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Vigils Held Across Britain for MP Jo Cox; Former Labour Leader Ed Miliband Remembers Jo Cox; Beginning to Bury the Victims in Orlando; Donald Trump Versus the GOP; Victory for Iraqi Forces As They Retake Major Parts of Fallujah; Russia Unhappy with Competition Ban for Athletes. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 18, 2016 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:12] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Vigils are held across Britain in memory of slain Parliament Member Jo Cox, while her suspected killer is expected to appear in court in the coming hours charged with murder.

Beginning to bury the victims of the Orlando massacre as investigators continue to dig into the shooter's past.

And a big victory for Iraqi forces as they raise their flag in Fallujah, after re-taking major parts of the city from ISIS.

We want to welcome our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. These stories are all ahead of here at this hour, I'm Natalie Allen, live in Atlanta.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Frederik Pleitgen. And this is "CNN NEWSROOM".

Good morning everyone, I'm Frederik Pleitgen again, here in the town of Birstall near Leeds in England and it's certainly is very much a town in the morning. If you want to set the scene for you early today with 7:00 a.m. local time here in England right now.

We've been here for about two hours. And keep in mind, it's very early on a Saturday morning. And yet behind me, you see this makeshift memorial that was put in place after the killing of Jo Cox. And even in this very early or morning hours, we've seen dozens of people come here to lay flowers to simply stand in front of the memorial remember Jo Cox.

We've seen people shaking their head in disbelief. We've seen people show up here with their children. That's how much this community has been moved by this tragic event. This country has been moved by this tragic event. And, of course, this is also something that is having a major effect around this continent in Europe as well.

As we've seen Britain moved towards the vote that it's going to hold on Brexit, a very important time right now here in this country also one that was lased with fierce political rhetoric, rhetoric that has now fallen silent as many of the politicians here in this country have come together to remember Jo Cox. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, UK PRIME MINISTER: If we truly want to honor Jo, then what we should do is recognize that her values, service, community, tolerance, the values she lived by and worked by, those are the values that we need to redouble in our national life in the months and in the years to come.

JEREMY CORBYN, LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Jo was an exceptional, wonderful very talented woman taken from us in her early 40s when she had so much to give and so much of her life ahead of her. It's a tragedy beyond tragedy what has happened yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: You see there David Cameron, the Prime Minister of this country as well as Labour Leader and Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn who are here yesterday and to lay flowers and remember Jo Cox. And one of the interesting things that both of these politicians said as they called the murder of Jo Cox an attack on democracy here in this country.

They both said, it's very important for the democracy here in this country that political leaders are in their consistencies, that they're for the people, that they are among the people and also that they are safe among those people.

But again, with this comes at a time that England is of course in this very important political time. As it talks about Brexit, as we've seen a lot of vitriolic rhetoric on both sides of the equation. That is something that has now absolutely fallen silent. Our own Will Ripley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A divided nation, united in grief. The fierce debate over Britain's future on hold. Now is not the time for politics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tragic, a young woman fought for a better world.

RIPLEY: Crowds gathered in Parliament Square to honor the life of Jo Cox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just tragedy for somebody who seems to have come into politics for all the right reasons to die like this.

RIPLEY: The married mother of two, only 41, served in the House of Commons just 13 months. Long enough for Former Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband to say she already made an impact.

ED MILIBAND, BRITAIN PARLIAMENT MINISTER: She was so clear for the right reasons, she was an aide worker, she was somebody who devoted herself to humanitarian causes, somebody had worked around the world and she came to parliament to further those causes. RIPLEY: Like most in her opposition party, Cox was working hard to convince voters that Britain should stay in the European Union. She was also a champion for the immigrant community, remarkably better debate. Even in this country where more than half of MP say they have been stalked or harassed.

Despite the threats, Cox continued the British tradition of meeting her constituents face to face, which allowed her suspected killer to get close to her.

[02:05:05] MILIBAND: I think it's a moment of reflection for all of us on the tone of our politics. And I think in a way we should be inspired by Jo's life.

RIPLEY: Even Nigel Farage, one of the loudest voices supporting the Brexit was here to pay his respects, joining so many others beneath the majestic powers of Westminster, MPs from both sides of the U.K. debate have been recalled and are expected to gather here Monday to honor a life and career brutally cut short.

Will Ripley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And of course at the same time, all of this is having a major effect on this community here of Birstall. But generally, also in the greater leads area as well.

People here are absolutely shocked of course even noting over the past couple of days that violence like this is something that's extremely rare here in this country, especially gun violence is something that's extremely there albeit against politicians as well.

The folks here are absolutely shocked about what happened on Thursday. Richard Quest spoke to some of the people who came here to mourn the death of Jo Cox.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The home of the community in Birstall was shocked by what has happened. Jo Cox was a very, very well respected MP. She has supported our local communities in Birstall battling then. She was just such a lovely person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she was far more worldly wise and cared a lot more about her local people, which is why she was MP in her hometown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She spoke to my mother when she was out campaigning last year and she spent time listening in and talking to her. And she gave my mother a big hug. And that really connected with me.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND REPORTER: And your mother never forgot?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mother never forgot. My mom was out here yesterday we both walked into the vigil that was here last night.

QUEST: How was that vigil last night?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we had members from all everywhere from the community, from every member of the community. We had Muslim people or Christians, with everyone.

And it was really good in a way that we all had a chance to reflect about Jo and we all had a chance to think about her. And it was -- it's quite emotional.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: So, as you can see that this is someone who is very much being remembered by this community. Someone where the people here are saying they want to remember her as the person that she was, as the mother of two children.

Her husband, Brendan also put forward a statement where he was talking about the pain that the family feels. How they're moving into a new part of their life, one that's less full of joy, more full of hardship and of course also what this means for their two children.

Now, Jo Cox is someone who was a very vibrant politician here on the local level, but also someone who was very active international, part of Oxfam, working for Oxfam, working to help people in Darfur, working to help refugees, working to try and ease the plight of Syrians in that ongoing civil war as well.

That's might be one of the reasons why even the U.S. president has gotten involved, he called Jo Cox's husband to pay his respects, to offer his condolences on the part of the United States.

Now, Jo Cox was a member of the Labour Party and its former leader, Ed Miliband spoke to our own Will Ripley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED MILIBAND, FORMER LABOUR PARTY LEADER: As a leader of the Labour Party, I've got to be also our candidates, all of our candidates and she stood out as somebody of exceptional ability, exceptional warmth, exceptional loyalty. And, you know, she had this unique combination of passion for her causes but a gentleness and a warmth. And then a terrible most of all for her family and for her husband, Brendan and for her two small kids.

RIPLEY: 650 MPs with their offices behind you were added. Why did she stand out? Why was she this rising star?

MILIBAND: Well, I think because of her passion. Because it was so clear, it's true -- I think all of my colleagues. But, she was so clear for the right reasons, she was an aide worker, she was somebody who devoted herself to humanitarian causes, somebody who'd worked around the world and she came to parliament to further those courses.

And then she combined this passion, this fearlessness with a friendliness, a warmth, a gentleness and that was Jo and that was the unique combination and her love of life. And that's what it seems to -- somebody said to me last night, how can something so bad happen to something -- somebody so good, and that's what I feel.

RIPLEY: And the fact that she was doing her job on the ground, listening to the concerns of her constituents, given the vitriol and the hate that is often spewed on the social media. A lot of times, public figures such as yourself, other MPs that, you know, might even be desensitized to these threats. Will there be changes in securities as a result to this?

MILIBAND: One of the things that we value on Britain, a law is the accessibility there are constituents have to us. And we're not going to have armed guards, the 650 MPs and nor should we.

And, you know, lot -- this is what being in a democracy is, it's being able to contact and have contact with your constituents.

[02:10:06] Now, of course, you've got to look at any implications that there are and the police now as all want to look at that. But I think that accessibility, that ability to go back your business and meet people and not being protected in a bubble. I think that's really an important part of who we are.

RIPLEY: Is it the referendum? Is it -- are the tensions higher than you can recall? How does this compare as a lawmaker in this country? And that do you feel that that may have played a role in provoking somebody who had obviously many other problems as well to act in such a way?

MILIBAND: Well, I'm not going to trample myself in the mind of the killer. And I don't think we can actually. I'll think we'll found out in the days, weeks, months ahead what motivated that person.

I think it's a moment of reflection for all of us on the tone of our politics. And I think in a way, we should be inspired by Jo's life. This is not about her death, it's about her life and the way she conducted her politics which was to disagree without being disagreeable to engage with people. And, you know, there are lessons in that for all of us.

RIPLEY: To think about something like that to have just happened. It's just ...

MILIBAND: Yeah. It's a terrible and tragic and shocking event. And, you know, I just think about the fact that she left home yesterday morning to go about her business and was cruelly murdered. And that's a really terrible, terrible thing, most of all for her family.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: Our own Will Ripley there with Ed Miliband. And you know, covering a story like this for us, it's very important first and foremost focus on the victim, to focus on a Jo Cox, to focus on her life, what made her so special. And also, what her legacy is going to be. But at the same time, of course we also have to speak about the suspected killer and what his motivations may have been because it is such an important case, not just for this country but indeed for the whole of the continent, with the Brexit vote coming very soon enough.

A police say that Thomas Mair has been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a fire arm with intent to commit an indictable offense. That's the legal part of all of this. But, of course at the same time, the authorities are also looking at the motivations, what might have driven him to do all this. We had a look at that as well.

Britain remains in a state of shock and outrage after the violent murder of Parliamentarian Jo Cox. And now, details about the suspect to have emerged. 52-year-old Thomas Mair is in police custody. British media reports, he lives alone in this house near Leeds, his neighbor shocked at the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANA PETERS, SUSPECT'S NEIGHBOR: This is totally unexpected. He was very mild mannered, kept himself to himself and would never, I would have thought, I've even thought have been of doing that never mind actually doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Labour MP Jo Cox devoted a lot of energy, fighting to help refugees and people affected by conflicts around the world. Leading to the question, could racism have been a possible motive in her killing.

Thomas Mair appears to have showed interest in white supremacy in the past, purchasing material from the American white supremacist group, the "National Alliance" as late as 2013 according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and also subscribing to a South-African pro apartheid groups magazine in the 1980's.

There are also question about Mair's mental health. His brother Scott Mair reportedly telling, "The Sun" newspaper that he had, "A history of mental illness, but has had help. And further, we are struggling to believe what has happened. My brother is not a violent man and is not that political."

According to English media reports, Mair received treatment at this mental health clinic outside Leeds. The clinic staff would not confirm the reports. Mair also volunteered as a gardener at this park.

Local staff here have confirmed to us that Thomas Mair volunteered here as a gardener looking in 2010 and in 2011. They describe him presence here as sporadic. Now, in a local newspaper, he was quoted as saying that volunteering as a gardener here had done a lot to help with his apparent mental issues.

As this complex investigation into the murder of Jo Cox and the possible motives for the killing continue to captivate a nation in disbelief and mourning.

And it is certainly something that this nation is going to continue to look at as it tries to find out why Jo Cox was killed. But at the same time, of course, Natalie, as we've been pointing out, it is important to reflect on her life.

And one of the things that her husband, Brendan also said, he said that it would have been her wish that this country, Great Britain, and also the rest of Europe, and we're looking at this case would draw the lesson that the most important thing after all this is to combat hatred and for the people here to come together and really have a civilized political conversation in the future, Natalie.

[02:15:09] ALLEN: She certainly represented all of that in her life for sure. She was a servant to the people in so many ways. Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much, we'll see you a bit later in this news cast.

And coming up here, new evidence suggesting the Orlando shooter may have prepared for the attack weeks in advanced. What he was up to. We'll share that story ahead.

Plus, in the wake of the massacre, Donald Trump stands firmly behind the Second Amendment as he works to close the chasm in his party.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: I'm Richard Quest, and these are the top business headlines.

Campaigning ahead of Britain's EU referendum will resume over the weekend. But the leagues under remain campaigns have suspended activities following the killing of Jo Cox on Thursday.

Speaking here in Birstall where Cox was murdered, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron urged the country to pause and reflect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMERON: Today, our nation is rightly shocked. And I think it is a moment to stand back and think about some of the things that are so important about our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Russia's track and field teams are likely to be banned from this summer's Olympics in Rio. The IAAF has extended their ban against Russia, over claims that Moscow is not been enough to stop doping. A decision to ban Russian athletes from the Rio games will be confirmed as soon as Tuesday.

To all street west stocks ended the week on a rocky note, and down. The DOW Jones industrial lost nearly 58 points in part of a concerns about next week's U.K. referendum on the EU.

An instructional property board has ruled Apple's violated designed patents held by a Chinese company for the iPhone 6. The company was ordered to stop selling the phones in Beijing. Apple says it want a stay border, pending an appeal. Those are the headlines. I'm Richard Quest, in Birstall, England.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Welcome back to "CNN NEWSROOM". Mourners are saying their final good-bye to some of the victims of the Orlando massacre.

As they are buried, people from around the world are digging into their pockets to help. A "Go Fund Me" page has already raised over $5 million. That money will be used to help pay for things like funeral arrangements, hospital bills and the transportation of bodies overseas.

In the meantime, law enforcement officials tell CNN the Orlando gunman's behavior in the week's prior to the nightclub's massacres suggest premeditated murder.

[02:20:11] Pamela Brown has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Law enforcement forces say weeks before the attack, Omar Mateen make sure his wife had access to his bank account and added her name to important documents like his life insurance policy.

He also bought his wife an expensive piece of jewelry. In the middle of the three-hour massacre on Sunday, Mateen and his wife Noor Salman exchanged texts after he asked her if she had seen what was happening.

Salman also called her husband multiple times after the news broke of the shooting. She has told investigator, she didn't not know his specific plans but was suspicious he wanted to launch an attack. And tonight, we're getting a clear picture of the gunman's past. He had a long history of disciplinary problems at school, 48 days of suspension, some for fighting.

Today, the FBI digging for more people who may have known the gunman, visiting the mosque where he prayed. And this afternoon, FBI Director James Comey toward the crime scene.

Meanwhile, CNN is learning new details about what happened inside the club.

OMAR DELGADO, POLICE OFFICER: We pulled like, you know, three or four people out, with all the chaos, I couldn't see faces, you know. And if the few faces that I saw were just covered in blood.

BROWN: Officer Omar Delgado was one of the first officers to arrive.

DELGADO: People phones were ringing all over the place. And to this decade, here an iPhone ring because mom was so close to me, because it just kept constantly ringing, it constantly ringing. And when I got home, I realized how those people are never going to be able to answer their phone again. BROWN: Later, Officer Delgado recognized one of the people he saved on T.V.

ANGEL COLON, SURVIVER: I'm meeting up in some cops, which I wish I can remember his face or his name, because I'm -- so to say, I'm grateful for him.

BROWN: The two were reunited in the hospital Thursday.

DELGADO: I'm one of the one's that helped you get out of harm's way. And I need a big hug from you men, that's just sort of -- so glad you're doing good. So glad you're alive, man.

BROWN: In the midst of the chaos, there were hundreds of calls to 911.

CHIEF RODERICK WILLIAMS, ORLANDO FIRE DPT.: We had a fire station less than 100 mills away from to actual incident. Not only did we get 911 calls, we had actual victims run into the fire station, knocking on the doors, trying to gain access to the fire station.

Our personnel was just there in 30 minutes prior for medical calls. They heard what you called some noises, bang, bang, bang, then it begin heard the knocks from peoples trying to get away from the actual gunmen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: The attack has once again brought the gun debate into the spotlight, while Donald Trump is rallying support behind the Second Amendment. Fellow Republicans are not fully rallying around him. Here is Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'm going to save your Second Amendment folks. I'm going to save your Second Amendment.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump in search of a life line trying to rally Republicans behind his full throttled support of the Second Amendment.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Trump ally, telling CNN's Pamela Brown, the Orlando shooting calls for a different conversation.

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: The Second Amendment has been around for over 200 years. It didn't -- yeah, it's not what killed in his people. This -- have a conversation about how we destroy ISIS.

ZELENY: The Orlando massacre is thrusting the gun debate to the front of the political agenda.

A new gallop poll fine 79 percent of Republicans say the night club shooting was an act of Islamic terrorism, while 60 percent of Democrats interpret it as domestic gun violence.

With the Republicans increasingly divided over his candidacy, Trump helps guns while galvanize his support inside the GOP and beyond.

TRUMP: And Hillary wants to abolish the Second Amendment, remember that.

ZELENY: But Hillary Clinton has never said that. She does say she wants new and stronger gun laws but that's far from abolishing the Second Amendment.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These are demonstrably lies but he feels compelled to tell them because he has to distract us from the fact he has nothing substantive to say.

ZELENY: But what he is saying is riling up Republicans. On NBC's "Meet the Press", House Speaker Paul Ryan offering a permission slip for Republicans to vote their conscience, for or against Trump.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), HOUSE SPEAKER: Now, the last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience. Of course, I wouldn't do that.

ZELENY: Ryan is not rescinding his endorsement, but that doesn't mean he likes what Trump is doing to the party.

RYAN: He's a very unique nominee. But, I feel, as a responsibility, institutionally as the speaker of the house that I should not be believing some chasm in the middle of our party.

ZELENY: Yet, the chasm among Republicans is widening. Several top Republicans are looking beyond Trump in hopes of salvaging the party senate majority.

Former President George W. Bush, who has said, he will not support Trump, he is campaigning for vulnerable Republican senate candidates across the country.

[02:25:08] But some Republicans are focusing on Trump, exploring last- ditch efforts to block his nomination at next month's convention in Cleveland.

CNN has learned the plan is underway to push some delegates to break their allegiance to Trump. One organizer is New Jersey Republican and former Cruz supporter, Steve Lonegan who told CNN, "These delegates have a moral obligation to nominate a candidate who best represents the values of the Republican Party. Right now, Donald Trump is taking the party into a catastrophic loss."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: Now RNC Chairman, Reince Priebus is reaching out to state GOP leaders to see how serious these block Trump talks really are. But with only 31 days before the Republican Convention in Cleveland, prospects for hijacking his nomination are minimal, not only are they running out of time, it's also a lack of an alternative to Trump that has thwarted this effort all along.

As for Trump, he released a statement saying any move to block him would be totally illegal and a rebuke to the 14 million people who voted for him in the primaries. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Our other top story, we'll continue with in just a moment. British leaders are and ordinary citizens are paying tribute Jo Cox. The slain politician is being remembered as someone who devoted her life to helping others. And we'll have more about that at the moment.

Plus, Iraq claims it has struck a major blow against ISIS. We'll have the latest from Fallujah when we come back here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:10] ALLEN: And welcome back to our viewers here in United States and around the world. You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM", I'm Natalie Allen. And we'll be getting to Fred Pleitgen there in England in just a moment.

Let's go to our top stories, mourners are paying their final respects to some of the victims of the Orlando massacre. More funerals were held on Friday including this one for 25-year old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla. 49 people were killed by a gunman who claimed to support ISIS but authorities are investigating he had other motives as well.

In Iraq, the Prime Minister says, government troops have seized Fallujah's city center from ISIS. In a public address on Friday, he said, pockets of resistance remain in the city but will be cleared in the coming hours. The operation to retake Fallujah began last month.

Europe's governing football body is responding once again to unruly fans at the Euro 2016 championship. During the Croatia Czech Republic Match on Friday, fans threw flares onto the field. Uefa says disciplinary proceedings will be open for that incident.

It is now unlikely that Russia's track and field team will compete at the Rio Olympics. The governing body for world athletics is maintaining a competition ban saying Russia has not sufficiently dealt with widespread doping. The International Olympic Committee is expected to decide on Tuesday whether to uphold that ban.

PLEITGEN: Welcome back, everybody. I'm Fred Pleitgen here in Birstall, England, where we are of course right in front of the memorial for slain politician Jo Cox. And her shocking killing has suspended all the official campaigning around the Brexit vote. That is of course set to take place here in this country, the in just the next five days.

Both of the remain and relief (ph) campaign have decided to stop campaigning at this point in time. That's how much all of this has shocked this nation. At the same time, of course that this nation is also looking towards the suspected killer as well. Thomas Mair, he faces charges of murder and also others as well. He is due in Westminster Magistrates' Court later on this day on Saturday. Police are also looking at whether he has links to right wing extremism and also there are questions about his mental health as well. But first and foremost, of course at this point in time, for this nation, it's all about remembering Jo Cox. There was a memorial service for her here in this town of Birstall just yesterday. Top level politicians from this country attended including the Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn as well as the speaker of parliament all star. Our own Nic Robertson was there and he reports on what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIOANL CORRESPONDENT: They came, young and old to say their good-byes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never trusted politicians until I spoke ti Jo, and she changed my mind. That is all I had with her and before the election and she just changed my mind that people can work for the good of mankind. Very sad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live around here and I just think it's such a cruel act and say full of hate that it's just, you know, that it is disgusting, really.

ROBERTSON: A town in mourning joined by the nation's leaders. Together, they paused in silence.

CAMERON: If we truly want to honor Jo, then what we should do is recognize that her values, service, community, tolerance, the values she lived by and worked by, those are the values that we need to redouble in our national life in the months and in the years to come.

CORBYN: She was taken from us in an act of hatred. In a vile act that has killed her. It's an attack on democracy, what happened yesterday. It's the will of hatred that killed her.

ROBERTSON: Jo Cox was 41. She had been in her job just over a year. But such is the love that this usually quiet West Yorkshire town is burying its heart, and it's painful. Doubling so, knowing that the alleged killer lived among them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if you're a part of this community then you should know better, really, and there is no excuse for it. That's all.

ROBERTSON: With each well wisher, more flowers left at the statue overlooking where she was murdered. Every message here so heartfelt, read this here, Jo was a great friend to Batley high school. Jo cox will be deeply missed by us all. And then this card here, so touching. We will miss you and your smile and your kindness.

[02:35:07] It is a hurt some fear they may never lose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think so, you know, how can it? Yeah, someone has lost a life, murdered her.

ROBERTSON: Birstall, a town, a community. Forever changed.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Birstall, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And of course you can see the people here absolutely grief stricken and heartbroken. We can really feel how deeply it has hurt all the folks here. And Natalie we have been standing here since 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. And there is been a steady stream the -- of people coming here and to this makeshift memorial. Many of them are pausing. Many of them taking a moment shaking their heads, of course of utter disbelief at what happened here on Thursday, Natalie.

ALLEN: And absolutely. You know when the person that really got to me in Nic's story there was the woman who said I never trusted politicians until I spoke with Jo. Certainly illustrates how much she cared for people, Fred.

PLEITGEN: Yeah, it certainly does. It's one of the interesting things when you hear higher level English politicians talk about it, including Prime Minister David Cameron, who said look, she was a rising star in the Labour Party. She was a rising star in English politics because she did listen to the people, who conducted events like this one, where people could speak to her. It was the voice of the people. At the same time of course, throughout her life even before entering politics, showed empathy for the weakest. Not just in the society here in England but indeed around the world. Working for Oxfam, fighting for people of Darfur, fighting for the people of Syria, fighting for more help for refugees that from around the world. Of course, it's an important debate in Europe right now.

And she was someone where humanity really was the first. And that's one -- so one of the reasons why the people here are grieving so much. Why they're so absolutely heartbreaking at this loss.

RICHARDSON: And so they are coming to lay flowers and candles. Leaving, writing messages to her as well. One says, we are not Romanly Torey (ph) later or leave them tonight. We are Briton with the belief in parliament and democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we have a suspect. You sure look (inaudible) because you don't expect it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Poor girl. For the first time in many, many years we actually had an MP who was interested in Birstall and interested in us. And interested in this and interested in the people and the businesses here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually got to know her really well. And she was one of those people that whoever she met, she embraced them with open arms. And people who that got since warm to her, and she had these memories of her own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, everybody is stunned. Jo is such a lovely, bubbly person that we'll going to miss her part in this community.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:41:28] ALLEN: You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM". Iraq says it has retaken the center of Fallujah from ISIS. Iraqi forces backed by air support and Shiite militias launched in offense on the city last month. The U.S. Defense Secretary said on Friday Iraq controlled part of Fallujah but it was too early to say all of it was taken. Iraq, the federal police said they raised the national flag over the mayor's office on Friday. And there it goes.

Fallujah is in Anbar province just west of Baghdad and has been under ISIS control since 2014. Anbar's governor tweeted on Friday the city was liberated and ISIS was rapidly collapsing. Here's more now from CNN's Arwa Damon

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi the coming out and congratulating the country and the Iraqi security forces for fulfilling their promise of returning Fallujah to the people. He did, however, say they were facing pockets of ISIS resistance but that the Iraqi security forces had managed to plant the country's flag in the municipal building and that they were largely in control of the city.

Now in the past we have seen in previous battles these pockets of resistance taking quite sometime to clear out. With this has meant is that tens of thousands of civilians so far have been able to flee. Some of them reporting to various different humanitarian organizations that they witnessed the ISIS fighters abandoning their positions at some checkpoints, word spreading fairly quickly throughout these areas. And then people started walking with whatever it is that they could carry with a city that that had been under siege for quite sometime now with various reports of water, electricity, shortages, food and very critical low supplies, medicine, very difficult to access.

A lot of those fleeing ended up having to walk for hours to be able to reach the various different refugee camps. Iraq's Prime Minister bowing that the next phase of the battle would be the offensive against Mosul and that the Iraqi security forces would not stop until the entire country had been cleared of ISIS. But despite the fact that at this stage, yes, the nation that they have made significant gains against the terrorist organization in at least Fallujah the battle there not yet over, and it most definitely is not for the rest of the country.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

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ALLEN: Arwa, meant in many civilians trying to stay alive amid all of this fighting in Fallujah. Human Rights Watch recently reported that people there had suffered abuse not just from ISIS but also government-backed troops. The group says they have credible reports that the military committed summary executions, beatings and disappearances. Our Ben Wedeman has more on Fallujah's refugees and their fears for their loved ones. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A scant shelter from the heat and dust in this godforsaken patch of Iraq desert. Thousands who fled Fallujah wait in this camp while the battle rages moves by. And as they wait, many worry for their sons and husbands and fathers detained by the Iraqi forces.

They took our boys and we don't know their fates above (inaudible) tells me. They say they're East of Fallujah, West Fallujah, missing, we don't know.

[02:45:02] Moments later as a man shows us the scars where his wrists were bound and official from the Prime Minister's office intervenes.

Tell me what happened, he says, they tortured me, and my son is missing, says this man. The official insists if there was abuse they should provide details. We have laws to punish those who abuse citizens, he tells me. A woman begs for news of her sons, a kiss and kind words can't console her. 12 days, 12 days they've been missing, she cries. Every family here it seems is missing someone.

Provincial official tells us that so far 4,000 men from Fallujah and the villages around it have been interrogated and cleared by intelligence. But he says another 1000 remain in detention because they believe they're either ISIS sympathizers or members of the extremism group.

Rough as it is here, Muntaha al-Ahamed (ph) tells me it's better than Fallujah under ISIS. We had no bread for three months, she recalls. She kept everything for themselves while our children went hungry, 10 year old Misick (ph) hopes to go back to school soon. Education under ISIS, she says, was merely instructions on how to be a good Muslim. But what kind of Muslims are they, cutting people's throats, she asked. A child's words to ponder in this wilderness.

Ben Wedeman CNN, outside Fallujah.

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ALLEN: With some Russian athlete's dreams of performing in the summers Olympic in Rio may be over. We'll explain that coming next.

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(WORLD SPORTS)

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[02:50:48] ALLEN: Russia says the competition ban on many of its athletes is unfair and extremely disappointing. It is now unlikely the Russian track and field team will compete at the Rio Olympics. The governing body of world athletics that you see here is maintaining the ban. It says Russia has not sufficiently dealt with widespread state-sponsored doping. Russia denies the allegations. The international Olympic Committee is affected to decide Tuesday whether to uphold the ban. Earlier our Amanda Davies from CNN World Sports spoke with the president of the world athletics governing body and he explained why the ban was extended.

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SEBASTIAN COE, PRESIDENT INTL. ASSOC. OF ATHLETICS FEDERATIONS: It is very important and you know -- you would be surprised if I said anything other than this. That you know somebody who had competed internationally for many years, my sympathies will always be with athletes. But we have to deal with this issue. We have to deal with this issue. And we have to make sure that the generations to come, the athletes are competing, the public have confidence in what they're watching. And that we have athletes in safe and secure systems. And the message that we put out today absolutely I think underpins that.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Given what Russia has said and the IOC meeting next week, how concerned are you that there might be some comeback from this, that your decision ...

COE: Well, look, you know, there is always the court of arbitration. You know, some athletes may choose to do that and they may be supported in that. The eligibility of an athlete compete internationally resides with the International Athletics Federation. And that is clear and understood.

DAVIES: And if the Russian athletics take the action of the whole, how concerned would you be?

COE: Well, that actually is -- that is a potential, and we will deal with that, but the decision that was made today was a unanimous decision, and I think it was in the best interest of the sport.

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ALLEN: Well, at the Euro 2016 Football Championship, Europe's football governing body says it is considering disciplinary action over Friday's match between Croatia and the Czech Republic. Fans threw flares on the field, temporarily stopping the match. Clashes among fans also broke out. The Croatian coach says the fans responsible or as he called them "sports terrorists", the championship has been overshadowed by fan violence, including a bloody weekend in Marseille.

Quite bad there.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No, looking good.

ALLEN: It was all this excitement over Euro 2016, and this is what we're having to report about.

VAN DAM: I can't believe they do it.

ALLEN: I know.

VAN DAM: You know, you think you'd go there to enjoy a game, and then all of a sudden, there's that. ALLEN: Derek is here because he's got a wildfire in Southern California, suddenly has taken off.

VAN DAM: This has tripled in size, it's known as the Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County, just outside of Los Angeles. We want to show you some of this footage of this raging inferno. Again, it has tripled in size and firefighters are reporting fire tornadoes within this fire, and it's all thanks to this rising temperatures and sort of sporadic winds that out there.

There are mandatory evacuations taking place in some of the canyons regions north of Santa Barbara. This particular area has not seen this large of a fire since 1955. You can see some of the firefighters trying to battle the blaze.

And you know what else they used to combat this blaze? DC-10 air tankers putting down fire retardant to try and control the blaze. And this is just one of the images coming out of that region, trying to keep the fire at bay.

Now this is a look at the forecast for today, in Santa Barbara County. You can see temperatures will rise to the middle 70s this afternoon, being Saturday in the West Coast of the United States. But notice the relative humidity, extremely dry, and the winds fairly brisk coming out of a northerly direction.

Now this has been a very active firefighting season so far. And to put it into perspective compared to the last three years you can see the amount of acres that have burnt in 2013 all the way to 2015.

[02:55:07] And then compare that so far to date, to 2016, we've already had across the Western United State, 1.8 Million acres of burned vegetation. And those are a lot of wildfires that are still threatening that area at the moment. Remember, California is still under an extreme drought.

Now we have very high levels of heat building all thanks to a ridge that's going to allow for temperatures to soar between 15 to 25 degrees above where they should be this time of year. Excessive heat warning stretching from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and into the Phoenix, Arizona region, and that's where I'm going to focus our attention because you've got to see this.

We're talking about a very rare event. By Sunday, temperatures are forecasted to spike to 120 degrees. This is in Phoenix, Arizona. Look at this. That has only happened three times in history. So this is an extremely rare event, a one in 40-year event, that's what they're calling it.

And that temperature, well, that is enough to really make you think. Excessive heat warning is in effect. Never leave your kids or pets unattended in cars. You want to drink more water than usual, avoid things like sugar and caffeine, and definitely find shade whenever possible. That extreme heat is going to be felt all across the southwest right through Tuesday of next week.

ALLEN: I'll never complain about the humidity at Atlanta again.

VAN DAM: That's true.

ALLEN: Yes, I will.

VAN DAM: Let's not.

ALLEN: OK, you're right. Thanks, Derek, and thank you for joining us. I'm Natalie Allen. George Howell joins me with Fred Pleitgen after the break with another hour of news from around the world. See you in a minute.

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