News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

NSA surveillance under challenge

The Obama administration has warned the United States Congress not to end the mass surveillance programmes carried out by the National Security Agency and recently revealed by former CIA analyst Edward Snowden. The House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a measure that would stop the NSA collecting telephone records of millions of US citizens. Republican Justin Amash has put forward the amendment: “The amendment would allow the NSA to continue to conduct activities so long as they pertain to a person who is actually the subject of an investigation.” The White House said ending the surveillance would put the US at greater risk of another terror attack.

Tensions escalate in Egypt

Egypt's army chief general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called on people to demonstrate on Friday saying the military wants a mandate to confront violence and terrorism. A senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood Essam el-Erian has said rallies called by the army were a threat and won’t stop protests in support of deposed President, Mohammed Morsi. In Cairo unidentified gunmen have shot dead two Morsi supporters. One person has died and over 20 were injured by bomb blast in the city of Mansoura.

Bulgaria’s president calls for calm

Bulgaria's president, Rosen Plevnelyev, has appealed for calm after at least nine people were wounded when police were called in to end a blockade of parliament early this morning. More than 100 people including MPs and ministers had been trapped inside the building overnight by anti-corruption protestors. There have now been five weeks of demonstrations against the coalition government.

Asylum seekers capsize off Indonesia

A boat carrying asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia has sunk off the Indonesian coast. An official said more than 150 survivors from Syria, Sri Lanka, Iran and Iraq have been rescued. Many more are feared missing. John Stanhope is the administrator of the Australian territory Christmas Island which many boats try to reach: “This is the fifth boat now in three weeks that has suffered the same fate with numbers drowning, numbers remaining missing, and it’s a continuing tragedy.”

Catholic gathering opens in Brazil

Around 400,000 people have attended the opening mass of the Catholic World Youth Festival in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Pope Francis is to address the five day gathering tomorrow.

Police and drug gang clash in Mexico

The Mexican government says violent clashes in at least six towns in the state of Michoacan have killed at least 20 gunmen and two police officers. Fighting between the Knights Templar drug cartel and police has been intensifying over the past week in western Mexico.

The weather

Sunny and dry this afternoonin the east and south east, rain and thundershowers with sunny spells over the rest of the country. Top temperatures from 23 to 35 degrees.

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