Brazil’s President Dilma Roussef has cancelled a trip to Washington over US spying concerns. The move followed revelations from former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden after allegations of spying on state-owned oil company, Petrobras. Ms. Roussef took up office in 2011 and is disappointed with this latest development. “Illegal surveillance practices, intercepting the…
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The British comedian John Oliver, host of American TV program The Daily Show, has poked fun at the Australian election campaign. In an eight-minute segment on the show last night he told viewers, “Look – America – look at me. Our elections do not need to take as long as they currently do. There is another way,…
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The acquittal of George Zimmerman, the vigilante who shot dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, has divided America. Protest rallies have been held across the country, including “hoodie” marches in which protesters dress as Martin did on the night he was killed. Demonstrators have adopted the slogan “I am Trayvon Martin” to convey their message that any of them could…
DetailsRecent revelations of America’s top-secret National Security Agency snooping program have made more than a few nations uncomfortable. The NSA program monitors world-wide internet activity and intercepting telecommunications data. Its existence, and much of the material it has poached, were leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and published by the Brazilian newspaper O Globo a few weeks ago. Evidence…
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Every 16-year-old wants her 16th to be a special day. For Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai, it was the day of all days: she addressed the United Nations Youth Assembly in New York and was heard by millions. Malala dedicated her day – it was named for her by the UN Secretary-General – “to every boy and girl who have…
DetailsAfter enduring four decades of continuing war and the patriarchal rule of the Taliban, Afghan women have been placed at the bottom of political agendas. That plight has been referred to by human rights activist Lauryn Oates as Afghanistan’s real tragedy. Just last week the US and its allies broke the promise they had made: to protect Afghan…
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The inventor of the computer mouse, Doug Engelbart, has died at the age of 88. His daughter Christina announced via email that he died peacefully on Tuesday night in his sleep. Engelbart studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University. Halfway through his studies World War 2 intervened and he was drafted into the US Navy,…
DetailsThe brothers Tsarnaev in photos released by the FBI during the manhunt. . Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces a possible death sentence after being charged over the murder of three Boston Marathon bomb victims and a police officer. According to the Massachussetts state indictment, Dzhokhar and his brother Tamerlan spent three months plotting the attack conducted on…
DetailsFormer president Nelson Mandela remains in critical condition in a Pretoria hospital. Officials and family members have confirmed that he is on life support, unable to breathe unassisted. South Africa’s top Anglican cleric, Thabo Makgoba, the Archbishop of Cape Town, visited the 94-year-old Mandela in his Pretoria hospital yesterday, praying with the ailing leader’s wife, Graca Machel, for…
DetailsThe leaders of eight of the world’s wealthiest nations – Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom – were all present at the G8 Summit on Wednesday. Hosted for the first time in Northern Ireland, the ceremony lasted two days and was opened on 17 June by Belfast school-girl…
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