Despite asylum grant, no sign of resolution in Assange extradition fight

08/17/12: Al Jazeera reports Julian Assange remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after the UK refused to grant him the freedom to leave the country amid a diplomatic stalemate between the two countries over his extradition.  Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Friday that Assange would remain in Quito’s embassy in London as long as Britain refuses to give him safe passage out of the country.  On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that Britain would not grant Assange safe passage because “there is no legal basis for us to do so.”  He reiterated that the extradition is unrelated to the work of WikiLeaks or any desire by US authorities to try him for publishing diplomatic secrets, but rather the complaints two Swedish women have filed against Assange for sexual assault.