Edward Snowden Charged With Espionage

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed secret government spying programmes, has been charged with espionage by US authorities.

A provisional arrest warrant has been issued and Hong Kong authorities have been asked to detain him.

US prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint, charging Mr Snowden with three offences including unauthorised communication of national defence information, which comes under the Espionage Act, and theft of government property.

He is also charged with willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorised person.

All three crimes listed carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The former CIA technician, who has worked for America's National Security Agency (NSA), leaked details of American telephone and internet surveillance programmes.

Court papers list three offences including theft of government property

He revealed the existence of a surveillance system called Prism that was set up by the NSA to track the use of the internet directly from ISP servers.

The NSA and FBI have said that the secret programme provided "critical leads" in preventing "dozens of terrorist events" - although some terror experts dispute the claims.

President Obama has also said the programmes were carried out with "systems of checks and balances" and overseen by the courts and the US Congress.

The Prism revelations sparked outcry in the UK when The Guardian reported that the GCHQ eavesdropping agency had been accessing information about British citizens through Prism.

Mr Snowden fled to Hong Kong on May 20 after copying the last set of documents he intended to disclose at the NSA's office in Hawaii.

Protests in support of Mr Snowden have taken place in Hong Kong

Sky News Asia correspondent Mark Stone said the move marks the official start of government attempts to bring him back to the US.

"We are yet to hear from the Hong Kong police and authorities on whether or not they will act on the request by the Americans to arrest Edward Snowden.

"It's my understanding that they know exactly where he is. The Americans haven't yet asked for his extradition, they have simply asked the authorities to arrest him."

There are reports a private plane is on standby to take Mr Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, where he hopes to get asylum.

The latest documents from Mr Snowden claim to show that British spies have secretly accessed fibre-optic cables carrying emails, Facebook messages and other communications.

The Guardian reports that GCHQ can analyse data from the network of cables that carry global phone calls and internet traffic under an operation codenamed Tempora.

It claims that communications between innocent people are being processed, as well as those from people marked out as security threats.

The NSA programme helped to prevent terror attacks, say US spy chiefs

"It's not just a US problem," Mr Snowden told The Guardian.

"The UK has a huge dog in this fight. They (GCHQ) are worse than the US."

Mr Snowden worked for the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton.

"I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building," Mr Snowden previously told The Guardian.

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Facebook Bug Exposes Six Million Contacts

Six million Facebook users have had their contact information inadvertently exposed because of a bug in the site.

The social media giant admitted that each piece of information - such as an email address or phone number - had been given out "once or twice" and said it was "upset and embarrassed" by the mistake.

Facebook said the bug was connected to a technical mix-up between its Download Your Information (DYI) tool, which lets users get an archive of their timeline activity, and the feature which recommends who to add as a friend.

People using the tool were also unexpectedly getting extra contact information for friends of friends, or extra contact information for their existing Facebook friends.

The site tried to reassure users in a blog post and said there was no evidence yet that the bug had been maliciously exploited.

"For almost all of the email addresses or telephone numbers impacted, each individual email address or telephone number was only included in a download once or twice," said the blog.

"This means, in almost all cases, an email address or telephone number was only exposed to one person.

"Additionally, no other types of personal or financial information were included and only people on Facebook - not developers or advertisers - have access to the DYI tool."

The problem has now been fixed but the company said it had already notified privacy regulators in the US, Canada and Europe, and was in the process of notifying affected users.

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Canada Floods Force Thousands Of Evacuations

Around 75,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and at least three have died following severe flooding to communities around Calgary in western Canada.

Roads and bridges have been washed away and swathes of the city are under water.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who toured the area on Friday, called the level of flooding "stunning".

"This is incredible. I've seen a little bit of flooding in Calgary before. I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. The magnitude is just extraordinary," he said.

"We're all very concerned that if gets much more than this it could have real impact on infrastructure and other services longer term, so we're hoping things will subside a bit."

Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant Patricia Neely said three people had died and two bodies had been recovered.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the water levels have reached a peak, but have not declined.

"We've sat at the same level for many, many hours now," he said.

"There is one scenario that would see it go even higher than this, so you'll either see the Bow river continue at this level for many hours or you will see it grow even higher and we're prepared for that eventuality."

Twenty-five neighbourhoods in the city, with an estimated 75,000 people, have already been evacuated. in the city.

A spokesman for Canada's defence minister said 1,300 soldiers are being deployed to the flood zone.

Water levels have reached a peak, the city's mayor says

In downtown Calgary, the home rink of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames has flooded and the water inside is 10 rows deep.

"I think that really paints a very clear picture of what kinds of volumes of water we are dealing with," said Trevor Daroux, the city's deputy police chief.

The floods are also forcing emergency plans at the Calgary Zoo, which is situated on an island near where the Elbow and Bow rivers meet.

Lions and tigers are being prepared for transfer, if necessary, to prisoner holding cells at the courthouse.

Calgary is not alone in its weather-related woes. Flashpoints of chaos have spread from towns in the Rockies south to Lethbridge.

More than a dozen towns have declared states of emergency. Entire communities, including High River and Bragg Creek, near Calgary, are under mandatory evacuation orders.

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Brazil Protests: President Promises Reforms

Brazil's President has promised to improve public services but says any further violence will not be tolerated in a speech to the nation rocked by mass protests.

During a TV broadcast Dilma Rousseff appealed for unity and said the government knew there were many things "we can do quicker and better".

"I am the president of all Brazil. Of those who support the demonstration and those who do not."

Dilma Rousseff has condemned the violence by 'a minority'

Reaching out to those who feel the government should direct more money to public services rather than on hosting major sporting events, she insisted that "football and sport are symbols of peace and peaceful coexistence".

But she added she would not stand by if demonstrations turned violent, as has been the case in several cities hit by cases of looting and attacks on public buildings including the foreign ministry and several government offices.

"The government cannot stand by as people attack public property ... and bring chaos to our streets," she stressed.

President Rousseff supports peaceful protest

"We need to inject oxygen into our political system, and make it more transparent and resistant to the tough challenges facing a countries marked by extreme disparity between rich and poor."

But she insisted that "we cannot put up with violence".

"People have a right to criticise," added Ms Rousseff saying she would staunchly defend that right.

She added: "We need to oxygenate our political system ... and make it more transparent."

Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist rebel who fought against Brazil's 1964-85 military regime and was imprisoned for three years, pointedly referred to sacrifices her generation made to free the nation from dictatorship.

Her comments came after nearly one million demonstrators took to the streets on Friday across the country to denounce alleged corruption, poor public services and billions of dollars spent preparing for next year's World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Ms Rousseff had cancelled a trip overseas because of the unrest, but stayed away from the public eye for most of the week.

Nearly a million protesters took to the streets on Friday

But critics of Ms Rousseff and her government have accused them of paying "lip service".

Carlos Cardozo, a 62-year-old financial consultant who joined Friday's protest in Rio, said he thought the unrest could cost Ms Rousseff next year's elections.

"Her paying lip service by saying she's in favour of the protests is not helping her cause," Mr Cardozo said. "People want to see real action, real decisions, and it's not this government that's capable of delivering."

At least one protester was killed in Sao Paulo on Thursday night when a motorist - apparently enraged about being unable to drive along a street - rammed his car into a crowd of demonstrators.

Unconfirmed news reports also said a 54-year-old cleaning woman had died on Friday after inhaling tear gas.

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JFK's Ireland Visit Marked With Family Reunion

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

It was in June 1963 when President Kennedy returned to the quayside from which his great grandfather had emigrated and expressed his pleasure "at being back from whence I came".

He told an audience of hundreds that there was an impression in Washington there were no Kennedys left in Ireland and invited his distant relatives to raise their hands.

"I'm glad to see there are still a few - the few who missed the boat," he joked. It is 150 years since John Fitzgerald Kennedy's ancestors set sail to escape the famine.

JFK's cavalcade in Dublin

Patrick Kennedy could never have imagined that his great grandson would become president or that his dynasty would play such an influential role in the politics of the US.

A third cousin of John F Kennedy still lives in the ancestral home in New Ross.

Patrick Grennan found so many tourists on his doorstep, he opened a visitor centre.

He said: "I'm eighth generation, it feels normal to me. We were brought up here, so were my great grandparents, my grandparents and so on. It's just a normal thing."

The quayside at New Ross from where the Kennedys emigrated to the US

President Kennedy's sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, will sail back into New Ross on a naval vessel. His daughter Caroline and only grandson, Jack Schlossberg, are also expected to join the gathering.

The eternal flame from the presidential grave in Arlington has been brought to Ireland. With it, the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will ignite an emigrant flame on the New Ross quayside.

Some of the younger Kennedys are meeting their Irish cousins for the first time. This is the year of 'The Gathering' in Ireland, a year-long homecoming for the Irish diaspora.

President Kennedy's niece, Kiki, said: "Our hearts are warmed by the welcome that we've gotten ... the people have made us really feel like it is a true homecoming."

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Syria Crisis: Hague And Kerry Join Doha Talks

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague is joining the US Secretary of State John Kerry in Qatar to discuss the crisis in Syria.

Foreign ministers from other countries in the so-called "Friends of Syria" group - including Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar - are also attending the meeting in Doha.

Diplomatic sources told Sky News the Doha conference would try to continue the momentum of the recent G8 summit towards organising a conference which would be known as Geneva 2.

But the reality is that any such Geneva 2 conference follows on from a communique made at the first Geneva conference almost exactly a year ago, which now looks pretty hollow.

Hague and Kerry during a Friends of Syria meeting in Jordan last month

Then leaders - including Russia - agreed a transition plan for Syria, but they have failed to move it forward since.

It is hard to see how something along similar lines could deliver anything more.

The sticking point is the Russian reluctance to get involved in the internal affairs of Syria.

It refuses to call for President Bashar al Assad to step down.

The Friends of Syria meeting does not include the Russians.

But it may involve a Free Syrian Army general who will tell the diplomats that while they are making little progress diplomatically, on the ground opposition forces are losing ground to Mr Assad's troops.

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Mandela Stranded By Ambulance Breakdown

An ambulance carrying seriously ill Nelson Mandela to hospital broke down in freezing temperatures, it has emerged.

The military vehicle broke down at the side of the highway, leaving the iconic ex-president - known as Madiba - stranded for 40 minutes, according to CBS News.

Government spokesman Mac Maharaj confirmed the breakdown on June 8, the night the 94-year-old was taken to hospital in Pretoria, but said his convoy was well staffed with intensive care medical staff.

In a statement he said: "We confirm the media reports that the military ambulance transporting Madiba had an engine problem on the 8th and that the doctors are satisfied that the former president suffered no harm during this period.

"The fully-equipped military ICU ambulance had a full complement of specialist medical staff including intensive care specialists and ICU nurses.

President Jacob Zuma has said Mr Mandela's health is improving

"The convoy also included two quick response vehicles.

"When the ambulance experienced engine problems it was decided that it would be best to transfer to another military ambulance which itself was accompanied for the rest of the journey by a civilian ambulance.

"All care was taken to ensure that the former president Mandela's medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen incident."

Speaking to eNews Channel Africa, he said: "It happens in life, no-one can predict (that a) fully functional vehicle would have a breakdown."

Children have been sending "get well soon" messages to the ex-president

Mr Maharaj slammed reports that Mr Mandela was unresponsive and hadn't opened his eyes in days, branding them "highly reckless".

He said he had no information on when the former leader would be discharged as that was a decision for his doctors.

The African National Congress defended the governments handling of public updates on Mr Mandela's condition and thanked medical staff caring for him.

In a statement the party said: "The ANC has no doubt that the reports they (the government) provide are indeed sufficient to ensure that, while respecting the privacy of the former president and his family, we are all kept up to date and knowledgeable about his condition within the confines of medical ethics and doctor-patient confidentiality.

"The ANC, on behalf of the people of South Africa, extends our gratitude to the medical personnel attending to him from the time he left home to be admitted into hospital on the 8th June and since then."

Mr Mandela has been in intensive care since he was admitted to hospital for the third time this year.

President Jacob Zuma has said his health continues to improve but he remains in a serious condition.

The anti-apartheid leader became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and made his last public appearance at the World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg in 2010.

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Tour De France Winner Ullrich Admits Doping

Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has for the first time admitted to doping, with help from a Spanish sports doctor at the centre of a major drugs scandal.

Ullrich - the only German to win the world's toughest cycling race - was found guilty of doping in 2012 and banned for two years.

He later admitted to having had contact with Dr Eufemiano Fuentes, but he consistently denied being illegally assisted by him.

However, the 1997 Tour champion has now revealed he "received treatment" from him, as he admitted undergoing blood doping procedures.

Ullrich won the 1997 Tour de France

The remarks come a few months after a similar public announcement by his greatest rival and nemesis Lance Armstrong.

In January, the seven-time Tour de France winner admitted to doping throughout his career and was subsequently stripped of his Tour titles.

Ullrich, 39, told Focus magazine: "Yes I did undergo Fuentes treatments. Almost everybody back then took performance-enhancing substances.

"I didn't take anything which the others were not taking. For me, betrayal only begins when I gain an advantage, but that was not the case."

He said he was motivated by the desire to be competing on a level playing field with his main rivals.

"In my view you can only call it cheating on my part when it is clear that I have gained an unfair advantage," he argued.

"That was not the case. All I wanted was everyone to have the same chances of winning.

"I'm not better than Lance Armstrong but no worse. The great heroes of the past are today people with flaws with which we must cope."

Ullrich, who also won gold and silver medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, added he used his own blood for the treatment.

Lance Armstrong has also admitted to doping

He was barred from the Tour de France in 2006 amid speculation he had used illegal substances. He retired from cycling in February 2007, denying he had ever cheated.

In February 2012, he was found guilty of a doping offence by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and retroactively banned for two years from August 22, 2011.

In addition to the ban, all results after May 2005 were removed from his list of achievements.

Dr Fuentes, at the centre of a much-publicised trial in Spain earlier this year, had told a court that as well as cyclists, his clients included football players, athletes, tennis players and boxers.

The Operation Puerto scandal broke in 2006, when Spanish police launched raids that uncovered more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to cyclists.

:: Current Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has hinted he may never ride the race again.

Sir Bradley, who withdrew from this year's event because of a knee injury, told Sky he did not know if he was willing to train for another Tour.

He said he has got "other things I'm concerned with in my life, which I give more time to and there are other things within cycling I want to do".

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India Monsoon: Race To Save Thousands Stranded

Rescue workers are racing to reach tens of thousands of people stranded in rain-ravaged northern India, as the number killed in the flooding nears 600.

Scores of bodies have been pulled from the swollen River Ganges after torrential monsoon rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand earlier than predicted.

Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and entire villages, and destroyed bridges and narrow roads leading to pilgrimage towns in the mountainous state, which is known as the Land of the Gods for its revered Hindu shrines.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who arrived in the state capital Dehradun on Saturday, said 73,000 people had been rescued so far with up to 32,000 still stranded.

More than 10,000 soldiers are helping evacuate those stranded by the floods

He warned rescuers to hurry because more rain is expected and said: "At least 550 people have died and 392 people are injured."

He also said steps were being taken up on a "war footing" to deal with the "national crisis".

Dozens of helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to rescue people trapped across the flood-devastated state.

The family of Kavita Tyagi, 26, who was stranded near the pilgrimage site of Badrinath for more than a week, told of their ordeal after they were air-lifted to Gauchar, a hill town in the state's Chamoli district.

She said: "We had been stuck for more than a week. We ran out of food and all our money. My three-year-old son is with me and we can't describe the harrowing times that we have faced.

"My mother and brother are still to be evacuated since the chopper could accommodate only eight people. We are now just praying that they too land safely."

A group of 20 trekkers, including six Americans, were rescued after they were marooned near a remote glacier since the rains struck last week.

"They were on a trekking trip but got trapped because of the landslides and flash floods. The chopper has landed there now and they are all safe," said Neeraj Khairwal, a top official of Pithoragarh district.

The military operation, involving some 50 helicopters and more than 10,000 soldiers, was focused on reaching those stranded in the holy town of Badrinath after earlier finding widespread devastation in the Kedarnath temple area.

The Indian Air Force was transporting heavy equipment for repairs of roads and construction of temporary helipads, according to an official press release.

Special trains and buses have been pressed into service to ferry tourists back home while medical and food supplies were also being flown in to the stranded people.

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US Wants Taliban Talks 'Back On Track'

US Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes to get talks with the Taliban "back on track," but is unsure if that is possible.

Mr Kerry warned that a recently opened Taliban office in Qatar may have to close if the peace talks do not proceed.

"We need to see if we can get back on track. I don't know whether that's possible or not," Mr Kerry told a press conference in Doha.

"If there is not a decision ... to move forward by the Taliban in short order, then we may have to consider whether or not the office has to be closed," he said.

Mr Kerry is on a seven-nation trip through the Middle East and Asia

Mr Kerry met with his counterparts in the Qatari capital on the first stop of a seven-nation trip through the Middle East and Asia where he is tackling foreign policy issues.

Talks between the US officials and the Taliban had been set for Thursday in Qatar, but Afghan government anger at the fanfare surrounding the opening of the Taliban office in the Gulf state threw preparations into confusion.

The opening of the Taliban office was a practical step paving the way for peace talks to end Afghanistan's 12-year-old war.

But the official-looking protocol surrounding the event raised angry protests in Kabul that the office would develop into a Taliban government-in-exile.

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