Breaking News: 07/31/13

Australia's players appeal in vain for the dismissal of England's Stuart Broad to umpire Aleem Dar.

MANCHESTER: This week's third Ashes Test will see the International Cricket Council (ICC) trial an independent television feed with the aim of improving its controversial Decision Review System.

DRS, designed to eliminate the “howler” by on-field umpires, has been at the centre of several controversial decisions in the first two Test of the Ashes, both of which England have won to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has been among those leading calls for the system to become a fully independent operation and not, as is currently the case, be reliant on the technology of the host broadcaster.

Now this week's Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford will see the ICC trial an independent feed, although it will not yet be available to help the third umpire with his deliberations.

Earlier this month, ICC chief executive David Richardson explained how the new feed, which is still at the “drawing-board stage,” might work as part of an improved DRS set-up.

“There will be a bank of televisions in the third umpire's room – with Hawkeye, replays and Hot Spot directly available to him to look at independently to what is on TV,” Richardson said.

“At the moment the third umpire talks to the TV producer and says 'Can I have a look at this?,” the former South Africa wicketkeeper added.

“The idea is you give the third umpire access to information he needs much quicker and (you are) not reliant on the television producer to do it.”

Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar chairing ECC meeting

ISLAMABAD, July 30: The government on Tuesday allowed sugar export to Iran against electricity import.It also allowed continued higher margins to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and petroleum dealers and put an immediate ban on import of gold and export of live animals.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar that also decided to strictly go by the procurement rules in import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to ensure transparency instead of seeking exemptions.

The meeting was also informed that the Prime Minister had approved a summary under which the ECC decisions would be considered final and would not require mandatory approval of the federal cabinet as in the past.

The ECC decisions would be dispatched to the cabinet division for information and not approval.

The government imposed a ban on import of gold for 30 days to improve various import schemes following reports that duty-free gold import facilities were being massively abused by unscrupulous elements for export to India at the cost of national interest.

Duty-free import of gold is allowed with the condition that it be converted into jewellery for export.It was evident from the fact that in recent months import of gold into Pakistan under various schemes had seen “an enormous and abnormal surge.”

During the period January to June, 2013, gold worth Rs92.970bn was imported compared to Rs19.132bn for the same period last year.

This trend had become even more alarming since in the first 26 days of the current month (July) alone, import of gold amounted to Rs52.549bn.

The ECC was also told that the Indian government had during the past few months been consistently engaged in discouraging import of gold.

In this context, India increased import duty on gold from 2pc to 6pc in January 2013 and to 8pc in April-May 2013. Reports also indicated that seizures by Indian authorities of smuggled gold increased by as much as 365pc in April-June 2013 as compared to the similar period of 2012.

This difference in import duties seems to have provided the incentive for increased duty free imports in Pakistan and smuggling to India.

Therefore, the ECC decided to take immediate steps to prevent further damage to the national economy by imposing a 30-day ban on duty-free gold imports to re-examine the schemes and quickly restore them in improved form so that genuine exporters of jewellery were facilitated.

The Ministry of Commerce would take administrative measures to implement this decision in letter and spirit.

The ECC also decided to put a ban on export of live animals with effect from Oct 1, 2013 (just before Eidul Azha) to encourage export of processed meat and provide by-products, such as hides, bones, blood and tallow to many downstream industries.

While allowing continuation of slightly higher margins to OMC and dealers on sale of petroleum products, the meeting directed the ministry of petroleum to carry out a study with the assistance of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) to establish a basis for revision of margins within 45 days and submit it for its consideration.

The ECC also approved export of 30,000 tons of wheat to Iran as part of a barter trade agreement with Iran against electricity imports.

The meeting was informed by secretary Aviation Division that PIA had paid Rs6.1bn to vendors out of Rs6.89bn released by the Ministry of Finance, and an amount of Rs.789m has been paid to Exim Bank as part of repayment of loans.

The PIA and FBR have also reconciled their accounts and Rs250m had been paid to FBR.

The ECC directed the Ministry of Aviation to present a viable plan to overcome annual loss of Rs3.3bn being incurred by PIA, including breakdown of the present losses as well as the way forward.

The ECC also approved renewal of GOP guarantee for running finance facility of Rs2bn for Pakistan Steel up to Jan 4 next.

The ECC directed that no exemption would be allowed to procurement rules on import of LNG or award of contract for construction of terminals for storage and regasification to ensure transparency.

The meeting was informed that the Ministry of Planning and Development had submitted a report on reasons and causes in the cost escalation in different components of the Nandipur Combined Cycle Project which was now estimated at Rs58.4bn.

This tentative cost may undergo change subject to actual costs increased on Insurance Duty Construction Rates, Dollar fluctuation, taxes, cost of inclusion of gas component and damage to equipment, if any.

The meeting was informed that expenditures will be made on actuals after validation, and special monitoring arrangements will be made by the power ministry which was asked to share the report with Transparency International.

"Life of Pi" poster.

LOS ANGELES: China has stopped paying Hollywood studios for its films in a dispute over a Chinese tax on movie profits, Hollywood trade papers reported Tuesday.

Tens of millions of dollars in box office revenues are owed in arrears to the likes of Disney, Warner, Universal, Paramount, Fox and Sony, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The magazine said China's state-owned movie distributor, China Film Group, owes more than $31 million to Warner for “Man of Steel,” $23 million to Sony for “Skyfall” and $23 million to Fox for “Life of Pi.”

China stopped payment at the beginning of the year, when American studios took issue with a two per cent value-added tax that the world's most populous nation was levying on US films.

Chinese authorities want the studios to pay them the tax, but the studios argue it violates a World Trade Organization agreement governing the film trade between the two countries.

In the accord last year, heralded as historic by the United States, the two countries agreed that China could import 34 US blockbusters a year (up from 20) and studios' revenue share from China was fixed at 25 percent (up from 13 to 17 per cent).

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which acts on behalf of studios' interests, is negotiating with Chinese authorities, to resolve the tax dispute.

In the meantime, lack of profit has not deterred US studios from sending their films to China, which currently has the world's most dynamic movie market, in the aim of cementing a long-term foothold.

Pakistani policemen stand guard outside the Central Prison after an overnight armed Taliban militant attack in Dera Ismail Khan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on July 30, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Security forces claimed on Wednesday that 45 of the escaped convicts, from the jailbreak in DI Khan, were rearrested by law enforcement personnel whereas DPO D I Khan was made OSD and four other police officers were suspended by Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police over the incident.

Security officials said that the rearrested convicts had voluntarily surrendered themselves to police and that a search was still underway to apprehend as many escaped prisoners as possible.

Moreover District Police Officer of Dera Ismail Khan, Khalid Sohail, was made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) by Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, Ihsan Ghani.

Ghani also suspended SP (City) and three other SHOs over the incident.

Earlier IG of KP police chaired a high-level meeting in Peshawar to discuss security issues in order to avoid similar incidents.

Intelligence was received of another militant attack to be launch on Haripur jail which also houses a number of high-profile militants, including members of banned outfits who had carried out attacks on former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

Securoty forces also released a list of 252 prisoners who had gone missing after the Taliban attack on DI Khan's central prison.The list includes the names of 11 high-profile terrorists who escaped from Barrack No 11.

On the other hand, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's militant commander, Adnan Rashid, talking to a tv news channel claimed that he had been planning the attack since months, which was aimed at setting free six of the banned organisation's key commander from Quetta and other jailed activists.

He further alleged that the attack, costing Rs 10 million, was carried out successfully and that 35 of their freed associates had safely reached Mir Ali in North Waziristan tribal region.

Meanwhile, in other news security forces claimed to have recovered on Wednesday the bodies of six militants from Khyber tribal region's Akakhel area, who were killed during a clash with security forces a night earlier.

Eight militants were killed while two security personnel had died as militants launched an attack on a border post in Darra Adamkhel late on Tuesday night.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif congratulating Mamnoon Hussain on his success in Presidential Election.

ISLAMABAD: Notwithstanding PPP’s boycott of the presidential election, President Asif Ali Zardari, who is co-chairman of the party, felicitated Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday on his election as the 12th president of the country.

“In his message of felicitation President Zardari wished the president-elect well in the discharge of his responsibilities as head of the federation,” president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

He said the election of new president was another major step towards smooth transfer of power in a democratic dispensation which was a good augury for democracy.

“All our efforts should be geared towards strengthening democracy and the federation,” President Zardari said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also congratulated Mr Hussain and expressed the hope that he would come up to people’s expectations and the trust that their representatives had reposed in him.

PTI chairman Imran Khan also felicitated the president-elect but expressed concern over the change of schedule of the election and termed it non-transparent.

Mr Khan said in a statement: “President is a symbol of federation and we hope that Mamnoon Hussain will rise above his political affiliation while performing his duties as head of the state.”

MQM chief Altaf Hussain also felicitated the newly elected president and Mr Sharif.

ISLAMABAD: Munir Qureshi, chairman of the Employees’ Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI), informed the Supreme Court Wednesday that corrupt elements in the institution were under investigation and that the auditor general had been instructed to conduct a special audit.

A three-member of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the case pertaining to corruption in the EOBI.

The apex court had taken a suo motu notice of the EOBI scam over reports that the institution had caused a loss of Rs 40 billion to the national exchequer by investing huge amounts in private sector projects without approval of its board of trustees (BoT).

During the hearing, Qureshi informed the court that former chairman of EOBI, Zafar Iqbal Gondal, was inducted in the institution on deputation basis just like him.

He added that EOBI was receiving contributions from 3.4 million registered workers, whereas the institution was paying out Rs 1 billion monthly as pension for 400, 000 workers.

Qureshi said that former chairman had even suspended the pre-audit system, which was now restored.

Defence Housing Authority lawyer Irfan Qadir said salaries of its workers could not be prepared due to the freezing of the DHA bank accounts.

Chief Justice Iftikhar asked Qadir as to how much money he had deposited in the court, upon which he replied that 2.6 billion rupees had been submitted so far. He added that Eid was approaching soon and the workers’ salaries would have to be prepared.

The court asked Qadir to submit in writing the request for payment of workers’ salaries and adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.

Iraqis inspect the aftermath of a car bomb attack in a Baghdad neighbourhood.

BAGHDAD: A Shia and a Sunni mosque in Baghdad were targeted in bombings that killed at least nine people, Iraqi officials said.

Police officials said a suicide bomber set off his explosives on Shia worshippers as they were leaving a mosque in the city's suburb of Hussainya late on Tuesday.

Seven people died and 11 were wounded in that attack.

And in western Baghdad, a bombing on Tuesday night near a Sunni mosque killed two worshippers.

Hospital officials confirmed the death tolls in the two attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Violence has escalated in Iraq, especially since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramazan earlier in July

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

DUBAI: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri said the group would spare no effort to free Aafia Siddiqui as well as the hunger striking inmates at Guantanamo Bay, according to an audio recording posted on the Internet on Wednesday.

“The (hunger) strike by our brothers at Guantanamo unmasks the true ugly face of (the United States of) America,” Zawahri said in an audio recording posted on an Islamist website and whose authenticity could not be verified.

“We will spare no effort to free all our prisoners, on top of whom are Omar Abdel Rahman, Aafia Siddiqui, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed and every oppressed Muslim everywhere...,” he added.

He did not elaborate on what Al Qaeda intended to do, but militants have in the past kidnapped Westerners and sought to trade them for jailed associates.

Al Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for simultaneous raids on two Iraqi prisons last week in which they said more than 500 inmates had been set free. And in Pakistan, Taliban broke over 175 prisoners out of a jail on Tuesday.

Some 166 men, most of whom were rounded up in counter-terrorism operations since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, are currently being held at a US military base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Many have been on hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention, with some being force-fed.

Zawahri also denounced Washington's use of drone strikes targeting Islamists, saying it was a sign of the defeat of US campaigns in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen.

Drone strikes have been widely criticised by rights groups who say the strikes often miss their targets and hit civilians.

“These spying planes will not protect you from defeat, but rather are a sign of your failure and the repeated failure of your government,” Zawahri said, addressing US President Barack Obama.

Supreme Court of Pakistan.

LAHORE, July 30: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the Lahore High Court’s decision about allocating Haj quota to the lowest bidders from among the newly-enrolled Haj Group Organisers.

The bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani said the LHC decision was interference in policy matters of the government. The bench passed this order on petitions moved by old HGOs.

Representing the petitioners, Advocate Afzal A. Haider argued that the LHC had issued the order to grant Haj quota to the newly-registered organisers and it was beyond the jurisdiction of the court. He said the allotment of the quota was a policy matter of the government and courts had no authority to intervene into such matters.

The counsel stated that after receiving offer letters they (petitioners) made arrangements for transportation and accommodation of the pilgrims and spent millions of rupees on these arrangements but the LHC deprived them of the quota.

He said if they were not given the quota, they would be facing a great financial loss. He urged the court to set aside the impugned order issued by the LHC on June 24.

On the other hand, Advocate Azhar Siddique, the counsel for the newly-enrolled HGOs, argued that the LHC decision was for the welfare of the general public. He said the court ordered the Ministry of Religious Affairs to grant quota to those HGOs qualifying the standards and offering Haj at minimum expenses.

He alleged that the old HGOs in connivance with the ministry had made performance of Haj a very expensive affair and were minting money only.

The bench heard both sides and set aside the order issued by the LHC, directing the ministry to allocate quota according to the Haj Policy 2013. The bench adjourned further hearing till Aug 7.

Daniel Chong said he he thought he was going to die in the holding cell

A university student in the US city of San Diego has received $4.1m (£2.7m) from the US government after he was abandoned for more than four days in a prison cell, his lawyer said.

Daniel Chong said he drank his urine to stay alive, tried to carve a message to his mother on his arm and hallucinated.

He was held in a drug raid in 2012, but told he would not be charged. Nobody returned to his cell for four days.

The justice department's inspector is now investigating what happened.

Mr Chong, now 25, said he slid a shoelace under the door and screamed to get attention before five or six people found him covered in his faeces in the cell at the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) San Diego headquarters.

After Mr Chong was rescued, he spent five days in hospital recovering from dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated oesophagus. He also lost 15lb (7kg).

'Horrible accident'

Mr Chong was one of nine people detained in the raid in April 2012. Authorities determined that they would not pursue charges after questioning him.

One of Mr Chong's lawyers said a police officer then put him in the holding cell and told him: "We'll come get you in a minute."

Mr Chong said he thought he was forgotten by mistake.

"It sounded like it was an accident - a really, really bad, horrible accident," he said.

The 5-by-10-foot (1.5-3m) cell had no windows and Mr Chong had no food or water while he was trapped inside for four-and-a-half days.

Mr Chong said he started hallucinating on the third day.

He urinated on a metal bench so he could have something to drink. He also unsuccessfully tried to set off a fire sprinkler to draw attention of the DEA authorities.

"I didn't just sit there quietly. I was kicking the door yelling," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

"I even put some shoestrings, shoelaces through the crack of the door for visual signs. I didn't stay still, no, I was screaming."

At one point, Mr Chong admitted, he thought he was going to die. He broke his eyeglasses by biting into them and tried to carve a "Sorry Mom" farewell message. He managed to finish an "S".

DEA spokeswoman Allison Price confirmed that the $4.1m settlement had been reached, without providing further details, according to the AP.

The incident prompted the head of the DEA to issue a public apology last May, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the incident.

Mr Chong's lawyer said that as a result of the incident the DEA had introduced new policies for detention, including checking cells daily and installing cameras inside them.

Mr Chong, now an economics student at the University of California, says he plans to buy his parents a house.

Osmania University students celebrate after the announcement of the separate Indian state of Telangana in Hyderabad on July 30, 2013

Violent protests have taken place in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue

Normal life has been disrupted in India's southern Andhra Pradesh state following protests against the announcement of a new Telangana state.

Parts of the coastal and southern regions are shut. Schools are closed and transport is thin.

With a population of 35 million, Telangana comprises 10 of Andhra Pradesh's 23 districts including Hyderabad, India's sixth biggest city.

The state has seen protests for and against the proposal in recent years.

Backers of the new state say the area has been neglected by the government.

Opponents of the move are unhappy that Hyderabad, home to many major information technology and pharmaceutical companies, will become a shared capital for 10 years.

Passengers stranded

Wednesday's strike comes a day after India's ruling Congress-led coalition unanimously agreed to the formation of the new state.

It has been called by the United Andhra Joint Action Committee which has opposed the division of the state. Some local Congress party members have also opposed the split.

A total of 13 districts in the coastal and Rayalaseema regions have been affected by the strike, says the BBC's Omer Farooq in Hyderabad.

Businesses, schools and cinema theatres are closed and public transport system has been disrupted, leading to many passengers being stranded.

Protesters have blocked trains in Nellore and roads and highways in other districts. They have staged demonstrations outside the houses of ruling Congress party ministers and politicians.

Four lawmakers, including three from the Congress party, belonging to the state assembly have resigned in protest against the move, our correspondent says.

Hundreds of paramilitary troops have been deployed to prevent any violent protests after Tuesday's announcement.

The final decision on a new state lies with the Indian parliament. The state assembly must also pass a resolution approving the creation of what will be India's 29th state.

Correspondents say the timing of the announcement is linked to general elections due early next year. Recent opinion polls have shown that the Congress party is struggling in the state, which has 42 parliamentary seats.

Deep divisions have emerged over the Telangana issue in the past four years.

In December 2009, India's Congress party-led government promised that the new state would be formed, but later said more talks were needed.

The Telangana campaign grew in strength that year when veteran politician K Chandrasekhara Rao went on a hunger strike for 11 days in an effort to press the government to agree to its creation.

Demand for Gorkhaland

Meanwhile, the main Gorkha ethnic group in India's West Bengal state has stepped up its demand for a separate state for Nepali-speaking Gorkhas in the tea-producing Darjeeling hills, reports Subir Bhaumik from Calcutta.

A Gorkha youth has set himself on fire to protest against Delhi's alleged "dual policy" - one of overlooking Gorkha aspirations for a separate state while going ahead with the creation of Telangana.

"His condition is serious," said Roshan Giri, leader of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is leading the movement for the separate state.

"Now that Delhi is creating Telangana, it should consider our long-term aspirations for a separate Gorkhaland. Our region is totally different from West Bengal which is a Bengali dominated state," he said.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd, speaking in Canberra on 22 July

The move comes as Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd prepares to call a general election

Two Australian state lawmakers should be charged with corruption, a probe has found, in a move that could hit Labor ahead of an imminent election.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) recommended New South Wales' former mining minister and another MP face charges over the granting of a mining licence.

It said the MP's family stood to profit from inside knowledge of the deal.

The move comes as Australia prepares for a general election.

Polls must be held by 30 November but are expected earlier.

Kevin Rudd, who successfully challenged Julia Gillard for the ruling Labor Party leadership last month amid dismal polling figures, has not yet specified when the election - originally set for 14 September - will be held.

While his numbers are improving, he faces an uphill battle in New South Wales, where poll numbers show Labor far behind the opposition coalition.

Mr Rudd said he was "disgusted" by the revelations.

"Anyone who is responsible for corruption, for illegal behaviour, should face the full force of the law," he said ahead of the commission's announcement. "That's what I want to see happen."

'Confidential information'

The ICAC probe spent months investigating whether the two lawmakers, plus six other individuals, should be charged in connection with the award in 2008 of a lucrative mining licence.

It heard that former state mining minister Ian Mcdonald granted the licence over land owned by the other lawmaker, Eddie Obeid. Both represented the Labor Party.

The Obeid family, the ICAC found, had urged acquaintances to buy up land in the area for subsequent sale to mining companies, concealing their involvement.

The commission found that Mr Macdonald "acted contrary to his public duty... by arranging for the creation of the Mount Penny tenement to benefit Edward Obeid Sr, [his son] Moses Obeid and other members of the Obeid family" and "by providing... members of the Obeid family with confidential information".

The ICAC had referred the case to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), it said.

Mr Mcdonald told Australia's Channel Nine: "I believe these findings are not justified by the evidence when it is carefully read and analysed, and I will be seeking a review of this through the court process in the near future."

In a statement, Eddie Obeid said that he did not act "in any way that could amount to corrupt conduct", adding he reserved his right "to seek judicial review in respect of the adverse findings''.

In a related case, the ICAC found that there was no evidence to show former state roads minister and treasurer Eric Roozendaal acted corruptly when he bought a car - at a substantial discount - from Moses Obeid.

But it found Moses Obeid acted "as an inducement for Mr Roozendaal to show favour to Obeid business interests in the exercise of his official functions", and referred him to the DPP.

And in a third probe, it found that Mr Macdonald engaged in corrupt conduct by using his influence to arrange a meeting for an acquaintance and "by soliciting the services of a woman as a reward".

A visitor who has his top off tries to cool off in the afternoon heat at the Bund, one of the most popular tourist spots in the city, in Shanghai, China, 16 July 2013

Shanghai has seen 24 days with temperatures at or above 35C in July

Temperatures in parts of China have hit record highs, prompting an emergency level-two nationwide heat alert for the first time.

In Shanghai, at least 10 people have died from heatstroke, as the city experiences its hottest July in 140 years, reports say.

Local journalists have demonstrated the heat by frying meat on the pavement.

The national heat alert covers nine provinces, including Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Shanghai and Chongqing.

According to figures from the Shanghai Meteorological bureau, Shanghai has seen 24 days with temperatures at or above 35C in July.

"It should be a new record since Shanghai had its own weather recording," said chief service officer Wu Rui.

"Also, in July of this year Shanghai reached 40.6 degrees Celsius, it's highest ever temperature. So the highest temperature in July also broke a record."

Continue reading the main story

A ferris wheel is lit up by the hot summer sun in Shanghai, China, 26 July 2013

Parts of China are experiencing a heat wave, with record-high temperatures prompting a national heat alert covering nine provinces.

Continue reading the main story

More than 10 people in Shanghai have died after suffering from heatstroke, state-run news agency Xinhua said, citing health officials.

In a TV report, journalists from Shanghai TV said they successfully fried a pork chop on a marble slab outdoors in just 10 minutes.

The practice appears to have become popular, with photos of slices of bacon and fish being barbecued outdoors by the heat appearing online.

'Impossible'

The China Meteorological Administration issued the level two emergency heat alert on Tuesday.

"Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Chongqing and Shanghai meteorological bureaus should enter into emergency response on the basis of actual weather conditions," it said on its website.

It added that weather forecasts suggested that some areas south of the Yangtze river, including Chongqing, could experience temperatures of over 35C until 8 August.

It urged members of the public to avoid outdoor activities and to take protective measures against the heat.

"It's impossible for people to live without an air-conditioner," a resident was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

"Just going outside in this kind of temperate can roast people."

A poster of Edward Snowden at a rally in Berlin, 27 July

Campaigners against secret US surveillance programmes demonstrated in support of Edward Snowden in Berlin on Sunday

The father of US fugitive Edward Snowden has said the FBI asked him to travel to Moscow and see his son, but adds that he wants more details.

Lonnie Snowden said he had been asked several weeks ago about Edward, who is sought by the US for leaking details of electronic surveillance programmes.

However, he wants to know the FBI's intentions, he told Russian state TV.

He said his son would not get a fair trial in America and, if he were in his son's place, he would stay in Russia.

He described his son as a "true patriot" who had "made America a more democratic country" by revealing secret details of the US National Security Agency's surveillance programmes.

The interview was broadcast live, early in the morning, on the Russia 24 news channel. Mr Snowden spoke English, with a Russian translation.

Mr Snowden has been stuck in transit at a Moscow airport for more than a month as he has no valid travel documents.

'Forever grateful'

"Edward, I hope you are watching this," Lonnie Snowden said in the interview.

"Your family is well. We love you. We hope you are healthy, we hope you are well, I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe. I want you to find a safe haven."

The fugitive's father also thanked the Russian authorities for keeping his son safe.

"I also would like to thank President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government for what I believe to be their courage and strength and conviction to keep my son safe," he said.

"Like any mother or father who loves their child, I love my son and I will be forever grateful for what you have done, very much."

Edward Snowden arrived in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on 23 June from Hong Kong, where he had made his revelations.

He has requested temporary asylum in Russia, while saying he hopes eventually to go to Latin America..

The Snowden affair has caused diplomatic ructions around the world, upsetting America's close allies and traditional enemies.

The US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has given Moscow an assurance that he will not face the death penalty if extradited to America, but the Russians say they do not intend handing him over.

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