NEWFLASH goes international this week with the world’s biggest stories! First, we go to Brazil, where anti-government protests have gone violent, leaving the country’s president scrambling to figure out what to do, especially as the World Cup approaches. On the other side of the world, NSA document leaker Edward Snowden dodges justice after being charged by the U.S. government, with reports stating that Snowden is flying to a third unidentified country via Russia. Finally, monsoon rains in northern India take a fatal turn as more than 1,000 perish in floodwaters and landslides, and many more victims remain missing.
Welcome back to NEWFLASH, bringing you the top stories in the U.S. and around the world!
Brazil Stunned by Violent Mass Protests
Approximately one million demonstrators crowded the streets of 80 Brazilian cities on Thursday to speak out against President Dilma Rousseff and her administration. Thursday’s mass protests came exactly one week after a violent police crackdown on a smaller demonstration that criticized the government’s efforts to hike up public transport costs.
While most of the protests remained peaceful, pockets of violence flared up in some of Brazil’s bigger cities. Police have been seen to use pepper spray, tear gas, and other riot equipment on the protestors, prompting outrage and fear.
The demonstrations have escalated from opposition to transport price hikes to demands for more systematic change in Brazil. President Dilma Rousseff has become the focus of all the criticism, as protestors accuse her administration of corruption and incompetence.
Rousseff addressed the demonstrators on Saturday following a Friday morning meeting with her cabinet ministers. She promised to tackle corruption and provide Brazilians with the government services they needed. Many, however, are not taking the president’s promises to heart, as they believe Rousseff had pledged to do the same in the past, but nothing in Brazil had changed.
Thousands of protestors took part in anti-government marches on Saturday, though the crowds were noticeably smaller than they were during Thursday’s demonstrations. The protests have also given way to widespread concern about how the country will provide enough security for both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Edward Snowden Charged For Leaking NSA Documents, Leaves Hong Kong
Edward Snowden, the ex-NSA contractor who flew to Hong Kong with a treasure trove of confidential documents about PRISM, was secretly charged by the government on June 14 in a federal court located in Alexandria, VA. The charged was unsealed on June 21 for the public eye, and the case document can now be found online.
Snowden is being charged with three felonies under the Espionage Act: Theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person.
The U.S. government was in talks with authorities in Hong Kong to negotiate Snowden’s extradition. However, as of Sunday morning it has been reported that Snowden has left Hong Kong for Moscow and is traveling to a third unidentified country with the help of WikiLeaks. The Hong Kong government, meanwhile, has issued a statement demanding more legal information from the U.S. government to justify Snowden’s extradition.
More Than 1,000 Dead In India Monsoon Floods
This week’s monsoon floods in northern India have officially claimed more than 1,000 victims in the Indian state of Uttarakand, with the death toll expected to rise as thousands remain missing.
Many of the victims were on the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage, which took them to many of Uttarakand’s stone temples.
The Indian army has also been called in to help with search and rescue efforts. Around 73,000 pilgrims have been evacuated, and Google has developed a Person Finder app for the area so that people can find their loved ones.