<p>Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp.</p>

<p>Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The journalists exposing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a>. <a href="https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2">https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2</a></p>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/950490382990790656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it &quot;misreporting.&quot;</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uidai-files-fir-against-a-reporter-of-an-english-daily-28769">FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India,</a> against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low&nbsp;as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group.</p>

<p><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GwFkOxK2pLM" width="770"></iframe></p>

<p>In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/edward-snowden-on-aadhaar-no-matter-the-laws-the-result-is-abuse-28613">misused and abused.</a>&quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a></p>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and&nbsp;has currently taken asylum in Russia.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the&nbsp;situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security &amp; sanctity of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> for India&#39;s development. FIR is against unknown. I&#39;ve suggested <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a> to request Tribune &amp; it&#39;s journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders.</p>
&mdash; Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/950275919855304705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of normal people easily accessing private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp

Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp. Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation. The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI. https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2 — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 8, 2018 × UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it "misreporting." The FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India, against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group. In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be "misused and abused." It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and has currently taken asylum in Russia. Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press. Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security & sanctity of #Aadhaar for India's development. FIR is against unknown. I've suggested @UIDAI to request Tribune & it's journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders. — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) January 8, 2018 ×

Journalist who exposed flaws in UIDAI should be awarded, not investigated: Edward Snowden

<p>A day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/whatsapp-group-sold-aadhaar-details-for-rs-500-uidai-denies-report-28548">Unique Identification Authority of India</a> (UIDAI) denied that there was any breach of the Aadhaar database, American whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Friday that the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abused.</p>

<p>Retweeting CBS journalist Zack Whittaker&#39;s response on a BuzzFeed report on the breach of Aadhaar database in India, Snowden said, &quot;It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse.&quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a></p>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Whittaker had earlier said, &quot;ICYMI. India has a national ID database with the private information of nearly 1.2 billion nationals. It&#39;s reportedly been breached. Admin accounts can be made and access can be sold to the database, reports BuzzFeed.&quot;</p>

<p>The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.</p>

<p>It termed The Tribune report titled Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details a case of misreporting.</p>

<p>&quot;There has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure,&quot; the UIDAI said in a statement.</p>

<p>This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court is set to begin the final hearing of petitions challenging the legality of Aadhaar programme based on privacy concerns on January 17.</p>

<p>In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.</p>


The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

A day after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) denied that there was any breach of the Aadhaar database, American whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Friday that the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abused. Retweeting CBS journalist Zack Whittaker's response on a BuzzFeed report on the breach of Aadhaar database in India, Snowden said, "It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse." It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Whittaker had earlier said, "ICYMI. India has a national ID database with the private information of nearly 1.2 billion nationals. It's reportedly been breached. Admin accounts can be made and access can be sold to the database, reports BuzzFeed." The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure. It termed The Tribune report titled Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details a case of misreporting. "There has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure," the UIDAI said in a statement. This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court is set to begin the final hearing of petitions challenging the legality of Aadhaar programme based on privacy concerns on January 17. In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.

Edward Snowden on Aadhaar: 'No matter the laws, the result is abuse'

<p>Russian authorities have extended US intelligence leaker Edward&nbsp;Snowden&#39;s Russian residency permit by two years, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The former National Security Agency contractor shook the American intelligence establishment to its core in 2013 with a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance in the US and around the world.</p>

<p>The announcement came as outgoing US President Barack Obama commuted the sentence of army private Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks.</p>

<p>Snowden&nbsp;was not on Obama&#39;s list of commutations or pardons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Snowden&#39;s residence permit has just been extended by two years,&quot; Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, could not be reached on Wednesday morning to confirm Zakharova&#39;s statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Snowden&nbsp;has been living in exile in Russia since 2013, where he ended up after spending weeks in the transit area of Moscow&#39;s Sheremetyevo airport.</p>

<p>He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow&#39;s relations with Washington.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The revelations from the documents he leaked sparked a massive row over the data sweeps conducted by the United States domestically and in allied nations, including of their leaders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Snowden&nbsp;welcomed the action on Manning&#39;s sentence, writing on Twitter: &quot;Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama.&quot;</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


The whistleblower, who had released a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance, has been living in exile in Russia since 2013

Russian authorities have extended US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's Russian residency permit by two years, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. The former National Security Agency contractor shook the American intelligence establishment to its core in 2013 with a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance in the US and around the world. The announcement came as outgoing US President Barack Obama commuted the sentence of army private Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Snowden was not on Obama's list of commutations or pardons. "Snowden's residence permit has just been extended by two years," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page. His lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, could not be reached on Wednesday morning to confirm Zakharova's statement. Snowden has been living in exile in Russia since 2013, where he ended up after spending weeks in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow's relations with Washington. The revelations from the documents he leaked sparked a massive row over the data sweeps conducted by the United States domestically and in allied nations, including of their leaders. Snowden welcomed the action on Manning's sentence, writing on Twitter: "Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama." (AFP)

Russia extends Edward Snowden's stay by two years

<p>Norway&#39;s Supreme Cout rejected Edward Snowden&#39;s final appeal to protect him should he travel to Norway to collect an award.</p>

<p>The supreme court said it could not evaluate an extradition request preemptively<br />
, news agency AFP reported.</p>

<p>Norway said that the asylum seeker had to be present in the country to apply. The whistleblower had applied for an asylum in Norway in 2013 after fleeing from the United States.</p>

<p>Snowden was awarded the Ossietzky prize which celebrates &quot;outstanding efforts for freedom of expression.&quot; He will, however, be unable to receive his prize because of the rejection of his appeal.</p>

<p>The 33-year-old US citizen won a similar Norwegian award in 2015 but was unable to collect it.</p>

<p>He has been living in exile in Russia becuase he faces &nbsp;charges of espionage and theft of state secrets that could land the former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor up to 30 years in jail in the United States.</p>

<p>Snowden has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but has not won it till now.</p>

<p>(With inputs from AFP)</p>


The Supreme Court ruled that asylum seekers had to be physically present in the country to apply

Norway's Supreme Cout rejected Edward Snowden's final appeal to protect him should he travel to Norway to collect an award. The supreme court said it could not evaluate an extradition request preemptively , news agency AFP reported. Norway said that the asylum seeker had to be present in the country to apply. The whistleblower had applied for an asylum in Norway in 2013 after fleeing from the United States. Snowden was awarded the Ossietzky prize which celebrates "outstanding efforts for freedom of expression." He will, however, be unable to receive his prize because of the rejection of his appeal. The 33-year-old US citizen won a similar Norwegian award in 2015 but was unable to collect it. He has been living in exile in Russia becuase he faces charges of espionage and theft of state secrets that could land the former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor up to 30 years in jail in the United States. Snowden has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but has not won it till now. (With inputs from AFP)

Snowden loses final Norway appeal for no-extradition pledge

<p>The British parliament this week gave the green light to new bulk surveillance powers for police and intelligence services that critics have denounced as the most far-reaching of any western democracy.</p>

<p>The Investigatory Powers Bill would, among other measures, require websites to keep customers&#39; browsing history for up to a year and allow law enforcement agencies to access them to help with investigations.</p>

<p>Edward Snowden, the former US National Security Agency contractor turned whistleblower, said the powers &quot;went further than many autocracies&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The UK has just legalised the most extreme surveillance in the history of western democracy,&quot; he tweeted.</p>

<p>The bill, the first major update of British surveillance laws for 15 years, was passed by the House of Lords and now only needs rubber-stamping by Queen Elizabeth II.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Theresa May introduced the bill in March when she was still interior minister, describing it as &quot;world-leading&quot; legislation intended to reflect the change in online communications.</p>

<p>It gives legal footing to existing but murky powers such as the hacking of computers and mobile phones, while introducing new safeguards such as the need for a judge to authorise interception warrants.</p>

<p>But critics have dubbed it the &quot;snooper&#39;s charter&quot; and say that, in authorising the blanket retention and access by authorities of records of emails, calls, texts and web activity, it breaches fundamental rights of privacy.</p>

<p>Rights organisation Liberty has challenged the legislation at the European Court of Justice, arguing it is incompatible with human rights law, and a judgement is expected next year.</p>

<p>&quot;The passage of the Snoopers&#39; Charter through parliament is a sad day for British liberty,&quot; said Bella Sankey, the group&#39;s policy director.</p>

<p>&quot;Under the guise of counter-terrorism, the state has achieved totalitarian-style surveillance powers -- the most intrusive system of any democracy in human history.</p>

<p>&quot;It has the ability to indiscriminately hack, intercept, record, and monitor the communications and internet use of the entire population.&quot;</p>

<p>Jim Killock, executive director of digital campaigners Open Rights Group, warned the impact of the legislation would reach beyond Britain.</p>

<p>&quot;It is likely that other countries, including authoritarian regimes with poor human rights records, will use this law to justify their own intrusive surveillance powers,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The bill also reinforces existing encryption powers, allowing officials to ask technology companies to provide content where it is deemed &quot;practicable&quot;, although firms fear it may open the door to further demands on the sector.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


Critics have denounced them as the most far-reaching of any western democracy

The British parliament this week gave the green light to new bulk surveillance powers for police and intelligence services that critics have denounced as the most far-reaching of any western democracy. The Investigatory Powers Bill would, among other measures, require websites to keep customers' browsing history for up to a year and allow law enforcement agencies to access them to help with investigations. Edward Snowden, the former US National Security Agency contractor turned whistleblower, said the powers "went further than many autocracies". "The UK has just legalised the most extreme surveillance in the history of western democracy," he tweeted. The bill, the first major update of British surveillance laws for 15 years, was passed by the House of Lords and now only needs rubber-stamping by Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister Theresa May introduced the bill in March when she was still interior minister, describing it as "world-leading" legislation intended to reflect the change in online communications. It gives legal footing to existing but murky powers such as the hacking of computers and mobile phones, while introducing new safeguards such as the need for a judge to authorise interception warrants. But critics have dubbed it the "snooper's charter" and say that, in authorising the blanket retention and access by authorities of records of emails, calls, texts and web activity, it breaches fundamental rights of privacy. Rights organisation Liberty has challenged the legislation at the European Court of Justice, arguing it is incompatible with human rights law, and a judgement is expected next year. "The passage of the Snoopers' Charter through parliament is a sad day for British liberty," said Bella Sankey, the group's policy director. "Under the guise of counter-terrorism, the state has achieved totalitarian-style surveillance powers -- the most intrusive system of any democracy in human history. "It has the ability to indiscriminately hack, intercept, record, and monitor the communications and internet use of the entire population." Jim Killock, executive director of digital campaigners Open Rights Group, warned the impact of the legislation would reach beyond Britain. "It is likely that other countries, including authoritarian regimes with poor human rights records, will use this law to justify their own intrusive surveillance powers," he said. The bill also reinforces existing encryption powers, allowing officials to ask technology companies to provide content where it is deemed "practicable", although firms fear it may open the door to further demands on the sector. (AFP)

UK lawmakers approve 'most sweeping' surveillance powers

<p>The New York Times published an article today saying&nbsp;a former contractor&nbsp;of &nbsp;the National Security Agency (NSA) was secretly arrested on August 28 for stealing top-secret information.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;investigation is ongoing into&nbsp;whether or not he stole or disclosed highly classified computer code developed by the agency to hack&nbsp;foreign governments, especially adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Though some of the allegedly stolen data is outdated.</p>

<p>The situation recalls the high-profile story of Edward Snowden, another&nbsp;former NSA contractor&nbsp;who stole troves of information&nbsp;about American surveillance&nbsp;programs in the US and abroad, and leaked it to journalists at The Guardian.</p>

<p>This&nbsp;contractor associated&nbsp;has been identified as Harold T Martin III. Both Snowden and Martin worked for the same consulting company, Booz Allen Hamilton.</p>

<p>The Times, citing a neighbour who saw it,&nbsp;says that on August 27&nbsp;two dozen armed&nbsp;FBI agents stormed Martin&#39;s home, and emerged with Martin in handcuffs. The FBI has found thousands of pages of material in his house and car, dozens of computers or other electronic devices, some of it highly classified,&nbsp;as well as &quot;many terrabytes of information&quot;.</p>

<p>It has been more than a month since the arrest, but authorities have not said whether Martin has disclosed the information to any third-parties, or whether he simply downloaded it and kept it to himself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Martin originally denied taking the documents and digitial files, but later told authorities he knew he wasn&#39;t authorised to possess them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some of the documents&nbsp;believed to be stolen by Martin&nbsp;were&nbsp;produced in 2014, before Snowden&#39;s actions became public knowledge, so whether or not Martin&#39;s alleged theft would have been prevented&nbsp;given the reforms put in place since Snowden is hard to know.</p>

<p>One of the officials involved described Martin as a &quot;hoarder&quot;, meaning he believed Martin would simply keep the information in his home. This would be&nbsp;&nbsp;a majorly different category of classified information thief&nbsp;than Snowden, who morally objected to the NSA&#39;s surveillance program and set out to make it public.</p>

<p>There have been several instances of people taking classified information home. There are still many important unanswered questions about Martin, including whether this case has any connection to the leak&nbsp;of NSA code in August by a group called &quot;Shadow Brokers&quot;, or any leaks of NSA intercepts involving foreign governments published by WikiLeaks.</p>

<p>Perhaps it&#39;s fitting&nbsp;that a man was secretly arrested for stealing secrets, and&nbsp;so much about it remains&nbsp;unanswered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The situation is reminiscent of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, except the information and purpose for this theft appears different

The New York Times published an article today saying a former contractor of the National Security Agency (NSA) was secretly arrested on August 28 for stealing top-secret information. The investigation is ongoing into whether or not he stole or disclosed highly classified computer code developed by the agency to hack foreign governments, especially adversaries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Though some of the allegedly stolen data is outdated. The situation recalls the high-profile story of Edward Snowden, another former NSA contractor who stole troves of information about American surveillance programs in the US and abroad, and leaked it to journalists at The Guardian. This contractor associated has been identified as Harold T Martin III. Both Snowden and Martin worked for the same consulting company, Booz Allen Hamilton. The Times, citing a neighbour who saw it, says that on August 27 two dozen armed FBI agents stormed Martin's home, and emerged with Martin in handcuffs. The FBI has found thousands of pages of material in his house and car, dozens of computers or other electronic devices, some of it highly classified, as well as "many terrabytes of information". It has been more than a month since the arrest, but authorities have not said whether Martin has disclosed the information to any third-parties, or whether he simply downloaded it and kept it to himself. Martin originally denied taking the documents and digitial files, but later told authorities he knew he wasn't authorised to possess them. Some of the documents believed to be stolen by Martin were produced in 2014, before Snowden's actions became public knowledge, so whether or not Martin's alleged theft would have been prevented given the reforms put in place since Snowden is hard to know. One of the officials involved described Martin as a "hoarder", meaning he believed Martin would simply keep the information in his home. This would be a majorly different category of classified information thief than Snowden, who morally objected to the NSA's surveillance program and set out to make it public. There have been several instances of people taking classified information home. There are still many important unanswered questions about Martin, including whether this case has any connection to the leak of NSA code in August by a group called "Shadow Brokers", or any leaks of NSA intercepts involving foreign governments published by WikiLeaks. Perhaps it's fitting that a man was secretly arrested for stealing secrets, and so much about it remains unanswered. (WION)

US spy agency secretly arrests former contractor for possibly stealing top-secret material

&#39;Snowden&#39;, the movie based on whistleblower Edward Snowden released in Russia on Thursday, a day ahead of the US premiere.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The film is directed by Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, known for his controversial films, which include &quot;JFK,&quot; &quot;Natural Born Killers&quot; and &quot;Wall Street.&quot;<br />
<br />
The movie is based on two books about Snowden, written by The Guardian journalist, Luke Harding and Snowden&#39;s Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, Reuters reported.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release.&nbsp;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release.?" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
The movie follows the story of Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a former intelligence contractor with US National Security Agency who leaks thousands of classified government documents in 2013, which revealed mass surveillance programmes used by US and British government.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Victor Michaelson, an associate professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow told Reuters: &quot;Snowden lives here. He is always on the top news, on the cover, whenever he gives interviews, or his public appearances, which are rare, but still he is a very popular figure in Russia.&quot;<br />
<br />
Another movie viewer, Yuri, considers him the hero of the 21st century.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;He [Snowden] is right about security, about freedom of the people. Of course, everyone needs to know about it, about the truth,&quot; he said<br />
<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from Reuters)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
&nbsp;

The movie is based on two books written by The Guardian journalist Luke Harding and whistle-blower Edward Snowden's Russian lawyer

'Snowden', the movie based on whistleblower Edward Snowden released in Russia on Thursday, a day ahead of the US premiere. The film is directed by Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, known for his controversial films, which include "JFK," "Natural Born Killers" and "Wall Street." The movie is based on two books about Snowden, written by The Guardian journalist, Luke Harding and Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, Reuters reported. Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release. The movie follows the story of Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a former intelligence contractor with US National Security Agency who leaks thousands of classified government documents in 2013, which revealed mass surveillance programmes used by US and British government. Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he was stripped of his US passport while travelling from Hong Kong to Moscow. He was granted asylum after almost a month of stay and this is why Russia was chosen for the global theatre release. Victor Michaelson, an associate professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow told Reuters: "Snowden lives here. He is always on the top news, on the cover, whenever he gives interviews, or his public appearances, which are rare, but still he is a very popular figure in Russia." Another movie viewer, Yuri, considers him the hero of the 21st century. "He [Snowden] is right about security, about freedom of the people. Of course, everyone needs to know about it, about the truth," he said (WION with inputs from Reuters)

'Snowden' hits Russian theatres

As he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani lashed out at Pakistan for its extremely &ldquo;shortsighted&rdquo; approach for dealing with terrorism in his address at the Institute of Defence and Analyses in Delhi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He also said that &ldquo;Pakistan celebrates every single of its defeat as victory and every single one of its intelligence failure as a confirmation of conspiracy theory&rdquo;.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;They agreed that this phenomenon presented the single biggest threat to peace, stability and progress in the region and beyond,&quot; a joint statement said without naming Pakistan, a nation that both countries accuse of sponsoring terror.<br />
<br />
The Afghan President added that countries that feel threatened by increasing cooperation between India and Afghanistan &ldquo;need to change their outlook and not blame others&rdquo;.<br />
<br />
He emphasised on the need to put an end to terrorism for achieving political aims and condemned Pakistan&#39;s myopic stance on &ldquo;good terrorists and bad terrorists&rdquo;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;&quot;We see that there is a distinction between good and bad terrorists. Good terrorists are the ones that attack your neighbours, bad terrorists are the ones who attack you. This type of approach is enormously shortsighted. The blowback phenomenon is going to be bad. Terrorism will bite, like a snake, who feeds it,&rdquo; he said.<br />
<br />
Ghani stressed on the need for regional cooperation to fight terrorists and said one country&#39;s response is &quot;totally insufficient&quot;.<br />
<br />
Asked about Pakistan blocking road route to Afghanistan via the Wagah border, Ghani said both countries need to worry as there is air connectivity and efforts are on to increase that.<br />
<br />
However, he said those who try to block two great nations, will be blocked themselves.<br />
<br />
Told that they are reports that he had warned Pakistan that their export to central Asian countries through Afghanistan will be blocked, Ghani said he speaks sternly.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from PTI)

Edward Snowden, charged with espionage and theft of government property after leaking sensitive documents, has been living in exile

As he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani lashed out at Pakistan for its extremely “shortsighted” approach for dealing with terrorism in his address at the Institute of Defence and Analyses in Delhi. He also said that “Pakistan celebrates every single of its defeat as victory and every single one of its intelligence failure as a confirmation of conspiracy theory”. “They agreed that this phenomenon presented the single biggest threat to peace, stability and progress in the region and beyond," a joint statement said without naming Pakistan, a nation that both countries accuse of sponsoring terror. The Afghan President added that countries that feel threatened by increasing cooperation between India and Afghanistan “need to change their outlook and not blame others”. He emphasised on the need to put an end to terrorism for achieving political aims and condemned Pakistan's myopic stance on “good terrorists and bad terrorists”. “"We see that there is a distinction between good and bad terrorists. Good terrorists are the ones that attack your neighbours, bad terrorists are the ones who attack you. This type of approach is enormously shortsighted. The blowback phenomenon is going to be bad. Terrorism will bite, like a snake, who feeds it,” he said. Ghani stressed on the need for regional cooperation to fight terrorists and said one country's response is "totally insufficient". Asked about Pakistan blocking road route to Afghanistan via the Wagah border, Ghani said both countries need to worry as there is air connectivity and efforts are on to increase that. However, he said those who try to block two great nations, will be blocked themselves. Told that they are reports that he had warned Pakistan that their export to central Asian countries through Afghanistan will be blocked, Ghani said he speaks sternly. (WION with inputs from PTI)

White House says Snowden's leaks 'endangered national security', right groups appeal for pardon?

<p>Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, who has been living in exile in Russia for more than three years has called on US President Barack Obama to pardon him before he leaves his office next year.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The former intelligence contractor said his decision to disclose classified information about the US and British surveillance program was &ldquo;morally correct&rdquo; and he should be pardoned.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;&quot;If not for these disclosures, if not for these revelations, we would be worse off,&quot; he told The Guardian newspaper in a video-link interview from Moscow yesterday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The 33-year-old insisted that the &ldquo;public cares more about these issues more than he had anticipated&rdquo;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Oliver Stone, director of the biopic thriller &ldquo;Snowden&rdquo;, also called for Obama to pardon the whistleblower at the Toronto film festival this year.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The 33-year-old insisted that the &ldquo;public cares more about these issues more than he had anticipated&quot;.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The 33-year-old insisted that the ?public cares more about these issues more than he had anticipated&quot;. " target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<p><br />
Snowden&#39;s residency permit in Russia runs &nbsp;out next year. He even said that he was prepared to spend time in jail in the US, adding he was &ldquo;willing to make a lot of sacrifices for the country&rdquo;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Last year, the White House rejected a petition signed by over 150,000 urging a pardon for Snowden, saying he should be &quot;judged by a jury of his peers&quot;.<br />
<br />
In a video-link interview Snowden said the disclosure of the scale of surveillance had left people better off.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists &ndash; for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things,&rdquo; he said. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


He said his decision to disclose classified information about the US and British mass surveillance program was 'morally correct'

Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, who has been living in exile in Russia for more than three years has called on US President Barack Obama to pardon him before he leaves his office next year. The former intelligence contractor said his decision to disclose classified information about the US and British surveillance program was “morally correct” and he should be pardoned. "If not for these disclosures, if not for these revelations, we would be worse off," he told The Guardian newspaper in a video-link interview from Moscow yesterday. The 33-year-old insisted that the “public cares more about these issues more than he had anticipated”. Oliver Stone, director of the biopic thriller “Snowden”, also called for Obama to pardon the whistleblower at the Toronto film festival this year. The 33-year-old insisted that the “public cares more about these issues more than he had anticipated". Snowden's residency permit in Russia runs out next year. He even said that he was prepared to spend time in jail in the US, adding he was “willing to make a lot of sacrifices for the country”. Last year, the White House rejected a petition signed by over 150,000 urging a pardon for Snowden, saying he should be "judged by a jury of his peers". In a video-link interview Snowden said the disclosure of the scale of surveillance had left people better off. “Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists – for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things,” he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Former NSA whistleblower Snowden asks Obama for pardon

<p>When former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden&nbsp;met with Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone to discuss a movie on his life, he never thought he would be making his own film debut.</p>

<p>Stone had initially interviewed&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;to include him in DVD outtakes,&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;said via video link on late Thursday in San Diego after a screening of Stone&#39;s &quot;Snowden&quot;, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the title character.&nbsp;But&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;and Stone ended up filming nine takes for a scene in which he talks about his fears stemming from his actions.</p>

<p>&quot;I spoke at length just about personal values and just what it meant to me with the things that were happening since 2013,&quot; said&nbsp;Snowden. &quot;I guess he liked it. People do seem to respond to that.&quot;</p>

<p>The movie, due out in September, follows the 2013 events that led&nbsp;Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency, to expose the US&nbsp;government&#39;s mass surveillance programs and flee the country after the government filed espionage charges<br />
against him.<br />
<br />
He was granted asylum in Russia later that year, and has lived there since with his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills.&nbsp;&quot;When there is enough in the public record, you don&#39;t really get to decide whether or not the movie gets made,&quot;&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The film follows&nbsp;Snowden&#39;s discovery of the US&nbsp;government&#39;s mass surveillance programs that digitally monitor unaware citizens.&nbsp;It fictionialises and condenses some events, such as how&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;smuggled the data out of the NSA - dramatised with a Rubik&#39;s Cube in the film - and got it to documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras and Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald in Hong Kong.</p>

<p><br />
&quot;I admitted that I did not have a plan beyond getting straight out of there (Hong Kong), I planned to ask the world for justice and see what happened. It was kind of surprising how that worked out,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Asked by an audience member if he was happy,&nbsp;Snowden&nbsp;said: &quot;I actually live a surprisingly free life,&quot; working with organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union that Gordon-Levitt donated his &quot;Snowden&quot; acting fee to.&nbsp;&quot;Every day, I&#39;m working on something now that I can be proud of. I love my country, I love the things that we try to do,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;The fact that Lindsay&nbsp;has been with me for ten years, is still with me, that&#39;s something that just makes me happy every day.&quot;<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


The movie, due out in September, will follow the 2013 events that led Snowden to expose the US government's mass surveillance programs

When former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden met with Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone to discuss a movie on his life, he never thought he would be making his own film debut. Stone had initially interviewed Snowden to include him in DVD outtakes, Snowden said via video link on late Thursday in San Diego after a screening of Stone's "Snowden", which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the title character. But Snowden and Stone ended up filming nine takes for a scene in which he talks about his fears stemming from his actions. "I spoke at length just about personal values and just what it meant to me with the things that were happening since 2013," said Snowden. "I guess he liked it. People do seem to respond to that." The movie, due out in September, follows the 2013 events that led Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency, to expose the US government's mass surveillance programs and flee the country after the government filed espionage charges against him. He was granted asylum in Russia later that year, and has lived there since with his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills. "When there is enough in the public record, you don't really get to decide whether or not the movie gets made," Snowden said. The film follows Snowden's discovery of the US government's mass surveillance programs that digitally monitor unaware citizens. It fictionialises and condenses some events, such as how Snowden smuggled the data out of the NSA - dramatised with a Rubik's Cube in the film - and got it to documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras and Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald in Hong Kong. "I admitted that I did not have a plan beyond getting straight out of there (Hong Kong), I planned to ask the world for justice and see what happened. It was kind of surprising how that worked out," he said. Asked by an audience member if he was happy, Snowden said: "I actually live a surprisingly free life," working with organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union that Gordon-Levitt donated his "Snowden" acting fee to. "Every day, I'm working on something now that I can be proud of. I love my country, I love the things that we try to do," he said. "The fact that Lindsay has been with me for ten years, is still with me, that's something that just makes me happy every day." (Reuters)

Edward Snowden talks film debut and dramatising his life in 'Snowden'

Former US spy contractor Edward Snowden has failed in a legal bid to win guarantees from Norway that it would not extradite him to the United States if he went there to receive a free speech award, a Norwegian court said on Monday.<br />
<br />
Snowden&#39;s law firm said in April he would take the state to court to secure free passage to the Nordic country. The United States has filed espionage charges against him for leaking details of extensive US surveillance programmes. He was granted asylum in Russia, which borders Norway, in 2013.<br />
<br />
&quot;Oslo District Court has decided that the lawsuit from Edward Snowden against the State regarding extradition, should be dismissed,&quot; the court said in a statement.<br />
<br />
Snowden had been invited to Norway to receive a freedom of speech award from the local branch of writers&#39; group PEN International, but worried that he would be handed over to the United States, his lawyers have said.<br />
<br />
The Norwegian court said the country&#39;s extradition laws only apply to people who are already in the country, and that the justice ministry could not be compelled to issue a decision on whether or not to extradite someone who lives abroad.<br />
<br />
As part of the verdict, Snowden was also ordered to pay 7,000 Norwegian crowns ($823.64) to the government to cover legal expenses.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Snowden had been invited to Norway to receive a freedom of speech award from the local branch of writers' group PEN International

Former US spy contractor Edward Snowden has failed in a legal bid to win guarantees from Norway that it would not extradite him to the United States if he went there to receive a free speech award, a Norwegian court said on Monday. Snowden's law firm said in April he would take the state to court to secure free passage to the Nordic country. The United States has filed espionage charges against him for leaking details of extensive US surveillance programmes. He was granted asylum in Russia, which borders Norway, in 2013. "Oslo District Court has decided that the lawsuit from Edward Snowden against the State regarding extradition, should be dismissed," the court said in a statement. Snowden had been invited to Norway to receive a freedom of speech award from the local branch of writers' group PEN International, but worried that he would be handed over to the United States, his lawyers have said. The Norwegian court said the country's extradition laws only apply to people who are already in the country, and that the justice ministry could not be compelled to issue a decision on whether or not to extradite someone who lives abroad. As part of the verdict, Snowden was also ordered to pay 7,000 Norwegian crowns ($823.64) to the government to cover legal expenses. (Reuters)

Edward Snowden: Norwegian court rejects lawsuit on free passage

edward-snowden

Edward Snowden, News on Edward Snowden, stories on Edward Snowden, articles on Edward Snowden, Edward Snowden stories at Wion, Edward Snowden news, Edward Snowden latest news

edward snowden