FBI raids home of John Bolton, former Trump adviser turned critic

John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was searched by the FBI in the United States. He later became a frequent critic.

The raid, according to reports on Friday, was a part of a national security investigation into Bolton’s handling of classified information. In Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, police cars were spotted outside Bolton’s home.

In a social media post on Friday that didn’t explicitly mention Bolton but made reference to FBI agents who were “on mission,” “NO ONE is above the law,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

Trump, on the other hand, denied knowing about the burglary at Bolton’s home.

“No, I’m not aware of it.” Trump continued, “I didn’t like John Bolton, I just saw it on television this morning.” He has a true, lowlife quality.

The Trump administration is now launching investigations and threats against rivals and critics, with the raid on Bolton’s home occurring.

During Trump’s first term in office, Bolton served as a hawkish foreign policy advisor under various Republican administrations. During the administration of former President George W. Bush, he was viewed as a strong supporter of the US invasion of Iraq.

He frequently appears on US news programs to criticize Trump and his policies, though. Bolton also scathingly criticized his time in the Trump White House in his memoir, The Room Where It Happened.

Bolton wrote of Trump, “He couldn’t tell the difference between his personal interests and those of the country.”

Trump has also criticized Bolton for his aggressive foreign policy stance. He referred to Bolton as a ominous presence at meetings with foreign leaders on Friday.

He actually doesn’t speak. Trump called him quiet. Because they would say, “Oh no, they’re going to get blown up because John Bolton’s is there,” I would enter a room with him and enter with him with a foreign country.

According to a Reuters report, an FBI spokesman confirmed “court-authorised activity” on Friday in the neighborhood where Bolton’s residence was occurring.

Bolton was seen in a building where he worked in Washington, DC on Friday, according to The Associated Press. He was spotted speaking&nbsp with two people wearing “FBI” vests.

The rear entrance to the building was where agents were later spotted bringing bags inside, according to the news agency.

The Trump administration has not faced Bolton before in this regard. On his first day back in the White House, Trump canceled Bolton’s security clearance in January.

The security detail that was assigned to Bolton’s protection was then removed a few days later.

Bolton once said, “I am disappointed but not surprised.” Trump, for his part, referred to Bolton as a “very stupid person” and questioned why the former adviser would require government protection for the rest of his life.

Bolton claimed this month that Trump had used the government’s influence to retaliate against his political rivals in an interview with ABC News, saying, “I think it is a retribution presidency.”

Trump, however, repeatedly denied knowing about the raid and attributed the decision-making power of his department of justice to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

I tell Pam and the group that we don’t want to learn more about this. You must carry out your obligations. I’m not interested in learning more about it. Trump remarked, “It’s not necessary.” I might be aware of it. It might start with me. The chief law enforcement officer is actually me. However, I think this is how things should be.

He added that he anticipated receiving updates on the raid later that day. Additionally, he criticized Bolton in some ways.

He is not intelligent, he claims. He might be very anti-patriotic, in some ways. Trump stated, “We’re going to find out.”

The Department of Justice has also opened inquiries into a number of Trump critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who sued the president and his business, the Trump Organization.

At least 52 killed in Gaza as Israel escalates attacks on Gaza City

At least 52 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera, including 36 killed in Gaza City where Israel was escalating attacks in the lead-up to a broader planned offensive.

An Israeli air strike hit a school in Sheikh Radwan, a Gaza City neighbourhood where tens of Palestinians were seeking shelter in makeshift tents in the schoolyard. At least 12 civilians were killed in the attack, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on Friday.

Footage circulating on social media and verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency Sanad shows an Israeli quadcopter hovering over a building in Sheikh Radwan as neighbours watch anxiously, before it drops an explosive on its target. The video then cuts to footage of smoke rising from the targeted building.

Another person was killed by Israeli forces in the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City, a medical source at al-Ahli Hospital told Al Jazeera.

Earlier, Israel’s defence minister warned that Gaza’s largest city would be destroyed unless Hamas yielded to Israel’s terms for ending the war.

“The gates of hell will soon open on the heads of Hamas ‘ murderers and rapists in Gaza – until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war”, Israel Katz wrote in a post on X.

Katz restated Israel’s ceasefire demands, which include the release of all captives and Hamas’s complete disarmament. Hamas has said it would release captives in exchange for ending the war, but rejects disarmament without the creation of a Palestinian state.

In response to the latest ceasefire proposal, accepted by Hamas and brokered by Qatar and Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he had instructed officials “to begin immediate negotiations” to release remaining captives and end the war.

Yet Netanyahu also confirmed that he would authorise the military to mount a major operation to seize Gaza City, which could start within days.

While many Israelis fear an assault could doom about 20 captives deemed to be alive, Netanyahu maintains the offensive is the surest way to free captives and achieve the war objective of destroying Hamas.

‘ Unbearable grief and pain ‘

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum said that while Gaza City was being pounded especially hard, Israeli attacks were continuing relentlessly across the Gaza Strip.

“It was another deadly night in Gaza, and this morning is marked by grief and unbearable pain, clearly written on the faces of victims ‘ relatives and emergency responders who spent the night rushing to calls across the Strip”, Abu Azzoum said, reporting from the central city of Deir el-Balah.

“For Palestinians on the ground, these military actions send a clear signal that no matter where they move, no corner of Gaza is spared from any potential Israeli attack”.

An Israeli drone strike on a makeshift tent in the southern city of Khan Younis killed one woman and four children, sources at the Nasser Medical Complex said.

Another Palestinian was killed and others were injured after the Israeli army struck the Jabalia al-Balad area of northern Gaza, according to sources at al-Shifa Hospital.

According to medical sources, at least 52 people have been killed as of early in Friday’s Israeli attacks, according to medical sources.

Five people were killed, according to the sources, and they included those seeking aid. According to medical sources at the al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, an Israeli shooting near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza resulted in the death of one Palestinian aid seeker and the injury of others.

Serbian president calls for ‘democratic dialogue’ with antigov’t protesters

Following more than nine months of demonstrations that have harmed his rule, Serbia’s populist leader has urged dialogue with anti-government protesters in the Balkan nation.

In a post that was accompanied by a video that Serbia shared on Instagram on Friday, President Aleksandar Vucic wrote, “Serbia must resolve its problems with democratic dialogue, not violence.”

He continued, “I invite the blockade movement representatives to a conversation and a discussion in public about visions, discuss our future plans and programs, and overall condemn the violence on our streets.”

Vucic stated in the video address from his Belgrade office that he was prepared to address audience members and other anti-government protesters, including during TV debates.

“I propose that discussion and debate be conducted with legitimate representatives, that is, those they choose,” Vucic said, “on all our televisions, on all our [internet] portals.”

16 people died last November when a roof on a renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed, prompting the months of protests across Serbia.

In an effort to overthrow Vucic and his party, protesters have demanded early elections and put the blame on corruption for the station disaster.

Additionally, they accuse the government of repressing media freedoms and using violence against political rivals. All of the allegations are denied by the government.

Up until earlier this month, when dozens of police officers and civilians were hurt in clashes and hundreds were taken into custody, the protests were largely peaceful.

You don’t employ an arsonist in a fire department.

“I want us to confront visions,” and we can resolve it through conversation and dialogue without violence. Vucic urged people to rebuild the nation and put it back on track after nine months.

The possibility of talks was shunned by Move-Change party leader Savo Manojlovic.

This corrupt government, according to Manojlovic, is not a place where political debate can take place, because it tramples on democracy and human rights.

You don’t employ an arsonist in a fire department.

In 2027, Vucic’s second and final five-year term as president is up for election, which is also expected to include parliamentary elections.

During an election campaign, students’ representatives said they would only debate with Vucic.

What has led to a famine being confirmed in Gaza?

Famine is currently occurring in Gaza City and its surrounding area, according to a global hunger monitor supported by the UN.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IFSPC) had previously warned that Gaza was in danger of famine, but now it is clear that the recent events, including a new Israeli offensive, more displacement, and weeks of total Israeli blockade of the territory, have made famine a reality in Gaza.

If nothing is done to stop Israel’s war and increase humanitarian aid, the IPC experts warn that famine will spread to other parts of Gaza. Let’s examine this more closely.

What were the report’s main conclusions?

The main finding is that Gaza is now experiencing famine. More than 500, 000 people in the Gaza Strip are currently “catastrophic conditions,” according to the IPC, which is the highest level in its food insecurity classification and is “characterized by starvation, destitution, and death.”

The IPC found that 30% of the population is in dire straits, with 50% of those in Gaza City being in “emergency” mode. North Gaza governorate’s conditions are reportedly “as severe – or worse” than those in Gaza, but the IPC is unable to categorize the region based on incomplete information.

By the end of September, the IPC anticipates that the governorates of Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis will also experience famine. According to the IPC, 25 and 20 percent of the population in those governorates, respectively, are already classified as being in a level 5 catastrophe.

Additionally, it anticipates that 132, 000 children between the ages of five and six will be affected by acute malnutrition before June of next year, as well as 55, 000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and 25, 000 infants who require urgent nutrition assistance.

The IPC did not examine Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost governorate, because it has largely lost Palestinian residents as a result of Israeli military operations.

How did the IPC arrive at the conclusion that Gaza is experiencing a famine?

The worst category of food insecurity is “catastrophe,” according to the IPC’s five-stage food insecurity classification. When “households experience an extreme lack of food and/or are unable to meet other basic needs even after using coping techniques to their fullest,” a catastrophe is defined as a “catastrophe.”

“Starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition are evident” in a level 5 catastrophe.

However, this is distinct from a famine classification. There must be clear evidence that two of the three thresholds for acute malnutrition, malnutrition, and mortality have been met in order for a “famine with reasonable evidence,” as it currently has been in Gaza. The thresholds are for at least 20% of households to “have an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution,” for at least 30% of children under the age of five to be affected by acute malnutrition, and for at least two deaths per 10,000 per day as a result of food insecurity.

What is the IPC’s claim that Gaza is in a state of famine?

Conflict, displacement, restricted access, and the collapse of the food system are the four factors the IPC claims are “man-made.”

More than 62, 000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s conflict in Gaza in the 22 months since its start. The IPC points out that in July, there were 119 fatalities on average per day, nearly twice the previous month’s average.

The IPC reports that 1.9 million people have been displaced more than once since the start of the war as a result of Israel’s continued offensives. The constant moving and a lack of safe lodging have all contributed to the worsening of Gaza’s food security situation, as well as the ban on fishing and the destruction or inaccessibility of 98 percent of its cropland.

In mid-March, Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza’s access to food and other supplies, including water, medicine, and fuel. Although the total blockade has been lifted, strict import restrictions still apply.

What makes the IPC determination so crucial?

The IPC is recognized as the main tool used by the UN and the international community to assess global food insecurity levels.

The information provided by the IPC is crucial for preventing famine and preventing future food crises. It can also encourage international cooperation to intervene quickly enough to stop famine or put an end to it once it has begun.

A Famine Review Committee made up of “leading independent international food security, nutrition, and mortality experts” is required to assess a famine before it is classified in a complex process that involves several stages, with input from a variety of organizations and individuals. This committee must conduct a review to ensure the analysis’ technical rigor and neutrality before the results are confirmed and made public, according to the IPC.

In Sudan in 2024, famines occurred in Sudan in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and in Sudan in 2017.

What has been the response?

The famine was described as a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself,” according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

As the occupying power, Guterres claimed that Israel had “unequivocal obligations” under international law to allow the movement of food and medical supplies to Gaza.

According to Guterres, “famine is not just about food; it also involves the deliberate collapse of the systems necessary for human survival.” “People are starving,” he said. Children are euthanizing. And they are failing those who have a duty to act.

Action is being demanded by humanitarian organizations.

The International Rescue Committee’s president, David Miliband, called for the findings of today to be a wake-up call for the international community. More lives will be lost to starvation and disease without a ceasefire and immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access.

Israel, on the other hand, has refuted the findings, saying that in Gaza there wasn’t a famine in spite of the IPC’s evidence.

Former Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested and appeared in court over allegations he misused state funds while in office, police say.

Wickremesinghe, 76, who led the country during a devastating 2019-2024 economic crisis, had been investigated over a visit he made to London to attend his wife’s graduation, local media reported on Friday.

Police confirmed his arrest for alleged misuse of public funds.

“Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested and produced in court. We are awaiting the court directive to decide what further steps need to be taken”, a police spokesperson said.

Sri Lanka’s anticorruption units have led a crackdown since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September on a promise to fight corruption.

A Wickremesinghe ally from his United National Party (UNP) proclaimed his innocence and suggested the case was politically motivated.

“Ranil Wickremesinghe has never misused public funds or state funds”, UNP member Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told reporters outside the court complex in Colombo where the former president appeared.

“He was the person who stepped up and accepted the challenge to save this country when the economy collapsed”, Warnasinghe said. “That is the person who is being treated like this today by this government”.

Travel expenses

Wickremesinghe had stopped in London in 2023 on his way back to Sri Lanka from Havana, where he attended a G77 summit.

His office had previously denied that he abused his position to visit London.

Three of his then-senior aides were questioned this month by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

He and his wife, Maithree, attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony, where she received an honorary professorship.

Wickremesinghe had maintained that his wife’s travel expenses were met by her and no state funds were used.

However, the CID alleged that Wickremesinghe used government money for his travel on a private visit and his bodyguards were also paid by the state.

Wickremesinghe became president in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa stepped down following months of street protests over alleged corruption and mismanagement. Wickremesinghe lost power in a 2024 election.

In early 2023, he was credited with stabilizing the economy following Sri Lanka’s worst-ever financial meltdown in 2022 and received a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

India’s parliament bans vast online gambling industry

After government figures revealed that businesses had systematically defrauded 450 million people annually, India’s parliament passed a comprehensive bill banning online gambling.

The ban has an impact on platforms like India’s wildly popular homegrown fantasy cricket apps, which include cards, poker, and fantasy sports.

Additionally, it’s unclear who will be India’s top cricket team’s key sponsor.

The biggest fantasy sports gaming platform in India, Dream11, was named as the nation’s lead sponsor for three years in July 2023, with its logo appearing on Team India jerseys.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not made any announcements regarding that significant sponsor.

Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, stated on Friday, “We will not do anything if it’s not permissible.” The BCCI will adhere to all national policies that the central government has set forth.

Late on Thursday, the legislation that criminalizes the offering, promotion, and financing of such games was passed by both chambers of parliament. Offenders could spend up to five years in prison.

In a statement released on Friday, Dream 11 advised fans to “stay tuned” even though the bill had been passed.

The bill still needs to be formally ratified by the president before going into effect, so other games remained online as of Friday.

A government statement stated that “this legislation is intended to reduce addiction, financial ruin, and social distress brought on by predatory gaming platforms that thrive on deceptive promises of quick wealth.”

The Indian gaming sector, which has one of the largest markets worldwide, has been made exceptions for e-sports and educational games, which the government claims will be promoted as part of the digital economy.

The new law, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will “encourage e-sports and online social games” and “at the same time, protect our society from the negative effects of online money games.

Around a third of the world’s most populous nation, according to the government, had lost money gambling online.

Instead of a blanket ban, industry groups had urged regulation and taxation, warning that the move might lead to players turning to illegal offshore platforms.

However, bill supporters claimed that the social costs were excessive.

According to officials, widespread financial distress, addiction, and even suicide have been brought on by the rapid expansion of gambling platforms.

According to the government, it is also connected to terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraud.

The minister of technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, noted that the law distinguishes online “social” games from those that are played for money.

A government briefing note read, “It encourages e-sports, which are organized competitive video games, and promotes safe online social and educational games.”