US surveillance: More leaks likely

New York (AP): Glenn Greenwald, a reporter for 'The Guardian' newspaper, speaks to media at a hotel in Hong Kong on Monday. The man who claimed to leak state secrets on US government eavesdropping sought to break the story through a columnist for a UK-based publication who has made no secret of his distaste for intrusions on privacy. Edward Snowden brought his information to Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian instead of to the Washington Post, with which he had briefly corresponded. The case illustrates the passion an opinion-driven journalist can bring to a breaking news story; at the same time it raises questions about fairness. Greenwald, author of three books in which he argues the government has trampled on personal rights in the name of protecting national security, wrote the original stories exposing the extent of the government's data collection. Over the weekend, he identified intelligence contractor Snowden as his source at the latter's request and said more stories are coming. "What we disclosed was of great public interest, of great importance in a democracy," he said.

EU to seek privacy guarantees from US Strasbourg (AFP): The EU said it would seek a strong commitment from the US?to respect the rights of European citizens, following revelations that Washington was running a worldwide internet surveillance programme. Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner, will raise the issue with force and determination at a meeting in Dublin on Friday with US officials, the bloc's Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said. "The commission is asking for clear commitments from the US as to the respect of the fundamental right of EU citizens to data protection," he said.

62 per cent Americans 'OK' with intrusion Washington (PTI): Majority of Americans seem to back Obama administration's controversial secret surveillance programme to facilitate terrorism investigations even if personal privacy is compromised, according to a new survey. A solid 62 per cent Americans said that the federal government's investigations for possible terrorist threats were more important, even if that intrudes on personal privacy, the national survey released on Monday by the Pew Research Centre and the Washington Post found.

Russia will consider asylum plea Moscow (AFP): Russia would consider an asylum request from US contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked information on the US government's monitoring of Internet use and phone records, the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. Kommersant daily cited Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia would consider such a request from Snowden, if it were made. "We will take action based on what actually happens. If we receive such a request, it will be considered," he told the newspaper. Snowden's whereabouts were shrouded in mystery as US lawmakers demanded his immediate extradition from Hong Kong over his sensational leaking of an Internet surveillance programme.