National

The British government on Friday approved an extradition order to hand over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to American authorities.

Why it matters: The decision brings the decadelong legal fight over Assange's extradition closer to an end — but WikiLeaks said it would appeal and has 14 days to do so.

Assange, currently being held at the Belmarsh prison in London, was arrested in 2019 when he left Ecuador's embassy in the U.K. after a seven-year stay there.

Driving the news: U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel signed the order after a court in April approved Assange's extradition.

Assange faces charges in the U.S. of violating the 1917 Espionage Act and hacking government computers over WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents.

What they're saying: The Home Office said in a statement that "courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr. Assange."

"Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health," it added.

WikiLeaks said in a statement that it plans to appeal the decision.

"The path to Julian's freedom is long and torturous," it said. 

"Today is not the end of the fight. It is only the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system, the next appeal will be before the High Court."

U.K. government approves Julian Assange extradition order

WikiLeaks said it would appeal and has 14 days to do so.

Julian Assange speaks to the media from the balcony of the Ecuador's embassy in London in May 2017.

Julian Assange speaks to the media from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy in London in May 2017. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

United Kingdom

The British government on Friday approved an extradition order to hand over WikiLeaks founder <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Julian Assange" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2019/04/11/timeline-julian-assange-wikileaks-legal-limbo" data-vars-content-id="4323d0ea-72a4-4d46-8080-5bc0f540cd4d" data-vars-headline="U.K. government approves Julian Assange extradition order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2019/04/11/timeline-julian-assange-wikileaks-legal-limbo" target="_self">Julian Assange</a> to American authorities.Why it matters: The decision brings the decadelong legal fight over Assange&#x27;s extradition closer to an end — but WikiLeaks said it would appeal and has 14 days to do so.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

A federal judge on Wednesday denied Elon Musk's request to scrap a 2018 settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission that required some of his tweets to be preapproved.

Why it matters: The decision means Musk could remain barred from freely tweeting about Tesla despite reaching an agreement to buy Twitter for $44 billion.

Musk asked a federal judge in March to terminate the consent decree, which required Tesla's counsel to vet his tweets about the company after he had claimed on Twitter to have "funding secured" to take Tesla private.

The settlement also required him to step down as Tesla's chair and pay a $20 million fine.

Between the lines: Musk said in court papers that he was coerced into making the deal with the SEC, claiming that he "never lied to shareholders" in his initial tweet that he had secured funding to take Tesla private.

Since asking the court to end the SEC settlement, Musk launched a campaign to take over Twitter that resulted in him purchasing the company for $54.20 a share.

What they're saying: "Musk, by entering into the consent decree in 2018, agreed to the provision requiring the pre-approval of any such written communications that contain, or reasonably could contain, information material to Tesla or its shareholders," U.S. District Judge Lewis Linman said in the written opinion.

"He cannot now complain that this provision violates his First Amendment rights. Musk's argument that the SEC has used the consent decree to harass him and to launch investigations of his speech is likewise meritless and, in this case, particularly ironic," he added.

Judge rejects Musk's bid to end 2018 SEC settlement

The decision means Musk could remain barred from freely tweeting about Tesla despite reaching an agreement to buy Twitter.

Elon Musk. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Elon Musk

Economy & Business

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of no confidence from his own party Monday night that could oust him from power.

Why it matters: Conservative Party lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Johnson's personal scandals, especially his attendance at lockdown-breaking parties during the height of the COVID pandemic.

Johnson's "partygate" scandal led to national outrage and made him the first sitting prime minister found to have broken the law.

He has faced calls to resign since first denying and then later confirming and apologizing for attending a Downing Street garden party.

Driving the news: The vote was announced by Tory MP Graham Brady, who said in a televised statement early Monday, "The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the prime minister has been passed."

Johnson will now face a vote from all of its 359 lawmakers in the House of Commons.

Brady said the vote will take place in the House of Commons on Monday night and the results will be available soon after.

What they're saying: A Downing Street spokesperson called the vote "a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities," per Reuters.

"The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force."

What's next: If Johnson loses, the Conservative Party will choose a new leader who will also become prime minister.

Johnson doesn't have an obvious successor, but speculation has centered around Jeremy Hunt, Johnson's former foreign secretary, and Liz Truss, the current foreign secretary.

 Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Boris Johnson faces no-confidence vote over lockdown parties

Johnson's "partygate" scandal led to a wave of national outrage and made him the first prime minister found to have broken the law.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a press conference in response to the publication of the Sue Gray report Into "Partygate" at Downing Street.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Photo: Leon Neal/WPA Pool/Getty Images

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of no confidence from his own party Monday night that could oust him from power.Why it matters: Conservative Party lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Johnson&#x27;s personal scandals, especially his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="attendance at lockdown-breaking parties" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/12/boris-johnson-garden-party-covid-lockdown" data-vars-content-id="c0e8de13-8932-441f-9eb6-19d012004a96" data-vars-headline="Boris Johnson faces no-confidence vote over lockdown parties" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/01/12/boris-johnson-garden-party-covid-lockdown" target="_self">attendance at lockdown-breaking parties</a> during the height of the COVID pandemic.

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv Thursday and expressed support for granting Ukraine candidate status for accession to the European Union.

Why it matters: Zelensky this week urged Western countries to quickly deliver more arms as Ukraine attempts to fend off Russian forces in the country's east.

In recent days, Ukraine's government has criticized some European countries for dragging their feet on supplying additional military aid.

David Arakhamia, who leads Ukraine's negotiations with Russia and is one of Zelensky's closest advisers, said that the German government was still very reluctant to approve export licenses to arm Ukraine, per Axios' Dave Lawler.

Driving the news: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in Kyiv by train and later visited the devastated suburb of Irpin. 

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also arrived in the city on Thursday for a visit on a separate train, he tweeted.

During a joint press conference after their meeting, Macron said that all four leaders were in favor of granting Ukraine "immediate" EU candidate status, Reuters reported.

The big picture: The visit comes ahead of an expected decision from the European Commission to recommend that Ukraine be granted candidate status to join the bloc, per Politico.

Macron said at a press conference that all four EU leaders attending the meeting with Zelensky also promised to back candidate status for Ukraine, AP reported.

President Biden also announced Wednesday that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with an additional $1 billion in military aid.

What they're saying: The leaders "want to send a strong signal of support and solidarity to president [Zelensky] and the people of Ukraine in these dire times," German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit tweeted.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Kyiv that the trip "a message of unity ... to the Ukrainians."

Go deeper: Ukraine suffering up to 1,000 casualties per day in Donbas, official says

Leaders of Germany, France and Italy endorse Ukraine's EU bid after meeting Zelensky in Kyiv

The leaders said in a joint press conference they are in favor of granting Ukraine "immediate" European Union candidate status.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visit the devastated Kyiv suburb of Irpin on Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron (from left), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visit the devastated Kyiv suburb of Irpin on Thursday. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv Thursday and expressed support for granting Ukraine candidate status for accession to the European Union.Why it matters: Zelensky this week urged Western countries to quickly deliver more arms as Ukraine attempts to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fend off Russian forces" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/27/severodonetsk-mayor-1500-killed-ukrainian-city" data-vars-content-id="c732f6d0-7a7b-4d55-872e-1958196e1e21" data-vars-headline="Leaders of Germany, France and Italy endorse Ukraine&#x27;s EU bid after meeting Zelensky in Kyiv" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/27/severodonetsk-mayor-1500-killed-ukrainian-city" target="_self">fend off Russian forces</a> in the country&#x27;s east.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow wouldn't stop hitting Ukraine's military infrastructure as a precondition to peace talks.

The big picture: Lavrov said Russia had submitted demands to Ukraine's delegation but added it would see out the war until "the end," per Reuters.

Lavrov accused NATO of seeking to maintain military supremacy over Russia and said Moscow will insist on provisions that would prevent Ukraine from becoming a military threat, per AP.

He also claimed that Russia had no intentions of starting a nuclear war, despite provocative messaging from the Kremlin over the past week.

What he's saying: "We are ready to conduct talks, but we will continue the operation because we won’t allow Ukraine to preserve a military infrastructure that threatens Russia," Lavrov said, per AP.

"The thought of nuclear is constantly spinning in the heads of Western politicians but not in the heads of Russians," he added, according to a translation from Reuters. "I assure you that we will not allow any kind of provocation to unbalance us."

Lavrov also acknowledged a toll on Ukrainian civilians, saying "any military action is fraught with casualties, and not just among the military but also civilians."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with an additional quote from Lavrov.

Russia says it won't stop targeting Ukraine to continue peace talks

Lavrov said Russia would see out the war until "the end."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: Shamil Zhumatov/AFP via Getty Imagegs

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow wouldn&#x27;t stop hitting Ukraine&#x27;s military infrastructure as a precondition to peace talks.The big picture: Lavrov said Russia had submitted demands to Ukraine&#x27;s delegation but added it would see out the war until &quot;the end,&quot; per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Reuters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-lavrov-no-doubt-that-solution-ukraine-crisis-will-be-found-2022-03-03/" data-vars-content-id="d58f9dab-184f-4e32-90bd-a888aa62f697" data-vars-headline="Russia says it won&#x27;t stop targeting Ukraine to continue peace talks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-lavrov-no-doubt-that-solution-ukraine-crisis-will-be-found-2022-03-03/" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.

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Stories

U.K. government approves Julian Assange extradition order

Leaders of Germany, France and Italy endorse Ukraine's EU bid after meeting Zelensky in Kyiv

Boris Johnson faces no-confidence vote over lockdown parties

Judge rejects Musk's bid to end 2018 SEC settlement

Russia says it won't stop targeting Ukraine to continue peace talks