Brazil, Brasilia
AP
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Brazilian federal police said the message found on the phone of former president Jia Bolsonaro said he once wanted to flee to Argentina and demand political asylum, according to documents seen by the Associated Press.

Bolsonaro is currently awaiting a Supreme Court decision on the suspect in the coup, and learned that he might face another case as police officially accused him and one of his sons, Eduardo Bolsonaro, of obstructing obstruction of justice in connection with his trial.

According to a 170-page report, Bolsonaro drafted a request for political asylum from the government of Argentine President Javier Mairei on February 10, 2024.

Near that date, Bolsonaro apparently spent two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia, spurring speculation that he might have been trying to avoid an arrest.

The Argentine conspiracy was part of a wider police charge of obstruction of justice, and Bolsonaro is said to have ignored the precautions established for his home arrest and ignored the allies “to directly attack Brazil’s democratic system, especially the Supreme Court, and even the Brazilian Parliament.”

The AP reviewed police evidence, including messaging app exchanges and voice messages, after police forwarded the documents to Brazil’s Supreme Court. If the Attorney General decides to file charges against him, Bolsonaro will face another trial.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who overseen the case, gave Bolsonaro’s lawyers 48 hours and explained why the former president failed to comply with other precautions for home arrests, including seeking political asylum in Argentina and avoiding contact with people outside of his family circle.

In a 33-page letter to Mairay, Bolsonaro argued that he was being politically persecuted in Brazil. Both are solid supporters of US President Donald Trump, who recently repeated some of the former president’s claims in his decision to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports.

“I, Gere Messias Bolsonaro, found myself in a situation of Brazil’s political persecution and fear of my life, so I am requesting political asylum from your Excellency in the Republic of Argentina under an urgent regime,” the former Brazilian leader wrote.

Bolsonaro seized his passport in Brazil’s Supreme Court on February 8, 2024. He has repeatedly tried to get that back, including before Trump took office earlier this year. De Moraes rejected all requests as the former president is considered a flight risk.

Milei spokesman Manuel Adorni said the Argentine government has yet to receive anything. Bolsonaro did not comment on the investigation.

The former Brazilian president attended Miley’s inauguration in December 2023, but President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva did not attend. Lula and Mairay have been in a chilly relationship since right-wing Argentina took over.

The highly popular evangelical pastor Cyrus Malafire, a stubborn ally of Bolsonaro, seized his passport and cell phone by investigators, but was not formally accused of obstructing justice.

Brazilian federal police have gathered several messages between Bolsonaro and his son, where they have expressed interest in praise of Trump for affecting legal proceedings in his hometown.

“If the guy here turns his back on you, there’s no time to turn things around, everything here is very troublesome.

“In today’s situation, you don’t even have to worry about prisons. You won’t be arrested. But I’m worried that there will be changes here (in the US). Even within the White House, “Trump, Brazil is gone. Let’s move on,” Eduardo Bolsonaro said.

Previously, Eduardo Bolsonaro said in a statement that “it was never intended to interfere in an ongoing lawsuit in Brazil.” He added that the conversation with his father, part of the investigation, is “absolutely normal,” and that the publication is politically biased.

Some exchanges also show lethal friction between father and son. Eduardo, who moved to the US earlier this year despite sitting in Brazil’s parliament, calls Bolsonaro “ungrateful” for his efforts to affect the Trump administration.

Eduardo Bolsonaro also asks his father to “act responsibly,” so he doesn’t have to stay that long in the US.

Eduardo Bolsonaro also said he secured the support of the US government “very difficult” by claiming that he and his ally Paulo Figuered were the only ones with access to the White House. He also told his father that Trump’s pressure was the only chance Bolsonaro had to avoid prison.

“The world’s most powerful man is by your side. We’ve done our part,” Eduardo wrote in text on July 10th.

Brazilian federal police also challenged Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the investigation into the former president, to also investigate conversations between Bolsonaro and Martin de Luca, lawyers for the video platform Rumble and Trump Media Group. De Luca sent out information from the former president regarding Rumble’s lawsuit against US de Moraise

On July 14, de Luca wrote to Bolsonaro, saying that he had received interview requests from the US media for the former president. That same day, Bolsonaro sent an audio message to De Luca, seeking his advice.

“I drafted a memo. I think I sent it to you in four short paragraphs. It’s a good thing, I admire Trump and say freedom is far more important than economic issues,” Bolsonaro said. “I was really pleased with Trump. I am very grateful to him. Please guide me with a short statement from your side.

The coup trial’s ruling and ruling comes from the five-person Supreme Court panel. They are expected to announce the ruling between September 2nd and 12th. The new findings are not part of that decision.

Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and several of his allies led criminal organizations that planned to overturn the election, including a plan to kill Lula and de Moraes.

The war drums pound on the gateway to Gaza city. The residents of northern Gaza’s largest city, packed with locals and refugees, fear that time will be ticked before the looming Israeli attack.

Dozens gathered on Thursday in small but rebellious protests in a war-stricken city building.

Fearing further movement and escalation of bombing, men, women and children took them to the city and waving Palestinian flags to read “stop genocide” and “Gaza is dying.”

“We send the final call to the whole world. Stop the war. We won’t displace,” the Palestinian man told Mike.

“And we tell US President Donald Trump: … If we care about the (Nobel) Peace Prize, we must stop all the wars in the world, starting with the war with the Gaza Strip, which has taken thousands of Palestinian lives in the last two years.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced that he would approve a military plan to control Gaza city. The Prime Minister had ordered the timeline of his initial plan to be shortened the day before.

“We are in the decision stage,” Netanyahu said at the video address. “Today I came to the Gaza Division and approved the plan (the Israeli Defense Force) presented to me, and approved it to the Minister of Defense for controlling Gaza City and defeating Hamas.”

Netanyahu added that he gave instructions to “start immediate negotiations” to release the remaining hostages in Gaza and “end the war under conditions acceptable to Israel.”

Netanyahu said acquisition and occupation of the largest city in northern Gaza One of the last Hamas bases calls for the army to bring in 60,000 reserves and extend the service of an additional 20,000 people, in addition to what has already been called.

The plan sparked a growing international and national condemnation over the fear that Gaza’s already spiral humanitarian and hunger crisis would worsen.

Mohamed Hamad, a protester who has already been evacuated multiple times, has refused to leave Gaza city

“If I leave Gaza, I’ll never come back,” he told CNN.

“We say no to the world to evacuate, tell the world that we should not leave Gaza city.

Zakaria Bakr is a Palestinian living in the Al Shati refugee camp in Gaza city and said he believes forced evacuation will come.

“They commit massacres, commit bombs on the heads of their owners, bombing them to send messages of fear and threats to force people to leave,” Bakr told CNN, adding, “At the same time, they besiege the city of Gaza and prevent food from entering.”

Bakr said it was unclear if he was alive by the time he tried to leave.

Israeli sources said the military would evacuate Palestinians for about two months to evacuate densely populated areas before the attacks begin, setting a deadline of October 7, the second-year war mark.

Ahmed al-Azira, a 38-year-old lawyer in Gaza’s Alzaiton district, said Israel should not forcefully drive away the city’s residents.

Israeli forces have warned medical personnel and international aid groups in northern Gaza to plan mass evacuations, and previously said they would provide tents to Palestinians before relocating them.

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said on Thursday that Israeli authorities are preparing to forcefully replace around 800,000 Palestinians south of the enclave, warning that “the whole city of Gaza could completely destroy or destroy health care.”

Many in Gaza said the severity of artillery fire in Gaza city has been on the rise recently.

Ismail Zaida, a Palestinian living in Gaza’s Sheikh Radwan district, said he felt “like the beginning of a new war.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s strike at a camp for refugees in Deia al-Barah in central Gaza has wreaked havoc in what has been a paradise for many, and where Gaza people are likely to go when a new Israeli attack begins.

Palestinians at the camp said they received a call from Israeli forces who were telling them to evacuate before the camp was struck. They didn’t know that the strike would destroy the entire camp, they told CNN, adding that they were not only unable to go anywhere now, but they were on the streets.

CNN footage showed a massive strike at camp, with smoke swirling from the scene as people ran from rap shotguns. Civil defense forces arrive to find a makeshift tent where a mountain of destroyed belongings buried under the tiled rub is burning.

“There is nothing left, there is no tent (tent) between them. Everything we lived here is gone.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said “In response to Hamas’ wild attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities.”

“In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes viable precautions to mitigate the harm to civilians,” the IDF said.

Two evacuated women, Nislin and Rainin, sifted through the ruins for the rest of their belongings.

The Israeli forces gave the inhabitants 30 minutes to evacuate, Lanin said, after which she said the “belt of fire” fell into the camp, annihilation of it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres repeated the call for a ceasefire on Thursday, saying “we will avoid the massive death and destruction that military operations against Gaza will inevitably pose.”

Documents seen by CNN show that the UK government has agreed to pay around $4 million to the thousands of casualties of the flames soldiers began during training in Kenya.

The settlement follows a lengthy legal battle by members of the East African country’s local community. Actors say the effects of the 2021 fire at a vast wildlife sanctuary in central Kenya have caused lifelong health issues, damaging property and polluting the environment.

Some of them told CNN they lost their family due to illnesses arising from Inferno, which burned more than 10,000 acres in privately owned Loldaiga Conservancy.

The fire is believed to have started by chance during a British military training exercise. British Army Training Force Kenya (Batuk) posted a video showing police officers fighting the flames at the time.

According to a confidential settlement agreement obtained by CNN, the UK government has now agreed to pay 7,723 Kenyans £2.9 million (approximately $3.9 million) to 7,723 Kenyans who filed the complaint.

Reconciliation is not shared equally. According to local lawmakers, many beneficiaries received just 22,000 Kenyan Shillings ($170) after four years of legal battle, and were disappointed with plans to protest now.

“It’s the first time I’ve won a lawsuit against the British Army in Kenya, but that’s pretty much not,” Laikipia County Councilman Cate Waruguru told CNN. “They feel that their sweat and their struggles are not owed fruit. We need to see our courts rise to protect the rights of Kenyans,” she added.

Kelvin Kubay, a 27-year-old lawyer who grew up in the area, launched a class action lawsuit that culminated in the settlement, but said his client wanted to pay 20 times more.

“Military training and conservation are incompatible. They need to be separated,” Kubai told CNN on Thursday. “This payment is not close to giving (my clients), it’s financial assistance to ensure they can travel far from this training. So the only thing to do is to keep the training away from them.” He says that “ex gratia” payments, a voluntary payment made outside of legal obligation, was the fastest way to compensate affected communities rather than pushing for a full trial that could last for years.

The British Army pays around $400,000 per year Kenya to allow Batuk to train domestically. The British military operates primarily in large wildlife sanctuaries in Laikipia and nearby Samburu County. However, allegations of human rights abuses, including rape and murder, have troubled Batuk for decades, leading to an ongoing investigation of the Kenya Parliament. Military officials say they are investigating all reported allegations of misconduct against Kenyan officials, but have not commented on individual cases.

The British High Commissioner for Nairobi, representing the country’s Batuk, said he was “pleasant that a global settlement has been agreed to with the appointed legal representative of the requester,” calling the fire “very disappointing,” but refused to say whether the officers faced disciplinary action for it.

“The UK has devoted considerable time, effort and resources to resolve these claims from those affected,” the spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

CNN also reached out to the UK Department of Defense for comment.

Community members have previously been demonstrated to Batuk and the British government. When CNN met a group of local residents outside the fence at Lolldaiga Conservancy last June, many wanted a significant amount of payment so they could leave the area.

One woman raised an inhaler above her head as she and most of her neighbors explained that she had developed breathing difficulties that required frequent hospital visits after the fire.

Nearby, Hannah Wangjik fought back tears as she spoke about British forces training near her home. She said her grandson was ill and developed breast problems. “We live a difficult life. Once we get this money, we’ll leave,” Wangjik added.

The June 2024 community meeting was convened by activist James Mwangi, who has campaigned for residents since the flames. “In March 2021, the area was a seven-day furnace. Over 10,000 people were choking with smoke, toxic smoke,” he told CNN at the time.

In environmental terms, one report by consulting firm Howard Humphries (commissioned by Lolldaiga Hills Limited) found that it would take at least 2060 for the land to fully recover from the effects of the fire.

Formerly a private farm, Lolldaiga became a sanctuary in 2021 and was home to endangered sebr, elephants, elephants, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, jackals, velvet monkeys and baboons.

Editor’s Note: This CNN travel series was sponsored or sponsored by the countries it emphasizes. CNN maintains full editorial control over the subject, reporting and frequency of articles and videos within the sponsorship, in accordance with our policies.

For decades, Orlando has reigned as the global capital of theme parks. This is where Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and countless other attractions attract millions of visitors.

However, the challenger of the crown rose from the unlikely location: the desert of the Arabian Gulf. At destinations known for oil wealth and camel races than roller coasters, Abu Dhabi is building an adrenaline-recharged playground in Orlando that can run for money.

And it just landed Disney, the ultimate weapon.

In May 2025, when Disney unveiled its first new theme park in 15 years, it chose Abu Dhabi over other important theme park destinations in California, Japan and even Orlando.

“There’s no doubt,” says Josh Damaro, chairman of Disney Experience. Already home to Ferrari’s world, the UAE capital city features the fastest roller coaster in the world. Warner Bros. World (built under license by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery); Yas Waterworld, a spectacular network of slides and pools. And recently, Sea World Yas Island Abu Dhabi. The Emirate is clearly emerging as the most serious challenger Orlando has ever faced.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi, set to open on Yas Island in the early 2030s, will be the most technically advanced park to date. The render shows a sparkling futuristic tower in its center. This is much more similar to the sparkling skyline of Abu Dhabi than traditional European castles. It will be the first Disney resort to be set up on an accessible coastline just 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi.

The theme park will be developed, constructed and operated by Miral, the Abu Dhabi company behind the roster of other attractions on Yas Island. Disney Imagineer handles creative design and operational oversight to ensure that the new park is in line with Disney’s brand.

Miral CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi says demand is already there. In 2024, theme park attendance rates increased by 20% on Yas Island. And expansions are already underway on the Harry Potter themed lands at Warner Bros. World, record-breaking rides at Ferrari World, new themed hotels, and even two beaches along the Yas Bay Waterfront.

Why Disney chose Abu Dhabi as their next theme park location

Why Disney chose Abu Dhabi as their next theme park location

7:02

The location of Abu Dhabi, medium-range flights away from both Europe and Asia, and relatively short hops from India mean that millions of potential visitors can reach them relatively easily.

“This is not about building another theme park,” Abu Dhabi’s tourism director Saleh Mohamed Al-Geziri told CNN. “It defines Abu Dhabi as a global destination where culture, entertainment and luxury intersect.”

The rise of Abu Dhabi comes when Orlando and the US tourism faces more broadly headwinds. International travel to the US has recently slowed down, with increased security scrutiny accused of long visa processes, unpredictable immigration checks and deterring visitors.

Abu Dhabi now offers smoother US alternatives. Many nationalities can enter the country without a UAE visa or using E-VISA, and the capital’s airport (currently expanding) has a reputation for rapid border processing and simple connections.

Despite the tensions in the wider region, Abu Dhabi continues to occupy its position as a safe and reliable tourism hub. The United Arab Emirates was highly ranked in the 2024 Global Peace Index. “In times of uncertainty, people look for reliable destinations,” added Al Gezily.

Upon reaching Yas Island, visitors experience indoor climate-controlled attractions, short lines and levels of sophistication that are not normally associated with theme parks.

“For families with a US or European park-themed family, Abu Dhabi is a revelation,” says Stephen Hopkinson, a UK expatriate living in Abu Dhabi. “We don’t wait for hours in the heat and we feel everything is more refined and accessible.

Orlando may be exposed to Florida’s sunshine, but there is also humidity and crowds in the summer. Temperatures are still rising in Abu Dhabi, but its climate-controlled indoor parks keep the experience consistent no matter what’s happening outside.

The world of Warner Bros. World and Ferrari are completely surrounded by air-conditioned corridors and restaurants, and even SeaWorld’s aquariums and animal experiences are hidden.

“Compared to places like Florida, it’s a different level of comfort,” said Ahmed El-Kouri, a Palestinian expatriate and father of three.

Despite the comparisons, Abu Dhabi has not established itself as a direct rival to Orlando. It aims to become something more. The Emirates sees theme parks as part of a larger portfolio of attractions, along with cultural landmarks, luxury hotels, pristine beaches and desert adventures.

Sadiyat Island, a 15-minute drive from Yas Island’s drive, is home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, the franchised former post base of the famous Paris Museum, which welcomed 1.4 million visitors last year and attracted 84% from overseas. Both Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum are under construction, adding to the cultural district that will become one of the region’s most concentrated art and heritage hubs.

“The unique appeal of Abu Dhabi is the diversity of our tourist offerings,” added Al Gezily. “For those seeking thrill, there are record roller coasters and dune bashing in the desert. Historic places like culture lovers, Al Ain Oasis, and historic places like Sadiyat Museum.

“Can we start our day under the iconic rain rain dome of the Louvre and end it in the immersive, story-driven world of Warner Bros. or Ferrari’s world?”

Still, not everyone is sure Disney’s expansion into the Middle East is a sure bet.

“We saw a share of a false start in the region,” says Dennis Spegel, founder of International Theme Park Services Consultant. “Some of them struggled with profitability in the first decade.”

Spiegel believes Abu Dhabi is different. “Disney has made a wise choice. Infrastructure, safety and existing leisure development create an ideal entry point,” he told CNN earlier this year. “It’s a much more controlled and calculated movement.”

Under the 2030 Tourism Strategy, Abu Dhabi aims to increase annual visitors to more than 39 million by the end of the decade from 24 million in 2023. Disneyland could be the highlight and outperform these targets. The city’s population has already increased from 2.7 million in 2014 to over 4.1 million today. This reflects the rise in profile as a regional hub.

On Yas Island alone, it has been changing over a decade, from largely undeveloped sand stretches to destinations for golf courses, marinas, malls, more than 160 restaurants and self-contained resorts with clusters of high-end hotels.

Orlando’s head start remains horrible. It still offers multiple Disney and universal parks, decades of brand loyalty and infrastructure built to handle tens of millions of tourists each year.

But Abu Dhabi is catching up quickly. The combination of frictionless travel, year-round comfort, cutting-edge attractions and cultural scenes that add depth to the experience could give Abu Dhabi a unique selling point and provide a model for the next generation of theme park capital.

Natasha Chen and Liam Reilly of CNN contributed to this report.