WikiLeaks gained worldwide attention in 2010 for releasing hundreds of thousands of secret US military documents. This act was considered a serious crime by the US government, which became very angry. However, Assange believed that the public had the right to know this information. His actions faced both support and criticism, with some praising his transparency efforts and others condemning the potential risks to lives. For the past five years, Assange has been imprisoned in the UK, awaiting a decision on his extradition to the US to face charges. Recently, a video surfaced showing Assange boarding a plane after making a deal with US authorities. He pleaded guilty to one charge of espionage, leading to the dropping of 17 other charges. Due to the time he had already spent in prison, he was sentenced to time served, making him a free man.
Vocabulary:
• Dominating (verb): Having control or influence over something.
• Headlines (noun): Titles of newspaper articles.
• Founder (noun): Person who establishes an organization.
• Attention (noun): Notice or awareness.
• Deserved (verb): Merited or earned.
• Loads of (noun): many.
• Followers (noun): People who support or admire someone.
• Sabotaging (verb): Deliberately destroying or damaging something.
• To strike a deal (verb): To reach an agreement, usually after a negotiation process, where both parties involved come to mutually acceptable terms.
• Charges (noun): Accusations of a crime.
• Sentence (noun): Punishment given by a court.
• Plead (verb): To formally state in court whether one is guilty or not guilty.
Source: Behind the News YouTube channel.