The Know Daily - Tuesday 21 May 2024

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Luke Combs ∙}

Giving teenage girls the HPV vaccine is cutting cases of cervical cancer by 90% in England - and it’s also working well among those at greatest risk, a new study has found. One researcher said that with continued action to improve access to vaccination and screening in the UK, “the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in our lifetime is possible”. 👏 

🧑‍⚖️ Assange update

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been granted the right to appeal his extradition order to the US.

Remind me - why do the US want to extradite Assange?
US legal action against Assange started in 2010, after his platform published a series of leaks about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In 2019, UK authorities arrested Assange in London on behalf of the US, where he now faces 18 counts of espionage. Assange has spent the past five years fighting extradition. 

So what happened yesterday?
In March, Assange took to London’s High Court in a last-ditch attempt to avoid extradition. Then, the court put his extradition on temporary hold, saying the US must provide “satisfactory assurances” that he will receive a fair trial.

Yesterday, two judges ruled that Assange should be granted a full appeal against his extradition. This means he will be able to challenge US assurances over how his prospective trial would be conducted and whether his right to free speech would be infringed, said the BBC.

According to The Guardian, the ruling prompted “gasps of relief” from his wife and supporters. They argue that the case against him “criminalises journalism”. 

What happens now?
Yesterday’s decision “extends [Assange’s] lengthy legal battle”, said POLITICO. He will remain in Belmarsh Prison and have a number of months to prepare his appeal, which will concentrate on whether US courts will protect his right to free speech as an Australian citizen. 

Separately, President Joe Biden said last month that the US is “considering” dropping its prosecution of Assange, following a request from Australia.