Paris, France
A 68-year-old man has been arrested in France on suspicion of killing 18 people, most of them gay, prosecutors said today. Nicolas Panard is suspected of killing 11 people in the eastern Alsace region, four in a neighboring region and three in the Paris area, the public prosecutor in the eastern town of Montbeliard said. Panard, who is gay, was arrested in the eastern city of Mulhouse. The murders took place between 1998 and 2006.
Tokyo, Japan
Japan's Upper House of Parliament voted yesterday to halt the country's air force transport mission in Iraq, intensifying the opposition bloc's standoff with the government over Tokyo's role in peacekeeping missions abroad.. The opposition-controlled Upper House approved the Democratic Party of Japan's bill to halt the mission in a vote 133-103 during a plenary session. However, the legislation is expected to be voted down when it goes to the more powerful Lower House where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has enough votes to override the Upper Chamber's decision.
United Nations
Disaster-prone Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, which could worsen water scarcity and force mass displacement, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The U.N. Development Program in its latest report warned that climate change will hit the world's poorest countries by breaking down agricultural systems, worsening water scarcity, increasing risks of diseases and triggering mass displacement due to recurring floods and storms. The report said more than 70 million Bangladeshis, 22 million Vietnamese, and 6 million Egyptians could be affected by global warming-related flooding.
Washington, US
US President George W. Bush invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the White House to renew long-stalled peace talks yesterday but faced deep skepticism over chances for a deal before he leaves office. Bush would bring together Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas one day after a 44-nation conference where both pledged to try to forge a peace treaty by the end of 2008 that would create a Palestinian state. The White House talks were expected to wrap up three days of intense Middle East diplomacy that underscored Bush's aim of achieving in his final 14 months in office what has eluded US administrations for decades.
Toronto, Canada
Online shoppers reached a record this week as Canadian retailers cut prices as much as 60 percent to lure shoppers returning to work after the Thanksgiving holiday. ComScore Inc. said sales on retailers' websites rose 21% to $733 million on Nov. 26, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, as Walmart.com, Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc. ran online promotions for high-definition televisions and leather jackets. Shoppers sought bargains in the face of rising gasoline prices and the worst housing slump since at least 1991. Companies count on November and December for 20% of their profits, and they used lower prices to get consumers into stores and onto websites to start the Canadian holiday shopping season.
Question 6: How many people were Nicolas Panard suspected to have killed when he was arrested?
Question 7: What did Japan's Upper House of Parliament vote to do yesterday?
Question 8: There might be several disastrous consequences due to global climate change. Which of the following is NOT one of these consequences mentioned in the news?
Question 9: Why did President Bush invite Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the White House?
Question 10: What percentage did sales on retailers' websites increase on Nov. 26, the first Monday after Thanksgiving?
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