Edward Snowden is brave – to a point. His decision in 2013 to leak a cache of documents revealing the halting scope, reach and ubiquitous nature of the international cob-web of spies who watch and eavesdrop on you and me was a courageous act. It was a courageous act because Snowden knew the blunt, life-altering risks he faced for sharing with the world the covert, often illegal, work done by spies at the National Security Agency (NSA) and sister intelligence services across the globe in the malleable name of “security”. In defying his oath to keep the secrets he exposed…
Author: National Tone
Authorities have charged four people, including a European Parliament vice president, over alleged influence campaign.A Qatari official has said that a Belgian investigation into an alleged attempt to influence the European Parliament relied on “inaccurate” information and could “negatively” impact relations between the two countries. The statement on Sunday from a diplomat of Qatar’s mission to the European Union reiterated a previous rejection of attempts to associate the Gulf country with misconduct. “Qatar was not the only party named in the investigation, yet our country has been exclusively criticised and attacked,” the statement said. “We have observed this week’s selective…
Harry Brook scored his third century in as many matches while Ben Foakes hit a half-century as England eked out a lead of 29 over Pakistan at the end of day two of the final test of the series at Karachi’s National Stadium on Sunday. Brook made 111 to continue his excellent start to test cricket, with the 23-year-old proving to be the glue in England’s innings, putting on partnerships with Ollie Pope and captain Ben Stokes before a stand of 117 with Foakes. Spinners Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed played a big role in stemming England’s flow on either…
Monrovia, Liberia – Hundreds of protesters gathered on Saturday at the outer section of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia to protest against soaring costs of living, a day before President George Weah’s return from a 48-day trip abroad. The protest was organised by the Coalition of Collaborating Parties – a grouping of four of the West African country’s opposition parties – but reports of internal scuffles kept only the Alternative National Congress (ANC) in the fold. From as early as 9am, protesters gathered at various locations around the city, including the party headquarters of the two opposition…
Israel says it has deported Palestinian-French human rights lawyer Salah Hammouri, capping a years-long attempt to expel the Jerusalem-born advocate who had been in detention without charges since March. The deportation came amid calls for French President Emmanuel Macron to oppose the deportation to France, whose foreign ministry spokeswoman had previously said Hammouri “must be able to exercise all his rights and lead a normal life in Jerusalem, his city of birth and residence”. On Sunday, the Justice for Salah campaign released an audio message from Hammouri, which he said was recorded as he was being “forcibly deported and uprooted…
Al Wakrah, Qatar – The enticing smell of chargrilled meat fills the air, the sound of Argentinian music blares from portable speakers and a game of cards ends with high-fives and smiles. This is a routine sight at a sprawling apartment complex located in the wilderness, in Al Wakrah City, south of Qatar, which football fans from Argentina have turned into a little part of their home country. Barahat Al Janoub, or Barwargento as its current occupants call it, may be more than 13,000 kilometres (8,078 miles) from Buenos Aires or Rosario but fans who live here have not let…
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Latest launches come three days after Pyongyang said it tested a ‘high-thrust solid-fuel motor’ engine for ballistic missiles.Video Duration 02 minutes 18 seconds 02:18N Korean missile tests: border residents in S Korea fear warNorth Korea has fired two ballistic missile towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korean and Japanese officials. South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff said the launches occurred from the northwestern Tongchang-ri area on Sunday morning. It said the missiles flew across the country towards North Korean waters and were fired about 50 minutes apart, but gave…
The NHL has been debating an expansion of its regular-season schedule by two games per team, but the league will have to make a concession in order to make it happen, according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman. The move, which was first reported on Friday by ESPN, has been discussed as a way to offer teams more games against division rivals, who sometimes only face each other three times — with those games against fierce rivals sometimes all taking place before the new year. The Battle of Alberta, for instance, will peak on Dec. 27, when the Flames…
The brothers were fixing a tire after their vehicle broke down when an Israeli settler ‘deliberately’ ran a car into them, local media reported.Two Palestinian brothers have been killed after an Israeli settler ran them over with his car near a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency. The two brothers, Mohammed and Muhannad Mutair, were “deliberately” run over at the Zaatara checkpoint, south of Nablus, the official Palestinian news agency said on Saturday. In a press statement, the director of the Jerusalem Governorate office in Qalandiya, Zakaria Fayala, said Mohammed’s body was transferred to…
Who: Argentina vs France, World Cup Final Where: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Doha When: Sunday, December 18 at 6pm (15:00 GMT) FIFA ranking: Argentina (3), France (4) Head-to-head record: 12 games since 1930; Argentina won six, France won three, and three draws Ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final, hot take after hot take has focused on the battle of the Number 10s: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe. Messi – the Magician, the PlayStation footballer – quite possibly the best the world has ever seen, is heading towards retirement. Mbappe, the prodigious talent who has scored only two fewer World…