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Shinzo Abe's Family To Hold Private Wake After Assassination; Russian Strike On Residential Building Kills 15 In Eastern Ukraine; Sri Lankans Occupy President's Palace After Forcing Leadership Out; Inflation Dampens Eid Al-Adha Celebrations; Streets of Highland Park Reopens Day. Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth Straight Wimbledon Title. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 11, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:30]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes, appreciate the company. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, Japan saying farewell to the former leader gunned down during a campaign speech. Prime Minister Kishida expected to address Shinzo Abe's death in just minutes from now.
In Ukraine, Russia targets in a puppet building killing more than a dozen people now Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying murderers will be brought to justice.
And an economy in free-fall, its people fed up and look at the protests in Sri Lanka that drove the president out of his palace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: And let's go live to Tokyo now where Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is addressing the media about the death of former leader Shinzo Abe. Let's have a listen.
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We achieve the goal of here being important. The seat -- we're able to secure a six seat, seven seats in the house.
There are issues which are addressed during this election, the COVID presence and the Ukraine (INAUDIBLE), who can lead the country to overcome the difficulties. The answer has been clear.
And what I care most about is how to lead the citizens of (INAUDIBLE) from the turmoil, the global turmoil of the time.
And the election results, the number of (INAUDIBLE) confidence of Kishida administration. And I feel the responsibilities --
HOLMES: Japanese Prime Minister speaking there. We'll keep an eye on what he's saying. And particularly if he's talking about Shinzo Abe. Meanwhile, CNN's Blake Essig is in Tokyo joining me now to talk more about this. Yes, difficult to make out what the Prime Minister was saying there but it seems to be more related to the election. But Japan is preparing to fare well its former prime minister. What do we know about what the next 24 hours is going to bring?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Michael, it's a day, a 24-hour period of mourning really. Gosh, I mean, since last Friday, this country has been in mourning. Right now I'm outside of Zojo-ji Temple in central Tokyo where later on tonight at 6:00 p.m. local time a closed door vigil is set to take place and this is also where the funeral service will be held tomorrow afternoon for assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
A few details have emerged about the memorial services for Abe other than it's expected to involve only close friends and family. For now, the guest list does not include the emperor or any member of the royal family who according to the Imperial Household agency, have no plans to attend despite being closed off to the public.
We do expect people to start gathering as the day goes on to pay their respects especially with obvious hurts expected to arrive here within the hour. But at this point, it's been pretty quiet on the street. No mourners yet. It's similar to what we saw over the weekend when the hearse carrying Abe's body returned to Tokyo from Nara.
[01:05:07]
As the car got closer to his home, hundreds of people started lining the streets as quiet residential neighborhood to catch a glimpse of the former Prime Minister's motorcade. People brought flowers, laying them outside of his house to pay their respects throughout the day for a man that experts say was both controversial and hugely popular. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOBIAS HARRIS, SENIOR FELLOW FOR ASIA AT THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: I think the most important word for him was vision that he was someone who thought big ideas, who thought the above the image that he, you know, that his country should take particularly in what he saw as a challenging century for his country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: Well, today and tomorrow are the people's chance to say thank you and say goodbye to Japan's longest serving Prime Minister gunned down at age 67. Michael.
HOLMES: And Blake meanwhile, what is the latest on the investigation?
ESSIG: Well, Michael, NHK Japan's public broadcaster is reporting that the suspect targeted Abe because he held a grudge against a group that he believed Abe had ties to and that his mother had links to as well. CNN has contacted local police but they wouldn't name or provide any information on the group. Now as for the weapon used to kill the former prime minister, Nara police say that the alleged gunman may have tested the weapon used to gun down Abe from behind a certain groups facility and police refused to name the group but did say that they believe the suspect's car was caught on security cameras close to where the weapon was tested.
Now, NHK citing investigators is also reporting that the suspect watched YouTube videos to help make the guns, this homemade duct taped pipe guns that NHK is saying that he practiced with them in the mountains days before the assassination took place, Michael.
HOLMES: All right, Blake. Thanks for all your coverage on this. We'll stay in touch. Blake Essig there in Tokyo. Appreciate it.
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 under 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 murderers are found and 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 as they put it on a Russian military target in the occupied region of Kherson. On Sunday, Russian state media reporting explosions in the sky that it says were 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.
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 second largest city. CNN's Alex Marquardt reports from Kharkiv.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Russian forces certainly not letting up in their targeting of Kharkiv. Overnight, there were two strikes not far from the city 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 3:00 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's 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 also -- 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.
[01:10:06]
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 coasts 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.
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 VIDEO TAPE)
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 my friend.
You know, 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, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: 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 the sanctions, it's cutting off access to those. So it is a major problem. And probably, according to experts, at least we'll get to be even more of a problem going forward.
HOLMES: Yes, I wanted to ask you this, too, when it comes to Russian government efforts to crush dissent. Earlier this week, we saw the first person sentence standard that more preventing people from criticizing the war, even calling it a war. Has that gotten a lot of attention in Russia?
DOUGHERTY: The case, I would say good enough. 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 Facebooking 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 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 immediately what's going on.
[01:15:00]
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 able in the end to produce these products, and that these sanctions from the West will actually help Russia in the end.
And I actually have seen, you know, polling is very difficult. But I have some 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 is, 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. What does that suggest about the state of manpower in the Russian military?
DOUGHERTY: Well, I think, Michael, it's suggested a couple of things. Number one, manpower is a problem. We have the 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, kontraktniki. 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 off, 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, and you would have to say it's a war, but has just said, it's not a war, according to President Putin. So there's this kind of gray area where they're trying to act as if it is a war realistically, but not say it's a war. And I think that's a problem 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: Thousands of miles from the front lines, and American man is finding his own way to help Ukraine by delivering much needed ambulances and other medical supplies amid an ongoing shortage. CNN's Dianne Gallagher with his story.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a warehouse just outside the city limits of Chicago, the answers to the question, How can I help or being prepared for a 5,000 mile journey to Ukraine? It's a journey that Chris Manson has just completed.
As devastating images from the first week in the Russian invasion of Ukraine flooded screens, like most Americans, Manson says he simply watched in horror. That is until his seven year-old-daughter asked a life changing question repeatedly. How can we help?
CHRIS MANSON, DONATING AMBULANCE TO URKAINE: I want to be able to tell my daughter I was going to try to do something so kind of got this crazy idea to go ahead and, you know, we said Wolf, we made it I'm sure they need ambulances, they see they're getting blown up.
GALLAGHER: According to Ukrainian officials. As the war rages on, ambulances are in short supply, with entire fleets stuck in territory currently occupied by Russian forces, and hundreds of others destroyed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pattern here is that health workers and hospitals themselves appear to be being deliberately targeted.
GALLAGHER: For Manson who works in Government Relations at a Catholic Health System in Peoria, Illinois, getting the first ambulance was surprisingly as simple as making a call to a local provider.
MANSON: And the first words out of his mouth were well, do you need gas or diesel? He didn't hesitate.
GALLAGHER: Getting into Ukraine was another question. But Ellen Lopatkina, Ukrainian American logistics specialist who also runs this warehouse, now full of donations had the answers.
ELLEN LOPATKINA, NORTIA LOGISTICS, INC.: A lot of moving parts were in motion at that time. And it so happened that we were able to get the first few on the plane. And once the first one came in, and we successfully delivered that to Ukraine, the next one came in and the next one.
GALLAGHER: Getting them to Europe by air or sea, Manson, a man who previously had no connection to Ukraine has now twice visited the country behind the wheel of a Midwestern American ambulance.
YEVEGENIY DROBOT, DEPUTY COUNSUL GENERAL OF UKRAINE IN CHICAGO: It was a simple gesture of how I can help.
GALLAGHER: So far Manson says he has rounded up a dozen donated ambulances.
MANSON: Fire Departments in Iowa, you've got hospitals in Ohio, you've got private ambulance companies in North Dakota and Minnesota, El Paso, Illinois.
[01:25:03]
GALLAGHER: The ones Manson gets are usually older, but they still run well. Each one is packed with desperately needed medical equipment and basic supplies.
OLGA MAIHUTIAK, UKRAINIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA, ILLINOIS CHAPTER: They have ventilators, they have cardiac monitors, and also they are always stuffed with wound care supplies.
GALLAGHER: And often includes messages from the donors to the Ukrainian people.
DROBOT: Ambulance, like Chris is a great guy. He's an ambulance guy. And then on the stands you like an ambulance guy.
GALLAGHER: According to Ukrainian officials some three percent of all the ambulances donated to the country from all around the world have come from Chris Manson's efforts.
MANSON: As long as there is a need, we will continue to keep working to get them and to get over there. And, you know, God willing, the war ends soon.
GALLAGHER: Dianne Gallagher, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: Protesters in Sri Lanka who stormed the President's palace are making themselves right at home using the gym, taking a swim, even having picnics on the ground. We'll have port more on the political uncertainty now facing that country when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:23:14]
HOLMES: What you're looking at there is video from inside Sri Lanka's presidential palace. Crowds of protesters stormed their way in over the weekend, from clearly making themselves at home even 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 of the government over an economy in freefall. With brazen protesters now occupying both the presidential and prime ministerial homes, both men have agreed to resign leaving Sri Lanka's political future hanging in the balance.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
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 in to their demands. The country's speaker of parliament announcing soon afterwards the President will resign on Wednesday, the prime minister saying he too will step down.
[01:25:09]
The protesters say promises aren't enough, and they won't leave the residence until both officially resign.
AKUSHIA FERNANDO, PROTESTER: We don't trust him anymore because he has already broken our trust, our country's trust and he has already sold our countries.
HOLMES: The next few days could be a turning point for Sri Lanka if there is a leadership change. But even if that happens, its 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. As this man says politicians should understand the power of people. And this is the maximum of it.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HOLMES: Now for more on this, let's bring in Mujib Mashal, he's the South Asia bureau chief for The New York Times. Thanks so much for being with us. These protests and the political crises are the end result of months of protests, as we've been saying, how unstable is the country right now? How deep the turmoil?
MUJIB MASHAL, SOUTH ASIA BUREAU CHIEF, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, I mean, it's complete turmoil right now because you have a situation where the both the top leaders of the country, the President and the Prime Minister in hiding since Saturday when the protesters took over the palace, both the offices of the President and the residence of the President.
The President has been not seen in public. And the Prime Minister has also said that he's resigning. And Prime Minister, even his residence, his house was burned down. So the question that a lot of people are asking is who is really running the country?
But on the other hand, the incredible thing has been for the scale of this protest and what they have achieved so far, it's been quite remarkably disciplined. You've seen the scenes of even after they enter the Presidential Palace and the Prime Minister's residence they've been very, very disciplined, you know, cleaning the place, you know, lounging in the luxuries of the place, but at the same time, not really vandalizing or not really.
So it's been -- it's been a mix of the politically complete turmoil, questions about who is in charge of the country. But on the other hand, for the scale of what has taken place, it's been remarkably peaceful.
HOLMES: You make a really good point. That's absolutely true. Was almost good natured in there, even with the police in the Presidential Palace. How -- But when it goes to the broader picture, how culpable do Sri Lankans feel the Rajapaksa brothers are for where the country is today, both the president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, but also his brother, the Prime Minister, former President Mahinda given their dominance of Sri Lankan politics was so long. And what many say is that interference in everything from the judiciary to the Constitution. How culpable do the people feel they are?
MASHAL: They put the blame squarely on the Rajapaksa, because his family ran the government as a family business. Just a few months ago one brother was the president, the other brother was a prime minister, multiple brothers in the government, in key cabinet positions.
So, if they ran the country, like a family business, obviously, the protesters are blaming them for the misery also. But if you look at the history of this family, they have dominated Sri Lanka's politics for much of the past two decades. You know, the older brother Mahinda was president, two term -- two time. He helped in the war, but through a brutal campaign that was marred by human rights abuses. And then his younger brother became president and he brought the older brothers prime minister.
So the way they've dominated the country's political scene over the past two decades, they've run the country with a sense of entitlement. So when things -- when the economy crashed, and people's lives have been in complete tatters, they certainly put the blame squarely on this family.
HOLMES: Yes. You know, Juan Colombo, political science professor, actually you quoted him he said that political successes would be walking into what he called a crisis trap. What will whomever replaces Rajapaksa and the prime minister Wickremesinghe inherit, I mean, the problems aren't going to disappear with their departures, are they?
MASHAL: Precisely. So, you've got a political crisis, obviously, but at the root of it, you've got a crash the economy. The country's out of foreign reserves for essential imports like fuel, food and medicine. They -- There's no trust from any lenders to give them money.
[01:29:30]
You know, for a large part of the past few months, the country's been running on credit lines and borrowed money from India. But you also wonder, you know, how long will countries like India continue, you know, bankrolling.
So whoever comes in to government, takes over as president or prime minister, will be inheriting an economy that cannot be fixed anytime soon, but also a public that is exhausted, that has run out of patience.
So the two together, you know, it's a volatile mix, whoever will walk in. The crisis is not going anywhere anytime soon.
HOLMES: That same professor you quoted also said, to the point you're just making, that the entire political class has lost public trust. How can that trust be restored? Or can it? And what are the risks of, I don't know, a failed state?
MASHAL: So there's a history to this loss of public trust. Over the past two decades, the Rajapaksas dominated much of the country, but after the three decades civil war ended in 2009, there was a brief window between 2014, '15 until 2019, where it was a government of non Rajapaksas in power.
They had an opportunity to correct some of the wrongdoings in the country, you know, which was, you know, prejudices against ethnic minorities, structural problems of too much power in the executive presidency, and all of that. But those other political parties made a mess of it.
They were in complete chaos, in fighting, which opened the way back for the Rajapaksas to come back to power in 2019. So when the Sri Lankan public looks at this, it is the whole political class that has let them down, that disappointed them.
And yes, the people power you mentioned, the protesters, might be close to bringing down this well-entrenched political dynasty, but what they're worried about is that the opposition that is going to step into the vacuum, they have not shown great leadership either. They have not put, you know, the requirements of the country, you know, ahead of their interests. So the threat that this crisis will continue, in part because the political class cannot get it together, that risk is there, and that will continue to be there.
HOLMES: Very difficult days ahead. Mujib Mashal, thanks so much, fascinating to talk to you, appreciate it.
MASHAL: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, many Muslims celebrated the feast of sacrifice amid skyrocketing inflation. Just ahead, we'll show you how soaring costs in Turkey forced many to sacrifice their usual plans for Eid Al-Adha.
And, how a protest over frozen bank deposits turned violent in China. We'll have that and more when we come back.
[01:32:58]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A massive protest over frozen bank deposits turned violent in Zhengzhou in China. Police clashing with demonstrators on Sunday, demonstrators who were angry that some rural banks have kept millions of dollars frozen since April.
At the time, the bank said they were upgrading their internal systems, but customers say they've heard nothing from the banks about the matter since then. The protest was among the largest in China since the pandemic.
For more on this, I'm joined by CNN's Steven Jiang in Beijing.
Extraordinary scenes. What's behind it? What's being done about it?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Michael, indeed such an extraordinary scene to see more than a thousand people show up on Sunday morning to stage this rare protest in front of the provincial branch of the country's central bank, demanding their money back.
But that's also why the provincial authorities went to such great lengths, as you mentioned, even tampering with these peoples health QR codes, which is such a basic necessity for anyone in China to leave their homes these days.
But that effort really failed after a nationwide backlash, which is why this protest eventually took place, with demonstrators really training their fire at the local authorities, hurling the Chinese national flags, and chanting slogans with some banners accusing the local police of using violence against them, and even calling for human rights and the rule of law.
But their peaceful tactics really didn't make their protest last that long after a few hours of standoff. You can see hundreds of local security personnel, many plainclothes agents, charging towards this crowd, forcibly removing everyone, including the elderly and children.
Anyone who resisted got kicked and punched, and some sustaining injuries and got sent to local hospitals, according to some protesters. And most people got taken to a nearby makeshift detention center.
But these protesters actions really have garnered a lot of sympathy and support from around the country, because people feel they can relate to their situation, as these people were mostly low income people who put their life savings into these banks because of their faith in the country's banking system.
But then, they of course, lost almost everything. And their plight is especially being shared because the economy here has been battered by the country's continued zero COVID policies, with a wide range of industries really undergoing distress.
And this, of course, is also happening in a very sensitive year politically, as Chinese Supreme Leader Xi Jinping is expected to assume a precedent breaking third term later this year. And his whole legitimacy, reputation very much built on this idea of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
So this kind of incident is a huge embarrassment for him for sure. That's why we've seen the local authorities there take such extreme actions to suppress this peaceful protest, because they're so worried about a tinderbox situation.
They simply do not want to see any spark that could ignite more anger and frustration, not only in their province, but across China, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Steven Jiang in Beijing, appreciate the wrap up there. What a situation. Thanks.
Now according to a recent Ipsos poll, inflation is the biggest concern facing people in 27 countries. But in Turkey, it's especially worrying. Just have a look at the numbers there. Inflation reaching almost 18 percent in June, highest level in almost two decades.
And as CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports, soaring prices are making celebrations for Eid al-Adha considerably more expensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After two years of pandemic restrictions the 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 we pay for this place. Businesses is getting harder," he says.
The cost of an average sheep this year is about 4,000 Turkish lira. That's about $230 U.S. in a country where the minimum wage is equivalent to just over $300 U.S., making this something many can't afford this year.
[01:40:03]
KARADSHEH: Erdogan Gawk is here with his grandchildren to buy a sheep. It is a tradition he wants to keep alive, but he says this isn't a pleasant Eid. Rising costs 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 is 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 raised the minimum wage twice since December, but with the cost of pretty much everything continuing to rise, people say that it is impossible to keep up. The cost of food, every day staples, have nearly doubled in a year, making the traditional souk delight of Eid out of reach for many.
(INAUDIBLE) 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 has even vowed to cut them further.
This 29-year-old tells us he only has enough to buy secondhand shoes for Eid.
"A loaf of bread is five lira. Tomorrow, it will be six," he says. "Who is responsible? Let us not talk about that".
He 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 is ordinary Turks who will continue to bear the brunt of this troubled economy.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN -- Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: A year ago, Cuba faced the most widespread protests since its revolution. Well now, hundreds of people have been sent to prison for going out and demanding better living conditions on the island.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann explains why many think a new revolt could be on the horizon.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When the largest anti government protest here since the Cuban Revolution took place last July, thousands of people poured into the street. Demonstrators demanded food, medicine, and political changes in spontaneous marchers across island. Protests even took place in many smaller cities like San Jose De las Lajas.
For brothers Nadir and Jorge Pardomo (ph) -- both teachers, addressed this crowd of people that residents say remained peaceful.
"My sons went out, because like every Cuban, they were desperate over the situation," The two men's mother told us they are fathers. "Every day here, we have less." The government crackdown was swift and harsh. As police arrested hundreds of protesters, Nadir and Jorge made a last video, where they said they were merely expressing the discontent that many Cubans feel.
Days later, the two brothers were arrested. According to court records that CNN reviewed neither man had a prior criminal record. And both were well-regarded in the community. All the same, Jorge was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Nadir to six years, after being convicted of charges including disorderly behavior and assaulting public officials.
Cuban rights groups say the Cuban government is trying to intimidate their own people from taking to the streets again.
JUAN PAPPIER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: And we found that constantly prosecutors were charging Cubans for exercising their basic rights, such as the right to protest peacefully, the right to insult the president, or to insult police officers, exercising their freedom of expression.
OPPMANN: It remains to be seen, though, whether the mass trials will succeed in silencing dissent.
A year after the protest took place, and many of the economic problems that Cubans confront have only gotten worse. There are frequent blackouts that last for hours, and seemingly endless lines for food and fuel.
Although the Cuban government has succeeded in cracking down on social unrest, many Cubans say it could exploded again in any moment.
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OPPMANN: So far, the government here says nearly 500 people have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the protests, with some demonstrators receiving up to 25 years after being convicted of sedition.
Officials say the protests were not the result of worsening living conditions on the island. But a campaign of sabotage carried out by Cuba's cold war enemy, the United States government.
But Marta Pardomo (ph) says no one had to encourage her sons to protest.
"My sons weren't paid. They didn't have to go out. But they felt the pain of Cuba," she says. "My sons were free that day," she says. Marta says that local officials have ordered her to take down the sign she put up on the front of her house, in a rare act of defiance, calling for the release of her two sons.
But the sign to stay up, Marta says, until her sons finally are able to come home.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN -- San Jose de las Lajas.
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HOLMES: A deadly weekend in South Africa. Now, the government is being urged to reinforce gun regulations. We'll have details on that.
Also, a city rocked by July 4 mass shooting near Chicago is reopening. We'll have a report from Highland Park.
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HOLMES: Welcome back.
A man is dead in Brazil after a gunfight erupted at his 50th birthday party over politics. According to our affiliates CNN Brazil, Marcelo Arruda, a supporter of Brazil's former president Lula Da Silva -- was killed Foz do Iguacu on Saturday. Witnesses say Jorge Jose Galloca Guanhalo (ph) a supporter of current President Jair Bolsonaro, crashed the party and was kicked out after a accosting Aruda (ph). He returned with a gun about 20 minutes later.
A warning, the video you're about to see might be hard to watch. Aruda's son said his father after being shot three times, but not before firing his own weapon. Guanjara (ph) was also shot. He's apparently in critical condition.
We're also tracking deadly gun violence in South Africa where a pair of fatal shootings have people calling on the government to enforce gun laws. At least 19 people were killed in two separate shootings at different bars over the weekend.
The president has expressed his condolences to the families in both attacks. Also urged security agencies and community members the perpetrators accountable.
And the streets of downtown Highland Park, Illinois reopened on Sunday, six days after a mass shooting killed seven people and injured dozens more.
CNN's Camila Bernal reports on residents reacting with a range of emotions.
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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So many people have been out and about since that police tape came down. And, look a lot of people just walking up and down the street, because a lot of the stores are still closed. Others sitting down, processing, talking, having a moment of silence, maybe saying a prayer.
This is difficult for a lot of people, especially because right here behind me is that building where the shooter was when he opened fire into the crowd.
And right across the street from that building is another growing memorial. You see the faces of all of the victims, more flowers, more candles, balloons, just people honoring and remembering the victims.
Now there are a lot of people who are processing this differently. I spoke to one mother who was here on the Fourth. Here's how she described her process.
REBECCA WEININGER, HIGHLAND PARK MOTHER: What I'm doing is I'm evolving. I'm not healing. I'm evolving. There is a new me that is coming out of this, that is embracing this pain, embracing the newness of this, that is hugging this community closer, and is speaking louder. And I'm going to do that through acts of love, and I'm going to do that with my voice.
BERNAL: And a lot of people here are voicing their desire for change. Among them is the governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, who says he wants to see changes in three different areas. He wants a ban on assault weapons. He says that there has to be changes when it comes to high capacity magazines. He says no one should have 90 bullets at the ready. And then he also wants to see changes in red flag laws.
He also talked to CNN about motive, and said that among the evidence is a symbol of white supremacy. He says he's doesn't know, that, whether or not the shooter targeted a specific group.
Camila Bernal, CNN -- Highland Park, Illinois.
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HOLMES: And we're following a new push for gun reform in the U.S. State of Texas. County Commissioners in Uvalde, where a deadly school shooting took place in may, our meeting in the hours ahead, and they are set to consider a resolution, asking the governor to call a special session of the state legislature to raise the minimum purchase age for semiautomatic assault style rifles from 18 to 21.
This coming as families and residents there continue to mourn the loss of 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary. Some of those people marched in a rally on Sunday, part of a renewed push for answers surrounding the police response to the shooting.
Meanwhile, Texas state lawmakers investigating the police response to the school shooting may release their preliminary report within the next ten days.
Facing an unseeded opponent with a massive serve and a penchant for trick shots, Novak Djokovic got all he could handle in his quest for a fourth straight Wimbledon title. Highlights from the old England Club, when we come back.
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HOLMES: The WNBA honoring Brittney Griner at the league's all-star game on Sunday night. Have a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And from the Phoenix Mercury--- Brittney Griner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chicago has done it right for the all-star game. Well, it is been an exciting time, but also --
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HOLMES: Griner was recognized as an honorary all-star, and the players, as you can see there, wore jerseys with her name on the back. She's being detained, of course, in Russia since February, when authorities say they found a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner pleaded guilty earlier this week, saying she didn't intend to break the law. The WNBA commissioner says getting her home is a priority for the lead.
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CATHY ENGLEBERT, WNBA COMMISSIONER: I really want to start and just reiterate, obviously, we're thinking of Brittney Griner at this time she remains a huge priority for us, and continues to have our full support. We're fully focused on getting her home safely, and as soon possible. And as you know, she was named an honorary starter today for the game.
We'll have her initials and number on the court, and also on the players warm-up shirts on the back, and she's always with us, and our thoughts are with her this weekend.
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HOLMES: Novak Djokovic has added another title to his already impressive resume, capturing his fourth straight Wimbledon crown on Sunday. It puts the Serbian tennis star in second place on the all- time list of most men singles grand slam titles.
CNN World Sports Christina Macfarlane has more now, reporting from Wimbledon.
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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE: The sun is setting over the all-England club after a day that has delivered drama and exceptional tennis.
In the baking heat of center court behind me, one of the greatest of all time, Novak Djokovic, secured his seventh Wimbledon title after seeing off the threat from a player he had never beaten before, or even won to set against, Nick Kyrgios, the great disruptor, who has repeatedly made headlines this fortnight for his bad behavior. He needed to keep his cool to stand any chance of a maiden grand slam.
But one fit all into the third, it began to unravel for the Australian. Novak Djokovic piling on the pressure, grinding his opponent down for a composed combat, while Kyrgios roared in anger at his box, sensing the end was near with the royals, including Prince George watching on, Djokovic charge through a four-set tiebreak to his seventh title, and 21st grand slam.
It's been a difficult year for the Serb. He was deported from Australia in January for breaching COVID-19 rules. But now, age 35, he's within one Grand Slam of his great rival Rafa Nadal with surely more chances ahead to surpass him.
Christina Macfarlane, CNN -- Wimbledon.
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HOLMES: Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @HolmesCNN.
Do stick around. Rosemary Church will be back with more news after this quick break, representing Australia.
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