Julian Assange asylum verdict due

Julian Assange may hear this week whether he will be granted political asylum in Ecuador, the country's President has said.

Rafael Correa told state television yesterday that it was necessary to examine a great deal of material about international law in order to make a responsible, informed decision.

Mr Assange, who founded the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, fled to Ecuador's embassy in London on 19 June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for alleged sexual offences. Mr Assange claims he risks being extradited to the US once he is in Sweden and could face a death sentence for publishing state secrets.