AI defence expo features latest tech, warnings of potential dangers
Artificial intelligence is on full display at an exposition in Washington, DC, where one of the main focuses is how to incorporate AI into weapons systems. Organisers say the technology will lead to a better future, but critics are warning of the dangers that come with the high-tech advances. Al Jazeera's Shihab Rattansi shows us around.
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Epstein had no ‘client list' and died by suicide: US Justice Department
A United States government review has found no evidence that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a secret client list, and reaffirmed that he died by suicide in federal custody in 2019, undercutting years of conspiracy theories. The acknowledgement that Epstein did not maintain a list of clients who received underage girls marks a clear retreat from a narrative once promoted by members of US President Donald Trump's administration. Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi even claimed in a Fox News interview that such a document was 'sitting on my desk', awaiting her review. The memo, released on Monday by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, stated that a 'systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list'.' It also found no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent figures, or grounds to pursue investigations against uncharged third parties. 'After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019,' the memo said. 'This conclusion is consistent with previous findings, including the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the November 2019 position of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with the investigation of federal correctional officers responsible for guarding Epstein, and the June 2023 conclusions of DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.' It concluded by saying that 'no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted'. The Justice Department also released 10 hours of surveillance footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. The footage revealed that no one entered Epstein's cell on the day he died by suicide. 'We were all told more was coming' Conservatives who have sought proof of a government cover-up of Epstein's activities quickly expressed outrage at the announcement. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted: 'We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn't have to be.' Separately, former Trump ally, billionaire Elon Musk, shared an image of a scoreboard reading, 'The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter', which was set at zero. On June 5, Musk claimed that Trump appeared in the Epstein files and later posted a video on X showing Trump at a party with Epstein. These posts, now deleted, were part of an ongoing feud between Musk and Trump linked to Trump's new tax cuts and spending bill. What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again … — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025 Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wrote, 'Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed',' calling the conclusion 'over the top sickening'. 'Epstein's crimes and death' On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Justice Department's 'exhaustive investigation'. When questioned about the client list mentioned in February's Fox News interview, Leavitt clarified that Bondi was actually referring to the broader collection of Epstein case files. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, in a suicide that foreclosed the possibility of a trial. The Justice Department and FBI's disclosure that Epstein took his own life is hardly a revelation, even though conspiracy theorists have continued to challenge that conclusion. In November 2019, for instance, then-Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press news agency that he had reviewed security footage that revealed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died, and expressed confidence that Epstein's death was a suicide. However, Epstein's ties to the rich and famous have led many to believe, without evidence, that others were behind his death, in an effort to cover up their own crimes. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organisations may be able to help.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
‘Terrible thing': Trump defends Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro against coup trial
United States President Donald Trump has taken to social media to defend his fellow right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro, a former Brazilian president who faces criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup d'etat. On Monday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that Bolsonaro's indictment was an example of political persecution. 'Brazil is doing a terrible thing on their treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro,' Trump said. 'I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year! He is not guilty of anything, except having fought for THE PEOPLE.' Trump went on to compare his own legal troubles to Bolsonaro's. Both leaders have been accused of trying to undermine their country's elections, following losses. In Trump's case, the accusations concern his 2020 race against Democrat Joe Biden. Though Trump lost, prosecutors say he and his allies conspired to defraud voters by pressuring officials to say that he won. That lie culminated in an attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Trump's supporters sought to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results. Trump later faced a federal indictment in Washington, DC, and a state-level indictment in Georgia over his actions. The federal charges, however, were dropped once he took office for a second term in January. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, currently is facing criminal trial for allegedly masterminding a scheme to retain power after his 2022 election loss to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the lead-up to the election, Bolsonaro spread falsehoods about the accuracy of Brazil's voting machines, and afterwards, he refused to publicly concede defeat. Thousands of his supporters likewise stormed the government buildings in Brazil's capital Brasilia to protest the outcome. Prosecutors say police unearthed evidence of a scheme wherein Bolsonaro and his allies plotted to hold onto power by means of a coup, one that would have seen Lula and other officials assassinated. Both Trump and Bolsonaro have denied wrongdoing. In Monday's posts, Trump said both of their cases reflected a politically motivated 'WITCH HUNT' designed to dim their popularity among voters. 'This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent — Something I know much about! It happened to me, times 10,' Trump wrote. 'The Great People of Brazil will not stand for what they are doing to their former President.' He appeared to end his post with a call for Bolsonaro's re-election: 'The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It's called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!' Bolsonaro, however, has been barred from running for office for eight years, a period which expires in 2030. In 2023, in a separate case, Brazil's Superior Electoral Court issued the punishment after it found Bolsonaro had abused his power by using government offices to spread doubt about the country's voting machines. Trump and Bolsonaro have long faced comparisons to one another. They both took office for a first term in 2017, and both lost their initial re-election attempt. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has been referred to as the 'Trump of the tropics'. Critics have long speculated that Trump may seek to intervene in Brazil's prosecution of the far-right leader, through political pressure. Earlier this year, for example, the Trump Media and Technology Group joined a lawsuit in Florida against Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, arguing that a recent decision from the judge amounted to the censorship of right-wing voices. De Moraes has overseen the criminal case against Bolsonaro and is considered a target of ire for Brazil's right. In a social media response on Monday, President Lula indicated that Trump's social media missive could be viewed as an attempt to interfere with the Brazilian justice system. Though he mentioned neither Trump nor Bolsonaro by name, Lula, a left-wing leader, rejected the advice of those who sought to influence the ongoing trial from abroad. 'The defense of democracy in Brazil is a matter for Brazilians to deal with. We are a sovereign country. We do not accept interference or tutelage from anyone,' Lula wrote. 'We have solid and independent institutions. No one is above the law. Especially those who threaten freedom and the rule of law.' Bolsonaro, on the other hand, took to social media to thank Trump explicitly for his words of support. 'I thank the illustrious President and friend. You went through something similar. You were relentlessly persecuted, but you won for the good of the United States and dozens of other truly democratic countries,' Bolsonaro wrote, reflecting on how 'happy' he was to see Trump's note. Bolsonaro used the occasion to once again proclaim his innocence and blast his political opponents as puppeteering the trial. 'This process to which I am responding is a legal aberration (lawfare), clear political persecution,' he said. The former president could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
What's behind the year of deadly anti-government protests in Kenya?
What's behind the year of deadly anti-government protests in Kenya? NewsFeed Deadly anti-government protests have been taking place in Kenya for more than a year, but a key event from over 30 years ago is providing crucial inspiration. Al Jazeera's Malcolm Webb explains from on the ground in Nairobi. Video Duration 02 minutes 11 seconds 02:11 Video Duration 01 minutes 28 seconds 01:28 Video Duration 02 minutes 27 seconds 02:27 Video Duration 02 minutes 19 seconds 02:19 Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds 01:36 Video Duration 02 minutes 50 seconds 02:50 Video Duration 01 minutes 01 seconds 01:01
