Biden calls criticism of Trump jury verdict ‘dangerous, irresponsible’
Biden calls criticism of Trump jury verdict ‘dangerous, irresponsible’/node/2521021
Biden calls criticism of Trump jury verdict ‘dangerous, irresponsible’
A US flag flies upside down outside a home in East Bangor, Pennsylvania on May 31, 2024, as part of a protest by Trump supporters against the guilty verdict slapped on the former president. (REUTERS)
Biden calls criticism of Trump jury verdict ‘dangerous, irresponsible’
“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said
He added that Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself
Updated 01 June 2024
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said on Friday that it was dangerous for people to question the integrity of the guilty verdict in Donald Trump’s hush money jury trial.
In his first public comments since a New York jury on Thursday found Trump guilty on 34 counts over a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election, Biden, a Democrat, struck out hard at Trump and other Republicans who have criticized the verdict.
“Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself.” Biden said in remarks at the White House. He noted that the case against Trump in New York was brought by the state, that it was not a federal case, and that the verdict was delivered by “a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you.”
The US justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, Biden said, and he criticized Trump and his supporters for attempting to tear it down with false allegations.
“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said.
In rambling remarks earlier on Friday at the Trump Tower lobby in Manhattan, Trump repeated his complaints that the trial was an attempt to hobble his White House comeback bid and said it showed that no American was safe from politically motivated prosecution.
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said in an unscripted 33-minute speech.
Thursday’s guilty verdict catapults the United States into unexplored territory ahead of the Nov. 5 vote, when Trump, 77, will try to win back the White House from Biden, 81.
Later on Friday, Biden was asked by a reporter if he was worried that he could find himself in the same situation some day. “Not at all. I didn’t do anything wrong. The system still works,” he said.
Biden said he had “no idea” whether the conviction would help Trump in the 2024 election, when the two face a rematch. (Reporting By Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler and Bill Berkrot)
AI no longer an experiment, but a necessity for business, says Publicis Sapient chief
Nigel Vaz calls for end to ‘wait-and-see’ approach, saying businesses need to ‘act now or risk being left behind’
Middle East laying the groundwork for ‘truly transformational moment’ in global digital future, says CEO
Updated 3 min 26 sec ago
DANIEL FOUNTAIN
DAVOS: Technological innovation and its potential to reshape economies is inspiring growing optimism among business leaders despite a global backdrop of geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, and the urgent challenges of climate change, the CEO of Publicis Sapient told Arab News.
Nigel Vaz, speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, said he sees a moment of both caution and opportunity for businesses worldwide.
“In many ways, businesses thrive on certainty,” Vaz said. “After years of unpredictability, there’s now a sense of optimism about what lies ahead. Investments in technology, particularly in AI, are helping unlock new economic opportunities, from reducing costs to driving transformational growth.”
While acknowledging lingering concerns over inflation and the impact of macroeconomic policies such as tariffs, Vaz believes the focus is shifting toward pro-growth initiatives, including government-led reforms to alleviate pressure on businesses.
“Governments are increasingly exploring tax reforms and other measures to create a more favorable environment for growth,” he said. “And alongside that, investments in AI and digital innovation are starting to deliver real results, moving from proof-of-concept to large-scale implementation.”
With artificial intelligence the hot topic of the day, Vaz said enthusiasm around AI is no longer solely about its potential but also its measurable impact on businesses.
“Last year, AI was something everyone was interested in. This year, they’re seeing the economic benefits of it,” he said.
Vaz pointed to several ways Publicis Sapient is leveraging AI to accelerate transformation, with one significant area in marketing, where AI-driven platforms are enabling businesses to personalize their messages and reach audiences more efficiently.
Publicis Sapient has partnered with its parent company, Publicis Groupe, to invest $300 million in advanced marketing technologies.
“It’s not just about content generation anymore,” Vaz said. “AI is helping with everything from content audits to ensuring the right message gets to the right person at the right time. The ability to connect identity and tailor communication is driving incredible acceleration.”
AI’s influence is also being felt in operational areas traditionally weighed down by inefficiencies.
Publicis Sapient’s work includes modernizing mainframe systems — once seen as expensive and slow — through AI-driven solutions.
“We’ve taken what used to be 10-year migration projects involving millions of lines of code and compressed them into just three years,” Vaz said. “This is digital red-tape removal in action, and it’s allowing businesses to innovate far more quickly than they ever thought possible.”
Vaz also highlighted the Middle East as a critical player in the future of AI and digital transformation. He pointed to countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where governments are making significant infrastructure investments to foster innovation.
“The Middle East is laying the groundwork for a truly transformational moment,” Vaz said. “If you think of AI as the electricity of the 21st century, the investments being made here are akin to building the power grids of the industrial revolution. It’s about creating an environment where businesses can innovate and thrive.”
He also praised the region’s commitment to developing local talent to drive these initiatives.
“I was speaking with a minister (this week), and he stressed that while they’re putting the infrastructure in place, it’s Saudi talent that’s building and leading these projects. That’s a powerful message about the long-term vision here.”
Looking ahead, Vaz urged business leaders to abandon a “wait-and-see” approach to AI and instead embrace the transformative potential of the technology.
He said that 2025 will be a pivotal year, adding that “the gap between those who adopt AI and those who don’t is going to widen dramatically. Businesses need to act now to ensure they don’t get left behind.”
Vaz added that leaders should move beyond treating AI as a technical tool and instead reimagine their entire business models. “This is not just about technology — it’s about fundamentally rethinking how your business operates and delivers value.”
As Publicis Sapient continues to expand its footprint in key regions such as the Middle East, Vaz is clear about his priorities for the future. “Our focus is on enabling businesses to learn and iterate in real-world applications,” he said. “Whether it’s in travel, financial services, or retail, we’re seeing tremendous benefits from these transformations. The key now is to keep moving forward.”
In a world still grappling with uncertainty, leaders such as Vaz see the promise of AI and digital transformation as a beacon of opportunity. “The future is here — it’s just a matter of who seizes it first,” he said.
Team Brady lead the way in Jeddah’s UIM E1 World Championship
Tom Brady-backed outfit top breathless qualifying session
Team AlUla provide fierce competition on the water
Updated 20 min 15 sec ago
Arab News
JEDDAH: Team Brady on Friday secured pole position in the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s first all-electric race boat series, which is taking place in Jeddah.
The 2024 Champions of the Water reigned supreme on the Red Sea, as the Tom Brady-backed team topped a breathless qualifying session.
The team’s Emma Kimilainen proved the fastest pilot in qualifying following a day of intense competition to put her team in the driving seat at the E1 Jeddah GP.
Her side overcame fierce competition from Team AlUla, championed by LeBron James, in second place and Aoki Racing Team in third.
Kimilainen said: “As reigning champions the pressure was always going to be on us. But as Tom (Brady) tells us, we should embrace it, and that’s exactly what we did today.”
E1 newcomers Team AlUla, competing for the first time after entering the championship this week, proved to be the surprise package thanks to a blistering qualifying time trial by their Canadian pilot Rusty Wyatt.
The result paved the way for a gripping race day on Saturday with the championship’s nine teams looking to establish an early lead to take the fight to Team Brady.
Friday marked the championship’s return to Jeddah, the location for E1’s first-ever race.
Kingdom’s digital ‘leapfrog’: Intel executive VP highlights 20-year Saudi partnership
Speaking on the sidelines of the WEF, Christoph Schell emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to growth and its importance as a key market for Intel
Says technology plays a crucial role in the Kingdom’s societal development, with a key focus on fostering innovation and bridging the digital divide
Updated 22 min 2 sec ago
tarek ali ahmad & gabriele malvisi
DAVOS: Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has enabled the Kingdom to “leapfrog other countries,” creating a robust ecosystem that aligns with Intel’s digital transformation strategy, the company’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer told Arab News.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Christoph Schell emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to growth and its importance as a key market for Intel, building on a 20-year legacy of collaboration.
“Having lived for eight years in the Middle East, I know that once you define a plan, and you work that plan, that plan will also work out,” Schell said. “So there’s a lot of trust that this vision will become reality.”
Schell, who previously served as HP’s general manager for the Middle East, described the region — and Saudi Arabia specifically — as being at an “exciting historical moment” in terms of technology, innovation and business, positioning the Kingdom as a “crucial market in size and influence.”
Christoph Schell, Intel's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. (Supplied)
Intel has maintained a strong presence in Saudi Arabia for more than two decades, with its innovation and priorities evolving in response to the Kingdom’s changing needs.
“There’s a very long legacy that the Kingdom has of engaging with Intel and for the population of Saudi Arabia to actually use Intel in their daily lives. That’s true on the consumer side, but that’s also true for the large corporations,” Schell said.
“What I see happening for the first time is that the Saudi customers have been, over these 20 years of engagement, buying monolithic products that Intel had to offer. I think this industry is changing as such that we are talking more and more about custom solutions, custom chips, and these are the first (type of) engagements that we have with Saudi customers now, cross-customization.”
He attributed this shift to significant investments in digital infrastructure and the growing tech sophistication of Saudi consumers and businesses.
“I see Saudi not just consuming technology that is off the shelf, but to demand technology that is best in the very specific requirements that you have,” he said.
Highlighting examples, Schell said that Saudi Arabia’s extreme temperatures had led to customized design requests for products operating in harsh conditions, such as on oil platforms and in peak summer heat.
“That requires different design principles across different products. And that’s the opportunity for us,” he said.
Intel has a partnership with Aramco Digital to establish Saudi Arabia’s first Open RAN (radio access network) development center. (Reuters photo)
In January 2024, Intel announced a partnership with Aramco Digital to establish Saudi Arabia’s first Open RAN (radio access network) development center. Open RAN technology, which allows multiple service providers to deliver services over the same network infrastructure, is expected to accelerate innovation and drive the Kingdom’s digital transformation in line with Vision 2030.
“If you want to scale a data center, if you want to grow a data center, if you want to grow a cloud operation, getting access to power is super important,” he said.
“Obviously the Kingdom has a lot of power, but on the other hand, it is also demanding for that power to be delivered in the most efficient way, and for the computer to be cognizant of power not being there in abundance, but to be managed in a way that is responsible.”
Schell argued that this evolution is a consequence of the cultural and societal shifts in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the country’s focus on innovation and bridging the digital divide.
“Technologies (are) at the heart of societal development. And I think a lot of the goals that you have as a society is to innovate, is to make sure that there’s no digital divide within the country,” he said.
As part of its vision for the future, Saudi Arabia is prioritizing the development of a robust tech ecosystem by attracting manufacturers, creating jobs and nurturing local talent — a strategy that Schell described as “sustainable.”
“It has a lot to do with education, but I think beyond educating, the ability to design products together, to engineer products together, is something that needs to start, in particular, working together with select universities,” he said.
Schell emphasized the role of AI in shaping the Kingdom’s future, particularly in practical applications such as education and daily life.
“The output that an AI engine delivers is based on the model it uses. And I think what is very important for Saudi Arabia in this context is to have models that have cultural awareness, that have cultural content.”
Drawing on his own experience, Schell highlighted the importance of localization.
“I live in the US right now. I’m German. If I use a US model, a US-centric model, I will get US-centric answers. (While) If I use a Saudi-centric model, I will get Saudi-centric answers.
“This is very important from a culture and from a historic point of view,” he added, stressing the “government’s responsibilities” in fostering an ecosystem that supports culturally relevant AI.
Hamas buries 2 leaders slain in Israel strike in Gaza months ago
Hundreds of people attended the funerals of Rauhi Mushtaha and Sami Mohammad Odeh during Friday prayers
The bodies, draped in the green flag of Hamas, were carried on stretchers from the mosque
Updated 26 min 3 sec ago
GAZA CITY: Two senior Hamas members, whom Israel said it had killed months ago, were buried in Gaza on Friday after their remains were discovered under rubble during the truce, AFP journalists reported.
Hundreds of people attended the funerals of Rauhi Mushtaha and Sami Mohammad Odeh during Friday prayers in the courtyard of the Omari mosque, a historic landmark in the heart of Gaza City that has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombing.
The bodies, draped in the green flag of Hamas, were carried on stretchers from the mosque to their burial site, accompanied by around 16 masked members of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group.
The Israeli army announced in early October that it had “eliminated” Mushtaha and Odeh along with another Hamas leader “about three months earlier” during an air strike in the Gaza Strip.
Mushtaha, designated an “international terrorist” by the United States in 2015, was a member of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, responsible for finances.
Odeh was the head of Hamas’s internal security agency.
Hamas officially acknowledged their deaths in a statement on Sunday, saying that they had fallen as “martyrs.”
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Fuji: A Mountain in the Making’
Updated 35 min 58 sec ago
Arab News
Author: ANDREW W. BERNSTEIN
Mount Fuji is everywhere recognized as a wonder of nature and enduring symbol of Japan. Yet behind the picture-postcard image is a history filled with conflict and upheaval. Violent eruptions across the centuries wrought havoc and instilled fear.
It has been both a totem of national unity and a flashpoint for economic and political disputes.
And while its soaring majesty has inspired countless works of literature and art, the foot of the mountain is home to military training grounds and polluting industries.
