Italian telephone and computer communications have been under surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA), Italy’s parliamentary intelligence committee has confirmed. A delegation of Italian lawmakers from the parliament’s COPASIR intelligence service monitoring committee, which went to Washington on an official visit to inquire about US overseas surveillance programs, found that millions... 

Mexico has condemned the recently-revealed acts of espionage conducted by US National Security Agency (NSA) on former Mexican President Felipe Calderon. “This practice (acts of spying carried out by NSA) is unacceptable, illegal and against Mexican and international law,” Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The condemnation came after German weekly news magazine Der... 

Over 1000 troops have been deployed in Rio de Janeiro ahead of a major oil rights auction. The move to partially sell off Brazil’s most promising oil reserves has been met with opposition, triggering mass strikes and disruption to oil production. A spokesperson from the Brazilian army said that around 1,100 troops are being deployed around the Hotel Windsor in West Rio where the auction will be... 

France has summoned the US ambassador after reports emerged that the National Security Agency (NSA) has recorded millions of French telephone calls. The French daily Le Monde recently published a report which showed that the NSA spy agency secretly taped more than 70 million phone conversations in France over a 30-day period this year. Paris summoned US Ambassador Charles Hammerman Rivkin for explanation... 

In light of the arrogant and brazen internationalism courtesy of Antonis Samaras and the unconstitutional and unlawful persecution of the leader and Members of Golden Dawn, he is now expecting people to give a “thank you” to the international usurers, who with the help of this domestic political puppet continue to steal from the Greek People. The lackeys of militant journalism sunk to the lowest... 

City officials have revoked the earlier-granted license for an October 19 nationalist rally, saying they could not guarantee the safety of participants after recent ethnic conflicts in the district of Biryulyovo. One of the organizers of the rally, the leader of the ‘Russians’ political bloc Dmitry Dyomushkin wrote in his internet blog that he and other organizers of the rally had been summoned... 

Standard & Poor’s says the shutdown in total cost the US economy $24 billion, or $1.5 billion per day, the rating agency said Wednesday. The agency also estimated the shutdown will pare fourth quarter GDP by 0.6 percent. Obama has signed legislation that will avoid a technical debt default, ending the 16-day partial shutdown of the government that has cost the world’s largest economy... 

Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski believes that the Cold War is ongoing between Russia and the EU that can take a long time. Both European officials and the Russian leadership have already stated that economic integration with the EU and membership in the Customs Union are incompatible. Ukraine and Moldova have about one month left for consideration. Armenia has already “surrendered,” according... 

US President Barack Obama has signed legislation passed by Congress Wednesday to temporarily lift the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, averting the threat of default just hours before the October 17 deadline. The legislation funds the government through to January 15 and lifts the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling until February 7. The White House budget director, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, said... 

The Russian military delegation headed by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu flew to Brazil. The visit to sunny Brazil is based on the subject of arms supplies. The Russian minister also plans to visit Peru to discuss and sign contracts for the supply of arms in the total amount of about $1,7 billion. In general, Russia is strengthening its position on the arms market in Latin America. In Brazil, Russian... 

Republican and Democratic leaders in the US Senate are reportedly “very close” to announcing a deal on the nation’s borrowing authority that would avert an unprecedented default on US debt. Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority and minority leaders held talks on Wednesday morning as the Thursday deadline on the debt limit is fast approaching. The US Treasury taps out its reserves... 

The White House has rejected a new proposal by House Republicans to prevent a debt default less than two days before the debt ceiling deadline. “The president has said repeatedly that Members of Congress don’t get to demand ransom for fulfilling their basic responsibilities to pass a budget and pay the nation’s bills,” White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement on Tuesday. “Unfortunately,... 

A chilling Ministry of Defense (MoD) report circulating in the Kremlin today confirms that the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) sudden, unannounced and successful firing of a Topol ballistic missile into the Sary-Shagan testing ground in Kazakhstan last Thursday (10 October) was in “direct response” to President Barack Obama’s attempt to destroy Charleston, South Carolina in what military intelligence... 

As the US government shutdown nears its third week, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been unable to strike a deal over the budget and raise the nation’s borrowing authority to avert a default. Since efforts in the House of Representatives to reach a fiscal deal failed last week, negotiations on ending the shutdown and avoiding a potential federal default have shifted to the Senate. Senate... 

US forces detained Taliban commander Latif Mehsud, the US State Department said Friday, an announcement that has reportedly infuriated Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who hoped to use Mehsud as interlocutor for peace talks. During a military operation in the Logar province in eastern Afghanistan, US troops seized Mehsud, identified as a senior commander in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a group that...