International

Ola Bini, the computer scientist linked to Assange who will be five years old prosecuted in Ecuador

Ola Bini, the Swedish computer scientist and programmer who was arrested in 2019 in Ecuador and accused of an alleged cyber attack for links with the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is on the way to five years prosecuted, without yet seeing the light of the tunnel, despite the fact that a court has already descised to continue the case for lack of evidence.

“This whole process is very frustrating. It has been frustrating for a long time and I still don’t see the end,” he explained in an interview with EFE Bini, who first spent 70 days in pretrial detention and since then is at large, but prevented from leaving the country and forced to report periodically to the authorities.

This has been the life of this now 41-year-old computer scientist in the last five years, who was 37 when he was arrested on April 11, 2019 before he took a flight to Japan, and whom the Government accused of improperly accessing databases of the National Telecommunications Company (CNT).

Bini recalled that it was the Government that linked him to Assange under the accusation of an alleged plot to destabilize the Executive after the eviction of the Australian from the Embassy of Ecuador in London, but emphasized that in the file of the Prosecutor’s Office there is no reference to him.

And despite the fact that in January 2023 a court ruled in favor of filing the process against him, the Prosecutor’s Office appealed the ruling and now it is going to be reviewed by another court that in 2019 already denied Bini the appeal to the pretrial detention order, so for the computer scientist it is not a guarantee of a fair ruling.

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“They already have an opinion about my case. So, I do not expect an objective trial or without a conflict of interest, and that is what generates the most uncertainty: not knowing when all this is going to end,” said Bini, who if what he anticipates is fulfilled is already clear that he will appeal to the National Court of Justice, the supreme court.

The Swede commented that he has already had that same uncertainty for five years, that “it can end tomorrow or continue for five more years.”

“I try to have a social life and train to lower my stress a little, but everything is difficult,” lamented Bini, who now works at the Center for Digital Autonomy to promote the protection of personal data and free software, and tries to lead a normal life, despite the fact that he assures that he permanently feels the follow-up of undercover policemen.

“I don’t understand why they watch me in this way. I don’t understand if this is something they do with any (prosecuted) after five years of judicial process and after they have declared my innocence,” Bini said.

For the computer scientist, “Ecuador is experiencing a very complicated situation (with an ‘internal armed conflict’ declared since the beginning of the year against organized crime) and it is not explained that they spend resources to monitor it “when there are all these problems in the country.”

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The court that must review the sentence that gave up continuing with the accusation against Bini has tried to set up the hearing on two occasions, but the first did not have an official Swedish translator and then the communication seemed to make it impossible to develop the exhibitions for the Nordic.

Bini emphasized that this hearing is due to the appeal filed by the Prosecutor’s Office, because CNT, which was the private accusation, did not do the same.

According to Bini, the only thing they presented as evidence against them is the alleged photograph of a screen where it is evident that there is no intrusion, because “a connection appears, then a warning and a request from a user and password, and then a ‘time out’ (time exceeded to comply with entering the required information).”

“In this case there was no intrusion because there was a warning, and then nothing happens,” reiterated Bini, for whom also “they had no records of firewalls or other (cybersecurity) systems of CNT,” because “they did not show anything else, and even the reports said that it is clear that there was no intrusion.”

Bini’s case is practically unprecedented in the country, so he and his lawyers have to do a lot of pedagogy with the judges so that they know computer terms and procedures that are familiar to them.

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“I understand that these issues have not been discussed before. So, if I am convicted with this type of thing, almost all activities on the network were going to be crimes and that is very dangerous at the same time,” Bini warned.

“I would like to stay in Ecuador, because Ecuador is my home, but of course, I would like to be able to travel and visit my family and friends (in Sweden). So what I would like is just to continue working here and continue living here, but to have my freedom to be with my relatives as well,” he concluded.

International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.

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International

Flooding in Dominican Republic leaves child dead and thousands affected

A two-year-old girl died after a wall of her home collapsed amid severe flooding that struck Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The heavy rains also caused power outages, school closures, and reduced working hours across affected areas.

Authorities issued preventive alerts in 15 of the country’s 31 provinces due to intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms that began Tuesday night.

Juan Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations (COE), confirmed the child’s death to the press. The incident occurred in Santo Domingo Oeste, part of the capital region.

According to Red Cross officials, the girl died when a wall in her home collapsed following a landslide triggered by hours of heavy rain.

President Luis Abinader provided an update from the COE, stating that government agencies had been mobilized since early morning, particularly in Greater Santo Domingo, to protect lives and minimize material damage.

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Floodwaters left several vehicles submerged, while others were swept away by strong currents. Authorities estimate that around 250,000 families have been affected by the flooding.

Earlier, Public Administration Minister Sigmund Freund announced reduced working hours, encouraging remote work for those facing transportation difficulties, while maintaining in-person operations for essential services.

International

Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections

Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.

According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.

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“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.

Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.