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Calmer Streets After Chaotic Protests in Sri Lanka; President Biden Meets Israel's Prime Minister; Ukraine-Russia War No End in Sight; Ukraine's Grain Finally Getting Through; Inferno's Breath Hits Western Europe. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 14, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead here on CNN Newsroom. Much calmer on the streets of Colombo this hour after angry protests at political palaces on Wednesday. Big questions remain though, who is in charge, and will they curb the chaos in Sri Lanka.
The diplomacy and the controversy. We're live in Jerusalem on U.S. President Joe Biden's high stakes trip to the Middle East.
Plus.
The deepest images of the universe set to music. We will talk this hour to 10cc singer, Graham Gouldman, about his cosmic collaboration with Queen guitarist, Brian May.
UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Thanks for being with us.
Well, Sri Lanka's capital is calm so far today as the nation awaits to learn whether President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will indeed officially submit his resignation. But it was a far different scene on Wednesday after the president abruptly fled the country and the prime minister was named acting president.
Protesters were furious about that. They clash with police, entered the offices of state TV and stormed the prime minister's compound in the capital. The demonstrators blame both leaders for their country's economic collapse.
And we are also just hearing from a lawyer who represents the people's protest movement in the capital who says, all occupied buildings except the presidential office will be handed back to authorities today.
So, let's go to Kyung Lah in Tokyo for the very latest. Good to see you again. So, what is the -- what is the latest that you are hearing on the political and economic situation in Sri Lanka, and what comes next?
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, I think what you are touching on here is the handover of those two offices, the presidential palace, as well as the prime minister's residence. That's really a sign that the protesters on the street and it was a lawyer who announced that, to try and lower the temperature after, really, a chaotic day yesterday in Sri Lanka, in the capital.
So, this is an attempt to try and calm things down. But at the same time, we are seeing this report from the prime minister's office that a curfew will be instilled starting from today all the way until tomorrow morning in Sri Lanka.
So, an attempt here to try to cool things on the street, but what you are -- but the pressure and anger is still there because the president who fled his country to go to the Maldives still hasn't turned in his resignation. That's what the protesters want, they want his resignation.
There is also the simmering feeling that the prime minister who is there is really just an arm of the president that they don't, who represent a family that they don't like, and who they blame for all of the economic problems that the people are suffering from which really comes from inflation.
The collapse of the middle class where they can't get enough energy to run their houses, to run their cars, to feed their children, and to get medicine to the sick. So, there are a lot of problems happening in Sri Lanka. Those kitchen table issues that are being blamed on the mismanagement on the country, and including global pressure on the economy.
So, all of this put together means they want the leadership out, that has not happened yet, but there is a step today at least to try to cool things down. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Absolutely. But still a shocking situation for the country and the people there. Kyung Lah joining us there. I appreciate it.
All right. I want to turn to Israel now where U.S. President Joe Biden is about an hour away from a meeting with the new Israeli Prime Minister yair Lapid.
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Mr. Biden is hoping to bring Israel closer to normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia which he visits this weekend. On Wednesday, he got a briefing on the Iron Dome defense system and its next generation successor, the Iron Beam.
Later, Mr. Biden laid a wreath at World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Before he left Washington, he spoke with Israel's Channel 12 about his objectives.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The trip was about stability in the Middle East, it's overwhelming to the United States of America to have more stability in the Middle East. The more Israel is integrated into the region as an equal and accepted, the more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to accommodation with the Palestinians down the road.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: So, let's go live now to Jerusalem, and journalist Elliott Gotkine, he joins us live. Good to see you, Elliott. So, what is being said about expectations of this imminent meeting between President Biden and Israel's new Prime Minister Lapid?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, I suppose measured would be the worst to describe the expectations for this meeting with Yair Lapid the new Israeli prime minister. They are due to discuss things which are in line what President Biden was just saying in that clip about stability, that means reiterating the U.S.'s support for Israeli security.
And we saw that also in the imagery of President Biden receiving that briefing about the Israel's missile defense systems, it's about encouraging more normalization, deepening those so-called Abraham Accords.
Yes, in the words of President Biden it will take a very long time for normalization to take place between Israel and the Saudis. But we will see perhaps some baby steps as we have been discussing, flights from Israel are expected to be able to fly over Saudi airspace after this strip.
And also, Muslims flying from Israel will be able to chart to fly directly to the kingdom to attend the Hajj pilgrimage. And then there is the issue of Iran which also falls under the scope of stability. We had President Biden in that interview with Israel Channel 12 News, saying that the U.S. is prepared to use force to prevent Iran to get nuclear -- from getting nuclear weapons, albeit as a last resort.
And Iran will very much be on the agenda when he has that bilateral meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and it will also, of course, be front and center when they signed this joint declaration at a press conference this afternoon in which both Israel and the United States will put in writing that commitment to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon, and also in the words of a U.S. administration official to address Iran's destabilizing activities, and also, in particular, its threats and the threats of its proxies against Israel.
Now there are other things that are going to be discussed today in between those two, Biden and Lapid get together. There will be a meeting of the new grouping called the I2U2, which is, India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. It's going to be a virtual meeting, and they will be discussing things like clean energy and food security. And with food security in mind, they will also be discussing Ukraine
as well in the bilateral meetings. So, plenty on the agenda, but as I said the expectations are reasonably measured. No one is expecting any great major developments such as a normalization of ties between Israel and the Saudis, nor any real progress in the Israeli- Palestinian peace process which remains more (Inaudible) though we do expect President Biden to reiterate the hope and the support for a two-state solution and to keep the prospect of that one day happening alive. Even in his own words, it's not something that's going to happen for a very long time.
So a packed agenda and then slightly less serious, I suppose meetings. He'll be receiving the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Isaac Herzog later today, a short meeting with opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then opening the so- called Jewish Olympics, the Maccabiah Games this evening at a stadium in Jerusalem. So, a busy day ahead. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Very busy. Elliott Gotkine joining us live from Jerusalem. Many thanks.
Suzanne Kianpour is a writer and broadcaster who has spent nearly a decade covering foreign affairs. And she joins me now from Jedda, Saudi Arabia. Thank you so much for being with us.
SUZANNE KIANPOUR, MIDDLE EAST, WRITER AND BROADCASTER: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Well, it is a high stakes Middle East tour for President Biden, the most controversial leg of course being in Saudi Arabia. But let's start with his first visit to Israel as president, his tenth trip there in total.
And the big news so far is the U.S. president saying he would use force as a last resort to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Why do you think he has hardened his language on this issue? Is it to appease Israeli leaders on the sensitive topic of Iran's security concerns given Israel opposes the Iran nuclear deal that we know the U.S. is trying to revive?
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KIANPOUR: So, this trip marks really the beginning of a new chapter here in the Middle East, the actual new Middle East where Israel and its Arab neighbors are unified in a common enemy that being Iran.
Saudi Arabia and Israel are both concerned about the security threats that they received Iran poses to the region, and therefore this kind of hardened language that President Biden has decided to use, saying that, you know, force isn't off the table. And that he is going to be signing this joint agreement in Israel declaring that absolutely, there is absolutely no way that Iran could ever obtain a nuclear weapon.
Now it's important to remember that the White House in recent months has said that Iran has the breakout time for a nuclear weapon has diminished two weeks. So, it is surprising in a way that he has hardened his position, but also just given the fact that they don't want the door to diplomacy to close and they do want to re-enter the Iran nuclear negotiations but it's also not surprising in a sense that they are quite keen for there to be this Israel-Saudi defense alliance here in the region.
And in a way these two countries could be the custodian of the region whereas the U.S. won't necessarily have to have such a dominant role here, and that these two countries can kind of take care of this part of the world, if you will, and contain the Iranian threat.
CHURCH: Yes, interesting. So, let's look ahead to the more complicated diplomacy of the U.S. president's trip to Saudi Arabia on Friday. As the presidential candidate, Mr. Biden calls Saudi Arabia a pariah state. So, what changed his mind, and what are the optics of a U.S. president meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman given a 2021 U.S. intelligence report found the crown prince had approved the murder of exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi?
KIANPOUR: Now sources that I spoke to who are familiar with both the Saudi and Israeli thinking have said that they are seeing a way that Biden administration is effectively treating this trip and this potential meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, as twisting themselves into a pretzel, because they have been careful not to say that there is definitely going to be a bilateral between President Biden and MBS.
They have shape it in the form of a multi-party meeting. But of course, President Biden as candidate said that MBS should be a pariah because of this, and except for now domestically he has a huge problem and that soaring gas prices.
And so, the Saudis are going to welcome President Biden graciously because that is their way, but they are -- they are kind of suspicious from people hat I've been speaking to. I mean, just when I landed in Saudi Arabia, I was having a conversation with an official and he immediately discussed kind of how he wished that President Trump had had a second term.
That's no secret President Biden is going to come here knowing that that is the case. And so, yes, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds, because precisely it is a controversial meeting.
CHURCH: All right, Suzanne Kianpour joining us from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Many thanks. I appreciate it.
After weeks of grinding artillery battles in eastern Ukraine, it appears Ukraine's military is taking the fight to the Russians. For the second time in two days, Ukraine claims it hit Russian military targets far from the front lines, this video was shot by the pro- Russian administrator in the city of Horlivka.
Russia's military is responding with stepped up strikes on multiple fronts. Ukrainian officials say a massive Russian attack of more than 10 missiles were fired into the southern city of Mykolaiv early Thursday. One person was reported injured. Ukraine's military says the Russians are still trying to push toward key cities in the central Donbas. One person was reported killed and five injured in a Russian rocket attack on Wednesday in the city of Bakhmut.
And at least two Russian missiles targeted the city of Zaporizhzhia, including one that struck a large factory. Ukrainian officials say seven people were hurt in that attack.
Well, earlier this week, a Russian missile destroyed a century-old school in Mykolaiv. We get the latest now on that from CNN's Ivan Watson.
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This used to be a classroom in school number 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.
VITALIY KIM, GOVERNOR, MYKOLAIV REGION: This is terrorism (Inaudible), because it is like a stretch of Russian to scare civilian people to make panic.
WATSON: What is your message to your own residence 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, the Ukrainian forces have succeeded in pushing back Russian troops in some areas, and the Ukrainians also claimed to have carried out some strikes deep behind Russian front 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 are anticipating even more fighting in the near future. And in the meantime, the Russian military continues to lobbed back long-range munitions at places like Mykolaiv.
And I want to show you this. The teachers say that some other kind of Russian artillery hit the courtyard of the school back in early April spraying the walls of the nearby gymnasium with shrapnel. So, the school has been hit twice since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February of this year. And with Mykolaiv the 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)
CHURCH: So, let's bring in CNN's Scott McLean who joins us live from Kyiv. Good to see you again, Scott. So, what is the latest on the fighting in the south of the country?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rosemary. I should point out the air raid sirens went out here in Kyiv just about 10 minutes ago. I point that only because that has not been a common sound that we have heard in this city over the last couple of weeks. It has been much more common in Mykolaiv.
The sirens went off there this morning, according to the mayor, and there were a series of powerful or explosions. And we are just getting clarification from the local governor as to what exactly those explosions were. The governor says that it was 10 surface-to-air missiles that were fired at the cities.
The targets include two schools, a bus depot, and also a hotel. We are still trying to figure out, we're still trying to get images from the city to figure out what exactly the scale of the damage is. But Mykolaiv and Kherson nearby, the Russian occupied city of Kherson, this is really been one of the active frontlines as of late in this war as the Ukrainians have tried hard to retake that part of the country.
There was another strike at Nova Kakhovka, this is a town about 60 kilometers or so east of Kherson, it is the third time that it has been hit in a week. One Ukrainian officials say that they used U.S. supplied HIMARS systems, they are more precise, they can fire with much more of a range, and much deeper into enemy territory to try to disrupt the supply lines. And that is what they have been trying to do.
Also, in the southern part of the country, Rosemary, the Ukrainians say that the Russians attempted to bomb Snake Island in the Black Sea. But they missed. That's significant only because whoever controls Snake Island can easily control the shipping lanes in those -- in that area, and of course the Ukrainians are right now trying to clear a backlog of ships trying to get grain out to market.
And quickly, in the eastern part of the country as well, of course there has been some shelling, there has been bombings, but the front lines by and large have not changed as of late according to the Ukrainians. The Russians though seen contempt at this stage to try to regroup, to try to get more troops to the front lines before they make any kind of a major push.
CHURCH: And, Scott, what's the latest on the appeal hearing of the convicted Russian soldier given you were in the courtroom for the appeal, weren't you?
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MCLEAN: Yes, the soldier's name is Vadim Shishimarin. He is 21 years old. He was convicted of killing a senior citizen on a bicycle just four days into the war. And he was convicted back in May, and given a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
And so, he was appealing to try to get a more lenient sentence. The hearing yesterday that we attended was actually interrupted by an air raid siren for about an hour. When it resumed his lawyer made the case that, look, he initially refused orders from his superiors to fire his weapon at this civilian that he only fired one time.
And ultimately, and ultimately, it was the circumstances, it was the pressure of the moment that made him shoot. He didn't want to kill. That's the argument that he made. I also spoke to the prosecution, though, and asked him if he has any sympathy at all for a 21-year-old soldier put in this situation. Here's what he said.
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ANDRIY SUNYUK, PROSECUTOR (through translator): I have absolutely no sympathy for these people. I approach this case with a cold heart and clear mind relying only on the facts. And the fact is, that he came to our land and the military equipment in order to destroy as many Ukrainians as possible. He is complicit. No one forces a person to carry out a criminal order.
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MCLEAN: So, there was no ruling made, the next court hearing is later this month. It's possible that there could be a decision made. Then if his sentence is reduced, he would serve no more than 15 years in prison. Because under the Ukrainian justice system, the harshest penalty is life imprison which he's already been sentenced to, the second harshest is 15 years behind bars, Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right, Scott McLean joining us live from Kyiv, bringing us up to date on the situation there on the ground. I appreciate it.
Well, encouraging signs that millions of tons of Ukrainian grain will finally get exported to the international market. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a ray of hope after Wednesday's talks in Istanbul produce the outline of an agreement. A deal to get the exports moving could be finalized as early as next week. Ukraine's president had this reaction.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We are indeed making significant efforts to restore food supplies to the world market. I'm grateful to the United Nations and Turkey for their respective efforts. The success of the story is needed not only by our state but also without exaggeration by the whole world.
If it is possible to remove the Russian threat to shipping it in the Black Sea, it will remove the severity of the global food crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Many parts of the world depend on Ukraine's agricultural products, especially cooking oil. It's sunflower oil accounts for more than 40 percent of the world market. Before the Russian blockade, Ukraine shift about 80 percent of its exports out of its Black Sea ports.
Well, thousands on the run from searing wildfires in western Europe, and now one mayor says her community has become a ghost town because of the fires. That's ahead.
Plus, a widespread heat wave hits China, but instead of cooling down, some are being forced to wait in lines for mass COVID testing. We are live in Beijing with the latest.
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CHURCH: Well, there is no break in sight from a blistering heat wave scorching parts of western Europe. Temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius in parts of Portugal and Spain Wednesday. But this weekend, the heat wave is expected to reach Britain and possibly bring the highest temperatures ever recorded as the heat grips the continent so do massive wildfires.
CNN's Jennifer Gray has our report.
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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. In Portugal, France, and Spain, dozens of wildfires are sweeping the region amid a blistering heat wave, threatening residents and tourists.
MYLENE DOREAU, MAYOR, 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 escaped the raging wildfires.
PASCAN CORDONNIER, TOURIST EVACUATED FROM TROYES, FRANCE (through translator): We see it on TV, we tell ourselves it will 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 (through translator): I have been here for 50 years, and I can't remember something like this ever happening before. It is 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, in Spain, and the whole of the Mediterranean with after very little rainfall, very high temperatures, not just of the air, but of the grounds, 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 drought. Fires blazing across western Europe, it appears the latest impact of human caused climate change in an increasingly warming world.
Jennifer Gray, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, the heat wave has brought record high temperatures to dozens of cities in China. On Wednesday, Shanghai matched its highest temperature ever recorded. Nearly 41 degrees Celsius, that's more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat is also driving up demand on electricity in some cities, with a heavy use of air conditioning.
And for more I'm joined by meteorologist Tom Sater, but first we want to go live to CNN Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang. Good to see you again, Steven.
So, the heat isn't helping those, of course, who have to line up for COVID testing, but talk to us about that situation as well as this heat across China?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Rosemary. It certainly a double whammy that this heat wave is taking place amid a resurgence of COVID cases, especially involving the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5. in many parts of China including in Shanghai.
And because of China's zero COVID policy, that automatically translates into new lockdowns and mass testing. And as you -- as you mentioned, just imagine having to line up in the streets in the scorching sun for hours to get tested.
[03:30:02]
That's why we've already seen images of COVID workers in full Hazmat suits really having to a touch, a hug, or sit, or lie on huge blocks of ice to cool themselves down.
But what's extraordinary about this heat wave is also how widespread and long-lasting it has been. It's been in China for almost a month, affecting 900 million people. That's why on Wednesday, 84 cities across this vast country issued their highest-level red alert, meaning, temperature in their jurisdictions would be exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the coming 24 hours.
Shanghai, actually just issued its latest weather alert for Thursday. So, it's been almost a daily occurrence in the city for -- since Sunday. Remember, in humid places like Shanghai, the field like temperature could be something like 10 degrees higher than what's being reported by the weather service.
And all of this, obviously, having a huge economic implication, as well as the struggling economy trying to recover from previous COVID lockdowns. Already surging demand for electricity has prompted some local authorities to issue orders of power rationing.
And it's also obviously affecting crop production, which in turn could adversely impact prices of animal feeds and meat products, worsening the problem of inflation. So, Rosemary, this heat wave really couldn't have arrived in China at a worse time. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes, you're absolutely right. And, Tom, let's go to you to get a look at whether there's any relief in sight.
TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not really. I mean, we're seeing this across the entire Northern Hemisphere. I mean, from North America, Asia to Europe, all-time records are being set. Parts of the states have been the warmest summer so far. In parts of Texas, second warmest June across Europe.
There are some differences though between Asia and Europe. It's more humid in parts of Asia. And there's been a longer duration. But since 1873, Shanghai is only topped 40 degrees 16 times. But 14 of the last 16 have been since 2009. But the humidity is in place.
Notice areas in the green, so it feels much warmer. The problem is the overnight lows are not dropping below 30 degrees. The body just cannot recuperate. But when you look at these numbers, Chongqing, I mean, you know, their average is 32 and you're well into the 40s. And you're going to stay in the 40s.
And this is not the only area. It's from the northeast areas of Asia, down areas to the south, the southwest as well. Beijing is above their average high of 31 and has been for quite some time. So, we're adjusting all the models. We're seeing temperatures in Europe that are expected that, years ago,
scientists wouldn't even seem feasible that we could reach these levels. If that climate model said, well, some of these numbers, maybe we would see them in 25 to 30 years. But we're seeing now.
A strong southerly wind is coming up from Africa. We've got an area of low pressure just off the coast of Portugal. And it's really creating this lift from the south. So, amber warnings in effect for Britain, it was just for Sunday, but now it's been extended for Monday and Tuesday.
Here are your all-time records for some countries. United Kingdom, 38.7. In 2019, look at the dates here, France, 46 degrees. In 2019, Spain, 47.3 and Portugal 47.4. Both, you know, 2021, just last year and 2003. So, there is definitely a trend here, and that's the change of the climate.
But again, we're going to see more extreme heat, the fire threat across all portions of the Northern Hemisphere. This one the fire threat I think is going to be worse today. Really, right now in Portugal, it's a little bit better, Rosemary, but only marginally as we get in towards the weekend.
CHURCH: Just extraordinary temperatures.
SATER: It is.
CHURCH: Steven Jiang, Tom Sater, many thanks to you both. I appreciate it.
Well, Sri Lanka appears to be on the brink of political change after days of mass protests. A look at the tumultuous past few days and where things go from here.
Plus, the family of the journalist killed in the West Bank wants to meet with President Biden. We'll hear from Shireen Abu Akleh's niece when we come back.
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CHURCH: Well, back to our top story now, the crisis in Sri Lanka. A curfew has now been declared in Colombo from noon Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday. This as the nation's parliament speaker says his office has not yet received an official letter of resignation from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa despite word it would be submitted soon.
The president had agreed to step down, but fled the country Wednesday amid growing protest over the economic turmoil gripping the nation. He later named the prime minister as acting president. Protesters have been calling for both of them to resign.
Well, things are calm in Sri Lanka's capital right now after days of protesters occupying government buildings.
CNN's Will Ripley has more now on the deepening political crisis and where things go from here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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.
UNKNOWN: They got rich while the poor became poorer because they didn't have anything to bother whether they stood in the 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, SENIOR RESEARCHER, CENTER FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES: The situation is extremely dire. I mean it's been bad 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 in to 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: There is 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 hardships faced by people, that this unrest could spread and that there are now new triggers for violence.
RIPLEY: A nation, deeply in debt, descending deeper and deeper into chaos.
[03:39:59]
Will Ripley, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, it is day two of Joe Biden's first visit to Israel since he became U.S. president. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden laid a wreath at the world Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. The U.S. President wiped away a tear as he spoke with two women who survive the World War II genocide.
So far, there are no plans for Mr. Biden to meet with the family of slain Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. U.S. officials examined the bullet that killed her, but said they could not reach a definitive conclusion on who fired it. Abu Akleh's niece explained to CNN's Hadas Gold why her family wants to speak with President Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LINA ABU AKLEH, SHIREEN ABU AKLEH'S NIECE: Sitting with the president is important because it would show that the president cares about Palestinian-American lives and cares about making a difference. And most importantly, that he is on the right path of holding Israel accountable and listening from a family that is grieving.
That is all that we're asking is to sit with us and to listen our concerns. It's also a matter of upholding the values that the president continues to preach about human rights, democracy, and most importantly, about press freedom.
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I find that really interesting once you mentioned that you can't ignore this because it's part of the issues that are here. So, for you, he can't come here without meeting you, without talking about Shireen.
AKLEH: Because Shireen's case represents the bigger picture of what happens in Palestine on a daily basis. It represents the injustice, the oppression and just how our lives are -- we're constantly a target, where if Shireen was not the first journalist to be killed and she wasn't the last.
So, putting an end to this injustice, putting an end to this impunity, is important because it sheds light. It continues to shed light on the greater picture of what Palestinians continue to endure on daily basis.
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CHURCH: Well, 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. Aid groups say trapped residents have no access to water, food or other essential supplies like medicine.
Filling stations across the city have also run out of fuel, because tankers are unable to unload their cargo and fuel trucks can't distribute the gas. The neighborhood's mayor says at least 50 people have been killed since the fighting broke out last week.
Incredible images, incredible inspiration. We will talk with 10cc singer, Graham Gouldman about his collaboration with Queen guitarist Brian May to celebrate new images of the farthest we've ever seen into space. That's next, on CNN newsroom.
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CHURCH: And that is the new track called "Floating in Heaven," a collaboration between Queen lead guitarist Brian May and 10cc founder, Graham Gouldman. The new song celebrates the historic first images taken by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. NASA says the spectacular view is the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date.
The cluster shows how the galaxy appeared over four billion years ago, the powerful telescope is looking into the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system, and could provide some clues into the search for life beyond earth.
So, joining me now from London is Graham Gouldman, singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the co-lead singer and bassist of the hard rock band 10cc, and he also wrote several hits for major rock and pop groups such as, the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, and Ohio Express. So, a real pleasure to have you with us.
GRAHAM GOULDMAN, 10cc SINGER BASSIST: Thank you very much. Very nice to be here.
CHURCH: And, I mean, a lovely, brilliant song in fact, to match those incredible images from space. How did this collaboration with Brian May come about?
GOULDMAN: Well, I wrote the song after being obviously inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope. I wrote the song, played the tune and got to my record company who said, what you could do with this, someone like Brian May who is both a guitarist and an astronomer, an astrophysicist, to play on the track. I thought that was a brilliant idea.
I sent the track to Brian, and he said, I love this. I want to be involved in it. And, we've collaborated on it, not only with him just playing guitar, but he has done backing vocals, and really coproduced it with me.
CHURCH: I want to hear more about your fascination with space. Because as you mentioned, Brian May got his Ph.D., didn't he, in astrophysics about 15 years ago or so.
GOULDMAN: Yes.
CHURCH: So where does your fascination with space come from?
GOULDMAN: Well, I haven't got a Ph.D., I have to say. I think -- just like, you know, from being, you know, a young boy really, I was fascinated with space. We used to -- at weekends go up to the -- where the Jodrell Bank telescope is in Cheshire in the north of England, and that kind of fascinated me.
And I have always sort of had an interest in astronomy anyway, but there is something about the James Webb Telescope that was -- I found so inspirational, and what it is going to do for -- for mankind, really. And, this just sparked something in me, and lead me to write the song.
CHURCH: Yes. I mean, I have to say, for me certainly, since seeing those images, it has put everything into perspective.
GOULDMAN: Yes.
CHURCH: I mean, you realize that, you know, it calms you because you sort of think, well, there is all of that out there, all the things we worry about, all the silly (Inaudible) of life.
GOULDMAN: Yes.
CHURCH: And, really, you look at that, and its extraordinary. Did you have any sort of epiphany like that when you looked at those images?
GOULDMAN: I did actually, I mean, it takes you to another world. There is actually a line in the song, I looked down on our earthly home, it makes our troubles seem so small. I mean, obviously, we have got troubles, but nevertheless, there is something much bigger out there and it -- it gets you thinking about, you know, in a religious way as well, about how flawless this could have all happened. So, it's a, it does inspire lots of big thought.
[03:50:03]
CHURCH: Yes, it really does. And, you know, on top of that, just extraordinary beautiful images, pieces of art in themselves, aren't they? And of course, the song has an atmospheric feel to it now that the world has seen the James Webb Telescope images. How do you think the lyrics, how do they hold up? How do they work in all of that, do you think?
GOULDMAN: I'm really sorry. But I cannot really hear what you -- what you -- what the question was, because the sound is -- they're suddenly start to cracking up.
CHURCH: Can, can you still hear me now? Can you hear me now?
GOULDMAN: No. I'm just, it just sounds the same. It's very, not distorted, but it's sort of --
CHURCH: All right.
GOULDMAN: -- wobbling.
CHURCH: All right.
GOULDMAN: A wobbly sound.
CHURCH: I'm sorry about. Graham Gouldman, it has been an absolute pleasure to have you with us. Thank you so much. And, just extraordinary work. It was great to share.
GOULDMAN: I -- I heard it -- I think I have got a little bit end of that. Its very nice to speak to you. Thank you so much.
CHURCH: Lovely and wonderful to share your work with our viewers. Thank you for joining us.
GOULDMAN: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, scientists have come across a mysterious signal from a galaxy far, far away. In a study in the journal Nature, they say they have detected a very unusual fast radio burst. Its pattern is similar to a heartbeat. Astronomers say the source could be a billion lightyears away, but its exact location and cause of the burst is unknown. Intriguing, isn't it?
Still to come, the CEO of a global governing body in men's golf weighs in on the conflict involving the LIV Golf series. We will have more on that in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, Americans are feeling the squeeze from the soaring cost of living as new economic data shows inflation surged to a new 40-year high last month. The consumer price index rose 9.1 percent from a year ago in June. That is well above the 8.6 percent posted in May and a bigger jump than economists had expected.
Now that means, over the past year, the cost of basic necessities has soared. Gasoline prices saw their biggest jump, nearly 60 percent. Food prices are up 10 percent, while shelter costs are more than five and a half percent higher. The latest inflation reading may raise the chance of more aggressive action from the Federal Reserve.
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MAURICE OBSTFELD, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIST, IMF: The headline inflation number is truly scary. Months -- month inflation was 1.3 percent, which is even higher than in March, the month after the war started. And that translates to a 16.8 percent annual rate of price level increase. So, I think the Fed is very worried about this. And 75 basis points for this month is a done deal, maybe even 100 is on the table.
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CHURCH: Well, inflation isn't just an issue in the U.S., countries around the globe are struggling to contain a rise in the cost of living even as economic growth is expected to slow.
[03:54:53]
Bank of America analysts now predict a mild recession could be coming to the United States, while the head of the International Monetary Fund is warning its forecast for global growth is likely to be downgraded again this year. Well, golf's Open championship is marking its 150th anniversary, and
has just teed off at the old course at St. Andrew's in Scotland. But even as this year's British Open as it is also called, features most of the world's top male golfers, a conflict between the sport's governing bodies and a new upstart tour is grabbing attention.
CNN's Alex Thomas has the details.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: As the oldest and most historic of the four annual majors in the men's game, it's significant that the Open has come out firmly on the side of America's PGA tour and Europe's DP world tour in their growing row conflict with this new Saudi-backed breakaway LIV series.
The CEO of the R&A, one of the two global governing bodies of golf across the world, said he wanted this week to be remembered for the 150th Open championship, a really significant landmark and anniversary. Yet, he also had prepared remarks very much criticizing the LIV series.
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MARTIN SLUMBERS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE R&A: Professional golfers are entitled to choose where they want to play, and to accept the prize money that's offered to them. I have absolutely no issue with that at all. But there is no such thing as a free lunch.
I believe the model we see in Centurion and Pumpkin Ridge is not in the best long-term interest of the sport as a whole, and is entirely driven by money. We believe it undermines the merit-based culture, and the spirit of open competition that makes golf so special.
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THOMAS: Slumbers went on to say that, while the open will not ban LIV golfers, they reserve the right to change their qualification criteria in the future. That sounded like a veiled threat to LIV players who have yet to secure world ranking points for their tournaments.
An issue of conflict of interest was raised during the Slumbers' press conference because as the head of the R&A, he also sits on the board of the Official World Golf Rankings organization which will rule on LIV's application.
The winner of the 150th Open at the home of golf will secure a special place in this sport's history, and if it's also a LIV golfer, that lifts the Claret Jug, it will only add to this growing controversy at the top of the men's game.
Alex Thomas, CNN, St. Andrews.
CHURCH: And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. CNN Newsroom continues in just a moment with Christine Macfarlane in London, and Becky Anderson in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
This is CNN.
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