NSA Leak: UK Urges No-Fly Ban on Snowden

According to the Associated Press news agency, the British government has warned airlines around the world to refuse to fly ex-CIA worker Edward Snowden, who leaked information on top-secret US government surveillance programmes.

The agency, in a report, said that they saw a photograph of the document taken on Friday at a Thai airport of a British travel alert, dated on Monday on a Home Office letterhead, telling carriers to stop Edward Snowden, 29, boarding any flights.

The alert was issued by the Risk and Liaison Overseas Network, part of the UK Border Agency that has staff in several countries identified as major transit points for inadequately documented passengers.

They added that the alert was specific in mentioning that he "is highly likely" to be refused entry to the UK and that such a carrier may "be liable to costs relating to the individual's detention and removal" should they allow him to travel.

A British diplomat confirmed that the document was genuine and was sent out to airlines around the world. Airlines in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore confirmed the alert had been issued.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said such alerts were issued to carriers that flew into Britain and any carrier that brought Snowden would be liable to be fined 2,000 pounds ($3,000)

Reports from the US inidcated that the US government has begun to take steps to prosecute the  who now lives in Hong Kong, for exposing high confidential information on the secret NSA surveillance programme.

Only last Sunday, Snowden revealed that he was the source of top-secret documents about NSA surveillance programmes that were reported earlier by The Guardian newspapers in UK and Washington Post of the US.

Mr Snowden was last seen in Hong Kong. However, Snowden would have few options for seeking refuge if he were not allowed to stay in his preferred sanctuary which is a semiautonomous Chinese territory.

The revelation that the NSA is collecting millions of US phone records along with digital communications stored by nine major Internet companies has incited worldwide protests, majorly in New York and Hong Kong where about 1,000 protesters were expected to march to the US consulate and then the government to urge the administration of the semi-autonomous territory to not extradite him.
 
By using intrusive surveillance methods, the Obama Administration has sparked a national debate between security and invasion of privacy on an extremely large scale.

Guardian- Edward Snowden was NSA Prism Leak Source

UK-owned Guardian newspaper has revealed 29 year old Edward Snowden, a current employee of defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, as a former CIA technical assistant who leaked details of a secret US programme that gathered millions of phone and internet records.

The revelations began on Wednesday night, when a report from Guardian came out indicating that phone company Verizon had been ordered by a US ‘secret’ court to relay millions of phone records on telephone call “metadata” to the National Security Agency (NSA).

The report continued, revealing that the NSA secret surveillance system known as Prism, was undergone, in an effort to track online communication by tapping directly into servers of nine major internet firms.

However, the involved internet companies have denied the allegations, while the papers revealed that the data they (NSA and the FBI) gathered were used to track suspected foreign nationals in terrorism and spying cases.

Although, the ex-CIA man’s identity was revealed by the UK papers with his consent, he claimed that he leaked the information in order to protect “basic liberties for people around the world.”

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, he said, “I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under.”

Although, he had no intention of hiding, he replied “nothing good” when asked what he believed would happen to him after the information went public.

Snowden has decided to seek asylum in Iceland, explaining that he had gone Hong Kong because of is strong tradition of “free speech”.

US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has condemned the revelations, calling the leaks “literally gut-wrenching”, as the NSA asks the Justice Department to conduct a criminal investigation.

Former senior NSA executive turned whistleblower Thomas Drake, said that Snowden’s act was an extraordinary act of civil disobedience, adding that the US intelligence community will do whatever it can to prosecute him.

Only on Friday, US President Obama had defended the surveillance programmes of the governnment, calling it a “modest encroachment” on privacy which is of extreme importance in the protection of the country from terrorism.

London killing: Security services tried to recruit Adebolajo – friend

An alleged friend of London soldier murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was arrested at the BBC after telling the broadcaster that British security services had tried to recruit his friend.

Abu Nusaybah told BBC television on Friday that Adebolajo was asked by the MI5 domestic intelligence agency if he wanted to work for them.

He said Adebolajo had snubbed their approach.

The BBC said Abu Nusaybah was promptly arrested on their premises after giving the interview.

Scotland Yard police headquarters said Saturday that counter-terror officers had arrested a 31-year-old man in London on suspicion of the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

It is understood the arrest was not directly linked to the brutal murder of soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death in the street Wednesday outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London.

Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, who remain under armed guard in hospital after being shot by police at the scene, were known to the intelligence services but were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat.

Abu Nusaybah said he first met Adebolajo in early 2002 and was struck by things his friend said to him roughly six months ago.

The murder suspect claimed he had been picked up by Kenyan forces and physically assaulted in detention there.

Abu Nusaybah said after Adebolajo returned from Kenya, MI5 agents repeatedly called at his home.

Adebolajo was “basically being harassed by MI5, this is something that he specifically mentioned to me.

“His wording was: ‘They are bugging me — they won’t leave me alone.’

“He mentioned initially they wanted to ask him whether he knew certain individuals.

“But after him saying that he didn’t know these individuals and so forth, what he said is they asked him whether he would be interested in working for them.

“He was explicit in that he refused to work for them but he did confirm that he didn’t know the individuals.”

The BBC said it could not obtain any confirmation from government ministry sources as to whether Adebolajo had been approached by MI5.

Scotland Yard said officers from Counter-Terrorism Command arrested a 31-year-old man at around 9:30pm (2030 GMT) Friday.

He was detained “on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000″, the statement said.

“The man has been taken to a south London police station, where he remains in custody.

“Search warrants are being executed at two residential addresses in east London.”

Italy Ship Crash into Control Tower Leaves Three Dead

The crash of a container ship named the Jolly Nero into a control tower at the port of Genoa has left at least three people dead and several missing in the early hours of Wednesday.

The tower was said to have crashed into the water after the hit. Although, there weren’t an accurate number of people who were in the tower, witnesses put the number at 10 to 14 people.

A search operation is underway for survivors in the waters around the towers, while some victims have been rushed to the hospital. The cause of the collision has yet to be identified.

An investigation has begun into the incident, as the authorities have had the ship impounded and the captain taken in for interrogation.

“We are all utterly shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened before, we are desperate”, the ship owner Stefano Messina told journalists in tears. He arrived at the port immediately he got news of the tragic incident.

According to reports, the Jolly Nero is almost 240 metres long, 30 metres wide and weighs 40,500 tonnes. Owned by the Italian firm Ignazio Messina & Co., it was leaving the port with the help of tugboats in calm condition before the crash.

Port Authority and the Coast Guard staffs were in the tower working at the time of the crash. It is not clear if those still missing were in the sea, or trapped under the debris.

Convicted Grandmother Fires at the UK Government for Condoning Death Penalty

Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-year-old grandmother of British origin, was handed down the death penalty in Bali by an Indonesian court for drug smuggling.

She is to be executed by a firing squad after being found guilty of smuggling 1.6 million Pounds Sterling worth of cocaine into the country in May, 2012

According to her written interview to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sandiford compared the UK government’s outright refusal to pay for her lawyers as ‘tantamount to condoning the death penalty’ since she intended to appeal against the sentence.

Sandiford added, “The government has done very little to support me. The FCO has done even less. However, I have been able to talk about my situation and will continue to do so because there are others in similar desperate plights that are not seen.”

“There are, and will continue to be, British nationals facing execution without lawyers and because they cannot raise their voices the government is standing by refusing to assist with funding of lawyers for them.”

Ever since she was arrested and accused of being at the centre of a drugs ring, she has repeatedly denied she was attempting to sell drugs in Bali, insisting she had been coerced into carrying a suitcase full of cocaine by gangsters who were threatening to hurt one of her children.

However, she has shown appreciation to those who stood by her throughout her ordeal.

In the interview, Sandiford said, "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people who made donations together with the uplifting messages of support."

“In my darkest hour, this was like a ray of sunshine. I was beginning to feel that my situation was unbearable. I felt totally stranded and alone. The public's caring has shown just how wrong you can be.”

“I am blessed to know my family loved me whatever. Just giving has shown me that you are never alone. People really do care when they know.”
 
According to Reprieve, the charity body assisting Sandiford, the deadline for lodging the next stage of her appeal is early next week.