Chris Blackhurst is a former editor of The Independent, based in London
June 25, 2024
So, in the end it came down to a tawdry deal. After years of posturing and grandstanding from both sides, in what was billed as a battle of principles, the US Justice Department has finally settled its case with Julian Assange.
Where once the WikiLeaks founder faced 17 counts of espionage, prosecutors reduced them to just one. Assange pleaded guilty to just one charge of violating the Espionage Act by obtaining and publishing classified military and diplomatic documents from 2009 to 2011.
With that, he is gone. He was taken from the Belmarsh high-security prison in London, where he’d been held for five years pending extradition to the US, and flown to the Northern Mariana Islands, just about the remotest US territory anywhere (they’re in the Pacific, but not so far from Australia).
There, he will be sentenced to 62 months, which happens to be the exact period of his incarceration in the UK. Funny, that. Because he has already served that time, he will be released automatically and return to his native country of Australia.
Finally, the Assange saga is over. Those five years, don’t forget, do not include the period he spent holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy on the run from the Swedish authorities who were pursuing him for sexual assault. That case was subsequently dropped, but the US government came for him, indicting Assange for computer hacking. No mention is made of the cost to the UK taxpayer of the policing and security operations that he sparked and lasting more than a decade.
His residing in the embassy was a public spectacle, becoming an attraction for tourists visiting nearby Harrods. Eventually, Ecuador lost what patience it still had and in 2019, expelled Assange from its premises. Whereupon he was immediately arrested by the British police on the US charge. Ever since, he’s been fighting being sent to the US.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Canberra Airport in Australia after being released from Belmarsh Prison in the UK, where he had been held for five years. Getty Images
Mr Assange hugs his wife Stella Assange after arriving in Canberra. AFP
Mr Assange waves at supporters in the Australian capital. EPA
Mr Assange looks out of a plane window as he approaches Bangkok for a stopover. Reuters
Mr Assange makes his way to board his flight out of the UK at London's Stansted Airport. AFP
Mr Assange boards the flight to Saipan, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Western Pacific. Reuters
Mr Assange in London after his release from Belmarsh Prison. AFP
The aircraft carrying Mr Assange on a fuel stopover at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. EPA
Mr Assange's image from Stansted Airport, seen in a video call with his wife Stella Assange in Sydney. Reuters
Assange will be sentenced to 62 months, which happens to be the exact period of his incarceration in the UK. Funny, that
There is not a halfway with Assange. He’s black or he’s white. To some, like the US authorities, Assange was a danger, a major menace, someone who was happy to distribute state secrets without any thought as to the damage, human and political, they might cause. But if he was that bad, why did the US reach an agreement?
To others, he is a seeker of truth, same as any other brave, investigative journalist. But then, why did he not seek his day in a US court, when he could have hogged the limelight and presented his case?
His lawyers maintained that was because he would not get a fair trial and his mental state was too fragile to withstand transfer to a US jail.
He was also in the fortunate position of being able to resist. Chelsea Manning, his co-conspirator, did not have that luxury. Manning, a US army intelligence analyst, was court-martialled for supplying material to Assange and got 35 years, serving seven before then US president Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017.
Assange, it seems, was only prepared to take martyrdom so far. He’d already been promised that he would not face charges that carried the death penalty, that he would not be automatically put in solitary confinement, and that he would receive mental health care. Still, it was not enough – his lawyers claimed that there was nothing to prevent him from harming himself once he was consigned to US custody.
Meanwhile, the relentless publicity campaign to free him never let up. It did appear odd, the iconic figure to many on the left, heroic scourge of the state, on the one hand and nit-picking exploiter of every legal loophole, on the other.
To be fair, none of us know what we would have done in such circumstances. But once it became obvious that the Joe Biden administration was not going to follow Mr Obama and let up, Assange dug in.
Wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Stella Assange, gives a statement awaiting the outcome of her husband's appeal against extradition to the US in London last month. Getty Images
There is fury in many quarters, especially among US military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, that the leaks may have put thousands of soldiers and informants’ lives at risk. Assange, they argue, did not merit leniency.
Equally, there are those defenders of press freedom who say that it would be a very depressing day indeed if he was jailed in the US for publishing government secrets. They welcome his release.
He was, they say, only doing the job that countless journalists do every day. But was he? The role of the journalist is to aggregate and to filter. Assange did only half of that, collecting vast amounts of information, yes, but then dumping it upon the world. WikiLeaks’ Afghan War Logs were published with little attempt to vet and disguise names of Afghan civilians who informed for the US military. They could well have been exposed and in danger.
The Justice Department went further, alleging that Assange stepped outside the normal remit of a reporter, by trying to break a Defence Department code and exhorting associates to hack computers and obtain phone records. To them, he was a solicitor of crime.
Such is the polarising effect of Assange that press campaigners will hear none of this. To them he was a journalist.
In which case, the Justice Department extracting a guilty plea must set a worrying precedent. The stage is set for prosecutions of US media companies for employing journalists to conduct investigations into any matter covered by national security. This, against the possible backdrop of an incoming Donald Trump presidency that, one imagines, would love to commit journalists to jail.
Likewise, Assange admits he broke the law, without the law ever being tested. The Justice Department maintained that the sole act of publishing government secrets violated the Espionage Act. Assange admitted as much, setting a new, low standard.
Whether he could be counted as a journalist or not, Assange has done journalism no favours.
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye. He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength. Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force. This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available. Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus. Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel. Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
ASHES SCHEDULE
First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane) Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide) Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth) Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne) Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017 Founder: Khaled Zaatarah Based: Dubai and Los Angeles Sector: Technology Size: 21 employees Funding: $7 million Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 Transmission: six-speed manual Power: 325bhp Torque: 370Nm Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds Price: Dh230,000 On sale: now
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
