SYDNEY: Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday the long-running case of imprisoned Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had gone on too long and needs to be completed.
Assange, an Australian citizen being held in Britain, is battling extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on 18 charges over the release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables in 2010.
At a press conference in Brisbane after an Australia-US meeting, Wong said Canberra had made it clear that “Mr. Assange’s case has dragged for too long, and our desire that it be brought to a conclusion.”
Speaking alongside Defense Minister Richard Marles, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, said representations had been made on behalf of Assange in public and private but there were limits on what could be done until his legal proceedings concluded.
“I understand that Mr. Assange has filed a renewal of appeal application in the UK. The Australian government is not party to these legal proceedings, nor can we intervene,” she said.
Blinken confirmed that Assange’s case had been raised in the bilateral talks, saying he understood the views of Australians on the sensitive issue. “Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” Blinken told the press conference.
“The actions that he has alleged to have committed risk very serious harm to our national security.”
Australia is backing a drive for Assange’s release ahead of his possible extradition to the US. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in May he was “frustrated” over the ongoing detention.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s case has ‘dragged on for too long’, Australia’s Wong says
https://arab.news/p5te2
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s case has ‘dragged on for too long’, Australia’s Wong says
- Wikileaks founder is battling extradition to the US where he is wanted on 18 charges over the release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables in 2010
Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage
- Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories
LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.
The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.
Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”
Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.
“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”
Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.
“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”
Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.
See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.
