├── Text ├── 1.txt ├── 10.txt ├── 11.txt ├── 12.txt ├── 13.txt ├── 14.txt ├── 15.txt ├── 16.txt ├── 17.txt ├── 18.txt ├── 19.txt ├── 2.txt ├── 20.txt ├── 21.txt ├── 22.txt ├── 23.txt ├── 24.txt ├── 25.txt ├── 26.txt ├── 27.txt ├── 28.txt ├── 29.txt ├── 3.txt ├── 30.txt ├── 31.txt ├── 32.txt ├── 33.txt ├── 34.txt ├── 35.txt ├── 36.txt ├── 37.txt ├── 38.txt ├── 39.txt ├── 4.txt ├── 40.txt ├── 41.txt ├── 42.txt ├── 43.txt ├── 44.txt ├── 45.txt ├── 46.txt ├── 47.txt ├── 48.txt ├── 49.txt ├── 5.txt ├── 50.txt ├── 51.txt ├── 52.txt ├── 53.txt ├── 54.txt ├── 55.txt ├── 56.txt ├── 57.txt ├── 58.txt ├── 59.txt ├── 6.txt ├── 60.txt ├── 61.txt ├── 62.txt ├── 63.txt ├── 64.txt ├── 65.txt ├── 66.txt ├── 67.txt ├── 68.txt ├── 69.txt ├── 7.txt ├── 70.txt ├── 71.txt ├── 72.txt ├── 73.txt ├── 74.txt ├── 8.txt └── 9.txt ├── img ├── 1.png ├── 2.png ├── raw.png ├── text.png ├── html-en.png └── text-en.png ├── RawHtml ├── 1.html ├── 10.html ├── 11.html ├── 12.html ├── 13.html ├── 14.html ├── 15.html ├── 16.html ├── 17.html ├── 18.html ├── 19.html ├── 2.html ├── 20.html ├── 21.html ├── 22.html ├── 23.html ├── 24.html ├── 25.html ├── 26.html ├── 27.html ├── 28.html ├── 29.html ├── 3.html ├── 30.html ├── 31.html ├── 32.html ├── 33.html ├── 34.html ├── 35.html ├── 36.html ├── 37.html ├── 38.html ├── 39.html ├── 4.html ├── 40.html ├── 41.html ├── 42.html ├── 43.html ├── 44.html ├── 45.html ├── 46.html ├── 47.html ├── 48.html ├── 49.html ├── 5.html ├── 50.html ├── 51.html ├── 52.html ├── 53.html ├── 54.html ├── 55.html ├── 56.html ├── 57.html ├── 58.html ├── 59.html ├── 6.html ├── 60.html ├── 61.html ├── 62.html ├── 63.html ├── 64.html ├── 65.html ├── 66.html ├── 67.html ├── 68.html ├── 69.html ├── 7.html ├── 70.html ├── 71.html ├── 72.html ├── 73.html ├── 74.html ├── 8.html └── 9.html ├── .vscode ├── .browse.VC.db └── launch.json ├── test.py ├── bbcnews-text ├── world-asia-china-39483148.txt ├── world-asia-35593162.txt ├── world-asia-20233754.txt ├── uk-politics-33454266.txt ├── uk-politics-40406142.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-12461464.txt ├── uk-politics-33358262.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-15088982.txt ├── world-asia-35450641.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-16860974.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-13932398.txt ├── world-asia-15568181.txt ├── world-asia-36700583.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-15147043.txt ├── uk-politics-33278407.txt ├── world-asia-36710808.txt ├── world-asia-china-30810439.txt ├── uk-politics-40436972.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-14205998.txt ├── world-asia-16426193.txt ├── world-asia-china-18718182.txt ├── world-asia-china-36472103.txt ├── world-asia-china-17414494.txt ├── world-asia-15571017.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-40429507.txt ├── world-asia-china-20293887.txt ├── business-38651816.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-politics-40506189.txt ├── world-asia-china-38093370.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-12575470.txt ├── world-asia-16351377.txt ├── world-asia-china-33251572.txt ├── uk-politics-40387897.txt ├── world-asia-16962868.txt ├── election-us-2016-37917345.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-40342107.txt ├── world-asia-15799562.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-15163543.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-16567315.txt ├── world-asia-16218112.txt ├── world-asia-china-22278037.txt ├── world-asia-china-38703700.txt ├── world-asia-35426175.txt ├── uk-politics-40446923.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-39407902.txt ├── world-asia-china-19739803.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-39854102.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-16197014.txt ├── world-asia-35600599.txt ├── world-asia-35416409.txt ├── science-environment-16109449.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-11845746.txt ├── health-38691622.txt ├── uk-wales-politics-40598872.txt ├── health-40752061.txt ├── world-asia-16094646.txt ├── uk-politics-33438072.txt ├── world-asia-34451326.txt ├── world-asia-pacific-16340072.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-40402184.txt ├── world-asia-china-18684895.txt ├── election-us-2016-37918304.txt ├── world-asia-19257305.txt ├── uk-wales-politics-40775291.txt ├── uk-politics-36461998.txt ├── world-asia-34665539.txt ├── uk-northern-ireland-40902211.txt ├── health-38691623.txt ├── science-environment-18870315.txt ├── business-38646804.txt └── world-asia-china-30722268.txt ├── testEnglish.py ├── .gitattributes ├── .gitignore └── LICENSE /Text/1.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chrislinan/cx-extractor-python/HEAD/Text/1.txt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /Text/10.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chrislinan/cx-extractor-python/HEAD/Text/10.txt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /Text/11.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chrislinan/cx-extractor-python/HEAD/Text/11.txt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chrislinan/cx-extractor-python/HEAD/img/text-en.png -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /.vscode/.browse.VC.db: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chrislinan/cx-extractor-python/HEAD/.vscode/.browse.VC.db -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /test.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | from CxExtractor import CxExtractor 2 | cx = CxExtractor(threshold=186) 3 | # html = cx.getHtml("http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40885324") 4 | html = cx.getHtml("http://news.163.com/17/0810/09/CRFF02Q100018AOR.html") 5 | content = cx.filter_tags(html) 6 | s = cx.getText(content) 7 | print(s) 8 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-39483148.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionThe two-child policy now means mums with frozen embryos are at an advantage 2 | Last year, China ended its one-child policy for urban couples, but the change has come too late for many mothers.Some women who underwent fertility treatment to have a first child and stored their frozen embryos, however, are suddenly at an advantage now to have a second child. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /testEnglish.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | import os 2 | from CxExtractor import CxExtractor 3 | files = os.listdir('./bbcnews-html') 4 | cx = CxExtractor(threshold=186) 5 | for f in files: 6 | text = '' 7 | html = cx.readHtml('./bbcnews-html/'+f,'utf-8') 8 | content = cx.filter_tags(html) 9 | text = cx.getText(content) 10 | with open('./bbcnews-text/'+f.split('.')[0] + '.txt','w',encoding='utf-8') as textfile: 11 | textfile.write(text) 12 | 13 | 14 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /.gitattributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Auto detect text files and perform LF normalization 2 | * text=auto 3 | 4 | # Custom for Visual Studio 5 | *.cs diff=csharp 6 | 7 | # Standard to msysgit 8 | *.doc diff=astextplain 9 | *.DOC diff=astextplain 10 | *.docx diff=astextplain 11 | *.DOCX diff=astextplain 12 | *.dot diff=astextplain 13 | *.DOT diff=astextplain 14 | *.pdf diff=astextplain 15 | *.PDF diff=astextplain 16 | *.rtf diff=astextplain 17 | *.RTF diff=astextplain 18 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-35593162.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The largest island in the disputed Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea is now believed to host surface-to-air missiles. Known as Woody island by most, it is occupied by China, which calls it Yongxing. It is also claimed by Vietnam, which calls it Phu Lam, as well as by Taiwan. Reports of the presence of missiles on the island have added to concerns about the militarisation of the South China Sea. Here is what we know about Woody Island. China has controlled it for a long time 2 | More on this story Flying close to Beijing's new South China Sea islands 14 December 2015 Why is the South China Sea contentious? 12 July 2016 South China Sea: US warship sails near disputed island 30 January 2016 Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou visits disputed South China Sea island 28 January 2016 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /.gitignore: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Windows image file caches 2 | Thumbs.db 3 | ehthumbs.db 4 | 5 | # Folder config file 6 | Desktop.ini 7 | 8 | # Recycle Bin used on file shares 9 | $RECYCLE.BIN/ 10 | 11 | # Windows Installer files 12 | *.cab 13 | *.msi 14 | *.msm 15 | *.msp 16 | 17 | # Windows shortcuts 18 | *.lnk 19 | 20 | # ========================= 21 | # Operating System Files 22 | # ========================= 23 | 24 | # OSX 25 | # ========================= 26 | 27 | .DS_Store 28 | .AppleDouble 29 | .LSOverride 30 | 31 | # Thumbnails 32 | ._* 33 | 34 | # Files that might appear on external disk 35 | .Spotlight-V100 36 | .Trashes 37 | 38 | # Directories potentially created on remote AFP share 39 | .AppleDB 40 | .AppleDesktop 41 | Network Trash Folder 42 | Temporary Items 43 | .apdisk 44 | 45 | *.pyc 46 | .vscode 47 | test.py -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /LICENSE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | MIT License 2 | 3 | Copyright (c) 2018 Linan 4 | 5 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy 6 | of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal 7 | in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights 8 | to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell 9 | copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is 10 | furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: 11 | 12 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all 13 | copies or substantial portions of the Software. 14 | 15 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR 16 | IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 17 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 18 | AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER 19 | LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, 20 | OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE 21 | SOFTWARE. 22 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-20233754.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Tokelau has become the first territory able to meet all its electricity needs with solar power, officials say.The South Pacific territory - comprising the three atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo - had been dependent on diesel to generate electricity.New Zealand, which administers Tokelau, funded a $7m (£4.3m) solar project. Solar grids were constructed on the three atolls, with the last completed earlier this week. "The Tokelau Renewable Energy Project is a world first. Tokelau's three main atolls now have enough solar capacity, on average, to meet electricity needs," New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said in a statement. 2 | "Until now, Tokelau has been 100% dependent upon diesel for electricity generation, with heavy economic and environmental costs," he added.Project co-ordinator, and PowerSmart MD, Mike Basset-Smith said that the move represented a "milestone of huge importance" for Tokelau, as it would now be able to spend more on social welfare.The remote islands of Tokelau lie between New Zealand and Hawaii. Most of the 1,500 islanders live by subsistence farming, with thousands of others choosing to settle in New Zealand or neighbouring Samoa. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-33454266.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | It was indeed a "big" Budget - just as the chancellor said it would be.It was delivered by a politician with "big ambitions".George Osborne's stated aim was to create what he called a "new settlement". That's politician's code for re-writing the rules of politics to suit your side. So it is that he did something rather surprising - slowing and softening spending and welfare cuts now having promised faster and deeper cuts in the run up to the election.So it is that he adopted a series of Labour policies - a higher re-badged minimum wage, a levy on firms to pay for apprentices, an assault on the tax privilege of so-called non doms. 2 | This in addition to delivering Tory promises to cut income tax, corporation tax and inheritance tax.But hold on - below those headlines are some potentially eye-watering cuts to benefits - the cuts to tax credits for families will dwarf the pay rise many will get. There are cuts too to Whitehall budgets on the same scale as seen over the past five years - though where they'll hit is as yet unspelt out.And there are tax rises - on buying insurance, on buying a car, on pensions - which dwarf the headline tax cuts. So, yes, it was a "big Budget" - whether it's a big game-changer, a big mess or a big outrage is a judgement for you. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-40406142.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | It wasn't quite five days in May, but at last Theresa May can say she can confidently form a government. The sober faced DUP trio came out of the famous black door just before noon. They have plenty, however, to be happy about. Their negotiations have secured an extra £1bn for Northern Ireland over two years - roughly £800 for every voter in the province. They have forced the Tories to give up some of their more controversial manifesto commitments. They'll have a "coordination committee" - a frequent direct line to the top of the Tory party, all with the chance of going back for more in two years - who knows what will have happened by then.The Tories now face a bumpy day of criticism, about how the DUP have been bought off - £100m for each of their ten votes in Parliament. The other devolved nations will cry foul. 2 | Some Tories too are deeply uncomfortable about the association with the DUP brand of unionism. And if the cuts are to be eased in Northern Ireland, what about other parts of the country?But the money that's been found down the back of the Number 10 sofa for Northern Ireland may be worth it for Theresa May as the price of holding power, for now. She now has her majority, whatever the cost, and a dividend could be the conclusion of a deal to get power sharing at Stormont up and running too. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-12461464.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A UN refugee centre in Cambodia is closing after the government ordered it to stop operating. The centre had taken in indigenous minority Montagnard people from the central highlands of neighbouring Vietnam.They are mostly evangelical Christians who claim they have been persecuted because of their beliefs. Human rights organisations have urged Cambodia to stand by its commitment to the UN convention on refugees.There have been mixed messages from the Cambodian government; it had said asylum-seekers from Vietnam would be turned back at the border. 2 | Later it stated that it would use immigration and refugee laws to assess people claiming refugee status. Human Rights Watch says it is concerned that future asylum-seekers may not be treated "according to international standards". But the Jesuit Refugee Service says it is glad the facility is closing as it has been "the equivalent of a detention centre". Only 20 people are still at the centre. Ten of them will be resettled in a third country - but the remainder failed to get refugee status and will be deported to Vietnam this week. 3 | More on this story US downplays Montagnards threat 8 February 2007 UNHCR warns on Montagnards 18 November 2004 Vietnam refugees emerge from hiding 21 July 2004 Vietnam refugees look to new life 13 May 2005 Country profile: Vietnam 14 December 2011 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-33358262.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The defence secretary will open the door to RAF airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria in a speech today. Michael Fallon will tell MPs that a new parliament should consider afresh the case for attacking the forces of Isis or the so-called Islamic State not just in Iraq but in Syria as well. He will insist that there is no legal barrier to British military attacks and point out that both the Canadian and Jordanian air forces have already attacked Syrian targets.David Cameron was defeated in the Commons just under two years ago when Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to oppose airstrikes on Syrian government targets designed to deter the use of chemical weapons.Ever since August 2013 the prime minister has said he would respect the vote. 2 | Today the Defence Secretary will repeat Mr Cameron's assurance that no military action in Syria will be taken without another vote in the Commons but he will say that following the election it is time to reconsider the arguments. He will point to the possibility that terrorist attacks, like the murder of up to 30 Britons in Tunisia this week, may have been planned in Raqqa in Northern Syria which is known as Isis's capital city.Ministers would not risk losing another vote on Syria unless they knew they had the support of the Labour Party. I understand that there has been contact between the two parties to discuss the possibility of another vote on Syrian military action in the future though nothing is expected imminently. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-15088982.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The United States is urging China's government to respect the rights of Tibetans following an incident in which two teenage monks set themselves alight. They were apparently protesting at the lack of religious freedom. The incident happened at the Kirti monastery in Sichuan Province - the scene of a number of recent protests against Chinese rule. The US state department says it is seriously concerned about this protest.It is urging the Chinese government to respect the rights of its Tibetan people, and protect their religion, culture and language. 2 | Underlying grievancesAmerica says some of China's policies have created tension in Tibetan areas.In this latest incident, two monks set themselves alight in an apparent protest at China's rule.The US is calling for journalists and diplomats to travel to Tibetan areas and investigate these kind of incidents for themselves.The two monks are reported to have suffered slight burns following their protest.But the fact that it took place at all shows the tension that exists between many Tibetans and the Chinese authorities.The US describes the Tibetans as having underlying grievances - a characterisation that China would reject.Beijing blames the Dalai Lama - the Tibetans' exiled spiritual leader - for causing most of the tension. 3 | More on this story China jails two more Tibetan monks over fire death 31 August 2011 Tibetan jailed over fellow monk's self-immolation 29 August 2011 China charges three in monk self-immolation case 26 August 2011 Q&A: China and the Tibetans 15 August 2011 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-35450641.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A US warship has sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea to challenge efforts to limit freedom of access, the Pentagon said.The vessel passed close to Triton Island in the Paracel Islands, a statement said.China, one of the countries claiming the islands, responded by accusing the US of violating its laws. China and several other nations have rival claims in the South China Sea, which is rich in resources.The US says it does not take sides on such territorial disputes but wants to safeguard access to the important shipping route. 2 | Q&A: The South China Sea disputeWhy is the US Navy practising for war with China?'No prior permission'The mission aimed at countering "excessive maritime claims of parties that claim the Paracel Islands", the Pentagon said."This operation challenged attempts by the three claimants - China, Taiwan and Vietnam - to restrict navigation rights and freedoms," around the islands, said spokesman Capt Jeff Davis.According to the statement, the USS Curtis Wilbur destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island. No Chinese vessels were in the area at the time, the Pentagon said.But a Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of violating Chinese law "by entering Chinese territorial waters without prior permission".The US admitted it had not notified any of the claimants prior to the mission but this was "consistent with our normal process and international law".In a previous "freedom of navigation" operation, the US sailed a destroyer close to the disputed Spratly Islands last year, an incident that also sparked a protest from China. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-16860974.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China's largest province Xinjiang is bordered by eight countries including the former Soviet Central Asian republics, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The region experienced a brief period of independence in the 1940s but China regained control after the Communists took power in 1949.It is home to the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur minority who make up about 8 million of the province's 19 million people. Rich in natural resources, economic development in the region has been accompanied by large-scale immigration of Han Chinese.Many Uighurs complain of discrimination and marginalisation by the Chinese authorities. Anti-Han and separatist sentiment has become more prevalent since the 1990s, flaring into violence on occasion. 2 | Xinjiang's media are tightly controlled by the local Communist Party and government. The Urumqi People's Broadcasting Station and the Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station run radio and television broadcasts in Chinese, Uighur and minority languages. Major state-run newspapers include the Chinese-language Xinjiang Economic Daily.The authorities imposed a months-long shutdown of internet access in Xinjiang following the violent unrest in July 2009. Bloggers, netizens and website managers were "singled out for repression", Reporters Without Borders said. 3 | More on this story China to open atomic bomb site to tourists 16 October 2012 Will development bring stability to restive Xinjiang city of Kashgar? 16 August 2012 China official vows 'iron fist' crackdown in Xinjiang 5 July 2012 Death on the Silk Route: Violence in Xinjiang 3 August 2011 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-13932398.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China is preparing to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party. The BBC's Michael Bristow in Beijing considers the main questions on the party's rule.How did the party come to power?It has ruled China since 1949, when it defeated Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party in a civil war. Many thought it would never win. When it was founded in Shanghai in 1921 it had just 53 members and spent most of the civil war poorly armed, isolated and under attack. It now has 80 million members and has never looked stronger.How has it survived when other Communist parties have failed? It has prospered because it has adapted. The former leader Deng Xiaoping introduced market reforms 30 years ago that have helped to turn China into the world's second-largest economy. It also tolerates little dissent to maintain its ruling position. The party has no major political opposition in China, and there are no free elections.So is China a capitalist or a communist country?Its economy is moving away from communism, although the party has not completely abandoned state planning and nationalisation. But less has changed politically. The party - based on the Soviet model - runs the country in much the same way it has always done.What about the future? Some believe the opening up of China's economy will eventually lead to more political freedoms. Others think China's increasing strength will only make the Communist Party stronger - and less likely to initiate change. There appears to be debate in the party about the way forward, but its leaders have shown few signs that they are willing to give up, or even share, power. 2 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-15568181.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Tibetan exile leader Lobsang Sangay has urged US politicians to put pressure on China over a recent spate of self-immolations by ethnic Tibetans.Mr Sangay told a news conference in Washington that the US should try to get access to areas where Tibetans have set themselves on fire.Seven monks from the Kirti monastery in Sichuan province have set themselves on fire in recent months.The monastery has seen repeated protests against Beijing's rule.There have also been reports of three other self-immolations by ethnic Tibetans in other areas since March. 2 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 3 | Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India 4 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 5 | He also denied encouraging unrest in Tibetan areas - an accusation often made by the Chinese authorities."If you protest in Tibet, more often than not you get arrested, or beaten up, sometimes tortured, sometimes you disappear, sometimes you die," he said.A US government spokeswoman told the AP news agency that the Obama administration has repeatedly asked for access to Tibetan areas.Mr Sangay was elected by Tibetan exiles around the world earlier this year to take on the Dalai Lama's political role.Beijing refused to recognise the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile and has refused to talk to Mr Sangay. 6 | More on this story Tibetan Obama? 28 April 2011 Lobsang Sangay set to become Tibet's political leader 28 April 2011 Tibet's exiled Dalai Lama to devolve political role 10 March 2011 Timeline: Tibet 13 December 2011 Regions and territories: Tibet 13 December 2011 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-36700583.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China will hold military drills in the disputed South China Sea, ahead of a ruling by an international court on a challenge to its maritime claims. They will be held in waters around the Paracel Islands, said a statement by the maritime safety administration.China regularly holds such exercises even though Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the seas.But tensions are running high ahead of the ruling expected next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, Netherlands, has said it will issue a decision on 12 July on a challenge made by the Philippines to China's claims in the strategic and resource-rich region. 2 | However, China has consistently boycotted the proceedings, insisting that the panel has no authority to rule in the case.The drills will be held from 5-11 July, with ships prohibited from entering the waters in that time, the Chinese statement said. 3 | Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years.Its islets and waters are claimed in part or in whole by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols, while the US says it opposes restrictions on freedom of navigation and unlawful sovereignty claims by all sides. The frictions have sparked concern that the area is becoming a flashpoint with possible global consequences. 4 | More on this story Why is the South China Sea contentious? 12 July 2016 South China Sea: Beijing accuses US of militarisation 19 February 2016 South China Sea dispute: US attacks China 'militarisation' 17 February 2016 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-15147043.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu has declared a state of emergency because of a severe shortage of fresh water.It has affected the capital, Funafuti, and a number of outer islands.Low-lying Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries in the world, with a population of about 11,000 - nearly half live on Funafuti. A New Zealand Air Force plane has flown to Tuvalu, carrying water supplies and two desalination units.New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said ministry officials would remain in Tuvalu to help assess the needs on the ground. 2 | "New Zealand will be working with partners and other donors to consider the best medium-to-long-term response options," he said.Water not safeThe Tuvalu Red Cross said water supplies in some areas would run out on Tuesday. Secretary General Tataua Pefe advised people against drinking water from wells."It's not safe for consumption," he told Radio Australia. "Some animals have died recently and we think it's because of subterranean water."Mr Pefe said it had not rained properly in Tuvalu for more than six months and meteorologists were forecasting the lack of rain would continue until December.Tuvalu normally expects to get 200 mm to 400 mm of rainfall per month.Experts blame the drought on the La Nina weather phenomena. Tuvalu is one of the countries most likely to be affected by climate change. Its people fear rising tides threaten to overwhelm their homes and poison supplies of freshwater, making their islands uninhabitable. 3 | More on this story Low-lying Pacific islands 'growing not sinking' 3 June 2010 Developing countries split on CO2 9 December 2009 Tuvalu vows to go carbon neutral 20 July 2009 Tuvalu struggles to hold back tide 22 January 2008 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-33278407.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The BBC understands that the prime minister has accepted that it may not be possible to change the EU's treaties - the laws on which it is based - before the UK votes in a referendum on whether to stay in or leave the EU.In recent meetings with fellow European Union leaders David Cameron has argued instead for what officials call an "irreversible lock" and "legally binding" guarantees that at some future date EU law will be changed to accommodate Britain's renegotiation.As recently as January Mr Cameron insisted that he would be demanding "proper, full-on treaty change".Euro sceptics and those who want to leave the EU altogether have always been suspicious that agreements between political leaders can be later undermined in the courts. They believe that legal or treaty changes are necessary to deliver the Prime Minister's negotiating objectives - in particular to free Britain from the EU's commitment to build an "ever closer union" of nation states and to ensure that benefits such as tax credits be withheld from migrants who have been in the country for less than four years. 2 | David Cameron's critics may fear that the formula he is now using is a watering down of that commitment and will demand to know who would interpret any legally binding agreement reached between the Uk and the rest of the EU. Downing Street insists, however, that it is simply a reflection of the fact that any treaty change will require a time consuming ratification process in 28 different countries involving parliamentary votes as well as referendums in France, Ireland and Denmark.They point out that when Ireland had a referendum in 2009 on the Lisbon Treaty all other EU countries had not yet ratified the proposed changes in EU law. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-36710808.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China has criticised what it called a "dangerous" Japanese jet scramble over disputed islands in the East China sea. The Ministry of National Defence said on Monday that the Japanese jets had "lit up" the Chinese fighters with their fire-control radar.A senior official in Japan previously confirmed the scramble took place, but denied the incident was dangerous. Japan and China both claim ownership of islands in the area known respectively as the Senkaku or Diaoyu islands. The Chinese defence ministry said in a short statement on its website that two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets were met with "provocative actions" from a pair of Japanese F-15 jets in the air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea on 17 June. 2 | It said that the Chinese jets were on a routine patrol when they were approached "provocatively" and at high speed by two Japanese planes, who "even went so far as to start "lighting up" the Chinese planes with their fire-control radar."The statement said the Chinese jets responded "decisively", without going into further details of how, and that the Japanese jets deployed an infrared decoy projectile before flying away. Prior to the release of the Chinese statement, the Japanese press reported that Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary confirmed that a scramble had taken place but denied that either side had acted aggressively.This contradicted remarks that had been made by a retired Japanese air force official, who had alleged that the Chinese fighters had made a threatening manoeuvre towards the Japanese plane. Japan's top military commander recently revealed that Japanese emergency scrambles to counter Chinese jets had almost doubled over the past three months.The BBC has contacted the Japanese Defence Ministry in the light of the new Chinese allegations, but has yet to receive a reply. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-30810439.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China arrested nine Muslim Uighurs and 10 Turkish nationals in November over a fake passport plot, state media report.The Global Times said the Turks gave illegal passports to the Uighurs, who attempted to leave China.Some of the Uighurs' phones contained "terrorist" material, the paper said, and several confessed they were heading for Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Chinese authorities say they are fighting an Islamist rebellion in Xinjiang, the Uighurs' home region.More than 200 people died last year in bloody confrontations between Uighurs and Chinese security forces, hundreds of people have been arrested and dozens executed. 2 | The Turkish embassy in Beijing and the police in Shanghai would not verify the latest story and it was not immediately clear why the information had just emerged. But the Global Times said the passport-selling scheme had been in progress for months. Each person paid 60,000 yuan (£6,380; $9,680) for forged and altered passports provided to them by the Turks, who had entered China legally, it said.One of the Uighurs arrested was a known terror suspect who had "on several occasions in the past broadcast transmissions that fanned ethnic hatred and discrimination in Xinjiang", the paper said.Dozens of civilians were killed in attacks across China apparently linked to the unrest in Xinjiang. The authorities have blamed Uighur separatists.News of the arrests comes two days after local media reported that Xinjiang police had shot dead six people who were allegedly trying to detonate a bomb.Uighurs and Xinjiang 3 | Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims 4 | They make up about 45% of the region's population; 40% are Han Chinese 5 | China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan 6 | Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese 7 | Uighurs fear erosion of traditional culture 8 | Who are the Uighurs? 9 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-40436972.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Nurse, social worker, teacher, doctor - pretty much any public sector worker in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would have been justified in feeling a bit more chipper this morning, had they had time to listen to comments from the defence secretary or the transport secretary, both hinting that the limit on their pay rises might be about to come to an end.They might been further bolstered by comments after Prime Minister's Questions, if they had been watching the news this afternoon, when Number 10's spokesman suggested that although it was important still to balance the books, the government understands people are "weary" after years of the limit.Public sector pay cap 'under review'And, in line with Michael Fallon and Chris Grayling's comments, the government is ready to listen to the case to "scrap the cap" - bringing a potential end to the policy that was designed to save £5bn for the public purse by 2020.By teatime however, after the Treasury had slightly less enthusiastically said they were "open to discussion", that nurse, social worker, teacher or doctor had slightly less cause for feeling optimistic about a bigger pay rise any time soon.Number 10 had perhaps not changed, but certainly tweaked, their tune - saying when asked repeatedly that the policy has not changed, the independent pay review bodies will report in due course and the government will consider their proposals. 2 | So far, so confusing. Neither Number 10 nor the Treasury, who it's suggested were not entirely thrilled with the suggestion, are ready by the end of this political day to be able to make such a big change, or to give Labour such a big victory.The problem for them however is not just what appears to be a changing mood among some voters, but also very public hints by cabinet members that the cap, becoming painful for some as inflation starts to lift, could disappear along with Theresa May's majority. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /.vscode/launch.json: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | { 2 | "version": "0.2.0", 3 | "configurations": [ 4 | { 5 | "name": "Python", 6 | "type": "python", 7 | "request": "launch", 8 | "stopOnEntry": true, 9 | "program": "${file}", 10 | "debugOptions": [ 11 | "WaitOnAbnormalExit", 12 | "WaitOnNormalExit", 13 | "RedirectOutput" 14 | ] 15 | }, 16 | { 17 | "name": "Python Console App", 18 | "type": "python", 19 | "request": "launch", 20 | "stopOnEntry": true, 21 | "program": "${file}", 22 | "externalConsole": true, 23 | "debugOptions": [ 24 | "WaitOnAbnormalExit", 25 | "WaitOnNormalExit" 26 | ] 27 | }, 28 | { 29 | "name": "Django", 30 | "type": "python", 31 | "request": "launch", 32 | "stopOnEntry": true, 33 | "program": "${workspaceRoot}/manage.py", 34 | "args": [ 35 | "runserver", 36 | "--noreload" 37 | ], 38 | "debugOptions": [ 39 | "WaitOnAbnormalExit", 40 | "WaitOnNormalExit", 41 | "RedirectOutput", 42 | "DjangoDebugging" 43 | ] 44 | }, 45 | { 46 | "name": "Watson", 47 | "type": "python", 48 | "request": "launch", 49 | "stopOnEntry": true, 50 | "program": "${workspaceRoot}/console.py", 51 | "args": [ 52 | "dev", 53 | "runserver", 54 | "--noreload=True" 55 | ], 56 | "debugOptions": [ 57 | "WaitOnAbnormalExit", 58 | "WaitOnNormalExit", 59 | "RedirectOutput" 60 | ] 61 | } 62 | ] 63 | } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-14205998.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The man expected to be China's next president has promised to "smash" any attempts to destabilise Tibet.Xi Jinping, who is due to succeed President Hu Jintao in 2013, said he would fight against "separatist activities" linked to the Dalai Lama.He was speaking in Lhasa as part of a trip to mark 60 years since the communists took over Tibet.Analysts say the speech suggests Mr Xi is unlikely to veer from the policies of his predecessors.Beijing has for years been critical of the Dalai Lama, regularly denouncing him as a "splittist" in official media. 2 | At the weekend, Beijing was highly critical of US President Barack Obama's decision to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.The communist government says Tibet has always been an integral part of China, and that their policies have brought economic development to a chronically poor area.But many Tibetans accuse Beijing of cracking down on free speech, suppressing their religion and culture, and encouraging the immigration of many Han Chinese to the area.The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, has publicly said many times in recent years that he wants more freedom for Tibetans, not necessarily independence.Mr Xi, who is currently vice-president, made his speech in front of the Potala Palace, which is the Dalai Lama's traditional seat."[We] should thoroughly fight against separatist activities by the Dalai clique by firmly relying on all ethnic groups... and completely smash any plot to destroy stability in Tibet and jeopardise national unity," he said."The extraordinary development of Tibet over the past 60 years points to an irrefutable truth: Without the Chinese Communist Party, there would have been no new China, no new Tibet."Little is known about Mr Xi's political leanings, because China's leaders-in-waiting are rarely allowed to make major speeches in the run-up to changes in the Communist Party's highest echelons.Mr Hu has often pushed the idea of a harmonious society depending on the sharing of wealth between the country's industrial powerhouses on the east coast, and its rural areas in the west. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-16426193.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Vanuatu - a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides - achieved independence from France and Britain in 1980. Most of the islands are inhabited; some have active volcanoes.Vanuatu is mountainous and much of it is covered with tropical rainforests. Like most of the area, it is prone to earthquakes and tidal waves. In 2015 it was hit by Cyclone Pam which caused widespread damage.Most of the people live in rural areas and practise subsistence agriculture.Local traditions are strong. Women, for example, generally have lower social standing than men and have fewer educational opportunities. 2 | LEADER President: Tallis Obed MosesTallis Obed Moses was sworn in in July 2017 after being chosen by parliament. He succeeded Baldwin Lonsdale, who died in office.Mr Moses, aged 63 at the time of his swearing-in, is a long-serving pastor and former leader of the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu.The presidency is considered to be a mainly ceremonial post. MEDIA 3 | The single TV channel on Vanuatu was established with the help of Radio France Overseas (RFO) and broadcasts in French and English.Read full media profile TIMELINE Some key events in Vanuatu's history:550BC - First inhabited by Melanesian people.1606 - Explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros leads an expedition to the islands naming them Terra Austrialis del Espiritu Santo.1774 - British explorer Captain Cook charts the islands calling them the New Hebrides.1800s - Thousands of ni-Vanuatu are kidnapped and forced to work on sugar and cotton plantations in Fiji and Australia in a practice known as "blackbirding".1906 - Britain and France make the country a Condominium, under joint administration.1938 - Emergence of the John Frum cargo cult. Believers say goods owned by American and European visitors to the island are really meant for them but are intercepted by the foreigners. They believe that their ancestors will one day return with "cargo" for them. The British outlaw any mention of John Frum.1956 - John Frum is recognised as a religion by the Anglo-French Condominium.1980 - Independence.2015 - Cyclone Pam causes widespread devastation.Read full timeline 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-18718182.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A top Chinese official has pledged a crackdown on "separatist forces" in Xinjiang, three years after ethnic violence there, state-run media report.Zhang Chunxian vowed to use "iron fists" on separatists in the region, Xinhua news agency says.The warning comes on the anniversary of deadly ethnic riots that saw almost 200 people killed in 2009. Rights group Amnesty International has accused China of intimidating the ethnic Uighur minority.Xinjiang province is the country's most westerly region and borders former Soviet states. 2 | China witnessed its worst ethnic violence in decades when riots erupted between the majority Han Chinese and the minority Uighurs in the capital city of Urumqi, says the BBC's Martin Patience. 3 | Uighurs and Xinjiang 4 | Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims 5 | They make up about 45% of the region's population; 40% are Han Chinese 6 | China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan 7 | Since then, large-scale immigration of Han Chinese 8 | Uighurs fear erosion of traditional culture 9 | The Turkic-speaking Uighurs, who have lived in China's shadow for centuries, accuse Beijing of religious and political persecution.'Iron fists' 10 | Mr Zhang, who is Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang committee, urged soldiers to remain vigilant against hostile forces and strike separatists, terrorists and extremists with ''iron fists'', Xinhua says."We should leave terrorists no place to hide," he said, adding that the region was stable but faced "severe challenges". London-based rights group Amnesty International (AI) issued a statement saying that Chinese authorities "continue to silence those speaking out on abuses" in the region."The general trend toward repression that we see all over China is particularly pronounced in Xinjiang," Catherine Baber, AI Asia-Pacific director, 11 | said in a statement 12 | She urged the Chinese government to reveal the whereabouts of those who have disappeared and end the persecution of family members seeking answers.On Monday, there were reports that two Uighur men who allegedly tried to hijack a plane in Xinjiang had died. 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-36472103.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Police in China's north-western region of Xinjiang are asking some residents to provide DNA samples and other biological data when applying for travel documents.People in the multi-ethnic area of Yili will have to provide the samples before being allowed to go abroad.The Chinese government is trying to crack down on periodic violence, which it blames on Islamist militants.Many Muslims in Xinjiang say they are discriminated against.They say the Chinese authorities often refuse to issue documents allowing them to travel. 2 | Most of the Uighur ethnic minority, which makes up about 45% of Xinjiang's population, practise the Muslim faith. Over the years China's authorities have attributed violent attacks to Uighur militants, who they say are inspired or aided by overseas terror groups. Uighur leaders have denied being behind the violence. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs?Did China's crackdown on terrorism work? 3 | The new restrictions on travel were announced in the Communist Party's newspaper in Yili and in advertisements posted by local travel agents.The announcements said that people would have to supply a blood sample, fingerprints, a voice recording and what police call a three-dimensional image.The policy came into force on 1 June, just before Ramadan started. Civil servants and children are banned from fasting for the Muslim holy month. 4 | Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims 5 | They make up about 45% of Xinjiang's population; 40% are Han Chinese 6 | China re-established control in 1949 after crushing the short-lived state of East Turkestan 7 | Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese 8 | Uighurs fear that their traditional culture will be eroded 9 | Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs? 10 | More on this story China police checkpoint attack 'kills 18' in Xinjiang 24 June 2015 China hails crackdown on terror in Xinjiang 27 May 2015 China 'breaks Turkish-Uighur passport plot' 14 January 2015 The colourful propaganda of Xinjiang 12 January 2015 Xinjiang: Has China's crackdown on 'terrorism' worked? 2 January 2015 Xinjiang territory profile 17 November 2016 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-17414494.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Crowds of Tibetans gathered for the funeral of a farmer who burned himself to death in China, sparking a stand-off with police, activists have said.Sonam Thargyal, 44, was the second person to set himself alight this week in Rebkong county, Qinghai province.Rights groups said truckloads of armed police arrived in Rebkong, but withdrew after a confrontation with mourners.The UK-based Free Tibet group said it was one of the largest protests by Tibetans since 2008.The group said thousands of people had attended the funeral, and quoted an eyewitness saying: "This is the biggest gathering of people I have ever seen in this place. People are pouring in from the villages." 2 | US-based Radio Free Asia quoted a Tibetan source as saying 7,000 people had come to Rebkong (Tongren in Chinese)."Police and paramilitary forces did surround the monastery and tried to intervene but when the Tibetan crowd swelled, they withdrew," the source said.Activists say 30 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the past year, many of them monks, in protest at Beijing's rule.Most of the self-immolations have been carried out in Sichuan province.Little unrest has been reported from Qinghai, but analysts say there have been several large protests since early February.Activists accuse the communists of suppressing Tibetan religion and culture.But Beijing argues that it has brought wealth and modernity to a place that was once a rural backwater.Activists say Sonam Thargyal was a close friend of a monk who set himself on fire in the same town earlier this week.The monk is believed to be alive but critically ill.The farmer apparently shouted slogans in support of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama before setting fire to himself.Activist groups circulated images of the man's funeral, showing a badly burnt corpse draped in funeral robes, surrounded by crowds of mourners. 3 | More on this story Tibet immolations 'will not stop development' 7 March 2012 China steps up security in Tibet following protests 31 January 2012 Tibet profile - Timeline 13 November 2014 4 | Related Internet links Free Tibet 5 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-15571017.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A Tibetan Buddhist nun has died after setting herself on fire in south-west China, state media say.Qiu Xiang, 35, doused herself in fuel and set herself alight at a road crossing in Sichuan province, said the Chinese news agency, Xinhua.She is believed to be the eleventh ethnic Tibetan this year to set themselves on fire reportedly in protest against Chinese rule.Chinese security forces have been accused of oppressing ethnic Tibetans.Xinhua says the woman was from Dawu county in the Ganzi area of Sichuan. 2 | The agency said it was unclear why she had set herself on fire, but that the local government had launched an investigation.However, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) says it has information that the self-immolation was a protest against the Chinese authorities."We heard that she called for religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet," ICT spokeswoman Kate Saunders told AFP news agency. 3 | The Tibet Divide 4 | China says Tibet was always part of its territory 5 | Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th Century 6 | In 1950, China launched a military assault 7 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 8 | Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India 9 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 10 | Ms Saunders said Tibetans in Ganzi prefecture were "strong in their religious beliefs" and the area had "been very restive for some time".Qiu Xiang is the second Tibetan nun to set herself on fire since the start of the year.Most of the self-immolations have been by monks in Aba prefecture around the Kirti monastery, which has become a focal point of ethnic Tibetan anger in Sichuan province.Three monks there were jailed by the authorities in August for their alleged involvement in one self-immolation in March.The monks have been protesting about the erosion of Tibetan culture and their treatment by the Chinese authorities.They are also angry at Beijing's refusal to engage with the Dalai Lama, who is Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.The Chinese authorities have accused him of encouraging the self-immolations in Sichuan.Tibet's government-in-exile in India has strongly denied this, accusing China of pushing Tibetans towards desperation. 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-40429507.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The DUP-Tory deal may make the peace process "more difficult in the long-term," a former Tory chairman has said.Lord Chris Patten said it would be "difficult for the UK government to show neutrality" when it has done a close political deal with the DUP.The parties agreed a £1bn deal on Monday, meaning DUP MPs will support the Conservatives in key Commons votes.Lord Patten added that, in the short term, Sinn Féin may want to be "part of the action" when the money comes. 2 | May's deal with the DUP 3 | Where does this leave power-sharing talks? 4 | Where will the money go? 5 | Who are the DUP? 6 | May's DUP deal 'shabby and reckless' 7 | The former governor of Hong Kong had been critical of a potential DUP-Tory deal, before it was settled. 8 | He told ITV's Peston on Sunday the DUP was a "toxic brand". "There is a danger of us looking like a 'nasty party' again. Their values are not ours," he added. Speaking to BBC's Stephen Nolan Show, he explained these comments further."British newspapers are going to start, and have already begun, a forensic investigation of the background of DUP members and the extent to which some of them have histories with paramilitary activities." he said."I don't think that's good for Northern Ireland."The DUP has made clear it condemns all paramilitary violence. 9 | 'A bung is a bung is a bung'Lord Patten then pointed to the DUP's socially conservative views. "It won't surprise you to know that I disagree with the DUP's social attitudes," he said.Again, papers have started to pick over those views and it's not good for the DUP or its image."I love Northern Ireland and I think, like other parts of the country, it could do with more public spending - but it already gets more than other parts of the country. "Northern Ireland and its citizens know as well as I do, that a bung is a bung is a bung."What will happen now, is every time anyone wants a pay rise, for example, when nurses in England are told they can't have a pay increase - people will point to this deal with the DUP."'Not necessary'"You do deals to govern everyone fairly and I don't think this deal was necessary.""Would the DUP really have got rid of a Conservative government with the risk of Mr Corbyn, who has a certain relationship with Republican Sinn Féin, being the next prime minister? I rather doubt it". 10 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-20293887.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China has criticised Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, over comments he reportedly made on a spate of self-immolations by ethnic Tibetans.Speaking in Japan, the Dalai Lama was quoted saying China was not "seriously" looking at the causes of the protests and focusing on blaming him instead.China's foreign ministry accused him of "glorifying" the self-immolations.Nearly 70 Tibetans have set themselves alight since 2011 in what activists say are protests against Beijing's rule. Most are reported to have died. State media reported another self-immolation on Saturday, bringing to seven the number in the past week. 2 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 3 | Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India 4 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 5 | The Tibet issue: Two views 6 | Inside Tibet 7 | Beijing says Tibetans have religious freedom and accuses exiled Tibetan leaders of stirring up unrest. The latest incidents have taken place as China's Communist Party holds a congress in Beijing that will begin the process of transferring power to a new generation of leaders. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said: "Not only did the Dalai not condemn them, but he actually glorified these acts, which are against the national law and religious principles." He also accused the Dalai Lama of siding with right-wingers in Japan over a tense territorial dispute with China.The Dalai Lama, who is on a visit to Japan, had used the Japanese name for an island chain claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo, Mr Hong said.On the subject of self-immolations, the exiled spiritual leader had reportedly urged the Chinese government to investigate their cause. "China does not look into it seriously and tries to end [the incidents] only by criticising me," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying.Foreign media are banned from the Tibet region, making the self-immolation cases hard to verify. Chinese state media have confirmed some of the self-immolations, but not all. 8 | More on this story Labrang monastery: Tibetan farmer self-immolates 24 October 2012 Dalai Lama: Hope for new China approach to Tibet 27 September 2012 Detentions reported in Tibet capital after immolations 31 May 2012 Self-immolations shake Tibetan resolve 18 April 2012 9 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/business-38651816.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | One of Donald Trump's closest advisers has told the BBC the US president-elect's criticism of German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been misinterpreted. In an interview on Monday, Mr Trump had said Mrs Merkel had made an "utterly catastrophic mistake by letting all these illegals into the country".But Anthony Scaramucci said the incoming president had an "enormous amount of respect for her".Mr Scaramucci also told the BBC the US would win a trade war with China.'Complimentary'Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Scaramucci said that Mr Trump had been "trying to be complimentary" about Mrs Merkel. 2 | Davos coverage in fullMr Scaramucci, who will enter the White House on Friday as a senior adviser to the president, acknowledged that Mr Trump's comments had been received by many as an attack on the European community, but dismissed reports of a feud between the US and German administrations."You shouldn't be worried," he told the BBC. 3 | "We have a very longstanding, very close cohesive relationship with western Europe and that will remain in place during the Trump administration."TrustIn the controversial interview with The Times and Germany's Bild, Mr Trump also appeared to put Russia's Vladimir Putin and Chancellor Merkel on an equal footing, saying he would "start off trusting both".But Mr Scaramucci denied that the president-elect was being disparaging of Mrs Merkel."He was basically saying that he holds her in a tremendous amount of respect, but she may have made some mistake as it related to the influx of immigration, which from what I have read from the German press, she has admitted to. So I don't understand why this is such an international outcry."Mr Scaramucci, who is the only member of the Trump administration to attend this year's World Economic Forum, also predicted that European leaders would warm to the incoming president."Over the next two to three years… I think Chancellor Merkel will respect the strength of President Trump. I think she will have a great relationship with him." 4 | More on this story Trump would win trade war with China, says aide 17 January 2017 China goes big in Davos - and here's why 17 January 2017 Davos 2017: Can Xi Jinping be star of the show? 16 January 2017 The defeat of Davos: Are the global elite in retreat? 16 January 2017 Davos: A rough guide to the World Economic Forum 16 January 2017 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-politics-40506189.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | So a pause in the talks and no progress likely before September.Was that a consequence of the DUP Conservative deal, as Sinn Féin argued?Or would the gap between the two parties have proved too wide to bridge in any case?It's true that negotiating the Westminster deal took up the DUP's time. But by the point the talks broke down, the crunch issues had already been fairly well aired, so the failure seems more about the two sides' unwillingness to budge, rather than lack of detailed preparation. 2 | The extra cash offered by the Conservatives must surely have made resurrecting devolution more attractive to both parties. 3 | NI politicians' pay 'should be reduced' 4 | Sticking points in Stormont talks 5 | Brokenshire to 'reflect' amid ongoing deadlock 6 | But republicans claim the DUP got carried away with their newfound Westminster status and became less ready to compromise. The DUP rejects that, insisting Sinn Féin had only themselves to blame for drawing up multiple red lines. 7 | Sinn Féin politicians say they didn't concede on their insistence that Arlene Foster shouldn't be first minister until an inquiry into the Renewable Heating scandal is concluded.But the realpolitik is that, after the DUP leader's triumphant Westminster election, hardly anyone thought Sinn Féin could stick to that demand. Fragile state of politicsThe expectation was that they would bin the demand in return for a clear win on Irish language legislation. But the DUP did not feel the need to give ground on a stand-alone Irish Language Act and Sinn Féin appears unwilling - no matter how much extra cash is on offer - to concede two red lines without much to show their supporters in return.Maybe the DUP's frame of mind was influenced by its strong general election result. However, it's quite easy to imagine this breakdown happening irrespective of the fragile state of wider UK Politics.So we drift on, run by civil servants, supposedly benefitting from extra resources but hampered from the inertia inherent in having no Ministers to make decisions. Don't expect the MLAs to lose their salaries any time soon - remember 28 of them belong to the party keeping James Brokenshire in power. For that, at least, the other parties can inwardly thank the DUP.For the next eight weeks or so we look certain to remain in stalemate - after all, it's what Stormont does best. 8 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-38093370.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Chinese authorities have begun confiscating passports from people in the western region of Xinjiang, which has seen regular unrest.The move, which the government says is aimed at combating "terrorism", has been criticised by human rights groups.Many Muslims in Xinjiang say they face widespread discrimination.The Chinese government is eager to eradicate sporadic violence in the province, which it blames on Islamist militants. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs? 2 | Uighurs, which makes up about 45% of Xinjiang's population, have often complained about being refused documents allowing them to travel. In June police in Xinjiang ordered residents to provide DNA samples and other biological data when applying for travel documents.Under the new regulations all people in Xinjiang are required to hand in their travel documents to police for "safekeeping". The BBC's Stephen McDonell in Beijing says that all residents must now apply for permission to leave the country before they can retrieve their passports. 3 | Human Rights Watch has described this as a violation of freedom of movement. The World Uyghur Congress says that although the new measures are ostensibly aimed at all residents, they will in effect target the Uighur community.Over the years China's authorities have attributed attacks to Uighur militants, who they say are inspired or aided by foreign terror groups. Uighur leaders have denied being behind the violence. 4 | Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims 5 | They make up about 45% of Xinjiang's population; 40% are Han Chinese 6 | China re-established control in 1949 after crushing the short-lived state of East Turkestan 7 | Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese 8 | Uighurs fear that their traditional culture will be eroded 9 | Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs? 10 | More on this story China: Xinjiang government to 'clear up' ethnic names 8 July 2016 Chinese police require DNA for passports in Xinjiang 7 June 2016 China police checkpoint attack 'kills 18' in Xinjiang 24 June 2015 China hails crackdown on terror in Xinjiang 27 May 2015 China 'breaks Turkish-Uighur passport plot' 14 January 2015 The colourful propaganda of Xinjiang 12 January 2015 Xinjiang: Has China's crackdown on 'terrorism' worked? 2 January 2015 Xinjiang territory profile 17 November 2016 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-12575470.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A senior Chinese leader says Beijing should launch a fresh struggle against the influence of the Dalai Lama in Tibet.The comments were made by Jia Qinglin, who sits on the standing committee of the Chinese Communist Party's powerful politburo.He said China also needed to raise the living standards of Tibetan people.The call comes nearly three years after riots and unrest in Tibetan areas which China blamed on the Dalai Lama.'Handle carefully' 2 | Mr Jia made the comments at a two-day meeting to discuss developments in Tibet and in other provinces where Tibetans live.The attendance of China's public security minister, Meng Jianzhu, suggests Beijing's control in Tibet was a major issue."The fight against the Dalai Lama clique must be continued and deepened," the state-run news agency Xinhua quote Mr Jia as saying. 3 | The Tibet Divide 4 | China says Tibet was always part of its territory 5 | Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th Century 6 | In 1950, China launched a military assault 7 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 8 | Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India 9 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 10 | No room to talk in 'stable' Tibet 11 | But he added that initiatives used to ensure stability should be "circumspectly deployed".He said that issues related to Tibetan Buddhism must be "handled well", perhaps an acknowledgement that a heavy-handed crackdown on religion could prove counterproductive.The Chinese authorities have long vilified the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism who fled the region more than 50 years ago.He now lives in exile in India, but his influence in Tibet is still immense - which is why China continues to attack him.This is, though, only one part of Beijing's strategy to secure control over Tibet, which it claims has been part of China for centuries.It has also been spending millions of dollars improving the living standards of people there.Just this week, it said the number of Tibetans living in absolute poverty had nearly halved in five years. 12 | More on this story Tibetan students in China protest over language policy 20 October 2010 China accused of excessive force over Tibet unrest 22 July 2010 Is development killing Tibet's way of life? 16 July 2010 Dalai Lama condemns China policy 10 March 2010 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-16351377.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionSamoa's Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi says that he "feels great" after the time jump 2 | Samoa and Tokelau have skipped a day - and jumped westwards across the international dateline - to align with trade partners. As the clock struck midnight (10:00 GMT Friday) as 29 December ended, Samoa and Tokelau fast-forwarded to 31 December, missing out on 30 December entirely.Samoa announced the decision in May in a bid to improve ties with major trade partners Australia and New Zealand. Neighbouring Tokelau decided to follow suit in October.The change comes 119 years after Samoa moved in the opposite direction. Then, it transferred to the same side of the international date line as the United States, in an effort to aid trade. 3 | But New Zealand and Australia have become increasingly valuable trade partners for the country.Speaking from Samoa shortly after the change, at midnight local time, journalist Rico Tupai said the town was alive."You can hear the sound of a lot of vehicles going round town, going round the town centre clock and tooting their horns. People screaming," he said."We have once again achieved another milestone in our history of Samoa."Samoan Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi said he expected to see immediate benefits from the change, particularly for the tourist industry, as Samoans would now have five working days of continuous contact with counterparts in New Zealand and Australia. 4 | "While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand, and when we're at church on Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane," the prime minister said in the countdown to the switch.Mr Malielegaoi later said he had just attended a ceremony to signal the change in time zone which was followed by morning tea and coffee for the people who had attended to "applaud the occasion".He added that the change would have particular benefits for Samoans needing to travel to New Zealand to attend to family business. Samoa is located approximately halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and has a population of 180,000 people. Around 131,000 people living in New Zealand are of Samoan descent, according to New Zealand's 2006 census.Local time up to 29 December had been 23 hours behind Auckland - but now it is one hour ahead.Tokelau is a tiny New Zealand-administered territory of three islands. It lies to the north of Fiji, approximately half-way between Hawaii and the Australian coast. 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-33251572.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A US media report says at least 18 people have been killed in the Chinese region of Xinjiang during a clash at a police checkpoint. According to US-based Radio Free Asia, ethnic Uighurs - part of China's Muslim minority - attacked the police on the outskirts of Kashgar city on Monday. The Chinese authorities have refused to comment on the incident.Hospital workers in Kashgar told the BBC several injured police received medical treatment.Radio Free Asia reports the attackers killed police officers using bombs and knives after speeding through the checkpoint at night. 2 | There is frequent unrest in Xinjiang between the Chinese authorities and the Uighurs, and hundreds have died in attacks over the past three years.Uighurs say Beijing's repression of their religious and cultural customs is provoking the violence. Muslim party members, civil servants, students and teachers are stopped from observing the Ramadan period when Muslims fast - one of the five pillars of Islam.But China insists the attacks are being carried out by what it calls Islamic terrorists supported by overseas groups. 3 | Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims 4 | They make up about 45% of the region's population; 40% are Han Chinese 5 | China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan 6 | Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese 7 | Uighurs fear erosion of traditional culture 8 | Who are the Uighurs?Are you in Xinjiang, China? Do you have friends or family near Kashgar city? Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences.If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number. You can also tweet your stories to @BBC_HaveYourSay or text 61124. If you are outside the UK, send them to the international number +44 7624 800 100. Or WhatsApp us on +44 7525 900971Read our terms and conditions. 9 | If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can 10 | contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as 11 | you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. 12 | When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, 13 | take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. 14 | Terms and conditions 15 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-40387897.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Hostility at home, barely warmer in Brussels. There was relief that the UK is at last putting its ideas on the table but concerns over the British plans for EU citizens reflect Theresa May's fundamental bind. She faces a united opposing front here in Brussels, at least for now. There are clashing expectations from the public at home - who want different things from departure. And of course varying strands of thought and demands from inside her own party. Even a leader at the peak of their powers would struggle to deal with all that. While complex, this summit was perhaps a brief respite from the brooding turmoil in her own party, where questions about the viability of her leadership lurk. Governing is doing, not fending off enemies - and at least today, Theresa May has done that. 2 | There was also a big hint about how the British negotiators hope to get round one of the big obstacles. As we've discussed before one of the big gaps between the two negotiating sides here are who will police the rules on citizen's rights. So, if something goes wrong, who can they appeal to, how will their rights be protected. The EU side is adamant that it can only be the European Court of Justice. Theresa May has been totally insistent that it can't be them. At the press conference this afternoon she repeated that it would be the British courts in charge. So far, so the same. But she then tantalisingly - if you are a nerd like me - said that because the rights would be agreed as part of the withdrawal treaty, they would be therefore subject to international law. Therefore, theoretically, that means they could be enforced by an international court of some variety. Lawyers suggest that is not likely to be the Hague, but could be some kind of new organisation that had British and European lawyers involved. Sources in government have suggested it is a course the UK is likely to pursue, even though it has not been the subject of extensive discussions yet between the two sides. It could be, hypothetically, an elegant solution to avoid the clash, if the EU is amenable. Sources on the UK side also suggest that it's unreasonable of the EU to expect EU judges to continue to rule on British citizens abroad, as well as expecting EU judges to continue to rule on EU citizens in Britain. If the arrangement is truly to be reciprocal, they argue, then wouldn't it be more fair for British judges to rule on British expats abroad, and vice versa. There are many long, tangled arguments ahead, but at least, in the last forty eight hours, ideas are now being discussed. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-16962868.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Three far-flung coral atolls - Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo - make up Tokelau, a Polynesian territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific.Lying between New Zealand and Hawaii, Tokelau has few physical links with the wider world. There is no airport and it takes more than a day at sea to reach its southern neighbour, Samoa.Most of the 1,500 islanders live by subsistence farming. Thousands have chosen to leave, usually for New Zealand or Samoa. The latter has a similar culture and language. Earmarked by the UN as a territory where it wants to encourage greater independence, Tokelauans have twice voted to retain their colonial status. Tokelau's main industry is fishing but it also generates income from the use of its internet domain name as one of the countries offering free registration. 2 | New Zealand is the territory's main budget provider and has sought to allay fears that it will abandon the atolls should Tokelau favour autonomy. Like other low-lying Pacific territories, Tokelau is said to be at risk from rising sea levels. It is also vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Read more country profiles. Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring 3 | FACTS 4 | LEADERSHead of state: Queen Elizabeth IIHead of government: Aliki Faipule Afega GaualofaPolitical leadership revolves around three Faipule, or village heads, who take it in turns to oversee a cabinet - the Council for Ongoing Government - for a year.Aliki Faipule Afega Gaualofa took up the rotating post of Ulu or titular head of government in March 2016.The General Fono, an assembly of elected delegates, handles local legislative affairs. It is also responsible for the territory's budget. Each atoll has a Taupulega, or Council of Elders. Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory and has been administered by New Zealand since 1926. The Administrator of Tokelau is appointed by the New Zealand government and is responsible for supervising the government of the territory.MEDIA 5 | Each atoll operates an FM community radio station, carrying shipping news, weather reports and music. The stations are: Radio Atafu FM; Radio Fakaofo FM; and Radio Nukunonu FM. The outlets are overseen by the Council for Ongoing Government. 6 | More on this story Tokelau islands shift to solar energy 7 November 2012 Samoa and Tokelau skip a day for dateline change 30 December 2011 Tokelau plans an all-renewables future 9 December 2011 South Pacific water shortage hits Tokelau 4 October 2011 Tokelau declares whale sanctuary 14 April 2010 Tokelau fails to back self-rule 25 October 2007 Tokelau rejects self-government 16 February 2006 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/election-us-2016-37917345.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The Republican Party has kept its hold over Congress, capping a dire night for the Democrats.With Donald Trump elected as the next president, the Republicans retained their majorities in the House and Senate.Republican dominance over Congress in principle enables Mr Trump to turn his policy plans into law.But how easily this will happen is unclear given that key party leaders had refused to back him. 2 | Latest updates 3 | Full election coverage from the BBC 4 | The women who won in the US election 5 | Historic win for Somali-American woman 6 | The night began with majority control of the Senate up for grabs, with 34 of the 100 seats available. 7 | But the Democrats have so far gained just one seat in the Senate, with Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee Iraq war veteran, taking Mark Kirk's place in Illinois. During a TV debate last month Mr Kirk mocked Ms Duckworth's Thai heritage, but later apologised.Another bright spot was in Nevada, which Cortez Masto retained for the Democrats, beating Republican Joe Heck to become the first Latina US senator.The final Senate seat to be declared is New Hampshire, where the result is said to be very close and where Democrat Maggie Hassan has declared victory over incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte. 8 | Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson held off Russ Feingold despite widespread expectations of a win for the Democrat 9 | In Florida, former Republican presidential contender Marco Rubio won re-election 10 | And in Arizona, Republican Senator and 2008 presidential nominee John McCain won his sixth term at the age of 80, suggesting it could be his last one 11 | Democrats also failed to significantly dent Republican advantage in the House, with just five Republican incumbents losing.House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Mr Trump after previously endorsing him, won re-election to the House of Representatives in Wisconsin."We are eager to work hand-in-hand with the new administration to advance an agenda to improve the lives of the American people." Mr Ryan told supporters.Ilhan Omar became the US' first Somali-American legislator, with victory in a House race in Minnesota. She came to the US while still a child, escaping Somalia's civil war with her family and spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp.And in Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto, the former state attorney general, was elected as the first Latina US senator. 12 | In other developments, the controversial Republican sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, was voted out after he was charged with contempt for ignoring a judge's order to stop patrols targeting Latinos. 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-40342107.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The rush for an Irish passport following the Brexit referendum has not been confined to people in Northern Ireland. There has been a 60% increase in applications in Britain since last June's poll on the UK's membership of the European Union.So what has prompted people living in the rest of the UK to apply for Irish citizenship?London is home to the largest Irish-born population outside of the island. 2 | Irish passport applications surge continues 3 | 'Record number' of Irish passports issued 4 | GB demand for Irish passports doubles 5 | The London Irish Centre in Camden normally deals with welfare and social issues, but over the past year the number of people seeking help in tracing their Irish ancestry has increased significantly. 6 | Sean Kennedy is in charge of the centre."In the month after the referendum we saw an immediate increase and that has been sustained across the 12 months," he said."I was contacted by a grandfather who was born in Ireland, but wanted to leave his three granddaughters Irish citizenship as his legacy," he said. 7 | Siobhan Bygate lives in Buckinghamshire, but was born in Belfast in the late sixties. Her father was from Scotland and joined the SDLP when they lived in north Belfast."We lived in Newington Avenue and although my parents were non-practising Protestants, they had Catholic friends so when the sectarianism of the early Troubles started, there were a few incidents," she said. 8 | "Friends said to him (her father) 'This isn't your battle, just leave,' so they did, I think they would have stayed otherwise, they loved it."Ms Bygate went to school with people whose parents were Irish and who were working in the factories in Dagenham."A lot of my classmates were Irish and it was my central cultural reference point growing up, but I wouldn't have claimed to be Irish and it didn't occur to me to apply for an Irish passport," she said.But that changed in June last year."I think I'm very concerned about Brexit," she said. 9 | "As a family, we're European but with Brexit, I'm worried that some of the freedoms we enjoy will be restricted. "So I want my children to feel part of Europe, so that means embracing the Irish identity."Ms Bygate's son, Amin, is currently sitting his AS levels. He hopes his Irish passport will help keep his options open."It gives me a little more freedom and makes Brexit a little less scary. I think it allows me to feel more secure about the future," he said. 10 | More on this story Irish passport applications surge continues 15 April 2017 'Record number' of Irish passports issued 28 November 2016 GB demand for Irish passports doubles post-Brexit vote 6 October 2016 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-15799562.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionThe Dalai Lama speaks exclusively to the BBC about his worries for Tibetan monks and nuns 2 | The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he is very worried about the growing number of monks and nuns setting themselves on fire to protest against Chinese rule in Tibet.He told the BBC he was not encouraging such actions - saying there was no doubt they required courage, but questioning how effective they were.There have been 11 cases of self-immolation so far this year. Most have resulted in death - the latest a 35-year-old nun two weeks ago.The BBC has obtained graphic footage of the moment she set herself alight, prompting horrified cries from onlookers. Later, Chinese security forces flooded the area. 3 | The shocking video footage was smuggled across the border to India and shown to the BBC.Tibetan monks and nuns are using self-immolation as the latest tactic in their struggle against 60 years of Chinese rule, says the BBC's Andrew North.But it is a sensitive issue for the man they are dying for - the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. 'How much effect?'In an interview with our correspondent, he said he was not encouraging his followers to sacrifice themselves - as alleged by China."The question is how much effect" the self-immolations have, the Dalai Lama said. "That's the question. There is courage - very strong courage. But how much effect? "Courage alone is no substitute. You must utilise your wisdom." Asked whether he feared the actions could make life worse for people in Tibet, he said: "Many Tibetans sacrifice their lives. "Nobody knows how many people killed and tortured - I mean death through torture. Nobody knows. "But a lot of people suffer. But how much effect? The Chinese respond harder."China has condemned the self-immolation campaign as immoral and inhuman, saying it will never succeed. The growing number of monks and nuns prepared to set themselves on fire is a sign of increasing desperation in Tibet, our correspondent says.They know while the West has backed the Arab Spring, with China it talks with a much quieter voice, he says.That leaves Tibetans with few options to shine a light on their struggle. From inside Tibet, the word is that more monks are preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice, our correspondent adds. 4 | More on this story Tibetan Buddhist nun burns herself to death in China 3 November 2011 Tibetan leader Lobsang Sangay presses US on immolations 3 November 2011 Self-immolation 'trend' at monastery 4 October 2011 Q&A: China and the Tibetans 15 August 2011 Timeline: Tibet 13 December 2011 5 | Related Internet links Free Tibet 6 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-15163543.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A second South Pacific community is suffering a severe water shortage due to an ongoing drought crisis.Tokelau declared a state of emergency late on Monday, following a similar move in neighbouring Tuvalu, where water is already being rationed.A New Zealand-administered territory of three islands, Tokelau's 1,400 people have less than a week's drinking water left.The lack of rainfall is blamed on the La Nina weather pattern.Officials said Tokelau had run out of natural fresh water and was relying solely on bottled water. 2 | New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said other islands in the South Pacific were also reporting water shortages.Parts of Samoa have begun rationing water.He said New Zealand was rushing to assess the situation throughout the region, amid fears the crisis could escalate. 3 | This is having a severe impact on crops, so there's likely to be a food shortage as wellMurray McCully, NZ Foreign Minister 4 | New Zealand was "making sure we deal with the drinking water issue most urgently", he said.A New Zealand Air Force plane landed in Tuvalu on Monday carrying containers of water and desalination units.Tuvalu, one of the world's smallest independent nations, with a population of about 11,000, lies about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Tokelau is about 500km (310 miles) to the east.Impact on cropsMr McCully said the situation was urgent in parts of Tuvalu. He said there was less than a week's supply of drinking water on Funafuti, the main island of Tuvalu."I understand one of the other outlying islands, Nukulaelae, has a more urgent shortage and there is a desalination plant on the way there," Mr McCully said."There are going to be some flow-on effects here, clearly this is having a severe impact on crops, so there's likely to be a food shortage as well."La Nina causes extreme weather, including both drought and floods, and was blamed for floods in Australia, South East Asia and South America in late 2010 and early 2011.David Hebblethwaite, a water conservation expert with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, said Tuvalu had experienced low rainfall for the past three years and there had been no precipitation at all for seven months.He said Funafuti and Nukulaelae both lacked groundwater supplies, making them dependent on rainfall collected from the roofs of homes and government buildings.Mr Hebblethwaite said the islands may also need extra medical supplies if water shortages lead to sanitation issues and consequent health problems. 5 | More on this story Tuvalu declares emergency over water shortage 3 October 2011 Three teenagers arrive in Fiji after Pacific ordeal 26 November 2010 Regions and territories: Tokelau 30 December 2011 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-16567315.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, has one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2020.It became a unified country once more in 1975 when the armed forces of the Communist north seized the south.This followed three decades of bitter wars, in which the Communists fought first against the colonial power France, then against South Vietnam and its US backers. In its latter stages, the conflict held the attention of the world.The US joined the hostilities in order to stem the "domino effect" of successive countries falling to Communism. 2 | Read full overview 3 | Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring 4 | FACTS 5 | The Communist Party holds the real power in Vietnam. It appointed Nguyen Phu Trong as its secretary-general in January 2011, replacing Nong Duc Manh, who retired after 10 years in the post.He took over as Vietnam faced mounting economic problems, including rising inflation, a growing trade deficit and a weakening currency.Born in 1944, he also previously served the Communist Party's chief political theorist.Nguyen Phu Trong is seen as a conservative.Prime minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc 6 | Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected to the post of prime minister by parliament in April 2016, after being picked to succeed outgoing leader Nguyen Tan Dung at the Communist Party's congress in January. Mr Phuc, 61, pledged to improve the business climate and crack down on corruption. Unlike his charismatic predecessor, he is seen as a team player and a technocrat ready to stick to the party line.MEDIA 7 | The Communist Party has a strong grip on the media. Media outlets and journalists risk sanctions for broaching sensitive topics and for criticising the government. But some press titles and online outlets do report on corruption in official circles.There were 41 million internet users by the end of 2013, out of a population of 94 million (Internetworldstats.com)Read full media profileTIMELINE 8 | 1859-83 - France slowly colonises Indochina.1940 - Japan takes control of Indochina.1945 - Ho Chi Minh proclaims independence and establishes the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.1946 - French seek to regain control. Anti-French resistance war - or the First Indochina War - spreads across country.1954 - Vietnam is partitioned between North and South. Conflict between the two rival states rages for the next two decades, in what is known as the Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War. The US is heavily involved in support of the South. 1975 - Southern cities fall one by one until communist forces seize Saigon. 1976 - Vietnam is reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands flee abroad, including many "boat people".1979 - Vietnam invades Cambodia and ousts the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot. Read full timeline 9 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-16218112.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The land that is now Uzbekistan was once at the heart of the ancient Silk Road trade route connecting China with the Middle East and Rome. The country spent most of the past 200 years as part of Russia, and then the Soviet Union, before emerging as an independent nation in 1991.Under President Islam Karimov, in power since 1989, Uzbekistan has boasted of steady economic growth based on exports like cotton, gas and gold. But the political system is highly authoritarian, and its human rights record widely decried.There is no legal political opposition and the media is tightly controlled by the state. A UN report has described the use of torture as "systematic". Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring 2 | FACTS 3 | The election was held to choose a replacement for Islam Karimov, the authoritarian leader who ruled the country since its independence from the Soviet Union. He died in September 2016. Mr Mirziyoyev, a former regional governor and Uzbekistan's prime minister since 2003, was widely expected to succeed Mr Karimov. He said he would maintain continuity.MEDIA 4 | The state tightly controls the media. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the law punishes journalists for "interference in internal affairs" and "insulting the dignity of citizens".Foreign media have been gradually expelled since the 2005 Andijan uprising, RSF adds.BBC News has been banned from reporting from inside Uzbekistan since 2005. The BBC Uzbek website is blocked in the country. In 2014, Freedom House said "the Karimov regime has all but eradicated free media in Uzbekistan. The few independent journalists who remain are subjected to harassment and detention."Human Rights Watch says at least three dozen journalists, activists, writers, and intellectuals are behind bars because of their work.Read full media profileTIMELINE Some key dates in Uzbekistan's history:1st century BC - Central Asia, including present-day Uzbekistan, forms an important part of the overland trade routes known as the Great Silk Road linking China with the Middle East and imperial Rome.13th-14th centuries - Central Asia conquered by Genghis Khan and becomes part of Mongol empire. 18th-19th centuries - Rise of independent emirates and khanates of Bukhara, Kokand and Samarkand. But in 1865, Russians take over Tashkent and establish it as the capital of Turkestan, incorporating vast areas of Central Asia. They also annex emirate of Bukhara and khanates of Samarkand, Khiva and Kokand.1989 - Islam Karimov becomes leader of Uzbek Communist Party and remains in power beyond independence.1991 - Independence.2001 - Uzbekistan allows US to use its air bases for action in Afghanistan.2005 - Troops open fire on demonstrators in city of Andijan, killing an unknown number. European Union consequently imposes sanctions. 2016 - Long-term leader Islam Karimov dies in office. 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-22278037.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The Uighurs are Muslims. They regard themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations.The region's economy has for centuries revolved around agriculture and trade, with towns such as Kashgar thriving as hubs along the famous Silk Road.In the early part of the 20th Century, the Uighurs briefly declared independence. The region was brought under the complete control of communist China in 1949.Xinjiang is officially designated an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south. 2 | Activists say central government policies have gradually curtailed the Uighurs' religious, commercial and cultural activities. Beijing is accused of intensifying a crackdown after street protests in Xinjiang in the 1990s, and again in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.Over the past decade, many prominent Uighurs have been imprisoned or have sought asylum abroad after being accused of terrorism. Mass immigration of Han Chinese to Xinjiang had made Uighurs a minority in Xinjiang.Beijing is accused of exaggerating the threat from Uighur separatists in order to justify repression in the region. 3 | China's central government says Uighur militants are waging a violent campaign for an independent state by plotting bombings, sabotage and civic unrest.Since the 9/11 attacks in the US, China has increasingly portrayed its Uighur separatists as auxiliaries of al-Qaeda, saying they have received training in Afghanistan. Little evidence has been produced in support of these claims.More than 20 Uighurs were captured by the US military after its invasion of Afghanistan. They were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for years without being charged with any offence and most have now been resettled elsewhere. 4 | Almost 200 people died in ethnic riots in Urumqi, the administrative capital of Xinjiang, in July 2009. One of the sparks for the violence seems to have been the deaths of two Uighurs in clashes with Han Chinese at a factory thousands of miles away in southern China.The authorities blame Xinjiang separatists based outside China for the unrest, and they singled out exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, saying she incited the violence. She denied any responsibility for the violence.Uighur exiles say police fired indiscriminately on peaceful protests, leading to violence and deaths. 5 | Xinjiang has received huge state investment in industrial and energy projects, and Beijing has been keen to highlight these as major steps forward. But many Uighurs complain that the Han are taking their jobs, and that their farmland has been confiscated for redevelopment.The activities of local and foreign journalists are closely monitored by the state and there are few independent sources of news from the region.However, occasional attacks on Chinese targets suggest Uighur separatism remains a potent and potentially violent force. 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-38703700.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The mood in China regarding Donald Trump's presidency ranges from one of caution to apprehension.The media here were ordered to tread carefully when covering Mr Trump's inauguration. We know this because government censorship instructions were leaked in the week leading up to the event.Perhaps because of the time difference, many Chinese newspapers didn't initially cover the transition of power in Washington.Trump 'would win' trade war with ChinaNo winners in trade war, says China's Xi 2 | Ways the world has already changedOthers, though, went to press with very late additions specifically so they could. The front page headline in the Cankao Xiaoxi news paper (run by Xinhua wire service) read: "The World takes a worried look as Trump moves into the White House."Beijing Youth Daily carried the perhaps more neutral headline: "America Welcomes the Trump Era." 3 | News websites have referred to America tearing itself apart as Donald Trump is sworn in. One spoke of chaos in Washington as the new president starts to dismantle Obamacare.The People's Daily - seen at the voice of the Chinese Communist Party - wrote of the need for "win-win" co-operation between Beijing and Washington. Yet many here are wondering just how possible that is going to be.After all, the incoming US leader has accused China for inventing climate change to steal US jobs.President Xi Jinping's administration not only takes the view that man-made climate change is real and must be tackled, but also says trade barriers will harm the global economy, meaning that American consumers will also suffer. 4 | At this time of year in Beijing, foreign correspondents are invited to a series of government receptions celebrating the imminent arrival of the Year of the Rooster. At these functions we are able to chat over drinks with diplomats, soldiers, PR people and various bureaucrats. Something that becomes clear from such discussions is the level of restraint being imposed on Chinese officials when it comes to Donald Trump and his incoming cabinet's views on Taiwan, trade, the South China Sea and regional power. After a few glasses of wine they'll let you know privately what they would love to say publicly: "45% tariffs? Seriously?" "Does he think we wouldn't defend our right to access islands in the South China Sea?" "I mean who does he think he is?" "How dare he?"Now that Mr Trump has been sworn in the need to be polite about him and his team might not be so important.With very different worldviews in these global seats of power, this looks set to make for a rocky relationship. 5 | More on this story Trump would win trade war with China, says aide 17 January 2017 China's Xi tells World Economic Forum there are no winners in trade wars 17 January 2017 Trump 'willing to work with Russia and China' 14 January 2017 World v Trump on global climate deal? 21 January 2017 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-35426175.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Outgoing Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has visited a disputed island in the South China Sea, in a show of sovereignty over the territory.The US and Vietnam have both criticised the trip, which Washington said could exacerbate tensions. But Mr Ma said the US and Taiwan shared hopes of peace for the region.Taiwan administers the island, which it calls Taiping but which is also known as Itu Aba. It is also claimed by China, the Philippines and Vietnam.The US called Mr Ma's trip "extremely unhelpful". 2 | But he said he had informed Washington of his trip a few days beforehand, and that he believed the two countries had the same goals for the South China Sea."We all hope for peace, hope there is no conflict or war," Mr Ma told reporters.As well as the US and Vietnam, which said it "resolutely opposes" the visit, China too is unhappy about the trip. It said it had "undisputable authority" over islands in the South China Sea.China sees Taiwan as a renegade province which will eventually be reunited with the mainland. What is the South China Sea dispute?This was Mr Ma's first visit to Tiaping/Itu Aba in his eight years as president. Taiwan has been upgrading facilities on the island, where about 180 people live, most of them coastguard personnel.Speaking on the island, he reiterated a call for peaceful coexistence with other countries who claimed it. "All this evidence fully demonstrates that Taiping Island is able to sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own. Taiping Island is categorically not a rock, but an island," he said.It is the largest natural island in the Spratly chain, although now thought to be only the fourth biggest overall, after China's large-scale land reclamation work on Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef. 3 | Mr Ma, who has cultivated better ties with China, ends his term in May.The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which will form the next administration, leans towards independence for Taiwan. Reuters reports that the DPP declined a request from Ma for them to send a representative along, saying Taiwan had a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the area.The Spratly archipelago has many overlapping territorial claims by nations bordering the South China Sea, which is claimed almost in entirety by China.Malaysia and Brunei also have claims involving the Spratly islands, though not involving this particular island. 4 | More on this story Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou to go to South China Sea island 27 January 2016 Taiwan's first female leader, shy but steely Tsai Ing-wen 16 January 2016 Why is the South China Sea contentious? 12 July 2016 Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen: The strangest of weeks for a new leader 22 January 2016 5 | Video 6 | Taiwan: China and economy among Tsai Ing-wen's challenges ahead 18 January 2016 China-Taiwan meeting: Awkward questions Xi and Ma could ask 6 November 2015 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-40446923.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The government's change of heart on funding abortions for Northern Irish women on the NHS in England matters for three reasons.Most of all of course, it will make a material difference to the lives of many women who, for whatever reason, find themselves in the situation of crossing the Irish Sea and having to pay for an abortion that the tighter rules in their home country prevent.Justine Greening, the education secretary and equalities minister, has promised this will end. "It is our proposal that this will no longer happen," she wrote in a letter to all MPs published at lunchtime. 2 | Why are Northern Ireland's abortion laws different? 3 | Northern Ireland women to get abortion funding 4 | The details will of course be closely monitored, and this is not a change to the situation in Northern Ireland itself, but to provision for women who come here for help. It matters too because it shows how the arithmetic of the Commons has changed. 5 | Without an overall majority, the Tories were facing a defeat after an impressive campaign by the Labour backbencher Stella Creasy that had garnered support among plenty of Conservatives who looked like they might rebel and vote with her, rather than with their party bosses.Rather than risk a defeat on a critical day when the Queen's Speech has to pass, Conservative ministers were willing to shift in the end - to make a big concession to avoid being beaten.Queen's Speech votes are seen as a matter of confidence votes in any government. After chucking away her majority, it is vital today that Theresa May avoids any further embarrassment.This government climbdown is the first significant evidence that ministers may be willing to budge rather a lot in the face of backbench, and cross-party, demands.They just do not have the numbers to stand firm on issues where there is sympathy in their own ranks. Third though, there were suggestions the government would be too afraid of upsetting their partners, the Democratic Unionist Party, only days after their agreement was signed.The DUP, as many do in Northern Ireland, take a very conservative view on abortion, and while the Tories had insisted they would have no influence over social issues, this was the first test of whether they would somehow be able to pull strings.In this case however it was the parliamentary numbers that made the difference. It's not clear whether the DUP even tried to exert any pressure.But in any event, the government has changed its mind, avoiding defeat on the issue and - if, as likely, the amendment is withdrawn - also preventing DUP MPs from having to vote for measures that would fund abortion for Northern Irish women.That's a complicated way of saying that since the election, the government is more vulnerable to pressure from all sides.And to avoid giving ground and being defeated day after day, they're already showing a readiness to back down. 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-39407902.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The Ulster Unionist chief negotiator said it was "simply the worst" talks process ever. And there's not a lot of people rushing to contradict him. Blame will be thrown in different directions. Sinn Féin said that the DUP should have broken their no-talks-on-Sundays rule. John O'Dowd said he didn't want to impose on any individual's beliefs, but that the DUP should have had a team at Sunday's talks. The DUP said Sinn Féin shouldn't have wasted time on other days, and should have given the green light for full round-table sessions.Did Sinn Féin stay away from such round tables because they were effectively rejecting Secretary of State James Brokenshire as an impartial chair? 2 | The party said it was more because not enough progress had been made on any issue to justify such a session. Nevertheless, it's true that republicans were keen to be seen to be doing battle not just with the DUP but also with the British government. Several sources have claimed that the DUP suggested a wider Culture or Language Act, which would have covered not just Irish but Ulster Scots as well. This would have saved Arlene Foster any blushes over her "not on my watch" approach to a bespoke Irish Language Act. The DUP won't confirm this, but if the idea was floated it didn't prove sufficient for either nationalists or the Alliance Party. The log jam over what information might be withheld on "national security" grounds from a new Historical Investigations Unit remained unresolved. 3 | The prominence Sinn Féin attached to Brexit in its statement calling an end to this phase of the talks indicates the whole question of special status for Northern Ireland might figure in any future negotiations.What will the Secretary of State do now? It seems likely he may play for time, using previous case law which allows him to take a reasonable period of time before calling an election.Some sources suggest Westminster might legislate directly in vital matters such as the budget or a rates bill. However, in the short term, the administration of Northern Ireland looks set to fall to the civil servants operating under tight rules, which initially restrict them to 75% of normal spending limits. Eventually if no compromise can be found, James Brokenshire will have to decide whether to opt for another £5 million election or bringing back suspension and direct rule - a power taken off the statute book a decade ago. 4 | From paramilitary to politician 21 March 2017 Analysis: Deep Derry roots 21 March 2017 IRA survivors speak out 21 March 2017 McGuinness in pictures 21 March 2017 Martin McGuinness: A life in politics 20 January 2017 McGuinness' decade as deputy first minister 7 March 2017 Queen and Martin McGuinness shake hands 27 June 2012 Martin McGuinness' journey from IRA leader to meeting the Queen 22 June 2012 Martin McGuinness tells of mother's shock to find he was in IRA 26 September 2014 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-19739803.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionDalai Lama: "Relying on using force and censorship, remain a closed society... is almost like suicide" 2 | The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he hopes for a new Chinese approach to Tibet with the expected change in its leadership next month. His comments come as the Tibetan exile movement meets at its headquarters in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala to discuss its future strategy.There is growing concern over the number of Tibetans self-immolating or setting themselves on fire. Activists say 51 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009. 3 | Tibet divide 4 | China says Tibet always part of its territory 5 | Tibet had long periods of autonomy 6 | China launched a military assault in 1950 7 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 8 | Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India 9 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 10 | The Tibet issue: Two views 11 | Inside Tibet 12 | The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile are under increasing pressure - not just from Beijing but now also from their followers who are divided over how to continue their struggle against Chinese rule. 13 | Some of those gathering in Dharamsala this week want a more assertive policy, including more open backing of Tibetans setting themselves on fire, while others say this tactic is against Buddhist teachings and want another approach.The Dalai lama has steered a middle course.In a BBC interview, he said the immolations were a symptom of China's repressive rule in Tibet and called on its new leadership to accept the need for change."The new leadership must use common sense and a more holistic view to serve long term-interest. There is no other way. "Just using force, censorship and to remain a closed society is almost like suicide. Judging that way, I feel there is possibility or a real chance to change." Beijing says Tibet is an integral part of China and accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to break the Himalayan region away. The Dalai Lama says he only wants greater autonomy.But, he said, it was getting harder to reach an agreement because of an increasing divide between ethnic Tibetans and the Han Chinese who have been encouraged to move there by Beijing. 14 | More on this story Tibetan self-immolations: 'Clashes' in Sichuan province 14 August 2012 Tibetan woman dies after setting herself alight 8 August 2012 Two Tibetans set themselves on fire in Qinghai 21 June 2012 Detentions reported in Tibet capital after immolations 31 May 2012 Self-immolations shake Tibetan resolve 18 April 2012 Tibetan self-immolation activist in India dies 28 March 2012 Tibetan protests: Qinghai immolation sparks mass protest 17 March 2012 15 | Related Internet links Free Tibet Radio Free Asia Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 17 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-39854102.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | If labelling Sinn Féin as "crocodiles" was the Arlene Foster phrase that stuck at the start of the spring assembly election campaign, then the DUP leader was determined not to make the same mistake again at the outset of the Westminster battle. The ad lib "crocodile" comment emerged during answers to the press, so the DUP's Gavin Robinson was only half joking when he advised party activists that the longer they cheered the better, as it would cut down the time for those pesky enquiries from reporters. Mrs Foster originally made her "crocodile" quip after vowing there would not be an Irish Language Act under her watch. On Inside Politics last week, I questioned her several times about whether this remained her position - she did not repeat the formula, instead insisting that few people other than political activists had told her they wanted such an Act.Questioned by the Newsletter's Sam McBride, the DUP leader clarified she had ruled out an Irish Language Act "in the context of nothing else happening in terms of culture and language". 2 | She emphasised the need to respect all cultures in Northern Ireland, including "the Ulster Scots, the Orange and British cultural identity". She added that any moves forward had to be within this overall context.This change of tone on the Irish language appears to imply greater flexibility in the negotiations on restoring devolution due to recommence after the Westminster election. A senior DUP figure told me: "There's a deal there to be done, provided Sinn Féin want to do it."Previously the DUP suggested a "Public Duties Act," which would have incorporated both the Irish and Ulster Scots languages and the implementation of the Military Covenant. 3 | That was rejected by both Sinn Féin and the SDLP, on the grounds there should be a stand alone Irish Language Act. The latest Arlene Foster comments may point to a compromise, which would see an Irish Language Act introduced alongside separate legislation dealing with the Ulster Scots, Orange and British identity issues the DUP leader highlights. However, movement on the language issue is not going to take place without Sinn Féin dropping its refusal to share power with Mrs Foster until she's cleared of responsibility for the Renewable Heating Scandal. It's now clear that Sir Patrick Coghlin's inquiry into the Renewable Heating Incentive Scheme (RHI) will take at least a year if not longer. It's unimaginable the DUP leader would contemplate sitting on the sidelines for such a lengthy period. Will Sinn Féin moderate their position on the RHI in the same way that Mrs Foster has changed her tone on Irish? Or will they add to their "red lines" perhaps by elevating the importance they attach to other matters, like EU Special Status for Northern Ireland after Brexit or the introduction of same-sex marriage?What the candidates and party leaders say during this campaign should provide us with plenty of clues about whether the next round of talks is for real or just another exercise in going through the motions. 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-16197014.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A group of more than 170 islands spread over an area of the South Pacific roughly the size of Japan, Tonga is the last Polynesian monarchy.A deeply conservative, Christian country, Tonga voted in its first popularly elected parliament in 2010, ending 165 years of feudal rule.In 2015, the country elected its first non-noble prime minister.A former British protectorate, Tonga became fully independent in 1970, though it was never formally colonised.Tonga has no strategic or mineral resources and relies on agriculture, fishing and the money sent home by Tongans living abroad, many of them in New Zealand. Unemployment is high, particularly among the young. 2 | Endowed with tropical beaches, rainforest and active volcanoes, it has a developing tourist industry - its main source of hard currency.See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring 3 | FACTS 4 | George Tupou VI succeeded to the throne on the death of his elder brother, the bachelor George Tupou V, in March 2012.King George Tupou V ushered in parliamentary democracy in 2010, ending centuries of feudal dominance of government.Prime minister: 'Akalisi Pohiva 5 | Veteran leading pro-democracy campaigner 'Akalisi Pohiva became the country's first non-noble prime minister in January 2015.Having spent nearly three decades in opposition, he was elected in the wake of parliamentary elections two months earlier.Half of all incumbent MPs lost their seats in the vote, amid concern about sluggish economic growth and high unemployment.Although his Democratic Party did not gain an absolute majority, it won over enough independent MPs to form a government.Read full profiles 6 | MEDIAState radio and TV tend to be pro-government, while private broadcasters offer little independent local coverage.Privately-owned newspapers carry opposition views, but journalists can face harassment and threats of criminal charges. A Department of Information oversees all media reporting, US-based Freedom House notes.Read full media profile 7 | TIMELINESome key events in Tonga's history:1616 - Dutch explorers are the first Europeans to visit Tonga. 8 | 1773-77 - British explorer Captain James Cook visits Tonga three times.1830s - Wesleyan missionaries convert paramount chief Taufa'ahau Tupou who in turn converts fellow islanders.1875 - Taufa'ahau Tupou assumes the name of George Tupou I and establishes Tongan monarchy.1900 - Tonga becomes a British protected state but is not formally colonised. 9 | 1970 - Tonga ceases to be a British protectorate and becomes fully independent within the British Commonwealth.2010 November - First vote for a popularly elected parliament.Read full timeline 10 | More on this story Anger at Tonga lashing sentence 18 February 2010 Pacific tsunami rescue stepped up 1 October 2009 Sea service for Tonga ferry dead 25 August 2009 Tonga crowns king in lavish rite 1 August 2008 Tonga's king to cede key powers 29 July 2008 Tongan royal mourning is broken 28 December 2006 Tonga's king vows more democracy 23 November 2006 Tonga gets first elected leader 13 February 2006 11 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-35600599.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionWhy is sovereignty of the islands disputed and how serious could the row get? Rupert Wingfield-Hayes explains 2 | US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is seriously concerned about increased Chinese militarisation in the contested South China Sea.He was responding to reports Beijing has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the region.China dismissed the reports as "hype", but said it had the right under international law to defend itself.Several nations claim territory in the resource-rich South China Sea, which is also an important shipping route.A spokesman for Mr Kerry said satellite images appeared to confirm China had deployed anti-aircraft missiles on Woody or Yongxing Island in the Paracels. 3 | Flying close to Beijing's new South China Sea islands 4 | What is the South China Sea dispute about? 5 | Mr Kerry said the US expected to have a "very serious conversation" with China over its presence."There is every evidence, every day, that there has been an increase of militarisation from one kind or another. It's a serious concern," he said. 6 | The latest images of Woody Island were captured by ImageSat International. A picture dated 3 February shows a beach on the island empty. By 14 February it contains several missile launchers and support vehicles.But the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said reports were a Western media invention. He defended "the limited and necessary self-defence facilities" on islands inhabited by Chinese personnel as "consistent with the right for self-preservation and self-protection.... under the international law". 7 | China has been carrying out extensive land reclamation work in the region, which it says is legal and for civilian purposes.But the work has angered other countries which also claim the territory, and there is growing concern about the implications of the area becoming militarised.The South China Sea dispute has been a topic of debate at a meeting of South East Asian regional leaders in California.US President Barack Obama said the members had discussed the need for "tangible steps" to reduce tensions. 8 | What is the South China Sea dispute?Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years.Its islets and waters are claimed in part or in whole by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols, while the US says it opposes restrictions on freedom of navigation and unlawful sovereignty claims - by all sides, but seen by many as aimed at China.The frictions have sparked concern that the area is becoming a flashpoint with global consequences. 9 | More on this story What does disputed Paracel island look like? 17 February 2016 Flying close to Beijing's new South China Sea islands 14 December 2015 Why is the South China Sea contentious? 12 July 2016 South China Sea: US warship sails near disputed island 30 January 2016 Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou visits disputed South China Sea island 28 January 2016 10 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-35416409.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Outgoing Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou is to visit a disputed island in the South China Sea on Thursday.Taiwan claims the island - which it calls Taiping but is also known as Itu Aba - in the Spratly archipelago, a chain also claimed by China and other neighbours.Mr Ma, who is seen to be friendly towards China, has less than four months left in his presidency.Incoming president Tsai Ing-wen will not send a representative on the trip.What is the South China Sea dispute?China claims most of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands. It also sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be reunited with the mainland. 2 | Why is Ma Ying-jeou visiting now? Cindy Sui, BBC News, TaipeiIn November, the Philippines argued in arbitration it has initiated against mainland China that Taiping is just a rock not a habitable island, so its owner is only entitled to claim 12 nautical miles of surrounding sea, not a full exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Taipei says that "distorted the facts and misinterpreted the law", and if accepted, could raise serious issues for other countries holding small islands. But Taiwan will also soon have a new president, from a party that has traditionally not placed as much importance on territorial claims in the South China Sea. Mr Ma is expected to use the visit to not only reassert Taiwan's claim to Taiping, but also reiterate his call for all claimants to resolve this issue by shelving territorial claims and jointly exploring and sharing the area's resources. 3 | "The Taiping Island is an inherent part of the Republic of China's territory," said presidential spokesman Charles Chen, using the official name for Taiwan. He said the purpose of the trip was to visit Taiwanese personnel based there, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. 4 | Mr Ma will address reporters at a press conference after his trip, he added.The spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office which handles cross-straits relations, said in response that China had an "undisputable authority" over islands in the South China Sea."Protecting the rights of the country and keeping its territory whole, protecting the rights of the Chinese, are the shared responsibilities and duties of China and Taiwan," said Ma Xiaoguang.Taiwan has been building up a presence on Itu Aba/Taiping, constructing a lighthouse and upgrading a port. The largest natural island in the Spratly chain, it also has its own airstrip and a hospital.It is now the fourth biggest island overall in chain, after China's land reclamation activities on Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef, said Taiwan's coastguard last year.About 180 people live on the island which saw its last presidential visit in 2008, most of them coastguard personnel. 5 | More on this story Taiwan's first female leader, shy but steely Tsai Ing-wen 16 January 2016 Why is the South China Sea contentious? 12 July 2016 Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen: The strangest of weeks for a new leader 22 January 2016 6 | Video 7 | Taiwan: China and economy among Tsai Ing-wen's challenges ahead 18 January 2016 China-Taiwan meeting: Awkward questions Xi and Ma could ask 6 November 2015 8 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/science-environment-16109449.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | A tiny nation you may well have never heard of fears it may become an early casualty of climate change - and will almost be the first to make its entire energy supply carbon-free."By September next year, we will become the first nation using 100%-renewable energy, and number one in percentage greenhouse gas reduction in the Pacific and elsewhere," Foua Toloa told a meeting on the fringes of the UN climate conference.Tokelau's entire population would fit inside four jumbo jets, and its per-capita income is around $1,000 per year.So its greenhouse gas output is an infinitesimal fraction of the global total.Now, calling Tokelau a "country" is something of an issue. The three atolls constitute a New Zealand territory, which depends almost exclusively on New Zealand's budget for its finances, with little indigenous wealth creation. 2 | But government is largely self-administered and it has some trappings of nationhood - for example, competing in international sporting events under its own banner - and ended up under New Zealand's aegis only because of its colonial history.So why is tiny Tokelau taking the 100%-renewables path?DroughtsThe electricity mix will be about 93% solar photovoltaic cells, and 7% biodiesel made locally from coconut oil.In part, it's sound economics. Fossil fuels might be cheaper in many parts of the world - but when they have to be transported in relatively small amounts across thousands of kilometres of ocean, the cost equation changes.That might have been a factor in the New Zealand government's decision to fund the majority of the cost.But the Tokelauans say the main factor is concern over climate impacts, and a desire to show it can be done.A drought earlier this year, caused by changing rainfall patterns, was severe enough that drinking water had to be shipped from New Zealand. 3 | The droughts are typically linked to La Nina conditions, Mr Toloa said - but there's concern that climate change is exacerbating the pattern. "We had a seven month spell of no rain," he said."In the two previous droughts we could use groundwater, so we didn't need to call for help."But this time, because of the contamination of the groundwater, the salination, because of the inundation of the land from the sea, we couldn't use it."Mr Toloa, a former ulu (government leader), said the islanders were feeling other effects that they presumed were related to climate change."The land has been affected, there's a loss of species in the lagoon, changes in the fish-spawning cycles outside the lagoon - a whole set of things that are affected."My heart is really heavy as a result of the climate-change situation."Not all of these impacts may be climate-related. Ocean life, for example, is being affected by industrial-scale fishing and marine pollution, to name but two.But climate change is on Tokelauan minds, probably because the future for atolls that rise only two metres at their maximum above the waves is not, currently, a happy one.Which is why, if things go according to plan, one of the smallest and poorest and most isolated places on the planet will soon take the plunge that so many vastly bigger nations say they want to make in the next few decades. 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-11845746.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionThe boys' school principal John Kalolo said the community had not given up hope that the boys would be found alive 2 | Three teenage boys found alive after at least 50 days in a boat in the Pacific Ocean have arrived safely in Fiji.The boys, from the Tokelau Islands, a New Zealand-administered territory in the South Pacific, had been given up for dead after an unsuccessful search.The boys survived on coconuts, water they trapped on a tarpaulin and a seabird they managed to catch.Tanu Filo, the father of one of the boys, described the rescue as a "miracle". 3 | "The whole village, they were so excited and cried and they sang songs and were hugging each other in the road. Everybody was yelling and shouting the good news," he told New Zealand radio. 4 | Meanwhile the head teacher of their school, John Kalolo, told BBC World TV there had been "many tears of happiness and jubilation" in the community over their rescue.He said when they were missing people still believed they were alive, but it was still unclear how they had ended up in this situation."There are many questions we need to ask these children - we're not sure of their motives and intentions," he said.Dehydration and sunburnA tuna fishing boat picked them up and took them to Fiji, where they were escorted into harbour by a New Zealand navy patrol and met by consular officials. They were taken to hospital for a thorough examination, suffering from severe dehydration and sunburn. 5 | Sea survival stories 6 | 2005-6: Three Mexican fishermen drift across the Pacific Ocean for nine months 7 | 1992: Two fishermen from Kiribati come ashore in Samoa after 177 days adrift 8 | 1942-3: Chinese sailor survives aboard a life raft for 133 days after his ship is torpedoed in WWII 9 | 2001: Two fishermen from Samoa are rescued after four months adrift in an aluminium dinghy 10 | 1982: American sailor survives 76 days on a life raft off the Canary Islands 11 | 2009: Two Burmese men survive 26 days floating in an ice box after their ship breaks up off Australia 12 | The boys - Samu Perez and Filo Filo, both 15, and Edward Nasau, 14 - had gone missing from Atafu atoll in a small aluminium boat after an annual sporting event on 5 October.They were presumed to have died after unsuccessful searches by the New Zealand air force.The boys were then spotted north-east of Fiji on Wednesday afternoon by a member of the tuna boat's crew."We drew up next to them, and we asked if they needed any help and their reply was a very ecstatic 'Yes'," the tuna vessel's first mate, Tai Fredricsen, told the BBC."We immediately deployed our rescue craft and got them straight on-board and administered basic first aid."Mr Fredricsen said the boys had a small supply of coconuts on their boat, but that it had run out after two days. 13 | "They had a period when they were only drinking fresh water, which they were capturing during the night in a tarpaulin," he said."They also told me that two weeks prior to us rescuing them, they were able to catch a sea bird which was very lucky for them." "They did mention that during the last two days they had started drinking salt water, which could have been disastrous for them," he added. 14 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/health-38691622.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionTamika Kyd and Caitlyn Hunter have a faulty CDK13 gene 2 | A major genetic study has identified 14 new childhood developmental disorders. Scientists sequenced the genes of thousands of children from across the UK and Ireland with rare, undiagnosed conditions. The research, in the journal Nature, was co-ordinated by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge.Matthew Hurles, who led the study, said it "ended the odyssey for parents who'd spent years trying to find the cause of their child's condition".Tamika Kyd, aged 10, and Caitlyn Hunter, aged nine, have a fault on the CDK13 gene, which triggered their developmental disorder. 3 | None of their siblings is affected by the condition, which causes learning difficulties and affects their language and communication skills.So far only 11 children have been identified with the disorder in the UK.The families live just 20 minutes' drive from each other, north of London.'Gives you goosebumps'The BBC was present when they met for the first time.The families said they were astonished at how much the two girls resembled each other.Katja Kyd, mother of Tamika, told me: "To look at a stranger's child and see so many similarities with your own daughter gives you goosebumps - to look at them they could be twins." 4 | The Deciphering Developmental Disorders study aims to find the genetic causes of rare childhood conditions.Researchers screened all 20,000 genes from more than 4,000 families with an affected child.They identified 14 new developmental disorders, all caused by spontaneous new mutations not found in the DNA of either parent.They calculated that, on average, one in 300 children is born with a rare developmental disorder caused by a new mutation.This adds up to 2,000 children a year in the UK and 400,000 globally.ReassuranceAlthough Tamika and Caitlyn have the same disorder, they have some marked differences in their symptoms.Tamika has a heart defect but Caitlyn does not.Both have learning difficulties but Tamika's language and communication skills are more advanced than those of Caitlyn.Vikki Thompson, Caitlyn's mother, told me: "Seeing Tamika talking so much gives me hope that Caitlyn's speech will form." 5 | Both families were told last year that the mutation on the CDK13 gene was spontaneous and not passed on by either parent.Tamika's mother Katja said this gave her sufficient reassurance to go ahead and try for another child.Her newborn son Timo and her other daughter Aimee, aged nine, are unaffected. 'Huge relief'Both women said it was hugely beneficial to be part of the research project and to be given a definitive diagnosis for their daughter's condition.Katya said it was like "belonging to a club or a newfound family", while Vicki added: "It felt like we were on our own for the past nine years and now all that has changed."Dr Hurles, head of human genetics at the Sanger Institute, said: "Finding a diagnosis can be a huge relief for parents and enables them to link up with other families with the same disorder."Prof David Fitzpatrick, a supervising author from the MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, said the research could "give clues for further research into future therapeutics".Follow Fergus on Twitter 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-wales-politics-40598872.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | There's no disguising the frustration in UK government circles over the reaction from Cardiff to its "great repeal Bill" - formally known as the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Carwyn Jones dropped in on EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier today before issuing a joint statement with Nicola Sturgeon condemning the "naked power grab" of the legislation. That statement prompted UKIP to accuse Mr Jones of "crossing the road to pick a fight".Both first ministers say they won't recommend the Bill in its current form gets the legislative consent of AMs and MSPs.'Crisis'Not for the first time the Welsh first minister is warning of a "constitutional crisis". And not for the first time in recent weeks he has put Theresa May's government on the back foot.The first ministers' "power-grab" is what the UK government sees as an essential way of ensuring Welsh farmers (among others) can continue to trade after Brexit before UK-wide frameworks are decided. The UK government has put together a factsheet on the Bill and devolution that puts its side of the argument. 2 | Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said: "I have got to look Welsh farmers in the eye and tell them yes they will be able to have the opportunity to continue to sell their Welsh lambs in France, and across Europe. "But in order to get to that position we need this framework in place. That is fundamental to the trade arrangements." Discuss.In other news, Wales's youngest MP has delivered his maiden speech. Ben Lake, 24, gave a traditional speech that included a generous tribute to his Liberal Democrat predecessor Mark Williams: "He gained the respect of this House, and the affection of the constituency, thanks to over 12 years of tireless service," said Mr Lake. "Thousands of people from across the county have benefited from his advice and assistance, and I hope to continue with his good work. I wish him, and his family, the very best for the future." 'Quick-witted'As is traditional, he spoke of the delights of his constituency. "We can also justifiably claim to be the capital of Welsh culture," he said. "In addition to housing the National Library and two universities, Ceredigion has two thriving publishing houses in Talybont and Llandysul, and the recently restored castle at Cardigan played host to the first national Eisteddfod in 1176."He also praised "the emphatic landscape and the famous quick-witted humour of the Cardi" but also noted Ceredigion's challenges. "Several of my predecessors in this House have pointed to the tragic irony that Ceredigion bestows upon its youth an unrivalled education, but offers them a paucity of job opportunities and affordable housing."For decades, our county has lost the potential and the vitality of its youth. Around half her young people leave the county by the time they reach 25 years of age."His speech was relatively uncontroversial, although Bridgend Labour MP Madeleine Moon picked him up on one point."I take exception a little bit," she said, "to his suggestion that Ceredigion is the finest place in Wales to go on holiday. Porthcawl is obviously a great seaside town but what I would say I hope his speech has inspired those who are listening to think of Wales as their holiday destination this year." 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/health-40752061.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The protracted and bitter dispute over Charlie Gard began with the breakdown in the relationship of trust between doctors and parents.When his medical team, with second opinions from several leading centres, decided that his brain damage was irreversible, they believed there was nothing that could help him. That was six months ago, but they had no power to end Charlie's life support without the backing of his parents.That meant Great Ormond Street Hospital had to apply to the courts.A succession of judges ruled it was in Charlie's best interests to die, because he may be suffering and the proposed experimental treatment in the United States was "futile".Some commentators in the United States said Charlie's plight was the result of the UK having a state-run national health service.Mr Justice Francis said that was "nonsensical".Many will still question why Charlie's parents were not granted their wish to explore every option, even if the chances of improvement were slim.'False hopes'Connie Yates and Chris Gard were buoyed by support from an American neurologist, Prof Michio Hirano, who has pioneered an experimental treatment, a powder called nucleoside therapy.But he gave his support without having requested Charlie's full medical records. Dr Hirano was invited to examine Charlie in January and eventually did so in July. 2 | The guardian appointed to represent Charlie in court said if novel therapies were to be offered it was "imperative that those offering to provide them are fully aware of the clinical condition" so that "offers are made on an informed basis and without setting up false hopes and expectations".In court, there was discussion of the differing ethical approaches to experimental treatment between the UK and the USA.In the United States, it may be considered appropriate to give a patient a drug even though it cannot help them, on the grounds that it helps others in the future.In the UK, patients cannot receive drugs that doctors know will not help them personally. As well as the legal dispute, there was a second battle fought very effectively online by Charlie's parents. They crowd-funded £1.3m, with more than 80,000 donations, and there were petitions and a Facebook site called Charlie's Army.Moving imagesThe Pope and Donald Trump were among those who tweeted their support - Charlie's fate became an international issue with pro-life groups attaching themselves to the campaign.The judge said it was one of the pitfalls of social media that the watching world felt it right to have opinions without knowing the facts of the case. Doctors and nurses at Great Ormond Street, one of the world's most renowned children's hospitals, were subject to abuse and even death threats - which Charlie's parents condemned.In such cases, medical staff always remain anonymous, but this made it hard to counter the repeated anguished public appeals by Charlie's parents, and the moving images of their son. Great Ormond Street Hospital said Charlie's parents had tirelessly advocated for what they sincerely believed was right for their son and nobody could fault them for doing so. The hospital said it would be giving careful thought to what it could learn from the "bruising" court case - and it added that everyone wished there could have been a less tragic outcome. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-16094646.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Known for its autocratic government and large gas reserves, Turkmenistan also has a reputation as an island of stability in restive Central Asia.Despite its gas wealth, much of Turkmenistan's population is still impoverished. After independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 the country entered a period of isolation that has only recently begun to end. Turkmenistan produces roughly 70 billion cubic metres of natural gas each year and about two-thirds of its exports go to Russia's Gazprom gas monopoly.The government has sought out gas deals with several other countries, including China and neighbouring Iran, however, to reduce its dependency on Russia. Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring 2 | FACTS 3 | Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has ruled Turkmenistan since 2007 when he succeeded life-long president Saparmyrat Niyazov. Following in his predecessor's footsteps, Mr Berdymukhamedov is an autocratic ruler who has built a personality cult. Officially titled the "Arkadag" (The Patron), he is also prime minister and commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces.Constitutional changes passed in 2016 extended presidential term limits from five to seven years and scrapped the 70-year age limit which was the only legal barrier to Mr Berdymukhamedov remaining in power indefinitely. In February 2017, Mr Berdymukhamedov was sworn in as president for a third consecutive term. MEDIA The Turkmen government has an absolute monopoly of the media. The authorities monitor media outlets, control printing presses, block websites, monitor internet use and lay down editorial policies.Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says a 2013 media law which bans censorship, is a "complete fiction". The watchdog says independent journalists work in secret, reporting for outlets based abroad.An "atmosphere of fear" prevents reporting of negative news, says Freedom House.The state controls internet access, which is prohibitively expensive for most citizens. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LiveJournal are blocked, as are foreign news and opposition websites. RSF lists Turkmenistan as an "Enemy of the Internet".Read full media profileTIMELINESome key events in Turkmenistan's history:6th century BC - Area of what is now Turkmenistan forms part of the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great.1881 - Area of present-day Turkmenistan incorporated into Russian Turkestan after Battle of Gok Tepe.1925 - Turkmenistan becomes a fully-fledged constituent republic of the USSR. It does not gain independence until 1991. 2009 December - Pipeline opened for gas exports to China, breaking Russia's stranglehold on Turkmenistan's energy reserves.2011 December - Transparency International names Turkmenistan as joint third most corrupt country in the world. 4 | More on this story Turkmen leader orders annual horse beauty contests 7 February 2011 Turkmen natural gas pipeline Tapi to cross Afghanistan 11 December 2010 Turkmenistan pledges gas for EU's Nabucco pipeline 19 November 2010 Turkmenistan ex-leader Niyazov's golden statue toppled 26 August 2010 Turkmen leader backs moves towards private media 10 July 2010 Turkmenistan opens Iran gas link 6 January 2010 Turkmenistan-China gas link opens 14 December 2009 Rare glimpse inside hidden Turkmenistan 19 September 2009 In pictures: Turkmen celebrations 30 October 2006 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-33438072.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | "Big. Very Big". That's how one well-placed insider responded when asked to describe the Budget.It ought to be. After all, this is the first Conservative budget in almost 20 years. The last was delivered by Ken Clarke in 1996. It has to deliver promises repeated for so long but yet to be delivered, like the cut to inheritance tax. It has to fulfil the Tories' stated goals of cutting spending, cutting welfare and cutting tax whilst still claiming to be the "workers' party" pursuing a One Nation "we're all in it together" philosophy.Pace slowedAnd it comes at a time when what politicians love to call "difficult decisions" will never be easier to take.After all, George Osborne no longer has to haggle with coalition partners, he faces a Labour Party which is still struggling to absorb its defeat and he is once again able to raise the spectre of Greece - "if a country's not in control of its borrowing the borrowing takes control of the country". 2 | Nevertheless, the chancellor is expected to slow the pace of planned welfare cuts so that he will take three years instead of two to reach his promised target of £12bn.I understand he will unveil proposals for £8bn of cuts by 2017/8 and a further £4bn by 2018/9.Sources are stressing that this is very unlikely to make the cuts less controversial or to stop what Mr Osborne has called the "depressingly predictable howls of protest" which he expects to greet his Budget.OBR criticismIn the last Parliament the deepest welfare cuts the government achieved amounted to £8bn over two years and experts have pointed out that the easy routes to saving money have already been taken - for example, ending the link between benefit rises and the higher RPI rate of inflation.The main targets for welfare cuts are expected to be tax credits - in particular child tax credit - housing benefit and the elements of Employment Support Allowance which are paid to those deemed capable of work related activity (my colleagues Allegra Stratton and Michael Buchanan have examined these in depth).The chancellor may also choose to slow the pace of overall spending cuts, although the Treasury is refusing to confirm this.This would be seen as a response to criticism from the Office for Budget Responsibility after the last Budget of what they described as a "roller coaster" ride in public spending - sharp cuts for two years followed by steep rises.The OECD has also called on the government to reconsider plans to front-load spending cuts at the beginning of this Parliament.Wriggle roomSome forecasters have suggested that the deficit could be as much as £15bn lower than it was forecast to be just three months ago when George Osborne last delivered a Budget.This would allow him a little bit of wriggle room to slow his spending cuts at the same time as pursuing tax cuts, particularly if he can also raise significant sums by increasing the tax paid by non-doms and by top-rate taxpayers on their pension contributions. Mr Osborne will, as expected, reject calls for him to cut the top rate of income tax from 45p to 40p and will instead make further progress towards the Tories' target of increasing the personal income tax allowance to £12,500 and the threshold for higher rate tax to £50,000.If he does all this and more the Budget will certainly live up to the pre-billing. Which word you add after "big" will, of course, depend on your political persuasion. 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-34451326.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China has cautiously welcomed a free trade deal struck between 12 Pacific Rim countries, the biggest in decades.The US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) cuts trade tariffs and sets common standards in member countries including Japan and the US.China said it was "open to any mechanism" that follows World Trade Organization rules.But it did not indicate it would join the TPP, which still needs to be ratified by lawmakers in each country.China, which was not part of the negotiations, has announced its own rival trade agreement. 2 | The TPP, which covers about 40% of the world economy, was struck on Monday after five days of talks in Atlanta in the US.Those talks were the culmination of five years of negotiations between member countries led by the US. The deal is seen by some as a counter balance to China's growing economic influence in the Asia Pacific region.'Regional stability'China's Ministry of Commerce called the TPP "one of the key free trade agreements for the Asia-Pacific region", according to a statement on Xinhua state news agency website."China hopes the TPP pact and other free trade arrangements in the region can boost each other and contribute to the Asia-Pacific's trade, investment and economic growth," it said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday the deal signified a "new Asia-Pacific century", but added that it would have strategic meaning if China joined in the future."It would contribute largely to our nation's security and Asia-Pacific regional stability," he said.What is the TPP? 3 | Media playback is unsupported on your device 4 | Media captionWhich countries are in the TPP and what does it mean? 5 | How did it start? With a trade agreement signed 10 years ago between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.How big is it? Pretty big. The 12 countries have a population of about 800 million and are responsible for 40% of world trade.What are the criticisms? That negotiations have been conducted in secret, and that it favours big corporations.Who benefits most? Japan stands to reap huge economic benefits from the deal, while for the US it is an important strategic move.What happens next? The agreement will need to be ratified by each of the individual member countries.What people say about TPPWhat is the TPP and why does it matter?TPP trade deal: Winners and losersJapan has made concessions to open its market wider to food exporters including Australia, New Zealand and the US.Under the deal, 98% of tariffs will be eliminated on a wide range of products including: dairy, beef, sugar, wine, rice, horticulture and seafood, manufactured products, resources and energy.Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the TPP "a gigantic foundation stone for our future prosperity".Australian sugar cane-growers are unhappy, however, because they wanted more access to the US market than was agreed upon.Canada and Japan have agreed to allow greater access to their tightly controlled dairy markets, while New Zealand convinced the US to accept more of its milk products.Prime Minister John Key said this meant "more jobs, higher incomes and a better standard of living". 6 | More on this story TPP trade deal: Who are the winners and losers? 6 October 2015 Trans-Pacific free trade deal agreed creating vast partnership 6 October 2015 TPP: What is it and why does it matter? 23 January 2017 TPP: What's at stake with the trade deal? 22 April 2014 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-pacific-16340072.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Tuvalu is a group of nine tiny islands in the South Pacific which won independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. Five of the islands are coral atolls, the other four consist of land rising from the sea bed.Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, all are low-lying, with no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5m above sea level. Local politicians have campaigned against climate change, arguing that it could see the islands swamped by rising sea levels.Life on the islands is simple and often harsh. There are no streams or rivers, so the collection of rain is essential.Coconut palms cover most of the islands, and copra - dried coconut kernel - is practically the only export commodity. Increasing salination of the soil threatens traditional subsistence farming. 2 | Tuvalu has shown ingenuity by exploiting another source of income. It has sold its internet suffix - .tv - to a Californian company for several million dollars a year in continuing revenue. The company sells the suffix on to television broadcasters.Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring 3 | FACTS 4 | Enele Sosene Sopoaga was appointed prime minister in August 2013, succeeding Willy Telavi who was dismissed by the governor-general for his failure to convene parliament for eight months. The younger brother of former Prime Minister Saufatu Sopoaga, he served as a civil servant and diplomat before entering politics in 2010.He has been one of the most prominent spokesmen for his country on climate change in his various capacities as ambassador to the UN, foreign minister and head of the Tuvaluan delegation to the Cancun international climate change conference in 2010.Tuvalu has no political parties. Allegiances revolve around personalities and geography. The 15-member parliament is popularly elected every four years. The prime minister is chosen by MPs.MEDIA Many islanders use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations.Read full media profileTIMELINE Some key dates in Tuvalu's history:14th century AD - Samoans, Tongans and settlers from other Polynesian islands migrate to the islands1568 and 1595 - Spaniard Alvaro Mendana de Neyra sights the islands of Nui and Niulakita on two separate expeditions.1819 - A ship owned by British MP Edward Ellice visits Funafuta. The captain names the island Ellice Island. Later this name was applied to all nine atolls.1850-75 - "Blackbirding" - the kidnapping of islanders for forced labour on plantations in Fiji and Queensland - and the introduction of European diseases reduces the population from 20,000 to 3,000. In 1863 Peruvian slave traders kidnap 400 islanders - nearly two-thirds of the population of the islands of Funafuti and Nukulaelae.1892 - Britain declares a joint protectorate over the Ellice Islands and the Gilbert Islands.1975 - Ellice Islands become a separate British dependency, under the pre-colonial name of Tuvalu meaning "eight standing together" which refers to the eight populated atolls.1978 - Independence.1989 - UN lists Tuvalu as one of a number of island groups most likely to disappear beneath the sea in the 21st century because of global warming.Read full timeline 5 | More on this story Low-lying Pacific islands 'growing not sinking' 3 June 2010 Tuvalu vows to go carbon neutral 20 July 2009 Tuvalu struggles to hold back tide 22 January 2008 Tuvalu braces for high tides 20 February 2004 Sinking feeling in Tuvalu 28 August 2002 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-40402184.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Northern Ireland will receive an extra £1bn over the next two years as part of the deal that will see the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 MPs back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes.DUP leader Arlene Foster said the "wide-ranging" pact was "good for Northern Ireland and the UK" - so where will the money be spent?The heart of the financial package is infrastructure spending - £400m of it over two years. That is a significant sum given that Northern Ireland's annual infrastructure budget is about £1bn.The deal specifically mentions the York Street Interchange, a project to ease congestion where three major roads meet in Belfast. 2 | It is expected to cost about £150m, so there should be plenty left over for other major projects.They could include a planned transport hub in the centre of Belfast and other major roads schemes like the completion of the A5 or A6.Broadband 3 | On top of the £400m, there is a further £150m for ultra-fast broadband.This was a project which was already being scoped by the Department of the Economy before the collapse of Stormont.It is ultimately about improving the connectivity of rural businesses.Previous Stormont/Westminster deals have also included infrastructure but they typically involved allowing Stormont to borrow more.This time it is cold, hard, no-strings-attached cash.Health and education The money for health and education is more modest - given that a figure of £1bn for health alone was being mentioned during the negotiations.Where will the money go? 4 | Health: A minimum of £250m, with £200m directed to health service transformation and £50m towards mental health provision. It will also receive £50m to "address immediate pressures" 5 | Education: £50m to "address immediate pressures" 6 | Infrastructure: £400m for projects including delivery the York Street Interchange, plus £150m to provide ultra-fast broadband across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's capital budget is currently about £1bn per year. 7 | Deprivation: £100m over five years targeted to deprived communities 8 | VAT and Air Passenger Duty tax: Agreed to further consultation 9 | Corporation tax: Agreed to work towards devolving the tax to Stormont 10 | City deals and Enterprise Zones: Agreed to "comprehensive and ambitious set" of city deals and "limited number" of Enterprise Zones 11 | There is a minimum of £250m for health and and we can assume it will get about half the "immediate pressures" money, bringing it to a total of £300m.That will help ease the problems with waiting lists and give the system some breathing space ahead of a major reform programme.The "immediate pressures" money for education (about £50m) will go some way to easing a growing row with head teachers who have said they will not impose any more cuts.There is also £100m to be spent on deprived communities over five years.Social investment It will be interesting to see what the delivery mechanism for that money will be. 12 | Stormont's Social Investment Fund, which was also designed to help those communities, has been mired in controversy. Another part of this deal is to give flexibility to a previously agreed £500m fund for investment in shared education and housing projects.Stormont has struggled to spend this money, in its first year just £3m of a £50m allocation was spent.So its is possible that the new flexibility will allow all that money to go into general infrastructure spending. 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-18684895.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Chinese officials have halted the construction of a copper alloy plant in Sichuan province following violent protests by local residents.Local officials said large crowds of residents gathered on Sunday and Monday in Shifang city to protest against the plant on environmental grounds.Both police and residents were injured in the clashes as bottles were thrown and cars damaged, they said. Officials said they would now consult residents on the project.Local authorities said hundreds of residents and students were involved in the protests, while state-run Global Times, quoting an unnamed police officer, said "several thousand" took part. 2 | A statement on the incident on the city's Sina Weibo account said the government would not restart the project "until the majority of people support it". 3 | Analysis 4 | By Martin PatienceBBC News, Beijing 5 | This is not the first time that protests over the environmental impact of heavy industry plants have broken out in China. 6 | In recent years, the public has become more aware of its rights - and more vocal when it comes to issues of public health. 7 | While China has achieved astonishing economic growth in the past few decades, it has come at a huge environmental cost. 8 | The country's growing middle class worry about air and water pollution. They are concerned about the impact it will have on their children and are increasingly prepared to protest. 9 | Last year, the authorities were forced to close a chemical plant in the north-eastern city of Dalian following similar protests. 10 | Authorities face a huge challenge - they must balance the demand for continued economic growth against rising public anger over pollution. 11 | Recent high-profile mass protests in China 12 | "Work teams will be sent to all communities and schools to listen to people's opinions and suggestions," they added.But one woman in Shifang told the BBC that the streets were still "completely chaotic", with the government sending out "lots of armed police and riot police". People were still gathered in front of the city government office, she added."The whole thing started with students. Shifang was to build something harmful for future generations, so the people felt very uncomfortable about it," she said.Injured protestersThe Shifang city government said 13 protesters were injured and sent to hospital on Monday after police dispersed the crowd with tear gas."Some people gathered outside the government building and began to throw bricks and water bottles at the building, government workers and police officers from 13:30, resulting in some injuries to police officers," the city government said.On Tuesday, Shifang police issued a warning to protesters. "Anyone who has incited, planned or organised illegal gatherings, protest marches or demonstrations or those who have engaged in smashing and looting... will be punished severely," it said in a statement. The statement also warned people against using the internet or text messages to organise "illegal gatherings". Photos showing injured protesters were circulating online, but these could not be independently verified. 13 | More on this story China's mass protests 3 July 2012 China pollution 'has health toll' 16 November 2011 Mass protest at China solar plant 18 September 2011 China unrest shuts chemical plant 14 August 2011 China lead poisoning 'cover-up' 15 June 2011 Poisoning shuts China factories 30 May 2011 14 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/election-us-2016-37918304.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Donald Trump is a hugely effective communicator. A famous entertainer once said of him he's the best live performer who doesn't sing and doesn't play a musical instrument. He communicates brilliantly clearly. But one thing that might have been lost on some of his audience was his promise to deliver "Brexit plus, plus, plus". The reasons why Britain pulled out of the EU have not been a central concern to many Americans, but what it signified to Donald Trump was something important. If a country as boring, sensible, "small c" conservative was going to vote for Brexit - with all the uncertainty it would bring - he was sure that the American people could also be persuaded to make their own leap. 2 | I went with Donald Trump to the reopening of his Turnberry golf course on Scotland's west coast, the day after the Brexit vote. Five ways the world could changeFive reasons Donald Trump wonWhat will President Trump do first?The hotel developer who became presidentHe gave a news conference on the ninth tee, just alongside the Atlantic Ocean. That day the 3,000-mile stretch of water between Britain and America never seemed shorter. It was when he became convinced that the American people would rally to his message of MAGA - Make America Great Again.And they have. 3 | Donald Trump recognised the fury of blue-collar America that felt the country was heading in the wrong direction; the concern of people who felt that immigration had got out of control, that trade deals had left American workers at a disadvantage, that Democrats would try to take away their guns, and skew the Supreme Court in a more liberal direction. And he recognised maybe an over-riding narrative that the country was changing too fast and in ways that the politicians in Washington didn't recognise or care about. So his message as the political outsider, that he would tear down the walls of the establishment and use the left-over bricks and masonry to build a wall along the southern border, resonated.The campaign in the final weeks was turbulent in all directions. He came through the Access Hollywood tape scandal. Women came forward to say that he had made unwanted advances to them. There were Twitter storms of varying intensity. 4 | Hillary Clinton would have problems of her own with the intervention of the FBI in this campaign. Who knows what impact that had?One thing that never wavered throughout all this was the huge crowds turning up at Mr Trump's rallies, believing that he was the answer to their prayers. That gave the billionaire businessman an unshakable confidence that the pollsters and analysts and the media were not seeing what he was seeing: many more people would turn out to vote for him than the conventional instruments of political measurement would acknowledge. Mr Trump was right again. His support was consistently understated.And so in the pages of American history, a new and astonishing chapter has been written. A man with no experience of government in any shape or form, and who's never held elected office, is the next president of the United States. He's confounded his critics and detractors. And Mr Trump will go to the White House with a clean sweep, and huge power - the presidency, a Republican Senate and Republican control of the House of Representatives. He's got the means to deliver. He'll be able to get his appointee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. He won't have the deadlock that Barack Obama had to contend with. He's promised to make America great again. Now he's got to deliver. 5 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-19257305.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Two more Tibetans are reported to have set themselves on fire in Tibetan areas of China, in protest against Chinese rule.A monk named Lungtok and a man identified as Tashi set themselves alight in Aba, Sichuan province, on Monday evening, said Tibetan sources.Clashes between Chinese security personnel and Tibetans reportedly broke out following the self-immolations.More than 40 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the past year. Five - these two men and three previous protesters - have self-immolated in the last 10 days alone, say campaigners, in what appears to be an escalation of Tibetan protests inside China. 2 | An unconfirmed report says one Tibetan was beaten to death.'Batons spiked with nails'Twenty-year-old Lungtok and 21-year-old Tashi "set themselves on fire inside a prayer-wheel hut near Kirti Monastery in Ngaba Town", reported campaign group Free Tibet, using the Tibetan name for the town which China refers to as Aba."Once they were in flames, [they] came out of the hut and walked towards the street now known as Martyrs' Street," overtly linking their action to the protests of previous self-immolators, it said.Chinese paramilitary police quickly moved in with extinguishers, local sources said, and whisked away the two men. Free Tibet said Lungtok died and Tashi's condition was unknown.Multiple reports suggest that following the self-immolations Tibetans began to demonstrate and their numbers quickly increased."Eyewitnesses report that some demonstrators were beaten with metal batons spiked with nails and that some people were dragged away," said Free Tibet.Many people were injured and some were detained, it said. 3 | The Tibet Divide 4 | China says Tibet always part of its territory 5 | Tibet had long periods of autonomy 6 | China launched a military assault in 1950 7 | Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959 8 | Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India 9 | Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence 10 | The Tibet issue: Two views 11 | Inside Tibet 12 | A source who spoke to Radio Free Asia (RFA) said one Tibetan was beaten to death, but this report has not been confirmed. RFA also carried a report of a third self-immolation, but this too was unconfirmed.'Incitement'A woman who answered the phone at the Aba police department denied any self-immolations or protests had taken place, reported the Associated Press news agency.Kirti Monastery has been the focus of protests for over a year now and is ringed by Chinese security forces, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing. But they have proved unable to halt the self-immolations.China's leaders blame the Dalai Lama, the Tibetans' exiled spiritual leader, for inciting the self-immolations and encouraging separatism. He rejects this, and both activist groups and the Tibetan government-in-exile say the self-immolations are protests against tight Chinese control of the region and religious repression. 13 | More on this story Tibetan woman dies after setting herself alight 8 August 2012 Two Tibetans set themselves on fire in Qinghai 21 June 2012 Detentions reported in Tibet capital after immolations 31 May 2012 Self-immolations shake Tibetan resolve 18 April 2012 Tibetan self-immolation activist in India dies 28 March 2012 Tibetan protests: Qinghai immolation sparks mass protest 17 March 2012 14 | Related Internet links Free Tibet Radio Free Asia Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 16 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-wales-politics-40775291.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | If the transcript of a parliamentary select committee hearing were an obvious candidate for a musical then Andrew Lloyd Webber would probably have got there first.But Lord Lloyd-Webber has left the stage clear for the creative brains behind Committee or The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Takes Oral Evidence on Whitehall's Relationship With Kids Company - to give the musical its full title.It is based on the verbatim transcript of the grilling of Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh and chair of trustees Alan Yentob (who is a BBC presenter and former BBC creative director).Committee members who appear as characters in the show include Conservative former Welsh Secretaries Cheryl Gillan and David Jones and veteran Welsh Labour MP Paul Flynn.London's Donmar Warehouse stresses "this production has not been authorised by any participant or Parliament" but as a veteran observer of these things I'd suggest there is little for Parliament to get too upset about. 2 | It displays a fair insight into the way select committees work. Early on, a clerk reveals to the audience: "All select committees are hoping their report gets their chair an appearance on the Today programme - that's the golden thing, the 8:10am slot on the Today programme". Cue a tuneful chorus of "the 8:10 am slot" from the cast. 3 | Director Adam Penford said (during rehearsals): "The idea of doing a new verbatim musical based on the transcript of a select committee hearing is quite a crazy idea but potentially incredibly exciting. "Whilst it's part of the musical function to explore how we hold ourselves to account as a society it also asks multiple questions about the relationship of government to the people." The production presented new challenges for the actors. Robert Hands, who plays David Jones, said: "I've never played a real person before and I didn't know I could do it, I was a bit worried about it actually."He needn't have worried. Indeed, every member of the cast is thoroughly convincing and instantly recognisable to anyone who watched the original hearing or knows the MPs involved. 'Ectoplasm'Cheryl Gillan went to see it with other committee members. Her verdict? "A very interesting treatment of a very serious matter using the words that are in the public domain but surreal to see yourself portrayed on stage." Paul Flynn is played by Anthony O'Donnell ('Dai Davies' in Stella), who delivers Flynn questions - "a spiel of psychobabble, a torrent of words, verbal ectoplasm" directed at Batmanghelidjh - with the gusto of the original.The Newport West MP tells me he's looking forward to seeing it and meeting O'Donnell. He remembers Camila Batmanghelidjh's evidence with frustration. "It was all about distraction and changing the subject, throwing a dead cat on the table." A frosty exchange between the two of them about spending £150 of the charity's money on a pair of shoes for a client is given a suitable theatrical treatment.David Jones recalls: "It was the strangest parliamentary event I have been involved in. It was bizarre, the whole thing. Camila's conduct was extraordinary and in the end I gave up on her and just asked Alan Yentob questions."I think it was valuable and I think the value of it was that action is being taken as a consequence of it." It was revealed on Monday that the Insolvency Service is trying to get the charity's directors, including Camila Batmanghelidjh and Alan Yentob, barred from holding company directorships for up to six years.Paul Flynn also believes there is "unfinished business" in the committee's investigations. You can sample the musical here or see it for yourself at the Donmar Warehouse, where it runs until August 12. 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-politics-36461998.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | UKIP leader Nigel Farage takes part alongside David Cameron in Tuesday's ITV special debate on the EU, but research from his own supporters questions his helpfulness to their cause. Mr Farage should only be used "sparingly" when Brexit campaigners target blue-collar workers, because of his potential to alienate voters with "a divisive or reactionary tone on issues like immigration". That's according to a report produced for his own allies.A strategic analysis commissioned by the Leave.EU movement said that campaign themes "should be delivered by someone other than Nigel Farage". It argues that some voters view Mr Farage negatively, which "hurts the message", and "the Leave campaign does not have the luxury to allow this to happen". But it also says that Mr Farage could be deployed to "keep the pot boiling" and "at times of a specific crisis in migration, for example, to underline the negative effects of immigration on working households".'Outrage'Mr Farage is well-established as a figure in British politics who provokes starkly diverse reactions, deeply inspiring many voters while equally profoundly infuriating many others. 2 | His appearance on Tuesday night in ITV's special EU debate, on the same programme as David Cameron, has aroused controversy - mainly from the official Leave campaign who said ITV's choice of Mr Farage rather than a Conservative was an "outrage".But what is surprising is that this analysis does not stem from Mr Farage's enemies, but from his allies. He backed the application by the Grassroots Out movement (which included Leave.EU) to be designated as the official leading Leave campaign in the referendum.Grassroots Out included this research as part of their lengthy submission to the Electoral Commission to justify why their group (with Mr Farage playing a prominent role) should have been designated, rather than the rival Vote Leave organisation which actually succeeded. It is hard to see why it would have encouraged the Commission to pick GO. 'Closed and neurotic'There are some other interesting features of this strategic report, which is a detailed 50-page demographic and geographic analysis of voter characteristics aimed at helping Leave.EU target the Labour vote. It says that voters in blue collar working households have "closed personality traits, which are associated with social conservatism". It goes on: "They tend to hold dogmatic and closed positions on issues such as immigration, Europe and welfare ... They are also slightly neurotic, which leads them to emphasise the unfairness in issues such as welfare or immigration. The combination of closed and neurotic personality types means they have fairly stark and blunt views".The report was produced by Ian Warren, an elections analyst who runs the Election Data website. He has provided expert advice for a range of political forces, including Labour at the last general election and UKIP previously. A Grassroots Out spokesman said: "This report was about the Labour vote. The fact that Nigel Farage isn't the best person to get across to Labour voters isn't exactly shocking news. The reason why it was included in our submission is neither here nor there."All political campaigning organisations commission this kind of strategic research to help their target their communications, but it is unusual for it to become publicly available.The Electoral Commission redacted large sections of the applications to be chosen as the lead campaigns on each side before releasing them in April, particularly the evidence on campaigning capacity, but included this report in the published material. However, I have not seen it reported anywhere until now. You can follow Martin Rosenbaum on Twitter as @rosenbaum6 3 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-34665539.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionThe BBC's Carrie Gracie explains China's one-child policy 2 | China has decided to end its decades-long one-child policy, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports.Couples will now be allowed to have two children, it said, citing a statement from the Communist Party.The controversial policy was introduced nationally in 1979, to slow the population growth rate. It is estimated to have prevented about 400 million births. However concerns at China's ageing population led to pressure for change. Couples who violated the one-child policy faced a variety of punishments, from fines and the loss of employment to forced abortions. 3 | The decision to allow families to have two children was designed "to improve the balanced development of population'' and to deal with an aging population, according to the statement from the Community Party's Central Committee carried by the official Xinhua News Agency (in Chinese) on Thursday.Currently about 30% of China's population is over the age of 50. The total population of the country is around 1.36 billion.The Communist Party began formally relaxing national rules two years ago, allowing couples in which at least one of the pair is an only child to have a second child.China's one-child policy 4 | Media playback is unsupported on your device 5 | Media captionJohn Sudworth examines the painful legacy of China's one-child policy 6 | Introduced in 1979, the policy meant that many Chinese citizens - around a third, China claimed in 2007 - could not have a second child without incurring a fine 7 | In rural areas, families were allowed to have two children if the first was a girl 8 | Other exceptions included ethnic minorities and - since 2013 - couples where at least one was a single child 9 | Campaigners say the policy led to forced abortions, female infanticide, and the under-reporting of female births 10 | It was also implicated as a cause of China's gender imbalance 11 | What was China's one-child policy?Trauma and sympathy shared onlineCorrespondents say that despite the relaxation of the rules, many couples may opt to only have one child, as one-child families have become the social norm.Critics say that even a two-child policy will not boost the birth rate enough, the BBC's John Sudworth reports.And for those women who want more than two children, nor will it end the state's insistence on the right to control their fertility, he adds."As long as the quotas and system of surveillance remains, women still do not enjoy reproductive rights," Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch told AFP.I lost two siblings - by Juliana Liu, BBC News Hong Kong correspondent 12 | I was born in 1979, the year the one-child policy was implemented. And even then, I wasn't supposed to be born. In my parents' work unit, there were also quotas for babies. By the time my mother announced her pregnancy, the quotas were all used up for the year. But kind-hearted officials decided to look the other way and allowed my birth. My would-be siblings were less lucky. As a result of the policy, my mother had to endure two abortions. Even today, she talks about 'Number Two' and 'Number Three' and what they might have been like.Read more personal storiesCarrie Gracie: U-turn may not bring prosperityWriting in The Conversation, Stuart Gietel-Basten, associate professor of social policy at the University of Oxford, says the reform with do little to change China's population and is instead a "pragmatic response to an unpopular policy that made no sense". The announcement in China came on the final day of a summit of the Communist Party's policy-making Central Committee, known as the fifth plenum.The party also announced growth targets and its next five year plan. 13 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/uk-northern-ireland-40902211.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | The saga of BBC presenter Stephen Nolan and the eBikes has undeniable comic potential.As my esteemed colleague considered whether he should get a battery-assisted cycle, the thoughts of Sgt Pluck from Flann O'Brien's Third Policeman came into my head.Just as an e-Bike is in some ways half-vehicle, half-cycle, could Nolan eventually himself become "half-broadcaster, half-bicycle", not heard so much on the airwaves but instead, in the words of Flann, spending "a lot of his time leaning with one elbow on walls, or standing propped by one foot at kerbstones"?Now, though, the appropriate literary allusion has changed to another masterpiece which, like The Third Policeman, is only half comic.Joseph Heller's famous Catch 22 dictated that Captain John Yossarian could not get out of flying for the US Air Force during World War Two on grounds of insanity. 2 | Catch 22 stipulated that if he applied for a dispensation it showed he must have a sane regard for his own safety, so could not be mentally ill.Stormont stand-offNolan's investigations into the regulations regarding eBikes in Northern Ireland revealed that the legislation covering them was never updated in line with the rest of the UK, and the Stormont stand-off is making it impossible to rectify the regulations.Catch 22 applies because eBike riders are being told they must register, licence and MOT their vehicles.However, the Nolan Show revealed that this is simply impossible, and officials are aware of the "double bind". A caller said staff at a local MOT centre had started laughing when he had enquired about getting his eBike tested.The absurdity of the situation is underlined by the latest guidance from the cycle retailers Halfords telling eBike owners they might have to disconnect their batteries to use their machines legally on Northern Ireland's roads.The problem of local regulations lagging behind laws elsewhere in the UK predates devolution - way back in the early 1990s I was reporting on the deficiencies of the Order in Council system that operated under direct rule. 3 | Indeed, it seems the roots of the eBike debacle may go back that far. Once devolution was in place, there should have been the potential for a small jurisdiction like Northern Ireland to become a fast-responding legislative laboratory, pioneering innovative approaches to problems.However, the administrative and party political drag in the system all too often meant we continued to move at a glacial pace.The adoption of commonsense regulations from elsewhere in the UK, as in the eBike saga, should surely operate on a much quicker default basis than is currently the case. Now the wider Stormont Catch 22 is holding up not just eBike regulation, but compensation for victims of historic abuse in children's homes, changes to the law on domestic violence, and any formal executive input to the Brexit debate. Items in abeyanceAlso being held up are consideration of a working group's report on the sensitive issue of fatal foetal abnormality, the future of outdoor education centres, nursery hours for children with special educational needs - the list of items in abeyance goes on. The rest of the UK thinks we are living off the largesse of the DUP's £1bn package. However, even that cannot be distributed while the current Catch 22, regarding rule by civil servants versus full-blown direct rule, remains unresolved.This helps explain why the impact of the latest tranche of money for the health service is so limited.When party negotiators return at the end of the month. will they steer a way through these multiple chicanes? Or will they stall once again, like eBike riders with no batteries? Is it about good government or, to quote Flann O'Brien again, "is it about a bicycle?" 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/health-38691623.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Doctors in Sheffield are pioneering the use of a compact MRI scanner for imaging the brains of premature babies.The machine, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, is one of only two purpose-built neonatal MRI scanners in the world.At present, ultrasound is normally used to scan the brains of newborns.Prof Paul Griffiths, of the University of Sheffield, said MRI was better at showing the structures of the brain and abnormalities more clearly. Clearer imagesSo far about 40 babies have been imaged in the MRI scanner, which was built by GE Healthcare with funding by the Wellcome Trust. 2 | Media captionSee the scanner - one of only two in the world - in action 3 | One of them, Alice-Rose, was born at 24 weeks and had two bleeds in the brain. Her parents, Shaun and Rachael Westbrook, said the MRI scan was very helpful. Shaun told me: "It's a much crisper image and a lot easier to understand than the ultrasound."Rachael added: "It's been a rollercoaster since Alice-Rose was born on 6 November: not everything was fully formed, and she still weighs only 2lb 13oz (1.28kg). "The MRI was reassuring as it meant you got a better look at her brain." Ultrasound of the brain is possible in newborn babies only because the bones in their skull are not yet fused.Ultrasound v MRIThe sound waves can travel through the two fontanelles - the soft spots between the bones.Prof Griffiths said: "Ultrasound is cheap, portable and convenient, but the position of the fontanelles means there are some parts of the brain which cannot be viewed."MRI is able to show all of the brain and the surrounding anatomy, making the images easier to explain to parents. "From a diagnostic point, the big advantage is that MRI is able to show a wider range of brain abnormalities, in particular those which result from a lack of oxygen or blood supply." 4 | MRI scans are rarely performed on severely premature babies because the risks involved in transferring and handling a sick infant can outweigh the benefits.Prof Griffiths said: "MRI machines are huge, heavy objects which are sited in the basement or ground floor of hospitals, whereas maternity units are usually higher up, or in a completely different building, so it can mean a complicated journey to get a baby to and from the scanner."Evelina Children's Hospital in London has a full-size MRI scanner within the neonatal intensive care unit.The compact baby MRI machine at the Royal Hallamshire is not much bigger than a washing machine and just metres away from the neonatal intensive care unit, meaning that specialist staff are on hand in case of problems.The concept for a dedicated neonatal scanner was originally developed more than a decade ago by Prof Griffiths and Prof Martin Paley, of the University of Sheffield.Two prototype 3 Tesla neonatal MRIs were eventually built - the other is in Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts - although it is no longer in use. Neither machine has regulatory approval for clinical use, and both remain purely for research.Prof Griffiths said the next step would be to do a trial in premature babies to show definitively that MRI produces a better diagnosis and whether it altered the clinical management of children.It is not known how much a neonatal MRI machine would cost, should the system eventually get commercialised, but full-size scanners are typically priced at several hundred thousand pounds.Cincinnati Children's Hospital has a 1.5 Tesla neonatal MRI scanner that was adapted from adult orthopaedic use. 5 | Related Internet links Sheffield Teaching Hospital Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease - The University of Sheffield Mosaic - Wellcome Trust Evelina Children's Hospital 6 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 7 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/science-environment-18870315.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | What claims to be (and indeed appears to be) the first formal attempt to calculate numbers of cancer cases and deaths resulting from the Fukushima nuclear accident has just been published.The Energy and Environmental Science journal paper calculates that total deaths will lie in the range 15-1,300, while cases will number 24-2,500.These are deaths among the public, not among workers at the plant.The calculations were done by Prof Mark Jacobson and Dr John Ten Hoeve from Stanford University in California.One point they raise in the paper is that while these ranges may be big, even the minima are numbers above zero. 2 | This contradicts statements made since March 2010 that the world's worst nuclear accident after Chernobyl would be likely not to produce a single radiation-linked fatality among the public.(They also predict a small number of cancers - between two and 12 - among workers at Fukushima Daiichi.)And the academics say the death and case numbers are lower than they might have been because of luck.Only one-fifth of the radioactive material vented into the air from the stricken power station fell on land; more fallout on land would have meant a higher casualty list.As intuition would suggest, the vast majority of the cancer cases would arise in Japan itself.The estimate hasn't yet made any major headlines around the world; and in part, that's presumably because of the uncertainty ranges.This kind of exercise is fiendishly difficult to do precisely. The results depend heavily on what you put into your models, and two kinds of model are needed here - one of how radioactive material dispersed, the second relating exposure to that radioactive material with the subsequent risk of disease. 3 | Possibly the biggest uncertainty in all this concerns whether there's any added risk of cancer from exposure to low doses of radioactivity.Theories that are in circulation encompass the idea that there is a risk but it decreases linearly with declining exposure; that there's no extra risk; and that low doses of radioactivity are actually beneficial, a notion known as hormesis.The Stanford academics used the first of those ideas - what's called a Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model.One question I raised with Prof Jacobson was whether, using their methodology, you could say what the rates would have been if there were a threshold - if low doses had no effect.Currently that's not possible, he said, though the figures probably could be derived, given time.Perhaps the study's most important point materialises when you hold the numbers up to the light of context.The paper mentions that evacuating people from the power station's environs resulted in as many as 600 deaths - principally the elderly and seriously ill, for whom evacuation was too arduous.But more context is given by cancer statistics.The figures given in Prof Jacobson's paper are for lifetime risk - that is, the number of people who will die of cancer at some point.If you try to make the effect as strong as you can, by assuming that all those deaths will occur in a 10-year period - which is almost certainly too tight - and take the highest end of the range, Fukushima would add 130 deaths per year.By contrast, more than 350,000 Japanese die of cancer each year, according to the Japan Cancer Society. The disease will cause the death of about one-third of the population.Fukushima fallout, then, would be adding less than 0.1% to the total cancer mortality. If the real numbers are at the low end of the Stanford range, it'll add less than 0.001%The nuclear accident has proven a very big deal for Japan and for nuclear power around the world.Several reasons for that are all too real. Does the added cancer risk amount to another one, from these numbers, or not? 4 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/business-38646804.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Media captionDonald Trump is likely to tear up the old rulebook of how trade deals are done, says Anthony Scaramucci 2 | One of Donald Trump's closest advisers has told the BBC that the US would win a trade war with China.Anthony Scaramucci warned that if China chose to retaliate when the Trump administration imposed tariffs on imports, it would cost them "way more" than it would cost the US.He added the current trade relationship was "more favourable to China than us".The comments came just as China's President Xi warned that no-one would "emerge as a winner in a trade war".China goes big in Davos - and here's why 3 | Why is Xi Jinping going to Davos? Davos coverage in fullTrump has 'enormous respect' for MerkelIn the first address to the World Economic Forum by a Chinese president, Mr Xi gave a staunch defence of globalisation and attacked protectionism."Pursuing protectionism is just like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air. No-one will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he told the audience. "China will keep its door wide open and not close it," he added. 4 | During his election campaign, Mr Trump floated the idea of a 45% tariff on goods from China.Mr Scaramucci, who will enter the White House on Friday as a senior adviser to the president, called the relationship with China "asymmetrical", and downplayed the nation's ability to exact revenge on the US. "What are they going to do, [are] they going to move against our move for fairness?"That's going to cost them way more than it is ever going to cost us, and I think they know that."Unfair systemMr Scaramucci, a Goldman Sachs alumnus who spent three decades on Wall Street, insisted Donald Trump is a fan of free trade, and that his policies, including the renegotiation of longstanding trade agreements, do not amount to protectionism."If you are running eight or nine hundred billion dollar trade deficits, some of that is based on demand, but some of that is systemic related to the trade deals."There's an unfairness in the system," he added. "That has borne a deleterious outcome for working-class families and middle-class people that Mr Trump identified."One of the trade deals the new US president has repeatedly condemned is Nafta, which connects Canada, Mexico, and the United States.The agreement, which Mr Trump called "the single worst trade deal ever approved [in the US]", fundamentally reshaped North American economic relations, most notably by many car manufacturers moving their plants to Mexico.Skybridge saleThis, Mr Scaramucci argued, has led to a "lopsided" relationship."We signed Nafta in 1993, and in the 24 years from then you have lost 70,000 factories, and you had every 24 months a reviewal process for Nafta that the US never did, we never went through the reviewal process, never made any changes to potentially create more of an equilibrium in the deal, then we would have an issue, and I think we do."Mr Scaramucci also announced the sale of his hedge fund Skybridge Capital for $12bn (£9.6bn) while at the World Economic Forum.He is selling a majority stake in the business, which he founded in 2005, to China's HNA Group and Ron Transatlantic as he moves "on to a new chapter of his career", he said in a statement. 5 | Trump 'to tear up trade rulebook', says adviser Scaramucci 17 January 2017 China's Xi tells World Economic Forum there are no winners in trade wars 17 January 2017 China goes big in Davos - and here's why 17 January 2017 Davos 2017: Can Xi Jinping be star of the show? 16 January 2017 The defeat of Davos: Are the global elite in retreat? 16 January 2017 Davos: A rough guide to the World Economic Forum 16 January 2017 6 | Related Internet links World Economic Forum 7 | The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites 8 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /bbcnews-text/world-asia-china-30722268.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | China is in the midst of a crackdown on what it describes as "terrorism driven by religious extremism". The campaign is focused on the western province of Xinjiang, home to China's Uighur ethnic minority who are predominantly Muslim. The government believes religion breeds terror and has been trying to control religious expression in the region by imposing rules on the Uighur community. Critics say it is exacerbating the terror problem. The murals below were painted on the walls next to a mosque in the old Silk Road district of Kashgar where 90% of the population are Uighur. They show what the Chinese government deems as acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. They are a striking example of Chinese propaganda and highlight the government's crude portrayal of ethnic relations in Xinjiang. Inspirational posters are a fairly common sight in Chinese cities, advocating things like hard work and team spirit. It is not clear who painted these posters, but their presence implies they have some kind of official approval. 2 | The government says some Uighurs are being radicalised by jihadist videos made in Pakistan and Afghanistan and accessed via the internet. Here, veiled Uighur women are downloading and sharing banned material with Uighur men. 3 | In some places, the government has banned women from wearing veils.The veiled Uighur woman on the left appears in stark contrast to the Uighur couple on the right who are wearing traditional clothes deemed acceptable by the government. Throughout these murals, "bad" Uighurs are painted in black and grey while "good" law-abiding Uighurs are painted in bright colours and flanked by doves, a symbol of peace. 4 | The government has doubled the policing budget in the province and jailed hundreds of Uighurs, but violent attacks have still continued. Here, a Chinese cement roller crushes knife-wielding Uighurs, again painted in black. 5 | "A mountain of knives and a sea of fire" is a Chinese proverb that describes a difficult and dangerous situation. Many of the recent violent attacks in Xinjiang and beyond have involved knives. Uighurs are now banned from buying knives in some parts of Xinjiang. 6 | Armed security forces are a common sight on the streets of Xinjiang. There are security check points on many roads and at the entrance of markets and shopping malls where Uighurs, especially young men, are stopped and checked. The armed guards in this picture are flanked by peaceful doves. 7 | The government has banned anyone under the age of 18 from entering a mosque. The ban also applies to government officials and Communist Party members. Praying is strictly regulated in Xinjiang. 8 | The picture on the left shows an imam marrying a Uighur couple in secret. This is against Chinese law. Couples have to apply to the government for a marriage certificate. The Uighur man on the right is holding up a book on Chinese marriage law. This is one more law imposed on the Uighur community by the government to control how they practice their religion. 9 | The government has started a campaign called "Project Beauty". Only older Uighur men are allowed to have beards while Uighur women are banned from wearing full veils. Here, Uighur women are encouraged to show their face - to give their beauty to the world. 10 | The Chinese government says it wants a harmonious society represented here by a woman in traditional Han - the ethnic majority in China - dress dancing happily with a Uighur woman. Over the past 30 years there has been massive migration of Han Chinese to Xinjiang. This has created resentment among some Uighurs who feel their culture is being diluted. 11 | BBC visits China's Xinjiang province - home of the Uighurs 2 January 2015 Xinjiang: Has China's crackdown on 'terrorism' worked? 2 January 2015 Xinjiang territory profile 17 November 2016 12 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------