A political analyst says the tightening of sanctions by the United States and the European Union (EU) against Russia is “counterproductive,” Press TV reports. In an interview with Press TV, Jan Oberg said the US-EU move to impose sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian tension is “self-defeating” as it harms the economy of the West as well. “I think it is utterly counter-productive and... 

More than half of teens use the morning-after pill indiscriminately. The habit can increase the risk of glaucoma and other serious eye diseases, an expert warns. How many girls aged fifteen to nineteen years of age use this pill without realizing the dangers? Studies point towards a shocking trend among this age group. Brazilian girls 15-19 years old may not know how the morning-after pill works,... 

A new report prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) circulating in the Kremlin states that India’s veto earlier today of a landmark World Trade Organization (WTO) treaty has “shocked the world” and could very well lead to the entire collapse of this Western led global organization that for past 66 years has, in essence, economically destroyed too many once free nations to count. According... 

The group of emerging economies signed the long-anticipated document to create the $100 bn BRICS Development Bank and a reserve currency pool worth over another $100 bn. Both will counter the influence of Western-based lending institutions and the dollar. The new bank will provide money for infrastructure and development projects in BRICS countries, and unlike the IMF or World Bank, each nation has... 

Germany has claimed a fourth World Cup crown in a 1-0 win against Argentina after extra time in the final in Rio de Janeiro. Substitute Mario Goetze was the hero, as he scored the only goal with seven minutes to go. With that triumph Germany has become the first European nation to win the trophy outside of their home continent, which led to jubilant scenes both on the pitch and back home, with millions... 

The humiliating defeat of Brazil in the World Cup against Germany – 7:1 – was dubbed “historic” and significantly downgraded the rating of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s as a candidacy for second presidential mandate. After the match, riots sparked throughout the country; football fans were clashing with police and looting shops. In Rio de Janeiro, clashes between... 

At least two people were killed and several others injured as an overpass collapsed in the Brazilian World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte, according to the local fire department. A city bus and several vehicles were crushed after a part of a bridge, which was under construction, fell onto a busy highway. People may be trapped under the debris. O’Globo’s footage showed a yellow bus crushed... 

A man and a woman struggle to cross a flooded road in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, June 29, 2014. An emergency agency in Brazil says severe flooding caused by torrential rain in the southern parts of the country has forced more than 50,000 people out of their homes. The emergency agency for Santa Catarina State said 40,000 people had been evacuated, while in neighboring state, Rio Grande... 

The football showdown between Japan and Greece ended in a scoreless draw, but the Japanese fans scored top points from the clean-up crew after leaving the stands of the stadium and its bathroom unblemished. It turns out that Japanese football fans have a tradition of cleaning up the stadium after matches at home, a practice which the fans vigorously undertake in Brazil. “It’s our tradition.... 

A view of the Itaquerao Stadium in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. Football fever grips the fans as the World Cup starts in Brazil while police in Sao Paulo clashed with protesters opposing the tournament. On Thursday, the Itaquerao Stadium shined under blue skies as Brazil kicked off its home World Cup with a football-style carnival. Some fans reportedly chanted slogans against Brazilian President... 

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden If Brazil were to offer political asylum to Edward Snowden, he would gladly accept. The whistleblower told Brazilian TV that he is certain that if he returned to the US he would be tried unfairly for revealing the NSA’s global spy program. In an interview with Fantastico, a weekly program broadcast by Brazilian Globo News, Snowden opened up about his life in... 

A conference on Internet governance is set to start in Brazil in the wake of revelations about global spying activities by the United States. Representatives from around the world will attend the two-day NETMundial summit, which begins in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo on Wednesday. They are expected to set out principles for governing the Internet. Reports also say that some of the countries taking... 

Thousands of Brazilian soldiers have fanned out in one of Rio de Janeiro’s most notorious slums to provide security less than three months before the FIFA World Cup. The security push on Saturday is considered the latest attempt to drive drug gangs out of the infamous Mare slum, which is located near Rio de Janeiro’s international airport and is considered a haven for organized crime. Some... 

Brazil’s public prosecutor wants to suspend use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s pervasive herbicide Roundup. A recent study suggested glyphosate may be linked to a fatal kidney disease that has affected poor farming regions worldwide. The Prosecutor General’s office is also pursuing bans on the herbicide 2,4-D and seven other active herbicide ingredients in addition to glyphosate:... 

Brazil has scored big for net neutrality after its lower house of Congress approved a groundbreaking post-Snowden bill that protects its users’ privacy rights, albeit with some sacrifices. The measure did not go as smoothly as could have. To ensure success, President Dilma Rousseff had to let it through at the cost of allowing companies such as Google and Facebook to store user information outside...