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Assange row: hackers attack UK websites

As a diplomatic impasse over the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange continues, a computer hacking group has attacked government websites in protest against Britain's handling of the issue.

Britain says nothing has changed in its commitment toextradite Assange to Sweden to face allegations of sexual offences.

Assange, who was granted diplomatic asylum by Ecuador lastweek, addressed his supporters on Sunday and continues to function from itsembassy here.

Anonymous, the computer hacking group, is reported to havehacked into the websites of 10 Downing Street, Home Office and the Ministry ofJustice yesterday.

However, the websites were working as normal today.

The Ministry of Justice said in a statement: "TheMinistry of Justice website was the subject of an online attack last night ataround 20:00 BST. This is a public information website and no sensitive data isheld on it. No other Ministry of Justice systems have been affected".

It added: "Measures put in place to keep the websiterunning mean that some visitors may be unable to access the siteintermittently. We will continue to monitor the situation and will takemeasures accordingly."

According to the BBC, Anonymous, a loose collection ofcomputer hackers, has gained notoriety by launching denial- of-service attacks,which flood websites with requests, causing them to operate more slowly orfail, on international government and corporate websites since 2010.

Meanwhile, speaking on state television, Ecuador presidentRafael Correa has said that if Britain entered his country's embassy in Londonto arrest Assange, it would be "suicidal".

He said such a course of action would be "suicide forGreat Britain because then people could enter their diplomatic premises allaround the world and they wouldn't be able to say a thing".

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The fight for a free Tibet

Once unheard of in Tibetan society, lighting oneself on fire has become a relatively common form of protest today.

Global Post/For The Goan
Published Aug 21, 2012, 2:34 PM IST
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The fight for a free Tibet

Since March 2009, there have been about 50 self-immolationsin Tibet and ethnically Tibetan areas of China, in protest of China'srepressive policies. But, by most accounts, the repressive policies continue.Tibetan monks are still arrested and "re-educated." They are beatenand forced to denounce the Dalai Lama. They disappear. Tenzin Dorjee, executive director of Students for a FreeTibet, admits China has intensified its crackdown as a result of theself-immolations. Dorjee…

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