Melbourne, Australia – At home in Australia, Julian Assange’s family and friends are preparing for his possible extradition to the United States, ahead of what could be his final hearing in the United Kingdom on Monday. Assange’s half-brother Gabriel Shipton, who spoke to Al Jazeera from Melbourne before flying to London, said he had already booked a flight to the US. A filmmaker who worked on blockbusters like Mad...

Taipei, Taiwan – William Lai Ching-te will be sworn in on Monday as Taiwan’s sixth democratically-elected president, a role where he is expected to continue steering Taiwan in the same direction as set by his predecessor Tsai Ing-Wen. Lai’s victory at the polls in January marked a narrow but unprecedented win for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Since Taiwan transitioned to democracy in 1996, the DPP and its...