A report on the IoL site says USIS, working as a contractor for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), conducted a background review of Aaron Alexis, identified by law enforcement authorities as the shooter who killed 12 people at the Navy Yard before he was shot dead. Earlier this year, USIS became the focus of congressional scrutiny when it was discovered that the company handled the most recent background investigation of Snowden, accused of disclosing top secret materials taken from the National Security Agency facility where he worked, the report notes. 'From Edward Snowden to Aaron Alexis, what's emerging is a pattern of failure on the part of this company, and a failure of this entire system, that risks nothing less than our national security and the lives of Americans,' Senator Claire McCaskill is quoted in the report as saying. Full report on the IoL site

Meanwhile, Snowden is living under guard at a secret address in Russia and sometimes emerges in disguise, although he remains in such danger that even a family visit could endanger his security. 'I am his only link with the outside world at the moment. Even his contacts with his parents are carried out through me,' said his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena. According to a report on the News24 site, he added that his client has also made quick progress in learning Russian. The 30-year-old former CIA security analyst is wanted by the US after revealing details of massive surveillance by the NSA to the media. Full report on the News24 site

In other developments, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff last week called off her trip to Washington to protest against the electronic surveillance conducted against her and her government by the US National Security Agency. According to a report on thehindu.com site, the decision is a big blow to Brazil-US relations. The Brazilian Government said 'given the proximity of the scheduled state visit to Washington and in the absence of a timely investigation of the incident, with corresponding explanations and the commitment to cease the interception activities' it could not go ahead as planned. Washington too tried to downplay the level of mistrust. In a statement last week, the White House said: 'The President has said that he understands and regrets the concerns that disclosures of alleged US intelligence activities have generated in Brazil and made clear that he is committed to working together with President Rousseff and her government in diplomatic channels to move beyond this issue as a source of tension in our bilateral relationship.' Full report on thehindu.com site