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UFO hacker loses case against extradition

A British hacker who caused online security issues for key US government agencies is to be extradited to the US after losing an appeal against the move.

Gary McKinnon's appeal was turned down by the House of Lords in the widely reported case involving his damage to NASA military computers, which caused hundreds of thousands in damage.

The hacker, who claimed he carried out his activities because he was researching into UFOs had rushed in the appeal following an earlier ruling which had reached a similar decision.

His lawyers argued that the US planned to make an example of Mr McKinnon, 42, and have said they plan to take a new appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

"Gary McKinnon is neither a terrorist nor a terrorist sympathiser," they said in a statement.

"We believe that the British government declined to prosecute him to enable the US government to make an example of him."

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