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Moderate cleric Rohani to be Iran's next president: minister - Reuters Posted: 15 Jun 2013 09:01 AM PDT DUBAI | Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:00pm EDT (Reuters) - Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani has won Iran's presidential election, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar announced on state television on Saturday. Najjar said 72 percent of the 50 million eligible Iranians had turned out to vote, and that Rohani had secured just over the 50 percent of the vote needed to avoid a run-off. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati, Marcus George, Zahra Hosseinian and Jon Hemming, Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

CIA will lead US effort to arm, train Syrian rebel forces, Fox confirms - Fox News Posted: 15 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT The United States will supply Syrian rebels with weapons through a CIA-run program, FoxNews confirmed Saturday. President Obama decided Thursday to supply rebel forces with small arms and ammunition, following confirmation that the regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad's has been using chemical weapons in the 2-year-long civil war in which at least 90,000 people have been killed. In addition to supplying the weapons, the CIA will train rebel forces, Fox News also confirmed. Obama vowed last summer to take action should the Assad cross a "red line" by using chemical weapons but has been challenged in verifying whether his forces used chemical weapons and in determining which rebel forces can be trusted. However, the rebels being supplied with only small arms has disappointed some Capitol Hill lawmakers and other Americas who want a more robust response and who say the administration's actions might be too little, too late as Assad forces appear to be taking control of the war. The White House has still not decided whether to send anti-tank weapons. Arizona Republican John McCain, a military hawk, wants much heavier arms, including anti-aircraft missiles to go after Assad's air power. Russia, for its part, question the evidence presented by the U.S. and says it does not meet stringent criteria for reliability. Syria's state news agency is reporting that government forces have captured a suburb of Damascus near the capital's international airport. SANA says troops killed several rebels and destroyed their hideouts in the Ahmadiyeh area on Saturday, two days after a mortar round landed near the airport's runway and briefly disrupted flights. A local rebel commander who identified himself by his nickname, Abu Hareth, for fear of government reprisals, said soldiers and rebels have been fighting sporadically in the area since late Friday. He said two rebel fighters have been killed there since. Ahmadiyeh is part of a region known as Eastern Ghouta, where government forces have been on the offensive for weeks. The Associated Press contributed to this report   Print   Email   Share   Comments Recommend Tweet Share This Article

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US stocks end lower ahead of Fed meet Posted: 14 Jun 2013 05:09 PM PDT NEW YORK: US stocks gave up an early rally and ended lower Friday amid some slightly downbeat economic data and caution ahead of next week's Federal Reserve policy board meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 105.90 points (0.70 per cent) at 15,070.18. The broad-based S&P 500 lost 9.63 (0.59 per cent) at 1,626.73, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite fell 21.81 (0.63 per cent) to 3,423.56. A flat reading on US industrial production last month, a decline in the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, and a modest gain in May producer prices clouded trade. The fresh data pointed to the Federal Open Market Committee keeping its stimulus policy in place when it meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, the International Monetary Fund pared its 12014 forecast for US growth, blaming the government's sharp "sequester" spending cuts. "The deficit reduction in 2013 has been excessively rapid and ill-designed," it said. "A slower pace of deficit reduction would help the recovery at a time when monetary policy has limited room to support it further." Shares in Myriad Genetics sank 13.8 per cent after several companies announced competing products to its BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic cancer tests in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that the company cannot patent the two genes. Groupon shares jumped 11.5 per cent to $7.65 after Deutsche Bank gave the online coupon dispenser an upgrade and a $10 target. Banks were hit in the fall: American Express lost 3.0 per cent, Citigroup 2.1 per cent and JPMorgan Chase 1.9 per cent. In the tech sector, Facebook shares were off 0.4 per cent and Microsoft fell 0.9 per cent. -- AFP

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Getting weapons to Syrian rebels not that hard - USA TODAY Posted: 14 Jun 2013 08:11 AM PDT NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomes a "clear" US statement accusing the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons, and said Damascus must let the UN investigate the allegations. Powered by NewsLook.com This citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrian refugees filling their buckets at Atmeh refugee camp, in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, Syria, Friday, April 5, 2013. A barrage of rockets slammed into a contested district on the northeastern edge of Damascus, killing several people and trapping others under the rubble, while violence raged around suburbs of the capital, activists said. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC) ORG XMIT: BEI104(Photo: Anonymous AP) Story Highlights U.S. intelligence has vetted the rebel forces NATO member Turkey has air bases and ports that U.S. forces have used U.S. presence in Syria itself will likely be very small Now that President Obama has decided to provide military assistance to Syrian rebels the next step is easy, says a military analyst who's been studying the Syria conflict. U.S. intelligence has vetted the rebel forces to determine who should get the arms and it has a willing middleman in Turkey, on Syria's northern border, said Christopher Harmer, an analyst with the Institute for the Study or War. A NATO member. Turkey has air bases and ports that U.S. forces have used in the past to move equipment and people to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, he says. Turkey's Incirlak Air Base, which is technically a NATO air base, is one likely hub for U.S. supplied weapons intended for the rebels, Harmer says. "The US moves cargo through there all the time," Harmer said. Establishing a supply route to the rebels "is not that hard." According to USA TODAY reporting in Turkey, the United States has already been sending communications equipment to rebels of the Free Syrian Army through Turkey. Rebels have said they have picked up shipments in Istanbul and driven them across the border into Syria along secure routes. Turkey has sea ports for larger shipments. But most of the weapons rebel leaders have requested are light weapons, chief among them shoulder-fired missiles. The missiles are wanted to shoot down Syrian aircraft or disable Syrian tanks. If the USA agrees to provide such weapons they can be delivered to Turkey by air, Harmer said. Arms could then travel by truck or rail to the Turkish border with Syria, and that's where U.S. control over the weapons will likely end, Harmer said. The effort depends on Turkish cooperation. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already allowed weapons from saufi Arabia and Qatar to transit through his country and supports the toppling of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. The Syrian rebels control at least 20 miles of Syrian territory south of the Turkish border, "so there's no really no mechanical way for the Syrian government to stop them," Harmer said. However, there is a risk that Syria will directly attack Turkey over the shipments. Syria has already fired missiles into Turkey territory along the border to target weapons shipments and rebel fighters who seek protection on the Turkey side of the border. Turkey has been hosting around one million Syrian refugees, and rebels have camps there as well. The U.S. presence in Syria itself will likely be very small, limited to CIA or special forces operators, and focused on identifying rebel groups they can trust, Harmer said. "We don't want to provide weapons to al-Qaeda affiliates" who are known to also be fighting the government in Syria, he said. When the conflict started, the identity and motivations was not well understood. Harmer said two years have changed that situation completely. The Institute for the Study of War and other independent groups have completed extensive studies on the various rebel groups. "We know from open sources, YouTube videos and interviews who are secular freedom lovers and who are the extremist religious types," Harmer said.

Iran elections: the world hopes for change, but is likely to be disappointed - The Guardian Posted: 14 Jun 2013 09:01 AM PDT Ian Black, Middle East editor An Iranian voter with the inked finger that shows she has cast her ballot in the country's presidential elections. Photograph: Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua Press/Corbis Predicting the outcome of Iranian presidential elections is notoriously difficult – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was virtually unknown when he won his first term in 2005. But aside from the near certainty of surprises the only other constant is that the outside world will be hoping to see different policies from whoever replaces the unlamented incumbent. Satisfaction is far from guaranteed. Surging support for the cleric Hassan Rouhani over the past few days has been a salutary reminder of the volatility of these races. Under Iran's hybrid political system presidential candidates are vetted on the authority of the theocratic "supreme leader" but chosen by popular vote. The country's reformists are still battered and bruised – their two candidates in 2009 remain under house arrest – but supporters of the "Green" movement who believe they were robbed last time are still there and anxious to see better times. Appearances count for a lot. The Iranian establishment has worked hard to forestall the sort of mass protests that followed the disputed election four years ago – not least because since then the world has witnessed the Arab uprisings (Tehran has relished portraying them as an "Islamic awakening") as well as the unrest in neighbouring Turkey. Restrictions on the internet and domestic and foreign media are part of this preventive strategy. Turnout, always seen as important to underline the democratic legitimacy of the Islamic Republic in the face of its enemies at home and abroad, will matter too – though very large numbers are likely to favour the more moderate candidates. Whoever becomes president, however, will face a familiar set of pressing domestic and international issues. The biggest one is the economy, battered by tightening sanctions imposed by the US to apply pressure over stalled nuclear negotiations. Iran's economy faces severe and long-standing structural problems that have been aggravated by the sanctions – even if it remains a taboo to link the two explicitly. Exchanges between the leading candidates on this point have been coded but unmistakable. It is clear, however, that the big issue is that of Iran's isolation in the wider world – the point on which the clownish and provocative Ahmadinejad aroused most anger. It was striking that Ali Akbar Salehi, the foreign minister, declared as he cast his vote that he hoped for improved relations with the US – a handy reminder that, revolutionary ideology aside, many Iranians still admire America. Making precisely the opposite point, the Supreme Leader himself – who at 74 seems unlikely to temper his hostility to the country which engineered the overthrow of Mossadegh and backed the shah – lashed out at Washington. "To hell with you if you do not believe in our election!" said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It was a blunt response to comments by US officials that they do not have "high expectations" that the election will change "the fundamental calculus of Iran". That certainly seems true of Saeed Jalili, the hardliner and current nuclear negotiator who is seen as Khamenei's personal choice. But would a different winner, Rouhani or Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, the technocratic mayor of Tehran, display more flexibility to win support among young Iranians (a third of the 50-million-strong electorate are under the age of 30) though that could risk the opposition of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, the loyal keepers of Khomeini's flame? Maybe. But on the international issues it still seems unlikely. "Whoever wins will be very limited in their ability to influence foreign and nuclear policy," warns Ali Ansari of St Andrews University. Expectations in the west, then, are sensibly low. But if there is to be change for the better in Iran after this election it could perhaps come in a new and better-functioning relationship between Khamenei and the president after the ructions of the Ahmadinejad years – his departure at least bringing audible sighs of relief from his many enemies. Sign up for the Guardian Today Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for the daily email Get the Guardian's daily US email Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. Sign up for the daily email Sign up now Get the Guardian's daily Australia email Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the daily email

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KL shares rebounded to open higher Posted: 13 Jun 2013 06:57 PM PDT Share prices on Bursa Malaysia rebounded this morning from its recent losses, as fund managers took the cue from overnight gains on Wall Street, dealers said. At 9.03am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) stood at 1,752.9, rising 10.03 points after opening 6.54 points higher at 1,749.41 in early trading today. HwangDBS Vickers Research said that a relief rebound was in store for Asian equities today. This follows an overnight bounce on Wall Street which saw its leading indices jumping between 1.2 per cent and 1.5 per cent amid expectations that the Federal Reserve might not be tapering its quantitative easing programme anytime soon. "Back home, the key FBM KLCI is set to stage a technical rebound too. "After losing 44.9 points or 2.5 per cent in three days, the benchmark index could recover to overcome its immediate support-turned-resistance line of 1,750 points ahead," it said in a research note. On the scoreboard, the Finance Index rose 67.94 points to 16,621.7, the Industrial Index perked 27.01 points to 3,009.69 and the Plantation Index gained 9.3 points to 8,265.45. The FBM Emas Index garnered 71.32 points to 12,201.94, the FBMT100 advanced 71.52 points to 11,963.04, the FBM Mid 70 Index chalked up 96.51 points to 14,062.53 and the FBM Ace Index surged 35.61 points to 4,696.27. Market breadth was positive as gainers thumped losers 225 to 25, with 70 counters unchanged, 1,263 untraded and 19 suspended. Turnover stood at 62.953 million shares worth RM43.558 million. Among actives, Eti Tech Corp inched up half-a-sen to 11.5 sen, Naim Indah gained 1.5 sen to 17.5 sen and Malton improved four sen to 94.5 sen. For heavyweights, Maybank added 12 sen to RM10.16, CIMB earned two sen to RM8.15, Sime Darby rose nine sen to RM9.55 and Petronas Chemicals garnered four sen to RM6.40. However, Axiata Group was flat at RM6.48.-- Bernama

Ringgit opens firmer on renewed risk appetite Posted: 13 Jun 2013 07:00 PM PDT The ringgit opened firmer against the US dollar in early trading Friday on renewed risk appetite backed by improved market sentiments, dealers said. At 9.15am, the local unit was quoted at 3.1195/1225 vis-a-vis the US dollar's 3.1320/1350 close at 5pm Thursday. A currency dealer said global foreign exchange markets received a boost following the release of the better-than-expected economic data in the US, coupled with speculations that the Federal Reserve will announce plans to maintain the record low interest rates. Against other major currencies, the ringgit was also traded higher. The local unit improved against the Singapore dollar to 2.4930/4374 from 2.4972/4014 Thursday and strengthened against the yen to 3.2976/3025 from 3.3181/3220 yesterday. It appreciated against the British pound to 4.9014/9070 from yesterday's 4.9038/9100 close and rose against the euro to 4.1695/1742 from Thursday's close at 4.1775/1818.-- Bernama

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Supreme Court says human genes cannot be patented - CBS News Posted: 13 Jun 2013 09:28 AM PDT The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries. The high court's unanimous judgment reverses three decades of patent awards by government officials. It throws out patents held by Salt Lake City-based Myriad Genetics Inc. on an increasingly popular breast cancer test brought into the public eye recently by actress Angelina Jolie's revelation that she had a double mastectomy because of one of the genes involved in this case. Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the court's decision, said that Myriad's assertion - that the DNA it isolated from the body for its proprietary breast and ovarian cancer tests were patentable - had to be dismissed because it violates patent rules. The court has said that laws of nature, natural phenomena and abstract ideas are not patentable. "We hold that a naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated," Thomas said. Patents are the legal protection that gives inventors the right to prevent others from making, using or selling a novel device, process or application. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been awarding patents on human genes for almost 30 years, but opponents of Myriad Genetics Inc.'s patents on the two genes linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer say such protection should not be given to something that can be found inside the human body. The company has used its patent to come up with its BRACAnalysis test, which looks for mutations on the breast cancer predisposition gene, or BRCA. Those mutations are associated with much greater risks of breast and ovarian cancer. Women with a faulty gene have a three to seven times greater risk of developing breast cancer and also have a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Myriad sells the only BRCA gene test. Opponents of its patents say the company can use the patents to keep other researchers from working with the BRCA gene to develop other tests. "Today, the court struck down a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation," said Sandra Park, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union Women's Rights Project. "Myriad did not invent the BRCA genes and should not control them. Because of this ruling, patients will have greater access to genetic testing and scientists can engage in research on these genes without fear of being sued." Jolie revealed last month that her mother died of ovarian cancer and that her maternal grandmother also had the disease. She said she carries a defective BRCA1 gene that puts her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, and her doctor said that the test that turned up the faulty gene link led Jolie to have both of her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate. Companies have billions of dollars of investment and years of research on the line in this case. Their advocates argue that without the ability to recoup their investment through the profits that patents bring, breakthrough scientific discoveries to combat all kinds of medical maladies wouldn't happen. But "genes and the information they encode area not patent eligible ... simply because they have been isolated from the surrounding genetic material," Thomas said. In a concurring opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia said "the portion of the DNA isolated from its natural state sought to be patented is identical to that portion of the DNA in its natural state." A Myriad spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court did rule that synthetically created DNA, known as cDNA, can be patented "because it is not naturally occurring," Thomas said. And Thomas noted there are still ways for Myriad to make money off its discovery. "Had Myriad created an innovative method of manipulating genes while searching for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, it could possibly have sought a method patent," he said. And he noted that the case before the court did not include patents on the application of knowledge about the two genes. The case is 12-398, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Dozens hurt in explosion, fire at Louisiana chemical plant - CBS News Posted: 13 Jun 2013 09:33 AM PDT Updated at 12:21 p.m. ET GEISMAR, La. An explosion touched off a fire at a petrochemical plant about 20 miles south of Baton Rouge, resulting in dozens of injuries, officials said. Department of Environmental Quality spokeswoman Jean Kelly said helicopters took three or four people Thursday from the plant owned by The Williams Companies Inc., and ground ambulances took 30. She did not have other details about injuries. The Iberville Office of Emergency Preparedness told CBS affiliate WAFB-TV so far six people were sent to the hospital for burns. Louisiana State Police Capt. Doug Cain said the explosion occurred around 8:30 a.m. The plant makes highly flammable gases that are basic building blocks in the petrochemical industry. A chemical plant is on fire after an explosion, in Geismar, La., June 13, 2013. / WAFB/9 Reports Kelly says tests have not found dangerous levels of chemicals in the air so far. State police are asked residents in St. Gabriel area to shelter in place from Highway 3115 to Highway 74 as a precaution. The company's website says the plant puts out about 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene a year.

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Ringgit opens lower against US dollar Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:55 PM PDT The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar today as investors remained on the sidelines due to concern over the US Federal Reserve starting to taper its easy money policy, a dealer said. At 9.07am, the local unit was quoted at 3.1420/1450 against the US dollar compared with 3.1300/1330 at 5pm yesterday. The dealer said the local unit is expected to trade at the 3.1300–3.1550 range today. The ringgit was also traded lower against a basket of major currencies. The local unit declined against the Singapore dollar to 2.4994/5036 from 2.4988/4030 on Wednesday and fell against the yen to 3.3091/3140 from 3.2379/2427. It depreciated against the British pound to 4.9257/9314 from 4.9082/9135 previously and was down against the euro at 4.1974/2023 from 4.1637/1683 on Wednesday.-- Bernama

Short-term rates to remain steady Thrusday Posted: 12 Jun 2013 06:58 PM PDT Short-term interbank rates are expected to remain steady today as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) intervenes to absorb excess liquidity from the financial system. The central bank has estimated today's liquidity at RM24.089 billion in the conventional system and RM4.688 billion in Islamic funds. BNM will call four conventional overnight tenders comprising two RM2 billion each for seven and 28 days respectively, as well as two RM1 billion each for 14 and 28 days respectively. It will also call for a RM400 million repo tender for 92 days, along with two Al-Wadiah tenders namely a RM1 billion for seven days and a RM850 million for 28 days. At 4pm, Bank Negara will conduct up to RM17.7 billion in conventional overnight tenders and a RM2.8 billion Al-Wadiah overnight tender.-- Bernama

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Girl dying of cystic fibrosis to receive lung transplant - Fox News Posted: 12 Jun 2013 08:55 AM PDT Sarah Murnaghan prepped for lung transplant surgery Sarah Murnaghan's family thanks Fox News Sarah Murnaghan's condition worsens Sarah Murnaghan, the 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl dying of cystic fibrosis, is receiving her long-awaited lung transplant. According to a Facebook post from Sarah's mother, Janet, the family received word this morning of new lungs that had been made available, and Sarah will be taken to the operating room within the next 30 minutes.  The operation will take many hours. In the Facebook post, Janet asked her followers to pray for Sarah's donor. "Please pray for Sarah's donor, her HERO, who has given her the gift of life," Janet Murnaghan wrote. "Today their family has experienced a tremendous loss, may God grant them a peace that surpasses understanding." Sarah has been in desperate need of a lung transplant for the past 18 months.  However, under the current guidelines for organ donation, children under the age of 12 must wait for pediatric lungs to become available.  Adult lungs cannot be offered to children under 12, until they are offered to adults and adolescents first. The Murnaghans have been in the middle of a legal battle over the established rules for organ donation, after they filed a lawsuit last week to have the guidelines changed, arguing the rule keeping Sarah off the list is "discriminatory." A federal court judge granted a temporary order on June 5 that allowed Sarah to join an adult organ transplant list. It is not yet clear whether Sarah's donor is an adult or a child. Over the weekend, Sarah's condition worsened, and she had to be intubated on Saturday after she experienced additional trouble breathing. This story is developing.   Print   Email   Share   Comments Recommend Tweet Share This Article

Sources: No signs Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong - CBS News Posted: 12 Jun 2013 08:10 AM PDT Updated 10:52 a.m. ET HONG KONG The former CIA employee who suddenly burst into headlines around the globe by revealing himself as the source of top-secret leaks about U.S. surveillance programs has just as quickly gone underground again. Two days after he checked out of a Hong Kong hotel where he told the Guardian newspaper that he had "no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," Edward Snowden's whereabouts were still unclear, but it appears unlikely he has left the city. Law enforcement sources say there is no evidence Snowden has left Hong Kong, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr, who adds that the sources suggest investigators have a pretty good idea where he might be. The South China Morning Post, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, claimed Wednesday to have obtained an exclusive interview with Snowden. Their report states he "has been holed up in secret locations in Hong Kong." "People who think I made a mistake in picking (Hong Kong) as a location misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality," Snowden is quoted as telling the Post earlier Wednesday. He told the Post he will fight any extradition attempt by the U.S. government, saying: "My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your system." Snowden, in his Sunday interview with the Guradian newspaper, said he wanted to avoid the media spotlight, noting he didn't want "the story to be about me. I want it to be about what the U.S. government is doing." With little new information to report on Snowden or his whereabouts, Hong Kong's notoriously boisterous newspapers, and others around the world, fixated on his American girlfriend, a dancer who posted partially nude photographs on herself online before she also apparently disappeared. "Spy on the run: Girlfriend ill at ease," read one Apple Daily headline above a picture of the 28-year-old Lindsay Mills in a provocative pose taken from her blog, which has since gone offline. Mills is not believed to be traveling with Snowden, who is thought to still be in Hong Kong. Apple Daily quoted unidentified sources with the Hong Kong immigration department as saying they had no record of Snowden leaving the territory. A spokesman for the department, speaking on routine condition of anonymity, said it could not confirm the paper's information because it did not comment on individual cases. Reporter Ewen MacAskill, of Britain's The Guardian newspaper, who interviewed Snowden for exclusive stories about his revelations, wrote late Tuesday that "it is thought" Snowden was now in a private home in Hong Kong, but offered no details. Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who also interviewed Snowden in Hong Kong, has given a series of interviews about the case, but refused to reveal any information about Snowden's location or his future plans. Despite the uncertainty, Hong Kong supporters of the 29-year-old American have organized a protest march featuring local human rights activists and prominent pro-democracy politicians to pass in front of the U.S. Consulate on Saturday afternoon. "We call on Hong Kong to respect international legal standards and procedures relating to the protection of Snowden; we condemn the U.S. government for violating our rights and privacy; and we call on the U.S. not to prosecute Snowden," the organizers said in a news release. Snowden arrived in Hong Kong from his home in Hawaii on May 20, just after taking leave from his National Security Agency contracting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which has since fired him. Questions remain about why Snowden chose to go public in Hong Kong, a Chinese autonomous region that maintains a Western-style legal system and freedom of speech, although he said he considered the territory to be relatively free and open. Hong Kong has an extradition agreement with the United States, but there are exceptions in cases of political persecution or where there are concerns over cruel or humiliating treatment. U.S. authorities have yet to bring charges against Snowden or file an extradition request with Hong Kong, though sources told CBS News the U.S. Justice Department was preparing such charges. Legal experts say quirks in the Hong Kong legal system could allow Snowden to draw that process out for months or years through appeals. Snowden might also block extradition altogether by claiming he would be subject to the same harsh treatment as WikiLeaks source Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was held alone for nine months in a windowless cell 23 hours a day, sometimes with no clothing, drawing complaints from human rights groups and the United Nations' chief torture investigator. Snowden could still attempt to leave Hong Kong for another destination, possibly including nearby jurisdictions or countries that do not have extradition treaties with the United States, such as China. Snowden himself has given no indication he is prepared to cooperate with any foreign intelligence service, including China's. Outside of Asia, Snowden might also consider seeking asylum in countries like Iceland and Russia. According to the Kommersant Daily newspaper, Moscow has said it might provide asylum.

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