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Acting President Of Sri Lanka Vows To "Restore Law And Order"; President Joe Biden To Meet With Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid; Wildfire Rage On Amid European Heat Wave; Chinese Cities Hit Record Temperatures Amid Heat Wave; Heat Waves Growing More Common Around The World. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 14, 2022 - 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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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Lynda Kinkade, good to have you with us.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, political chaos in Sri Lanka. After the president flees the country, protesters stormed the prime minister's office demanding it's time for him to go too.

Ending the Black Sea blockade, Ukraine tries to strike a deal with Russia to export more food out of the war zone.

And the real impact of a warming planet, scorching temperatures helping fueling a massive wildfire in Western Europe.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: Well, Sri Lanka's prime minister turned acting president is vowing to restore order after protesters stormed his offices on Wednesday.

Demonstrators are furious that Ranil Wickremesinghe was named the interim leader after President Rajapaksa fled the country without formally resigning. They want both men out of power blaming the leaders for the country's economic turmoil.

Dozens of people were injured in the protests in the capital on Wednesday, the acting president accuses demonstrators of trying to seize control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANIL WICKREMESINGHE, SRI LANKAN ACTING PRESIDENT (through translator): Even though we took steps to elect the president, some groups in the struggle plan to storm the prime minister's office, surround the Air Force commander's house because he provided an aircraft for the president to travel to Maldives and also, to surround the houses of the army commander and the Navy commander. That was an attempt to grab power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: CNN's Will Ripley has more on the deepening political crisis and where things go from here.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tear gas and water cannons do little to stop the angry mob. From breaking down barriers at the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, they breached the compound, occupying yet another seat of power, briefly forcing their state broadcaster off the air.

For days, protesters have occupied the presidential palace in Colombo, taking advantage of the fully equipped gym, grand piano and swimming pool.

Soaking up the luxurious lifestyle of an exiled leader who was living large as everyday people stood in hours long lines for basic essentials.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They got rich while the poor became poorer, because they didn't have anything to bother whether they stood in a queue.

RIPLEY: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa part of a privileged political dynasty. He and his brothers ran Sri Lanka like a family business and ran its economy into the ground.

BHAVANI FONSEKA, HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER PARTICIPATING IN PROTESTS: The situation is extremely dire. I mean, it's been buried for several months now. We've had long queues to get essential items, long power cuts. Medicine is in short supply. I mean, we are in -- going into a humanitarian crisis.

RIPLEY: Sri Lanka's worst financial crisis in 70 years, blamed on bad deals costing billions, bankrupting an entire nation. Food, fuel, medicine in desperately short supply.

That desperation fanning the flames of rage. Rage against a ruling political class that ignored the pleas of everyday people. People demanding change, demanding the resignations of both the president and prime minister.

Public fury intensified when news broke the president fled to the Maldives in a military plane. His deeply unpopular prime minister appointed acting president, his first order to senior military officials: restore law and order.

FONSEKA: They fear that there will be more violence targeting the protesters but also that there's unrest in Sri Lanka because of the economic crisis and the hardship faced by people that this unrest could spread and that there are now new triggers for violence.

[00:05:18] RIPLEY: A nation deeply in debt, descending deeper and deeper into chaos.

Will Ripley, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, joining me now from Colombo, New York Times South Asia Correspondent Emily Schmall. Good to have you with us, Emily.

EMILY SCHMALL, SOUTH ASIA CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Thanks.

KINKADE: Absolutely extraordinary scenes we've been seeing a week after storming the residences of the prime minister and president. We saw protesters overpowering security forces who are armed with tear gas and again, overrunning yet another public building. These scenes of chaos is certainly becoming more common.

SCHMALL: Yes, that's true. And actually, yesterday evening, in Sri Lanka, a group of protesters attempted to take over the parliament building as well, which was the last top office building they had not yet seized. They weren't able. But we think that they will continue their efforts, particularly up till Friday when lawmakers are set to return to Parliament.

KINKADE: Of course, he's gone back on his word to resign, appointing the prime minister to be acting president. This means that Rajapaksa remains president, he has immunity.

But he also leaves the country politically paralyzed, the acting president will remain in power until lawmakers vote in a new president. Is that still likely to happen late next week?

SCHMALL: It's really hard to say, this has been such a dynamic situation. But I think that in order to shore up some public support, the acting prime -- the acting president, excuse me, who's also the prime minister will go ahead with the procedure to select a new president. But again, anything could happen between now and then.

KINKADE: And he did on being announced president in act a curfew, declared a state of emergency. What's the situation there now?

SCHMALL: Right now, it's quiet. The curfew lifted earlier today. But again, I think the plans the protesters have are to continue pushing to take over the parliament building. And there could be other targets.

Yesterday, they briefly took over the state broadcaster and declared that the live -- the television network would not show anything except news about the struggle as they call it.

So, it's been a bit unpredictable and the protest doesn't have a leadership. So, there are factions within it who want to remain peaceful as this movement has largely been the last few months but there are other factions that are growing quite frustrated and are willing to push harder. KINKADE: And Emily, the overall situation is pretty dire. Schools have been closed, hospitals are struggling, fuel and food shortages continue as well as power cuts.

And this was a country that was used to having a comfortable middle class and upper middle class. How much of the country's economic woes are a result of the mismanagement of government?

SCHMALL: Well, certainly economists think that the House of Cards that Rajapaksa has built by taking on an enormous amount of debt to fund infrastructure projects and some vanity projects in their home district in the south of the country, are a major contributor to the collapse.

And then beyond that, there was hubris and denial about the fact that Sri Lanka was really struggling after the pandemic to pay down that debt with tourism, all but vanquished.

And but at the same time, of course, the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have had huge impacts here as well.

Sri Lanka is a country that imports nearly everything it consumes, so for prices of commodities to be rising as they are everywhere in the world, and inflation to be rising as well is really hurting people here.

KINKADE: Yes. It certainly is an issue everywhere but especially in Sri Lanka right now.

In terms of help for Sri Lanka, which countries, if any, will help Sri Lanka through this crisis?

SCHMALL: Well, India has been a really steadfast partner, they have given Sri Lanka about $4 billion in aid in the last few months. And it's expected that they will continue to try to help whatever the political situation in part because of historic ties, but also because they don't want instability so close to their country.

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But Sri Lanka is looking far afield they've sent people to go to Russia and to China and elsewhere trying to renegotiate debt and receive aid. They're hoping to get a reduced, a sort of discounted amount of oil from Russia. And I think they're looking to whomever might be willing to stand up and offer them some assistance.

Of course, they have negotiations ongoing with the International Monetary Fund. They're really looking for a $6 billion bailout to help them import the essentials, the food, the fuel, the medicine that they'll need in coming months, but with all of the political unrest at the moment, those negotiations have been suspended.

And anyway, it wouldn't come immediately. And what protesters are really demanding is immediate relief.

KINKADE: Yes. And they certainly need it. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. They certainly need help right now. Emily Schmall in Colombo from the New York Times. Thanks so much for joining us.

SCHMALL: Thanks for having me.

KINKADE: We want to go to Israel, where U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with the new Prime Minister Yair Lapid in just a few hours.

Mr. Biden is also hoping to bring Israel closer to normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, which he visits this weekend.

On Wednesday, he met with Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem and he got a briefing on the Iron Dome and the Iron Beam defense systems. Mr. Biden also stressed the importance of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The only worse than the Iran that exists is an Iran with nuclear weapons.

And if we can return to the deal and hold them tight, I think it was a gigantic mistake for the last president to get out of the deal. They're closer to a nuclear weapon now than they were before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Let's go now to Jerusalem, journalist Elliott Gotkine joins us now. Suddenly a busy start to the trip Elliott, on what is the U.S. president's first trip to Middle East since taking office. What's his message so far?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST (on camera): The message seems to be both that the U.S. has Israel's back in terms of security, that there isn't that much distance between the U.S. and Israel positions when it comes to dealing with Iran, and that they both want to deepen Israel's relations with its regional allies.

And of course, let's not forget that the U.S. and the Biden administration is still in favor of a two state solution with the Palestinians. And these are things that came up in this wide ranging interview that was broadcast on Israel Channel 12 news yesterday, it was actually recorded before President Biden's arrival.

You mentioned Iran. He of course, said that the Trump administration -- Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal was in his words a gigantic mistake.

And also saying that the use of force by the U.S. to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons was not off the table, that it could happen as a last resort in his words.

Regarding Saudi normalization, he said that this was something that was going to take a very long time, but also added that it was important for Israel to be accepted in the region, not just for improving relations with its neighbors, but also because in his words, if they can do so, they can eventually come to an accommodation, he said with the Palestinians at some point down the road. So, this is still you know, very much on the agenda and will also be

discussed in his one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister Yair Lapid this morning.

One of the things regarding Iran that's going to be happening is that the U.S. and Israel, President Biden and Prime Minister Lapid (INAUDIBLE) to sign a joint declaration after -- as part of a press conference this afternoon, where they're both going to be committing to never allowing Iran to get nuclear weapons.

And also they say, according to a U.S. administration official, address the destabilizing activities of Iran, and especially its threats against Israel.

So, another busy schedule today, there's also going to be a meeting of a new grouping called the I2U2. This is India, Israel, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. And they are going to be talking about things like clean energy and food security. This will be a virtual meeting that's going to be happening as well.

So, lots to discuss both in his one-on-one with the Israeli prime minister and also on this the I2U2 meeting as well.

And of course, we'll get plenty of news, no doubt out of this press conference this afternoon.

One other thing to note, we also learned yesterday that the family of the slain Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh that they've been invited to Washington by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Now, they had requested an interview -- actually, an audience or a meeting with President Biden during his visit here. It's not definitively been ruled out but so far as we're aware, such a meeting is not likely to happen or it's not been arranged as of yet.

[00:15:14]

You'll recall of course, that Shireen was slain during clashes between Israel's military and Palestinian militants. There was a U.S. forensics investigation, which said that it was impossible to reach a definitive conclusion but in all likelihood, the shot that killed the journalist came from the Israelis and the family of Shireen have accused the U.S. of apparently trying to undermine their search for justice and accountability. So that's something else we're keeping an eye on today as well, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Elliott Gotkine for us in Jerusalem. We will speak again soon. Thanks very much.

We're turning now to the U.K. and the contest to name a new prime minister. In the coming hours, Conservative Party members on the influential 1922 committee will carry out the next round of voting.

Right now, six candidates is still in contention. Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, atop the ballot in Wednesday's first round of voting with 88 votes. Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and Suella Braverman all met the 30 vote threshold to remain on the ballot. Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi were eliminated.

Well meanwhile, the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his scandal field time in office during Wednesday's prime minister's questions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I'm also proud of the leadership that I have given and I will be leaving, Mr. Speaker, I will be leaving soon with my head held high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Conservative lawmakers will continue voting until they narrow the field down to two candidates. The announcement of the next prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party will happen September 5th.

Thousands on the run from searing wildfires in Western Europe, and now one man says his community has become a ghost town because of the fires. We'll have that story when we come back.

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KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade, and there is no break in sight from the sweltering heat waves scorching parts of Western Europe. Temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius in parts of Portugal and Spain on Wednesday.

But this weekend, the heat wave is expected to reach Britain and possibly bring the highest temperatures ever recorded there.

And as the heat grips the continent, so do massive wildfires.

CNN's Jennifer Gray reports.

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JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice over): Plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. Flames scorching hundreds of hectares of land. Emergency crews battling to bring the blazes under control.

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In Portugal, France and Spain, dozens of wildfires are sweeping the region amid a blistering heat wave, threatening residents and tourists.

MYLENE DOREAU, MAYOR OF GUILLOS, FRANCE (through translator): There are no longer residents in my town, maybe two or three people, but no one is left. When I saw the fires by the houses, and we had to evacuate people who didn't want to leave their homes. That's alarming. Everyone has dogs, cats, chickens. They wanted to save everything. But they had to move quickly. GRAY: In southwestern France, local officials say thousands have been evacuated, many now in temporary shelters as they escape the raging wildfires.

PASCAN CORDONNIER, TOURIST EVACUATED FROM TROYES, FRANCE (through translator): We see it on T.V. and we tell ourselves it'll never happen to us. And then, inevitably, when it does happen, it's upsetting, especially the people shouting, the smell of smoke and all that, it's scary. I didn't think it would be so hard and with the heat and fatigue, I'm just glad we're here now.

GRAY: Hundreds in western Spain and central Portugal have also been evacuated as firefighters struggle to control a series of wildfires there.

JOAQUIM GOMES, RESIDENT OF OUREM, PORTUGAL: I've been here for 50 years and I can't remember something like this ever happening before. Because it's everywhere. It's burning in all directions. I just can't remember anything like this.

GRAY: Portuguese officials tell CNN that the country is better prepared to combat the ongoing fires than in previous years after reforms implemented since devastating wildfires killed dozens in 2017. But the current wildfires do pose a grave challenge.

JOAO GOMES CRAVINHO, PORTUGUESE FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: The convergence of factors that we are having this week in Portugal and Spain and the whole of the Mediterranean, with after very little rainfall, very high temperatures, not just of the air but of the -- of the grounds and very low humidity wind from the southwest. This convergence of factors is extremely worrying.

GRAY: As fires tear through the region, millions across Western Europe are sweltering in an extended record breaking heat wave with the highest level of heat alerts issued in several areas.

But those scorching temperatures and devastating fires that accompany them may soon become the new norm.

According to a February report from the United Nations, the number of extreme wildfires is expected to go up by as much as 30 percent within the next three decades as the climate crisis triggers searing heat and droughts, fires blazing across Western Europe, it appears the latest impact of human caused climate change in an increasingly warming world.

Jennifer Gray, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, heat wave has brought record high temperatures to dozens of cities in China. On Wednesday, Shanghai matched its highest record temperature of nearly 41 degrees Celsius. That's more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Steven Jiang joins me now with more. Steven, Shanghai issued a red alert, the highest level heat warning

Wednesday and it certainly wasn't the only major city in China facing those conditions.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): That's right, Lynda. You know, heat waves is not unusual for a country as big as China. There are some cities in the country whose nickname is hotpot because of the high temperature they usually experienced in a summer.

But what's extraordinary about this heat wave is how widespread it is from Shanghai on the east coast all the way to all these provinces in the heartland.

As you mentioned more than 80 cities on Wednesday issue their highest level Red Alert, meaning a temperature in their locations will be reaching at least 40 degrees Celsius in the coming 24 hours.

Shanghai actually just issued -- just issued its latest red alert for Thursday. So, it's almost been a daily occurrence for the Metropolis since Sunday.

As you can imagine, you know, people here are doing all they can to escape the heat, turning up the A.C. of course but also heading into air raid shelters in many cities and of course, flocking to the beaches when they can and buying ice cream, cold drinks and watermelons.

But the added problem this year is also, this country is now seeing a resurgence of COVID cases, especially with the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.5 and that of course means in this country where they're still having a very strict zero COVID policy, that automatically translates into new lockdowns and more mass testing.

So just imagine -- just imagine having to line up for hours in this kind of sweltering heat to get tested. And already we're seeing some social media images of the COVID testers in full hazmat suits having to hug or lying on huge blocks of ice to cool themselves down.

And of course another issue here is economic impact. Remember the struggling economy is trying to recover from all these lockdowns. But now, this heat wave means in some locations they're already starting to implement power rationing and with authorities urging both residents and factories to use less power.

[00:25:13]

And not to mention, this is also affecting crop production. And that could negatively affect both the animals feed prices and then in turn, meat prices worsening and the problem of inflation.

So Lynda, this heat wave really couldn't have come at a worse time here in China, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes, you're certainly right there. We will check in with you again, Steven Jiang in Beijing. Thanks very much. Joining me now is Bill McKibben. He's the founder of 350.org and the

author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. Good to have you with us, Bill.

BILL MCKIBBEN, FOUNDER, 350.ORG (on camera): Lynda, a real pleasure to get to join you.

KINKADE: So, Bill in recent weeks, we've had heat waves here in the U.S. and in recent days, we are seeing a heat wave gripping Europe as some places in Spain and Portugal are hitting all-time records.

Also seeing heat waves in parts of Asia adding strain to power grids in southern China. What's going on?

MCKIBBEN: What's going on is exactly what scientists have told us what was going to happen. I mean, the more carbon that we pour into the atmosphere, the more coal and oil and gas we burn, the higher the temperature is going to rise.

There's no mystery here. But man is it playing out in spades right now. We were looking at the U.K. where they've been keeping temperature records longer than any place on the planet. And they may well set an all-time temperature record next week.

You know, meanwhile, out in the American West, in Yosemite, where we first sort of came up with the idea of wilderness. You know, John Muir started talking about the beautiful wild, it's on fire, like it's rarely burned before they're doing their best to lay sprinkler systems to protect some of the biggest and oldest trees on the planet.

Everywhere around the world, this is happening. But of course, the most devastating effects are in the poorest places. We haven't even talked about Africa. But the drought in the Horn of Africa is now laying waste to millions upon millions of human beings.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. This is a worldwide problem. The poorest people, poorest countries that certainly will face the worst outcomes.

You mentioned that the U.K. and obviously parts of France and Germany are set for high temperatures again next week. Some areas are forecast to set all-time records.

And this of course, is as at a time when there is a push for Europe to look elsewhere for energy due to Russia's war on Ukraine.

There is some good news as you've pointed out in a recent article, when it comes to turning to renewable energies, the price of clean energy is plummeting.

MCKIBBEN: If we wanted to do this, Lynda, we could. I mean, in the last 10 years, scientists have dropped the price of power from the sun and the wind and the batteries to store them 90 percent. This is the cheapest power on earth. In the U.K. they just had let new contracts for offshore wind, and it was coming in at one quarter of the price of burning natural gas to produce electricity.

There should be no task on Earth more urgent than executing and deploying renewable energy just as fast as we can.

KINKADE: And Bill, as you pointed out in that recent article, China is heavily investing in renewables. What can the U.S. learn from China and the U.K. in terms of energy from offshore wind?

MCKIBBEN: Well, I mean, the main lesson the U.S. has to learn is don't let the fossil fuel industry game and the political system to prevent change from happening.

Right now in Congress, they have a bill that would be for the first time, a lot -- hundreds of billions of dollars to jumpstart this renewable energy transition. But it's being held up by Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the man who's taken more money from the fossil fuel industry than anyone else in D.C.

It's a crime, what's going on. And it's a crime that's going to play out over centuries.

KINKADE: One concern when it comes to renewables is storing energy. How big of an issue is that? And what's being done to address it?

MCKIBBEN: Well, the good news is that battery technology gets better and cheaper with each passing quarter. And the good news is that with all this renewable technology, it's kind of the opposite of fossil fuel. The more of it we do, the cheaper it gets, because the learning curve is so dramatic.

Whereas with fossil fuel, you know, you have to dig further back in the coal mine or deeper down under the ocean to find more oil and so the price keeps going up.

That spread is going to continue to widen. All the smart money should be betting on renewable energy right now because it's our only hope for rapid rapid change.

[00:30:07]

KINKADE: Bill McKibben, great to get your perspective. Thanks so much for your time.

MCKIBBEN: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: Well, Ukraine's military is again striking deep inside Russian-held territory. Ukraine says it's targeted Russian military depots in a strike in the heart of the Donbas region. We'll have the latest on the fighting just ahead.

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KINKADE: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

For a second day, Ukraine is claiming that it's struck -- that it has struck Russian military depots deep inside Russian-controlled territory.

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(MISSILES HITTING)

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KINKADE: This time, it was in the city of Horlivka in the central Donbas region. This video shot by the local pro-Russian administrator. He claims the Ukrainian military shelled residential buildings but caused no casualties.

Well, not far away, in the city of Bakhmut, Ukraine says at least one person was killed and five injured on Wednesday by Russian shelling on residential structures.

Into the West, at least two Russian missiles targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday, including one that struck a large factory. Ukrainian officials say seven people were hurt in that attack.

Russia also has stepped up missile attacks on the Ukrainian port city of Mykolave [SIC]. The mayor says powerful explosions rocked the city early Thursday. An attack earlier in the week destroyed a century-old school.

CNN's Ivan Watson reports.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This used to be a classroom in School No. 60, in the Southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. That is, until, before dawn on Tuesday, when what appears to have been a Russian rocket slammed into the building. Nobody was hurt, thankfully, perhaps due to the time of day, and it's summer vacation right now.

But, look what's left. The principal says that this school was constructed more than 100 years ago. It's completely devastated, now. And the Ukrainian authorities here, they say the same morning, the city was hit by nearly two dozen other impacts, including a hospital. Which just goes to show that nothing, and nobody, really, is safe in this conflict zone.

VITALY KIM, GOVERNOR, MYKOLAIV REGION: This is terrorism. And that's it. Because it's like a strategy of Russia to scare civilian people, to make a panic.

[00:35:00]

WATSON: What is your message to your own residents when a school can be blown up like this?

KIM: We will build it once again. It will be better than it was.

WATSON: The fighting is intensifying on Ukraine's Southern front. Ukrainian forces have succeeded in pushing back Russian troops in some areas. And the Ukrainians also claim to have carried out some strikes deep

behind Russian from lines, destroying what they claim are ammunition depots, and even a Russian military officer's position.

The Ukrainian government is urging residents of the nearby Russian- occupied city of Kherson to evacuate, if they can. They're anticipating even more fighting in the near future.

In the meantime, the Russian military continues to lob back long-range munitions at places like Mykolaiv. And I want to show you this.

The teachers say that some other Russian artillery hit the courtyard of this school back in early April, spraying the walls of the nearby gymnasium with shrapnel.

So this school has been hit twice since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February of this year. And with Mykolaiv, this city, so close to the front lines, things could get much worse here in the near future.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Mykolaiv, in Southern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, there are encouraging signs that millions of tons of Ukrainian grain will finally get exported to the international market.

Turkey said four-party talks in Istanbul ended Wednesday with an agreement on the basic principles to get the exports moving. With parts of the world facing severe food shortages, the U.N. secretary- general says he's optimistic that the impasse can be resolved soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: In a world darkened by global crisis, today, at last, there is a ray of hope. A ray of hope to ease human suffering and alleviate hunger around the world. In the end, the aim of all parties is not just an agreement between the Russian federation and Ukraine, but an agreement for the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, many parts of the world depend on Ukraine's agricultural products, especially cooking oil. Its sunflower oil accounts for more than 40 percent of the world market.

Before the Russian blockade, Ukraine shipped out about 80 percent of its exports out of its Black Sea ports.

Well, Sri Lanka's president flees the country, signaling the end of an era. Coming up, the rise and fall of a powerful family dynasty.

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

Dozens of people have died in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood where thousands of Haitians are trapped by ongoing fighting. Haitian officials say rival groups are battling for control of the area known as Cite Soleil.

[00:40:05]

Aid groups, trapped residents have no access to water, food, or other essential supplies like medicine. The neighborhood's mayor says at least 50 people have been killed since the fighting broke out last week.

We're now back to our top story, the deepening crisis in Sri Lanka.

The country's acting president is now looking to restore law and order amid protests over the economic and political turmoil gripping the nation.

At least 75 people were injured during protests Wednesday. Police in Colombo used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Sri Lanka's president fled the country that same day and named the prime minister as the acting president.

The protesters have been calling for them to both go. The crisis in Sri Lanka signals the fall of one of the country's most powerful political families.

CNN's Vedika Sud looks at the rise and fall of the Rajapaksa dynasty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VEDIKA SUD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the moment that sank Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa dynasty. On Saturday, protestors stormed the abandoned presidential residence of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, demanding he resign.

Days later, the president fled the country, just before he was due to formally resign, bringing an end to his three-year presidency. Also, an end to more than a decade of his family's dominance of Sri Lankan politics.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa's father was a member of Parliament from 1947 to 1965. But it was his older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who brought the family to national prominence, working his way up the political ranks, for decades, until becoming prime minister in 2004 and president in 2005.

Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed his brother, Gotabaya, as defense secretary. And they led a brutal war against the Tamil Tigers separators group, ending a 25-year insurgency in 2009.

Mahinda Rajapaksa lost the 2015 presidential election, but the brothers came back to power in 2019, this time, Gotabaya as president.

Five family members were appointed to key government positions. Mahinda Rajapaksa became prime minister. In the years since, the family was accused of mismanaging the economy;

borrowing too much; spending on vanity projects; and cutting taxes too steeply.

Then, they were hit by the coronavirus pandemic, devastating tourism, and drying up revenue.

And this year, skyrocketing fuel costs have pushed the public to the brink. After weeks of protests, Gotabaya Rajapaksa got several family members to resign from cabinet. Mahinda resigned as prime minister in May.

And now, with Gotabaya out, the Rajapaksa dominance appears to have ended.

Vedika Sud, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, the French Senate has cleared Liverpool fans of any responsibility for the chaos at the Champion League finals.

French police used tear gas as Liverpool fans struggled to enter the stadium, outside Paris, back in May. Organizers initially blamed the large number of Liverpool fans with fake tickets.

But the French Senate investigated and now says police and organizers came up short.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURENT LAFON, FRENCH SENATOR (through translator): On this point, we are clear. It is not because there were Liverpool fans who accompanied their team that it went wrong. It is because the organization did not anticipate that Liverpool fans are known to travel, en masse, even when they do not have tickets.

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KINKADE: Well, at the time, there was widespread criticism of how the fans were treated. The European Football Organization later apologized for what it called frightening, and distressing events.

Thanks so much for joining us for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. WORLD SPORT starts after a short break, and I'll be back at the top of the hour with much more news.

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