a tragic, tragic episode and we are all very emotional." | [
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] | Prosecutors described trial involving Brian Thomas as a "unique case"
Thomas killed wife during a bad dream while pair was vacationing in 2008 .
Judge described Thomas as a "decent man and devoted husband" |
London, England (CNN) -- A Canadian graduate student has found the only known printed copy of Haiti's Declaration of Independence, tucked away in Britain's National Archives, researchers said.
Duke University student Julia Gaffield found the eight-page pamphlet, dated January 1, 1804, while researching Haiti's early independence, Duke said in a statement Thursday.
The discovery sheds light on the early history of Haiti and the relations it had with its Caribbean neighbors at the time, Gaffield and Duke Professor Deborah Jenson said.
Gaffield is researching early 19th-century Haiti for her doctoral dissertation in history, Duke said. She did research in France, Haiti and Jamaica, where she saw a handwritten copy of the declaration in the papers of Jamaica's governor at the time, George Nugent.
It indicated there was a printed version somewhere, but it wasn't enclosed.
In late January, Gaffield went to London for research at the National Archives, where she found the printed declaration.
"I wasn't specifically looking for it, but I had an eye out for it because I knew it was missing," Gaffield said. "We figured there was an original somewhere, but didn't know if it still existed."
The declaration had not been misplaced and had been in the archives for a long time, Gaffield said. The period had simply not been studied in detail, and Gaffield said she figures people who saw the document before probably didn't realize what they had.
Gaffield said she was thrilled by the discovery, but had to wait until the end of the day to notify her advisers at Duke, in North Carolina.
"The archives are not the place to make a big scene," she said.
Haiti's declaration is only the second of its kind in the world, the first being the U.S. Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and others, Duke said.
The pamphlet, written in French, has three distinct parts, the National Archives said. The first two pages are titled "Liberte ou La Mort," which translates to "Freedom or Death," in which the generals of the Haitian army sign their names to an oath swearing to renounce forever the French yoke or die rather than live under its domination.
Next, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the general-in-chief, addresses the citizens of Haiti in an impassioned defense of independence and the destiny of the nation.
On the final page, Haitian army generals proclaim Dessalines governor-general for life and swear to obey without question laws issued under his authority.
"To bring this document to light in Haiti's darkest hour may be seen as a symbol of renewal and rejuvenation, helping Haiti rebuild its national spirit following the recent earthquake," said Ian Wilson, president of the International Council on Archives. "Julia's achievement in recognizing the significance of this printed document deserves high recognition."
Oliver Morley, the acting chief executive of the National Archives, said they were pleased to play a role in the discovery.
"It's incredible that the long search for this important document should finally end at the National Archives," Morley said. "This declaration sent to the British government by Haiti's first independent leader is of great historical importance to both Haiti and the British people, and provides unique insight into the first successful slave rebellion of modern times."
Jenson, a professor of French studies at Duke who has researched the U.S. publication of Haiti's independence documents, said the discovery also shows Haiti had a fully functional printing apparatus at every moment of the new nation's independence.
Researchers had looked for the printed declaration before, without success, said Laurent Dubois, a Duke professor of French studies and history and one of Gaffield's advisers.
In 1952, Haiti asked intellectual Edmond Mangones to find an original or printed copy so it could be displayed for the nation's 150th anniversary, Dubois said. Mangones searched in many archives in Haiti and elsewhere before writing with exasperation that all his searching had been "in vain," Dubois said.
"It is | [
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] | Student Julia Gaffield found document in Britain's National Archives .
Pamphlet, dated January 1, 1804, is only known record of Haitian independence declaration .
This declaration was sent to the British government by Haiti's first independent leader .
The first two pages are titled "Liberte ou La Mort," or "Freedom or Death." |
London, England (CNN) -- A candidate for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) was injured Thursday morning in a light plane crash, police said.
Nigel Farage, 45, suffered minor head injuries and was being treated at a hospital, his party said. Details of his injuries were not available.
"We've had unconfirmed reports that either the banner got snagged up or there were cross-winds and it was an unfamiliar airfield to the pilot," a UKIP spokesman said.
It happened just after 8 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) at an airfield in southern Northamptonshire, near the Buckinghamshire constituency where Farage is running for election, Northamptonshire police said.
The pilot, who was airlifted to a hospital, had to be cut out of the plane, the party said.
Farage is currently a member of the European Parliament.
He is running in Buckingham against 10 other candidates: Speaker of the House John Bercow (Conservative); Colin Dale (Monster Raving Loony Party); David Hews (Christian Party); Geoff Howard (Independent); Debbie Martin (Independent); Lynne Mozar (British National Party); Patrick Phillips (Independent); John Stevens (Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy); Simon Strutt (Cut The Deficit Party); Anthony Watts (Independent). | [
"Where does the police say the crash happened?",
"where is Farage currently being a member of?",
"What did the police say happened at an airfield?",
"Farage is memeber of what?",
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"southern Northamptonshire,"
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"It happened just after 8 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) at an airfield in southern Northamptonshire,"
],
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] | Police: Crash happened at an airfield in southern Northamptonshire .
Farage is currently a member of the European Parliament . |
London, England (CNN) -- British citizens who travel to Israel should be aware that their passport details could be captured for "improper uses," Britain's Foreign Office warned Tuesday.
It follows Britain's expulsion of an Israeli diplomat and its accusation that the Israeli government was responsible for forging British passports used in an international murder plot.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Tuesday that there are "compelling reasons" to believe Israel was behind it.
Twelve suspects in the January murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was found dead in his Dubai hotel room, used British passports, the Dubai police have said.
Miliband said the passports had been copied from "genuine British passports" in a "highly sophisticated operation," indicating that a state intelligence service was responsible.
The Foreign Office changed its official travel advice Tuesday for British citizens going to Israel, to warn them about the risk of their passport details being compromised.
A British investigation "found circumstantial evidence of Israeli involvement in the fraudulent use of British passports," the advice says. "This has raised the possibility that your passport details could be captured for improper uses while your passport is out of your control. The risk applies in particular to passports without biometric security features.
"We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties, including Israeli officials, when absolutely necessary."
Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency concluded that the 12 British people whose passports were cloned were "wholly innocent victims of identity theft," the foreign secretary said.
Israel has a stated policy on security matters of neither confirming nor denying involvement.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the British government would be giving its report on the passports to the Australian Federal Police, who are investigating how some of their country's passports came to be used by the Dubai suspects.
In an interview Tuesday with the Australian Broadcasting Company, Smith said Australia was not taking any action yet.
"We have an investigation underfoot, and we will await the results of that investigation by the Australian Federal Police," Smith said.
He added: "We're treating this matter very seriously. Israel understands that, and when I receive the report (from the federal police), we'll make judgments which will be in Australia's national interest."
Dubai police had previously said three Australian passports were used in the murder plot, but Smith said there were four. He said there is nothing to indicate that the holders of the passports were anything but "innocent victims" in the crime.
Al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas' military wing, was found dead January 20 in his Dubai hotel room. Police believe he was killed the night before, allegedly by the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad.
A source close to the investigation said Wednesday that the total number of suspects had increased to 28, from 27, after Australia confirmed the use of a fourth passport.
Six suspects used Irish passports, four used French documents, one had German papers and four had Australian papers. There is also one Palestinian suspect, police have said.
Interpol expands search for suspects
Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai police chief, has said not all the suspects had fraudulent passports. "We know some of the names are real," he said.
Interpol, the international police agency, has issued "red notices" to help search for the suspects. The notices are not international arrest warrants, but are a way of alerting police forces around the world that the suspects are wanted by United Arab Emirates authorities. | [
"Who is Mahmoud al-Mabhouh?",
"What have UK warned about passports?",
"in what country was Mahmoud al-Mabhouh found dead?",
"What are UK warning about Isreal?",
"What has been copied by Israel?",
"Who was found dead in Dubai?"
] | [
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"Hamas leader"
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"Mahmoud al-Mabhouh,"
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] | UK warns citizens who travel to Israel passports could be copied for "improper uses"
Miliband: Passports used by Hamas leader's killers were copied by Israel .
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, founding member of Hamas' military wing, found dead Jan. 20 in Dubai .
Dubai Police believe he was killed by secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad . |
London, England (CNN) -- British pensioner Ethel Kendall was "only 72" when she left the United Kingdom in 1986 to be closer to her family in Canada. At the time, she was receiving the full British pension of just over £38 ($58) a week.
Twenty-four years later, she is still receiving the same amount, and after a European Court of Human Rights ruling Tuesday she is not likely to receive any more.
"You know this isn't about me," the 96-year-old told CNN on the phone from her home in Canada.
"It's about the British government's deception and dishonesty. Our contributions were deducted from source with the clear understanding that we would get a full pension on retirement, but somewhere along the lines they changed the rule. In my book, in our book, they're guilty of both fraud and deception."
Kendall is one of more than half a million British expatriates living in countries including Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, whose pensions are not linked to inflation.
On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled by a majority of 11 to six that the British government had not breached their human rights by failing to "up-rate" their pensions to bring them into line with the cost of living.
Under British rules, pensioners in a number of countries who do not have reciprocal agreements with the UK receive the same pension they were entitled to in the year they left Britain.
People who emigrated before retirement age receive the amount they would have received at retirement age in the UK. In Britain, men qualify for a pension at 65, women at 60.
A British expatriate who retires to Australia, for example, receives less money each week than if they had contributed the same amount during their working life and then emigrated to Barbados, Croatia, the Philippines, the United States, or one of more than 40 countries which do have reciprocal UK agreements.
Margaret Oxley moved to South Africa at the age of 23 after World War II. Now in her 80s, she receives a UK pension of just £2 ($3) a week.
"The exchange rate is ten to one. Then the bank takes charges you see. No, you can't survive. A loaf of bread is ten rand. I get around 20 rand a week. So it's really not worth bothering about," she said.
Aging expatriates who have seen their pensions dwindle due to inflation and the falling value of the pound have been campaigning for change.
The first court case was brought against the UK government in 2002 by Annette Carson, a British resident who moved to South Africa in 1989.
According to court documents, she receives a basic state pension of £67.50 ($103) -- £14.55 ($22) less than she would have received if her pension was index-linked.
After failing to make her case in the British High Court, she took her claim to the British Court of Appeal and then the House of Lords.
Many saw this week's ruling in the European Court of Human Rights as the last legal avenue for recourse, but they are reluctant to give up the fight.
"I don't think we're going to make it the end of the road," said John Markham, director of UK parliamentary affairs for the International Consortium of British Pensioners.
"Certainly I think we're going to mobilize public opinion with the new parliament," he added, referring to the upcoming British election expected on May 6.
The Vice President of the British Australian Pensioners Association, James Nelson said: "Now it is up to the people still working or living in Britain to tell their government that they will no longer stand for this injustice. By paying increases in some countries and withholding them in others, the UK government severely limits our freedom of choice regarding where we can retire."
It is estimated that around 250,000 British pensioners living in Australia are affected by the British policy.
"This is a | [
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"what is the pension she receive?",
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"Where does she live now?",
"What did a European court of human rights rule?",
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"when Ethel left the UK?",
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] | British pensioner Ethel Kendall left the UK in 1986 to be closer to her family in Canada .
24 years later, she is still receiving the same pension of just over £38 ($58) a week .
After a European Court of Human Rights ruling she is not likely to receive any more .
Over half a million British expatriates' pensions are not linked to inflation . |
London, England (CNN) -- Protesters called on the worldwide community to take action against Uganda Thursday as the African nation considers stricter laws against homosexuality.
They compared Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to some of the world's most notorious dictators.
"In the last five years we have seen Idi Amin return to Uganda and his name is Yoweri Museveni," Ugandan human rights campaigner Michael Senyonjo told CNN.
"He... is bringing in a bill in an attempt to criminalize being gay," the activist said.
"That is not right. We cannot allow fascism to return to Uganda. He should leave power and go because he is not taking the country anywhere but to disaster," he added.
Under proposed new laws currently being considered by the Ugandan parliament, those who test positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could face the death penalty.
In addition, those convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced to life in prison, while anyone found guilty of engaging in homosexual relations on more than one occasion would be executed.
The proposals could become law before the end of the year.
Museveni has not publicly stated his support for the bill.
Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda under laws passed in the colonial era, but the new legislation is intended to provide prosecutors with more power.
It has the blessing of various religious leaders, with one leading Muslim cleric -- Sheikh Ramathan Shaban Mubajje -- calling for all known homosexuals in the country to be rounded up and left on an island until they die.
Thursday's protest at the Ugandan High Commission -- or embassy -- in London is one of several planned demonstrations around the world, and OutRage, another gay rights organization, is backing the calls for action to be taken.
"President Museveni is fast becoming the Robert Mugabe of Uganda and that's a threat to the civil rights of every Ugandan person -- gay or straight," OutRage spokesman Peter Tatchell told CNN, referring to the authoritarian president of Zimbabwe.
"There's a huge ground swell of public opinion that this bill goes way too far. Even people who say they're against homosexuality say this bill is excessive and a threat to the human rights of all Ugandans.
"Uganda should drop this law and abide by international human rights legislation," Tatchell said. | [
"Are their civil rights being threatened?",
"Who are the lawmakers?",
"What does Tatchll say about proposals ?",
"What is proposal punishment for gay sex ?",
"In Which country is homosexuality illegal?"
] | [
[
"that's a threat to the"
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"Uganda"
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] | Homosexuality illegal in Uganda but lawmakers considering tougher laws .
Proposals include life sentences, death penalty as punishments for gay sex .
Tatchell: Proposals "threaten civil rights of every Ugandan person -- gay or straight" |
London, England (CNN) -- There are "compelling reasons" to believe the Israeli government was responsible for forging British passports used in a plot to kill a Hamas leader in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Tuesday.
"Such misuse of British passports is intolerable," Miliband said, adding that the fact that Israel was an ally of the United Kingdom "only adds insult to injury."
The passports were "copied from genuine British passports" in a "highly sophisticated operation," indicating a government was behind it, Miliband told the House of Commons.
Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency concluded that the 12 British people whose passports were cloned where "wholly innocent victims of identity theft," the foreign secretary said.
The UK expelled an Israeli diplomat and changed the advice it gives its citizens about traveling to Israel as a result of the scandal, Miliband said. He did not name the diplomat or say what rank the envoy held.
"The UK had absolutely no advance knowledge of what happened in Dubai nor any involvement whatsoever in the killing" of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman complained that the Israelis "have not been given any evidence pointing to Israel's involvement in the affair."
"We attribute great importance to our relations with Great Britain," he said. "We maintain several different and sensitive dialogues with the UK, and we regret the British decision."
French authorities also have opened an investigation into the alleged use of forged documents, the Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday.
Suspects in the killing allegedly used four doctored French passports, the prosecutor said in a written statement.
"Further investigation has revealed that these four passports were actually false as the photos did not correspond to the names appearing in each document," the statement said.
Al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas' military wing, was found dead January 20 in his Dubai hotel room. Police believe he was killed the night before, allegedly by the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad.
Two sources told CNN earlier this month that the number of identified suspects in al-Mabhouh's death was up to 27. Of them, 26 were carrying European or Australian passports, authorities have said. The sources -- an official familiar with the investigation and a police source -- did not say which nation issued the passport used by the 27th suspect.
The 27 suspects are believed to have acquired false passports to travel to Dubai for the killing, then scattered to several far-flung locations afterward. But Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai police chief, has said not all the suspects had fraudulent passports -- "We know some of the names are real."
Interpol, the international police agency, has issued "red notices" to help search for the suspects. The notices are not international arrest warrants, but are a way of alerting police forces around the world that the suspects are wanted by United Arab Emirates authorities.
Interpol expands search for suspects
Interpol Secretary-General Ronald K. Noble said investigators have established "clear" links through passport records, video surveillance, DNA analysis, witness interviews and hotel, credit card, phone and transport records, according to a statement.
Police have said toxicology results show al-Mabhouh was injected with succinylcholine, a drug used to relax muscles during surgery or as an anesthetic, before he was suffocated. Signs indicated that al-Mabhouh resisted as he was being suffocated, police said.
Al-Mabhouh's family members were told earlier that police had found blood on a pillow. Authorities have also said the killers left some of al-Mabhouh's medication next to him in an apparent effort to make the death appear natural. But "the medication left next to him in the room has nothing to do with the killing," Tamim has said.
Tamim told CNN last month that he is "100 percent sure" Mossad was responsible. "The Mossad needs to be ashamed of its actions," he said. "They sent 26, 27 persons | [
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"when was he found dead?",
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] | [
[
"Al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas'"
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"January 20"
],
[
"Al-Mabhouh,"
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[
"British passports"
],
[
"an Israeli diplomat"
]
] | Miliband: Passports copied in a "highly sophisticated operation"
British government source said an Israeli official had been expelled from UK .
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, founding member of Hamas' military wing, found dead Jan. 20 in Dubai .
Dubai Police believe he was killed by secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad . |
London, England (CNN) -- YouTube this week announced the biggest viral video sensations of 2009, with Scottish singer Susan Boyle topping the list. The most pressing question for aspiring video creators: How do you repeat that kind of success? Value in views Topping the YouTube charts brings significant value -- Boyle's clip had more than 120 million views on the site. Had the parties involved negotiated an ad revenue split (they initially did not), a not-inconceivable $10 cost-per-thousand-impressions would have yielded revenue in excess of $1 million. When a clip has a commercial purpose, the brand value may be significantly higher: Evian's Roller Babies ad ranked fifth, with more than 27 million views, and the company says the campaign's success slowed its sales decline. A commercial impact was also felt in the case of the JK Wedding Entrance Dance (more than 33 million views). The clip, which features a wedding party dancing down the aisle to Chris Brown's "Forever," sent the track rocketing up the iTunes charts. What are the commonalities here, and is there a formula for viral video success? A definitive answer is infuriatingly absent. The cute factor The cute factor is perhaps the most prevalent trend among popular YouTube videos. In YouTube's most-viewed videos of all time, you'll find such adorable clips as a boy biting his brother's finger (140 million views), a baby laughing hysterically (100 million views), a sneezing panda (46 million views) and even the Evian ad. The explanation is simple: When a clip makes us happy, we feel compelled to share that sentiment with others. Humor If our willingness to share is based on our emotional reaction to a clip, it follows that humor ranks highly on YouTube. From Jeff Dunham's ventriloquist act "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" to the obscure humor of "Charlie The Unicorn," laughter is a common theme. In some cases, humor is not the intent: Tay Zonday's Chocolate Rain has surpassed 45 million views, our amusement (and discomfort) deriving from Zonday's utterly bizarre performance. Comedy has geographical limitations however: What's funny in one country may be unfathomable in another. This perhaps explains why laughing babies consistently outrank standup comedians: funny doesn't travel. Emotional response Not every popular clip evokes laughter -- performances from Susan Boyle and Paul Potts tug at the heartstrings. So too does the Free Hugs campaign -- a music video featuring an Australian man giving out "Free Hugs" to strangers in public places has received more than 53 million views. Music Music videos are by far the most viewed content on YouTube. Had YouTube not created a second list to highlight top music videos on the site, these would have dominated the rankings for 2009. The knowledge that best-selling artists rank highly on video sites may be of little utility to aspiring YouTube stars -- except to note that dancing videos and "lip dubs" have proved popular. With 132 million views, Judson Laipply's Evolution of Dance is a breakout success. Cumulative advantage Is the quality of the clip the only factor affecting its success? Or could it be that the rich get richer, even in the seemingly egalitarian world of YouTube? Since most YouTube users head straight to the site's "Popular" page, clips that show early promise may continue to gain momentum for weeks and years. This process of cumulative advantage may help to explain why one laughing baby shoots to the top of the charts and another giggles in obscurity. No formula? It may be the case that there's no simple formula for YouTube popularity. In fact, it may be that the only true guarantee of success is novelty. The unexpected, the bizarre, the humorous, the offbeat, the emotionally affecting -- these authentic elements are hard to bottle, and fakes are easy to spot. What will be YouTube's breakout video of 2010? We'll know it when we see it. | [
"When a clip makes us happy, what do we want to do?",
"What is the only guarantee of success?",
"What brings significant value to advertisers and video producers?",
"What may be the only guarantee of success?",
"What might be the only guarantee for a successful YouTube video?"
] | [
[
"feel compelled"
],
[
"novelty."
],
[
"Topping the YouTube charts"
],
[
"novelty."
],
[
"novelty."
]
] | Mashable's Pete Cashmore ponders what makes a YouTube video a viral smash .
Topping the YouTube charts brings significant value to advertisers and video producers .
Why "cute" works: When a clip makes us happy, we want to share that feeling with others .
The only guarantee of success may be novelty: the unexpected, the bizarre . |
London, England (CNN) -- "I had to be stitched into those pants," Olivia Newton-John recalls of the skin-tight black trousers she worn in the film "Grease".
That fact will come as no surprise to the millions of people who have watched the iconic scene at the end of the smash hit film musical.
"But they were quite comfortable," she assured CNN's Max Foster, "despite what they looked like."
But those trousers, "made of some sort of shark skin material" she says, plus a string of memorable songs from the film including "Summer Nights" and "You're The One That I Want" helped propel Olivia Newton-John to superstardom which has continued to this day.
The British-born actress, who was raised in Australia from the age of five, was already an established singing star -- having won three Grammy Awards -- prior to being cast as Sandy Olssen alongside John Travolta's Danny Zuko in the 1978 film.
And many of the songs from that era still rank among her favorites in a recording career which has produced over 30 albums including the 1981 double platinum selling "Physical" -- which spawned the single of the same name and a craze for spandex and leg warmers.
"The songs I did with John Farrar [the Australian producer and songwriter] are among my favorites. And a lot of those songs, 'Magic' and 'Suspended in Time' are on 'Xanadu,'" [the soundtrack from the 1980 film].
Of her more recent recordings she cites 2006's "Grace and Gratitude" as another favorite. "It was a healing CD that was very personal for me," she said.
After the runaway success of the early 1980s Newton-John was preparing for a comeback in 1992 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis changed the course of her life forever.
After successfully beating the disease, Newton-John talked openly about her experience and became a passionate advocate for early detection and helping other women cope with the disease.
"I'm so grateful to be here, 17 years after being diagnosed," she told CNN. "I want to empower other women to be really observant of their breast health and do regular breast self-examination."
She also has a Website -- http://www.liv.com// -- which provides information on breast self-examination.
"When I talk to women in my age bracket, they're afraid. I understand the fear but if there is something wrong, the earlier you find it, the better chance you have of a healthy outcome," she said.
Cancer awareness isn't the only cause she lends her name to. Along with her second husband John Easterling, who she married in 2008, Newton-John helps promote education about rainforests.
"We're helping educate the children of the Amazon to realize the importance of the living rainforest so that when the timber and oil companies come in they know to save it."
Three decades on from her life-changing appearance in "Grease", Newton-John is still finding plenty things in her life to become hopelessly devoted to. | [
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"What musical did she star in?",
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"What campaign does this actress promote?",
"What is she passionate about?",
"What does Olivia Newton-John advocate?",
"Who did Newton-John speak to?",
"Who interviewed Olivia Newton-John?"
] | [
[
"actress,"
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"\"Grease\"."
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[
"CNN's Max Foster,"
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] | Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John speaks to CNN's Connect the World .
Star of hit musical "Grease" a prominent campaigner for breast cancer awareness .
Newton-John also a passionate advocate of rainforest protection . |
London, England (CNN) -- A British auction house plans to sell off newly discovered sketches done by Adolf Hitler when he was a struggling student trying desperately to get into art school.
The 12 charcoal and crayon sketches cover "typical student subjects" and don't display a great deal of promise, Mullock's Auctioneers said. They include two drawings of an elderly woman thought to be Hitler's mother, as well as studies of objects, landscapes, models, and even a Roman senator.
All are signed and some even have Hitler's Vienna address, Mullock's said.
The sale also includes the original portfolio in which Hitler kept the sketches, which is signed and has his address, Mullock's said.
"They look quite typical of an aspiring student hoping to get into art school -- tentative and not very certain about his perspective when he's using pencil and pen, making basic errors by getting the top and the bottom of a candlestick wrong in relation to each other, and so on," said Michael Liversidge, emeritus dean of arts at Bristol University in England.
Letter by Hitler to Britain sells at auction
The sketches lack technical skill but are "not so bad that one can't imagine him learning.
"But there's not latent genius here, and not much beyond a moderate school grade," Liversidge said. "Probably if the artist was at school today you wouldn't encourage him to keep the subject up."
The sketches have been owned by a professional artist who had them for years in his own collection and for his own interest, said Richard Westwood-Brookes, the historical documents expert at Mullock's. The artist brought the works to Mullock's attention.
Mullock's plans to auction the sketches April 15 in Ludlow, England, about 125 miles northwest of London. They're expected to bring between £4,000 and £6,000 (about $6,100 and $9,100) each, the auction house said.
The drawings all date from around 1908 and 1909, when Hitler was a "penniless dropout" trying to get accepted into the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts to train as a professional artist, Mullock's said.
The school rejected him twice, so Hitler hung around the city, trying to make a living producing watercolors to sell to tourists, Mullock's said.
The rejection by the academy may have had huge implications for Hitler later in life, Westwood-Brookes said.
"Many believe that it was this rejection that turned his mind and unleashed the monster within him, which was to bring forth so much evil on the world," he said. "... In a sense, therefore, the academic decision of the art establishment in Vienna can go down as one of the most monumental decisions in all of history."
Nevertheless, Westwood-Brookes said, "On the evidence of these sketches, you can see why the Vienna Academy turned him away." | [
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[
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"art school."
],
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] | The 12 sketches date from when Adolf Hitler was trying to get into art school .
All the sketches are signed and some even have Hitler's Vienna address .
They're expected to bring between $6,100 and $9,100 each at auction .
Drawings all date from around 1908 and 1909, when Hitler was a "penniless dropout" |
London, England (CNN) -- A British court has granted Tiger Woods an injunction prohibiting the publication of pictures of him taken or obtained in certain circumstances.
The order prevents CNN saying what those circumstances are.
The High Court in London issued the injunction Thursday afternoon, said the Schillings law firm, which is representing Woods.
"For the avoidance of doubt, this order is not to be taken as an admission that any such photographs exist," Schillings said in a letter sent to legal departments of British publications.
"Our client is not aware of any images and in any event he would not have consented to any such photographs being taken, nor would he have consented to the dissemination or exploitation of the same."
The court document says anyone who violates the order may be held in contempt of court and may be fined, imprisoned or have assets seized.
The 33-year-old golfer, who tops the sport's world rankings, has been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion last month. The crash prompted authorities to cite him for careless driving and fine him $164.
Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to speak with investigators on several occasions.
In the week after the crash, Woods apologized for "transgressions" that let his family down. On the same day, gossip magazine US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods had an affair with a 24-year-old cocktail waitress named Jaimee Grubbs.
"I have let my family down, and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves," he said in a December 3 statement on his official Web site.
US Weekly's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess -- an assertion the hostess vigorously denied, according to The New York Post. | [
"Who was in the spotlight after a car crash?",
"Who started a petition about the photos?",
"Who does not acknowledge the existence of the photos?",
"Who crashed his car?",
"What has the UK court prohibited?",
"Which court prohibits some photos of Tiger Woods?",
"Who is in the spotlight after the car crash?",
"What does not acknowledge such photos exist?"
] | [
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"Tiger Woods"
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"Tiger Woods"
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"of pictures of him taken or obtained in certain circumstances."
],
[
"The High"
],
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"Tiger Woods"
],
[
"Tiger Woods"
]
] | UK court prohibits publication of photos of Tiger Woods taken in certain circumstances .
Tiger Woods' petition does not acknowledge such photos exist .
Golfer in spotlight after car crash, allegations of affairs . |
London, England (CNN) -- A British man who allegedly sold fake bomb detectors to Iraq and Afghanistan has been arrested on suspicion of fraud, police said.
The British government has also imposed an export ban on the device, known as the ADE651, effective Monday. The handheld device is commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect explosives.
The 53-year-old unidentified suspect, who was arrested Friday, is accused of knowingly selling a product that didn't work, police said.
Tests show that the ADE651, and similar devices, were not suitable for bomb detection, a spokesman for Britain's Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said in a statement.
"As non-military technology, it does not need an export license, and we would not normally need to monitor its sale and use abroad. However, it is clearly of concern that it is being used as bomb detection equipment," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said the export ban only applied to Iraq and Afghanistan because its legal powers to control the sale of the product were "based on the risk that [the device] could cause harm to U.K. and other friendly forces." | [
"What was a British man arrested for?",
"What was commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan",
"Where is the handheld device commonly used?",
"What has the British government banned?",
"Where is the device commonly used?",
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"Who was arrested on suspicion of fraud",
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"suspicion of fraud,"
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] | British man arrested on suspicion of fraud concerning fake bomb detectors .
British government has imposed export ban on ADE651 after tests showed it was "not suitable" for bomb detection .
Handheld device is commonly used at checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan . |
London, England (CNN) -- A British soldier who went absent without leave rather than return to fight in Afghanistan was jailed Friday for nine months by a military court, officials said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that Lance Corp. Joe Glenton had been convicted by a military judge at a court martial in Colchester, southeast England,
Glenton, who completed a seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006, became an outspoken critic of British military operations in the country during his absence, frequently appearing at anti-war rallies and on television.
In an interview last July, the 27-year-old told CNN that he was not a conscientious objector, but was refusing to return because he felt the 2001 invasion and subsequent conflict against Taliban militants was not a legitimate use of force.
"The situation in Afghanistan and our involvement is further antagonizing the Muslim population of the world," Glenton said.
"I think the conflict has become part of the problem, not part of the solution." | [
"What was the jail term for Glenton?",
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"What did Glenton tell CNN?",
"Who was jailed?",
"Who told CNN some news?",
"What was not legitimate?"
] | [
[
"nine months"
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],
[
"A British soldier"
],
[
"Lance Corp. Joe Glenton"
],
[
"use of force."
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] | Lance Corp. Joe Glenton jailed for nine months for refusing to fight .
Glenton told CNN he was not a conscientious objector .
27-year-old said conflict was not legitimate use of force . |
London, England (CNN) -- A controversial British Muslim cleric is threatening to stage a march through the town that receives the bodies of British war dead as a protest against the war in Afghanistan, drawing fury and outrage. Anjem Choudary has accused soldiers of "murderous crimes," and said the United States and United Kingdom are seeking to "establish their own military, economic, strategic and ideological interests in the region." British and American troops are suffering "depression" as they realize "there is no real moral or ethic (sic) reason for them to murder innocent men, women and children to fulfill their politicians (sic) agenda," the preacher says. His organization proposes to parade empty coffins through the streets of the English town of Wootton Bassett, where the bodies of British war dead are traditionally brought when they return to the country. Relatives and friends line the streets of the town along with local residents as hearses carry the flag-draped British remains, in scenes of public mourning widely reported by British media. Choudary has not announced a date for his planned march and local police said Saturday he had not contacted them about it, as people planning marches are required to do before staging a demonstration. But the threat itself prompted more than 215,000 people to join a Facebook group opposing the march as of Monday, a day after he posted a letter online justifying it. "The highway for heroes & wonderful people of WB do not deserve this march to happen," the group's home page says. "This group can march anywhere it wishes in the country but have chosen WB to cause outrage & offense. Islam4UK is an extremists (sic) Islamic group & does not represent the Muslim community in this country." Choudary's open letter, "To the Families of British Soldiers who have died or who are currently in Afghanistan," appeared on the Web site of his organization, Islam4UK, on Sunday. The group had announced its intention to stage the protest earlier in a short statement on its Web site. "The procession in Wootton Basset (sic) is therefore an attempt to engage the British publics (sic) minds on the real reasons why their soldiers are returning home in body bags and the real cost of the war," Choudary wrote. "The parades, the speeches about soldiers doing their duty and the feeling of patriotism has obfuscated the reality of the conflict and the murderous crimes being committed by the occupiers and their agents. The British public is blissfully unaware of what is being done in their name," Choudary wrote. "Afghanistan is not a British Town near Wootton Basset (sic) but rather Muslim land which no one has the right to occupy, with a Muslim population who do not deserve their innocent men, women and children to be killed for political mileage and for the greedy interests of the oppressive U.S. and UK regimes," he said. Choudary signs himself "UK Head of Al-Muhajiroun," a banned British group which supports al Qaeda. Choudary spoke positively of Osama Bin Laden in the letter and in interviews with British media on Monday. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Sunday that there would be "no support" for the march or Choudary's "perverted view of Islam." "I think most people in the Islamic community believe that those people who have adopted a perverted view of Islam to justify murder as terrorism are outside the traditional elements of what is a peaceful faith," he said. "The vast majority of the Muslim population in this country and other countries agrees with my view on this," Brown said. Police in Wiltshire, the county where Wootton Bassett is located, said they had the authority to control the terms and conditions of the march or even to apply to ban it if Choudary took steps towards staging it. "If the march or procession is believed to be likely to result in serious disorder, disruption or damage, then the police can impose conditions upon the organizer," the police said in a statement. "In exceptional circumstances, the police may apply to | [
"on what town is where the bodies of war dead are traditionally brought when they Return to the UK?",
"Anjem Choudary accuses soldiers of what?",
"What does he propose to do?",
"What Anjem Choudary accusation threw the soldiers?",
"What was Brown's reaction?",
"What does Choudary accuse soldiers of?"
] | [
[
"Wootton Bassett,"
],
[
"\"murderous crimes,\""
],
[
"parade empty coffins through the streets of the English town of Wootton Bassett,"
],
[
"\"murderous crimes,\""
],
[
"there would be \"no support\" for the march or Choudary's \"perverted view of Islam.\""
],
[
"\"murderous crimes,\""
]
] | Anjem Choudary accuses soldiers of "murderous crimes" in Afghanistan .
He proposes to parade empty coffins through the streets of Wootton Bassett .
English town is where the bodies of war dead are traditionally brought when they return to the UK .
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there would be "no support" for the march . |
London, England (CNN) -- A controversial Muslim group planning to stage an anti-war march through a town that receives British war dead will be banned in the UK from Thursday.
British Home Secretary Alan Johnson prepared an order Tuesday proscribing Al-Muhajiroun, also known as Islam4UK.
"Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism and is not a course we take lightly," Johnson said in a statement.
Al-Muhajiroun is already banned under two other names in the Terrorism Act 2000 -- Al-Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect. Johnson said the ban would now also apply to "a number" of the other names the group goes by.
The proscription does not need approval by Parliament, because it is considered an amendment to the act, said the Home Office spokeswoman, who did not give her name in line with policy.
"We are clear that an organization should not be able to circumvent proscription by simply changing its name," Johnson said.
The ban would prevent Al-Muhajiroun from having meetings or raising money, and it would make attending a meeting or being a member of the group a crime.
The group's leader, controversial British Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary, had threatened to stage a march in the town of Wootton Bassett as a protest against the war in Afghanistan.
Choudary said Sunday, after news of Johnson's plans, that the Home Office could not shut him down.
"We're not going to stop because the government bans an organization," he told CNN by phone. "If that means setting up another platform under another label, then so be it."
A ban "will just make the use of those names ... illegal. But Muslims everywhere are obliged to work collectively to establish the Islamic state and sharia law in the UK or wherever they are -- those things can't change," he added.
The bodies of British war dead are traditionally brought to Wootton Bassett, near a Royal Air Force base, when they are returned to the country.
Relatives and friends line the streets of the town along with local residents as hearses carry the flag-draped British remains, in scenes of public mourning widely reported by British media.
Choudary's proposal to march empty coffins through the streets drew fury and outrage.
The Home Office had said the march would be illegal if the group were banned, but the decision to proscribe the group was not caused only by its plans for the march, the Home Office said.
Choudary has never announced a date for his march and area police said he had not contacted them about it, as march organizers are required to do beforehand.
The Terrorism Act 2000 gives the home secretary the power to ban groups if the punishment is "proportionate and based on evidence that a group is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000," according to the Home Office.
According to the law, groups can be banned if they commit or participate in terrorism; prepare for terrorism; or promote or encourage terrorism. The home secretary can also take into account factors such as specific threats posed to the United Kingdom or British nationals overseas, and the extent of the group's presence in the United Kingdom. | [
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"who is anjem choudary",
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"what is islam4uk"
] | [
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"Islam4UK."
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[
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"stage an anti-war march"
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[
"as Islam4UK."
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[
"Anjem Choudary,"
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[
"A controversial Muslim group planning to stage an anti-war march through a"
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] | Ban on Al-Muhajiroun, also known as Islam4UK, will take effect Thursday .
Islamist group proposed to march through town where war dead brought home .
Group is already banned under two other names in the Terrorism Act 2000 -- Al-Ghurabaa and The Saved Sect .
The group's leader Anjem Choudary said the ban would not stop them . |
London, England (CNN) -- A letter written by Adolf Hitler in 1931 hoping for a "truly cordial relationship" between Britain and Germany goes on sale Tuesday and is estimated to fetch up to £12,000 at auction.
The one-page letter was addressed to Sefton Delmer, a British journalist, in which Hitler expressed hopes of a new friendship between the two countries to replace the "unhappy war-psychosis" that existed after the First World War:
Hitler wrote the letter 16 months before he became chancellor and seized power in 1933.
In the letter he said: "I hope... that out of this crisis a new readiness will grow up in Britain to submit the past twelve years to a reappraisal. I should be happy, if as a result of this the unhappy war-psychosis could be overcome on such a scale as to permit the realization of the truly cordial relationship between the British and the German peoples so eagerly desired by myself and my movement.
"For I believe that the crisis now breaking in on us can only be solved by the closest political collaboration of those nations who see in the re-establishment of a natural European balance of power the first precondition to dealing with those great world problems under which Britain too suffers today."
Andrew Roberts, the British military and political historian, said the letter was a classic example of Hitler trying to lull Western democracies into a state of appeasement.
Roberts said Hitler was saying there were underlying interests between Britain and Germany and that he wrote many such letters.
"He refers to 12 years which would make it 1919, the year the Versailles Treaty was signed... appeasement was his central message until the outbreak of war. Sefton Delmer would not have been taken in by any of this," said Roberts.
Auctioneers at Bonhams in London said the letter has remained in Delmer's family until now but they could not release the name of the person selling it.
Delmer was the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Express at the time when Hitler wrote the letter. He was born in Berlin and spent the first 15 years of his life there before his family were expatriated to the UK.
He is reported to be the first British journalist to interview Hitler, who he later described as a rather ordinary looking man with hair that had been arranged too carefully. | [
"Who was the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Express?",
"What did Hitler write?",
"who was correspondent of daily express?",
"What is Roberts's first name?",
"what was the central message before war?",
"when did hitler seize power?",
"Hitler seized power in what year?",
"When did Hitler seise power?"
] | [
[
"Sefton Delmer,"
],
[
"A letter"
],
[
"Delmer"
],
[
"Andrew"
],
[
"appeasement"
],
[
"1933."
],
[
"1933."
],
[
"1933."
]
] | Hitler wrote the letter 16 months before he became chancellor and seized power in 1933 .
Andrew Roberts: "Appeasement was his central message until the outbreak of war."
Delmer was the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Express . |
London, England (CNN) -- A long-awaited inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war got under way Tuesday -- a process that could determine whether former Prime Minister Tony Blair misled his country over the 2003 invasion. The inquiry is expected to be the most thorough investigation yet into the decisions that led up to the war and governed Britain's involvement, analysts said. It is not a court of law, so the inquiry cannot find anyone criminally responsible or even apportion blame. But inquiry members will be able to judge the legality of the conflict. "The Iraq Inquiry was set up to identify the lessons that should be learned from the UK's involvement in Iraq, to help future governments who may face similar situations," inquiry Chairman John Chilcot said at the opening of the hearings Tuesday. "To do this, we need to establish what happened." Chilcot, a senior civil servant, said on the eve of the hearings that the committee is "completely determined" to write the full story of Iraq war decision-making by the British government using all the evidence it can get. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who announced the inquiry in June, has promised the committee will have access to the full range of information, including secret documents, in order to identify lessons that can be learned from the war. The inquiry officially began July 30, but Tuesday was the first day of hearings, which are expected to last into the new year. The hearings were initially going to be held behind closed doors, but after criticism the government decided to allow the hearings to be public and televised. The committee has said it will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to keep the hearings private when discussing sensitive or classified information. Blair will be called to testify, Chilcot said earlier this year, and the former prime minister has said he will appear. Other witnesses will be key decision-makers involved in Iraq, Chilcot has said. Chilcot has said the panel members plan to visit Iraq as part of their work, as well as hold discussions with Iraqis outside of the country. Top officials from the British and U.S. governments also might be called on for evidence, he said. Britain has already held four hearings about the Iraq war. But because all were held before the end of 2004 -- so close to the start of the war -- they were hampered by limited information, political analyst Glen Rangwala of Cambridge University told CNN. "They didn't manage to achieve anything like a comprehensive understanding of the paths that led the UK to support the United States in the invasion," he said. "This will be the first to look at political decision-making that led to the British invasion of 2003, with the potential to tell a full story." People involved in those decisions are more likely to testify now than they were a few years ago, Rangwala said. That partly because British troops are no longer involved in combat in Iraq, but also because the war there is no longer the politicized issue it was when Blair was in power, he said. "The sort of political sting has been taken out of it, and people who are presenting their evidence to the (inquiry) won't feel quite so constrained by the political line, or the party line, than they would have a few years ago," he said. Britain's first two inquiries were held by government committees in 2003. The House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs examined whether Britain's Foreign Office gave accurate and complete information to Parliament in the run-up to the war. It found the government exerted no improper influence on the drafting of the dossier given to Parliament on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. The Intelligence and Security Committee then examined whether intelligence about Iraq and its weapons was properly assessed and accurately reflected in government publications. Its findings were mixed. The next two inquiries had narrow mandates, looking at specific aspects of the war. The Hutton report from January 2004 investigated the death of David Kelly, a leading | [
"The hearings to determine what is about to begin?",
"What is promised?",
"Who will be called to testify?",
"What is promised to be the most thorough investigation?",
"What hearings will be televised?",
"What hearings are beginning in the UK Iraq Inquiry?",
"Will the hearings be televised?"
] | [
[
"whether former Prime Minister Tony Blair misled his country over the 2003 invasion."
],
[
"the committee will have access to the full range of information, including secret documents, in order to identify lessons that can be learned from the war."
],
[
"Top officials from the British and U.S. governments"
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[
"The inquiry"
],
[
"A long-awaited inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war"
],
[
"Britain's role in the"
],
[
"public and"
]
] | Hearings begin in UK Iraq Inquiry to determine legality of the Iraq War .
Promised to be the most thorough investigation into Britain's involvement in the war .
Hearings will be televised after initial plans for closed-door sessions were criticised .
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be called to testify . |
London, England (CNN) -- A number of Latin American countries have rushed to offer their support to Argentina in its long-running territorial dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.
This week Britain began drilling for oil in the waters off the archipelago, despite opposition from Buenos Aires which claims sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas.
The project has reignited tensions between the two countries, who fought a brief war over the islands in 1982, with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner accusing London of ignoring international law.
Argentina says the natural resources around the islands, which lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast, should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area.
Mexico's President Felipe Calderon weighed into the dispute late Monday when he said a number of countries in the region had drafted a document in support of their South American neighbor.
Speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in the Mexican resort of Playa Del Carmen, Calderon claimed Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela had all backed Argentina's opposition to the drilling.
"We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom," he said in a statement issued by Argentine officials.
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa offered his country's "unconditional support" to Argentina, while his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet said, "We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization."
Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez also reiterated his support for Argentina. "We support unconditionally the Argentine government and the Argentine people in their complaints," Chavez told reporters Tuesday, according to Reuters.com. "That sea and that land belongs to Argentina and to Latin America."
A day earlier, Chavez had used his weekly televised address to make a direct appeal to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. "Look, England, how long are you going to be in Las Malvinas? Queen of England, I'm talking to you," he said.
"The time for empires are over, haven't you noticed? Return the Malvinas to the Argentine people."
On Monday, British oil and gas exploration company Desire Petroleum announced that its Ocean Guardian rig had started drilling an exploration well in the North Falkland Basin, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the islands.
Desire estimates that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential." The exploratory drilling is expected to last around 30 days, a spokesman for the company told CNN.
But the prospect of Britain making a highly lucrative discovery in region has infuriated Buenos Aires.
This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said last week, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there.
In a statement last week, the Falkland Islands government, which represents its 2,500 residents, said it had "every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters."
"The British government has clearly stated that they support our right to develop legitimate business," it said. "The British government have also reiterated their stance on our British sovereignty." | [
"Which President says that a number of Countries support Argentina's position?",
"what did the Mexican president say?",
"what did falklands government say?",
"Who is at odds over the ownership of South Atlantic Islands?",
"who is UK at odds with?",
"who is hugo chavez?"
] | [
[
"Felipe Calderon"
],
[
"\"We have approved a declaration in which leaders of countries and governments present here reaffirm their support for the Republic of Argentina's legitimate rights in its sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom,\""
],
[
"\"every right to develop a hydrocarbons industry within our waters.\""
],
[
"Argentina"
],
[
"Argentina"
],
[
"Venezuela's outspoken leader"
]
] | Argentina and UK at odds over ownership of South Atlantic islands .
Falklands government says it has "every right" to develop hydrocarbons industry .
Mexican president says a number of countries in the region support Argentina's position .
Venezuela's outspoken leader Hugo Chavez urges Britain to return the islands . |
London, England (CNN) -- A strike that would have crippled British Airways over Christmas and New Year's Day cannot go ahead, a judge ruled Thursday. Judge Laura Cox issued an injunction blocking the planned 12-day strike, which was set to start December 22 and could have affected up to 1 million passengers. The airline immediately issued a statement saying it is "delighted for our customers. "There was never any need for a strike and we hope that Unite will take this opportunity to reflect before deciding its next steps," BA said, referring to the union that planned the strike. "Our customers do not believe that old-style trade union militancy is relevant to our efforts to move British Airways back toward profitability." But Unite joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley called it "a disgraceful day for democracy when a court can overrule such an overwhelming decision by employees taken in a secret ballot. "This dispute is not settled. Passing the buck to the courts to do management's job for them was never going to be the answer," they said, warning they could vote again to strike. "BA must accept that there can be no resolution except through negotiation, failing which there will inevitably be a further ballot for industrial action." Unite has been engaged in a bitter dispute with British Airways management. "I'm not disappointed for the people that can get away at Christmas," Simpson told CNN. "It was never our desire to hurt those people. What we wanted to do was force a negotiated settlement." He said he is concerned the decision has "hardened management's attitude" toward negotiation. The union is unhappy with the airline's plans to change cabin crew conditions. Unite says working hours will be extended and crew levels will be cut, changes that will damage customer service and hit the British Airways brand. The airline says the changes will save the carrier $665 million. BA has been losing hundreds of millions of dollars each quarter this year. Cabin crew staff voted overwhelmingly in favor of the strike. But the airline argued in court that some of the workers who cast ballots had already taken voluntary redundancy -- or buyouts -- from the airline. Some 10,288 workers voted, of about 14,000 cabin crew staff overall. The airline's legal counsel, Bruce Carr, told the presiding judge that the balloting process contained "serious and substantial irregularities." Carr called the union's action in choosing to strike over Christmas "willfully disproportionate and clearly unlawful." He referred several times to the serious disruption that would be felt by the airline's passengers, saying some "ordinary people will find it very difficult to understand." Simpson said management imposed terms on the union members without agreement, and when Unite asked a court to stop it, the court did not. The fact that the court has now blocked the union from striking "shows an imbalance in employment law," he said. Travel experts have said around 1 million British Airways passengers could have been affected by the strike, finding themselves stranded and unable to rebook their tickets during the busy travel period. Thursday brought disruption to thousands of passengers on another airline, one run by the small Scottish charter company Globespan. The company announced on its Web site that it has gone into administration and that all flights on its airline, Flyglobespan, have been canceled. Further travel headaches are in store for passengers of other airlines at Heathrow and Aberdeen airports next week. Unite said baggage handlers and check-in staff at the two airports plan a series of three separate walkouts starting next week in a dispute over pay and pensions. The strike is not related to the British Airways dispute. The baggage handlers and check-in staff are employed by SAS Ground Services UK Ltd. The strike will affect travelers on Turkish, Emirates and Thai airlines at Heathrow and passengers on KLM, Air France, Wideroe and Atlantic at Aberdeen, Unite said. The walkouts are scheduled for December 22-24, December 26-27 and January 3-4. Those passengers hoping to avoid | [
"What did the High Court issue?",
"What are travel experts saying?",
"how many passengers will be hit by the strike",
"how long was the strike to last",
"When was the 12 day strike due to start?",
"who orders an injunction",
"What did the airline issued statement say?",
"What did the airline say?",
"How long was the strike?"
] | [
[
"injunction blocking the planned 12-day strike,"
],
[
"around 1 million British Airways passengers could have been affected by the strike,"
],
[
"up to 1 million"
],
[
"12-day"
],
[
"December 22"
],
[
"Judge Laura Cox"
],
[
"\"delighted for our customers."
],
[
"\"delighted for our customers."
],
[
"12-day"
]
] | High Court issues injunction stopping planned BA holiday strike .
Airline issues a statement saying it is "delighted for our customers"
Travel experts say around one million passengers would be hit by strike .
Twelve-day strike was due to start Monday, disrupting holiday season travel . |
London, England (CNN) -- A woman's body was found in a river in Wales, police said Tuesday, the second death from severe flooding that has hit England and Wales since late last week. The body of the woman, who was not named, was found in the River Usk near the village of Talybont, in mid Wales close to the coast, Brecon police said. Search teams had been looking for her since Sunday. Talybont is about 250 miles south of Cockermouth, England, which has experienced some of the worst flooding seen in decades. Friday, parts of Cockermouth were under several feet of water after heavy rainfall the night before. The town sits at the intersection of two rivers, the Cocker and the Derwent, both of which burst their banks and raged through the town. By Tuesday, the flood waters had receded and the clean-up and damage assessment was well under way. But rain was still falling over the entire region, raising fears of further flooding in some areas. Britain's Environment Agency said river levels across the county of Cumbria remained high but are unlikely to rise to levels seen last week. Twenty road bridges in Cumbria were closed Tuesday, including seven that collapsed in the floods, Cumbria County Council spokesman Gareth Cosslett told CNN. Also shut were eight footbridges, which are an essential means of connecting residents in riverside towns. In Workington, where Cumbria Police Constable Bill Barker died in the floods last week, the two sides of the town are cut off from each other because all bridges were either washed away or closed for safety reasons. "We're hoping to get a temporary road bridge installed in Workington," Cosslett said, describing it as the council's first priority. "We haven't yet confirmed what we're going to do or when that's going to happen, but in all likelihood we're looking at a single-lane temporary bridge with traffic lights on either side." Cosslett had no estimate on when the bridge could be complete, but he said such a project may take more than a month. The worst weather Tuesday was in Cumbria, where the Met Office, the UK's weather service, predicted heavy and persistent rain and accumulations of 1.2 to 2.4 inches (30 to 60 millimeters). Rain and strong gusts were also forecast for Wales on Tuesday, the Met Office said. The rain was expected to move through the region by Wednesday, but more was set to return by Thursday, according to Met Office forecasts. Sixty-eight flood watches and warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, the Environment Agency said. | [
"What number of road closures?",
"what was found in mid vales",
"Where is the River Usk?",
"how many watches were there",
"where was the body found",
"What was flooded?",
"What was found in river?"
] | [
[
"Twenty"
],
[
"A woman's body"
],
[
"near the village of Talybont, in mid Wales"
],
[
"Sixty-eight"
],
[
"in a river in Wales,"
],
[
"severe flooding that has hit England and Wales"
],
[
"A woman's body"
]
] | Woman's body found in the River Usk near the village of Talybont, in mid Wales .
Talybont 250 miles south of Cockermouth, England, which has also been badly hit by flooding .
20 road bridges in the region were closed Tuesday, including seven that collapsed in floods .
68 flood watches and warnings were in place across England and Wales Wednesday . |
London, England (CNN) -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs this week rebuffed the suggestion that Apple will revolutionize TV in the same way it has reshaped the music industry, mobile phones and tablet computers.
But Jobs is bluffing: The time is right for Apple for tackle the TV, and the company's re-entry into that market is a no-brainer.
Just a "hobby"
"Smarter people than us will figure this out" was Jobs' deflective response to a question about Apple's TV aspirations at the D8 Conference on Tuesday. Subsidized business models essentially give customers a set-top box for free, Jobs argued; why would they pay for another?
He explained that the lack of a national cable operator, not to mention the lack of standards around TV, has led to Balkanization, or the breakup into smaller units: "It's a fundamental go-to-market problem."
"Apple TV is a hobby," he added in reference to the company's neglected set-top box offering.
Jobs' denials
The deflection is latest in a long line of half-truths from Jobs. It's a smart tactic that allows the company to lower market expectations and fool competitors.
In 2003, Jobs said of Apple's rumored entry into the cell phone business: "We didn't think we'd do well in the cell phone business. What we've done instead is, we've written what we think is some of the best software in the world to start syncing information between devices."
Four years later, the iPhone reshaped the smartphone market.
In the same interview, Jobs proclaimed, "There are no plans to make a tablet. It turns out people want keyboards. We look at the tablet, and we think it is going to fail."
This week, Apple announced that more than 2 million iPads have been sold since the touchscreen device was released in April.
Jobs is remarkably consistent in his misdirection. Two years previous to the launch of the $499 iPad, he claimed: "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk. Our DNA will not let us do that."
Prior to adding video support to the iPod, he professed: "I'm not convinced people want to watch movies on a tiny little screen." Before the launch of Apple's iBook store: "It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is; the fact is that people don't read anymore."
Jobs' denial of a new service is by no means evidence against its existence; the contrary, in fact.
The TV opportunity
The Internet-connected TV is an idea that's finally ripe for consumer adoption. Or more precisely: the TV as a platform. Apple's iTunes is an obvious starting point to turn the TV into an entertainment hub; it brings your purchased music, TV shows and movies to the big screen.
But Apple TV, the company's first foray into the television business, boasted this exact integration and failed to take the world by storm. What has changed? The glaring opportunity is for Apple to bring the App Store to TV. With access to millions of applications -- including games -- on a big screen, the television would finally become engaging.
The blockbuster launch of the iPad has proved that a screen, once connected to an endless supply of content and applications through iTunes and the App Store, becomes infinitely more powerful. The TV is simply a larger screen.
Competitive pressure
This opportunity hasn't been lost on Google. Its upcoming Google TV product will run its mobile Android OS. The reason is simple: Thanks to Android, Google TVs will benefit from the app ecosystem Google already built for mobile phones.
Google's strategy also points to a solution to the "set-top box problem": While Google will offer a separate box, the company has additionally partnered with Sony to have the software pre-installed in some TVs.
Such a union is less likely in Apple's case, | [
"Who denied that Apple was planning to enter the cell phone and tablet markets?",
"What idea is finally ripe for consumer adoption?",
"What did Jobs' deflection tactics allow?",
"What has Jobs denied in the past?",
"What is finally ripe for adoption?"
] | [
[
"CEO Steve Jobs"
],
[
"Internet-connected TV"
],
[
"the company to lower market expectations and fool competitors."
],
[
"\"There are no plans to make a tablet."
],
[
"Internet-connected TV"
]
] | Internet-connected TV is idea that's finally ripe for consumer adoption .
In past, Steve Jobs has denied that Apple was planning to enter the cell phone or tablet markets .
His deflections are smart tactic that allows company to fool competitors . |
London, England (CNN) -- At least 12 people have been killed and 25 injured after a gunman -- believed to be a local taxi driver -- went on a shooting spree through three small towns in the English county of Cumbria on Wednesday.
After a large scale search, Cumbria police found the body of the suspected gunman, 52-year-old Derrick Bird, in a wooded area of Boot, a village in the Lake District, a popular tourist area.
Authorities seized a gun from the scene where the body was found. Cumbria Police Deputy Constable Stuart Hyde said investigators believe Bird committed suicide.
"I've never known anything like this, where somebody would want to walk out and kill so many people in such a beautiful place in such a short space of time," Hyde said.
Police were working 30 separate crime scenes and are still attempting to determine the motive, Hyde said. Investigators are looking at Bird's history and his access to firearms, he said.
Police named Bird as a suspect following reports of the first shooting mid-morning on Wednesday in the Irish Sea port town of Whitehaven.
UK guns laws tightened after massacres
"Our focus is now on the movements of Mr. Bird this morning," authorities said. "Our thoughts are with the families in these tragic times. We are asking for any witnesses to come forward and help us with our investigation into the events of this morning."
British Prime Minister, David Cameron said the government would do whatever it could to help the communities affected.
"When lives and communities are suddenly shattered in this way, our thoughts should be with all those caught up in these tragic events, especially the families and friends of those killed or injured," he said.
Were you there? Send us photos, images
Armed police patrols and dog squads were dispatched in the hunt for the gunman after the first shots were fired at 10:35 a.m. (5:35 a.m. ET) in Whitehaven.
Police issued a photo of the Bird and urged members of the public to stay indoors until further notice.
More shots were fired in the small towns of Seascale and Egremont, with officers attempting to track the suspect on land and by air while ambulance crews attended the victims. Footage from one of the shooting scenes showed a covered body lying on a street.
"Police are working to identify the individuals and inform relatives," Cumbria police said. "Ambulance crews are in attendance across the area."
Peter Leder, who said he was a friend of Bird's, told CNN he spoke to Bird last night and was told: "You won't see me again."
Bird was initially driving a dark gray or silver Citroen Picasso, but police later said he had abandoned his car in the area of Boot, in the Lake District, and was traveling on foot.
Soon afterwards police said they had found a body in a wooded area.
The Lake District is a scenic rural retreat in northern England which is popular with walkers, hikers and tourists.
Leder said Bird has been an independent taxi driver in Whitehaven for more than 20 years and described him as "an outgoing, well-known guy, who everyone liked."
Bird was divorced several years ago and has two children, both boys, who have moved away from home, he said. Bird is very close to his mother, who is very ill in a local nursing home, Leder said.
He said his friend enjoyed scuba diving, went on several diving trips abroad and practised regularly at the Whitehaven swimming baths.
The vehicle police said Bird was driving at the time of the shootings was his regular taxi cab, Leder said.
A police hotline was set up for concerned relatives of those involved.
John Bevir, a reporter for CNN affiliate ITV, described nearby Whitehaven as a sleepy seaside town. "Things like this just don't happen here," he said. "Well, they didn't, until this morning."
CNN's David Wilkinson contributed to this report. | [
"Who is Derrick Bird?",
"Who was the suspected gunman?",
"How many people were killed?",
"what is the number of dead?",
"How many confirmed dead?",
"in what country did the event occur?",
"What did the gunman say to his friends?"
] | [
[
"the suspected gunman,"
],
[
"Derrick Bird,"
],
[
"At least 12"
],
[
"12"
],
[
"12"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"\"You won't see me again.\""
]
] | Police confirm 12 people killed in shooting spree in northern England .
Police have found body believed to be suspected gunman Derrick Bird .
Friend says suspect told him, "You won't see me again" |
London, England (CNN) -- Authorities evacuated 310 people from their homes early Thursday because of a major fire at a building site and nearby apartments in south London, fire officials and police said. The London Fire Brigade said it was called to the scene at 4:26 a.m. (11:26 p.m. ET Wednesday), and police said they were called minutes later. Ten fire engines and around 75 firefighters were on the scene some eight hours later, a spokesman for the fire brigade said. The fire engulfed an entire building site in Peckham, an area of south London, and spread to several three- and four-story residential buildings in the area, police and fire officials said. Firefighters had the fire surrounded by noon and said there may still be deep-seated pockets of fire, a fire brigade spokesman said. Four people were taken to a hospital, mainly for smoke inhalation, a spokeswoman for the London Ambulance Service said. None of their conditions was serious, she said. "I was in bed and my neighbor knocked and told me to wake up -- the building's on fire," said one woman wrapped in a coat on a nearby street. It was not clear what started the fire, the fire brigade spokesman said. | [
"What engulfed their apartment block?",
"what caused the fire",
"How many fire engines battled the blaze?",
"When did the fire happen?",
"How many firefighters battled the blaze?",
"When did the fire take hold of the building?",
"Where were residents evacuated from?"
] | [
[
"fire"
],
[
"It was not clear"
],
[
"Ten"
],
[
"south London,"
],
[
"75"
],
[
"early Thursday"
],
[
"their homes"
]
] | Residents evacuated in area of south London after fire engulfed their apartment block .
30 fire engines and more than 310 firefighters battled the blaze .
No injuries have been reported, according to police and fire officials .
It is not known what started the fire which took hold of the building in the early hours of Thursday . |
London, England (CNN) -- Britain said Thursday it expects Iceland to live up to its obligations, two days after Iceland's president refused to sign a bill that would pay back billions of dollars Iceland owes the country.
Britain spent 2.3 billion pounds ($3.69 billion) last year to cover the losses that British savers incurred when Icelandic banks collapsed.
Under a European Union directive, Iceland owes compensation to Britain.
Iceland's parliament passed a bill last week authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds, but President Olafur Ragnar Grimmson refused to sign it Tuesday.
It means there will now be a public referendum on whether to approve the bill. It also puts into question whether Britain can get repaid.
"We expect Iceland to live up to its obligations," said a British Treasury spokesman, who was not authorized to give his name. "We support them in finding a way to do that."
Similar comments came from Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos, whose government spent 1.3 billion euros ($1.87 billion) to cover bank losses in the country.
Despite his refusal to sign the bill, Grimmson told CNN Wednesday that Iceland will not shirk its duty to repay the money.
"Iceland recognizes its obligations under this agreement," he said. Resolving the issue, he added, "is a key to our recovery and our harmonious relations with these countries."
Grimmson acknowledged that the referendum puts repayment in doubt, though he said at the very least, Icelandic opinion polls show the vote will be "very close."
He did not explain how Iceland would repay the money if voters reject the bill.
Britain and the Netherlands said it was too early to speculate on what might happen if voters in Iceland vote no, but both Bos and the British Treasury spokesman said it would have negative consequences internationally for the small Atlantic nation.
"If the referendum goes against us, then I think Iceland will have a big problem because they will have shown themselves to be very unreliable partners in the international financial scene," Bos told CNN.
Bos said non-repayment of the funds would affect "the long-term interest of the Iceland economy and the Iceland people."
In a statement Tuesday, Grimmson said the reason he refused to sign the bill was so it would go to a referendum, which is required by law in such a case. He said he received a petition over the weekend, signed by a quarter of the electorate, urging the decision be put to a public vote.
"It is the cornerstone of the constitutional structure of the Republic of Iceland that the people are the supreme judge of the validity of the law," Grimmson said in the statement.
The law passed by Iceland's parliament would compensate Britain and the Netherlands by 2024.
The International Monetary Fund approved a loan of $2.1 billion to Iceland in November, making repayment of the British and Dutch funds a requirement. It is unclear how the IMF loan would be affected if Icelandic voters were to reject the repayment bill. | [
"How much did the UK spend last year?",
"Which banks collapsed?",
"what amount of money spent UK last year?",
"How much did Dutch authorities spend?"
] | [
[
"2.3 billion pounds ($3.69 billion)"
],
[
"Icelandic"
],
[
"2.3 billion pounds ($3.69 billion)"
],
[
"1.3 billion euros ($1.87 billion)"
]
] | UK spent $3.69 billion last year to cover British savers' losses when Icelandic banks collapsed .
Dutch authorities spent $1.87 billion for the same reason .
Iceland's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the loan .
President Olafur Ragnar Grimmson instead chose to put decision to repay loans to a public referendum . |
London, England (CNN) -- Britain's Labour Party suspended four members of Parliament -- including three former Cabinet ministers -- after they were secretly filmed offering to sell their government influence, the party said Tuesday.
The party said it has launched an investigation of Geoff Hoon, Patricia Hewitt, Stephen Byers and Margaret Moran and suspended all four from the Parliamentary Labour Party. None of the four plans to run in the next election, expected to be held in May.
"The Labour Party expects the highest standards of its representatives and believes that they have a duty to be transparent and accountable servants to their constituents at all times," the party said in a statement.
What the British media has now dubbed the "cash-for-lobbying" scandal comes just weeks before the expected general election in which Labour, the ruling party, faces a stiff challenge from the opposition Conservatives. Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell, a non-partisan official, called the allegations "extremely serious."
The undercover filming was done by reporters for Channel 4's "Dispatches" program, which aired Monday night. They set up a fictional U.S. company that claimed to want to hire British politicians for an advisory board, and an undercover reporter then invited the MPs to a rented office in London to discuss the work.
A hidden camera captured the politicians agreeing to use their experience and influence to lobby the government in exchange for thousands of pounds (dollars) in pay.
"I'd be very interested. I'm a bit like a sort of cab for hire, I suppose, at the moment," said Byers, who was the transport and business secretary under former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Byers said he usually charges a daily rate of between £3,000 and £5,000 ($4,500 and $7,500) for similar work. Among the services Byers offered was to try to get Blair to show up at a client's event.
"The three to five just depends a bit on the work, the clients, to be honest," Byers said on the tape. "I mean, sometimes I can charge more."
Hoon, who was British defense secretary during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, said he would request a similar amount. He said he could lead delegations to see certain ministers, or he could write letters to ministers to persuade them to see a client.
"One of the challenges, I think, which I'm really looking forward to is sort of translating my knowledge and contacts about (the) international scene into something that, bluntly, makes money," Hoon said.
Lawmaker Margaret Moran, who was implicated in the parliamentary expenses scandal last May, was also shown on hidden camera to be interested in a possible job. Moran spent £22,500 ($33,700) of taxpayers' money for repairs on a seaside home far from her constituency, days after declaring it as her second home, records last year showed.
Moran told the undercover reporter that she would be willing to approach parliamentary committees or special advisers on behalf of the company.
Hewitt, who served as health secretary and trade and industry secretary in the cabinet, said she is looking for another "major board position" to employ her for three days a month.
Asked how easy it would be for her to arrange meetings with Cabinet ministers or senior civil servants, Hewitt replied, "It's very doable, but you have to be kind of quite careful, you know, about how you do it. And it partly depends on the individual minister."
The Conservatives called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch an investigation into the scandal.
Peter Hoskin, a columnist for The Spectator magazine, described the revelations as "dirty money and dirtier politics."
"Our democracy could hardly bear another major political scandal, but here we have one: as grubby, underhand and dispiriting as last year's expenses revelations," Hoskin wrote. "The question now is whether it's as widespread."
Daily Telegraph columnist Mary Riddell called it "the week that could finish Labour" and said it put the | [
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Lawmakers were secretly filmed offering to sell their government influence .
Geoff Hoon, Patricia Hewitt, Stephen Byers, Margaret Moran not standing in election .
Politicians agreed to lobby government in exchange for thousands of pounds . |
London, England (CNN) -- Britain's involvement in the invasion of Iraq "was the right decision and it was for the right reasons," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday in his first response at an inquiry into country's role in the March 2003 conflict.
Brown was answering a question from the chairman of the inquiry, John Chilcot, about whether he thought taking military action in March 2003 was the right decision, especially given that it led to such a great loss of life among military personnel and civilians.
The prime minister said he respects members of the armed forces "who served with great distinction in Iraq" and lost their lives, and to civilians who died.
"I think any loss of life is something that makes us very sad indeed," Brown said.
The inquiry began last year and is expected to be the most thorough investigation yet into decisions that led up to the war and governed Britain's involvement, analysts have said.
It is not a court of law, so the inquiry cannot find anyone criminally responsible or apportion blame. But inquiry members will be able to judge the legality of the conflict.
Brown spent much of Friday defending military spending allowances, which have come under harsh scrutiny in Britain. Earlier witnesses have said Brown, as head of the British Treasury leading up to and after the Iraq invasion, did not allow the Ministry of Defence to spend as much as was needed.
Such cuts would have restricted the military's ability to buy helicopters, body armor and weapons that would have subsequently been used in Afghanistan.
Brown said as chancellor, he never ruled out a military option on the basis of cost.
"I said that every single request that was made for [military] equipment had to be met, and every request was met, and at any point military commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed, and I know of no occasion when they were turned down for it," Brown testified.
Tony Blair testifies at Iraq inquiry
Geoff Hoon, defence secretary at the time of the 2003 invasion, testified that Brown forced cuts that limited military spending.
"We then had to look hard at our budget and make some rather difficult cuts in the future equipment program as a result," Hoon testified.
Brown had faced increasing pressure to testify before Britain holds general elections, widely expected to be held May 6. His Labour Party faces a tight race with the opposition Conservatives.
Chilcot, the inquiry chairman, said committee members previously decided not to call any government ministers who are still serving in posts relevant to Iraq, but Brown offered to testify.
Chilcot announced in January that Brown had agreed to appear in the next two months.
Susan Smith, whose son, Pvt. Phillip Hewett, died in Iraq in 2005, said she doesn't believe Brown did everything possible to equip British troops.
"Was it needed? Was it asked for? If it was, why was it not funded?" she said. "At the moment, you've got no answers. It's all speculation. It would be nice just to know the truth."
Brown has faced repeated criticism for the level of equipment for the 9,000 British troops in Afghanistan, which some have said is too low. The prime minister has defended equipment levels and said he seeks assurances from military officers in the field that troops have the supplies they need.
A military memo, sent in June but released in October, contained a warning from a British officer that a shortage of helicopters was putting troops at risk because they were forced to travel on the ground, increasing the chances a roadside bomb could kill them.
The memo was written by Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe, who died a month later in a roadside bombing. At the time, he was the highest-ranking British serviceman to die in combat since the 1982 Falklands War.
Gen. Michael Walker previously testified the Treasury gave defence officials a spending target that they found hard to reach.
"It was [a budget for] some of the stuff that | [
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Brown: "Financial concerns played no part in military planning for the Iraq"
Brown: "I made it clear we would support whatever option the military decided upon"
The decision to go to war in Iraq was made for the right reasons, he said . |
London, England (CNN) -- Britain's new Cabinet held its first meeting Thursday and promptly agreed to a five-percent pay cut for all new ministers, Downing Street said.
Tackling the country's debt crisis is a top priority for new Prime Minister David Cameron, who took office Wednesday.
The decision means all members of the new Cabinet -- including Cameron -- will be paid five-percent less than their predecessors in the government of Gordon Brown, Downing Street said.
The reduction in Cabinet minister salaries alone will save taxpayers about £50,000 ($73,800) this year, Downing Street said.
The Cabinet also agreed to a ministerial pay freeze for the lifetime of the current Parliament, which is not scheduled to have elections again for another five years.
The salary cuts and pay freeze will save approximately £3 million ($4.4 million) over the life of the Parliament, Downing Street said.
Every member of Parliament receives a basic annual salary of £65,737 ($97,105). Those who are members of the Cabinet receive an additional salary on top of that, with the amount depending on their position. The additional salary can range from about £69,000 to about £134,500 ($101,500 to $198,000).
For Cameron, the pay cut means he will earn £142,500 ($210,000) in his role as prime minister, compared to the £150,000 ($220,000) earned by Brown, his office said. That's on top of the salary he receives as a member of Parliament, representing the constituency of Witney, about 65 miles northwest of London. | [
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Cabinet members have agreed to take a five-percent pay cut .
Salary cuts and pay freeze will save approximately £3 million . |
London, England (CNN) -- Britain's top legal official "misled" the government over the case for war in Iraq under pressure from then prime minister Tony Blair, a former Cabinet minister claimed Tuesday.
Clare Short, who was Blair's international development secretary until she quit over the Iraq invasion, said Attorney General Peter Goldsmith withheld his own "doubts and changes of opinion" in giving the go-ahead for war.
"I think he misled the Cabinet. He certainly misled me, but people let it through," Short told an inquiry into Britain's role in the March 2003 Iraq invasion.
The inquiry -- Britain's fifth examination of its Iraq involvement -- has already grilled senior figures including Blair, former defense minister Geoff Hoon and Britain's top military commander Jock Stirrup.
Short said that Goldsmith, who last week testified before the inquiry that he was initially ambivalent but later adamant over the legality of the war, was wrong to press the case.
Goldsmith initially advised Blair in January 2003 that it would be unlawful to invade Iraq without a United Nations Security Council resolution but changed his mind a month later.
"I think for the attorney general to come and say there's unequivocal legal authority to go to war was misleading."
Short said Goldsmith was "leaned on" by Blair to agree to the war.
"Lord Goldsmith said he was excluded from lots of meetings -- that's a form of pressure.
"It was suggested to him that he go to the U.S. to get advice about the legal position.
"You have got the Bush administration who have very low respect for international law. It seems the most extraordinary place in the world to go to get advice about international law."
She added: "I think all that was leaning on -- sending him to America, excluding him and then including him."
Her comments came just days after Blair appearance at the inquiry generated protests, with several hundred anti-war campaigners gathering outside the London venue chanting "Blair lied, thousands died" and other slogans.
Blair denied claims he had struck a secret deal with U.S. President George W. Bush in 2002 pledging British backing for the invasion and said he believed "beyond doubt" his unfounded pre-war claim that Iraq was capable of launching chemical and biological weapons within 45 minutes.
Blair: No 'covert' deal with Bush over Iraq
Analysts say involvement in the Iraq war remains a "live political issue" in the UK, because the same government -- now led by Gordon Brown -- was still power, whereas the parties of other leaders in the U.S. and Australia have been voted out of office.
"The others have faced critical public scrutiny and been damaged by that," legal expert Glen Rangwala of Cambridge University told CNN. "The British haven't had a change of administration so in many ways it remains a live political issue because it reflects on people who are in government."
CNN's Simon Hooper contributed to this report | [
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Short said Tony Blair leant on Lord Goldsmith to support UK involvement .
Inquiry is Britain's fifth examination of role in Iraq conflict . |
London, England (CNN) -- British Airways cabin crew members went on strike Saturday, leaving thousands of would-be passengers' travel plans during the next two weeks in disarray.
The strike came after British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh and the joint general secretary of the Unite union, Tony Woodley, emerged Friday from a meeting and announced the effort to avert the walkout had failed.
"This company does not want to negotiate," Woodley said of British Airways. "This company wants ultimately to go to war with my members and the union."
Walsh said he "deeply regrets" the inconvenience the strikes will cause to passengers but said the company will still try to operate as many flights as possible. "I am disappointed the union has not been able to see the sense of the proposal we tabled today," Walsh said.
Advice for passengers
British Airways posted lists on its Web site of flights that it plans to operate during the walkout.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he "believes that this strike is in no one's interest and will cause unacceptable inconvenience to passengers. He urges the strike be called off immediately" and the two sides return to bargaining.
In addition to the three-day strike beginning Saturday, Unite has decided to strike for four more days beginning March 27. Unite represents 95 percent of BA's 15,000 cabin crew members, but not all of them plan to strike.
The airline has unveiled an ambitious contingency plan to get as many passengers as possible to their destinations. Walsh said he hopes that by leasing aircraft and using replacement workers, BA will be able to deliver about two-thirds of its customers to their planned destinations during the strikes.
In a full-page ad in British newspapers Friday, Walsh said a "significant number" of cabin crews don't support the strike and will continue to work, supported by volunteers from across the airline.
The airline said it has also made agreements with more than 60 other carriers to rebook customers free of charge if their British Airways flights are canceled during the strike period.
Will a strike by British Airways affect you?
But in a posting on its Web site, Unite called the schedule "an accomplished work of fantasy."
The industrial action is over planned changes to the way cabin crews operate, which British Airways says will save the carrier more than 60 million pounds ($90 million) a year.
Unite has said the plans call for working hours to be extended and crew staffing levels to be cut, changes that it has said will damage customer service and the BA brand.
"Unite believes the new contractual changes are an attempt to force staff to pay the price for management failings with the company wringing more and more out of fewer and fewer staff who will be paid less," the union said in a posting on its Web site. A cabin crew member's starting salary is 11,000 pounds ($16,500), Unite said.
Unite said that BA management submitted a formal offer to the union last week, but the offer failed to address union concerns about crew numbers and service delivery. That prompted Unite officials to announce the strike dates. BA then rescinded its offer. British Airways submitted a new offer Friday, but Woodley said it reduced the amount of pay that had been in last week's offer.
iReport: Are you caught up in the strike?
A sticking point in negotiations was reportedly how BA could be compensated for the 27 million pound ($40.5 million) loss it had already incurred through canceled tickets before the talks broke down.
Walsh said he told Unite that the expense must be recovered, so the financial value of Friday's offer was "not as attractive" as last week's. The new offer, however, would have secured long-term pay protection for all existing crew, "new opportunities" for BA crew at London's Gatwick airport, and modernization of its industrial relations, he said.
Any BA workers who go on strike now risk losing permanently their travel perks, such as free and heavily discounted travel | [
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Besides three-day strike, Unite to strike for four more days beginning March 27 .
Unite: Plans call for longer working hours, cut staff .
BA chief: Contingency plan will try to get customers to destinations . |
London, England (CNN) -- British Airways said its operations got off to a good start Saturday despite a second consecutive strike by thousands of its cabin crew members.
The airline said it was able to operate flights as normal at two London airports, Gatwick and City, and that the number of crew members reporting for work at Heathrow -- Britain's busiest airport -- was enough to operate its planned schedule.
"We have got off to a good start," the airline said in a statement.
The crews walked out at midnight Friday in a strike set to last for four days. They staged a three-day walkout last weekend.
BA said enough staff had crossed the picket lines that it was able to fly more than 75 percent of customers scheduled to travel during the strike. Another 18 percent of passengers are booked to fly on other carriers or have changed their travel dates to avoid the strike.
Are you worried about the strike?
The Unite union, which represents 95 percent of BA's 15,000 cabin crew, said it was too early say how many crew members worked despite the strike.
At Heathrow's Terminal 5, which is used primarily by British Airways, things appeared to be running smoothly Saturday and long-haul passengers who spoke to CNN seemed largely unaffected.
"It's been fine from Seattle, (Washington) and I hope it will be fine going back to Seattle," passenger Don Dewar said.
Ravi Erukulabatn said his mother-in-law was still scheduled to fly to Hyderabad, India.
"She is flying on her own, so we were a bit anxious to begin with, bur fortunately it is happening as expected," he told CNN.
The airline said it will be able to run a full operation from London's Gatwick and City airports. At Heathrow, BA will be able to run up to 55 percent of its short-haul flights and up to 70 percent of its long-haul flights, the airline said.
To help operate as many flights as possible, BA is leasing planes, pilots and crews from six airlines, BA said. It is also using volunteers from other areas of the company to stand in for striking cabin crew.
BA handed a statement to passengers on some long-haul flights, reassuring them the airline's own staff was working on board.
"British Airways pilots will be flying your aircraft and you will be cared for in the cabin by British Airways staff," the statement read. "Some of these staff in the cabin may be additional pilots who have volunteered to look after you, and as such will be wearing their pilot uniforms."
Pauline Doyle, a spokeswoman for Unite, said having pilots standing in as flight attendants "undermines" the relationship between cabin crew and pilots.
BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh had threatened last week to take away the travel perks, which might have been one reason some union staff agreed to work despite the strike last weekend.
Striking staff stripped of perks
He said the travel perks are not in the crews' contracts and can be withdrawn at the airline's discretion.
The union representing the striking workers called the move "vindictive" and said restoring those perks must be part of any deal to end the strike.
"The withdrawal of travel concessions from crew who have been on strike represents unacceptable anti-union bullying," Unite joint leaders Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley wrote in a letter to members. "Any agreement to end this dispute must and will include a framework for the full restoration of those travel concessions."
Other carriers are offering to accommodate BA passengers affected by the strike. British carrier BMI, which flies to Europe and the Middle East, said Friday it had added 4,500 seats to its normal Heathrow flight schedule and Ryanair offered special fares to BA passengers.
British Airways and Unite have been at odds for more than a year over changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices.
BA says the changes will save the company more than 60 million pounds ($90 million) a year | [
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Airline says it can fly more than 75 percent of customers scheduled to travel .
BA cabin crew members in dispute over pay and working conditions .
Airline and Unite union have been at odds for more than a year over planned changes . |
London, England (CNN) -- British Airways was able to get three out of four planes to their destination this weekend despite the ongoing strike by cabin crew, the airline's CEO, Willie Walsh, said Sunday.
Walsh told CNN he was "clearly disappointed for customers who have had disrupted travel plans but I'm really pleased that we have been able to do so much and we are determined to keep this going.
"We have had high numbers of cabin crew turning up for work. We wouldn't have been able to fly such a significant operation if we didn't have cabin crew supporting us," he said.
But the assistant general secretary of the Unite union, which represents the cabin crew, said BA was losing money and shifting customers onto other airlines in a "con trick."
Are you worried about the strike?
"BA is claiming that it can function but it is doing so by throwing away millions of pounds every day as it dumps its passengers on other carriers," Unite's Len McClusky said in a statement.
"Passengers who turn up expecting to fly BA, a brand they trust and have paid a premium for, will now be shipped onto carriers they've never heard of."
British Airways and Unite have been at odds for more than a year over changes the airline wants to make to cabin crew pay and work practices.
BA says the changes will save the company more than 60 million pounds ($90 million) a year. Unite has said the plans, which call for longer work hours and less staffing, will damage customer service and the BA brand.
At least 51 British Airways flights leaving Heathrow Sunday were listed as canceled on the airport's Web site, and at least 79 arrivals were listed as canceled, as of 10:30 local time (5:30 a.m. ET).
Destinations in the UK, United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East were directly affected by the cancellation of BA flights. And other airlines such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Iberia were showing flight cancellations because of code-sharing.
The union claimed half of British Airways flights were canceled on Sunday. BA in the past has said it is legally bound as a publicly traded company to provide accurate information, while the union is under no such obligations.
The latest strike, which began Saturday, meant American student Brittany Smith and her family were being rerouted from London's Heathrow to Atlanta, Georgia, on their way home to Denver, Colorado.
She has already e-mailed her professors to explain that she will not make class. "It is frustrating, but if you let it frustrate you, you're just going to ruin your travel plans even more," she told CNN.
"So you are just going to have to take it with a grain of salt, and realize that everyone is doing the best they can and to make it easier on everyone to stay positive."
The four-day strike is the union's second one in a month over pay and working conditions. It staged a three-day walkout last weekend
BA said its operations got off to a good start Saturday despite the strike by thousands of its cabin crew members.
The airline said it was able to operate flights as normal at two London airports, Gatwick and City, and that the number of crew members reporting for work at Heathrow was enough to operate BA's planned schedule.
It said enough staff had crossed the picket lines that it was able to fly more than 75 percent of customers scheduled to travel during the strike. Another 18 percent of passengers are booked to fly on other carriers or have changed their travel dates to avoid the strike, the airline said.
Advice for passengers
The Unite union, which represents 95 percent of BA's 15,000 cabin crew, said it was too early say how many crew members worked despite the strike.
The airline said it will be able to run a full operation from London's Gatwick and City airports.
At London's Heathrow Airport, BA will be able to run up to 55 | [
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At least 51 BA flights leaving Heathrow Sunday were listed as canceled .
BA cabin crew members in dispute over pay and working conditions .
Airline and Unite union have been at odds for more than a year over planned changes . |
London, England (CNN) -- British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced a public inquiry Wednesday into allegations that Iraqis were killed and abused after a firefight more than five years ago in the southern part of the country. The allegations center around the aftermath of a fight in May 2004 at the so-called Danny Boy checkpoint in Maysan Province. Former detainees and the family of a slain Iraqi contend at least 20 people were killed and others were abused at Camp Abu Naji after a fight between British soldiers and Iraqi insurgents. That claim has been denied by the UK Ministry of Defence -- which says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated. The probe is called the Al Sweady inquiry -- named after the family of the dead Iraqi. Thayne Forbes -- who retired from the High Court Bench last year -- will chair the inquiry into allegations. The inquiry will look into allegations of "unlawful killings" and the "ill-treatment of five Iraqi nationals detained at Camp Abu Naji." Even though the probe will focus on five detainees, attorneys claim nine people were detained and abused. The defense ministry disputes those allegations. "We have found no credible evidence that those detained, as a result of the attack on British troops and the prolonged firefight at Danny Boy checkpoint, were mistreated," the defense ministry said in a statement. The release of a photo published in British media and obtained by CNN about the incident shows an armed soldier standing near four people face down on the ground with their hands bound behind their backs and their faces covered. Attorneys for the men say they were beaten and evidence shows a breach of the Geneva Conventions prohibiting humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners. But, the defence ministry disputes that. "It is important to remember that our first priority at the end of such attacks is to protect our personnel from further threats," the ministry said. CNN's Atika Shubert and Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | [
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Former detainees and family of a slain Iraqi say at least 20 people were killed and others were abused .
UK defense ministry says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated . |
London, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is denying allegations of "abusive behavior" and "volcanic eruptions of foul temper" ahead of the publication of a new book by a top British political journalist.
The claims come in a book by Andrew Rawnsley of the Observer newspaper, which will be released March 1. The newspaper began running excerpts on Sunday.
"These malicious allegations are totally without foundation," Brown's official spokesman said in a statement Saturday. The spokesman is traditionally not quoted by name.
The Observer claimed that Brown's behavior upset staff at his office, 10 Downing Street, so much so that the head of the civil service launched an investigation and "ordered" the prime minister "to change his behavior."
Britain has a professional civil service which runs the administration of the government, distinct from elected politicians.
The Cabinet Office, a part of the civil service, issued a strongly-worded denial that Sir Gus O'Donnell had looked into Brown's behavior or warned him about it.
"It is categorically not the case that the Cabinet secretary asked for an investigation of the (prime minister's) treatment of Number 10 staff," his office said in a statement. "These assertions have been put to the Cabinet secretary who has rejected them."
Before the publication of the excerpts from the book, there were rumors it would allege that Brown had hit staffers, which he denied Saturday.
"Let me just say, absolutely clearly, so that there is no misunderstanding about that: I have never, never hit anybody in my life," he said, according to a statement from his office.
The book, "The End of the Party," apparently does not claim the prime minister hit people.
Brown is required by law to call an election by June this year. The date has not yet been announced, but it is widely expected to be May 6, and the election campaign has already started.
One of the top strategists in Brown's Labour Party, Peter Mandelson, declined to deny that Brown had a temper, but painted his personality as a virtue.
"I don't think he so much bullies people as he's very demanding of people. He's demanding of himself, he's demanding of people around him," Mandelson said on the BBC's "Andrew Marr Show" on Sunday.
"He does not like taking no for an answer.... there is a degree of impatience about the man, but what would you like? Some sort of shrinking violet at the helm of the government?" Mandelson asked.
Mandelson laughed and dodged a question from Marr about whether Brown had ever hit him or shouted at him.
But he said Rawnsley had a history of writing about events he had not witnessed.
"He's a very good, colorful writer, but that's it," Mandelson said. | [
"What sort of temper does Brown have?",
"What journalist claims on Brown`s behaviour?",
"On what Brown has been accused for?",
"What Andrew Rawnsley`s book claimed in Brown`s case?",
"What has Brown been accused of?",
"Who investigated Brown's behavior?",
"Who wrote a book about the allegations?",
"What is Brown accused of?"
] | [
[
"foul temper\""
],
[
"Andrew Rawnsley"
],
[
"\"abusive behavior\""
],
[
"and \"volcanic eruptions of foul temper\""
],
[
"and \"volcanic eruptions of foul temper\""
],
[
"Sir Gus O'Donnell"
],
[
"Andrew Rawnsley"
],
[
"\"abusive behavior\""
]
] | Brown accused of "abusive behavior", "volcanic eruptions of foul temper"
Journalist claims Brown's behavior was investigated by a top civil servant .
Brown "ordered to change his behavior," Andrew Rawnsley's book claims .
Brown spokesman: "Malicious allegations are totally without foundation" |
London, England (CNN) -- British police said Wednesday they have arrested a BBC television presenter on suspicion of murder after he told viewers he carried out a so-called mercy killing on a former lover.
Ray Gosling, 70, a freelance broadcaster, admitted on a BBC show aired in central England that he had smothered the unnamed partner in hospital where he was being treated for AIDS. Assisting in another person's death is illegal in England.
Police in Nottinghamshire, 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of London, confirmed they had made an arrest after the apparent confession on the BBC's "Inside Out" show.
Gosling made his admission in a taped segment of a 30-minute show about death, recounting how he smothered his partner to end his "terrible, terrible pain."
He told viewers: "Maybe this is the time to share a secret that I have kept for quite a long time. I killed someone once.
"He was a young chap, he'd been my lover and he got AIDS.
"In a hospital one hot afternoon, the doctor said 'There's nothing we can do,' and he was in terrible, terrible pain.
"I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back and I said 'He's gone'. Nothing more was ever said."
Gosling, who has not revealed details of his former lover's identity or the exact date of the incident, insisted he was not "making a cause" of assisted dying.
In a BBC Radio interview he said: "Sometimes doctors do it on their own. Sometimes people do it on their own.
"And if it happens to a lover or friend of yours, a husband, a wife, and I hope it doesn't, but when it does sometimes you have to do brave things and you have to say - to use Nottingham language - bugger the law." | [
"Whom had AIDS?",
"Where did the murder occur?",
"What did he want to end?",
"What was his former lover suffering from?",
"What did Golsing want to end?",
"What did Ray Gosling admit?",
"Who admitted to killing his former lover?",
"Who did Gosling kill?"
] | [
[
"Ray Gosling,"
],
[
"in hospital"
],
[
"\"terrible, terrible pain.\""
],
[
"AIDS."
],
[
"\"terrible, terrible pain.\""
],
[
"I killed someone once."
],
[
"Ray Gosling,"
],
[
"a former lover."
]
] | Ray Gosling admitted on a television show that he killed his former lover .
Gosling says he had wanted to end the pain of young man with AIDS .
Presenter says he is not trying to "make a cause" of assisted dying . |
London, England (CNN) -- Conservative Party leader David Cameron said it was "clear that the Labour government has lost its mandate to govern this country," as exit-poll predictions put his party on course to win more seats than it had for 80 years.
He said the Conservatives had fought a "positive and energetic" campaign. It was clear from the results that "the country wants change" and "that change is going to require new leadership."
Exit polls suggest the Conservatives are on pace to win 305 seats -- though this would be 21 short of a majority in the 650-seat House of Commons.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave no indication early Friday that he would step down after being returned to parliament by his constituents in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.
Full election coverage
The "outcome is not yet known but my duty .. is to play my part in Britain having a strong, stable and principled government," he said. "I will not let you down.
"I am very determined and have been through quite a lot in my political career and in my personal life, and I am used to difficulties."
If the predictions are borne out by results, the UK is heading for a "hung parliament" in which no single party controls an overall majority.
The leader of the largest party traditionally gets the first chance to form the government and become prime minister. But if no party has a majority, the sitting prime minister has the right to stay in office and try to win a confidence motion in parliament.
"The sitting prime minister and the incumbent government are given the first chance to create a majority that commands the confidence of the House of Commons, and if they fail to do that it passes to the leader of the opposition," top Labour politician Peter Mandelson told CNN.
Brown arrived at Labour Party headquarters in London early Friday after flying in from Scotland. He smiled and shook hands as he entered the building with his wife, Sarah, but said nothing to waiting cameras and reporters.
Several high-profile incumbents lost their seats overnight, including former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, of Labour; Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist party; and Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik, who had been in parliament for 13 years.
All had been implicated in last year's parliamentary expenses scandal. Robinson's loss could hurt the Conservatives, robbing them of a potential supporter in the Commons should the party need to form a coalition.
The Green Party, which favors environmental and social justice policies, gained its first-ever member of parliament when Caroline Lucas was elected in Brighton, in southern England.
There were some scenes of voter anger across the country over long lines to cast ballots or polling stations running out of ballot papers, but it was not immediately clear how widespread problems were.
Anger at polling stations
"We will be doing a serious and thorough review of this and making recommendations to parliament and the government," Electoral Commission Chairwoman Jenny Watson said.
The United Kingdom's system of voting is "Victorian, antiquated, left over from an era when less people had to vote" and not designed to cope with mass participation, she said, adding that the system is now "at breaking point."
It's very unusual for no party to get an absolute majority of seats in the Commons. The last time it happened, in 1974, voters were back at the polls within months.
After the election there will be 650 seats in the Commons, four more than in the previous parliament. Voters chose representatives for only 649 seats, however, because the death of a candidate in northern England postponed that election to May 27, local officials said.
Under the British electoral system, the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins. The system, known as "first past the post," is praised for its simplicity and the strong ties it forms between voters and representatives, but critics dislike its failure to provide proportional representation.
CNN's Zain Verjee, Richard Greene and Paul | [
"Who is projected to win 255 seats?",
"What does hung parliament mean?",
"What is a \"hung parliament\"?",
"How many seats are the Lib Dems predicted to win?",
"Who is the leader of the Conservative Party?",
"How many seats are the Conservatives predicted to win?"
] | [
[
"Conservatives"
],
[
"no single party controls an overall majority."
],
[
"in which no single party controls an overall majority."
],
[
"305"
],
[
"David Cameron"
],
[
"305"
]
] | Exit poll projects David Cameron's Conservatives winning 305 seats .
Gordon Brown's Labour Party projected to win 255 seats, Lib Dems 61 .
UK heading for "hung parliament" in which no single party has overall majority .
Brown: "My duty is to play my part in Britain having a strong, stable and principled government" |
London, England (CNN) -- European officials expressed frustration at Russia and Ukraine's inability to enforce an agreement to resume delivery of natural gas, amid heat and cooking gas shortages and sub-zero temperatures endured by millions of people.
A woman passes in front of a manometer set on a gas pipe in the Ukrainian city of Boyarka, near Kiev.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was expected to meet Friday with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Timoshenko in an emergency meeting in Berlin. Merkel said she was likely to reinforce the EU's position as a natural gas customer.
"There is a risk that the confidence in Russia may be lost due to the ongoing disruption," said Merkel.
On Thursday European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged Ukraine and Russia to quickly implement a compromise that would return natural gas deliveries from Russia's Gazprom's pipelines through the Ukraine as soon as possible.
"If the agreement is not honored, it means that Russia and Ukraine are no longer to be considered reliable partners for the EU in matters of energy supply," said Barroso.
Ukraine is a major entry point for Russian gas into Europe. Russia and Ukraine's dispute over pricing and contractual terms began nearly a year ago, escalating into the present crisis that has prompted Russia to turn off its taps. Both nations help deliver about 25 percent of Europe's natural gas.
In the long term, the EU eyed plans to build a pipeline to purchase natural gas from Central Asia and eventually Iraq and Iran. It was also building up infrastructure to import liquefied gas from North Africa and the Middle East and exploring nuclear energy.
During Wednesday's open session, European Parliament members and commissioners lashed out, with EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs saying, "We are living through one of the most serious energy crises yet-comparable with the 1970s oil crisis."
"Despite promises and the protocol signed on Monday, gas is not yet flowing from Russia through Ukraine."
Piebalgs said Russia had resumed gas deliveries on Tuesday, at one-third of normal flow, but Ukraine had stopped it claiming that Russia had chosen a difficult entry point.
Eastern Europe was experiencing a historic low in temperatures and Siberian weather conditions. When Russia's natural gas delivery was halted, it relied on its stockpile, which is quickly running out.
Croatia's government has declared pre-alert measures and announced gas shutdowns for everyone except for households, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
In the capital city of Zagreb, businesses are losing money due to the shortage, an estimated 10,000 Euros a day. Five hundred companies have been cut-off so far.
Danijel Zadijeloviae, owner of Lipik Glass, said the shortages have lost his business millions of Euros.
"If we had lost gas for only a second, it would caused us damages of up to 3 and a half million euros," he said.
CNN's Jim Boulden and Matthew Chance contributed to this report. | [
"what is being imported",
"What is happening because of gas shortages?",
"What country is at risk because of the disruption?",
"what countries are involved",
"What countries are holding talks?",
"What does Merkel say?"
] | [
[
"natural gas,"
],
[
"In the capital city of Zagreb, businesses are losing money due to the"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"Ukraine's"
],
[
"Ukraine's"
],
[
"she was likely to reinforce the EU's position as a natural gas customer."
]
] | NEW: Merkel says Russia risks the loss of confidence due to disruption .
EU is building up infrastructure to import liquefied gas from North Africa, Mideast .
Ukraine government says it has agreed to hold talks with Russia over gas row .
Dispute leaves countries across Europe with gas shortages . |
London, England (CNN) -- Europeans faced fresh winter misery Friday as plunging temperatures threw transport networks -- including the Channel Tunnel train service -- into chaos and dwindling cold weather resources raised concerns in a snow-blanketed Britain and other countries.
Eurostar, which operates trains between Britain and France, announced it was canceling up to 50 percent of services Friday as bad weather caused a repeat of problems that led to major disruptions and long lines of frustrated and angry travelers last month.
With satellite images showing the UK covered in snow from top to toe -- a rare modern event in a country that has experienced two decades of relatively mild winters -- authorities lacking snow plows and salt supplies were struggling to clear roads.
Britain's weather forecasting Met Office is warning of continued icy conditions, drifting snow, severe frosts and dangerous wind chill factors across the country over the coming weekend, blaming the recent cold snap on freezing northerly blasts from the Arctic.
It said icy conditions were expected to continue for the next two weeks. Forecasters were warning of similar conditions in France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic and parts of Italy in the days ahead.
As temperatures plummeted to 30-year-lows of -22.3 Celsius (-8.1 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the UK, gas suppliers were reassuring users that there was no immediate likelihood that interruptions to fuel imposed on some businesses could spread to households.
The National Grid, which handles supplies of natural gas across Britain, reported that is was expecting to cope with all-time record demand levels Friday after similar peaks a day earlier that called on 454 million cubic meters of gas.
Despite the high demand -- and technical problems affecting gas flow from Norway -- National Grid spokeswoman Stephanie van Rosse said there was no danger of an interruption to supply.
"We've got plenty coming in," she told CNN. "It's just a matter of balancing it."
One of the companies whose gas was switched off was British Sugar, based in Peterborough, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of London. A spokesman there told CNN they had simply switched to using oil until the gas comes back on.
"It doesn't affect our production, so it's just business as usual," said the spokesman, who asked not to be named. "It's a bit of a non-story, really. We just switch and it's no big problem."
Main airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, were continuing to advise passengers to contact airlines before setting out as weather added to disruptions already caused by increased security in the wake of last month's failed U.S. plane bombing.
Cold weather, blamed for 22 deaths countrywide, also shut schools across Britain and led to warnings of hazardous roads as grit and salt supplies wore thin, prompting local authorities to impose rationing.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said Britain's only two suppliers of salt were operating at capacity as authorities' standard emergency provisions for six days of snowy weather ran dry.
"The two salt producers are working flat-out, 24 hours-a-day, and we have ordered more salt supplies from abroad," he told the BBC.
"But... we will face some difficult decisions about where we are going to prioritize gritting of roads in this exceptionally severe and prolonged cold weather."
CNN's Melissa Gray and Barry Neild contributed to this story | [
"Fuel supplies say no interruptions to gas supplies imminent despite what ?",
"Eurostar cancels Channel Tunnel train services due to what?",
"What is there record demand for?",
"Where did temperatures plummet to 30-year lows ?",
"What has hit 30-year lows in some parts of the UK?",
"What caused Eurostar to cancel Channel Tunnel train services?",
"Who cancels Channel Tunnel train services due to freezing temperatures ?",
"Are interruptions to gas supplies imminent?"
] | [
[
"and technical problems"
],
[
"winter misery"
],
[
"gas"
],
[
"some parts of the UK,"
],
[
"temperatures"
],
[
"winter misery"
],
[
"Eurostar,"
],
[
"no"
]
] | Eurostar cancels Channel Tunnel train services due to freezing temperatures .
Temperatures plummet to 30-year lows in some parts of the UK .
Fuel supplies say no interruptions to gas supplies imminent despite record demand . |
London, England (CNN) -- Eurostar is running tests to try to figure out what caused an "unprecedented" six trains to break down, forcing the company to cancel all services this weekend, a spokeswoman said Sunday. The company announced later that Monday service will be halted as well to allow for more test runs. The cancellation of the England-to-France express train service stranded thousands of passengers on both sides of the English Channel on the weekend before Christmas. "We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travelers will be," Eurostar said on its Web site Sunday. Five trains with about 2,000 passengers stopped running Friday night inside the Channel Tunnel, also called the Chunnel, which runs between Britain and France. A sixth train broke down Saturday after Eurostar tried to run four trains from London to the continental mainland to prepare for the resumption of normal service. About 700 people were aboard when that train stopped in the Ebbsfleet area of Kent. Eurostar is making an effort to get about 500 people in "emergency situations" out of London, a spokesman said. They are being put on a regular train to the coastal town of Dover, England, taken across the English Channel by ferry and then by bus to Brussels or Paris, said the spokesman, who declined to be named. Eurostar is conducting a series of test trains Sunday "to better understand the problems that have been occurring," the company said. "We are committed to restoring our services as soon as possible but our key priority is the safety and comfort of our customers," the statement said. Those passengers affected by the breakdowns are being offered a full refund, another return ticket and 150 pounds in compensation. About 25,000 people should have been traveling on Saturday, Eurostar said. The company is not taking any new bookings until after Christmas, it announced, and is urging people not to come to the station Sunday. "We strongly recommend that travelers whose journeys are not essential change their tickets for travel on a later date or have their tickets refunded," Eurostar said on its Web site. The trains became stuck in the tunnel because the air inside was much warmer than the air outside the tunnel entrance in France, Eurostar spokeswoman Amelle Mouhaddib said. "It's a bit like taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge into a warm room -- within minutes it's covered in condensation," said Eurostar CEO Richard Brown. "We think that was the principle cause of the electrical failures on the trains." Brown called the number of breakdowns "completely unprecedented." Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel, said it evacuated all 1,364 Eurostar passengers who were stuck Friday after the trains "lost traction," but one of the five trains remained in the tunnel and was blocking part of it, according to a Eurotunnel spokeswoman who asked not to be named, in line with policy. The train that broke down Saturday was being towed back to the tunnel entry so passengers could be removed and transferred, Eurostar said. The problems started after 9 p.m. Friday when the first of the five Eurostar trains became stuck. It was helped out of the tunnel by a Eurotunnel locomotive, which took it all the way to London with passengers still on board, the Eurotunnel spokeswoman said. Passengers on the second and third trains to fail were evacuated via the service tunnel to a Eurotunnel train, which brought them to the exit, she said. One of the failed trains was pulled out of the tunnel, but authorities were having difficulty removing the other, she said. The fourth and fifth trains were running close together when they failed, so Eurotunnel locomotives coupled them and either pushed or pulled them to the English side of the tunnel, the spokeswoman said. Passengers from the fifth train boarded the one in front, and Eurotunnel locomotives then towed that train to London, she said. The Chunnel is two tunnels separated by a third and smaller service tunnel, so the train that remained stuck inside did not mean the entire tunnel was blocked | [
"What type of problems have been occurring?",
"According to Eurostar, how many people in London need help?",
"What is the consequence of the cancellation of England-to-France express train service?",
"When is Eurostar taking new bookings?",
"What service was cancelled?",
"When will Eurostar resume taking new bookings?"
] | [
[
"electrical failures"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"stranded thousands of passengers on both sides of the English Channel on the weekend before Christmas."
],
[
"after Christmas,"
],
[
"Eurostar"
],
[
"after Christmas,"
]
] | Eurostar trying to get about 500 people in "emergency situations" out of London, spokesman says .
Tests Sunday are "to better understand problems that have been occurring," company says .
Eurostar not taking any new bookings until after Christmas, company announced .
Cancellation of England-to-France express train service stranded thousands . |
London, England (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic finally took the stand Monday at the U.N.'s international tribunal at The Hague to defend himself against genocide charges stemming from the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.
For CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson, the 64 year-old was as defiant and unrepentant as the man he recalled meeting outside Sarajevo in 1993-94, as Bosnian-Serb forces shelled the city.
Karadzic, who faces 11 charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during the war, told the tribunal the Serb cause is "just and holy," and dismissed as myths two of the worst atrocities of a conflict that claimed 100,000 lives -- the three-year siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
He even claimed that the image of the Muslims as victims was untrue and that they were the first to attack. Their fighters "had blood up to their shoulders," he said.
"I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy," he said in his defiant opening statement. The aim of the "Muslim plotters," he added, was "100 percent power, as it was in the Ottoman Empire."
"This is reminiscent of those days," said Robertson, who reported from the Bosnian capital during the war. "These were the exact same justifications: 'we're the ones that had been under attack, we're the ones being wronged.'
"It's very telling that he's not trying to address specific issues, such as the Srebrenica massacre and such like, which are going to be the main parts of the prosecution.
"Many Bosnian-Serbs watching this will feel that he's doing the right thing because Serbs have a history of feeling wrongly done to."
He said some still think back to their nationalist past and only identify with themselves through that, which is incompatible with the direction modern Europe is taking. "They're trying to return to a kind of Serb nationalist heyday, which is akin to the Taliban taking Muslims, if you will, back centuries."
Karadzic is the most senior figure to stand trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict was reached.
According to Robertson, the trial might offer a crumb of comfort to some victims but it will stir up a great deal of emotion and anger to many Bosnian-Muslims who lost relatives or their homes.
"When you listen to Karadzic's description of the situation in Bosnia during this period it belies the fact that Bosnian-Serbs went through and ethnically-cleansed people from their towns," he said.
"There were towns and villages where no Muslims were left. Any towns or villages the Serbs couldn't get into they just surrounded and poured on machine-gun fire and rockets. This trial is going to bring all this out again."
During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 44 months, Karadzic was in Pale, a mountain-top village to the south-west of the capital which became the Bosnian-Serb headquarters.
Down below, Sarajevo was like a goldfish bowl surrounded on all sides by Bosnian-Serb soldiers who had dug in and were shooting civilians indiscriminately with machine guns, sniper rifles and mortars. "These were men in uniform with weapons taken from the former Yugoslav national army acting on clear instructions," said Robertson.
"It's hard to get an idea of what a siege is like in modern Europe. But imagine a city where you can't leave, get out to buy eggs, apples or fuel for your car. Equally nothing can come in.
"The encirclement of Sarajevo was so tight that the only way in or out for Bosnians was a hand-built tunnel they dug under the U.N.-run airport runway. A man couldn't stand upright in the tunnel.
"Telephone lines were non-existent, while electricity and water supplies were often cut for weeks on end."
On one occasion, while buying fuel in Serb- | [
"Who faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity?",
"Who said at The Hague that the Serb cause is \"just and holy\"?",
"Who was accused of responsibility for the massacre?",
"Who faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity?",
"Where is the international tribunal located?"
] | [
[
"Radovan Karadzic"
],
[
"Karadzic,"
],
[
"Radovan Karadzic"
],
[
"Radovan Karadzic"
],
[
"The Hague"
]
] | Radovan Karadzic faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity .
Charges stem partly from 1995 mass killing of Muslim men in Bosnian town of Srebrenica .
Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb president at the time, accused of responsibility for the massacre .
He told international tribunal at The Hague that the Serb cause is "just and holy" |
London, England (CNN) -- Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he would have taken the decision to remove Saddam Hussein even without evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
In an excerpt from a BBC interview to be aired Sunday, Blair said: "I would still have thought it right to remove him. I mean obviously you would have had to use and deploy different arguments, about the nature of the threat."
Blair, who left office in 2007 and now serves as a special envoy to the Middle East, will be questioned next year at an inquiry into Britain's role in the 2003 conflict.
At the time of the conflict the British government based its decision to go to war on evidence, contained within a dossier it published in September 2002, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) ready to deploy within 45 minutes.
But critics of the war claim the Bush administration had decided to remove the Iraqi dictator by force by the end of 2002 and that Blair was aware of this and had offered his support.
The current inquiry is not a court of law, so it cannot find anyone criminally responsible or even apportion blame. But inquiry members will be able to judge the legality of the conflict.
Despite doubts about Iraq's WMDs, Blair was defiant about the need for regime change in Baghdad for the sake of peace in the region. He told the BBC: "I can't really think we'd be better with him and his two sons still in charge, but it's incredibly difficult and I totally understand.
"That's why I sympathize with the people who were against [the war] for perfectly good reasons and are against it now, but for me, you know, in the end I had to take the decision.
"It was the notion of him as a threat to the region, of which the development of WMD was obviously one. He used chemical weapons on his own people, so this was obviously the thing that was uppermost in my mind."
Last month, Blair denied a claims that Peter Goldsmith, Britain's Attorney General at the time of the Iraq war, was "bullied" into declaring that the invasion was legal.
According to reports in the British media, Goldsmith warned Blair the invasion was a serious breach of international law in an "uncompromising letter" in July 2002, eight months before the campaign.
In an interview with CNN, the former premier refuted the claim but accepted his reputation had been called into question many times over Iraq. "Over the years I've answered questions time and time again about it [the invasion] and am happy to do so again," he said.
"It was an important decision, and it was a momentous decision in terms of your country and in terms of mine.
"But one of the things you learn as leader of a country is that you have the responsibility to take decisions. Some of those decisions are difficult decisions and some are very controversial... sometimes they can be very bitter, very difficult. That's part of being a leader."
Britain has already held four hearings about the Iraq war. But because all were held before the end of 2004 -- so close to the start of the war -- they were hampered by limited information, political analyst Glen Rangwala of Cambridge University told CNN.
"They didn't manage to achieve anything like a comprehensive understanding of the paths that led the UK to support the United States in the invasion," he said. "This will be the first to look at political decision-making that led to the British invasion of 2003, with the potential to tell a full story."
Britain's first two inquiries were held by government committees in 2003.
The House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs examined whether Britain's Foreign Office gave accurate and complete information to Parliament in the run-up to the war. It found the government exerted no improper influence on the drafting of the dossier given to Parliament on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.
The Intelligence and | [
"what do critics say",
"Who faces a British Inquiry into the Country's role in the 2003 conflict?",
"Who tells BBC it was right to remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq?",
"what did britain base its decision to go to war on?",
"who is tony blair?",
"what has blair said"
] | [
[
"claim the Bush administration had decided to remove the Iraqi dictator by force by the end of"
],
[
"Tony Blair"
],
[
"Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair"
],
[
"published in September 2002, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) ready to deploy within 45 minutes."
],
[
"Former British Prime Minister"
],
[
"he would have taken the decision"
]
] | Former British PM Tony Blair tells BBC it was right to remove Saddam Hussein, sons from Iraq .
Blair faces a British inquiry into the country's role in the 2003 conflict .
Britain based its decision to go to war on evidence Saddam had weapons of mass destruction .
Critics argue Blair government had exaggerated evidence to justify war on Iraq . |
London, England (CNN) -- Formula 1 will continue to take place in Britain for the next 17 years after a deal was struck between Silverstone's owners and the sport's chief Bernie Ecclestone. Monday's announcement by the track's owners means the oldest venue on the F1 calendar keeps its place. Silverstone's comeback took place despite rival track Donington Park being awarded the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010. However, that circuit lost out after failing to secure the $200 million needed to fund redevelopment plans. That had led to fears Ecclestone would look to move the race abroad. Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told the Press Association: "We've always had five-year deals and never been able to get the investment we needed to redevelop. "But 17 years gives us the ability to invest and move forward. We've always had the belief the British Grand Prix was an important cornerstone of Formula One but, with Bernie, you're never quite sure. Phillips described the deal as "peace in our time" between the circuit's owners, the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC), and Ecclestone. "The relationship with Formula One Management has been improving," added Phillips. "There's a good working relationship with him now and we don't have any issues." Applauding the negotiating team, BRDC president and 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill told the Press Association: "It's not easy to enter into an agreement of this magnitude. It's a big commitment. "But the BRDC felt we wanted this relationship to continue, and we were prepared to back the negotiating team, with the level of risk satisfactory for the deal to go ahead. "This announcement is tremendous news. It really does cement Silverstone as a motor sport venue and is incredibly satisfying for the BRDC to cement its relationship with F1." | [
"Will Formula 1 continue in Britain?",
"What will continue in britain after deal?",
"Which is the oldest race on the F1 calendar?",
"Where was the British Grand Prix supposed to be held?",
"Who was to host British Grand Prix?"
] | [
[
"to take place in"
],
[
"Formula 1"
],
[
"Formula 1"
],
[
"Donington Park"
],
[
"Donington Park"
]
] | Formula 1 will continue in Britain after deal between Silverstone and sport's chief Bernie Ecclestone .
Announcement by the track's owners means the oldest race on the F1 calendar keeps its place .
Donington was to host British Grand Prix from 2010 but failed to secure $200 million for redevelopment . |
London, England (CNN) -- I didn't need to read the findings of a recent Australian research study to know that most women who live with their mates have more body fat than those who don't.
For 10 years, researchers studied nearly 6,500 women, age 18 to 23, and found, according to one of the study's authors, Dr. Wendy J. Brown, that "Women with no partner and no baby averaged 11 pounds over 10 years. With a partner and no baby they gained about 15 pounds, and if they had a partner and a baby they gained 20 pounds." (The findings appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.)
Researchers can speculate on the reasons for this, but it's not news to me.
Of the thousands of women I've met who are desperately seeking to reshape their bodies, almost all are living with -- or just moved away from -- a partner.
While I have heard many voices, their story is the same: They lust, then love. With lust comes starvation; with love, over-consumption and under-exercise. Their love transforms from the physical to the emotional, and this usually happens after they decide to live together.
But once they lift their heads above the fog of love, they look down to find that their butts are sagging, bellies are bulging and thighs have taken on interesting new shapes!
Come to think of it, many of the men who knock on my door looking for their abdominal muscles also deteriorated soon after moving in with their mates.
Think about your man. Does he have the same waistline measurement as when you first signed the lease or mortgage papers? Probably not. In fact, it probably got even worse for both of you after your first child, didn't it? (The new Australian research references an earlier study that showed an increase in obesity in men once they'd had children.)
Like the smokers I know, the overwhelming majority of whom hate to smoke, many women develop unhealthy patterns (like snacking on junk food at home) that lead to unhealthy bodies, which lead to a seriously unhealthy lack of self-esteem. We become "less desirable," a phrase I hear far too often. Once we arrive at this place, the frantic search begins.
Many of us will do anything to recover what was once our youthful body. Sadly, many waste time and money on fad diets, pills and potions. They end up doing the yo-yo thing, torturing their bodies through obsessive experimentation with an endless list of exercise programs, almost all of which fail them, because the will to really change behavior is not yet there.
So, what can we do?
First, we must think about the quality and standards of our everyday behavior more than the end result. If we can just focus on gradual improvement of our diet and our exercise programs, we will likely regain our healthier, slimmer form. But more important, we will also build our self-respect.
So, taking intelligent steps (i.e., coming up with a rational workout plan or shopping for fresher and healthier foods and eating them, not impulse snacks), carrying the steps out consistently -- more frequently and for a longer duration -- will have a huge net benefit on our bottoms and our bottom line: love.
Next, we should include our mates in our process. In my experience, for example, couples who work out together have greater success in achieving their health and weight loss goals. They also seem to get along much better and stay together longer. Transform your personal physical development time into "date time," doing something as simple as taking regular after-dinner walks together.
Finally, cut back, but don't cut out the fun stuff. When we are consistent with our diet and exercise programs, there is no need for maniacal starvation. We don't need to sit at the dinner table with a radish on our plate, while our children and mates enjoy full meals. A healthy diet should not be | [
"What happens when people partner?",
"what causes the fitness habits"
] | [
[
"they gained about 15 pounds,"
],
[
"unhealthy patterns"
]
] | Trainer Tracy Anderson not surprised study says women with partners gain weight .
When people partner, she says, they get lax in eating, fitness habits .
Sticking to rational diet, exercise plan and including mate key to staying slim, she says .
Anderson: Moving in together? Start fitness program now . |
London, England (CNN) -- If the location is anything to go by, then the omens are promising. Denmark's capital city, Copenhagen -- host to the U.N. climate summit which starts today -- is already one of the greenest cities in Europe. With over 300 kilometers of cycle lanes it is estimated that around 40 percent of the 1.2 population travel to work on a bicycle. And visitors to the city are encouraged to join in by making use of the network of city bikes for a deposit of just 20 DKK ($4). The influence of two wheels has extended into Yuletide this year, as cyclists in City Hall Square are generating the electricity powering the lights on the Christmas tree. It's just one of hundreds of activities and events which Copenhageners have organized to coincide with the 11-day U.N. summit taking place at the Bella Center in the Orestad district in the southeast of the city. The opening of the summit marks the end of an exhaustive planning period by the city. Preparations at the Bella Center began two years ago. The finishing touches began eight weeks ago. "It is, by far, the largest conference we have ever held and the largest political conference in Europe," the Bella Center press manager, Lars Lemche told CNN. "If numbers continue to grow, it will be the biggest political meeting the U.N. has ever held," he said. The center has hosted big events before -- a European Union summit in 2002 and the 2006 MTV European Music Awards -- but the U.N. summit makes them look like a tea party. "A conference is 36 hours. This is 11 days," Lemche said. The Bella Center has had to extend its floor space to 77,000 square meters -- the size of 11 football pitches -- to accommodate all delegates and 1000 staff will be on hand throughout. Numbers are expected to peak at around 18,000 in the second week when 100 heads of state arrive for the high-level political negotiations. This Herculean effort of planning is being backed up by a raft of green initiatives. Outside the conference center solar-powered streetlights are helping light the car parks. A wind turbine is helping power the lights indoors. Inside the conference center delegates will eat from a menu that is 65 percent organic and drink water that has come out of a tap rather than a bottle. Pens provided will be made from recycled plastic, and even the carpets are biodegradable. In a bid to offset the considerable carbon dioxide emissions - estimated to be 40,000 tons -- generated by the summit, organizers are funding the replacement of polluting brick factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh with 20 new efficient ones. Despite the disruption, Copenhageners have gone about their daily business as usual. Jason Heppenstall, Editor of The Copenhagen Post, a weekly English language newspaper told CNN: "There hasn't been much of a build up until the last few days. Until about two weeks ago it's not been talked about a lot in the press and maybe a month ago half the people in Denmark didn't know there was going to be a conference," he told CNN. People are starting to notice changes now, and the mood among Copenhageners is positive, apart from the locals living near the Bella Center and whose lives have been disrupted by all the security arrangements, Heppenstall said. The concrete barriers and the perimeter fence erected to protect the Bella Center have been one of the more obvious signs of security in the city. And now that the conference has started, 6000 officers will be on duty during the conference. Niels-Otto Fisker, communications advisor to the Danish national police commissioner, told CNN: "It is the single greatest operation that the Danish police have undertaken. Police are being drafted in from all over the country, and shifts are being extended from eight to 12-16 hours." In all, the security operations are costing the Danish government an estimated $122 million. Last week, police unveiled a 22-ton vehicle armed with a water canon which will be used if trouble flares during the conference. The only confrontations in | [
"What is one of the greenest cities in Europe?",
"What is the biggest event in Denmark?",
"What is the greenest city in Europe?",
"What is the biggest political event Denmark has hosted?",
"What building does the event take place in?",
"When is The U.N. climate summit?"
] | [
[
"capital city, Copenhagen"
],
[
"U.N. summit"
],
[
"Copenhagen"
],
[
"U.N. climate summit"
],
[
"Bella Center"
],
[
"today"
]
] | Danish capital, Copenhagen, one of the greenest cities in Europe .
U.N. climate summit is biggest political event Denmark has hosted .
Copenhagen aims to be carbon neutral by 2025 . |
London, England (CNN) -- Irish football officials have lodged an official complaint with world ruling body FIFA after Thierry Henry confessed that he handled the ball in the build-up to the goal which sent France to next summer's World Cup. Television cameras showed Henry guiding the ball with his hand twice, before William Gallas scored from his resulting cross to give "Les Bleus" a narrow win in the two-legged World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland. "I will be honest. It was a handball but I am not the referee," the Barcelona striker told reporters after the match in Paris. The Irish Justice Ministry confirmed to CNN that Dermot Ahern had asked the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to demand a replay in the interests of fair play. "Thierry Henry has admitted handling the ball, claims he told the ref he handled it. Millions of people worldwide saw it was a blatant double handball -- not to mention a double offside -- and we should put the powers that be in the cozy world of FIFA on the spot and demand a replay," Ahern said in a statement sent to CNN. "They probably won't grant it as we are minnows in world football but let's put them on the spot. It's the least we owe the thousands of devastated young fans around the country. Otherwise if that result remains it reinforces the view that if you cheat you will win." The FAI later confirmed that it had taken the matter to FIFA. "I really believe the integrity of the game has been questioned last night," chief executive John Delaney told reporters. "The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay." Delaney said the FAI had also written to the French football federation. "They need to look at themselves in this situation. Henry is their captain and a wonderful footballer, but does he want to be like Diego Maradona and his legacy to be this handball, this goal that got them to the World Cup in an unjust manner? If we had qualified in this manner, I wouldn't be happy," he said. "It is up to the people who govern the game now. Every time I go to a FIFA congress I hear about fair play and integrity. This was a defining game with the whole world watching, and if FIFA believe in fair play and integrity, this is their opportunity to step forward." The FAI has argued that there is a precedent for the result to be struck out, following FIFA's ruling that Uzbekistan had to replay a play-off against Bahrain for the 2006 World Cup in Germany after the referee made a mistake in awarding a penalty. "The Football Association of Ireland is hoping that FIFA and its disciplinary committee will, on behalf of football fans worldwide, act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected," the FAI said. FIFA confirmed it had received the Irish request for a replay, but gave no timescale on a decision. However, it said that under its regulations the referee's decision cannot be changed. "Law 5 states that the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final," it said. "The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match." Irish captain Richard Dunne, who spoke to Henry on the final whistle, said he felt cheated by the goal. "He admitted he handled it, but it doesn't make me feel any better because we are not going to the World Cup finals," the defender said. "FIFA will probably be happy. Yet again the big decisions have gone for the bigger team." Football's international governing body had faced criticism from several | [
"What did FAI ask of French counterparts?",
"Who did Republic of Ireland lodge official complaints with?",
"Who lodged the complaint with FIFA?",
"What does the camera show?",
"Did FAI wrote to French counterparts about the issue with Ireland game?"
] | [
[
"demand a replay in the interests of fair play."
],
[
"FIFA"
],
[
"Irish football officials"
],
[
"Henry guiding the ball with his hand twice,"
],
[
"the"
]
] | NEW: Republic of Ireland officials lodge official complaint with world ruling body FIFA .
NEW: FAI also writes to French counterparts asking for World Cup play-off to be replayed .
Cameras showed France's Thierry Henry guiding ball with his hand twice, before William Gallas scored .
Ex-France player David Ginola said Henry was only doing his job for his country and should not be blamed . |
London, England (CNN) -- It may run contrary to the conventional image of a sport obsessed with the latest technological improvement but, from Stockholm to Shanghai, players are turning back the clock to take part in the latest craze -- hickory golf. The game, which involves using 19th century wooden-shafted clubs, has proved a hit as national championships in the United States, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Sweden and Finland have blossomed. Companies too have been attracted to the format as a way of motivating staff. "Golfers love a challenge," says Gavin Bottrell, who runs hickory golf days in Britain. "There's a saying about modern golf clubs that you can buy any shot out of the shop. Playing with hickory makes people think more about their swing and be clever about their shots." Hickory clubs were used widely until the 1930s, when manufacturers turned to more modern materials for construction. However, despite their lesser performance, the attraction of dressing up in old-fashioned golfing garb and hacking around 18 holes with mashies, niblicks and cleeks -- the evocative names given to the clubs used by Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and Henry Cotton -- has endured. The format has a huge following in the U.S. where devotees gather at historic courses to play an "authentic" round of golf. Hampton Munsey, who organizes the U.S. Hickory Open in Morganton, North Carolina, says the size of the field has almost doubled since the event was first held in 2008. This year's tournament already has entrants from Sweden and Germany, with players' ages ranging from 20 to 70. "The camaraderie is almost as important as the game itself," says Munsey, a member of the Society of Hickory Golfers. "People feel a certain level of pride at being able to play with the old clubs and do well with them." Bottrell, a university researcher, has been buying and selling hickory clubs since 1995. He now has 60 full sets, which he rents out to companies as a package for $934. Recently, he has noticed an increase in interest from abroad, with amateur golfers from Germany, South Korea and Australia all wanting their own slice of hickory history. But Bottrell's profit margins are nothing compared to one Scottish collector. In April last year, Edinburgh antiques dealer John Dixon sold 7,000 clubs to a Chinese entrepreneur for $193,500. The load has since been shipped to China in bundles of 20. "I think he is tapping into a growing market over there. New golf courses are opening in China all the time," says Dixon. "If they are building so many courses they need the merchandise and the memorabilia to go with it." At Bottrell's hickory golf days, participants try to enter the spirit of the era by dressing up in knickerbockers, neckties, flat caps and braces. "They usually raid local charity shops and come up with some kind of outfit," he said. "They sometimes look like they've stepped out of a pantomime. There's quite a lot of confusion as to what golfers were wearing in the early 1900s." | [
"How many hickory clubs did the chinese business pay for?",
"What is the age range of people participating in the U.S. Hickory Open?",
"How much did the Chinese business man pay?",
"What did a Chinese man buy?",
"What is being revived?"
] | [
[
"7,000"
],
[
"20 to 70."
],
[
"$193,500."
],
[
"7,000 clubs"
],
[
"hickory golf."
]
] | Hickory golf is enjoying a revival in all corners of the world .
Companies in the UK are paying up to $934 to hire hickory clubs for corporate team-building days .
The U.S. Hickory Open draws entrants from Europe and Asia with ages ranging from 20 to 70 .
Last year, a Chinese businessman paid $193,500 for 7,000 hickory clubs . |
London, England (CNN) -- Katie Piper had everything going for her -- a blossoming career, a wonderful life and a beautiful face. But that all changed after a horrific acid attack in March 2008 destroyed everything as she knew it.
The young model and television presenter, who was 24 years old at the time, was leaving her apartment in a London suburb when she was attacked by a stranger waiting for her with a cup of sulfuric acid.
Stefan Sylvestre threw the cup of corrosive liquid on Piper, burning the skin on her face, neck, chest and hands. She was also left blinded in one eye.
Sylvestre was asked by Piper's former boyfriend, Danny Lynch, to throw the acid on her face because she ended their short relationship.
To make matters worse, two days before the attack, Piper was raped by Lynch in a London hotel room after ending the partnership.
"It wasn't a random attack and there was a motive if you like," Piper told CNN's Becky Anderson on Connect the World.
Meanwhile Piper's parents were called by the police to tell them what had happened. "I can remember going 'not her face, please not her face'," Piper's mother Diane wrote on The Katie Piper Foundation web site.
"I knew if anything happened to her face as far as she was concerned it would be the end of everything."
Piper spent nearly two months in hospital and was placed in an induced coma for 10 days.
The attack also severely damaged Piper's throat and she was forced to be fed through a tube in her stomach.
Today, Piper now wears a special plastic pressure mask for 23 hours a day, in an effort to flatten her scars.
"You can see looking at me that it physically changed my appearance, but it goes a lot deeper than that."
"It changed my life as I know it -- it changed my career, it changed my relationships with people.
Lynch was found guilty of inciting the acid attack in October 2008 and subsequently convicted on the rape charge in April 2009. He was given two life sentences, and will serve at least 16 years in jail.
Sylvestre received a 12-year sentence for throwing the acid.
With her attackers behind bars, Piper is determined to get her life back on track and rebuild what she can.
"Time was a great healer and I've managed to not get my old life back, but I can rebuild. And I think I've stayed focused and determined."
"It was an attack with the intent to destroy me, and I decided that it wouldn't destroy me and that I would still have a life. I try to stay positive."
Piper has told her story around the world and has started the Katie Piper Foundation to help raise money for burns victims across the UK.
Since the attack Piper has made remarkable progress.
Surgeons took the drastic measure to remove the skin from Piper's entire face and use a skin substitute called Matriderm to re-build the foundations before grafting skin from her back and buttock onto her face -- it's the first operation of its kind to be done in one operation, according to Piper's Web site.
Piper plans to continue her work raising money for burn victims and to help spread the message that there is life after difficult challenges.
"I think it's important to try and set yourself many goals -- try to take each day as it comes," Piper said.
"I think there's a lot of strength that can be gathered from support." | [
"what type of acid was used in the attack?",
"What was thrown at her?",
"When was Piper attacked?",
"What kind of acid was used?",
"What was thrown at Piper?",
"What was thrown in Piper's face?",
"What areas of her body were burnt in the attack?"
] | [
[
"sulfuric"
],
[
"cup of sulfuric acid."
],
[
"March 2008"
],
[
"sulfuric"
],
[
"sulfuric acid."
],
[
"sulfuric acid."
],
[
"face, neck, chest"
]
] | A cup of acid was thrown onto Katie Piper's face in March 2008 .
She received severe burns to her face, chest, neck and hands .
Highly corrosive sulfuric acid was used in the attack .
Piper is slowly getting her life back on track after nearly two years of recovery . |
London, England (CNN) -- Kraft's fresh bid for suffered a double blow Tuesday as the improved offer was dismissed by the British candy company and criticized by billionaire investor Warren Buffett who controls an influential stake in the U.S. food giant. Buffett said he had voted against Kraft's plan to issue new shares as part of a cash and stock offer worth approximately $16 billion, warning it would hurt shareholders, Fortune reported. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway company owns 138 million Kraft shares, making it the largest shareholder in the foodmaker with a 9.4 percent stake. But in a statement, he warned Kraft's move for Cadbury risked undervaluing Kraft stock. "Kraft stock, at its current price of $27, is a very expensive 'currency' to be used in an acquisition," Buffett said. "In 2007, in fact, Kraft spent $3.6 billion to repurchase shares at about $33 per share, presumably because the directors and management thought the shares to be worth more." Earlier, Illinois-based Kraft said it would use the proceeds from the sale of its U.S. pizza business to Nestle to increase the cash element of its Cadbury offer. Under Kraft's offer of a partial cash alternative, Cadbury shareholders could receive cash as well as Kraft shares if they accept Kraft's deal. "Kraft Foods is doing this because of the desire expressed by some Cadbury security holders to have a greater proportion of the offer in cash," Kraft said in a statement. The maker of Jell-O, Cool Whip, Oreo cookies and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese also extended the Cadbury offer to February 2. The original bid had expired Tuesday. Cadbury, which rejected Kraft's previous two deals, rejected the new offer Tuesday. "Kraft has once again missed the point," a Cadbury spokesman told CNN. "Despite this tinkering, the Kraft offer remains unchanged and derisory, with less than half the consideration in cash." There had been rumors that Swiss firm Nestle, which already has a chocolate and confectionery unit, would step in and make its own offer for Cadbury. But Nestle put an end to those rumors Tuesday by issuing a statement saying it had no intention to make an offer for the British company. Instead, Nestle said it had bought Kraft's frozen pizza business in the United States and Canada for $3.7 billion. The unit includes brands like DiGiorno, Tombstone, and California Pizza Kitchen. "The acquisition brings leadership in the frozen pizza category, where Nestle only had a minor presence until now, and builds on Nestle's existing pizza know-how and operations in Europe," Nestle said in a statement Tuesday. "It is a natural fit with Nestle's focus on delivering convenient, premium, wholesome and nutritious frozen food for consumers around the world." Nestle already had a presence in American frozen food aisles with ready-meal brands like Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine, and Hot Pockets. The proceeds from the sale allow Kraft to offer more cash to Cadbury shareholders -- an additional 60 pence (96 cents) per share, Kraft said. Kraft originally offered Cadbury shareholders 300 pence ($4.81) and 0.26 Kraft shares for each share of Cadbury they own. Kraft said it will announce more detailed terms by January 19. | [
"against who voted Warren Buffett?",
"Who extends deadline in takeover bid for Cadbury?",
"who reject the offer?",
"Which company wants to take over Cadbury?",
"Who voted against Cadbury offer?",
"Which company wants to buy U.S. pizza business?",
"Which way did Buffet vote in the bid for Cadbury?"
] | [
[
"Kraft's"
],
[
"\"Kraft Foods"
],
[
"Warren Buffett"
],
[
"Kraft's"
],
[
"Buffett"
],
[
"Nestle"
],
[
"against"
]
] | Kraft raises offer, extends deadline in takeover bid for Cadbury .
Kraft shareholder Warren Buffett says he voted against Cadbury offer .
Illinois company sells U.S. pizza business to Nestle to fund revised offer .
UK candy maker Cadbury rejects offer, says terms remain "unchanged, derisory" |
London, England (CNN) -- Like many people, widow Penny Lally plans to be buried alongside her family. But in her case, that includes a menagerie of family pets.
Her husband, John, who died of cancer three years ago at the age of 64, is already buried with their horse Super Sam, Blot the cat, Muppet the dog, and even Brian the bird.
"I often tell people that John has a canary singing in his ear, a cat purring at his feet, a dog at his side and a horse to ride on when he likes," Lally said. "I know some people might find this strange, but I loved my pets and wanted them all to be close to me and my husband and to each other."
Lally, 66, runs a pet crematorium and woodland burial place in Penwith, Cornwall, in southwestern England. She has buried more than 30 owners alongside their animals and has over 100 more plots reserved for pets and their owners, she said.
The idea of joint burials was first suggested to her by an elderly neighbor who died at the age of 77, a year before John's death, she said.
"Mrs. Winchcombe had seven cats and wanted to be buried with all of them when she died. It was certainly an unusual request," Lally said.
"We had to apply for permission to extend our license to burying humans as well as animals, but it was wonderful that we could carry out her last wishes."
Since then, Lally has seen an increasing number of pet owners in the UK seeking joint burials.
There are currently only half a dozen cemeteries in the UK that allow pets to be buried in the same plot as their owners, but in January, Lincolnshire council became the latest authority to grant planning permission for a joint site.
"I think there has been more interest recently because people are starting to realize it is possible," Lally said.
One of her customers is animal lover Carole Mundy, 54, who has reserved a plot for herself and her husband Robert next to their 17-year-old golden retriever, Dylan, who was buried at Penwith in 2008.
"I know it isn't conventional, but I'm so sick of people saying that 'it was just a dog or a cat,'" Mundy said. "Animals give us unconditional love and I absolutely adore my pets. If people want to call me kooky I don't care."
The UK regards itself as a nation of animal lovers, so perhaps it is not surprising that there has been an increase in joint burials, but the practice is also on the rise in the United States.
"There has been a lot of interest from the public, who are asking funeral homes if they can have their pets buried with them," said Robert Fells of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association in Virginia.
"It's still a relatively new concept, so whether it's a fad or an emerging trend, I'm not sure, but it's definitely on the rise," he said.
"We are seeing an increase in public interest," said Roberta Knauf, director of Hillcrest-Flynn Funeral Home in Pennsylvania. "The joint burial concept started in 2006, when a few people were interested -- but last year we had close to 70 joint burials in our cemetery."
In fact, the practice of people being buried with pets isn't new. It dates far back into British history when Anglo-Saxon nobles were buried with their possessions, which included their horses.
Even further back, the pharaohs of ancient Egypt would be buried with their mummified cats, dogs and monkeys, which they believed shared an afterlife with humans.
But after centuries of affiliation with the pagan gods of Egypt and Rome, pet rituals found little tolerance in the new Christian era.
"The more Christianity became institutionalized, the more animal practices were discouraged as it was accepted that humans were the only beings with souls," said Mary Thurston, a Texas- | [
"People and their pets can be laid to rest together at cemetery where?",
"What did an anthropologist say about the practice",
"How many plots have been reserved?",
"What can be laid to rest with people in England",
"How many people are already buried with pets?",
"How many people have so far been buried togther"
] | [
[
"woodland burial place in Penwith, Cornwall,"
],
[
"\"The more Christianity became institutionalized, the more animal"
],
[
"over 100 more"
],
[
"family pets."
],
[
"more than 30"
],
[
"30"
]
] | People and their pets can be laid to rest together at cemetery in England .
Owner: More than 30 people already buried with pets; 100 more plots reserved .
Future customer: "I'm so sick of people saying that 'it was just a dog or a cat'"
Anthropologist: Very old practice fell out when Christianity became institutionalized . |
London, England (CNN) -- London police said Friday they are investigating a car accident in which Prince Andrew reportedly struck a police officer while driving into Buckingham Palace.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police did not name anyone involved in the incident, but Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Andrew was the driver of the car.
It happened as the policeman tried to move two Japanese tourists out of the way of Andrew's 4x4 car at the palace, the BBC reported. The officer hurt his arm in the incident and complained to his superiors, the BBC said.
"It was a minor incident and the police are looking into it," said a palace spokesman, who by custom is not named.
Police refused to confirm any details of the incident, including when it allegedly happened. The BBC quoted a police spokesman as saying the officer's injuries were "minor."
The prince, who is a week shy of his 50th birthday, lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor, just west of London.
Prince Andrew is Queen Elizabeth's second son after Prince Charles and is also called the Duke of York. He served as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy for 22 years and is currently Britain's special representative for international trade and investment.
British papers reported last year that the prince bought a 200,000-pound ($312,400) Bentley Arnage, which joined his existing limited-edition Aston Martin Virage V8 Volante. | [
"What does police spokesman say?",
"What does the Police spokesman say?",
"Whe officers injuries were what?",
"Who is the Queen's second son?",
"Who is Queen's second son?",
"What had police tried to do?",
"Who tried to move two tourists?"
] | [
[
"did not name anyone involved in the incident, but Buckingham Palace confirmed Prince Andrew was the driver of the car."
],
[
"they are investigating a car accident"
],
[
"\"minor.\""
],
[
"Prince Andrew"
],
[
"Prince Andrew"
],
[
"move two Japanese tourists out of the way"
],
[
"policeman"
]
] | Policeman had tried to move two tourists out of the way of Andrew's car .
Police spokesman as saying the officer's injuries were "minor"
Andrew is Queen's second son after Prince Charles and is also called the Duke of York . |
London, England (CNN) -- News International announced plans Friday to charge for access to The Times and The Sunday Times Web sites starting in June.
The publisher said both British newspapers will launch new Web sites in early May and offer a free trial period to registered customers.
Starting in June, each site will charge £1 ($1.48) for a day's access or £2 ($2.96) for a week's subscription, News International said.
The newspapers are currently available free on a combined site, www.timesonline.co.uk, but they will have separate sites starting in May. Subscribers will have access to both sites, News International said.
"At a defining moment for journalism, this is a crucial step towards making the business of news an economically exciting proposition," said Rebekah Brooks, chief executive at News International.
"We are proud of our journalism and unashamed to say that we believe it has value."
Would you pay to read your news on the web?
The only other major British newspaper currently charging for online content is the Financial Times, which charges a basic rate of £3.29 ($4.90) a week for a year-long subscription. Users can view up to 10 online articles for free each month, but they must register.
In its Alphaville blog, the Financial Times said "this experiment will be closely watched by the embattled media industry." The paper's digital media correspondent Tim Bradshaw wrote there are already doubts about the success of the paid-for plan.
"The wide availability of free news online has led many to question whether paywalls can attract substantial numbers of customers," Bradshaw wrote. "In the UK, newspapers face online competition from the BBC, which earlier this month pledged to curtail the scope of its Web sites."
Brooks, of News International, said the company expects to attract a growing base of customers with the online subscriptions.
She also indicated the plan could be extended to cover the company's other two British titles, tabloids The Sun and News of the World.
"This is just the start," Brooks said.
Sunday Times Editor John Witherow said the planned subscription price will be a bargain, costing about the same as a cup of coffee.
Comments on the story in the Media section of The Guardian's Web site -- which is free -- were mixed.
"Bye bye to the Times then," wrote a user named rocketracer. "This goes against the basic principle of the internet which is about increasing access to information not restricting it."
Another user called jodro wrote, "Much as it pains me to say it, like everyone I like things for free, but some kind of Internet payment structure is the only way to rescue quality journalism and an independent press that can counterbalance the increasing powers that technological developments hand to governments worldwide."
Last year Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and CEO of News International's parent company News Corp., said the current free access business model favored by most content providers was flawed.
"We are now in the midst of an epochal debate over the value of content and it is clear to many newspapers that the current model is malfunctioning," he said.
Murdoch said the experience of the News Corp.-owned Wall Street Journal had proved that charging for content could be made to work. He said 360,000 people had downloaded an iPhone WSJ application in three weeks. Users would soon be made to pay "handsomely" for accessing WSJ content, he added.
The media tycoon has also repeatedly threatened to pull his company's news Web sites from Google and put all company sites that are currently free behind a pay wall.
Google strengthens news content walls
His international newspaper empire includes the New York Post, the News International stable of UK titles including the Sun and the Times, and a cluster of Australian papers including the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun.
His comments come with the U.S. newspaper industry in a state of crisis amid plunging advertising revenues and falling circulations with several historic titles already going out of business. | [
"Who hinted that the plan could be extended?",
"Which newspapers are launching new websites?",
"Who will receive a free trial?",
"When will the newspapers launch new web sites?",
"What other UK newspaper charges for its online content?",
"What paper is charging for online content?",
"Who is Rupert Murdoch?",
"When will the new websites be launched?"
] | [
[
"Brooks,"
],
[
"and The Sunday Times"
],
[
"registered customers."
],
[
"early May"
],
[
"the Financial Times,"
],
[
"The Times"
],
[
"chairman and CEO of News International's parent company News Corp.,"
],
[
"early May"
]
] | Both newspapers will launch new Web sites in early May, offering free trial to users .
Rupert Murdoch: Free access business model favored by most content providers "flawed"
Financial Times only other major UK newspaper currently charging for online content .
News International hinted plan could be extended to cover company's other UK titles . |
London, England (CNN) -- Ozzy Osbourne, the former front man of rock group Black Sabbath, says that after decades of living a life of drugs and sex, he's lucky to be alive today.
Speaking to CNN's Max Foster, Osbourne described in detail how he often played a dangerous game when it came to using drugs and having promiscuous sex.
"With the sexually transmitted disease, what I was doing is playing Russian roulette with sex," says Osbourne.
"With the drugs, it nearly killed me on a daily basis -- I did a lot of heavy drug taking for a long time and I survived it by the grace of God.
"You might not be as lucky as me -- I'm living on borrowed time."
In his autobiography, "I am Ozzy," Osbourne discusses his past, his family and his time with Black Sabbath.
Answering a viewer's question on whether he realized his power to change people's lives, Osbourne replied with shock.
"When you're on the inside looking, you don't see it that way," Osbourne said.
"But I suppose you're right. I do -- I do have the power to change people's lives."
What does he remember about Black Sabbath?
"We were just four kids from Aston in Birmingham who had a good idea and it worked out fine."
Osbourne also discussed the current state of the music industry and the "manufacturing" of artists today.
"It's completely different -- they're manufactured people now... like ice cream.
"Every now and then somebody comes out and I really like them -- I really like this Lady Gaga." | [
"What is the name of the autobiography?",
"For what reason does Ossy Ozbourne say he is lucky to be alive",
"The rock star played roulette with what?",
"what does he do",
"What does Osbourne say he played russian roulette with",
"Can you name the band that Osbourne was the former front man of",
"Who said he is lucky to be alive?"
] | [
[
"\"I am Ozzy,\""
],
[
"decades of living a life of drugs and sex,"
],
[
"sex,\""
],
[
"front man of rock group Black Sabbath,"
],
[
"sex,\""
],
[
"Black Sabbath,"
],
[
"Ozzy Osbourne,"
]
] | Ozzy Osbourne says he is lucky to be alive after years of drug and alcohol abuse .
During a CNN interview, Osbourne says he played Russian roulette with sex .
Osbourne has a new autobiography out called "I am Ozzy"
Osbourne was the former front man for Black Sabbath . |
London, England (CNN) -- Passengers on Monday vented their fury at Eurostar management as train services between England and France were canceled for a third day, leaving thousands stranded. The cross-Channel operator said a partial train service would resume Tuesday but that was little comfort to many. "It's shameful, they gave you 36,000 incorrect pieces of information to get us to leave," one passenger named Catherine told Agence France-Presse. "Each time you speak to someone from Eurostar, they tell you something different." Catherine was one of roughly 75,000 passengers stranded on either side of the English Channel on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. "We have to do everything ourselves, we have to pay for everything and hope we will be reimbursed, but some could not get the money together," 27-year-old Deborah told AFP. Tell us about wintry weather near you Government officials in both France and the United Kingdom also criticized Eurostar. British transport minister Sadiq Khan called the experience terrible for thousands of passengers. "I am angry that passengers have still not been told what is going on and I have told Eurostar this morning that they must tell the public immediately what their plans are," Khan said. "This has been a terrible experience for thousands of passengers, both those stranded on the trains and at the stations." French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the disruptions "unacceptable." There was some good news though for stranded passengers, as Eurostar said they would resume a partial service Tuesday. "We're planning on running at two-thirds our normal service tomorrow and we'll take it from there," a Eurostar spokesman told CNN. Eurostar runs the high-speed rail service directly linking London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel. A later statement from Eurostar said tests on winter weather devices on trains had been successful and that if further trials went well Monday the operator hoped to have 26,000 seats available. However, Nicolas Petrovic, Eurostar chief operation officer said a full service would not resume until after Christmas, according to AFP. Eurostar rail services remained suspended for a third day on Monday as the operator worked to fix a fault that caused a series of breakdowns blamed on winter weather. Following a series of test runs on Sunday, the company said work was under way to "enhance the snow screens and snow shields in the power cars of the trains." "We now understand the cause of the disruption over the weekend and have identified the modifications that are required. As we suspected, the acute weather conditions in northern France have caused the disruption," Eurostar said. "We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travelers will be, particularly those who have been waiting to travel for the last two days," Eurostar said. Five trains with about 2,000 passengers stopped running Friday night inside the tunnel. A sixth train broke down Saturday in Kent, southern England, with about 700 people aboard. "We were prisoners in this train for like 18 hours," one passenger told CNN. The trains that broke down in the tunnel malfunctioned because the air inside was warmer than that outside the tunnel entrance in France, Eurostar spokeswoman Amelle Mouhaddib said. "It's a bit like taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge into a warm room -- within minutes it's covered in condensation," said Eurostar CEO Richard Brown. "We think that was the principle cause of the electrical failures on the trains." Brown called the number of breakdowns "completely unprecedented." Passengers affected by the breakdowns are being offered a full refund, another return ticket and £150 in compensation. The company is not taking any new bookings until after Christmas. The Channel Tunnel is two tunnels separated by a third and smaller service tunnel, so the trains that remained stuck inside did not mean the entire tunnel was blocked. It is 50.5 kilometers (31.4 miles) long, 38 kilometers (23 miles) of which are underwater. CNN's | [
"What has been cancelled for the third day?",
"how many standed",
"What does the company hope to resume?",
"How many were stranded in England and France?",
"what does the company hope for",
"what is the reason for the cancelation",
"are there going to be further delays"
] | [
[
"train services"
],
[
"75,000 passengers"
],
[
"a partial train service"
],
[
"75,000 passengers"
],
[
"on running at two-thirds our normal service tomorrow"
],
[
"the acute weather conditions in northern France"
],
[
"canceled for a third day,"
]
] | Passengers angry as train services between England and France canceled for third day .
Thousands stranded in England and France after services under English Channel suspended since breakdowns Friday .
Company hopes to resume two-thirds service Tuesday .
Work under way to "enhance snow screens, snow shields in power cars" |
London, England (CNN) -- Police in London have reached a settlement with the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, whom officers shot dead in 2005, mistaking him for a suicide bomber. The police offered "a further unreserved apology" for the death of de Menezes in 2005, plus an undisclosed compensation package, the police and the de Menezes family said in a joint statement. "All litigation between them arising out of the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes has been resolved," the statement added. De Menezes was killed on a London Underground train weeks after four suicide bombers struck on the London transport system on July 7, 2005. The controversial shooting of the unarmed Brazilian man sparked a number of investigations, including one that found police acted illegally. A jury found in 2007 that London's Metropolitan Police Service broke health and safety laws in the shooting. It did not examine the cause of death. Jurors at a 2008 inquest found that the police who shot de Menezes did not shout a warning before firing at him. They also found that de Menezes did not advance toward armed officers on the subway train, which would have given them a reason to shoot. But the coroner at the inquest, who acted as the judge, had told the jury members they could not return a verdict of unlawful killing. They returned an open verdict in the case, meaning the jury was unable to establish a cause of death. De Menezes' family called the proceedings a "whitewash" because jurors were not allowed to consider a verdict of unlawful killing. De Menezes was killed July 22, 2005, a day after four failed bombings aboard the London transit system. Two weeks earlier, four suicide bombers blew apart three London subway trains and a bus, killing 52 people and wounding 977. The city was on edge as police sought the four failed bombers. Officers staking out a home in south London saw and followed de Menezes, 27, believing he was one of the suspects. They trailed him as he traveled on a bus and into a subway station, where they chased him onto the platform and into a train, and shot him dead. The Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded in 2007 that de Menezes was innocent of anything that might have justified police action. "We made a most terrible mistake," Acting Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said at the time, adding police needed to learn from the incident. "I am sorry." The shooting was one of several issues that led to the resignation last year of Police Commissioner Ian Blair. CNN's Melissa Gray in London contributed to this report. | [
"who did police shoot dead in 2005?",
"where was he killed",
"who did they think he was?",
"who was mistaken",
"What made them think de Menezes was a suicide bomber?",
"who was shot dead in 2005"
] | [
[
"de Menezes,"
],
[
"De Menezes was killed on a London Underground train"
],
[
"suicide bomber."
],
[
"Police in London"
],
[
"Officers staking out a home in south London saw and followed"
],
[
"de Menezes,"
]
] | UK police reach settlement with family of Jean Charles de Menezes, whom police shot dead in 2005 .
Officers mistook de Menezes for suicide bomber .
He was killed on Tube train weeks after four suicide bombers struck on London transport system . |
London, England (CNN) -- Procter & Gamble is recalling Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the United States, Britain and Germany after finding it contained bacteria, the company said. Procter & Gamble said it announced the voluntary recall after finding the bacteria in a small amount of product made at a plant in Germany. There have been no reports of illness from the bacteria, but it could cause serious infections for people with weakened immune systems or those with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Procter & Gamble said late Thursday. The bacteria poses little risk to healthy people, the company said. Cincinnati, Ohio-based Procter & Gamble said it detected the problem during routine quality control at the plant. Analysis so far shows the problem is limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product, which were sold only in the three countries affected by the recall, the company said. In the United States, the recalled product is Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-hour Decongestant Ultra Fine Mist with lot number 9239028831. In Britain, the company is recalling Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray with lot number 9224028832. In Germany, the recalled product is Wick Sinex Schnupfenspray Dosiersystem with lot number 9224028833. All recalled products are in the 15-milliliter size. Lot numbers are listed on the outer carton and the bottle, the company said. Consumers with the product should discard it, and they may call the company for a replacement coupon or refund, the company said. More information is at the company's Web site, www.pg.com. | [
"What can the bacteria cause?",
"What product was recalled?",
"What was recalled?",
"What is the name of the company involved?",
"What poses little risk to healthy people?",
"What was a small amount of product found to contain?",
"what was found in the spray?"
] | [
[
"serious infections"
],
[
"Vicks Sinex nasal spray"
],
[
"Vicks Sinex nasal spray"
],
[
"Procter & Gamble"
],
[
"The bacteria"
],
[
"bacteria"
],
[
"contained bacteria,"
]
] | Vicks spray recalled after small amount of product found to contain bacteria .
Bacteria poses little risk to healthy people, Proctor and Gamble says .
No reports of illness from the bacteria, it says . |
London, England (CNN) -- Reports that Iran has sentenced a British embassy employee to four years in prison are "deeply concerning," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Thursday. Hossein Rassam "is a hardworking embassy official" who was "doing work that was wholly within the boundaries of diplomatic work," Miliband said at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium. The reported sentence is "wholly unjustified and represents further harassment of embassy staff for going about their normal and legitimate duties," Miliband had said earlier, in a statement issued Wednesday. Rassam is one of several British embassy employees arrested in the wake of Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the official results declaring President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner. Iran accused Britain and the United States of fomenting the unrest. Rassam was put on trial in August. The European Union, France and the United Kingdom denounced the proceeding. Rassam's lawyer has not officially been informed of the embassy worker's sentence, and he does not know where Rassam is, he told Iranian media. Abdolsamad Khorramshahi told the Fars News Agency that the terms of Rassam's bail did not prevent him from leaving the country. He said Rassam had been in Iran recently, but he did not know his current whereabouts. He said he could not express an opinion on the verdict before the court officially informs him of it, which he said normally happens after it is issued. The European Union condemned the reported verdict as "unjustified and harsh," and urged "the Iranian authorities to overturn it swiftly," the Swedish presidency of the 27-nation bloc said in a statement Thursday. "Any action against one EU country (a citizen or member of embassy staff) is considered an action against the entire EU, and will be treated accordingly," the statement said. France also condemned the sentencing of Rassam. Miliband said he understood the sentence could be appealed and urged "the authorities to conduct this quickly and overturn this harsh sentence." "This will be seen as an attack against the entire diplomatic community in Iran," he said in a statement late Wednesday. The Foreign Office summoned the Iranian ambassador to London, and Britain's envoy in Tehran spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister, Miliband said. | [
"Who denounced the trial of Rassam?",
"What did thousands of Iranians protest?",
"Who protested the results of the presidential election?",
"Who is one of several UK embassy employees?",
"how many protested?",
"who denounced the trial?",
"Which countries denounced the trial of Rssam?",
"Who did Rassam work for?"
] | [
[
"The European Union, France and the United Kingdom"
],
[
"official results declaring President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner."
],
[
"Thousands of Iranians"
],
[
"Hossein Rassam"
],
[
"Thousands of Iranians"
],
[
"The European Union, France and the United Kingdom"
],
[
"The European Union, France and the United Kingdom"
],
[
"British embassy"
]
] | European Union, France and the UK denounced the trial of Rassam .
Rassam one of several UK embassy employees after unrest in June .
Thousands of Iranians protested the results of the presidential election . |
London, England (CNN) -- Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky has won his libel case against a Russian broadcaster in a London court, his spokeswoman told CNN Wednesday.
The tycoon, who now lives in exile in Britain, was disputing a 2007 report by the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), which claimed Berezovsky was behind the 2006 poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.
The High Court in London awarded Berezovsky £150,000 ($223,400) in damages, according to Berezovsky's spokeswoman, Jennifer Morgan.
"I have no doubt that, in making this program, the purpose of RTR and the Russian authorities was to undermine my asylum status in the U.K. and to put the investigation of (Alexander) Litvinenko's murder on the wrong track," Berezovsky said in a statement. "I am pleased that the court, through its judgment, has unequivocally demolished RTR's claims."
RTR is the company's satellite channel. The judgment was issued in London because RTR broadcasts to Britain.
In addition to VGTRK, a Russian man, Vladimir Terluk, was also found liable for the damages because the judge found he had made the claim in RTR's report.
VGTRK will not accept the ruling, company lawyer Zoya Matveyevskaya told the state-run RIA-Novosti news service.
The broadcaster had previously said it would not recognize any court rulings in this case and would appeal to the European Court, saying the London court process was "biased" and "politically tinted," RIA-Novosti reported.
The High Court had demanded that VGTRK reveal its information sources, and after the TV company refused, the court banned the broadcaster from taking part in the court process, RIA-Novosti reported.
Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who came to Britain in 2000 after turning whistle blower on the FSB, the KGB's successor. He claimed he had been ordered to assassinate Berezovsky.
Like other dissidents in London, Litvinenko was a vehement critic of then-President Vladimir Putin and vocal about Chechen politics. He wrote a book in which he claimed FSB agents, and not Chechen rebels, carried out a series of bombings at Moscow apartment buildings and a mall in 1999 that killed 300 people.
Litvinenko died at a London hospital November 23, 2006, from a massive dose of the radioactive material polonium-210. In a deathbed statement he blamed Putin for his death, something the Kremlin has strongly denied.
Berezovsky sued over allegations that he was involved in Litvinenko's death, which were broadcast April 1, 2007, on RTR's news program Vesti Nedeli, or News of the Week. The program featured an interview with a man named Pyotr, who made the claim.
Pyotr's identity was disguised, but the High Court judge found he was in fact Terluk, who has lived in Britain since 1999.
Berezovsky made his money during the years that Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia by taking control of many state assets, from oil and car companies to property. He was part of the Yeltsin inner circle and led an extravagant lifestyle immortalized in the film, "Oligarch."
But when Putin came to power, Berezovsky fell out of favor and found his business activities under scrutiny. He fled to Britain in 2000 and was granted political asylum in 2003.
He also saw the demise of his media ambitions after his stake in Russia's major television company ORT was sold, and his own TV6 channel was closed down.
Berezovsky and Litvinenko came to know each other in the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt on the oligarch in 1994. The pair maintained contact once in Britain. | [
"What was the cause of death of Litvinenko?",
"What did the Russian tycoon dispute?",
"who was murdered",
"What was Boris Berezkovsky awarded?",
"In what year did Russian spy Litvinenko die?",
"Who was awarded 150.000 pounds in damages?",
"who was awarded damages",
"Where was the judgement issued?"
] | [
[
"poisoning"
],
[
"claimed Berezovsky was behind the 2006 poisoning death of former"
],
[
"Alexander Litvinenko."
],
[
"£150,000 ($223,400) in damages,"
],
[
"2006"
],
[
"Berezovsky"
],
[
"Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky"
],
[
"London"
]
] | Boris Berezkovsky awarded £150,000 in damages after libel case .
Russian tycoon disputed RTR report claiming he was behind murder of Alexander Litvinenko .
Former Russian spy Litvinenko died in 2006 from a massive dose of polonium-210 .
Judgment was issued in London because RTR broadcasts to Britain . |
London, England (CNN) -- Saying it plans to lease aircraft and provide replacement workers, British Airways on Monday unveiled an ambitious contingency plan in preparation for the first of two strikes by the union members representing the airline's cabin crews.
The Unite union's leadership aimed to ground the airline through its action, but "the flag will continue to fly," said Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, in a written statement.
"Around 60 percent of our customers will be able to fly as planned and many thousands more can be rebooked onto alternative BA flights or onto rival airlines."
Members of the Unite union voted to strike for three days beginning March 20, and for four more days beginning March 27.
BA said Monday its contingency plans will allow about 45,000 customers to fly each day during the first strike period.
"At this stage, the vast majority of flights between March 23 and March 31 remain in the schedule, and we will update customers due to fly during the second strike period after the first strike period has ended," the statement said.
"The airline is still available to hold further talks but wants customers to have early warning of its flying schedule to allow sufficient time for alternative travel arrangements to be made."
At London's Heathrow Airport, more than 60 percent of British Airways long-haul flights will be operated during the first strike period, the company said. In addition, it will operate all long-haul flights to London's Gatwick Airport and more than half of the short-haul flights at Gatwick.
"The airline will operate some of its own short-haul flights at Heathrow, and will supplement its schedule by leasing up to 22 aircraft with pilots and crews from eight different airlines based in the UK and Europe," the statement said.
"Due to the numbers of cabin crew who have called in to offer their services over the weekend, the schedule will be slightly larger than we had originally anticipated," Walsh said.
The airline said it has also made agreements with 40 other carriers to rebook customers free of charge during the strike period if their British Airways flights are canceled.
"We will continue to try to prevent this strike taking place, but we have reached a point when we must now offer some clarity to our customers who have waited with great patience since Friday, when the strike dates were first announced," Walsh said in the British Airways statement.
"... I recognize the frustration of customers booked for travel from March 27 onwards, when the second stoppage is due to begin, and we will do all we can to give them more clarity about their specific flight number once we start to understand just how many cabin crew are willing to work as normal."
The industrial action is over planned changes to cabin crew conditions, which British Airways says will save the carrier more than £60 million (approximately $90 million) a year. Unite has said the plans call for working hours to be extended and crew levels to be cut, changes that it has said will damage customer service and the BA brand.
The airline's management submitted a formal offer to the union Thursday, Unite said, but added that the offer failed to address union concerns about crew numbers and service delivery. That prompted Unite officials to announce the strike dates Friday. When that occurred, the airline took its offer off the table.
The airline, for its part, also has rejected all union proposals so far, saying they would have saved the airline significantly less money than the airline's own planned changes.
British Airways has opened an extra call center manned by volunteers to help customers, the Monday statement said.
"We remain absolutely determined to search for a sensible settlement and our door remains open to Unite, day or night. It is not too late for ... Unite to call off this action and we will do all we can to reinstate some of the canceled flights," Walsh said in the company's statement Monday. | [
"What is changing for crews?",
"What does the Union say?",
"What is the industrial action over?",
"How many customers do they wish to fly each day?",
"How many passengers will fly each day?",
"How many aircrafts do they plan to lease?",
"How many customers will be able to fly each day?"
] | [
[
"cabin"
],
[
"it plans to lease aircraft and provide replacement workers,"
],
[
"planned changes to cabin crew conditions,"
],
[
"45,000"
],
[
"45,000"
],
[
"up to 22"
],
[
"\"Around 60 percent"
]
] | BA: Contingency plans will allow about 45,000 customers to fly each day .
It plans to lease up to 22 aircraft with pilots and crews from eight different airlines .
The industrial action is over planned changes to cabin crew conditions .
Union says plans call for working hours to be extended and crew levels to be cut . |
London, England (CNN) -- Sherlock Holmes the movie has already made more than $300 million at the box office worldwide and British tourism officials are hoping it means money for them too.
Britain's tourism board has been promoting films for the past 15 years, so they know just how lucrative a movie like "Sherlock Homes" can be.
"To give you an example of a typical blockbuster film, it is normally seen by about 120 million people in the first three weeks of opening," Visit Britain official Laurence Bresh told CNN.
"Even if a small percentage of those come to visit Britain as a result of this particular film, that's going to have a huge boost in some of those tourism attractions featured in our promotion."
As much of "Sherlock Holmes" is set in London this means big business for museum officials and gift shop operators.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street is the address where the fictional detective lived, according to the stories by Conan Doyle.
Nearby, a nine-foot statue of Holmes greets visitors at the Baker Street Underground station.
Inside the museum, visitors can check out Holmes' study, sit in his armchair by the fireside, examine his calabash pipe and observe his chemistry equipment.
"I think Hollywood has put its magic touch on the legend, and they've put, as it were, a magnifying glass over the character and of course things you could say are slightly exaggerated, but that's the wont of Hollywood and that's what makes these blockbusters successful," John Riley, Assistant Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Museum said.
"So any new perspective, any new angle always just helps to perpetuate the legend of Sherlock Holmes. And that indirectly will obviously benefit the museum."
About 70,000 visitors a year stop by the Victorian lodging house, though officials are expecting a spike of interest fueled by the new movie.
While thousands of tourists flock to visit the museum, many of its visitors are unaware that Sherlock Holmes was actually not real person.
"A few people do think he is a real character, particularly with the tour of his house on 'Baker Street' adding fuel to the fire so to speak," Mark Di-Toro from Visit Britain said.
"That is just testament to Doyle's brilliant writing with his true to nature locations in the books meaning tourist can really relate and visit all the fantastic locations."
A. Pawlowski and Phil Han contributed to this report. | [
"How much has the movie made worldwide?",
"Which movie inspires guides to places of interest to fans of the detective ?",
"What does British tourism officials hope the movie will bring?",
"The movie has already made more than how much ?",
"What is the new movie called?",
"How much has the movie already made worldwide?",
"What do British tourism officials hope the movie will bring to London?"
] | [
[
"more than $300 million"
],
[
"Sherlock Holmes"
],
[
"money"
],
[
"$300 million"
],
[
"Sherlock Holmes"
],
[
"$300 million"
],
[
"money"
]
] | New movie "Sherlock Holmes" inspires guides to places of interest to fans of the detective .
British tourism officials hope the movie will bring more tourists to London .
Many are unaware that Holmes was a fictional character .
The movie has already made more than $300 million worldwide . |
London, England (CNN) -- Simon Cowell's stranglehold on the British Christmas record charts looks as though it might be coming to an end. The talent show judge's latest protege and winner of British TV talent show "The X Factor," Joe McElderry is currently lagging behind heavy-rock group Rage Against The Machine in the battle for the UK Christmas number-one slot. With just over two days to go before the winner is announced, Rage Against The Machine's re-release of their 1992 song "Killing in the Name" is narrowly beating "The Climb," McElderry's cover of a Miley Cyrus hit. The winner of "The X Factor" -- which Cowell produces and judges -- has held the top spot over the festive season in the UK for the past four years. The popularity of the talent show -- this year's final was watched by around 20 million viewers -- has meant the race to the number-one slot in recent years has been, in effect, a non-contest because of the publicity the "X Factor" winner has enjoyed. But a campaign on the social networking site "Facebook" to make the U.S. rock group number-one ahead of "The X Factor" winner has received massive support from the British record buying public who have been snapping up "Killing in the Name" in their thousands. Whoever ends up on top of the UK charts this Christmas, the Rage/Cowell battle has enlivened what has become a rather dull and predictable procession to the top of the charts by the winner of the UK talent show. In an appearance on BBC radio station "5 live" Thursday, Rage's front man Zach De La Rocha swore several times during a live performance, forcing the BBC to issue an apology to listeners. And on Friday, Sir Paul McCartney, came out in support of the U.S. rock group, despite performing on the final show of "The X Factor" this year. Speaking to Sky News McCartney said: "It would be kind of funny if Rage Against The Machine got it." Meanwhile, Simon Cowell has been raging against, well, just about anyone in defense of McElderry telling the UK tabloid newspaper "The Sun" that "musical snobs have ganged up against Joe." He also called the Facebook campaign "a huge hate mob" -- a claim which the Facebook group have denied. All will be revealed this Sunday when the final UK singles chart before Christmas is announced. Will the talent judge be celebrating his fifth "Christmas Cowell" in a row or will he be overcome by Rage? We'll have to wait and see. | [
"What 1992 song is set to beat Simon Cowell's latest protege?",
"Who is number one in the UK?",
"Paul McCartney says U.S. rock group chart success \"would be\" what?",
"In what country is Rage Against the Machine approaching number one>",
"Which famous UK singer thinks the situation is funny?",
"What year was \"Killing in the Name\" from?",
"What song takes to beat Simon Cowell?",
"What is heading for UK Christmas number-one?"
] | [
[
"\"Killing in the Name\""
],
[
"Rage Against The Machine"
],
[
"\"It would be kind of funny if Rage Against The Machine got it.\""
],
[
"UK"
],
[
"Sir Paul McCartney,"
],
[
"1992"
],
[
"\"Killing in the Name\""
],
[
"Rage Against The Machine"
]
] | Rage Against The Machine heading for UK Christmas number-one .
1992 song "Killing in the Name" set to beat Simon Cowell's latest protege .
Paul McCartney says U.S. rock group chart success "would be funny" |
London, England (CNN) -- Snow and freezing temperatures hit large parts of Britain Wednesday, forcing airports and railway lines to close down, and forecasters warned that more bad weather was on the way. Most of Britain was covered in snow, with 20 to 30 centimeters (nearly 8 to nearly 12 inches) of snow in the southern parts, and up to 15 feet in the Pennines, the mountain range that runs from northern England north to Scotland. Four airports, including London's Gatwick, were shut down because of snow and ice. Gatwick said 84 flights were canceled, mainly on British Airways and EasyJet. Bristol, Blackpool, and Exeter airports were also closed. iReport: A snowy day in Chertsey, Surrey British Airways was forced to cancel "dozens" of flights in and out of London's Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 due to snow and ice, a spokesman told CNN Wednesday. Both incoming and outbound flights were experiencing significant delays, the spokesman said. BA operates about 400 flights a day in and out of Terminal 5, the airport's newest wing. According to BAA Limited, the company that operates the British airports, Heathrow "overall is fine," as the facility was alternating runways to keep cancellations to a minimum. Stansted Airport in north London was briefly closed but reopened at midday. Still, it reported 27 flight cancellations. Manchester Airport, which was shut Tuesday, was reopened. Officials said snow was unlikely to affect flights, but warned travelers to expect delays because of Tuesday's flight cancelations. All major train lines were open, but some train operators were running restricted services because of the weather. They included South West Trains, which runs services between London and some of the hardest-hit areas, such as Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire, and Chiltern Railways, which runs between London and Birmingham. Virgin Trains said it planned a regular service, but it warned of the risk of delays and cancelations on routes between London and Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland. Trains in northern England and Scotland were suffering because of the snow. There were no services between the Scottish cities of Inverness and Perth, National Rail said, and no trains between the English cities of Sheffield and Leeds. Frigid temperatures batter the U.S. south Britain's Highways Agency warned of difficult driving conditions in central southern England and the north of the country. It urged drivers to delay non-essential trips. Dozens of cars were left sitting on the side of the road in Southampton, near England's southern coast, after drivers became stuck in snow. The Highways Agency warned drivers to avoid the nearby A3 highway, which runs between London and Portsmouth, because of weather conditions. The agency said it was doing continuous salt treatment and snow plowing on major roadways in England. Schools were closed across the country because of the heavy snowfall. Officials said 176 schools were shut in Buckinghamshire and 164 were closed in Oxfordshire just to the northwest of London. About 330 schools in Gloucestershire, 200 in Somerset, and 143 in Wiltshire were closed because of snow, officials said. Hundreds of schools were also closed in Kent, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Coventry, Bath, Windsor, Maidenhead, Liverpool, and Brighton, officials said. Let us know how you are coping with the cold weather? The Met Office, Britain's weather service, said more snow was expected Wednesday for southern and northeast England. It warned of "very heavy snowfall" in southwest and southeast England and London, with up to a foot of snow possible. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro and Phil Han contributed to this report. | [
"how many airports where shut?",
"What are forecasters warning?",
"What brought parts of the UK to a virtual standstill?",
"waht was the reason behind the hundreds of schools in the UK closing their doors?",
"what does the severe weather did to the UK?",
"How many airports are shut?"
] | [
[
"Four"
],
[
"more bad weather was on the way."
],
[
"Snow and freezing temperatures"
],
[
"Snow and freezing temperatures"
],
[
"airports and railway lines"
],
[
"Four"
]
] | Severe weather brought parts of the UK to a virtual standstill because of heavy snow .
Four airports are shut and others are warning of delays and cancellations .
Hundreds of schools across the the UK have closed their doors .
Forecasters are warning of more snow . |
London, England (CNN) -- Something is stirring within the Hamas body politic, a moderating trend that, if nourished and engaged, could transform Palestinian politics and the Arab-Israeli peace process. There are unmistakable signs that the religiously based radical movement has subtly changed its uncompromising posture on Israel. For example, in the last few months top Hamas officials have publicly stressed that they want to be part of the solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, not part of the problem. What is happening inside Hamas' mosques and social base shows a concerted effort on the part of its leadership to re-educate its rank and file about co-existence with the Jewish state and in so doing mentally prepare them for a permanent settlement in the future. In Gazan mosques, pro-Hamas clerics have begun to cite the example of Salah al-Din al-Ayubi, a famed Muslim military commander and statesman, who, after liberating Jerusalem from the Western Crusaders, allowed them to retain a coastal state of their own. The moral lesson of the story is that if the famed leader could tolerate the warring, bloodthirsty Crusaders, then today's Palestinians should be willing to live peacefully with a Jewish state in their midst. This story is important because it provides Hamas with religious legitimacy and allows it to justify and explain its change of direction to followers. As an Islamic-based movement, Hamas' very raison d'etre rests on religious legitimization, and its leaders understand that they neglect that at their peril. Hamas' recent narrative marks a pronounced departure from the past in which Hamas moderates called for a minor or long-term truce. Now Hamas leaders appear to be going further by laying the ground for a shift in their position by educating their social base about the requirements of permanent peace -- recognition of the Jewish state. Although the evolution of Hamas' stance on the peace process has been slow, gradual and qualified, in the last three years many of its leaders repeatedly have said they wanted a two-state solution. Pressed by an Australian journalist on policy changes that Hamas might make to any new order, Khaled Meshaal, the top Hamas leader and head of its political bureau based in Syria and considered a hard-liner, asserted that the organization has already shifted on several key points: "Hamas already changed -- we accepted the national accords for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, and we took part in the 2006 Palestinian elections." Over the years, I have interviewed more than a dozen Hamas leaders inside and outside the Palestinian territories. Although, on the whole, Hamas' public rhetoric calls for the liberation of all historic Palestine, not only the territories occupied in 1967, a healthier debate occurs within. My recent conversations with Hamas' rank and file suggest that the militant organization has evolved considerably since the group unexpectedly won power in Gaza in free elections in 2006. Before then, Hamas was known for its suicide bombers, not its bureaucrats. But that had to change. "It is much more difficult to run a government than to oppose and resist Israeli occupation," a senior Hamas leader told me while on official business in Egypt in 2007. "If we do not provide the goods to our people, they'll disown us." Ironically, in spite of the West's refusal to regard this government as legitimate, the democratic demands for governance from within Gaza are themselves driving change within Hamas. What is striking about Hamas' recent shift of opinion toward the peace process is that it has come at a trying time for the Islamist organization which, in the last two years, has faced critical challenges from al Qaeda-like jihadist groups, a low-intensity civil war with rival Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Last summer a militant group called Jund Ansar Allah, or the Warriors of God, one of a handful of radical al Qaeda-inspired factions, declared the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Gaza, a flagrant rejection of Hamas' authority. Hamas security forces struck instantly and mercilessly at the Warriors, killing | [
"Which groups are they fighting?",
"What are the pro-Hamas clerics doing?",
"Who is Hamas fighting now?",
"What are pro-Hamas clerics preparing people for ?",
"What are there sign of ?"
] | [
[
"al Qaeda-like jihadist"
],
[
"begun to cite the example of Salah al-Din al-Ayubi,"
],
[
"Jund Ansar Allah,"
],
[
"a permanent settlement in the future."
],
[
"the religiously based radical movement has subtly changed its uncompromising posture on Israel."
]
] | There are signs Hamas is taking new stance on Israel, Fawaz A. Gerges says .
He says pro-Hamas clerics are preparing people for coexistence .
Hamas is fighting groups inspired by al Qaeda, Gerges says .
He urges West to test Hamas' willingness to engage in Mideast peace process . |
London, England (CNN) -- Spanish banking giant Santander on Monday began its campaign to rename hundreds of Abbey and Bradford and Bingley bank branches across Britain.
The banking group acquired Abbey in 2004, before it purchased Bradford & Bingley and the Alliance & Leicester in 2008.
The first of 300 official Santander branches in the south-east of England was launched in London Monday morning by Banco Santander Chairman Emilio Botín, with a further 700 branches across the UK expected to follow suit by the end of January.
In a statement Botin said: "This is a historic day for Santander as its name is firmly established on the UK high street.
"When Santander acquired Abbey in 2004, there were some who doubted we could make it a success. Today, there can be no doubts.
"Over the last five years we have transformed our UK business into one of the most successful banks in the country. The decision to become Santander will put us in an even stronger position the UK."
António Horta-Osório, Chief Executive of Santander UK, added: "The success of our UK business has given us the confidence to move to the Santander name now and with it deliver the next phase of our transformation program and make 1,300 branches available to our 25 million customers in the UK.
"I am confident that this is a very positive move - both for our customers and our employees."
Over the next few years, Santander says it aims to increase the number of products each of its customers hold through increasingly competitive and market-leading products to its customer base.
At the end of 2008, Santander, which was founded in 1857, was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit. It has has 90 million customers, around 14,000 branches -- more than any other international bank -- and over 170,000 employees. | [
"When will the renaming take place?",
"When did Santander buy?",
"who is Bradford and Bingley?",
"What does the CEO say?",
"How many branches will rename?",
"What did the CEO say?",
"When did Santander buy Abbey?"
] | [
[
"Monday"
],
[
"Bradford & Bingley"
],
[
"bank"
],
[
"\"The success of our UK business has given us the confidence to move to the Santander name now and with it deliver the next phase of our transformation program and make 1,300 branches available to our 25 million customers in the UK."
],
[
"hundreds"
],
[
"\"The success of our UK business has given us the confidence to move to the Santander name now and with it deliver the next phase of our transformation program and make 1,300 branches available to our 25 million customers in the UK."
],
[
"2004,"
]
] | Santander bought Abbey in 2004, Bradford & Bingley, Alliance & Leicester in 2008 .
Spanish banking group expected to rename around 1,000 bank branches across UK by end of January .
Group CEO: "Decision to become Santander will put us in an even stronger position the UK" |
London, England (CNN) -- Stevie Wonder has had more than 30 U.S. top ten hits and has won 22 Grammy Awards -- more than any other male artist. Blind from birth, Wonder's music has always reflected his concern with humanitarian and social issues. On Thursday, he joined the prestigious list of U.N. Messengers of Peace and will focus on the battle for disabled rights. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment, calling Wonder a "musical genius" and "great humanitarian, who has campaigned against apartheid, for children in need, and for persons with disabilities." Speaking about his new U.N. role Wonder told CNN's Becky Anderson: "It's about that ten percent of the world that suffers with a disability. It's about sounding that alarm off that says to the 90 percent: it's time to get it together for those of us with disabilities." Asked by Anderson what phrase which would encapsulate his mission Wonder said: "We can never let our fears put our dreams to sleep." He said the 90 percent of people who aren't disabled should learn not to fear disability, whatever form it takes and called for a stop to an "ignorance to the highest point of ridiculousness." Wonder hopes that politicians will listen to him in his new role as a U.N. messenger. "If you love my music that much, then care about those ten percent as well. There are 650 million disabled people in the world. Lets do something about that. Lets make a change," he said. The popularity of Wonder's music at the White House is well known. Indeed, President Obama says he owes a lot to his music. When awarding Wonder the U.S.'s highest award for pop music: the Library of Congress' Gershwin prize earlier this year the president said: "Michelle might not have dated me, we might not have married. The fact that we agreed on Stevie was the essence of our courtship." Wonder isn't surprised to see a black man in the White House. "That whole place of feeling that you can't have a black president or a female president, it's always been about people's inability to think out of the box that's always been backward in the first place." The only downside from Wonder's new role is for his fans. His new album "Gospel Inspired By Lula" wont be coming out until next May he told Anderson. He admitted that after all these years in the business he still gets nervous and still hits the odd bum note. "We did a show recently where my voice cracked and I said 'we gotta do that again!' We all laughed about it." Does he have a favorite song from his own catalogue? "I always use this thing that Duke Ellington would say. He used to say that 'I haven't written it yet.' I guess I would say the same. I would say this to you: whatever your favorite is, is my favorite too." | [
"What did Wonder talk about?",
"Who talk with CNN?",
"What is his new title?",
"What is he fighitng for?"
] | [
[
"his new U.N. role"
],
[
"Stevie Wonder"
],
[
"U.N. Messengers of Peace"
],
[
"disabled rights."
]
] | Stevie Wonder talks to CNN about his new U.N. role .
The multi award-winning Grammy artist is a new Messenger of Peace .
Wonder will fight for the rights of 650 million disabled people worldwide . |
London, England (CNN) -- The British government has apologized and offered compensation to hundreds of people who suffered the effects of thalidomide, a drug once prescribed to pregnant women that later was linked to major birth defects. Thalidomide sufferers and campaigners hailed the move and said it was long overdue. British doctors prescribed thalidomide for expectant mothers from 1958 to 1962 to control the symptoms of morning sickness. The drug, developed by a German firm, was used internationally as a sedative and hailed because overdose simply caused prolonged sleep, not death. Thalidomide also was combined with other drugs to create medications for asthma, hypertension, and migraine, according to the Thalidomide Trust, which supports victims. Doctors and scientists began to notice gross limb malformations in infants starting in 1960, and scientists linked it to thalidomide the next year. By then, it had affected babies from Kenya to Peru to Japan, though most of the cases were in Germany, where the drug had been available over the counter. There are currently 466 people in the United Kingdom whose mothers took the drug when they were in the womb. Most of them have two or four limbs missing, and some also can't see or hear, according to the trust. One of them is Louise Medus-Mansell, who was born in 1962 with no arms or legs. "It is a bonus, something that we didn't think would ever happen," she told CNN about the government's apology. "There's a lot of people today that have been waiting for this apology from the government that have had partners die." Medus-Mansell, who recently had a kidney transplant, published an autobiography this year titled "No Hand to Hold and No Legs to Dance On." Health Minister Mike O'Brien said the British government is creating a £20 million ($32.5 million) fund over three years to meet the health needs of Thalidomide victims, who are between 45 and 51 years old. The money will be distributed by the Thalidomide Trust, he said, and will help reduce further degeneration of their health as the victims grow older. "The government wishes to express its sincere regret and deep sympathy for the injury and suffering endured by all those affected when expectant mothers took the drug thalidomide between 1958 and 1961," O'Brien said in the House of Commons. "We acknowledge both the physical hardship and the emotional difficulties that have faced both the children affected and their families as a result of this drug, and the challenges that many continue to endure, often on a daily basis." The problems caused by the drug led the British government to review the marketing, testing, and regulation of drugs, O'Brien said. That included the enactment of the Medicines Act 1968, which introduced more testing for medicines prior to licensing to make sure they meet safety standards. The Thalidomide Society, which was created in 1962 by the parents of thalidomide victims, said it welcomed the government's apology. "I think it obviously makes a great deal of difference (to the children), but I think also for the parents who had dreadful, dreadful trouble in the very early years to convince people that something had happened and it wasn't their fault," said society secretary Vivien Kerr. "For them, I think, it's something to be very grateful for and it's welcome." CNN's Phil Black and Melissa Gray contributed to this report. | [
"What is the name of the drug that was prescribed from 1958 to 1962 for morning sickness, that is now linked to birth defects?",
"What was the drug prescribed for?",
"When was the drug prescribed?",
"How many babies from Germany have been affected by the birth defects?",
"How many people in the UK whose expectant mothers took the drug?",
"Where are most of the cases located?",
"What is the UK government creating to meet health needs?",
"It also affected babies from where?",
"How many of the 466 babies from the UK expectant mothers have experienced birth defects so far?"
] | [
[
"thalidomide,"
],
[
"to control the symptoms of morning sickness."
],
[
"1958 to 1962"
],
[
"466"
],
[
"466"
],
[
"Germany,"
],
[
"a £20 million ($32.5 million) fund"
],
[
"Kenya"
],
[
"Most of them"
]
] | There are currently 466 people in the UK whose expectant mothers took the drug .
Drug, prescribed from 1958 to 1962 for morning sickness, linked to birth defects .
Also affected babies from Kenya to Peru to Japan, most of the cases in Germany .
Health minister: UK government creating a $32.5M fund to meet health needs . |
London, England (CNN) -- The British government said Wednesday it will appeal a European court ruling that certain police stop-and-search powers are a breach of human rights. Under Section 44 of Britain's Terrorism Act 2000, uniformed officers may stop any pedestrian or vehicle and search them, regardless of whether they have reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Human rights groups complain the rules are subject to abuse, but the British government calls the powers an important tool in the fight against terrorism. British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he was disappointed in Tuesday's ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, because the appeals had previously gone through the British courts and been rejected. "We are considering the judgment and will seek to appeal," Johnson said in a statement. "Pending the outcome of this appeal, the police will continue to have these powers available to them." London's Metropolitan Police said that because of sensitivity and concerns about use of the stop-and-search powers, they are only being used at "pre-identified significant locations" like landmarks, tourist sites, and crowded places, or where certain police operations are taking place. The case began in September 2003, when police stopped and searched two British nationals who were on their way to a London demonstration. Kevin Gillan was on his bicycle and wearing a backpack when police searched him. He was allowed to go after about 20 minutes, the court said. Pennie Quinton is a journalist who was on her way to cover the demonstration when police stopped and searched her, the court said. Police ordered her to stop filming even though she showed her press cards; the official record of her search said she was stopped for about five minutes, though she says she thought it was closer to half an hour. Gillan and Quinton complained that the police use of the stop-and-search powers under Section 44 breached the European Convention on Human Rights -- specifically their right to liberty and security, right to respect for private and family life, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly and association. The case reached the Law Lords, Britain's highest court, but the Law Lords dismissed the appeal in March 2006 because they said they weren't convinced the police search disrespected the plaintiffs' private lives. Even if the search did not respect the plaintiffs' private lives, the Law Lords found, the procedure was in accordance with the law and was proportionate to counterterrorism efforts. Gillan and Quinton then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which heard the case in May and issued its ruling Tuesday. "It's fantastic news after a long struggle," Gillan said, in a statement issued by the human rights group Liberty, which took the case to court. "I look to the government for a strong response." Said Quinton, in another statement issued by Liberty, "There has to be a balance between private life and security. The court has shown that Section 44 is an invasion of people's right to liberty and privacy." The court found that the "coercive powers" of the anti-terrorism legislation amounted to a clear interference with the right to respect for private life. This interference was compounded by the public nature of the search, because it brings an element of humiliation and embarrassment, the court found. Legal safeguards were not adequate enough to curb the wide discretion police had to use the powers, the court found. It said that wide discretion was a cause for concern. "The officer's decision to stop and search an individual was one based exclusively on the 'hunch' or 'professional intuition,'" the court wrote in its decision. "Not only was it unnecessary for him to demonstrate the existence of any reasonable suspicion; he was not required even subjectively to suspect anything about the person stopped and searched." Because officers have no obligation to show a reasonable suspicion, it is "almost impossible to prove that the power had been improperly exercised," the court said. As a result, the court said | [
"What ruling is Britain appealing?",
"Which country is set to appeal against the ruling",
"when was the police search",
"Who brought the case before courts?",
"When was the case brought before courts?"
] | [
[
"certain police stop-and-search powers are a breach of human rights."
],
[
"The British government"
],
[
"September 2003,"
],
[
"Gillan and Quinton"
],
[
"September 2003,"
]
] | Britain will appeal ruling against police searches allowed by its anti-terrorism legislation .
European Court of Human Rights ruled that searches breached plaintiffs' human rights .
Case was brought by two Britons who were stopped and searched by police in 2003 .
Britain says the powers are an important tool in the fight against terrorism . |
London, England (CNN) -- The United Kingdom spent a second day suspended in uncertainty Saturday as leading politicians met to resolve a national election that failed to yield an outright winner.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, whose party came in third after Thursday's voting, held meetings with fellow party members Saturday to discuss a possible deal with either of the two largest parties, Labour and the Conservatives.
Clegg also met with Conservative leader David Cameron Saturday night, local media reported, while a broader meeting between Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party is scheduled for Sunday morning, a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman told CNN.
During a break in the talks with his own party, Clegg addressed hundreds of protesters in London who were demonstrating in favor of proportional representation, a system supported by the Liberal Democrats.
Send iReport your stories, videos, photos
The Lib Dems say the current electoral system is unfair and leaves them under-represented in Parliament. They say the number of seats they have in the House of Commons fails to reflect the number of votes they won across the country, and they believe each party's allocation of seats should reflect the percentage of the national vote they get.
For example, the Conservatives got 36 percent of the vote and 306 of the 650 seats in Parliament. Under proportional representation, they would have gotten 234 seats. The Lib Dems got 23 percent of the popular vote but won only 57 seats. Proportional representation would have given them about 150 seats.
"I never thought I'd see Londoners protesting for proportional representation," Clegg said. "Take it from me, reforming politics is one of the reasons I went into politics. I campaigned for a better, more open, more transparent new politics every single day of this general election campaign.
"I genuinely believe it is in the national interest, it is in the interest of everybody in Great Britain, to use this opportunity to usher in a new politics."
Before he went into the meeting with members of his party Saturday morning, Clegg said "politicians have a duty to speak to each other."
"People deserve a good, stable government, and that's why I'm very keen that the Liberal Democrats should enter into any discussions with other parties, as we're doing, in a constructive spirit," he explained.
What happens next for UK politics?
The Liberal Democrats planned to meet with the Conservative Party at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) Sunday, according to a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman.
When asked, a spokeswoman for the Conservative Party declined to give a timeframe for a possible deal.
Why UK politics needs to get used to horse trading
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who leads the Labour Party, and the Conservatives' Cameron both offered on Friday to form an alliance with the Liberal Democrats as they jostled for power after the election in which the Conservatives gained the most seats in the House of Commons.
Clegg told reporters Saturday morning that he remained focused on four priorities as he discussed the idea of a deal with another party: tax reform, education reform, a "new approach" to the economy, and "fundamental political reform."
Full election coverage
"It's precisely those four changes which will guide us in the talks ahead," Clegg said.
In an e-mail to Conservative supporters on Saturday, Cameron made a case for the party to work with the Liberal Democrats.
"I ... believe there are many areas of common ground between us and the Liberal Democrats -- such as the need for education reform, building a low-carbon economy, reforming our political system, decentralizing power, protecting civil liberties and scrapping ID cards," Cameron wrote.
It's unclear how far Cameron will go on the Liberal Democrats' main priority, electoral reform. But he said in his e-mail that he is willing to compromise on some issues.
"There are also areas where I believe we in the Conservative Party can give ground," he wrote, "both in the national interest and in the interests of forging an open and trusting | [
"What resulted in hung parliment?",
"When do Liberal Democrats plan to meet with the Conservative Party?",
"What do the Liberal Democrats plan on doing?",
"What did Nick Clegg say?",
"What is happening on Sunday?",
"What happened in the election?"
] | [
[
"national election"
],
[
"Saturday"
],
[
"to meet with the Conservative Party"
],
[
"\"I never thought I'd see Londoners protesting for proportional representation,\""
],
[
"meeting between Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party is scheduled"
],
[
"failed to yield an outright winner."
]
] | No party won a clear majority in British election, resulting in hung parliament .
NEW: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg speaks to protesters .
Liberal Democrats plan to meet with the Conservative Party Sunday .
Conservatives refuse to give a timeframe on any deal . |
London, England (CNN) -- The United Kingdom votes on a new government May 6 through a political system that dates back centuries. When does an election happen?
The UK has no written constitution. Instead the country's electoral system is based on a series of parliamentary acts dating back to the 17th century, when men wore the sort of tights and wigs still donned on ceremonial occasions by some officials of the Houses of Parliament.
A general election is when voters nationwide choose lawmakers who will sit in the House of Commons, the lower chamber which initiates and approves legislation.
An election must take place, by law, at least every five years. That said, governments can call an election at any time during their term. They could also be forced into an election if they lose a majority of lawmakers in the Commons.
Who calls an election?
The starting gun in a general election is traditionally fired when the prime minister travels to Buckingham Palace to ask the queen, the UK's head of state, to dissolve parliament by royal proclamation.
An election must then take place within weeks. Since 1979, elections have been held between April and June. It is customary for an election to be held on a Thursday.
The vote is conducted through the "first past the post" system whereby the candidate in each constituency with the most votes wins the seat.
If the queen is the head of state, then how come the UK a democracy?
Although the UK is a monarchy, the powers of the reigning head of state have gradually dwindled since King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 following the English Civil War between Royalists and Parliamentarians.
Today, the monarch's role is largely ceremonial and mostly restricted to state functions and appearing on stamps and banknotes. But the monarch still retains formal powers and opens parliament each year.
How does parliament function?
The job of parliament is to make laws, scrutinize the actions of the government and debate issues of the day. The Commons -- which has green benches -- currently consists of 650 directly elected lawmakers known as Members of Parliament or MPs who each represent a geographical constituency.
The upper house, the Lords -- which has red benches -- is mostly appointed by the government with members serving for life. Its main duty is to vote on legislation passed by the Commons and, when necessary, to send it back for further debate.
In certain circumstances the government can force through legislation passed by the Commons but rejected by the Lords.
How is an election decided?
Voters do not elect the prime minister, or head of government, directly. Rather, they vote to elect a candidate representing a particular party to serve as their local MP. The leader of the party which wins the most seats is then asked by the Queen to form a government. The leader of the second largest party in the Commons becomes the "Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition." MPs are elected by a plurality, rather than a majority, of votes. This means that a party can win a majority of seats in the Commons without achieving an overall majority in the overall popular vote. In fact, because there are three main parties in the UK it is extremely rare for a party to win an outright majority.
The last prime minister elected by an outright majority was Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Party leader, in 1931. In 2005, Tony Blair's Labour Party won just 35 percent of the vote but still controlled a 66-seat majority in the House of Commons. So who can I vote for?
For most of the past century, British politics has been dominated by two parties, the left-wing Labour Party and the right-wing Conservative Party. That said, the boundaries between left and right have been blurred as each has strived to occupy the strategically important center ground. A third party, the centrist Liberal Democrats, usually picks up around 20 percent of votes but wins far fewer seats because it is squeezed between the two main parties. Parties from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also send small numbers of lawmakers to Westminster | [
"When must a general election occur?",
"When did the power of the monarchy begin dwindling?",
"General elections in UK take place how often?",
"what has dwindled since 17th century?",
"What happens in the UK every five years?",
"When was the last majority for any party?"
] | [
[
"every five years."
],
[
"since King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 following the English Civil War between Royalists and Parliamentarians."
],
[
"at least every five years."
],
[
"the powers of the reigning head of state"
],
[
"An election"
],
[
"1931."
]
] | A general election must take place in the UK at least every five years .
The power of the monarchy has gradually dwindled since the 17th century .
Power in the UK parliament rests with the lower house, known as the Commons .
The last parliament where no party had a majority was in 1974 -- analysts predict it will happen in 2010 . |
London, England (CNN) -- The United Kingdom will send an additional 500 troops to Afghanistan in early December, bringing the British contingent there to more than 9,500, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Monday. "We must address the terrorist threat at its source," Brown told lawmakers, adding: "Our task is to prevent the Taliban from giving al Qaeda ... safe haven. "Instability in Afghanistan can only increase the risk of conflagration where the rest of the world can least afford it." Brown regularly links British security to events in Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying attacks on London and other British targets have been planned in South Asia. He announced in October the decision in principle to boost force levels, but said certain conditions -- including proper equipment for the British troops and more troop commitments from other countries -- had to be met first. The United Kingdom has the largest contingent in Afghanistan after the United States. The figure of 9,500 does not include special forces, said Brown, who declined to say exactly how many are there, but indicated it is more than 500. Brown's announcement coincided with the news that a British soldier was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand province, where troops have been entrenched in heavy combat with Taliban insurgents since July 2006. The soldier, from the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, died as a result of injuries sustained in the Babaji area, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Britain has lost more than 200 service personnel in Afghanistan since the start of fighting in 2001. More than 100 were lost in the past year. | [
"Who has the largest contingent of troops?",
"What does Brown want to prevent?",
"What is the British contingent being increased to?"
] | [
[
"The United Kingdom"
],
[
"the Taliban from giving al Qaeda ... safe haven."
],
[
"more than 9,500,"
]
] | British contingent in Afghanistan will be increased to 9,500, UK's Brown says .
Brown says troops must prevent Afghanistan becoming Al Qaeda safe haven .
UK has largest contingent of troops in Afghanistan after United States . |
London, England (CNN) -- The X-ray machine was Wednesday named the most important scientific invention, in a poll marking the centenary of the Science Museum in London.
Almost 50,000 people voted in the museum or online on a shortlist of ten discoveries and inventions from past centuries in science, technology and engineering.
The X-ray machine, which was discovered in 1895 and revolutionized how doctors detected disease and injury, struck a chord with most voters who singled it out for having made the greatest impact on the past, present and future.
It gathered one fifth of the votes( 9581 votes) followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure.
Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, told CNN that she was "pleasantly surprised" with the results, saying she "wondered whether the therapeutic benefit of penicillin might just edge in front -- or perhaps the Apollo 10 capsule as visitors find space travel so inspirational as the ultimate test of technology."
Maggs attributed the X-ray machine's popularity to the wide impact it has on people's everyday life, from the very first steps of a medical diagnosis to security control at airports.
"People are just fascinated with seeing inside their bodies --- even today. It has fundamentally changed the way we see and understand our world -- but particularly our bodies.
"But I also think visitors are aware of the immense and various benefits x-rays have brought -- revolutionizing medical diagnosis and therapy but also astronomy and material and chemical science -- it was x-rays that enabled us to discover the structure of DNA after all!"
X-rays were discovered in November 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen.
The Science Museum also houses the Reynolds machine, which was built by a father and son John and Russell Reynolds, months after Röntgen announced his discovery. They were so inspired by the news that they started constructing the equipment in their own home. | [
"what is the name of the inventor",
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"where is the museum",
"how many votes cast?"
] | [
[
"Wilhelm Röntgen."
],
[
"important scientific invention,"
],
[
"London."
],
[
"50,000"
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] | The X-ray machine was voted the most significant scientific invention, in a poll by the Science Museum in London .
Out of almost 50,000 votes cast, one in five people selected it as the object they believed it had the greatest impact on the past, present and future .
X-rays were followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure .
The public vote began on 10 June this year as part of the Science Museum's events to mark its centenary . |
London, England (CNN) -- The X-ray machine was Wednesday named the most important scientific invention, in a poll marking the centenary of the Science Museum in London. Almost 50,000 people voted in the museum or online on a shortlist of ten discoveries and inventions from past centuries in science, technology and engineering. The X-ray machine, which was discovered in 1895 and revolutionized how doctors detected disease and injury, struck a chord with most voters who singled it out for having made the greatest impact on the past, present and future. It gathered one fifth of the votes( 9581 votes) followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure. Katie Maggs, associate curator of medicine at the Science Museum, told CNN that she was "pleasantly surprised" with the results, saying she "wondered whether the therapeutic benefit of penicillin might just edge in front -- or perhaps the Apollo 10 capsule as visitors find space travel so inspirational as the ultimate test of technology." Maggs attributed the X-ray machine's popularity to the wide impact it has on people's everyday life, from the very first steps of a medical diagnosis to security control at airports. "People are just fascinated with seeing inside their bodies --- even today. It has fundamentally changed the way we see and understand our world -- but particularly our bodies. "But I also think visitors are aware of the immense and various benefits x-rays have brought -- revolutionizing medical diagnosis and therapy but also astronomy and material and chemical science -- it was x-rays that enabled us to discover the structure of DNA after all!" X-rays were discovered in November 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen. The Science Museum also houses the Reynolds machine, which was built by a father and son John and Russell Reynolds, months after Röntgen announced his discovery. They were so inspired by the news that they started constructing the equipment in their own home. | [
"How many votes were cast?",
"Which machine was voted the most significant invention by the Science Museum in London?",
"What was voted the most significant scientific invention?"
] | [
[
"50,000"
],
[
"The X-ray"
],
[
"The X-ray machine"
]
] | The X-ray machine was voted the most significant scientific invention, in a poll by the Science Museum in London .
Out of almost 50,000 votes cast, one in five people selected it as the object they believed it had the greatest impact on the past, present and future .
X-rays were followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix structure .
The public vote began on 10 June this year as part of the Science Museum's events to mark its centenary . |
London, England (CNN) -- The attackers who planted a car bomb outside a courthouse in Northern Ireland Monday night gave only 17 minutes warning before the explosion, the Police Service of Northern Ireland told CNN Tuesday.
"It is a miracle that no one was killed or seriously injured," PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said. "It is only thanks to a member of the public contacting us that we are not dealing with fatalities this morning."
The car was packed with about 250 pounds (113 kilograms) of explosives, police estimate.
A local hospital in the town of Newry got a warning call at 10:20 p.m. local time (7:20 p.m. ET) and a business was phoned two minutes later. The bomb went off at 10:37 p.m., a police representative said.
That "is not enough time to evacuate a public area," a police representative said. British police spokesmen traditionally do not identify themselves by name.
A member of the public reported a car being abandoned at about 10 p.m., she said. That appears to have given police extra time to respond.
Baggott blamed the attack on "dissident republicans," pro-Irish militants who reject the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that sharply reduced violence in the province.
They "simply want to drag Northern Ireland back to the dark days of the past," Baggott said, condemning "cowardly attacks" by "terrorists" who "want to destroy all that is good about Northern Ireland and have no place in a modern civilized society."
"This is not an attack on a court building, this is an attack on people whose lives depend on the well-being of Newry," he added. "This is an attack that broke and damaged places of worship... damaged the ability of Newry to be at the heart of our economic success."
Newry is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of the provincial capital, Belfast.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office "strongly condemned" the bombing, saying Tuesday it was the work of a "tiny minority."
The "attack" is "entirely unrepresentative of the views of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland," said a statement from Brown's Downing Street office.
The court building was badly damaged and businesses in the area were evacuated, police said.
Northern Ireland was wracked for decades by violence between pro-British unionists and pro-Irish republicans. About 3,000 people died in the "Troubles," as the violence was known, before the tenuous peace agreement was hammered out in 1998.
There has been sporadic violence since then. A booby-trapped car exploded on January 8, severely injuring Constable Peadar Heffron. A car bomb partly exploded outside the headquarters of the Policing Board of Northern Ireland on November 21, and another under-car booby trap exploded on October 22 in east Belfast, injuring a woman, the PSNI said.
Two soldiers and a policeman were shot dead in separate attacks in March 2009.
The two biggest parties in the province, the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party and the pro-Irish Sinn Fein, reached a deal earlier this month to bring police powers under local control, averting a crisis that had threatened to force new elections. | [
"What did attackers do?",
"How many died before the 1998 peace agreement?",
"Who condemned car bombing?",
"How many minutes gave warning the attackers?",
"Where was the bomb planted?",
"Who died in the decades of violence?"
] | [
[
"planted a car bomb"
],
[
"3,000"
],
[
"Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"outside a courthouse in Northern Ireland"
],
[
"About 3,000 people"
]
] | Attackers who planted bomb in N. Ireland gave only 17 minutes warning before explosion .
British PM Gordon Brown condemned car bombing outside court in Newry .
No one was killed or injured in the blast .
About 3,000 people died in decades of violence before 1998 peace agreement . |
London, England (CNN) -- The death of a British soldier on an explosives-clearing operation in Afghanistan has pushed the British death toll there past that of the 1982 Falklands War, the Ministry of Defence announced Tuesday.
The soldier's death brings to 256 the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since operations there began in 2001, the defense ministry said. The British death toll from the Falklands conflict was 255.
The soldier, from the 36 Engineer Regiment, died Monday from an explosion in the Nad-e-Ali district of Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province. He was part of a task force to clear roadside bombs.
"He was leading a team conducting route-clearance operations at the time, making the way ahead safe for others to follow," said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand. "His indomitable courage and fortitude, the hallmark of his profession, will not be forgotten."
The Ministry of Defence did not release his name, but said his next of kin had been informed.
Two soldiers from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed by an explosion Monday, also in Helmand Province, the defense ministry said. The deaths of those soldiers, whose names were not released, meant the total death toll matched that of the Falklands.
"Sad milestones such as this naturally attract attention in the UK, but in theater our people continue resolutely and courageously with the task of assisting Afghans to build their own future," said Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the British Defense Staff.
"We should not forget that each and every death of a member of our armed forces is a tragedy of equal proportion," British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said. "Our thoughts at this time lie firmly with the families and friends of all the brave men and women fallen in Afghanistan, and we should all remember that every one of them has given their lives in defense of their -- and our -- country."
The Falkland Islands are a British territory located 670 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the coast of Argentina. Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the islands since they were occupied by the British in 1833.
Argentine troops invaded the islands in April 1982, sparking a two-month war with intense land and sea battles. Argentina surrendered June 14, having lost nearly 650 troops. | [
"how many were killed",
"What caused the most recent death?",
"How many dead are in the UK?",
"where were they killed"
] | [
[
"256"
],
[
"explosives-clearing operation"
],
[
"256"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
]
] | Latest casualty brings to 256 number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan .
Figure surpasses death toll sustained by British forces in 1982 Falklands war .
Most recent death sustained during explosive-clearing operations . |
London, England (CNN) -- The debut album by New York rock band The Strokes has been named "album of the decade" by influential British music magazine, NME.
Released in 2001, "Is This It" topped the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade list compiled by a panel of musicians, producers, writers and record label bosses, according to NME.com.
The Libertines' 2002 debut "Up the Bracket" was runner-up, with Primal Scream's "XTRMNTR" from 2000 in third spot.
The Strokes formed in 1999 with a line-up that includes lead vocalist Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti.
Fans had to wait two years before "Is This It" was finally released to critical acclaim, with hits such as "Last Night" and "Hard to Explain" underlining their Velvet Underground-inspired garage rock sound.
However, the album fared better among British fans, reaching number two in the charts compared to 33 in the United States.
The band's second album, "Room On Fire", was released in 2003 and again reached number two in the British charts with singles including "12:51" and "Reptilia."
But their third album, "First Impressions of Earth", gave the band its first number one success, when it snatched top spot in Britain in 2006.
It also reached the hitherto unknown heights of number four across the Atlantic.
On hearing about the NME accolade, frontman Casablancas told the BBC: "It's totally crazy! I thought it was great when I heard.
"But does it mean it's a good musical decade or a bad musical decade? I don't know, I'm such a bad judge of my own stuff." | [
"When was \"Is This It\" released?",
"What topped the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade list?",
"What did Libertines' debut?",
"What are some of the songs on the album?",
"Who compiled the Greatest Albums list?"
] | [
[
"2001,"
],
[
"\"Is This It\""
],
[
"\"Up the Bracket\""
],
[
"\"Last Night\""
],
[
"a panel of musicians, producers, writers and record label bosses,"
]
] | "Is This It" topped the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade list compiled by a panel of musicians, producers, writers .
Released in 2001, "Is This It" was features hits such as "Last Night" and "Hard to Explain .
Libertines' debut "Up the Bracket" second and Primal Scream's "XTRMNTR" third . |
London, England (CNN) -- The downfall of Tiger Woods has left the golf world eager for an uplifting story, and arguably there are few better placed to provide this tale than 20-year-old Michelle Wie.
The women's game may struggle to compete with the men's in terms of profile, but if there is any player who could help to bridge this gap it is the Stanford University student from Hawaii.
The expectation on Wie has always been great after she amazed the sport by qualifying for the USGA amateur championship aged just 10. She went onto become the youngest player ever to qualify for the LPGA Tour and became a millionaire 10 times over by signing sponsorship deals with both Sony and Nike after turning professional aged 16.
The similarities with Tiger Woods were clear for all to see. Her fame grew as she persisted to compete in men's competitions while suffering inconsistent form at women's events, but she had to wait until 2009 to capture her first LPGA title.
With her victory at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational and starring role in the 2009 Solheim Cup, Michelle Wie has once again captivated fans and gone some way to reassure doubters that she still has the potential to become a major force in women's golf.
With the 2010 LPGA season due to tee off next month, Living Golf caught up with Wie to discuss her plans for the year ahead in work and play:
"I love what I do. Once my college work is done, I get to go out and focus on my golf. Academically right now, I'm a sophomore, but I'm in my third year, so hopefully I'll finish in five years or so," she told CNN.
Like many students her age, friends play an important role: "They bring me down to earth you know. They always make fun of me and they don't know what I do, they don't know what a par is. Basically I tell them, if my scores look red, you can call me, if my scores look black, then I might not be in such a good mood so don't talk to me!"
The Solheim Cup marked a turning point for Wie, proving she could hit shots beyond her female counterparts. Wie says it was an unforgettable experience: "It was such a great experience, I've always heard that rumor that, the American team doesn't bond as well as the European team, but I felt that we just bonded so well and had so much fun -- I really enjoyed every second of it."
Despite this, there still remains a cloud of disapproval over the way in which Wie has conducted herself throughout her career. Entering her first PGA Tour event at the tender age of 14, her attempts and failures to make it on the men's tour have drawn criticism from players and fans. So does she regret these early decisions?
"No, I don't think so. I think that every decision that I've made in my life, at the time seemed like a great decision ... the mistakes that I've made, I've definitely learned from them. But you know, I enjoyed myself and I really had a lot of fun."
While the sun shone on Michelle Wie in 2009, the LPGA experienced a difficult year. Like the men's Tour, financial crisis saw sponsors and media pull out -- and a seriously diminished schedule of events for 2010 led to the dismissal of LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. Despite the turmoil, Wie feels the tour will bounce back:
"I just think that we have such a strong product, you know the players are amazing, we have different personalities, its so global, so international -- there's so many ethnicities which gives us more opportunity to be in different countries that never really had golf before."
As she looks ahead to this year, Wie's resolve remains clear: to build on her new found confidence and success: "I want to show my fans and my country what I have." | [
"What will bounce back from a difficult year?",
"what caused the difficult year",
"What marked a turning point for Wie?"
] | [
[
"the tour"
],
[
"financial crisis"
],
[
"The Solheim Cup"
]
] | The 2009 Solheim Cup marked a turning point for Wie .
Michelle Wie is currently 10th in the World Golf Rankings .
Wie says the LPGA will bounce back from a difficult year . |
London, England (CNN) -- The fashion brand created by Alexander McQueen is to survive despite the designer's suicide last week, the label's majority stakeholder Gucci Group has confirmed.
"I believe strongly in the Alexander McQueen brand and its future," Gucci Group CEO Robert Polet said in a statement carried on the Web site of Gucci parent PPR.
The future of McQueen's 11-store, 180 employee fashion house had been uncertain following the 40-year-old's death, with industry experts speculating it was not successful enough to endure without its figurehead.
PPR on Thursday revealed a company-wide net profit rise of 6.9 percent to €984.6 million ($1,328 million) but a 4 percent revenue fall to €16.52 billion. It did not break down figures to reveal McQueen's turnover, but reports speculate the brand is running at a loss despite heavy celebrity endorsements.
The Times of London reported on Thursday that the label had struggled to make a profit and analysis of recent accounts showed it had liabilities of more than £32 million ($49 million).
PPR boss Francois-Henri Pinault said in a statement: "Lee Alexander [McQueen] was a pure genius and a poet who was imaginative and original. His art went beyond the fashion world. The Alexander McQueen trademark will live on. This is the best tribute that we could offer to Lee."
McQueen's death last week shocked the world of fashion, with many in the industry paying tribute to a man they described as a unique talent capable of becoming a major name.
A coroner on Wednesday said McQueen hanged himself in his wardrobe and left a suicide note
McQueen, who had dressed stars from Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman to Rihanna and Sandra Bullock, killed himself nine days after the death of his mother. He expressed his devastation at her death on his Twitter account days before he died.
McQueen was born in 1970 in London's East End, the son of a taxi driver and trained in London's Savile Row, going on to study fashion at college before making his name with his own extravagant designs.
French luxury brand Gucci Group acquired a 51 percent stake in McQueen in 2001. | [
"Where was Alexander McQueen found dead?",
"What age was McQueen when he died?",
"Who was found dead in London?",
"Will the McQueen label survive despite Alexander McQueen's death?",
"What label is being discussed?",
"What group said that the McQueen label will survive?",
"What company says the McQueen label will survive despite his death?",
"In what city was McQueen found dead?",
"Where was Alexander McQueen found?"
] | [
[
"in his wardrobe"
],
[
"40-year-old's"
],
[
"Alexander McQueen"
],
[
"is to"
],
[
"Alexander McQueen"
],
[
"Gucci"
],
[
"Gucci Group"
],
[
"London,"
],
[
"in his wardrobe"
]
] | Gucci Group says McQueen label to survive despite his death .
Alexander McQueen, 40, found dead at London home last week .
Reports say McQueen's label has struggled to make profits . |
London, England (CNN) -- The fashion world was Friday mourning the death of celebrated British designer Alexander McQueen as questions were raised over the future of his multi-million dollar luxury clothing brand.
A day after McQueen was found dead in his London home, the 40-year-old's flagship store in the city was closed, while flowers were laid in honor and a flag was flown at half mast over the shuttered doorway.
A manager at the Alexander McQueen store in New York, where similar memorial scenes of flowers and candles were reported, said the shop would also be closed in light of the designer's death.
McQueen's New York fans show support
Emerging from a modest background as the son of an east London taxi driver to become a household name, McQueen's success has been hailed as a testament to his talent, but analysts say there are doubts his name will endure.
Design brands have previously outlived their founders, with notable examples being the success of Frenchman Yves Saint Laurent's empire despite his death in 2008, and the survival of Gianni Versace's label following his 1997 murder.
Industry insiders say McQueen's hands-on involvement in his business as the creative driving force behind the label's bold and eccentric output will be difficult to sustain without the designer at the helm.
Gucci Group, which acquired a 51 percent stake in the McQueen brand in 2001, has yet to make a statement on the future of the label and its 11 stores worldwide which, according to the Financial Times, was not profitable until 2007.
The fashion house has not disclosed current figures for the brand which, the Times of London newspaper reported Gucci paid £13.6 million ($21.2 million) for its stake in.
Tim Gadoffre, CEO of luxury brand analyst Marival & Company, said McQueen's death represented a "disaster" for the brand and said there would be substantial doubts over the label's ability to survive its visionary founder's death.
Says Gadoffre, despite huge celebrity success, the McQueen brand had only just been consolidated as a going concern and the next decade would have been crucial in converting the designer's name into a long-term franchise.
"It is too early to tell, but I'm not convinced it is possible to project the business any further without him," he told CNN.
Nevertheless, retailers were reporting a sharp rise in sales of McQueen items in the immediate wake of his death.
A spokeswoman for the upscale Liberty of London department store told CNN it had seen a 14-fold increase in McQueen brand sales, with top sellers including his signature skull print scarf and main line collection.
McQueen's death reportedly occurred on the eve of the funeral of his mother, Joyce, with whom he was said to have a very close relationship .
Tributes have poured in for McQueen, with many in the fashion and film industry hailing the "enfant terrible" for his diverse clothing creations and for dressing stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman.
"His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs," said British Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman, adding that his work "influenced a whole generation of designers."
"His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who didn't," she said in a statement on the magazine's Web site.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened at the news of Alexander McQueen's untimely death," said a statement on the London Fashion Week Web site. "He was a unique talent and one of the world's greatest designers. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this sad time."
Although McQueen was not showing a collection at the London Fashion Week, he was to unveil his ready-to-wear collection at the Paris fashion shows in March.
His 2010 spring/summer collection featured alien-inspired makeup and prints, according to Vogue, and "was lauded as his best by the fashion press." Dresses in that ready-to-wear line had exaggerated tiny waists and rounded hips, | [
"Who had a reputation fro controversy?",
"Where was McQueen found?",
"Whose fashion brand's fate is uncertain?",
"Where was McQueen found dead?",
"Who was found dead?"
] | [
[
"Alexander McQueen"
],
[
"his London home,"
],
[
"Alexander McQueen"
],
[
"London home,"
],
[
"Alexander McQueen"
]
] | NEW: Fate of McQueen's fashion brand uncertain after designer's death .
McQueen, 40, found dead at London home on Thursday .
McQueen had reputation for controversy, earning him title "enfant terrible" |
London, England (CNN) -- The former vice president of Bosnia was arrested Monday in London on a request from Serbia, where he is wanted for conspiracy to murder and breach of the Geneva Convention.
Metropolitan police arrested Ejup Ganic at Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon, and he appeared at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, the United Kingdom Foreign Office said in a news release.
The British authorities were awaiting the full extradition paperwork before a court date for an extradition hearing can be set, the Foreign Office said.
Citing the ongoing case, authorities declined to comment further.
Ganic was the vice president of Bosnia during the bloody civil war there between 1992 and 1995, and he was twice president of the Bosnian-Croat Federation in the years after the Dayton peace agreement in 1995. Ganic was regarded by many independent commentators at the time as a relative moderate in the war-time Bosnian leadership.
An engineer by profession, Ganic studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. He would regularly brief journalists during the three-year civil war from his often-shelled office in the Bosnian presidency building in the heart of Sarajevo.
On Sunday, Bosnia and Serbia signed an agreement on extraditions for war crimes committed during the war that would let Bosnians be tried in Bosnia and Serbs in Serbia.
Ganic was in Britain attending a graduation ceremony at the University of Buckingham, which partners with a university in Sarajevo in which Ganic is reported to have a significant financial interest.
CNN's Nic Robertson contributed to this report. | [
"When was Ganic vice president?",
"is ejup ganic wanted for murder?",
"Where is Ganic wanted?",
"Where did Ganic study?",
"Who is wanted in Serbia on charges of conspiracy to murder?",
"where did he studied?",
"Ejup Ganic was in what postition during bloody civil war of 1992-95?",
"What countries signed agreement on extraditions Sunday?"
] | [
[
"between 1992 and 1995,"
],
[
"conspiracy to"
],
[
"Serbia,"
],
[
"Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
],
[
"Ejup Ganic"
],
[
"Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
],
[
"vice president of Bosnia"
],
[
"Serbia"
]
] | Ejup Ganic wanted in Serbia on charges of conspiracy to murder .
He was vice president during bloody civil war of 1992-95 .
Engineer studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
Bosnia, Serbia signed agreement on extraditions Sunday . |
London, England (CNN) -- The future of English Premier League club Portsmouth was in doubt Friday after it was forced to go into administration with debts of around $90 million.
The south coast side are the first Premier League side to call in administrators since the division was formed 18 years ago, fueling a financial boom in English football on the back of lucrative TV rights.
"At 10:20am today Portsmouth Football Club was placed into administration following the filing of a notice of appointment at the High Court by the chargeholder, Portpin Limited," the club said in a statement on its Web site.
Explainer: What next for Portsmouth?
Being placed in administration means an insolvent company is run by a court-appointed administrator with a view to saving it from liquidation. The administrator will assess the assets held by the company and attempt to reach agreement with creditors.
Portsmouth, managed by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, are already bottom of the table and facing relegation after raising around $100 million in player sales before the current season in a bid to reduce their debts.
They will now be docked a further nine points, virtually sealing their relegation to English football's second tier at the end of the season.
The club has passed through a succession of owners this season but efforts to find a fifth broke down Tuesday when present owner Balram Chainrai confirmed the club would opt for administration to avert a winding up order from the UK government.
At a press conference on Friday the club's administrator, Andrew Andronikou, confirmed that Portsmouth's debts were around $100 million, but he said he was confident they would not go bust.
He also said the Premier League had indicated that Portsmouth may be permitted to sell players outside the transfer window. "There will be no firesale. We will have to sell one or two players and that is why we are talking to the Premier League," he said.
"The restructuring starts today and there will be significant cost cutting at all levels. I will be cutting to the bone."
Andronikou also confirmed that Grant had vowed to stay at the club until the end of the season.
Portsmouth's Chief Executive Peter Storrie said it was an "extremely sad day" but admitted going into administration had "kept the club alive and given someone an exceptional opportunity to take this great club on with fresh investment."
He also confirmed his intention to step down when a new buyer for the club had been found.
Portsmouth's financial collapse completes a remarkable fall from grace for a side which won the FA Cup in 2008, the club's first major honor since winning back-to-back English league titles in 1949 and 1950.
Portsmouth are not the first football club to run into financial problems as a consequence of debts wracked up in pursuit of success on the field.
Leeds United went into administration in 2007, three years after their relegation from the Premier League and six years after the club had reached the semifinals of the Champions League.
Leicester City and Portsmouth's south coast rivals Southampton also went into administration after losing their places in the top division. | [
"Who won the English FA Cup in 2008?",
"in what year did they win the FA Cup?",
"who went into administration Friday?",
"What are the estimated debts of Portsmouth?",
"how much are their debts?",
"What was the first club to go into administration in Premier League history?"
] | [
[
"Portsmouth"
],
[
"2008,"
],
[
"English Premier League club Portsmouth"
],
[
"around $90 million."
],
[
"$90 million."
],
[
"Portsmouth"
]
] | English Premier League club Portsmouth went into administration Friday .
They are the first club to go into administration in Premier League history .
Portsmouth's estimated debts estimated to total around $90 million .
South coast club won the English FA Cup in 2008 . |
London, England (CNN) -- The governing body of world football, FIFA, has turned down the request from the Irish Football Association (FAI) to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France. The controversial match, that was played on Wednesday, has caused a diplomatic storm after French forward Thierry Henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament. But despite a letter sent to FIFA by the FAI, and calls from both the Irish prime minister Brian Cowen and Irish justice minister Dermot Ahern for the game to be replayed, the sport's organizing body has refused the request. In a statement on their official Web site FIFA stated: "The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final." Irish football officials lodged an official complaint with FIFA on Thursday and sent a letter to the French Football Federation (FFF) in a bid to get the game reconvened. The world's worst football injustices "The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay," FAI chief executive John Delaney told reporters. The FAI pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a World Cup qualifier between Uzbekistan and Bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game. But a FIFA spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match "saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules". Irish prime minister Cowen raised the issue with French president Nicolas Sarkozy at a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels, where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of Europe. Cowen told the Irish Independent newspaper: "I didn't ask for a replay. I said, you know: 'What do you think?' and he said: 'Look, I understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game. I'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect. We just had a chat. [But] it's not going to be resolved by he and I." Mr Sarkozy, however, said he did not want to get involved: "I said to Brian Cowen, who is a friend of mine as you know, that I was sorry for them and how I was struck by the talent and vigor of the Irish team. "Now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in France or in Europe," he said. "What will be done will be done. But leave me out of it, please. And to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer I want to give," he added. Despite Sarkozy's comments, French finance minister Christine Lagarde said she supported moves for a replay. "I think it's very sad. I'm of course very happy that the French team will play in the World Cup, but I find it very sad that it did qualify with... you know... an act of cheating," she told RTL radio station. The game between France and Ireland was one of six play offs played on Wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading South Africa in 2010. Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time, before he passed to William Gallas who booked his nation's place with a headed goal. The draw for next year's finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4. | [
"What did FIFA turn down?",
"who turned down request",
"what did FIFA say",
"What the president Nicolas said?",
"What did the French president say?"
] | [
[
"the Irish Football Association (FAI) to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France."
],
[
"FIFA,"
],
[
"\"The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final.\""
],
[
"\"What will be done will be done. But leave me out of it, please. And to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer I want to give,\""
],
[
"\"I said to Brian Cowen, who is a friend of mine as you know, that I was sorry for them and how I was struck by the talent and vigor of the Irish team."
]
] | FIFA turn down a request from the Irish Football Association (FAI) to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France .
FIFA: "The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed"
French president Nicolas Sarkozy said: "I was sorry for [Ireland] but do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game"
NEW: Former Ireland captain Roy Keane accuses FAI of hyprocrisy in their appeal to FIFA . |
London, England (CNN) -- The iconic Abbey Road Studios made famous by the Beatles are being declared a national historic landmark, British Culture Minister Margaret Hodge announced Tuesday.
"My favorite song of all time, 'If I fell' by the Beatles, was recorded there in 1964, and to have played a part in preserving this world-famous venue is as exciting for me as hearing that song for the first time. Well, almost!" Hodge said in a statement.
"Whether your tastes are for classical, hard rock or pop music, one of your favourites is more than likely to have recorded at Abbey Road," she added.
The studios became an international cultural touchstone when the Beatles were photographed crossing the road there for the cover of their album "Abbey Road."
But it's not only where the Beatles recorded "All You Need is Love" and numerous other songs, but where much of Britain's best known music of the 20th century was laid down.
Rock stars Pink Floyd and Cliff Richard, composer Sir Edward Elgar, and the movie soundtracks for "Star Wars" and the "Harry Potter" films were recorded there.
Hodge declared the site in west London a Grade II listed building based on its "outstanding cultural interest." The classification means that "although changes to the interior are not prohibited, care must be taken to ensure that any alterations with respect to its character and interest are fully considered," the ministry said.
There was intense speculation last week that the studios were for sale, but the owner shot down the notion on Sunday.
The music label that owns them is seeking a partner to help pay for upgrades, according to Terra Firma, which controls record label EMI, the owner of the recording studios.
"EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalization of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties," Terra Firma said Sunday.
But that does not mean the studios are for sale, it added.
"In mid-2009, we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of £30 million (currently about $46 million), but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI's ownership," the music company said in a statement.
The company said Sunday it supported the listing of the building as a historic landmark, before the culture ministry's announcement.
Terra Firma bought EMI in 2007.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats" and one of Britain's richest men, is "very interested" in buying the studios, a representative said Friday.
"He first recorded there in 1967 with Tim Rice. Andrew has since recorded most of his musicals there," said the representative, Jenni Pain.
"He thinks it is vital that the studios are saved for the future of the music industry in the UK. Abbey Road has such great facilities, with three major recording studios, and Andrew has probably brought more musicians to record there than anyone else, because it has the capacity to record large orchestral productions."
CNN's Per Nyberg and Morgan Neill contributed to this report. | [
"The studios' owner, music label EMI, says what?",
"What status was Abbey Road Studios given?",
"What was given Grade II listed building status?",
"Oustanding cultural interest was given to what studio?",
"What was speculation rife about?",
"Most of Britain's best known music of the 20 century was recorded at which studio?",
"Who owns the studio?",
"What group made the studio famous?"
] | [
[
"\"EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalization of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties,\""
],
[
"a national historic landmark,"
],
[
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],
[
"Abbey Road"
],
[
"the studios were for sale,"
],
[
"Abbey Road"
],
[
"EMI,"
],
[
"Beatles"
]
] | Abbey Road Studios given Grade II listed building status for "outstanding cultural interest"
The studios' owner, music label EMI says it's holding talks to revitalize them .
Speculation was rife that the studios made famous by Beatles would be sold .
Much of Britain's best known music of 20 century has been recorded there . |
London, England (CNN) -- The iconic Abbey Road music studios made famous by the Beatles are not for sale, the music label that owns them said Sunday, after days of speculation that they were.
It is seeking a partner to help pay for upgrades, according to Terra Firma, which controls EMI, owner of the recording studios.
"EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalization of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties," Terra Firma said.
But that does not mean the studios are for sale, it added.
"In mid-2009, we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of £30 million (currently about $46 million), but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI's ownership," the music company said in a statement.
The studios became world famous when the Beatles were photographed crossing the road there for the cover of their album "Abbey Road."
But it's not only where the Beatles recorded "All You Need is Love" and numerous other songs, but where much of Britain's best known music of the 20th century was laid down.
Rock stars Pink Floyd and Cliff Richard, composer Sir Edward Elgar, and the movie soundtracks for "Star Wars" and the "Harry Potter" films were recorded there.
English Heritage, a cultural institution, is considering plans to list the studios as a site of national historic importance, Terra Firma said. That would give it protected status.
"EMI ... supports such a listing as an appropriate way of protecting our world famous music heritage site," the company said Sunday.
Terra Firma bought EMI in 2007.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats" and one of Britain's richest men, is "very interested" in buying the studios, a representative said Friday.
"He first recorded there in 1967 with Tim Rice. Andrew has since recorded most of his musicals there," said the representative, Jenni Pain.
"He thinks it is vital that the studios are saved for the future of the music industry in the UK. Abbey Road has such great facilities, with three major recording studios, and Andrew has probably brought more musicians to record there than anyone else, because it has the capacity to record large orchestral productions."
CNN's Per Nyberg and Morgan Neill contributed to this report. | [
"Name the music label that owns studios",
"Beatles made studios famous with what album?",
"What is Andrew Lloyd Webber's occupation?",
"Andrew Lloyd Webber expressed interest in buying what?",
"does anyone own them",
"Who made studios famous with album \"Abbey Road\"?"
] | [
[
"EMI,"
],
[
"\"Abbey Road.\""
],
[
"composer"
],
[
"Abbey Road music studios"
],
[
"EMI,"
],
[
"the Beatles"
]
] | EMI, the music label that owns studios, says it's holding talks for revitalizing them .
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber had expressed interest in buying studios .
Beatles made studios famous with album "Abbey Road"
Much of Britain's best known music of 20 century has been recorded there . |
London, England (CNN) -- The relatives of five British sailors whose boat apparently drifted into Iranian territorial waters last week voiced relief Wednesday as their sons arrived at a yacht club in Dubai. David Young, father of sailor Oliver Young, said the families met briefly Wednesday morning with Britain's foreign secretary and his staff, who earlier told relatives that Iran was releasing the men. "We did say to everybody in there, and to people in Bahrain, and to people in Tehran who have been working on this how much we appreciated their efforts, how well they've handled the situation and how glad we are to see our boys home," Young said. The parents appeared at a news conference held in front of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Young had said he was able to speak to his son briefly Monday on a cell phone belonging to one of the other men. The father said he was reassured that the men were being treated well. The British government identified the other sailors as Olly Smith, Sam Usher, Luke Porter and Dave Bloomer. The Times of London said Young and Porter are 21 years old, Usher is 26, Smith is 31, and Bloomer is believed to be in his 60s. Bloomer is from Dublin, Ireland, the paper said, and apparently has dual citizenship. Iran's navy detained the men November 25 as their racing yacht traveled from Bahrain to Dubai for a competition. Iranian authorities said they released the men after determining that they had accidentally wandered into the country's waters, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The sailors had told relatives that their boat became disabled and was hard to steer. Young said his son told him the group was tense when the Iranians first picked them up, but then everything was "cool." Another sailor said they were temporarily blindfolded. The men and their yacht were towed into international waters Wednesday, and representatives from the company that owns the boat, Sail Bahrain, met them to bring them ashore in Dubai. Early Wednesday, after receiving the call that his son, Luke, and his crewmates were going to be freed, Charles Porter spoke informally to reporters near his home. "It was all fairly nerve-racking last night," the father said. He said the Foreign Office awakened the family at 5:30 a.m. to tell them the news. Watch the Porters describe getting the call "We've spoken to Luke," Porter said. "He's very, very tired. He's been through a lot. He said that particularly the first couple of days were upsetting." "He got the feeling after a couple of days that they realized they weren't dealing with anything sinister," the father added. Luke Porter's twin sister, Jess, said she was "absolutely over the moon [and] relieved to hear his voice. We're such a close family." British authorities on Tuesday had asked for a speedy resolution in the case, after an Iranian official said the sailors could be dealt with severely if it was determined they had ill intentions. Young said it probably helped that the incident was kept low-key, without a lot of media fanfare. Andrew Pindar, Sail Bahrain chairman, said Tuesday evening that the men had had problems with the boat's propeller and that that might have caused them to drift into Iranian waters. The father of one sailor said the propeller had fallen off. Assuming that the five men might see Wednesday's news conference, one reporter asked the parents what they would say to their son. "I would say don't get lost on your way to Dubai," Young said. | [
"Where was the vessel traveling?",
"Where was the vessel traveling to?",
"Who were the men that Iran detained?",
"Who held the news conference to thank all involved?",
"Who holds a news conference?",
"Who did Iran detain?"
] | [
[
"Dubai."
],
[
"Dubai"
],
[
"five British sailors"
],
[
"David Young,"
],
[
"The parents"
],
[
"five British sailors"
]
] | Sailors' parents hold news conference to thank all involved in release .
Iran detained the men last week after their yacht entered its waters .
The vessel was traveling from Bahrain to Dubai .
Authorities: Men freed after it was determined that incident accidental . |
London, England (CNN) -- The twin brother of the man allegedly responsible for one of the worst massacres in recent British history was among 12 people killed before the gunman took his own life, police said Thursday. The series of drive-by shootings in northern England also left 11 people wounded.
David Bird, the 52-year-old twin brother of alleged shooter Derrick Bird, was found dead at his home in the English village of Lamplugh, police said. David Bird, they noted, was the father of three daughters.
Early Wednesday evening, British authorities identified four other victims.
Garry John Purdham, 31, was found dead in a field on the roadside next to a pub. Darren Paul Rewcastle, 43, was a local taxi driver. Cyclist Michael James Pike, 64, was shot dead in the road. Jamie Michael Dennis Clark, 23, was found dead in his car.
Earlier, authorities named three other people killed in the shootings: 60-year-old solicitor Kevin Commons, who was found in his driveway; 57-year-old Susan Hughes, a mother of two; and 66-year-old Jane Elizabeth Robinson.
The UK's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, issued condolences, saying she was "deeply shocked" by what happened.
"In asking you to pass my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who were killed or injured, and to the injured themselves, I am sure I share in the grief and horror of the whole country," the queen said.
Police also released a map tracing the route that suspect Derrick Bird, 52, is believed to have traveled on his rampage through the region on Wednesday.
Were you there? Send your pics, video
The route begins near the village of Lamplugh and winds through Cumbria, taking in the seaside towns of Whitehaven and Seascale before ending up farther inland near Boot, in the Lake District.
Police lifted the cordons at most of the 30 separate crime scenes, but Derrick Bird's house in Rowrah, near Frizington, remained one of those roped off, they said.
Forensic experts were examining two weapons seized by police, a shotgun and a .22 rifle fitted with a telescopic sight. Police said Bird was a licensed firearms holder for 20 years and they were investigating whether the license covers the seized firearms.
Gun laws tightened after massacres
"The focus of the 100-strong squad of detectives investigating the incident is firmly on finding out why someone would want to take so many lives in such a short space of time," Cumbria Police said in a statement. "Officers and staff are conducting forensic evidential searches and tests across the area at each location."
"What happened [on Wednesday] was unthinkable and is without doubt the most horrific incident I have seen in my 25 year long policing career," said Cumbria Chief Constable Craig Mackey. "We now need to work together as a county to recover as we look to the future."
Police finished searching the known and possible routes Bird could have used -- an area covering 150 kilometers (93 miles) -- and said as a result they were not expecting to find any more victims.
Of the wounded, eight remained in hospitals Thursday, with four in stable and four in "comfortable" condition, police said.
Local Detective Chief Superintendent Iain Goulding released a statement identifying Derrick Bird as a self-employed taxi driver who had lived in Rowrah since 1993. Goulding noted that Bird drove a silver Citroen Picasso, which was used during Wednesday's shooting spree.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver shot in the back during Wednesday's killing spree has described how he watched Bird shoot dead another driver, Darren Rewcastle, at point blank range.
"He turned up and shouted 'Darren' before walking up to him and taking his face off. I saw it. He just shot him," Reed, a former soldier, told the Liverpool Echo.
Wounded taxi driver 'watched friend shot in face'
Peter Leder, who described himself as a friend of Bird's, told CNN he spoke to Bird | [
"Who have police identified?",
"Where did the shooting take place?",
"Who did police name as one of the victims?"
] | [
[
"David Bird,"
],
[
"northern England"
],
[
"David Bird,"
]
] | NEW: Police identify four more victims of Cumbria shootings .
Police name name twin brother of alleged killer as one of the victims .
Police tracing map taken by suspect Derrick Bird .
Cordons lifted at most crime scenes . |
London, England (CNN) -- The value of shares in a British company drilling for oil off the Falkand islands halved Monday, after it revealed the existing supply may not be commercially viable.
In a statement on its Web site, Desire Petroleum said "oil may be present in thin intervals but that reservoir quality is poor."
Desire will release the final results of its 30-day test drilling operation in the South Atlantic archipelago on Wednesday. According to the company it may have to drill deeper to find greater quantities of oil and gas.
Desire estimated that the North Falkland Basin could contain 3.5 billion barrels of oil as well as having "significant gas potential."
But potential revenues from oil and gas reignited a long-running dispute between London and Buenos Aires over ownership of the Falklands.
Last month, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner signed a decree requiring all ships navigating from Argentina to the islands to carry a government permit.
The Falklands, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina, lie in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Argentinean coast and have been under British rule since 1833.
Argentina has always claimed sovereignty over the islands and invaded them in 1982, prompting a war in which more than 600 Argentinean and 255 British military personnel died.
The island's government, representing a population of around 2,500, remains committed to British sovereignty and the UK maintains a military presence on the islands.
The Argentine position is that natural resources around the islands should be protected, and Britain must accept international resolutions labeling the Falklands a disputed area.
"This has to do with the defense of the interests of Argentineans, not just about sovereignty," Argentine Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernandez said in February, adding that Argentina lays claim not just to the islands, but to any resources that could be found there. | [
"which nations are at odds",
"what does desire say",
"What quality is the reservoir?",
"What is causing tension between the UK and Argentina?",
"What did the Falklands government say?",
"Argentina is at odds with who over ownership of South Atlantic islands?"
] | [
[
"British"
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[
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[
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"London"
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] | Desire: "Oil may be present in thin intervals but reservoir quality is poor"
Argentina and UK at odds over ownership of South Atlantic islands .
Falklands government says it has "every right" to develop hydrocarbons industry . |
London, England (CNN) -- Tiger Woods' marital "transgressions" may have cast doubt on the future of his corporate associations, but history shows that a dose of bad publicity does not always mean an end to the earning power of sport stars.
The world's No. 1 golfer has not been seen in advertisements on American television since November 29 according to media research company Nielsen, with the blackout starting just two days after he crashed his car outside his house -- reportedly following an argument with his wife.
But Nigel Currie, director of international sponsorship agency BrandRapport, believes that although Woods faces an uncertain corporate future, his marketability will remain if he thinks creatively.
"It all depends on how long the story will stay on the front page. A story like this makes sponsors very nervous because they don't know if there's more to come," he told CNN.
"Most companies will have a morality clause as part of the contract with a big name like Woods. This is usually enforced because of drugs [or criminal issues], but in a situation like this which is ongoing, there's a good chance these companies will exercise their rights and jump ship."
However, while Woods --, the first sportsman to earn $1 billion -- might possibly lose some sponsors, other revenue streams could be exploited, according to Currie. Will Tiger Woods return to golf the same?
"This chink in his armor won't impact his earning capacity, but companies and brands will think differently in the future. It will open up new offers and close a few doors too," he said.
While golf is traditionally a very conservative sport which attracts like minded backers, it is still possible to bring in sponsors even in cases as extreme as John Daly -- whose drinking, smoking and eating problems put his career at risk.
Daly's less than wholesome image paid dividends in 2005 when the American teamed up with restaurant chain Hooters, known for its scantily-clad waitresses, in what seemed a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Hooters vice-president Mike McNeil said in a statement on Daly's Web site: "John is unique, successful and a man of the people who doesn't really worry too much about what the establishment thinks. In fact he's a lot like Hooters."
But the appeal of Daly's carefree attitude also proved to be his downfall when, in November 2008, the golfer was found drunk and face down in a flower bed outside a Hooters restaurant. Earlier this year, Hooters quietly relinquished their contract with the colorful, larger-than-life character.
Another player who has successfully surfed the wave of marketing and endorsement despite a checkered personal life is European golfing legend Nick Faldo.
Despite two divorces and a number of well-documented affairs -- including a three-year liaison with 20-year-old Brenna Cepelak which ended famously with the American student battering Faldo's Porsche with a golf club -- sponsorship has never eluded the golfer.
Faldo also went on to cement his position among the game's elite when he captained the European Ryder Cup team in 2008.
Time will tell if Tiger Woods' self-confessed "personal failings" will impact on his career, but his world-beating marketability may have to undergo some change. | [
"who did major sponsors distance themselves from?",
"what will tiger's transgressions do?",
"Who had a recent scandal?",
"Who have distanced themselves from Woods?",
"Who have distanced themselves from Tiger Woods after his recent scandal?"
] | [
[
"Tiger Woods'"
],
[
"cast doubt on the future of"
],
[
"Tiger Woods'"
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[
"sponsors"
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[
"sponsors"
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] | Major sponsors have distanced themselves from Tiger Woods after his recent scandal .
Expert says Tiger's "transgressions" will impact on sponsorship but may open up new avenues .
Golfers such as John Daly and Nick Faldo have bounced back from PR nightmares . |
London, England (CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown described himself as a "penitent sinner" on Wednesday after personally apologizing to a voter he described as a "bigoted woman."
Brown visited the home of Gillian Duffy in Rochdale, northwestern England, after he was caught on microphone describing in blunt terms his encounter with the 65-year-old widow whom he met on the election campaign trail.
The Labour party leader had had a discussion with Duffy about the size of Britain's national debt, tax and immigration.
Brown then got into his car and was driven away but he was still wearing a radio microphone, allowing broadcasters to pick up his conversation with an aide.
"That was a disaster," Brown said about the encounter seconds earlier. "Should never have put me with that woman -- whose idea was that?" He added: "She was just a sort of bigoted woman."
Why Brown's gaffe could get worse
The woman, Gillian Duffy, told reporters she wanted an apology from Brown over his "very upsetting" comments.
Brown later visited Duffy at her home, emerging to tell reporters: "I am mortified by what has happened. I have given her my sincere apologies. I misunderstood what she said. She has accepted that there was a misunderstanding and she has accepted my apology.
"If you like, I am a penitent sinner."
The encounter was immediately seized on by users of social networking sites, with opinions polarized between those who said it would damage Labour in the May 6 general election and those who believed it could help the party, currently trailing the opposition Conservatives in opinion polls.
One Twitter user, Thermalsocks, said: "Gordon Brown has created a total survailance society. Glad to see he got caught out, now he knows how we all feel."
Another user, urbantaoist85, said: "Anyone else up for making all politicians wear a microphone at all times?" Ririnyan added: "I wonder if that was the final nail in the coffin for Labour this time." Andy_Francis said: "I think GB has just kissed goodbye to any chances Labour had left."
However CupCate wrote: "I'd be more concerned if Brown had said, "What that brilliant woman said about all those damn immigrants, too right!"
After his public apology, Brown telephoned Duffy to apologize personally. The prime minister's spokesman said: "Gordon has apologized to Mrs. Duffy personally by phone. He does not think that she is bigoted.
"He was letting off steam in the car after a difficult conversation. But this is exactly the sort of conversation that is important in an election campaign and which he will continue to have with voters."
Asked about Brown's comments, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who has surged in the opinion polls following his appearance in the televised election debates with the other two leaders, told the Press Association: "You should always try to answer the questions as best you can."
He added: "He has been recorded saying what he has said and will have to answer for that."
But one Twitter user, SusanCalman, spoke for many when she said: "I feel sorry for Gordon Brown. If people I've met knew half the things I'd said about them when I left I would be stabbed and left for dead." | [
"Who called himself a penitent sinner?",
"Who visited Gillian Duffy?",
"Who did the labour party leader have a discussion with?",
"What did he forget to remove?",
"Who is the UK PM?",
"Who is the labour party leader?",
"What did Brown call himself?",
"What did Brown describe women who spoke to him as?",
"Who described woman who spoke to him as bigoted?"
] | [
[
"Prime Minister Gordon Brown"
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"UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown"
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[
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"Gordon Brown"
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"UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown"
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[
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[
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"UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown"
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] | UK PM Gordon Brown describes woman who spoke to him as "bigoted"
Labour party leader had discussion with elderly widow about immigration .
He got into car but forgot to remove microphone allowing broadcasters to hear comments .
Brown later visited Gillian Duffy to apologize, calling himself "penitent sinner" |
London, England (CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered a full review of security measures at UK airports following the attempted Detroit plane bombing on December 25.
In a statement published Friday on the prime minister's official Web site, Brown said the UK government will be working with the U.S. to "examine a range of new techniques to enhance airport security systems beyond traditional measures, such as pat-down searches and sniffer dogs."
These new measures might include using "explosive trace technology, full body scanners and advanced x-ray technology."
Writing on the first day of a new decade, Brown issued a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by international terrorism.
"The new decade," he said, "is starting as the last began -- with al Qaeda creating a climate of fear. These enemies of democracy and freedom... are concealing explosives in ways which are more difficult to detect."
The Detroit incident highlighted an "urgent" need to tighten airport security measures, Brown said.
"The UK," Brown said, "will continually explore the most sophisticated devices capable of identifying explosives, guns, knives and other such items anywhere on the body."
The alleged plane bomber, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is believed to have concealed explosives in his underwear.
The 23-year-old Nigerian is thought to have linked up with an al Qaeda group based in Yemen after attending the UK's University College London.
Brown said the plot was a reminder of al Qaeda's increasing influence away from "better-known homes of international terror such as Pakistan and Afghanistan."
Yemen is becoming "a major new base for terrorism" which highlighted the need for "enhanced cooperation" between nations in the fight against international terrorism, he said.
Brown added that the UK government is already supporting the government of Yemen's efforts to tackle terrorism and pledged further support.
"By 2011 our already announced commitment to Yemen will exceed £100 million ($160 million), making the UK one of its leading donors," he said.
It was also announced Friday that Brown had invited "key international partners" to a meeting in London at the end of January to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
"We have already updated our counter-terrorism strategy to include further measures to disrupt al Qaeda's leadership and frustrate its attempts to recruit, train and direct a new generation of terrorists or to find a new haven for those leaders displaced by the efforts of our Afghan and Pakistani allies."
The key to tackling terrorism was "vigilance" Brown said, but the Detroit incident was "a wake-up call...not just for security against terror but for the hearts and minds of a generation." | [
"What might new measures include ?",
"Which new measures will be included?",
"Which PM ordered a full review of security?",
"What did the Prime Minister ordered ?",
"What will the UK explore?",
"What will the UK explore, according to Brown ?"
] | [
[
"using \"explosive trace technology, full body scanners and advanced x-ray technology.\""
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[
"\"explosive trace technology, full body scanners and advanced x-ray technology.\""
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],
[
"the most sophisticated devices capable of identifying explosives, guns, knives and other such items anywhere on the body.\""
],
[
"the most sophisticated devices capable of identifying explosives, guns, knives and other such items anywhere"
]
] | UK Prime Minister orders a full review of airport security following failed Detroit plane bomb plot .
Brown says the UK will explore the "most sophisticated devices"
New measures might include explosive trace technology and full body scanners . |
London, England (CNN) -- Union members representing British Airways cabin crew announced Friday they will hold two separate strikes this month in a dispute over working conditions.
The first strike will last three days from March 20, and the next will last four days from March 27, said Len McCluskey, the assistant general secretary of the Unite union.
There will be no strikes over the Easter period, he said. Further strikes could be called if needed, he said.
Will a British Airways strike impact you?
"Regrettably, management turned down a remarkable offer," McCluskey said.
British Airways, which lost hundreds of million dollars last year, responded by saying it is "extremely disappointed" with the union's decision. "We are very sorry for the stress and disruption Unite's decision will cause," the airline said in a statement.
"We are currently considering our response to this strike threat and what action we will need to take to minimize disruption."
The industrial action is over planned changes to cabin crew conditions, which BA says will save the carrier more than 60 million pounds ($91 million) a year.
Unite has said the plans call for working hours to be extended and crew levels to be cut, changes that it has said will damage customer service and the BA brand.
The two sides have been holding talks to avoid strikes. BA management submitted a formal offer to the union Thursday, Unite said, but added that the offer fails to address union concerns about crew numbers and service delivery.
That prompted Unite officials to announce the strike dates. There is still a chance the strikes could be averted.
Unite said union members will be able to vote on BA's offer on the first day of the planned strikes, and if they vote to approve it, the strikes will be canceled.
British Airways declined to share details of its offer with CNN. "Unite's action has no shred of justification," the airline said.
"British Airways' crew are rightly renowned for their professionalism and skills. Our entire package for crew recognizes that and is reasonable and fair."
BA said all union proposals so far would save the airline "significantly" less money than BA's own planned changes.
"In addition, Unite's plans would cut crew pay and allowances," BA said. "The reductions required to generate sufficient savings would leave each crew member between 1,000 and 2,700 pounds ($1,516 and $4,095) a year worse off. These proposals lack credibility, and Unite did not inform crew of them when it asked them to vote for a strike."
In December, a judge blocked a planned 12-day strike by Unite over the same issues that would have started just before Christmas. | [
"What does Unite say about BA plans?",
"What holiday won't have strikes?",
"How long will the first strike last?"
] | [
[
"call for working hours to be extended and crew levels to be cut,"
],
[
"Easter"
],
[
"three days"
]
] | First strike will last three days from March 20, and the next four days from March 27 .
There will be no strikes over Easter; planned strikes could still be avoided .
Unite says BA plans will damage customer service and brand .
BA said union proposals would save the airline less money than its own changes . |
London, England (CNN) -- Union officials were going to court Thursday in London to try to stop British Airways from imposing contractual changes on its 14,000-member cabin crew. The Unite union said it wants the High Court to issue an injunction against the British carrier to stop "unfair and unworkable" changes to cabin crew contracts. It was unclear when the court would rule in the case. Among the changes BA wants to impose is a reduction in the number of crew members on flights, Unite said. BA plans to impose the changes starting November 16, according to Unite. Thursday's court action is separate from union plans to ballot its members about whether to strike over the Christmas holiday period, a Unite spokeswoman said. Unite still plans to hold the strike ballot, possibly as early as next week, regardless of how the High Court rules, she said. The contractual changes are part of the strike ballot, but other issues include jobs and pay, she said. | [
"What date will the changes start?",
"What are they imposing starting November 16?",
"BA wants to impose a reduction of what?",
"on what date the BA wants to impose the changes?",
"Who is union unite taking to court?",
"Who is taking British Airways to court?",
"What does BA want to impose?"
] | [
[
"November 16,"
],
[
"contractual changes"
],
[
"number of crew members on flights,"
],
[
"November 16,"
],
[
"British"
],
[
"Union officials"
],
[
"contractual changes on its 14,000-member cabin crew."
]
] | Union Unite says it is taking British Airways to court over working changes .
BA wants to impose is a reduction in the number of crew members on flights .
BA plans to impose the changes starting November 16, according to Unite . |
London, England -- He's no Wyclef Jean or George Clooney, but that hasn't stopped seven-year-old Charlie Simpson from raising more than £150,000 ($240,000) for the Haiti earthquake.
Simpson from Fulham, west London had hoped to raise just £500 for UNICEF's earthquake appeal by cycling eight kilometers (five miles)around a local park.
"My name is Charlie Simpson. I want to do a sponsored bike ride for Haiti because there was a big earthquake and loads of people have lost their lives," said Simpson on his JustGiving page, a fundraising site which launched his efforts.
"I want to make some money to buy food, water and tents for everyone in Haiti," he said.
Donate to Charlie Simpson's Haiti fundraising page
And with that simple call, messages of support flooded the site.
"Such a big heart for a young boy, you're a little star!" wrote one supporter. "Well done Charlie. A real celebrity," said another.
More donations began pouring in after the story caught the attention of the British media -- with many cheering Simpson past the £100,000 mark.
Even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is spreading the message. His "Downing Street" Twitter alias said: "Amazed by response to the great fundraising efforts of 7 yr old Charlie Simpson for the people of Haiti."
David Bull, UNICEF's UK executive director described Simpson's efforts as "very bold and innovative."
"It shows he connects with and not only understands what children his own age must be going through in Haiti," Bull said in a press statement.
"The little seed -- his idea -- that he has planted has grown rapidly and his is a place well deserved in the humanitarian world.
"On behalf of the many children in Haiti, I thank Charlie for his effort."
Money raised by Simpson will go towards UNICEF's Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal which will provide water, sanitation, education, nutrition as well as support child protection. | [
"What amount of money has been raised?",
"How much has Charlie Simpson raised?",
"Whats the person called who raised the money?",
"What was the money raised for?",
"What will the funds provide?",
"Which organisation is Charlie raising money for?",
"How much did Charlie Simpson raise?",
"Which charity is the money going to?"
] | [
[
"more than £150,000 ($240,000)"
],
[
"£150,000 ($240,000)"
],
[
"Charlie"
],
[
"Haiti earthquake."
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[
"water, sanitation, education, nutrition as well as support child protection."
],
[
"UNICEF's earthquake appeal"
],
[
"£150,000"
],
[
"UNICEF's Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal"
]
] | Charlie Simpson has raised $240,000 for UNICEF's Haiti Earthquake Children's Appeal .
Donations pour in amid media coverage with many cheering Simpson on .
Funds raised will provide water, sanitation, education, nutrition and supporting child protection . |
London, England -- Petra Nemcova is a former Victoria's Secret supermodel-turned-philanthropist. Despite her riches, Nemcova, who grew up with few luxuries in communist Czechoslovakia, told CNN that her most important work is her charity, the Happy Hearts Fund. The model set up the foundation after her near-death experience in the 2004 Asian tsunami. While Nemcova survived by clinging to a palm tree for eight hours, her long-term partner did not. Here, Nemcova shows CNN around Prague and tells of her love for the "Golden City," what she learnt from growing up in a communist country and how she keeps smiling -- despite life's setbacks. CNN: Tell us about the first time you came to Prague. Petra Nemcova: The first time was to visit my aunt and even if Prague is in the same country as my town, it felt like a real journey. For us it was like going somewhere very special, far away, because under the Communist regime you didn't travel that much and Prague was "wow." I was overwhelmed and amazed by the beauty of Prague and every time I arrive in Prague, even now, I'm still amazed. The lighting at night; the incredible architecture; the details; the history; there was a lot to learn about and a lot to discover. It was a very special experience. The following time I went to Prague was during my early career in the fashion industry and I was traveling once, twice a week from my town to Prague. I would wake up at 5.45 in the morning, take the bus for one hour, then a tram to school. After school I would take a five-hour train to Prague. So it was quite intense at that time, but it was a great experience and it taught me a lot about being independent. CNN: How would you describe Prague, in five words? Petra Nemcova: Prague is a city of romance, of incredible architecture and history. Some people call it the "golden city," some people say it's the heart of Europe -- although maybe the French don't like that very much! Paris is bigger obviously and a bit more hectic and Prague is smaller and has more of a village-y feeling compared to Paris. Prague has more of a calming vibe. It's not rush-rush-rush. I think when people come here they are surprised by the beauty of Prague and also the vivid colors. I think they may imagine Prague more in gray colors because of the communist association. But since then a lot of reconstruction has been done. Before Prague was shades of grey and black, which was quite mysterious, but now it's more happy and pretty. In five words it's historical, inspirational, creative, romantic and beautiful. CNN: What was your childhood like? Petra Nemcova: Growing up in the Czech Republic -- at the time Czechoslovakia -- was a beautiful childhood because I didn't understand the whole concept of communism. I was only 11 when communism fell down and when the Velvet Revolution happened. I had a really beautiful childhood ... I didn't have the great luxury things, we had very little and we counted every penny. But our parents gave us something more valuable than money -- they gave us so much love and that's priceless. We didn't get the opportunity to travel all over the world and were able to travel only within the communist countries. So we went around our country to see different castles, little towns and I loved it. So that made us richer. It also made us appreciate nature because we spent every weekend in nature. And the values you learn there are priceless too. You don't step on flowers, kick on mushrooms, you really respect nature. And the value of appreciation came from not having anything and then having a little bit. Having a clementine for Christmas -- it was an incredible joy and every time I smell a clementine, it brings me back to my childhood. But it was harder for my parents. | [
"Who shows CNN around her \"Golden City,\" Prague?",
"What did the supermodel show CNN around?",
"Who survived the 2004 tsunami?",
"What did Nemcova say?",
"What does Nemcova say about Prague?",
"What is Prague like?"
] | [
[
"Petra Nemcova"
],
[
"Prague and tells of her love for the \"Golden City,\""
],
[
"Petra Nemcova"
],
[
"her most important work is her charity, the Happy Hearts Fund."
],
[
"is a city of romance, of incredible architecture and history."
],
[
"city of romance, of incredible architecture and history."
]
] | Czech supermodel and philanthropist shows CNN around her "Golden City," Prague .
Nemcova: "Prague is like former president Vaclav Havel: Admirable, artictic and proud"
Nemcova also talks about growing up under communism and surviving the 2004 Asian tsunami . |
Long Beach, California (CNN) -- Moments after marine explorer Sylvia Earle finished her passionate plea to preserve vast stretches of the world's oceans at last year's TED conference, a foundation executive walked up to her and pledged a million dollars for the cause.
It was one of nearly 400 offers of support Earle received after revealing the wish she wanted to be granted as a winner of the TED Prize, given by the nonprofit organization whose motto is "Ideas worth spreading." It grants the winners $100,000 and organizational support but the impact of the prize is typically magnified by the backing of the influential audience attending the conferences.
On Wednesday, British celebrity chef and nutrition advocate Jamie Oliver will reveal his wish as the winner of the 2010 prize. "Every year we're looking around for someone who can inspire the world to do something big and interesting," says Chris Anderson, who runs TED with the title of curator.
"The issue of obesity, both in the US and worldwide, is a big deal, a shocking problem in a world where you've got a lot of people starving and a lot of people killing themselves by overeating... or eating the wrong things. We were interested in finding an inspirational figure who could address that."
Past TED prizes have gone to former President Bill Clinton, rock star and philanthropist Bono and biologist E.O. Wilson. Since 2005, TED has granted wishes to three people a year and continues to work with past winners on achieving their wishes.
But this year, the only winner will be Oliver, who has built an empire of cooking shows, cookbooks and restaurants. Oliver, the 34-year-old son of the owners of a pub/restaurant in Essex, England, came to public attention when he starred in a BBC television series, "The Naked Chef." He has followed that up with many other series, including one on nutrition in America due to launch this spring on ABC.
The chef branched out into advocacy with a "Feed Me Better" campaign for improved school lunches in the U.K. He presented a petition with more than 270,000 signatures to the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street in 2005, and officials promised to spend an added 280 million pounds ($437 million) to improve school food quality.
TED Prize winners typically keep their wishes secret until the conference. Anderson told CNN last week that he did not know what Oliver's wish is.
"The whole idea is that the winner can actually wish for anything. We're taking a bit of a gamble here, for all we know he could wish for a hot tub full of models." The suspense is "part of the magical nature of the prize ... that moment of unveiling is special and it excites people."
Oliver's not tipping his hand about his wish, saying -- through a spokesman -- "I humbly but passionately hope that my wish and my speech will inspire everyone in the room -- and watching on the Internet -- to take action on an issue that affects the whole world."
TED began in the 1980s as a conference in California focusing on technology, entertainment and design but has since expanded to include virtually any subject and conferences in other locations. Speakers, dressed informally, prowl a big stage -- there's no lectern -- and present their views as a clock ticks away the 18 minutes each is allotted.
This year's conference in Long Beach, California, with 1,500 people attending in person and 500 watching a simulcast at the TEDActive conference in Palm Springs, features Bill Gates, Sheryl Crow, Sarah Silverman, James Cameron, David Byrne and Eve Ensler, among a roster of speakers in fields such as technology, science, philosophy, art, music and design.
Anderson, who built and eventually sold a magazine publishing empire in the 1980s and 1990s, first attended a TED conference in 1998 and was intrigued that many people said it was the highlight of their year. He acquired TED in 2001 and hosted his first conference in 2003.
Three years later, TED began posting videos of its talks on the Web. They | [
"Who is Oliver?",
"What is TED's motto?",
"what its TED ?",
"Who has the motto \" Ideas worth spreading?\"",
"Who has the TED Prize gone to?"
] | [
[
"British celebrity chef and nutrition advocate"
],
[
"\"Ideas worth spreading.\""
],
[
"nonprofit organization whose motto is \"Ideas worth spreading.\""
],
[
"TED"
],
[
"Jamie Oliver"
]
] | TED is an organization with the motto "Ideas worth spreading"
Its TED Prize has gone to Bono, Bill Clinton, E.O. Wilson, among others .
Winner Jamie Oliver will announce his secret "wish to change the world" at TED2010 at approximately 8:50 pm ET Wednesday, Feb 10, live on CNN.com .
Oliver is a celebrity chef who has crusaded for improved school nutrition in the U.K. |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Keep debating whether video games are art if you wish. At E3, the world's biggest gaming expo, it's a closed question. Here, video games are definitely art -- and a gallery-style exhibit aims to prove it to as many people as care to look.
"Into the Pixel," a juried art show now in its eighth year, opened on Tuesday, showcasing work that supporters say is finally receiving its just due in the sometimes-cloistered art world.
"There actually is no line at all between the video-game artist and the fine-art world," said Nora Dolan, an independent curator who has worked at galleries including the Ansel Adams Museum in San Francisco and the Whitney Museum in New York and was one of the jurors for the show.
"There's no difference to me. This is as high-quality an exhibit as could be."
Seventeen images were selected for the show out of hundreds of submissions. After showing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the exhibit will spend the next year traveling to festivals and conventions around the world.
As may be expected, there were dragons and spaceships, creepy monsters and brave heroes depicted in the show. But other pieces might not be pegged as video-game images at all if not for the setting.
"Oktonok Cay Cannery," by David Guertin from the game "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One," is a rendering of a highly abstracted shipyard that wouldn't look out of place next to work by Salvador Dali.
"The Pelican," by Andrew Kim from "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception," is a detailed look at the interior of an empty and vaguely ominous East End London pub.
The prints on display at the opening in the Los Angeles Convention Center were created for video games that range from massive hits from major companies to small, independent games. Some were touched up slightly for their gallery debut, but many are directly lifted from gameplay.
Tyler Breon's entry, "Cronos Battle," from last year's "God of War III," depicts an enormous monster hulking over the game's main character, peering down at him with a look hovering somewhere between perplexed and annoyed.
Breon, a senior character artist for Sony, had his first gallery showing at "Into the Pixel." Video-game art, like other emerging art forms, needed time to earn wider acceptance, he said.
"You look at all kinds of media that were new -- anything that's new, people aren't really comfortable with initially," he said, citing the way comic-book art is now taken seriously, but only after decades of scorn. "I think the longer they're exposed to it, they come to be more comfortable with it."
The past year may have been a turning point in the art world's comfort with video games. The Smithsonian Institution announced that, in 2012, it will be opening "The Art of Video Games," an exhibition spanning four decades of gaming images.
And, last month, the National Endowment for the Arts announced video games would join film, radio and other media that are eligible for government support.
"There are signs that this is really happening," said Martin Rae, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences which, along with the Entertainment Software Association, sponsors "Into the Pixel."
"We now have a realization within the government that what we do is art," Rae said.
Rae compares video-game art to photography. In its infancy, art communities dismissed photo-taking as a simple act of point-and-shoot, merely copying an image that already existed.
"I think we had the same thing here," he said. "But the public is catching up."
By showcasing the work in "Into the Pixel," Rae and others hope to speed that process.
"Every time traditional fine arts people look at what we have in our industry, | [
"What did the curator say about video game art?",
"What did the curator say?",
"How many years has \"Into the Pixel\" been in existence?",
"What is 'Into the Pixel'?",
"What is \"Into the Pixel?\"",
"Who says that video game art is finally receiving its just due?",
"What do supporters say about video game art?",
"What did the curator say about video game artist and the fine art world?"
] | [
[
"\"There actually is no line at all between the video-game artist and the fine-art world,\""
],
[
"\"There actually is no line at all between the video-game artist and the fine-art world,\""
],
[
"eighth"
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[
"a juried art show"
],
[
"juried art show"
],
[
"supporters"
],
[
"finally receiving its just due"
],
[
"the fine-art world,\""
]
] | Supporters say video game art is finally receiving its just due .
"Into the Pixel," a juried art show, is now in its eighth year .
Curator: There's no line between the video-game artist and the fine-art world . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- "Easy Rider" actor Peter Fonda found a body while driving down Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades community of west Los Angeles on Wednesday, police said.
Fonda, 70, noticed that a car had been parked on side street off Sunset Boulevard for two days, so he stopped to check it out, according to Los Angeles Police Homicide Detective Allen Shubert.
"He looked in the vehicle and saw a body in there and called the fire department," Shubert said.
A man who had committed suicide several days before was slumped over the wheel of the sedan, he said.
The man's identity has not been made public, but he was not a celebrity, he said. | [
"What was in the car?",
"What did Fonda notice?",
"Did he kill himself?",
"What do police say?",
"What was parked for days?",
"What was inside the car?",
"Where was the car parked?",
"What was found in the car?"
] | [
[
"a body"
],
[
"that a car had been parked on side street off Sunset Boulevard for two days,"
],
[
"committed suicide"
],
[
"Peter Fonda found a body"
],
[
"car"
],
[
"a body"
],
[
"on side street off Sunset Boulevard"
],
[
"a body"
]
] | Fonda noticed a car parked for days near Sunset Boulevard .
He found a dead man in the car .
Police say the man killed himself . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A 24-year-old Connecticut man affiliated with the Anonymous hacking group was arrested and charged Tuesday with electronically attacking the website belonging to Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, authorities said.
Kevin George Poe, of Manchester, Connecticut, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Hartford on Tuesday, and a judge ordered him released in lieu of a $10,000 bond, federal prosecutors said.
Poe is charged with two counts: conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, prosecutors said.
He was ordered to appear in federal court in Los Angeles at an undetermined date, prosecutors said. The servers to GeneSimmons.com, the website belonging to the KISS band member, are based in Los Angeles, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles.
Poe's federal public defender didn't respond to messages late Tuesday.
Using the screen name of spydr101, Poe joined other persons linked to Anonymous and allegedly conducted a "distributed denial of service" attack against Simmons' website during a five-day period in October 2010.
That attack allegedly involved sending tens of thousands of electronic requests designed to overload the website and shut it down, a prosecutor's statement said.
Poe allegedly used the computer program Low Orbit Ion Cannon -- "a favorite software tool of the Anonymous collective" -- to send a high volume of "packets" or requests in an effort to overwhelm the server, prosecutors said.
If convicted of both charges, Poe could face up to 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. | [
"What is Kevin George Poe accused of?",
"When did he attack?",
"Who is Kevin George?",
"Who did he allegedly attack?",
"Where is he from?"
] | [
[
"conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer,"
],
[
"five-day period in October 2010."
],
[
"man affiliated with the Anonymous hacking group"
],
[
"website belonging to Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS,"
],
[
"Connecticut"
]
] | Kevin George Poe, 24, of Connecticut is accused of being an Anonymous hacker .
He allegedly attacked KISS band member GeneSimmons.com in October 2010 .
Poe allegedly overwhelmed the website's server with electronic requests . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A 28-year-old California man pleaded no contest Thursday to stalking actress Halle Berry, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.
Richard Anthony Franco of Commerce was sentenced to 386 days in county jail, but received credit Thursday for 193 days already served and won't do any more time, prosecutors said.
Franco was also sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to undergo a year of psychological counseling, the prosecutor's office said.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dennis Landin also imposed a 10-year criminal protective order, prosecutors said.
As part of a plea deal, one count of first-degree residential burglary was dismissed at sentencing, prosecutors said. Franco pleaded no contest to one count of stalking.
In July, Franco allegedly showed up several times at Berry's Hollywood Hills home. He was arrested after she reported a possible burglar, according to police.
At the time, off-duty officers hired by Berry called police and said they were holding a burglary suspect at her home.
A resident there identified him as the same man who had climbed over a locked security gate into the property several times over a few days, police said.
Both times, he had claimed he was "there to see somebody," but left after a Berry employee ordered him out, police said. | [
"What must he undergo?",
"How many years of psychological counseling ?",
"Who is sentenced to time already served?",
"What fid Franco do?",
"Who was sentenced?",
"What is dismissed in a plea deal?"
] | [
[
"a year of psychological counseling,"
],
[
"a"
],
[
"Richard Anthony Franco"
],
[
"allegedly showed up several times at Berry's Hollywood Hills home."
],
[
"Richard Anthony Franco"
],
[
"one count of first-degree residential burglary"
]
] | Richard Anthony Franco is sentenced to time already served .
One count of residential burglary is dismissed in a plea deal .
He must undergo a year of psychological counseling .
Franco allegedly climbed over a locked security gate to her Hollywood Hills home . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A 35-year-old Florida man accused of being a "hackerazzi" pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges of hacking into celebrities' e-mail accounts.
Christopher Chaney of Jacksonville, Florida, is accused of hacking into e-mail accounts and devices belong to more than 50 people, including entertainers Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, Simone Harouche and Renee Olstead, prosecutors said.
During Tuesday's arraignment in Los Angeles, the federal judge increased Chaney's bail to $110,000 from $10,000 in the wake of three new accusations of cyberstalking -- including one celebrity victim who wasn't identified and was allegedly cyberstalked after authorities seized Chaney's computer earlier this year. Two other victims, including a 13-year-old, have told authorities that they were cyberstalked before the computer seizure, prosecutors said.
Chaney was expected to post bail after his mother indicated she would put up the family home as collateral. If he posts bail, Chaney will be subject to electronic monitoring and can't possess any computers, the judge said.
The judge set a December 27 trial date.
Chaney allegedly accessed nude photos of some of the celebrities during the hacking, and a recently circulated nude photo of Johansson is part of the federal investigation, prosecutors said.
Chaney also allegedly used public sources to mine data about his victims, which included both males and females, all associated with the entertainment industry, authorities said.
Authorities allege that once Chaney hacked into a celebrity's e-mail account, he would use the contact lists to find other celebrities' e-mail accounts. This allowed him to add new victims, authorities charge.
Johansson told Vanity Fair magazine she is not ashamed of the photo.
"I know my best angles," she said in an article published Tuesday. "They were sent to my husband. ... There's nothing wrong with that."
Johansson is now divorced from her husband at the time, Ryan Reynolds.
Chaney has been indicted on nine counts of computer hacking for gain, eight counts of aggravated identify theft and nine counts of illegal wiretapping, prosecutors said.
If convicted of the 26 counts, Chaney would face a maximum of 121 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. The aggravated identity theft charge alone carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence, prosecutors added.
Last month, Chaney said he became "addicted" to the intrusion and "didn't know how to stop."
"I deeply apologize. I know what I did was probably one of the worst invasions of privacy someone could experience," Chaney told CNN affiliate WAWS/WTEV in Jacksonville, Florida, last month.
"And these people don't have privacy to begin with. And I was in that little sliver of privacy they do have," he said.
In the interview, Chaney said the hacking "started as curiosity and it turned into just being, you know, addicted to seeing the behind-the-scenes of what's going on with these people you see on the big screen every day."
"It just happened and snowballed," he said, adding that he wishes it had never begun.
Chaney said he felt "almost relieved months ago" when authorities seized his computer because "I didn't know how to stop doing it myself. I wasn't attempting to break into e-mails and get stuff to sell or purposely put it on the Internet. It just -- I don't know."
Authorities allege that Chaney distributed photos of the celebrities that he obtained illegally and offered them to various celebrity blog sites, but he didn't seek money in exchange.
Some of the illegally obtained files, including private photographs, were ultimately posted online "as a result of Chaney's alleged activities," authorities said in a statement.
"I've had like six months to think about it," Chaney said, "It eats at me... When you're doing it you're not thinking about what's going on with who you're doing it to."
CNN's Carey Bodenheimer | [
"Who does not embarrasses Johansson?",
"What is Christopher Chaney's age?",
"What Chaney said?",
"Which celebrity's email got hacked by Chaney?",
"Johansson says she is not ashamed of what?",
"What age is Christopher Chaney?",
"What he is accused Chaney?",
"What is Chaney accused of doing?"
] | [
[
"Christopher Chaney"
],
[
"35-year-old"
],
[
"he became \"addicted\" to the intrusion and \"didn't know how to stop.\""
],
[
"Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, Simone Harouche and Renee Olstead,"
],
[
"of the photo."
],
[
"35-year-old"
],
[
"hacking into e-mail accounts and devices"
],
[
"\"hackerazzi\""
]
] | NEW: Johansson says she is not ashamed of the nude photo .
Christopher Chaney, 35, pleads not guilty at arraignment .
He is accused of hacking into e-mail of celebs including Scarlett Johansson .
Chaney has said he was "addicted" to hacking celebrities' e-mail accounts . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A brawl between motorcycle club members at a western Nevada casino devolved into a gunfight that left one person dead and two wounded, police said Saturday.
Around 11:25 p.m. Friday, a fight broke out among members of the Hell's Angels and Vagos clubs in front of the Trader Dick's bar inside John Ascuaga's Nugget, a family-owned casino in Sparks, that city's deputy police chief Brian Allen told reporters.
Police in Sparks, which is just east of Reno, responded with assistance from overhead helicopters after hearing several people involved in the brawl had guns and that shots were fired. Authorities earlier reported that as many as 30 people total took part in the altercation.
They came upon what Sparks police Lt. Pete Krall described earlier Saturday as a "very chaotic scene." That included "multiple gunshot victims" who were transported to area hospitals, according to Allen.
One Hell's Angels member died from his wounds, while two associated with Vagos suffered what the deputy chief described as "non-life-threatening" injuries. No bystanders or casino employees were wounded in the incident, he added.
The incident, as well a "subsequent drive-by shooting" elsewhere in the city, prompted the declaration of a "state of emergency" in Sparks, the city announced late Saturday afternoon on its website.
"Whenever you have people who enter our city with bad intentions, bad things are going to happen," Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said during a press conference Saturday. "That's what happened here last night."
Sparks police have arrested "one Hell's Angels member for his involvement in the fight and subsequent shooting," Allen said. "Other law enforcement agencies made additional arrests on the outskirts of the incident, and we are coordinating to determine their ... involvement in the case."
Renown Medical Center, located in Reno, announced on its website at 1:45 p.m. Saturday that it had "applied extra security measures and locked all exterior access to the hospital, except for (one) emergency room entrance" because of the shooting.
By 3 p.m., the hospital said it would be "easing precautionary security measures for various entrances/exits," though there would be "limited access" for certain areas.
The incident erupted in the midst of the Street Vibrations Fall Rally, an event that began Wednesday and is set to continue into Sunday in Reno.
Allen said that since the 18th annual event recently expanded into Sparks, there have been no incidents such as the one Friday night. He did state that, after the shooting, Reno, Sparks and Washoe County authorities are "increasing personnel at the event."
The event's activities in Sparks were canceled through the weekend because of the shooting, the city announced Saturday afternoon. Still, hours earlier, its mayor said the incident -- while worrisome -- shouldn't cast a negative light on all motorcycle club members.
"I hope the people out there won't judge the motorcycle community by the incident that happened last night," said Martini. "I don't think it's a true picture."
CNN's Michael Martinez, Maggie Schneider and Divina Mims contributed to this report. | [
"how many Hell's Angels member has died?",
"How many were arrested?",
"Which club members fought?",
"how many person was arrested in sparks?",
"Where is the hospital?"
] | [
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"One"
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"\"one Hell's Angels member"
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"Hell's Angels and Vagos"
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] | Gunfire breaks out in a fight between Hell's Angels and Vagos motorcycle club members .
1 person arrested in Sparks, Nevada, while others in custody may be involved, police say .
A Reno hospital institutes "extra security" and restricts access after the incident .
1 Hell's Angels member has died, 2 Vagos members have "non-life-threatening" injuries . |
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