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Wildfires, High Temps Continue To Grip Southern Europe; Firefighters Battling At Least 90 Wildfires Across Greece; Niger's Military Announces President's Ouster; Actor Kevin Spacey Cleared of All Sexual Assault Charges; Sinead O'Connor Dies at 56. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 27, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:56]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SINEAD O'CONNOR: Nobody compares to you.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: As a singer, her voice was unique and powerful as an activist unforgettable. But now it's fallen silent. Remembering Sinead O'Connor
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Good to have you with us. We begin in southern Europe with dozens of new wildfires -- wildfires have ignited fueled by an unrelenting heat wave. The Greek fire service has reported 61 new fires in the past day alone. They're spreading in central Greece killing two people Wednesday and threatening the country's main agricultural hub. Parts of the country reached 46 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
In Portugal, hundreds of firefighters were able to contain a fire that broke outside the capital Lisbon. Wildfires still burning in other parts of the country and also in Southern Spain.
Italy is seeing some of the highest temperatures in Europe right now. Ten fires are burning in the south and four elderly people before they died on Tuesday. CNNs Nada Bashir shows us the devastation the fires are now causing across Europe.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Through Italy's blackened hills, the scorched remnants of charred land as emergency teams continue to battle wildfires across the country southern regions. In Sicily on Tuesday, terrifying scenes as one resident raced through fire-lined roads to Palermo airport, which itself was brought to a standstill by the crisis.
Authorities say the vast majority of evacuated residents on the island have now been able to return home. But in other parts of the country, anxious locals look on as flames spread dangerously close to their homes. In Palermo, a local church sustained significant damage. Residents say they can only be thankful but no one was hurt.
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VINCENZO BRUCCOLLERI, REVEREND, SANTA MARIA DI GESUI CONVENT: The damage is enormous and we literally lost the church. But on the other hand, we are happy that there was no one injured.
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BASHIR: But Italy is not alone. Across the Mediterranean countries including Greece, Spain, and Portugal are battling extreme weather from devastating fires to deadly stalls. In the Portuguese town of Cascais, more than 500 firefighters were drafted into tackle a now contained wildfire.
Meanwhile, on the Greek Island of Rhodes, emergency teams are still working tirelessly to tackle the blaze. Some residents here have been forced to evacuate their homes. But others have stayed to volunteer, desperate to save their communities.
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STAVOS NIKITARAS, PORTUGUESE VOLUNTEER: We don't have any help in the -- in the island. You see all the people that are living here, they come to help. I'm not from this village but I have friends here so I came to help.
MARIA PARDALOU, PORTUGESE VOLUNTEER: Every year, they say we will do the things will better. Nothing. Every -- every summer the same. The same every summer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Beyond Europe, wildfires are also ravaging parts of Turkey and North Africa. In Algeria, authorities say they have managed to contain the deadly blaze, which has so far killed dozens. But some residents who sought shelter from the devastation say they came back to nothing.
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TAWUS TIMIZAR, ALGERIAN RESIDENT: When we returned home, we found everything was burned and there was nothing left. No furniture, no money, everything was burned.
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BASHIR: The loss and devastation wrought by wildfires is becoming an all too familiar reality across this region as experts warn that extreme heat events will only become more frequent and more severe over the coming years unless urgent changes are made. It is a troubling prospect for a region already in the depths of a climate crisis. Nada Bashir, CNN Rome.
VAUSE: Joining us now from the Greek Island of Rhodes is Maria Fegkou, a volunteer with the Hellenic Red Cross.
Maria, thank you so much for being with us and thank you very much for taking the time. Can you tell us what is the latest set right now? Are fires on Rhodes anywhere near contained? Have they gotten worse overnight or are they improving? What do you know at this point?
[01:05:11]
MARIA FEGKOU, VOLUNTEER, HELLENIC, RED CROSS: Thank you for having me. The fires subside today. During the night, it was much better than the previous days that we had the high winds, which rekindled actually, all the fires that we had. Since the first day, we had several fires in multiple areas from the islands, mostly on the south and the volunteers of Hellenic Red Cross responded from the first day providing assistance to the affected areas by having health station. Health stations, actually, because we were in many places where they first were on and provided also psychological support to the locals, the population, the -- all the volunteers that we were helping to catch the fire. And today, it seems to be a better day.
VAUSE: A better Day, thank goodness. How great has the need been on the Island of Rhodes for the assistance that you and volunteers from the Red Cross have been providing? Have you ever been through an emergency like this at any time in the past?
FEGKOU: We have been in emergency not exactly like this. But this is the first time that a fire lasts so many days. On 2021 -- 2021, August 1st, we had also a fire that lasted almost a week. But today's the 10th day of the fires on the island. So this is a -- this is the most heartbreaking incident on the island.
VAUSE: How -- How much damage has been done to Rhodes to the tourism industry, to homes to businesses there because of these fires. I know it's only now that you may be getting some kind of idea about that. But what's your sort of first impressions?
FEGKOU: The impact is huge to the environment. The home -- the overall well-being of the population and the economy because we are -- we're a touristic destination. So the impact is also bad because the -- the guest of the islands, they -- they leave the island, of course, you know, and there are so many cancellations for tourists that they -- they don't want to travel to the island and they go somewhere else. Well, it will take a long time for us to -- to recover.
VAUSE: Maria, thank you so much for speaking with us. Thank you for what you do and we wish you all the very best. Please stay safe and be well. Thank you.
FEGKOU: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, in the past few hours, the United Nations, France, and Britain have joined the growing international condemnation of a military power grab in Niger. A group of military leaders appeared on state TV Wednesday night, saying President Mohamed Bazoum had been ousted, the Constitution dissolved, all institutions suspended, and the nation's borders were closed. Larry Madowo is monitoring these developments. He joins us out live
from Nairobi. I guess the first question, were there any signs that this military takeover or coup was in the in the offing? Was it likely and why now? What are they -- what are they complaining about? What's the sort of main gripe here?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, there were no major outward signs that President Mohamed Bazoum was about to be ousted, at least not anything that was widely reported or talked about in diplomatic circles. And this is a major setback for democracy in Niger.
President Mohamed Bazoum was the first time that the country saw a democratic transfer of power peacefully since it got independence from France in 1960. We don't know the location of President Bazoum or his safety. And in fact, the United Nations Secretary-General is saying he's concerned for his safety and well-being and he needs to be released without any conditions. It's never a good sign for democracy in Africa when a group of soldiers in uniform show up and television and in Niger that happened. I want to show you a bit of what they said.
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AMADOU ADRAMANE, COLONEL MAJOR, NIGER ARMY SPOKESPERSON: Brought together by the national council for the safeguarding of the country, we have decided to put an end to the regime that you know. This follows the continuing deterioration of the security situation and poor economic and social governance.
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MADOWO: These soldiers say they still just say they will maintain their obligations to the national and international community. But obviously, the biggest ask right now from the international communities for the release of President Mohammed Bazoum and the return to civilian rule. Niger has seen four coups since 1960, since independence, and yet that is still not even as high as other neighbors in -- in the region. Niger has become the linchpin, the centerpiece of the West's Sahel security strategy, especially as the region bad -- battles and -- a jihadist problem, especially strongly in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. This has seen to be a bit more peaceful part of this neighborhood and that's why this is a major setback in this country.
We don't know what happens here whether these soldiers will agree to lead Mohamed -- President Mohamed Bazoum go to a neighboring country at that, like has happened for instance, in Burkina Faso. A lot of questions here. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke on Wednesday with President Bazoum, assured him of the United States' support as the democratically elected President of Niger. There's been wide condemnation already from the African Union, from the European Union, from France, and from the regional body, the economic community of West African States who said that they will hold everybody accountable for the safety and security the President and his family and all government officials here. But still early days. It's just after 6:00 a.m. in the Niger. So as people wake up today, there's going to be figuring out what happens now for the country and where does the democracy go from (inaudible).
VAUSE: And -- and just very quickly, Larry. Has there been any kind of protest? We saw a small gathering of people protesting what appears to be this power grab by the military. But what sort of support does the President, this ousted President have amongst the population?
MADOWO: There were some spontaneous protests yesterday, on Wednesday, when it was reported that President Hamid Bazoum was being held by the presidential -- by the Presidential guard in the presidential palace. The presidency, the official accounts tweeted some pictures of people gathering to show support for the democracy again, for a country that's had four coups since 1960. Many Nigerians want peace and security. They don't want this military man in charge because they've seen the effect that has in their neighborhood that's why some people showed up to declare support for the President. But now he's gone. So they're going to have to go back to the drawing board.
VAUSE: Larry, thank you. Larry Madowo with the very latest here on the situation in Niger. Thank you, sir.
African leaders arriving in St. Petersburg, Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin. They are expected to ask for concrete promises on grain suppliers after the Kremlin withdrew from the Black Sea grain initiative earlier this month. And because of that wheat prices have risen about 20 percent in less than two weeks.
Suddenly there's also word clarity from Putin on the future the Wagner mercenary group in Africa after that short-lived mutiny in Russia just last month. Wagner provides security for a number of African countries.
The Ukrainian counter-offensive is ramping up with more troops being committed with new fronts being opened in critical areas. And according to U.S. officials, Ukraine has now committed the bulk of his military combat power, which had been held back in reserves since the beginning of the offensive. Ukrainian forces is said to be advancing from the south towards the Russian-held City of Bakhmut.
This video apparently shows a number of those Russian soldiers taking over Russian or Ukrainian soldiers taking over Russian positions. There also -- there's also been an uptick in fighting on the southern front, with reports of Russian forces retreating from some parts. CNNs Clare Sebastian has more on where everything stands right now.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So far, Ukraine's counter- offensive has not dramatically changed the shape of this 800-mile front line. But there are signs for the first time in weeks of progress in some critical areas. In this upper region of Ukraine, clearly still prioritizing efforts to cut through Russia's landbridge connecting Crimea and the Donbas and to reach the Azov.
Now Russian-installed officials and military bloggers say Ukraine has started what they say is a major offensive just south of this town, Orikhiv. This is known as the Melitopol direction, which analysts believe is one of the areas Russia has fortified most heavily when Russian installed official saying Ukraine has used 100 armored vehicles and Western-trained forces and managed to wedge themselves in Russia's first line of defense.
A prominent blogger is also reporting that they've broken through here in three places that we have not been able to independently confirm that. Now moving east of there to another axis. This is Velyka Novosilka on the Donetsk and Zaporizhia border. This is seen as a potential access route down to Berdyans'k.
[01:15:04]
Now Ukraine's military are claiming that they've taken some ground around the Town of Starmayorsk (ph). They've been pushing down along this river since the early part of this counter-offensive. But for the first time in weeks, they're now claiming progress, and separately, Ukraine is not letting up in its efforts to retake the critical town of Bakhmut.
The military spokesman saying they are attacking the city from all sides But the particular focus now on two settlements to the south of the city. We've got them here. They are Druzhikivka (ph), which is just out there and then Deriivka (ph) down here.
Ukraine is not claiming to have liberated them yet. But the spokesman says there is hope for good results. Now these are tiny villages, and Deriivka really just three streets surrounded by agricultural land but they sit on higher ground, which is critical as Ukraine attempts to encircle and trap Russian forces holding on to that devastated city.
That's essentially what we're seeing in all of these key areas fighting for tiny villages and pockets of territory that Ukraine hopes will unlock much bigger gains. Clare Sebastian, CNN London.
VAUSE: An exclusive now on Trevor Reed, the former U.S. Marine who went from being detained in Russia to fighting alongside Ukrainians in the war against Russia. Sources tell CNN he was wounded in battle about two weeks ago. He is expected to make a full recovery.
His family shared this photo with him inside Ukraine. We're told that Reed first traveled to Ukraine in November. He told his family and friends that his time as a prisoner in Russia motivated him to fight. Reed was freed in a prisoner swap last year.
President -- U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter entered a not guilty plea on tax evasion charges after a deal with Federal prosecutors unexpectedly fell apart. Republicans in Congress are seeing this as an opening to pile on to the younger Biden's legal problems. CNNs Sara Murray has the story.
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After a tumultuous day in Federal Court, Hunter Biden left with no plea deal after a Federal Judge said she was not ready to accept it. President Joe Biden's son arrived at Federal Court prepared to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and to strike a deal to avoid a felony gun charge. After a five-year Justice Department probe that Hunter Biden once
predicted he would emerge from unscathed.
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HUNTER BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT Joe BIDEN'S SON: I am absolutely certain, 100 percent certain that at the end of the investigation that I will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
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MURRAY: Instead Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee wanted to know if the investigation was over. Prosecutors told her it was ongoing. Then the two sides could not agree if Hunter Biden was at risk of additional charges if he took this deal. With that, the deal was derailed.
Eventually, Hunter Biden's team agreed he was not shielded from further charges and the deal seemed for a moment back on track. But then the Judge raised questions about the gun deal. Is this even constitutional, she asked and she said she was not ready to sign off on the deal.
The hearing ended with Hunter Biden in a pro forma move pleading not guilty. The courtroom drama providing another opening for Republican lawmakers who slammed the plea agreement.
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CHIP ROY, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: At least there's some scrutiny going on. The plea deal we saw as it started was garbage.
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JOSH HAWLEY, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: Hunter Biden is getting a sweetheart deal that no other American who wasn't rich and had fathers as the President would ever get, ever.
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MURRAY: Republicans already seeking more information about the Hunter Biden probe after two IRS whistleblowers who worked on the case claimed there was political interference dating back to the Trump administration and continuing under the Biden administration.
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GARY SHAPLEY, IRS WHISTLEBLOWER: There should not be a two-track justice system depending on who you are, and who you're connected to.
MURRAY: The Whitehouse reiterating that the President stands by his son but played no role in the investigation.
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KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This case was handled independently as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of the prosecutor appointed by the former President, President Trump.
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MURRAY: The plea deal was set to cover Hunter Biden's tax transgressions over a five-year span, his drug issues, and his firearm possession charge. Prosecutors say Hunter Biden failed to pay between $1.1 and $1.5 million in federal taxes and they highlighted his substantial income from Ukrainian and Chinese energy companies saying he did in fact have the funds available to pay his taxes in certain years but he failed to do so. Instead, prosecutors say he spent wildly on personal luxuries and expenses.
Now our team that was in the courtroom for this wild hearing said as it was wrapping up, the Judge did address Hunter Biden and said I know you wanted to resolve this. I'm sorry but she said she has to be careful and how she's handling it. So it's clear that at least for now, Hunter Biden's legal woes are not over neither, of course, are his political woes. Sara Murray, CNN Washington.
VAUSE: Republican leader in the U.S. Senate Mitch McConnell is brushing off concerns about his health but questions persist after he froze mid-sentence, literally froze for that 30 long seconds during his weekly news conference on Wednesday.
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MITCH MCCONNELL, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER: We're on a path to finishing the NDA this week. There's been good bipartisan cooperation and a string of --
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VAUSE: That 23 seconds after that, after he stopped talking, his colleagues realized something was up and they moved in and they asked him if he was feeling okay. Here's what happened.
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JOHN BARRASO, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: Are you okay, Mitch? Is the answer you were saying? Let's just go back to your office? Do you want to say again else to the press?
MCCONNELL: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go ahead, John.
BARRASO: We'll take you back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He returned to the news conference a few moments later, when CNN asked him what actually happened if it was related to a fall earlier this year. McConnell said no. He said he's fine. An aide says the senator felt lightheaded.
The 81 year old was hospitalized in March after he tripped and fell at a dinner event suffering a concussion as well as broken ribs. He's not up for reelection until 2026 and hasn't said if he'll run for another term or see the GOP leadership post again in the next Congress.
When I say anticipated clash so far in the Women's World Cup ended with a one-all draw. The Netherlands and the U.S. faced off once again in what was a rematch of the previous World Cup final. CNNs Angus Watson following all the action live for us from Sydney.
Never has a draw been so exciting for so many people. How was it from your point of view?
ANGUS WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, you said it you said it. You said it, John. This was always going to be one of the matches of the group stages here at this World Cup and it did not disappoint. I'll tell you though, Team USA did not get the start. They wanted going down one mill in the first half to a nicely taken goal by Dutch player Jill Roord. The second half was all Team U.S.,pushing for that equalizer. It came around the hour mark with Captain Lindsey Horan nodding it home for a well-taken header and then it was on for Team USA trying to get that winner. It wasn't to be in the end despite a goal by Alex Morgan ruled off-side there.
So 1-1 in the end, perhaps a fair result is these two titans of women's soccer took the pitch in Wellington. Here at the fan zone in Sydney, hundreds of people watched the match. Here's what some of the fans had to say about the result.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I was terrified I thought they were going to lose because the Americans seem really like hyped up for this and they were looking like they were going to kill us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And of course the Americans won last time against the Dutch also. So yeah, was a good match.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hoping to see more of that fire from Moran, that response, and a little bit of ticky-tacky in the middle. We love to hear that response especially from like the strong women in the U.S.
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WATSON: So there are so many superlatives when it comes to this team USA side, John. Of course, they're going for the three peat, three World Cups in a row. No teams ever done that. But when they went one kneel down in the first half, it was the first time this team had trailed in a World Cup game since 2011 equaling it up to make it one all meant that Team USA has not lost a World Cup game in '19. They've never lost a World Cup game in the group stages, John.
VAUSE: Thank you for being there live for us in Sydney, appreciate the update. Still ahead this hour on CNN, Israel's Supreme Court sets up a delayed showdown with the Netanyahu government over that newly passed judicial reform law. You know, the one that weakens the Supreme Court. They're going to decide if it does, on that in a moment.
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VAUSE: It now seems Israel's Supreme Court will decide if it has the authority to overturn a law, which has removed its authority to overturn government laws. Confused? You're not the only one. The hearings are set for September, setting up a historic legal showdown within the country between the Supreme Court and the Netanyahu coalition.
Protesters have again been out on the streets against this judicial overhaul. They've been out there for months. This would weaken the Supreme Court's oversight of government decisions stripping its ability to block those laws deemed unreasonable. Now the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is now urging us President Joe Biden to speak out more forcefully against this law, which so many have labeled a move against democracy.
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EHUD OLMERT, FMR. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I say to President Biden, now, if you love Israel, you have to be against this government. And the Israelis will thank you for it and the Jewish people will thank you for it because they know that this is possibly one of the ways in which to stop this government from -- from exercising policies, which may destroy the moral fabric of what Israel was and needs to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More details now from CNNs Fred Pleitgen reporting in from Jerusalem.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Israel's Supreme Court has decided that there will not be an injunction freezing the so-called reasonableness law which was decided by the Knesset on Monday. So that means that the reasonableness law is enforced at this point in time. It also means that right now, Israel's Supreme Court could not shoot down measures by the government of this country on the grounds that it deems them to be unreasonable.
Now, the Court also decided however that it would hear a case, petitions against that law in September. There's a law professor that CNN spoke to who said it really doesn't make very much of a difference whether or not there would have been an injunction because the Supreme Court is in recess anyway until September so it wouldn't decide on any cases until then anyway.
Some of the groups that have put forward these petitions to stop the Reasonableness Act say they are happy with the decision made by the Supreme Court. There was one of them, the Bar Association that says never really wanted an injunction but they are looking forward to having their day in front of the Supreme Court to continue to fight that legal battle. Another group came forward and said yes, they are also going to go in front of the Supreme Court. But they also say In the meantime, protests here in this country are going to continue. In fact, the next major protest here in Israel is scheduled to happen on Thursday. Fred Pleitgen CNN, Jerusalem.
VAUSE: Still ahead here on CNN, For the South Koreans, it's Armistice Day. For the North Koreans, it's Victory Day, whatever you call it, it marks 70 years for the agreement of signing of a ceasefire, which ended the fighting on the Korean Peninsula, more on that when we come back.
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VAUSE: Pyongyang is rolling out the red carpet for visiting Russian and Chinese delegations as part of the 70th anniversary of the Armistice agreement, which ended fighting on the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un showed off his military hardware to the Russian defense minister. It also warmly welcomed a member of Chinese Politburo who stressed that China wants to help North Korea's development and work together on regional peace. More on that from CNNs Will Ripley
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A massive show of force in the North Korean capital. Pyongyang marking 70 years since the end of the Korean War. A time for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to project nuclear power with a powerful patron signaling support. China setting its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019, the first since COVID restrictions plunged the secretive state into near total isolation led by a senior Communist Party official with close ties to President Xi Jinping.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sending his defense minister to North Korea, a visit to strengthen Russian-North Korean military ties the ministry says. Two high-level visits by Russia and China coming at a crucial time for Kim's regime rapidly rising tensions with the U.S. North Korea's longest-ever ICBM test. A barrage of ballistic and cruise missile launches, a rare stopover in South Korea by a nuclear- capable us submarine, and one week ago an American soldiers surprise sprint into North Korea. U.S. Army Private Travis King, the first active duty U.S. service member to cross the heavily armed border in more than 40 years.
The Korean DMZ, the demilitarized zone is one of the most heavily fortified border areas in the world. That's the reason why you have barricades and spike strips and all of these military checkpoints try to prevent people from being able to go in or come out.
I've made several trips to the North Korean side of the DMZ, including this visit in 2015.
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RIPLEY: Is there a real danger here of something breaking out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
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RIPLEY: That ominous exchange with a North Korean soldier came true last week. A U.S. soldier sprinting across the military demarcation line during a tour of the heavily armed joint security area.
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ANDREW HARRISON, GENERAL, DEPUTY COMMANDER, UNITED NATIONS: Clearly, we're in a very difficult and complex situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: A situation some say should never have happened. Private King was being sent home to be booted from the army. He spent almost 50 days in a South Korean jail for assault but somehow managed to join a tour group visiting the DMZ. King's name on a passenger manifest approved by the United Nations Command.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: How could that person's name in any situation to be allowed to actually get so close where they can run across, you know, into North Korea?
HARRISON: That ongoing inquiry seeks to establish details such as those.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: The State Department says North Korea acknowledged receiving a message from the U.N. Command last week, radio silence ever since. King's condition, his location, his future in North Korean captivity unknown. Will Ripley, CNN, Seoul.
VAUSE: In Haiti, many residents have fled their homes with escalating gang violence seeking safety in the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. And now they're calling on their own government to restore some kind of law and order so they can actually return home.
CNN's Rafael Romo has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Terrified people flee an area around the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti after what appears to be tear gas is deployed.
For the last several days people have camped out outside the embassy apparently because they feel it is one of the last few places where they can be safe.
Local residents say gangs are laying siege to the Tabarre (ph) neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, the same neighborhood where the U.S. Embassy is located. This local resident says gangs are brazenly killing people just a few
steps from the embassy and that is why many have decided to flee their homes.
The U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince called Tuesday for an embassy personnel to remain inside the compound after three days of gang activity and gunfire near the building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do not know the reason for gang violence, gangs just shoot, and they ask for control of the area. They took our house and we are in the street. We want help to go back home. To the Haitian government, we send this message because we want to come back home.
ROMO: Haitian security forces have struggled to contain the gangs in the last few years especially after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.
Those criminal groups have assumed control of vast swaths of the country.
In early July, the medical humanitarian charity Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medicins Sans Frontieres, had to stop their work at one of the hospitals in the Tabarre neighborhood and have said around 20 armed men forcibly entered the hospital to remove a patient being treated for gunshot wounds from the operating room.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres made an urgent plea after visiting the country in early July.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We are not calling for a military or political mission of the United Nations. We are calling for a robust security force, deployed by member states to work hand in hand with the Haitian national police to defeat and dismantle the gangs and restore security across the country.
ROMO: Guterres added that the Haitian people are trapped in what he described as a living nightmare, calling humanitarian conditions in the Caribbean country, beyond appalling.
Rafael Romo, CNN -- Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: CNN has reached out to the Haitian authorities, and the U.S. embassy to comment, we have not heard back.
The European Central Bank widely expected to raise interest rates by a quarter point later today, mirroring the U.S. Federal Reserve which raised rates Wednesday to the highest level in more than 20 years.
CNN's Matt Egan has details.
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MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: The Fed is resuming its fight against inflation, for now at least. This move lifts rates to 22 year highs. It marks the 11th rate hike from the Fed, since this process began March of last year.
The big question is, whether or not this will be the last rate hike of this cycle. That is what a lot of investors believe. The Fed statement didn't really offer any clues on that front. It was is basically identical to the statement from the June meeting.
And during a press conference Fed Chair Jerome Powell, he played it pretty close to the vest. He did not really tip his hand about what the fed would do next. Listen to Powell.
JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: I would say it is certainly possible that we would raise funds again at the September meeting if the data warranted. And I would also say it is possible that we would choose to hold steady at that meeting. We're going to be making careful assessments, as I said, meeting by meeting.
And, I will close by saying we have raised the federal funds right now by 525 basis points since March 2022, monetary policy we believe is restrictive and it's putting downward pressure on economic activity and inflation.
EGAN: Powell even admitted that in this environment the Fed does not really want to provide much guidance about what it is going to do next because there is just so much uncertainty. Officials are not really sure.
Powell he did drop some hints about what it would take for the Fed to stop raising interest rates. He said they are looking for three things. One, for economic activity to continue to moderate. Two for supply and demand and the jobs market to come in to a better balance. And three he wants to see core inflation continue to improve.
Core inflation excludes food and energy, and he said for now it remains, quote, still quite elevated. The Fed chair also responded to a question about whether or not all this resilience in the economy, it has caught investors and economists off-guard, whether or not that is really a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to inflation.
And he said, of course it is good to see inflation cool off, without the economy get derailed but he did acknowledge that if the economy continues to strengthen then that could heat inflation backup, and actually force a tougher response from the Fed.
[01:39:55]
EGAN: So for now, Powell is keeping everyone guessing about whether or not the Fed is done raising interest rates or if it still has more work to do.
Back to you.
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VAUSE: Billionaire Joe Lewis is one of the richest men in the U.K. And now he's been indicted in the United States on insider trading charges. Attorneys for Lewis say he's a man of impeccable integrity, and they plan to fight the charges.
More details now from CNN's Anna Stewart reporting in from London.
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ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: He is a billionaire businessman, the founder of investment firm the Tavistock Group and controls British football club, Tottenham Hotspur.
Now he is charged both by the FCC and the U.S. Attorney's office of the Southern District Court of New York with committing insider trading and financial fraud.
DAMIAN WILLIAMS, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: We allege that for years Joe Lewis abused his access to corporate boardrooms and repeatedly provided inside information to his romantic partners, his personal assistants, his private pilots, and his friends.
Those folks then traded on that inside information, and made millions of dollars in the stock market. Thanks to Lewis, those bets were a sure thing.
STEWART: A former girlfriend and two of his Lewis' pilots face civil charges of securities fraud by the FCC. The pilots also face criminal charges.
Now to give one example of the allegations, the indictments says Lewis gave the pilots loans of half a million dollars each, so they could buy the stock of Mirati Therapeutics.
Now that's a biotech firm in which Lewis was a major stakeholder. One of the pilots texted a friend in connection to that loan advising them to buy the stock. Writing, "Boss is helping us out and told us to get asap. All conversations on app is encrypted, so all good, no one can ever see." Allegedly, the pilot then sold their stock of Mirati Therapeutics at a profit.
On Wednesday, Joe Lewis appeared in court, and pleaded not guilty. he has been released on bail now for $300 million. A sum secured by his yacht and private aircraft.
Lewis' lawyer says the U.S. government has made an egregious error in judgment in charging him and says he will be defended vigorously in court, there be a lengthy trial. Lewis faces a total of 19 criminal counts including fraud and conspiracy. And if found guilty, he could face a lengthy jail sentence too.
Anna Stewart, CNN -- London.
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VAUSE: We will take a short break. When we come back, how dogs could help protect Mongolia's grasslands and many species that depend on what is a critical landscape.
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VAUSE: About 80 percent of Mongolia is covered by grassland habitat like no other. But more than two-thirds of the ecosystem is in decline putting not just livelihoods but also endangered wildlife at risk.
[01:44:49]
VAUSE: In today's Call to Earth, we'll meet an animal, yes, once nearly lost to Mongolia that could help protect the country's biodiversity and its nomadic way of life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the vast Mongolian steppe there are predators, there are prey and there are protectors. For centuries Bankhar dogs guarded herd animals from wolves, eagles, and other dangers. Communist campaigns against traditional herding lifestyles in the 19th century almost wiped the dogs out. But the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project is helping their -numbers to return and protect biodiversity in the process.
At a center in central Mongolia, 100 kilometers from the capital, Batbaatar Tumurbaatar and his team research and breed the Bankhars.
BATBAATAR TUMURBAATAR, PROJECT MANAGER, THE MONGOLIAN BANKHAR DOG PROJECT: We also train them to follow the herd, teaching them how to be leashed and follow instructions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After getting a trained Banhkar some herders tell him that livestock losses of around 60 are now down to zero. Thus stopped them from hunting predators which are often endangered species themselves.
TUMURBAATAR: The underlying logic is that herders have no reason to shoot these animals if they do not harm their livestock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But human conflict is just one of the threats to these animals. Their habitat is at risk, due to climate change and a rapid increase in brazen livestock according to The Nature Conservancy.
GALBADRAKH DAVAA, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, MONGOLIA, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY: According to some study, over 70 percent of Mongolian grasslands are all grazed that is causing loss of some species.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a bid to preserve its biodiversity, Mongolia had designated dozens of protected areas, including one where livestock cannot graze. Like Hustai National Park, it was established in 1993 to reintroduce the Przewalski's horse considered the last remaining wild horse species on the planet.
Declared extinct in the wild over 40 years ago, now there are nearly 400 they've grown here. There is hope other species can thrive again too. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mountains in the west of Mongolia, is home to
(INAUDIBLE) endangered species such as the snow (INAUDIBLE) and their prey species known as (INAUDIBLE), ibex and many others.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mongolia plans to create a lot more protected areas, 120 million acres. 30 percent of the country by 2030, with nearly 30 percent of Mongolia's population are nomadic herders according to the U.N. Development Programme. So limiting grazing is usually not an option.
Around ten kilometers beyond Hustai's borders, herder Idshee Byambajav and her husband look after a herd of 500 animals. A job that is becoming tougher, she says.
IDSHEE BYAMBAJAV, HERDER: The place is losing its grazing capacity. In summer, there really little grass.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Experts say improving herding practices could help protect this fragile landscape and the Bankhars could come in here too.
Today, Batbaatar is bringing Idshee one of her own.
BYAMBAJAV: I will name the new puppy Shepherd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dogs like Shepherd could help herds travel safely to more varied pastures and allow grasslands more time to regenerate. He says there is more research needed and to how this can counter degradation.
But Batbaatar hopes to drive efforts to safeguard Mongolian ecosystems, one puppy at a time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: I want a puppy.
Let us know what you are doing to answer the call -- have to say, "Call to Earth". Maybe you too could get a puppy. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
We'll be right back.
[01:49:09]
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VAUSE: A London jury has found actor Kevin Spacey not guilty of all charges of sexual assault. The four-week long trial came to a stunning conclusion Wednesday with the Academy Award winning actor saying he was humbled by the verdict.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kevin Spacey was brought to tears as the jury found him not guilty of all nine sexual offense charges against him. This brought to an end the nearly four-week trial in which very serious accusations were brought against the award winning actor, including seven counts of sexual assault and the most serious offense rather of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
This potentially could have resulted in a decades' long prison sentence but, of course, now Kevin Spacey found again cleared of all these charges, found not guilty on all nine counts.
Kevin Spacey appeared to leave, he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, thanking the courtroom staff, thanking the jurors, saying he was humbled by the decision.
But what played out over the course of these four weeks was absolutely riveting, not just for the city but for all of those who followed this case.
Prosecutor bringing forward the accusations of four men dating back to a period between the early 2000s and 2010s when Kevin Spacey was the artistic director of a theater not far from this courtroom, the Old Vic Theater.
The prosecutor, he painted Kevin Spacey as she says, as the sexual bully, who quote, "delight in making others feel powerless". Kevin Spacey of course, hit back at this during the trial, admitting that he is a big flirt in his own words, saying he was sexually promiscuous, saying he did enjoy the company of young people, but of course, saying that didn't make me a bad person, denying all these charges, maintaining his innocence throughout saying that he had looked forward to the opportunity to his day in court to maintain his innocence.
Of course in his mind, in Kevin Spacey's mind he has accomplished that. These incidences all surfaced in the wake of the #metoo movement, so this could potentially be seen as a blow to that movement.
But for Kevin Spacey, today he feels he is victorious, and looks to try to get back, reclaim his award-winning acting career.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Singer/songwriter Sinead O'Connor who rose to international fame in the 1990s on (INAUDIBLE) one hit has died. She was 56 years old and the cause of death has not been made public. She made 10 studio albums in her career, left an incredible impression on music.
CNN's Randi Kaye looks back at her rise to fame and her deeply troubled life which followed.
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(MUSIC)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sinead O'Connor singing the hit song that catapulted her to international stardom, "Nothing Compares 2 You". The song was written by Prince. And in 1990, she topped the music charts with her version of it.
The Irish singer earned four Grammy nominations for this song and the album it was on. She also won the award for MTV's "Video of the Year".
In 1991, "Rolling Stone" magazine named her 'Artist of the Year".
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KAYE: O'Connor's singing voice was extraordinary, pure power, and her stage presence electric. But behind all of that or perhaps helping fuel it, there was pain, lots of it. O'Connor spoke about how her mother abused her in a recent Showtime documentary called "Nothing Compares".
[01:55:01]
SINEAD O'CONNOR, IRISH SINGER: My mother was a very violent woman, not a healthy woman mentally at all. And she was physically and verbally and psychologically, spiritually and emotionally abusive.
My mother was a beast. And I was able to soothe her with my voice. I was able to use my voice to make the devil fall asleep.
KAYE: Some time after her parents divorced, O'Connor at aged 14 was sent away to live in an asylum run by the Order of Our Lady of Charity.
O'CONNOR: I was a bit messed up and it wasn't acknowledged what had happened to me in my mother's house.
KAYE: O'Connor's mother died in a car accident in 1985, two years before her debut album was released.
(MUSIC) KAYE (voice-over): O'Connor often used her music to address social issues and inspire change. In 1992 on "Saturday Night Live", O'Connor tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
(MUSIC)
O'CONNOR: Fight the real enemy.
KAYE: In 1999, she became the first priestess of a dissident Roman Catholic group. And after the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal broke wide open, she called on the Vatican to stop covering up the truth, telling Anderson Cooper this in 2010.
O'CONNOR: The one thing that the victims really require for healing and so do the rest of us as Catholic people is a full admission by the Vatican that there was an active cover-up in operation for decades since 1922.
KAYE: O'Connor long struggled with her mental health. She attempted suicide at age 33. In 2017, she posted this video of herself at a motel in New Jersey in the midst of a mental breakdown.
O'CONNOR: What do you do? The people who suffer from mental illness are the most vulnerable people on earth. We can't take care of our (EXPLETIVE DELETED) selves.
KAYE (voice-over): A year later, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat. Last year, O'Connor's 17-year-old son Shane died by suicide. O'Connor shared this photo of the two of them just last week on Twitter.
Despite saying in 2021 she would quit making music and touring, O'Connor recently recorded the opening song for the hit show "Outlander's" seventh season.
(MUSIC)
KAYE: Sinead O'Connor was 56.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:57:39]
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