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Rebels Reject Ethiopian Government Ceasefire Offer; 12 People Confirmed Dead, 149 Still Unaccounted For; North Korean Officals Fired After "Grave" COVID Incident. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired June 30, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause. Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM. Indonesia is now in the grip of the Delta variant nightmare. New records almost daily for infections, oxygen in short supply, hospitals maxed out, patients turned away. The Red Cross warns the country is teetering on the edge of catastrophe.

In war-torn Ethiopia, what seems to be a one sided ceasefire, rebels in Tigray vow to continue the fight after Ethiopian government forces withdraw from the regional capital. And the slow, heartbreaking search for survivors and answers in the debris and rubble of a collapsed condo high-rise in Florida.

It seems eight long months of brutal fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region is set to continue after rebel forces rejected a unilateral ceasefire declared by the federal government Monday. There were celebrations in the streets of the regional capital, Mekelle, after Ethiopian and Eritrean troops unexpectedly and suddenly withdrew. Spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front called the ceasefire a joke, so the fighting will not stop until the federal military and its allies leave the region.

Getting information from the region is difficult because the telephone and internet services, which are down, but CNN has been able to obtain and share new evidence of a January massacre and the U.S. is now calling for a U.N. Security Council meeting over that crisis. Nima Elbagir has the details.

NIMA ELBAGIR, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is growing global concern over the situation in Ethiopia's Tigray region, as the day's long communications blackout obscures the region -- obscures the reality on the ground from the eyes of the world. This comes after Tigrayan forces forced the withdrawal of Ethiopian government forces from the regional capital of Mekelle. The European governments subsequently announced a ceasefire.

But now the United Nations has said that escalating fighting on the ground is hampering aid efforts in a region that cannot afford any more hunger. The Tigrayan forces rejected the unilateral ceasefire, but it's hard to really get a sense of what is happening because of that communications blackout. The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Friday to discuss Ethiopia as part of a request put forward by the U.S.'s ambassador to the United Nation, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, supported by Ireland and the United Kingdom.

There was jubilation on the streets of Mekelle when the Tigrayan forces first came in, but now many in the Diaspora around the world are reaching out to us to say that they are very worried about what might be happening to their families and loved ones inside the region. And for now, nobody really can say for certain that. Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.

VAUSE: Here's some key events which led up to Ethiopia's crisis in Tigray when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018. He started peace negotiations with neighboring Eritrea that won a Nobel Peace Prize, but outraged the opposition in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region who continue to view Eritrea as an enemy. In September last year, Tigray held a regional election, which they called illegal after the federal government postponed national elections due to COVID.

Then in November, Abiy ordered a military offensive into Tigray with support from Eritrean soldiers. It was largely seen as an effort to oust the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front. That began an eight-month long civil war that has killed thousands, forced millions to flee with many on the brink of famine. The Ethiopian military had control much of Tigray since last November before Tigrayan troops retook the regional capital in recent days and a ceasefire was declared.

Almost a year and a half into this global pandemic, the Coronavirus case numbers continue to surge around the world, many due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, which is moving faster than the rate of vaccinations. We're seeing the virus ravage Latin America as well as Africa. Cases on the rise from Russia with its record deaths to Australia, but much of the country is under lockdown. And Indonesia now struggling with shortages of oxygen.

Just minutes ago, the Indian Medical Association announced that almost 800 doctors have been killed in India's brutal second wave of the virus. India has recorded nearly 400,000 COVID deaths so far.

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Europe is still seeing outbreaks or cases are falling in most of its countries. France is set to ease more COVID restrictions in the coming hours with most indoor businesses going back to full capacity. Meantime, mixed messages from the CDC and the W.H.O. on whether vaccinated people should wear masks having been causing some confusion. Here's CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

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SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really depends that, you know, in some ways, if you're vaccinated or unvaccinated in terms of your overall risk. So if you are vaccinated, the idea is that you're far less likely to become sick, far less likely to be hospitalized or die. The reason you're hearing about masking coming back is basically still to try and slow down the spread of what is clearly a more transmissible variant, the Delta variant.

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VAUSE: Well, Russia was the first in the world to approve a COVID vaccine. That was in record time last year, but vaccination rates there remain low, only around 11 percent. And it reports its worse COVID death numbers so far, that has the Kremlin issuing some strict new guidelines. And for more on that, here's CNN's Matthew Chance.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russia is of course witnessing a powerful third wave of Coronavirus infections with daily death rates across the country reaching record highs. More than 650 people dying of COVID over the past 24 hours according to official figures. Russia is, of course, the country that was the first to register a COVID vaccine for public use back in August last year. Recent data from the manufacturers about the efficacy of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, indicates that it's less effective against the new Delta variants of the virus which was first identified in India.

But the bigger problem is that vaccination rates among skeptical Russians have been stubbornly low, just 11 percent or so of the population have had a jab so far, fueling that worrying increase in infections now running at highest levels since the pandemic began. With the low rates of vaccination, they have now forced the Russian government to introduce strict new guidelines, making vaccination mandatory for some categories of workers. Anyone, for instance, in public facing jobs like hospitality or transport, or catering have been told they must be vaccinated by the middle of July.

Vaccination, the Kremlin insists, is still voluntary in Russia. But Russians who refuse the jab may now lose their jobs. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

VAUSE: A new COVID outbreak around Sydney has grown to more than 160 cases. Australia's largest city is under a two-week lockdown to try and slow the spread. Angus Watson is live in Sydney with the very latest. So the Australians are not known for following rules and regulations and guidelines. So how's the lockdown working out so far?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: I think it's going well, John. People are very respectful of the rules. They know that this is the way to keep community transmission down. And at least here in Sydney, what we can see as we travel around town is that the streets are very quiet and people are keeping to those restrictions.

There are new restrictions coming in across the country today, as new cases have been announced in states across Australia today in the Northern Territory, in the central Australian town of Alice Springs now under lockdown. Order as well for a case in the airport, they're connected to a mine. Now these mines are staffed by people that fly in and out from around the country and one worker there has brought COVID-19 in and to that mine site, that's now spread around the country.

So we're seeing these seeding events of the Delta variant which has people very concerned here. One Health Authority this morning saying that there's almost a hundred percent knock on rate for infected people to their household, the people that they share their homes with. Those close contacts are catching the Delta variants straightaway off them, John.

VAUSE: And very quickly, when it comes to this vaccine rollout, there hasn't really been a unified message from authorities. How much confusion is that causing?

WATSON: That's right, John. Australia is using two vaccines at the moment, the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine and we're hearing mixed messages from the federal government and from states as to who should get what vaccine. Initially, everybody, all Australians were eligible to get that AstraZeneca vaccine if they wait their turn through the rollout, then it was pushed to only over 60s because of that very rare risk of blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Now, the government's saying that anybody should be allowed to get it. It's their individual choice if they consult with their GP today. The chief health officer in Queensland saying she doesn't want young people to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. That would be as dangerous for them. Well, John, that's something that's upset people, including medical professionals across Australia saying that the safest vaccine and the one that you should get is the one that's available to you, John.

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VAUSE: We've heard that over and over again certainly in the U.S. and Europe. I guess it's now Australia's time. Angus Watson live in Sydney. Thank you. Well, more warning signs of severe structural problems in that South Florida building, which collapsed. After the break what residents do and who failed to act. Also, stories of survival from those who escaped with their lives.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They pushed me out, and we got into water, and in front of it was a lot of debris and saw a hole. They picked me up, carried me on -- on his back, outside, and I saw this guy, I know I will be out.

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VAUSE: Another body has been pulled from the rubble of the Champlain Towers in South Florida, bringing the death toll to 12, 149 others still unaccounted for. Workers are navigating dangerous conditions including debris falling from the building, which is still standing. One Israeli expert on the scene says they're looking in areas where the condo's bedrooms were but they're buried under four, maybe five meters of concrete. At least three lawsuits had been filed so far in connection with the collapse. More red flags that this building was a disaster waiting to happen. Here's Drew Griffin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As more lawsuits are being filed

across South Florida in the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium, there was more evidence residents, engineers, and the condo board knew their building was deteriorating. A letter emailed on April 9, just three months ago from the Condominium Association Board President warned the observable damage such as in the garage has gotten significantly worse since the initial inspection.

That initial inspection in 2018, just three years ago, had determined failed waterproofing was causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below the pool deck and entrance drive. It led to a major assessment, $15 million to repair years of damage.

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ERICK DE MOURA, CHAMPLAIN TOWERS SOUTH RESIDENT: There was leaks in the garage, there was cracks on the balconies. So, yes, you need the money to fix it, you know, but unfortunately, it was erased.

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GRIFFIN: Erick de Moura told CNN he received a letter in April outlining how the concrete deterioration is accelerating. The roof situation got much worse, so extensive roof repairs had to be incorporated. The letter was helping homeowners to understand their share of the assessment anywhere from $80,000 for a one-bedroom condo, up to $336,000 for the penthouse unit. The bigger question remains why the maintenance on the building had been deferred for so long, and how and why no one foresaw the potential for collapse, almost unheard of in a modern U.S. building.

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JOEL FIGUEROA VALLINES, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, SEP ENGINEERS: It's extremely rare for a structure that's been standing for 40 years to all of a sudden collapse in this way.

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But I'm sure that forensically, we structural engineers will figure out what happened and we'll get to the bottom of it.

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GRIFFIN: Records show a Surfside building official had reviewed the 2018 report detailing major structural damage, yet told residents that it appears the building is in very good shape. The records made public show no sense of urgency to launch repairs, as the homeowners association took three years to review inspections, hire engineers, and begin assessments to start work. An attorney for the condo board cautions patients.

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DONNA DIMAGGIO BERGER, ATTORNEY, CHAMPLAIN TOWERS SOUTH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION: There's other buildings out there with engineering reports as they near their 40-year certification that reveal more drastic spalling and pitting, delamination, rebar corrosion, we need to figure out what were all the factors that went into making this building fall.

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GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

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VAUSE: Well, in North Korea, several high ranking officials have been fired by Kim Jong-un after a "grave" incident related to COVID-19. We're not clear exactly what they may have done, but according to state media, North Korean leader said officials neglected their pandemic duties, creating a crisis for the country. CNN's Will Ripley in Taiwan joins us now with more. You know, Will, you've been to North Korea (INAUDIBLE) time so you know the country, you know the story. So just as we're in context and background, what can you tell us what is likely going on here?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have no way to know for sure what the grave incident is that Kim Jong-un is referring to. Some people are extrapolating maybe there was a COVID outbreak, considering that this grave incident was tied to what was reported as ignorance, incompetence, and irresponsibility by party officials in -- regarding the organizational, technological, and scientific quarantine measures that the country has been taking for well over a year.

Measures that have included shutting down its border completely which has caused grave economic damage, a food crisis, North Korea has self proclaimed, and its economy really contracting more than it had in many, many decades in 2020 and 2021, expected to be just as bad. Even Kim Jong-un has appeared visibly having lost weight. So on top of the food crisis, the economic crisis, now some sort of COVID related crisis inside North Korea. And John, I have to tell you, the language, the strong language about these party officials who are unnamed indicates to me based on previous experience with North Korea that there were also very grave consequences perhaps for these individuals.

So we don't know if this is an attempt by North Korea to raise the urgency of their COVID-19 situation, you know, they've claimed for more than a year no cases inside the country, which has caused them to be frankly not very high on the COVAX vaccine distribution priority list. So, is this a public effort by North Korea to try to get more attention to some sort of COVID crisis inside the country that they're now acknowledging so that they can get vaccines in?

Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported that North Korea was supposed to get almost two million doses of AstraZeneca by the end of May. But Kyodo says that North Korea was unwilling to follow the rules and regulations of COVAX and so those shipments have been delayed. CNN has not been able to independently verify that, but this could be an attempt to get more vaccines, John. It could be indeed North Korea publicly acknowledging COVID-19 inside the country, even though they have not explicitly said that in their state media. Of course, we know how nebulous North Korea always is. And really,

because there are no -- almost no foreign diplomats on the ground there anymore, very few NGO workers, if any, because of the border closures and the food shortages and the medicine shortages, we have no way to know exactly what's happening and what's been happening to those party officials, because there just aren't foreign eyes on the ground there right now.

VAUSE: Just very quickly, the fact that it's been announced in state media for all the world to know about, what's -- that is of significance, right?

RIPLEY: I think if they're acknowledging COVID cases, John, it's because they want vaccines in the country, because it's long been disputed by Japan and the United States that North Korea actually didn't have any COVID cases, reportedly thousands of people are in quarantine right now and yet North Korea has claimed that they had avoided the virus, maybe this is a change in messaging because they want doses in the country and they need them.

VAUSE: Will, thank you. We appreciate that. Will Ripley live in Taipei. Thank you. Now the International Red Cross and Red Crescent is warning that Indonesia is on the brink of a catastrophe. A surge in new cases has been dominated by the Delta variant first detected in India. And just like India, Indonesia is now reporting record case numbers in recent days, with a number of new infections reaching 20,000.

Hospitals now being forced to turn patients away with what some have died waiting to be admitted to a hospital in the capital Jakarta, where isolation beds are at 93 percent occupancy. Public panic has sent demand for oxygen to skyrocket.

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And with that, prices have nearly tripled in places where you have more strain on hospitals and staff, and it's causing some oxygen suppliers to worry now about looming shortages.

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ERVAN KAUTSAR, OXYGEN SHOP OWNER (through translator): Oxygen cylinders are getting harder to find since the distributor is running out of stock. But oxygen supplies at the moment are still fine. But it's being restricted as demand keeps increasing. I'm afraid if it keeps in high demand, we'll be running out of oxygen, too.

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VAUSE: And the government is counting on vaccinations to slow the outbreak. But so far, less than five percent of the country is actually fully vaccinated. And for more on this, I'm joined by Jan Gelfand, Head of the Delegation for Indonesia with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. Thank you for being with us, sir. You know, a week ago, Indonesia recorded a new high in daily COVID

infections, just over 14 and a half thousand. The official number for Tuesday now about 20,000 new cases. You can see that spike there right at the end shooting very high. This surge is being driven by the Delta variant, and most hospitals are maxed out, patients being turned away. If the government is having to vaccine -- vaccinate its way out of this crisis. How does that work in a country where about five percent have been fully vaccinated? And most were given the Chinese made Sinovac, which just doesn't seem to be effective against the Delta variant.

JAN GELFAND, IFRC HEAD OF DELEGATION, INDONESIA: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. Yes, in your introduction, and just in your questions, you've answered a whole number of issues, you know. Numbers have increased substantively. And some of those numbers are very worrisome. I just add one statistic that what we're finding is that over 50 percent, or in some cases, 90 percent, outside of Jakarta in the in Java, the nine out of ten people that are tested are positive. So this is becoming, you know, a very large concern.

I would point out -- and as you already ready mentioned, the logistics to get to people that are in remote areas, and 18,000 Islands is not an easy thing to do. But I would point out also that the government so far day, you know, each day is vaccinating about 1.3 million people, which is quite a feat in and of itself. There are different kinds of vaccines that they're using, the Sinovac being one of them. But it's not an easy job when you have 275 million people and there's still some vaccine hesitancy. People are tired just like in everywhere else in the world.

And so, yes, it's a critical situation here and steps are being taken, we hope certainly by the Red Cross and Red Crescent, to help at one point try to alleviate it because what you have to do just as globally is you have to increase the vaccinations and make sure that people are taking care of themselves and following protocols.

VAUSE: You know, the government has imposed some pandemic restrictions there. Jakarta opted for social restrictions targeting so-called red zones, religious activities, at least some of them were banned. Schools and bars have been closed at times, offices and restaurants are required to operate at, what, 25 percent capacity in those red zones for two weeks at a time, I think. But there's been no national lockdown. And reporting from the Australian Financial Review has this. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he will not shift from micro neighborhood level restrictions in place to a micro -- macro lockdown. Instead, he's doubling down on vaccination, but supply is an issue.

Yes, one of the things is that the Sinovac vaccine doesn't seem to work very well. So can Indonesia escape India's fate without some kind of national intervention like a nationwide lockdown?

GELFAND: Well, a couple of points, I think it's important to understand that Sinovac, much like other vaccinations, is there to protect you. It doesn't mean that like there's -- was an article in, that many health workers were testing positive and they had already been -- received two doses of Sinovac, but they were either asymptomatic or they were not, you know, having strong symptoms in any way. And this happens with most of the vaccines, but it doesn't mean that they're not contagious.

So, you know, we're of the view with the Red Cross, Red Crescent that any vaccination is better than no vaccination. The other thing is trying to find the balance between keeping people in countries where you have a large informal economy, where on the one case, you want to -- one hand, you want to keep people healthy. On the other hand, you know, if people don't go out and work that day, then they and their families may not eat that night.

I'm getting, you know, reports from our own staff in the Red Cross, from friends, from colleagues, from -- in other organizations, where up to five members of their families have tested positive. Where do they even isolate when, you know, a family's in -- or, you know, don't have the resources that others may have, they have to find that kind of a balance in order to be -- to take care of people because your health also goes down if you're not eating properly.

So that's one of the things that the Red Cross is doing is trying to make sure that people are taking care of themselves. They're eating properly and so forth while they're -- while maintaining, you know, protocols. And it's an -- it's a very difficult balancing act.

VAUSE: Yes, it's been tough everywhere and it seems some countries have made the right choice, other countries have not made as good a choices.

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But just with the Sinovac vaccine, there were reports that 10 out of 26 doctors who died from COVID-19 had actually been fully vaccinated with Sinovac. And that in itself, is that not a concern?

GELFAND: Well, I mean, anytime that anyone dies, especially frontline workers that are, you know, putting their lives on the line at the beginning, it's a huge risk and it's of concern. I don't have information that you have, I don't know, you know, whether that's the case or not. But as I said, it's important that we get to people and that they get vaccinated, because it, for the most part, is going to protect them to a degree at least.

And at the same time, making sure that there is -- one of the issues is that there's people that are in mostly rural areas are hesitant to get their second vaccine. And we're trying to do a lot of work through the Indonesian Red Cross to make sure that they know that this is the way that they have to deal with this, is really to get out there and get vaccine, get that herd immunity. And -- but it's a difficult task.

VAUSE: Yes, especially difficult. The world's biggest archipelago, as you say, 17 and a half thousand islands, 270 something million people, it's a tough job, unlike anywhere else in the world, to be fair. Jan Gelfand -- finish it off sir.

GELFAND: If I point it out, I think one of the points that you made is really important. And, you know, it has to understand that this is a global event. And that until we take care of ourselves throughout the entire globe, we're not going to get a handle on this and that means a lot of equity amongst vaccination distributions in your previous article. Or, you know, there was a -- in the story, there was the need of -- COXAX is trying to do it again, but it needs those vaccinations, they need to get in there.

And until everybody is safe, nobody is completely safe. And that's something that we're pushing really hard in our Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement.

VAUSE: Good point to finish on, sir. Thank you very much. Jan Gelfand there with the International Federation, Red Cross and Red Crescent. Thank you.

Well, this may be a critical week for the U.S. president to pledge to end America's longest war as U.S. troops could finish withdrawal from Afghanistan way ahead of schedule. And the Tokyo Olympics, just weeks away, host city reporting a new surge in COVID cases. An update from Tokyo when we come back.

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VAUSE: The Delta Coronavirus variant may now be the most prevalent variant in the United States. A senior researcher at a company who tests identified variants says delta is responsible for about 40 percent of new cases in the U.S., but that research has not been peer reviewed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that Delta accounted for about 26 percent of new infections in the two weeks leading up to June 19th.

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The highly-contagious variant is feeling a surge in cases worldwide, most notable in countries with very low vaccination rates.

Well COVID cases in Japan may be down overall, but Tokyo now reporting a new surge in the number of infections. And with the Olympic Games set to begin there in less than a month organizers are trying to soothe fears of a fifth wave. The Japanese government is ramping up efforts to spot cases at points of entry and to play a greater role in the quarantine process for delegations arriving for the Olympics.

CNN's Blake Essig in Tokyo yet again with the very latest on all of it. And it's almost like it's going to script. They warned there'd be a surge of COVID cases weeks before the Olympic Games begin. Well here we are.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, John, it's as if these medical professionals could see this coming, and here we are experiencing it. There's a potential, you know, fifth wave of infection that seems to be growing. It's been a little more than a week since a state of emergency order was lifted here in Tokyo and several other prefectures.

Ever since, COVID-19 cases have started to rebound, and that could have an impact on the Olympic Games which are set to begin in just 23 days. Now despite still being under quasi state of emergency order for the tenth day in a row, cases have increased in Tokyo compared to the week before. The current seven-day average sits at nearly 500 cases a day, which is up almost 22 percent from the week before.

Now a panel of experts advising Tokyo's metropolitan government are warning that the Delta variant first detected in India is showing signs of spreading herein Tokyo and suggested that it could soon become the dominant strain here.

Now currently only about 11 percent of Japan's population has been fully vaccinated, and government officials say infections are spreading most among the young and middle-aged groups that still haven't been vaccinated.

Now currently a quasi state of emergency order, which includes restrictions on businesses serving alcohol, is in place for Tokyo and six other prefectures through July 11, but at this time with just about, as I said, 23 days to go before the games are set to begin, Olympic organizers say that they plan to allow more than 10,000 local spectators at events or half the venue's capacity, whichever figure is lower.

But John, Prime Minister Suga has come out around the same time that that announcement was made and said that if a state of emergency order is in effect and the case count continues to rise that spectators might not be allowed at the event at all.

VAUSE: Blake, thank you. Blake Essig there live for us in Tokyo. Appreciate it, Blake.

Well following a swift COVID vaccine rollout, Abu Dhabi is planning to restrict entry now to some public spaces. Starting August 20, people must be vaccinated to enter shopping centers, restaurants, and gyms. The rules were also applied to attractions like resorts and museums. Exceptions include businesses selling essential goods like supermarkets and pharmacies. Abu Dhabi's fellow emirate, Dubai, depends heavily on tourism and so far is not adopting the same approach.

Well the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan is way ahead of schedule. CNN's Oren Liebermann has details from the Pentagon.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan could be complete within a matter of days according to multiple U.S. officials, making this a critical week for President Joe Biden and his promise, his pledge to end America's longest war in Afghanistan.

The completion of the withdrawal impending as it is comes as the top U.S. general in Afghanistan warns the country could devolve into civil war as the Taliban makes significant gains in the countryside.

Even after the withdrawal is complete there will be U.S. troops that remain in the country for two purposes. First, to protect the U.S. embassy there. The Biden administration has made it clear it wants diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and an embassy in the country. And second, troops may remain there to help protect Kabul International Airport. It will be the Turkish military leading that mission, but the U.S. could support that. Kabul International Airport is a critical step for diplomacy because diplomats need to get in and out to their embassies, and that's why that is so important.

Up to 1,000 U.S. troops could remain in the country for those missions, though a Defense official says the number may be 650 for both of those goals. The Biden administration has made it clear it will not change its mind. It is determined to complete the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan even as President Biden has acknowledged there will be a difficult road ahead for the country.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is focusing on its goals post withdrawal, and that is protecting the U.S. embassy there and building a new, different bilateral relationship with Afghanistan, one that focuses on providing financial support for the Afghan military instead of support on the ground.

That doesn't mean that all the questions about Afghanistan have been answered. There are still significant questions about what the U.S. will do about Afghan interpreters and their families who may be removed from Afghanistan in the thousands for their own protection.

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Then, of course, the question of how the U.S. will conduct counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. That's a question of what's called here over-the-horizon capabilities, still an open question the Pentagon is working on. Oren Liebermann, CNN, in the Pentagon.

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VAUSE: Well South Africa's highest court has sentenced the former president, Jacob Zuma, to prison for contempt of court after he did not appear at a corruption inquiry. CNN's David McKenzie has more from Johannesburg.

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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a highly- significant moment in South Africa's fight against alleged corruption. This constitutional court ruling put out on Tuesday in which former president, Jacob Zuma, was found in contempt of the highest court in the land and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Now this stems from Zuma not showing up at a long-running corruption commission where it is centered on the presidency of Zuma and the eye- watering allegations of graft (ph) during his time in power.

Now throughout this legal process, Zuma and his supporters have said he's a victim of politics, of chasm (ph) as a victim in fact. The court was having none of it. JUSTICE SISI KHAMPEPE, SOUTH AFRICAN JUDGE: An act of defiance in respect of the direct judicial order has the potential to precipitate a constitutional crisis. If with impunity litigants are allowed to decide which orders they wish to obey and which they wish to ignore, then our constitution is not worth the paper upon which it is written.

MCKENZIE: Now this is a key test of South Africa's constitutional order, and the justices admitted as much in their ruling. What happens next, well Zuma has to present himself at a police station either at his rural home in Nkandla or here in Johannesburg. The key question is what he does next. David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

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VAUSE: Well officials in Canada are linking a historic heat wave to a sudden spike in the number of deaths. More than 200 people have died in British Columbia since Friday. That's far higher than normal. On Tuesday, Canada shouted (ph) it's all-time record high for a third straight day in a western village where the temperature reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit. That's more than 49 degrees Celsius. And we are following breaking news. The woman known as the mother of Latin American soap operas has died. Why the words Delia Fiallo wrote means so much to so many people. More on that in a moment.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Well we learned a short time ago that Delia Fiallo, who is considered the mother of the Latin America soap opera, has died. She was 96-years-old.

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Source close to the legendary writer told CNN that Fiallo passed away early Tuesday morning. Fiallo penned more than 40 radio and television works including Cristal and Esmeralda. Her novels have been adapted throughout the two continents spanning from the United States to Argentina.

CNN en Espanol's Juan Carlos Arciniegas joins us now live from Los Angeles. Thank you for being up and staying with us, Juan Carlos. So just tell us how did Delia Fiallo's work shape the culture in Latin America?

JUAN CARLOS ARCINIEGAS, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: In a huge way, and I have to tell you, John, that's her passing happened just five days short of Delia Fiallo turning 97-years-old. When they call her the mother - you did it, the mother of Latin America telenovelas when you were introducing her, they are not exaggerating. She started in her radionovelas, so about 10 years after Orson Welles was bringing "The War of the Worlds" to the U.S. audience.

She wanted to be a veterinarian. She loved - we're seeing her right now with her dog. She loved the countryside and animals, but her mother according to an interview Fiallo gave to CNN en Espanol a few years ago told her to go for something more lady-like, and we're talking about the 40s. And that's why she studied philosophy and literature.

As you mentioned, through her life she wrote over 40 telenovelas, and we're talking about intense melodramas that were watched all over the country. Countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela produced their own versions of her work.

In the U.S. it takes up to 10 writers to write an episode of a regular TV show. It wasn't her case. She always wrote by herself. She told CNN en Espanol that her daily output could be 30 or 40 pages. Very prolific.

Now to your question, I would say like we always say my live (inaudible). We use that phrase a lot in Latin America when we have to explain that how we go through life ups and downs. And watching a telenovela was an excuse always for an entire family to sit together and later on during dinner discuss the fate of the characters.

I think telenovelas were aspirational for some people. Perhaps today they would have to be changed a little due to the stereotypes and the image they portrayed of women in general.

VAUSE: And this is - this is someone who was born in Cuba, spent most of her life in Miami. So you know, is there any sort of indication of how her, you know, background, how her life impacted her work and how she will be remembered moving forward?

ARCINIEGAS: I think she's one of the most important writers for telenovelas, and I would love to compare her to writers in general in our continent that even want a price (ph) - the novel price (ph).

But in her case the telenovelas has always been like a second if you want type of art that we have to give her all the credit right now because so many people around the world as I said, and this - her work was translated into many, many languages. I know of people in Iraq and Israel who were watching telenovelas, not necessarily her telenovelas but some other authors that that's why we have stars. Hollywood have a star system. In Latin America we have that but because of the movies.

VAUSE: Yes. It seems they're still as popular today as they were - as they always had been actually. Juan Carlos, thank you for being with us. We appreciate that.

ARCINIEGAS: Thank you.

VAUSE: And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT is up next after a break, and then I'll see you again at the top of the hour.

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