The U.S. government will not budge on its demand that former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden return to face prosecution for stealing thousands of classified intelligence documents, despite new calls for President Barack Obama to pardon him. Snowden, who lives in Moscow, appeared via video link on Wednesday at a New York press conference, where advocates from human rights groups called for a pardon. Snowden himself, speaking from Moscow, said he was "moved beyond words" by the statements made calling for a pardon. Two other officials said there are no discussions inside the U.S. Justice Department about granting him a pardon. Other officials, however, say the material Snowden gave the media included sensitive details about the locations and operations of U.S. and allied global spying operations, some of which were compromised.

Source: CBC News September 14, 2016 14:56 UTC