Snowden receives German award for civic courage

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US whistleblower Edward Snowden, former contractor for the US National Security Agency now residing in Russia, received a symbolic award for civic courage from the Humanist Union non-governmental organization, Germany's Suedwestrundfunk (SWR) reported citing Werner Koep-Kerstin, the head of the organization.

Ex-NSA and CIA serviceman Edward Snowden has been awarded a Fritz Bauer Prize in Germany. Fritz Bauer was a German prosecutor and judge who played an important role in the so-called "Oswiecim trials" of former SS officers.

German spy service plans more online surveillance, injects 100M Euro: Report

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Germany's foreign intelligence service plans a major expansion of Internet surveillance despite deep unease over revelations of US online spying, Der Spiegel news weekly reported Sunday.

Spiegel said that the BND planned a 100 million euro ($130 million) programme over the next five years to expand web monitoring with up to 100 new staff members on a "technical reconnaissance" team.

The report came ahead of a state visit to Berlin by US President Barack Obama during which the German government has pledged to take up the controversy over the US phone and Internet surveillance programmes.

Spiegel said the BND aimed to monitor international data traffic "as closely as possible", noting that it currently kept tabs on about five percent of emails, Internet calls and online chats while German law allowed up to 20 percent.