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WORLD NEWS Saturday 18 June 2022
UK. Govt. orders Julian Assange’s extradition; appeal planned

By JILL LAWLESS ton, also urged the U.S. to
Associated Press drop the prosecution.
LONDON (AP) — The Brit- “All it will take is a simple
ish government on Friday telephone call from Attor-
ordered the extradition ney General Merrick Gar-
of WikiLeaks founder Ju- land to the home secretary
lian Assange to the Unit- in the United Kingdom to
ed States to face spying drop these charges. That’s
charges, a milestone but all it will take. It’s not com-
not the end of a decade- plex,” he said.
long legal saga sparked by Assange’s supporters and
his website’s publication of lawyers maintain he was
classified U.S. documents. acting as a journalist and is
WikiLeaks said it would entitled to First Amendment
challenge the order, and protections of freedom of
Assange’s lawyers have 14 speech. They argue that
days to lodge an appeal. the case is politically moti-
“We’re not at the end of vated, that he would face
the road here,” said As- inhumane treatment and
sange’s wife, Stella As- be unable to get a fair trial
sange. “We’re going to in the U.S.
fight this.” Silkie Carlo, director of civil
Julian Assange has battled liberties group Big Brother
in British courts for years to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pauses as he makes a statement to media gathered outside Watch, said the British gov-
avoid being sent to the the High Court in London, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. ernment’s “complicity in
U.S., where he faces 17 Associated Press the political persecution
charges of espionage and and Afghanistan. found that it would be op- “We will appeal this all the of a journalist simply for
one charge of computer A British court ruled in April pressive, unjust or an abuse way, if necessary to the revealing uncomfortable
misuse. that Assange could be of process to extradite Mr. European Court of Human truths to the public is ap-
American prosecutors sent to face trial in the U.S., Assange.” Rights,” Assange attorney palling, wrong and shames
say the Australian citizen sending the case to the U.K. Barry Pollack, Assange’s Jennifer Robinson said. our country.”
helped U.S. Army intel- government for a decision. U.S. lawyer, said it was Robinson asked U.S. Presi- Stella Assange, a lawyer
ligence analyst Chelsea Britain’s interior minister, “disappointing news that dent Joe Biden to drop the who married her husband
Manning steal classified Home Secretary Priti Patel, should concern anyone charges brought against in a prison ceremony in
diplomatic cables and mili- signed an order on Friday who cares about the First Assange during Donald March, said the U.K. deci-
tary files that WikiLeaks later authorizing Assange’s ex- Amendment and the right Trump’s presidency, argu- sion marked “a dark day
published, putting lives at tradition. to publish.” Assange’s law- ing they posed a “grave for press freedom and for
risk. The Home Office said in a yers said they would mount threat” to free speech. British democracy.”
To his supporters, Assange, statement that the govern- a new legal challenge, and During a press conference “Julian did nothing wrong,”
50, is a secrecy-busting ment had to approve his legal experts say the case outside the British Consul- she said. “He has commit-
journalist who exposed U.S. move to the U.S. because could take months or even ate in New York City, As- ted no crime and is not a
military wrongdoing in Iraq “the U.K. courts have not years more to conclude. sange’s father, John Ship- criminal. q

Leaders meet in Madrid to mark world day to fight drought

By CIARÁN GILES The half-day meeting is drought,” said Kombo. world, and caused 11.7 Spain is suffering an unusu-
Associated Press being held to mark the “But I would like to tell you million deaths. ally early heat wave that
MADRID (AP) — Politicians United Nations’ World Day how drought feels like. Spain’s Ecological Transi- has helped fuel wildfires
and experts met in Madrid to Combat Desertification Clean and safe drinking tion ministry says 75% of across the country.
on Friday to discuss ways and Drought. water is like a diamond. Spanish land is vulnerable The focus of the meeting
to tackle drought and the Thiaw said half the world Three meals a day is a to desertification and this is will be on encouraging
increasing spread of des- population was expected dream.” increasing. early action to prevent di-
erts across the globe. to face severe water scar- She said communities had The meeting comes as sastrous outcomes.q
“The consequences of city in the next eight years, turned to violence be-
drought can affect up to adding that that could cause of the lack of food
three quarters of humanity lead to as many as 700 mil- and water.
by 2050. There is nowhere lion people or about 10% “You are fighting for the

to hide if we are unable of the world’s population only available resources,”
or unwilling to avert the being at risk of being dis- she said. “We are fighting
severe alterations we are placed during that period. for water.”
inflicting on the planet,” The meeting brought to- Spanish Prime Minister Pe-
Ibrahim Thiaw, executive gether numerous experts, dro Sánchez spoke at the
secretary of the U.N. Con- including Kenya’s Patricia meeting and U.N. Sec-
vention to Combat De- Kombo, founder of the retary General António
sertification, or UNCCD, PaTree Initiative to help Guterres was to make an
said at the opening of the Kenya achieve 10% forest address by video.
meeting. cover by getting students The UNCCD says that be-
“Let us be prepared to to plant trees. tween 1900 and 2019,
confront the new reality,’’ “I know majority of you droughts have impacted Roots are photographed near the old village of Aceredo in
he added. have never come across 2.7 billion people in the northwestern Spain, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022.
Associated Press