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Japan Prepares to Say Good-bye to Beloved Former Leader; More Information Emerging about Suspect in Abe's Death; Russian Strikes Destroy Homes, School in Kharkiv; Moscow Official Gets 7 Years in Jail for Criticizing War; Inflation Out of Control in Turkey; Protest Outside Bank in Zhengzhou Turns Violent; NASA to Reveal First Images from Webb Telescope. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 11, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. Coming to you live from Studio 7 at the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:43]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Japan prepares to lay to rest its longest-serving leader as new details emerge about the shocking assassination.

A search for survivors in Ukraine after a Russian strike on an apartment building in Donetsk. Dozens of people could still be trapped.

And Sri Lankans give themselves a tour of the presidential palace. The fury over a crippling economic crisis replaced by momentary glimpses of luxury.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: A shocked and grieving Japan preparing to bid farewell to beloved former leader Shinzo Abe. A wake for the country's longest serving prime minister will be held in the coming hours, followed by a funeral service on Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken making an unscheduled trip to Tokyo to pay his respects.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: During his time in office, Mr. Abe really took the relationship between our countries to new heights. And as I shared with our -- with our colleagues, we saw him as something rare. A man of vision who had the ability to realize that vision.

But mostly, I came at the president's behest, because more than allies, we're friends, and when a friend is hurting, other friends show up.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: And we're learning new details about the suspect meanwhile and his anger over a so far unnamed group he thought Abe was connected to. Police are also revealing more information about the weapons the suspect used and why he used them.

All of this happening against the backdrop of a parliamentary vote. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party has reportedly made a strong showing in the election, which was billed as a defense of democracy in the wake of Abe's death.

CNN's Blake Essig is in Tokyo with more on all of this. And Blake, Japan preparing to say farewell to its former prime minister. What do we know about the funeral plans?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, I'm outside Zojo-ji Temple right there behind me in central Tokyo, where later on tonight at 6 pm local time a closed-door vigil is set to take place. This is also where the funeral service will be held tomorrow afternoon for the assassinated former Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

Few details at this point have emerged about the memorial services for Abe, other than it's expected to only involve close friends and family. For now, the guest list doesn't include the emperor or any member of the royal family who according to the imperial household agency, have no plans to attend.

We also know that a service will be held tomorrow in Yamaguchi, Abe's hometown. But so far, that's all we know despite being closed off to the public. That's -- this event and the funeral tomorrow.

We do expect people to start gathering as the day goes on to pay their respects. At this point, it's been pretty quiet on the streets, no mourners yet. We've only seen a handful of journalists hanging around.

It's similar to what we saw over the weekend when the hearse carrying Abe's body returned to Tokyo from Nara. As the car got closer to his home, hundreds of people started lining the streets of his quiet residential neighborhood, to catch a glimpse of the former prime minister's motorcade. People would bring flowers, laying them outside of his home to pay their respects throughout the day.

While Abe was certainly a controversial figure here in Japan at times, he was also hugely popular. Japan's longest serving prime minister, who experts say did what he felt was necessary to secure Japan's future and its prosperity. Today and tomorrow, Michael, are the people's chance to say thank you and say goodbye.

HOLMES: Yes. Emotional time for the Japanese people. Meanwhile, what is the latest on the investigation into his killing?

ESSIG: Well, Michael, as you mentioned off the top, NHK, Japan's public broadcasters, reporting that the suspect targeted Abe because he held a grudge against a group that he believed Abe had ties to that was linked to his mother.

[00:05:04]

CNN has contacted local police, but they wouldn't name the group or provide any information on the group.

Now, as for the weapon used to kill the former prime minister, Nara police say the alleged gunman may have tested the weapon used to gun down Abe from behind at this certain group's facility.

Now, police again refused to name the group but did say that they believe the suspect car -- suspect's car was caught on security cameras close to where the weapons test took place.

NHK also says that police were able to find explosives and several homemade guns at the 41-year-old suspect's home. These guns, including the one used to kill the former prime minister, were made of iron pipe barrels and wrapped in duct tape. Some of these guns had two, three, even six barrels -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right, Blake. Blake Essig continuing to cover all of this for us in Tokyo. Thanks, Blake.

Now, other countries around the world are mourning Shinzo Abe, along with Japan. In Australia, the sails of the Sydney opera house shining in the red and white colors of the Japanese flag.

Melbourne paid tribute, as well, with several landmarks lit up around that Southern city.

And turning now to Ukraine, where the death toll is still rising after a Russian strike on an apartment building in the Eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials say at least 15 people were killed in the attack. Six others have been rescued, but crews fear more than 20 people could still be trapped underneath the rubble.

In his nightly address, Ukraine's president calling the Russians who carried out the attack killers and vowing to hold them accountable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): You know, Nazi murders are brought to justice even when they are 90 or 100 years old. They are caught all over the world. Of course, we don't want to wait that long. But I give this example to show that punishment is inevitable for every Russian murderer. Absolutely everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Ukraine appears to be stepping up counter attacks in the South, claiming a precise hit on a Russian military target in the occupied region of Kherson on Sunday.

Russian state media reporting explosions in the sky that it says was caused by air defense systems.

Meanwhile, Ukraine condemning Canada's decision to return a repaired turbine for the Nord Stream One gas pipeline between Russia and Europe. Ukraine says the decision sets a dangerous precedent that will allow Russia to continue weaponizing energy supplies.

Now, much of the fighting is still focused on Eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, but there are signs Russia could be setting its sights on another target as it ramps up attacks on Ukraine's second largest city.

CNN's Alex Marquardt reports from Kharkiv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Russian forces certainly not letting up in their targeting of Kharkiv. Overnight, there were two strikes not far from the city's center where I'm standing now, both resulting in extraordinary damage.

We went to visit both the sites, one where a school was struck, and the other a residential area. In that residential area, we saw a number of homes that were either destroyed or damaged, a huge crater in the ground where the impact was that was full of water. Rescue workers trying to get that water out of the crater.

We spoke to a man who lived on the street. He said that when the air raid sirens went off at 3 a.m. in the morning, he grabbed his wife and his daughter and went into the kitchen, which he said was the safest room in their house. Luckily, no one was killed in either of those strikes.

But this does come as there is an expectation that Russia will once again try to advance on Kharkiv, not just because it is the second biggest city in Ukraine, but it is also one of the biggest cities closest to the Russian border.

And then farther South, in the Donetsk region, Russia has been striking more areas in Donetsk, escalating their attacks. On Saturday night, there was a brutal missile strike on an apartment building that left at least 15 people dead and some two dozen people trapped under the rubble, including one child.

Rescue workers have been working feverishly at the site and have managed to pull out at least six people from underneath that rubble. There is an expectation that Russia will also step up their offensive there to try to consolidate their gains in the Donbas region, which has been seen as another major target for President Vladimir Putin.

And then farther South, along the coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, where Russia has occupied many towns, cities and villages, in particular the city of Kherson, we saw what the Ukrainians are claiming as a military victory on Sunday, after a long-range strike on a Russian military unit.

[00:10:07]

Kherson and its surrounding areas have been targeted recently by the Ukrainians that have been trying to hit weapons stockpiles, ammunition depots, and other logistical hubs of the Russians in that Southern city.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, in Kharkiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Jill Dougherty is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She's also a CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief.

Always good to see you, my friend.

Much of Russia's military uses Western technology, and recently, the U.S. secretary of commerce said a lot of the captured Russian equipment is being found to contain computer chips taken out of refrigerators and dishwashers. Is that a sign Western sanctions are working, or too early to say? What do you think?

JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Well, I think it probably is an initial indication. I mean, if you look at some of the weapons and equipment that they have, the more sophisticated ones, they do use technology, high technology, that comes from the West.

And right now, that is really the dilemma. If they want to produce very sophisticated weapons, they're going to have to, in some fashion, be able to create all of these technical products, and at this point, the Russian economy doesn't do that. It's done in other countries, especially in Asia. And with these sanctions, it's cutting off access to those.

So it is a major problem, and probably, according to experts, at least will get to be even more of a problem going forward.

HOLMES: Yes. I want to ask you this, too. When it comes to Russian government efforts to, you know, crush dissent, earlier this week, we saw the first person sentenced under that law preventing people from criticizing the war, even calling it a war. Has that gotten a lot of attention in Russia?

DOUGHERTY: Oh, the case of Alexei Gorinov, he is a Moscow city deputy. In other words, kind of, like, city council member. And he is the first person who actually is going to be serving a seven-year sentence for violating the law about disparaging the military.

And he did use the word "war," and of course, President Putin does not allow the word "war" to be used. He calls it a special military operation.

So this man was at a meeting, used it, and immediately was arrested, and now is going to have to serve seven years. And it is, I can tell you, at least among, I would say, the more Western-oriented media within Russia -- these are Russians who are tweeting and Facebook-ing on this, et cetera. It's a very big issue.

And in fact, I did see, Michael, there was a statement by some lawyers who say that that law, which is very new -- it was back in March -- violates the Russian constitution. So there is some pushback.

Now, this does not mean that those lawyers are on the street, but they are writing about this, and they're saying it's a violation of the constitution.

HOLMES: Incredible. I mean, for what he said, seven years.

Given -- given the dominance of state media, are ordinary Russians still behind the war, or special military operation, as Putin calls it? And do Russians even care that much? I mean, I saw one woman quoted in "The Wall Street Journal" saying that she caught herself being, I think she said, more upset by IKEA leaving Russia than the war.

DOUGHERTY Yes. I actually saw something very similar. It sounds ridiculous in a way, but you know, when you look at everyday life in Russia, the list that I saw was IKEA, McDonald's, brand clothes, and smartphones. And those are things that have become very rare, if not impossible to get.

So, how does it affect people on a daily basis? I think if you look at that list, you'd see maybe what's going on.

But I think what's important is that the Putin government right now is trying to propagandize its people and convince them that Russia will be, in the end, to produce these products, and that these sanctions from the West will actually help Russia in the end.

Abd I actually have seen, you know, polling is very difficult, but I have seen some indications that some Russians are accepting that idea that maybe ultimately, this will be good, because it will force Russia to create these things that they now can't get.

HOLMES: Yes. Yes, well, that's an effective state media for you.

The other thing I wanted to ask you was, you know, whilst there's not been a formal mobilization, I mean, Russia's, by all accounts, taking terrible losses on the battlefield. There have been what some call, I think, a shadow mobilization.

The defense ministry urging former and older, for that matter, soldiers to rejoin. And some of them saying that they were at the front within two days of showing up to the recruiting office and reporting some pretty dreadful conditions.

[00:15:12]

HOLMES: What does that suggest about the state of manpower in the Russian military?

DOUGHERTY: Well, I think, Michael, it's just a couple of things. No. 1, manpower is a problem. We have indications as far as experts who really know this subject, right now looking at the war, saying that Russia is sustaining very large losses and you have to replace them.

So what they've been doing is making it easier for these people. They're called contract workers, kontraktnik, and these are people who volunteer. They get paid, actually, quite well. And they're trying to convince them that they should come to the military, sign up, et cetera. So there's a big, you know, push to get them into the military.

And I think, you know, overall, the significance really is complex. Because remember, if they said it's mobilization, then you would have to say it's a war. But as we just said, it's not a war, according to President Putin.

So there's this kind of gray area where they're trying to -- to act as if it is a war, realistically but not say it's a war. And I think that's a problem for -- for President Putin.

HOLMES: Yes, yes. Great analysis, as always. Great to see you, Jill. Thanks for that. Jill Dougherty there.

DOUGHERTY: Thanks, Michael.

HOLMES: Now, Russia's invasion is having an impact on the cost of food around the world. That's especially true in North Africa, where many countries depend on grain imports.

And in a region rocked by last decade's Arab Spring, there are fears soaring that prices could fuel more unrest.

CNN's David McKenzie reports for us now from Tunisia, where the food crisis dampened the Eid al-Adha holiday for millions of Muslims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Racing to feed a nation in the closing days of Tunisia's summer harvest.

Russia's cynical ploy to hold hostage more than 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain is leading to a food crisis here in Tunisia and much of North Africa.

MCKENZIE: Are you worried it will have a long-term impact on Tunisia?

HABIB MRABET, REGIONAL DELEGATE, TUNISIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTRY (through translator): The war has really impacted both the consumer and our agricultural productions. Right now, every country must become self-reliant. If that's not possible, things are going to get very difficult.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): They're scrambling to increase that production and change consumer habits.

In sunbaked Tunisia, farmers grow hard wheat to make pasta and couscous.

MCKENZIE: But for soft wheat, the wheat that makes bread, Tunisia gets around 60 percent of it from Ukraine and Russia. An official told me that they'll never be able to make up that number here, not in five years, not even in ten. MCKENZIE (voice-over): That spells trouble, says Shakria Muddhi (ph).

"We can only saw with the government gives us," he says. The baguettes are subsidized by a government heavily in debt. Tunisia can barely afford imported flour from outside of Ukraine.

"It's about daily survival. When the people are hungry, they rebel," he says. Here, they are just recovering from the crushing COVID pandemic, and a decade of political uncertainty. The impact of the war in Ukraine could not have come at a worse time.

Even retired professionals like Houria Bousad and her husband can only afford a few luxuries.

KURIA BOUSAD, RETIRED TEACHER: The prices are going up.

MCKENZIE: And what does that mean for you and your family?

BOUSAD: Young people, they cannot marry now. They don't have enough money to live. They cannot have a family.

"I've sold nothing today," says Nassir Toomami (ph), "absolutely nothing. This place should be jam-packed before the Eid holiday," he says, "but nobody can afford meat."

On the roadside, farmers like Walid (ph) are struggling to sell their sheep for Eid celebrations. The sheep don't seem to mind.

"Animal feed prices are doubled because of Ukraine. It's a chain reaction that's bad enough now," he says, "but the effect of the war is really going to be felt next year."

David McKenzie, CNN, Tunis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Holmes: Tunisia isn't alone. Dozens of countries around the world depend on Ukrainian and Russian grain to feed their people. Countries in dark red there on the map, including Egypt, Somalia and North Korea, get nearly all of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. The list also includes Qatar, which is due to host the World Cup later this year.

[00:20:04]

Protesters in Sri Lanka who stormed the president's palace are making themselves right at home, using the gym, taking tours, even having picnics on the grounds. More on the political uncertainty that now faces the country coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: You're looking at video they are from inside Sri Lanka's presidential palace. Crowds of protests stormed their way in over the weekend. Some clearly making themselves at home, working out in the gym and enjoying other luxuries. It is an extraordinary turn of events in Sri Lanka, fueled by months

of simmering anger over an economy in free fall. And anger at the government. With brazen protesters now occupying both president and prime ministerial homes, both men have agreed to resign, leaving Sri Lanka's political future hanging in the balance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES (voice-over): For many protesters in Sri Lanka, roaming the halls of the presidential residence they've occupied since Saturday, this is the good life.

A chance for many Sri Lankans, many who can't afford to buy enough food or fuel, to live like a king, at least for a short while.

Armed security guards stood outside the compound but didn't stop the curious from taking a peek inside the palace. This man says he brought his family here to enjoy a picnic on the grounds.

He says, "I got a chance with my kids to come and have lunch here," adding, "It's once in a lifetime."

This is, after all, how their president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, lived while the country suffered through an economic meltdown, with soaring inflation, shortages of critical supplies, and rolling blackouts. Conditions that sparked months of protests that led to Saturday's extraordinary show of people power, when more than 100,000 protesters flooded the streets of Colombo.

A massive public display that finally forced the president to give into their demands. The country's speaker of parliament announcing soon afterwards that the president will resign on Wednesday. The prime minister saying that he too will step down. But protesters say that promises are not enough. They will not leave the residents until both officially resign.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't trust him anymore, because he has already broken our trust, the country's trust. And he has already sold our country.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The next few days could be a turning point for Sri Lanka if there is a leadership change, but even if that happens, economic troubles are far from over and could take years to reverse.

It will be a heavy lift for whomever takes power next and while the country remains in political limbo, many protesters say they'll continue to enjoy the luxuries of the house with a warning for the next full-time occupant.

[00:25:04]

As this man says, "Politicians should understand the power of people, and is the maximum of it."

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: The U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, says Russia may be partly to blame for Sri Lanka's crises, noting how Moscow's blockade of Ukrainian grain exports is threatening global food supplies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: You asked about the impacts of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, on food and security and the impact, potentially, on Sri Lanka.

Well, I think we're seeing that impact around the world. And it may be one of the contributing factors to what's -- what's happened in Sri Lanka, although I think there were, as I just said, many others that have -- that have come together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Blinken says more than 20 million tons of grain is sitting in silos in Ukraine, unable to be moved out to feed people around the world.

According to a recent IPSOS poll, inflation is the biggest concern facing people in 27 countries, but in Turkey, it's especially worrying. Inflation there reached almost 80 percent in June, its highest level in almost two decades.

And as CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports, soaring prices are making celebrations for Eid al-Adha more expensive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After two years of pandemic restrictions, this sacrificial livestock market in Istanbul is coming back to life. It's Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice. A time when Muslims traditionally buy and slaughter sheep and cattle and share the meat with those in need.

It's a lively scene, with buyers and sellers haggling and cutting deals. Despite the jubilation, the state of Turkey's economy is making it hard to celebrate. With skyrocketing inflation, sellers say they're struggling to keep up.

"Feeding them is expensive," he says. "The cost of medicine, trucks to come here, are expensive, and there's the rent that we pay for this place. Business is getting harder," he says.

KARADSHEH: The cost of an average sheep this year is about 4,000 Turkish lira. That's about 213 U.S. dollars, in a country where the minimum wage is equivalent to just over 300 U.S. dollars, making this something that many cannot afford this year.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Erdogan Gawk (ph) is here with his grandchildren to buy a sheep. It's a tradition that he wants to keep alive, but he says this isn't a pleasant Eid (ph).

Rising costs have left him no choice but to shutter his business last week and lay off his 20 employees.

"Over the past 26 years in my business, I have witnessed every crisis he says. But nothing like this. It's like a fire burning people."

That fire is Turkey's worst inflation in more than 20 years. The official rate hit nearly 80 percent in June. But many believe in reality, it's much higher than that.

The government's raised the minimum wage twice since December, but with the cost of pretty much everything continuing to rise, people say it's impossible to keep up.

The cost of food, every day staples, has nearly doubled in a year. Making the traditional delights of Ed out of reach for many.

Sharika Bayrakdar (ph) says her family will have to give up the traditional tray of baklava this year. They can barely afford the necessities these days.

This couple tells us high costs have taken away the joy of Eid shopping. No new clothes for the children this year, just the basics.

But the hardest part for these devout Muslims is not being able to afford a sheep to sacrifice. Rising global energy costs, the war in Ukraine, and the Turkish lira losing about half its value in the past year, all contributed to the soaring inflation.

But economists blame much of this on the Turkish president's orthodox economic policies. Erdogan refuses to raise interest rates to fight inflation. He's even vowed to cut them further.

This 29-year-old tells us he only has enough to buy secondhand shoes. "A loaf of bread is five lira, tomorrow it will be 60 says. Who is responsible? Let's not talk about that."

Few will talk about who they blame. They will likely take their grievances to the polls next year and that could cause the president. But for now, it's ordinary Turks who will continue to bear the brunt of this troubled economy.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Still to come on the program, a protest over frozen bank deposits turned violent in China. Angry demonstrators clashing with police, demanding they get their savings back. We'll have more on that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: A massive protest over frozen bank deposits turned violent in China. Video obtained by Reuters, showing police clashing with demonstrators on Sunday, who are angry that some banks have kept millions of dollars frozen since April. At the time, the banks said they were upgrading their internal

systems, but customers say they've heard nothing from the banks about the matter since them.

The protest was among the largest in China since the pandemic.

For more on the, I'm joined by CNN's Steven jiang in Beijing.

Steven, extraordinary scenes. What was behind it and what's being done about it?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Definitely Michael. As you know, protests of any kinds, very rare sight in this country. Even through the best of times, not to mention amid a global pandemic, with harsh, zero-COVID measures being enforced across the country.

And as you mention, this is such an extraordinary sight to see more than 1,000 people gathering outside a provincial branch of the country's central bank on Sunday, demanding their deposits, their money back.

But it also explains, as you mentioned, why the local authorities resorted -- earlier resorted to trying to tamper with those people's health QR codes, which is of course, is such a necessity to even leave your home these days in China.

That move triggered a nationwide outrage, which is why they backed down, which is also why the protesters eventually were able to gather on Sunday, many of them still show up -- showed up very early, at 4 a.m. trying to evade authorities' detection seated outside of this government building. Carrying banners and chanting slogans, and some even paced a portrait of the founding founder of communist China, Mao Tse-tung on a pillar.

All of this showing they 're trying to direct their anger at the local authorities, trying to get the attention and the possible redress from the central leadership as some of them accuse the local police of treating them with violence.

And one of the banners saying, "We want human rights and rule of law."

But their peaceful tactics still eventually didn't work. After a few hours of standoff, you could see hundreds of plain-clothed security agents charging towards them, trying to basically drag everyone away, including the elderly and children. And anyone who were resisted were kicked and punched.

All of them eventually got taken into nearby makeshift detention centers. Some even got into local hospitals after they got injured.

But this kind of plight and action has really garnered a lot of sympathies and support from around the country. Because these people's, really, grievances were not that uncommon. They are -- they are often low-income workers who put their life's savings in these banks, because they have faith in the country's banking system. They consider that to be the safest financial choices. But obviously, they were wrong.

[00:35:13]

And all of this, of course, is also happening at a time when the economy is already battered by the country's continued zero-COVID policy, with a wide range of sectors under growing distress.

Not to mention, a very politically sensitive year for Xi Jinping, when he is expected to take a precedent-breaking third term later this year.

As you know, his whole reign is built upon this promise of a great Chinese national rejuvenation. So this kind of thing could be such a huge embarrassment for him.

So all of this, Michael, is why, you know, the authorities took such extreme actions to really crack down on these people, these peaceful protesters. Because they are just so worried about this kind of a tinderbox situation. They simply do not want any spark that could unite even more anger, frustration, grievances among other segments of the population -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes. Extraordinary situation. Steven Jiang in Beijing, good to see you, Steven. Thanks for that.

A quick break, when we come back, a California wildfire threatens historic trees in Yosemite National Park. We'll have the latest on what firefighters are doing to protect them.

Also --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM MELROY, DEPUTY NASA ADMINISTRATOR: What I have seen just moved me as a scientist, as an engineer, and as a human being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: They say it's like nothing we've seen before. NASA preparing to release the first images captured by a mega telescope. We'll have the details after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: A wildfire in Yosemite National Park threatens to destroy more than 500 of California's famous giant sequoia trees.

The Washburn fire has burned nearly 1,600 acres. That's more than 640 hectares. The fire has spread to the grove of trees but hasn't damaged the historic sequoias so far.

Firefighters carrying out a controlled burn to create a protective ring around the trees.

Scientists and space enthusiasts all over the world are eagerly awaiting the release of the very first images from NASA's James Webb telescope. Those who have gotten a sneak peek say the high-resolution images are like nothing they've ever seen before and will change the way we see the universe.

CNN's Kristin Fisher with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lift-off.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six months after the most powerful telescope ever made launched into space, the team inside the Webb Space Telescope's flight control room is preparing to reveal what astronomers all over the world have been waiting for, for decades. The telescope's first full-color images, which are expected to be light years more impressive than the test images released last month and will include the deepest image of our universe that's ever been taken.

[00:40:05]

KEN SEMBACH, DIRECTOR, SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE: Our view of the universe is definitely going to change on July 12th.

FISHER: Ken Sembach runs the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, home to Webb's mission control, and he predicts the day that that Webb's first images are released will be on par with the day that Galileo became the first person to ever point a telescope to the sky.

SEMBACH: There will be a universe we knew before Webb and a universe we know after Webb. I really mean that. I think our perspective will change.

FISHER: NASA says some of the images released on July 12th still need to be taken. Others have already been captured and are being kept secret, but NASA's leadership has gotten a sneak peek.

MELROY: But I have seen just moved me. As a scientist, as an engineer and as a human being.

THOMAS ZURBUCHEN, ASSOCIATE NASA ADMINISTRATOR: A sense of awe and, frankly, I got emotional.

FISHER: But getting emotional about the telescope is something Lee Feinberg has learned to bury after working on Webb for more than two decades. The telescope's most recent brush with death took place just a couple weeks ago, when a micro meteoroid struck one of the telescope's massive golden mirrors, which are critical for its operation.

LEE FEINBERG, WEBB'S OPTICAL TELESCOPE ELEMENT MANAGER: Earlier in my career, it might have been a punch in the gut, but I've learned about working on a big project like this is things are never as bad as they first seem, or never as good as they first seem.

FISHER: He was right. The telescope survived the strike, and NASA is now on the verge of handing this $10 billion telescope over to the scientists whose research proposals have been selected for the first year of observations.

FEINBERG: It is just doing as well as we could've hoped, if not better. And so I think the scientists are just going to be extremely happy to use it. And we're going to be excited to see what gets -- you know, what comes out of it.

FISHER: Kristin Fisher, CNN, Baltimore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And we will finally get to see those images on Tuesday.

The WNBA honored Brittney Griner at the league's all-star game on Sunday night. Griner was recognized as an honorary all-star for the evening, and players wore jerseys with her name on the back.

Griner has been detained in Russia since February, when authorities say they found a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty earlier this week, saying she did not intend to break the law.

Griner's wife was grateful for the outpouring of support at the game.

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CHERELLE GRINER, BRITTNEY GRINER'S WIFE: It's always going to be difficult being around basketball without my wife being present. But I use these moments as just gratitude for her legacy and impact. You know, that even in her absence, you know, you can't not say Brittney Griner. So I'm just so grateful that everybody in this arena is actually still remembering my wife, even without her being here.

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HOLMES: Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is expected to visit Moscow in the coming weeks in an effort to secure the release of Griner and also Paul Whelan, another U.S. citizen held in Russia.

Well, Novak Djokovic has done it again, the world No. 3 winning his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title on Sunday.

Djokovic defeating the Australian Nick Kyrgios, who advanced to the final after Raphael Nadal pulled out due to injury. Kyrgios played well, got off to a strong start, but it wasn't enough.

Djokovic now has seven Wimbledon men's singles crowns and 21 Grand Slam singles titles overall. He's now the second on the all-time list of most men's singles Grand Slams.

We'll have more on Djokovic's win on WORLD SPORT, right after the break.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @Holmes CNN. Stay with us. Sport, and I'll be back in about 15 minutes.

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