Ecuador to decide on Assange asylum request this week

08/14/12: Al Jazeera reports Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa  said he expects to respond to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s application for political asylum sometime this week.  “We expect to have a meeting on Wednesday [with Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino] and I hope to make an announcement before the end of the week,” Correa said late on Monday.  Assange, 41, took refuge at Ecuador’s embassy in London on June 19 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on sex crime allegations.  Neither the US nor Swedish authorities have charged Assange with any crime. Swedish prosecutors want to question him about allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two WikiLeaks supporters in 2010.  Assange says he had consensual sex with the women.