*Global media freedom at risk as Julian Assange back in UK court facing possible extradition to USA.*

The US is the prime mover of imprisoning Assange, but the UK is responsible for its willingness to extradite people for acts of journalism. It is doing so under a treaty that the UK ratified but the US never did. It demonstrates the subservience of the UK.

The substance of the treaty is outrageous because it agrees to extradite to the US for actions that are not crimes under UK law. That discards a basic principle of extradition known as "dual criminality": that country A should not extradite a person to country C for an act that is a crime in country unless that act is also a crime in country A. This principle spares country A from becoming an accessory to country C's repression.

We used to envision the Soviet Union or China as playing the role of country C, but in this case the US plays that role.

Suggesting that we stop treating the subject of cancer as a taboo or unmentionable. And stop comparing it to a "battle".

My cancer treatment never felt like a battle to me. It was sometimes annoying and hurt only occasionally. As for bearing up against cancer, that was easy after almost four years of practice in bearing up against cancellation.

*China, Russia and Cambodia top list of regimes targeting critics in exile.*

*Leaked emails reveal organizers of leading science fiction and fantasy awards (the Hugo awards) [excluded] works of a "sensitive political nature"* to cater to Chinese censorship.

The World Science Fiction Society should change its rules so that Worldcon cannot be held in a country that would impose political censorship on books to be sold, discussed, shown or judged at the event. Teams bidding to hold a future Worldcon should have to sign and publish an affirmation to this effect.

I understand, of course, that bidders cannot take responsibility for stopping the sate from censoring Worldcon. But I think bidders in countries that impose political censorship would hesitate to sign such an affirmation, and that would achieve the goal of protecting Worldcon from being held in one.

Robert Reich explains why "preaching to the choir" in politics is useful and worth while.