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Thousands Of Nigerians Rally In Support Of Coup Leaders; Ukraine Strikes Bridges Between Crimea & Occupied Areas; New York City Struggles To House Asylum Seekers; Sweden Eliminate Defending Champions U.S.; UNICEF:76 percent of Children in South Asia Face Extreme Heat; "Lonely Planet" Marks 50 Years; Endangered Bear Gets Its Moment in the Sun. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 07, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:28]
LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching from around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. Ahead on CNN Newsroom, uncertainty hangs over Niger after the deadlines to reinstate the country's ousted President passed with little fanfare, and no military intervention.
Ukraine takes aim at Russian supply routes striking two bridges linking Crimea with Russian held territory in the South.
Plus, lonely planet turns 50. We'll talk to one of the founders about the humble beginnings of what would become a travel guide empire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Laila Harrak.
HARRAK: Coup leaders have announced the closure of new shares airspace after ignoring demands from neighboring countries to reinstate the President by Sunday or face potential military intervention. As the deadline was set to expire, the military, Junta, remained defiant holding a large rally in the capitol where thousands of Nigerians voiced their support for the crew. Some people also took to the streets after the Junta instructed them to patrol the region for any signs of, quote, foreign spies. The coup leaders also urged their supporters to stand up to any potential threats from outside countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMADOU ABDRAMANE, NIGER MILITARY SPOKESMAN (through translator): Niger's armed forces and all our defense and security forces backed by the unfailing support of our people are ready to defend the integrity of our territory and the honor of our homeland. To this end, the National Council for safeguarding the homeland launches a vibrant appeal to the youth to the worthy daughters and sons of our country to stand ready to defend the homeland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Well, Italy and the U.S. have redrawn dozens of troops who were based in Niger. And the Italian Defense Minister says 75 soldiers arrived in Rome on Sunday after leaving the Nigerien Capitol. They were part of a bilateral support mission tasked with fighting illegal trafficking and security threats in the area. The U.S. and at least still have several 100 soldiers stationed in Niger. And many are set to leave next week.
CNN's Larry Madowo has more now on the crisis in the region. And the response from the West African bloc ECOWAS.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This block of West African countries is left with two equally terrible choices, but they boxed themselves into this position to start with, when ECOWAS the Economic Community of West African States threatened to militarily intervene in Niger within a week, if the government of President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated.
This was always going to end up here. If they invade the country, then they risk of humanitarian crisis but also getting involved in a protracted battle. If they do not, then another military has successfully overthrown a government which they don't want to the region. And the country appears to be warming up increasingly toward the military as ECOWAS, as France, as the international community continues to talk tough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALKASSOUM ABDOURAHAMANE, SAHEL SECURITY & POLITICAL ANALYST: More than military, they received support from many person. You can see that rarely, today they are receiving support from many people, even those who they don't understand what's happening politically. But the way it was talking about military intervention to attack Niger, the way France talk about it is implicated under these kind of things, and the DTC creating a party will take forever, for some rarely the majority of Niger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: That analyst Alkassoum Abdourahamane, yes, agrees that ECOWAS could be stronger, tactically, equipment wise, but it'll take a long time to even get the boots on the ground in Niger. And if they did get there, the people who would suffer is ordinary Nigerien people, 16 aid organizations say 4.4 million people already need humanitarian help, a combination of sanctions and political instability and a war is the last thing they need. So ECOWAS this group of West African countries has got to decide how they're going to play this.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
HARRAK: Joining me now Cameron Hudson. He's a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Center. Cameron, thank you for coming back on with us. There has been no breakthrough. How decisive are the next two hours and days?
CAMERON HUDSON, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CSIS AFRICA CENTER: Well, certainly the next few days are going to be quite decisive. The ECOWAS deadline has passed. Clearly there's been no military intervention organized by ECOWAS. And as a matter of fact, it has I think galvanized the region against the idea of military intervention not only do Mali's allies in or rather Niger's in Mali and Burkina oppose it, but we've heard from Chad, we've heard from Algeria.
[01:05:27]
And certainly from the Nigerien Senate, all of which oppose the idea of military intervention. So ECOWAS is going to have to huddle over the next few hours and days, and really come up with a new plan for how they can continue to mount pressure on the Junta in Niger, while at the same time not escalating the situation, because tensions are already quite high.
HARRAK: Are you surprised by the amount of support there is for the coup within Niger for as far as we can tell? What does that signal to you?
HUDSON: Well, I don't know how much it signals right now, I think we have a population that's clearly demonstrating some amount of frustration. But, you know, they're also susceptible to the kind of state media announcements we saw last week, when the Junta went on television and told people to essentially attack the French Embassy, they did. So I think we have a population that is quite susceptible to these kinds of messaging, which is why I think in other countries, we've seen disinformation and propaganda campaigns by Russia, and by those Juntas, you know, begin to take traction, to gain traction.
So I think we have to be very careful that this isn't a young population, it's an impressionable population, and its population of people who are, are quite frustrated with, you know, economic development, job opportunity, and just their prospects. So I think we have to take that into account when we look at these shows of support for the Junta.
HARRAK: Yes, because that's really interesting. You know, we've seen Russian flags being waved, French flags being burned in a country that, what, about two weeks ago was an ally of the United States and France? What challenges is the showdown now present to the U.S., for instance, at this juncture. I mean, the prevailing narrative is that of, you know, this is about anti-colonialism. But is it?
HUDSON: Well, I think it's about more than just anti-colonialism. Quite frankly, I think we've seen, you know, many Western officials, I think, struggling to understand this right now, because Niger was seen as a model country, one where they clearly understood or we thought they clearly understood the benefits of Western support, whether through development assistance, security assistance, you know, economic training, and the like.
Clearly, a rejection of that suggests that the entire model that the West has been pursuing in these in these countries, to build state institutions and to strengthen democracy clearly has not had the lasting impact that the billions of dollars and the hours of diplomatic attention, you know, we thought had on it.
HARRAK: Extraordinary now, with coup leaders dug in and not going anywhere, ECOWAS reiterating its demand that the democratically elected leader be liberated and reinstalled. What avenues are there for de-escalation?
HUDSON: Well, I think you're going to see not just ECOWAS weighing in now but the African Union, which has essentially been in the background on this. And hopefully, that, when it's not just the region, but it's the entire continent that is responding, we will start to see some movement there. They can either suspend Niger, they can apply continent wide sanctions, so they have options to continue to mount the pressure, augment the pressure that we've seen ECOWAS do.
But I think right now we're getting to the point where the Junta is really digging in. I think regional leaders are going to have to start exploring the possibility of extracting President Bazoum peacefully from the country, not escalating this into armed conflict, and looking for ways to try to start a conversation about the conditions under which we could envision a return to some kind of civilian if not democratic rule. But I think that's a ways away, frankly.
HARRAK: Cameron Hudson, thank you so much for joining us.
HUDSON: Thanks.
HARRAK: Turning now to Ukraine, where the country's military is confirming strikes on two key bridges between Crimea and Russian occupied areas nearby. Ukraine says the two road bridges targeted on Sunday were the main transportation routes for Russia in those areas. But a Russian appointed official in the Kherson region claims that bridges are used for civilian not military traffic, and that a rupture to a gas pipeline running along one bridge cut off supplies to 20,000 residents. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following developments and has more now from Zaporizhzhia.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Two bridges struck by missiles British supplies Storm Shadow stealth missiles according to some Russian officials, they run from the Crimean Peninsula that was taken by Russia in 2014 up through to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, parts of those that are held by Russia still after their last invasion. And I think the bid potentially here is for Ukraine to sever part of the resupply routes to vital infrastructure for Russia's occupation, particularly in the west of Zaporizhzhia, where so much of Ukraine's counter offensive strength is trying to focus on pushing down to cut Crimea off from the rest of Russian occupied Ukraine.
[01:10:32]
Quite how successful these strikes will be. We don't know Russian officials playing it down and suggesting that these bridges will essentially be mostly running by the end of the day. And then they have a third alternative off to the west of Crimea that they can still use. But it's the pinpoint nature that will surely have Russian officials concerned, essentially in Kyiv suggesting they can switch on and off resupply routes for Russia at will.
And sometimes these attacks do pre-stage and uptick in Ukrainian activity. We simply don't know at this point how effective they have been. But they come after days of tit for tat missile exchanges between the two sides. Ukraine very effective in its use of waterborne drones against a Russian amphibious ship against a Russian oil cargo tanker, even against Russia and bridges into Crimea over the past two weeks attacking things, frankly, that Russia would have thought were impregnable. And at the same time to Russia responding with hypersonic missiles over the past 24 hours, some of which Ukraine acknowledge hits military targets, including an aviation field and an aviation plant near where I'm standing here in Zaporizhzhia.
So an uptick certainly away from the intensity of the fight along the southern frontier where the counter offensive is focused, but that is still where Ukraine is putting most of its efforts, desperate for a breakthrough.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine,
HARRAK: Why Ukraine says an important to airbase in the western part of the country came under attack again on Sunday morning. Ukraine says it is in an area targeted by Russia in a wave of attacks. One official said most of the missiles were shot down by air defense. But one strike did spark of fire that reached a grain elevator in one community. Ukraine also says several private homes were damaged in the attack.
The head of Zelenskyy's office is calling peace talks in Saudi Arabia very productive. Delegations from a number of countries and organizations met in Jeddah to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The Saudi Press Agency says Participants have agreed to continue international consultations and dialogue in hopes of achieving lasting peace in the region. Ukraine said the talks were a step toward the implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Kyiv. Russia's deputy foreign minister said the talks were quote doomed to fail.
Workers in Kyiv installed Ukraine's national tridents on an iconic monument depicting the motherland on Sunday. The 62-year -- is the 62 meter tall steel statue of a female warrior was built in 1981 during the Soviet era. That figure holds a shield which ones had the former blocks coat of arms on it, but that has now been replaced.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEKSII PERHAMENSHCKYK, SCULPTOR OF THE TRIDENT (through translator): People can recognize that it's a train it from all sides. It's not too small and not too big, not too thick and not too slim. It's the golden middle. However, the trident is not average. It leaves a lasting impression. It's our national symbol, the symbol of our victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Kyiv moved to replace the symbol is an attempt to shed memories of the former Soviet Union, which Ukraine has stepped up since Russia's invasion.
In Pakistan officials have launched a formal investigation into a deadly train derailment on Sunday. At least 30 people were killed and dozens injured when a passenger train crashed in southern Sindh province. Here's how a survivor describes the moment of the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JETHA NAND, SURVIVOR (through translator): It was so sudden and we were seated comfortably until then. We heard the growling sounds and I gathered that the train had derailed. Then a storm of dust spread than a berth fell on my head and blood splashed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Let's go now to CNN's Anna Coren live for you in Hong Kong. Anna, what more do we know about this deadly train derailment?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laila, as you say the death toll currently stands at 30. The number of injured is at 67. But the death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of the injuries. That's according to officials. And, you know, looking at the pictures of this mangled wreckage. It's not difficult to understand why. Yesterday, the Hazara Express left Karachi, which is Pakistan's largest city at around 8:00 a.m. local time with 950 passengers on board. The train was heading to a butter bud. Now more than five hours into the journey at 1:18 p.m., the train derailed near the town of Nawabshah in Sindh province. That's about 275 kilometers from Karachi.
[01:15:16]
It was traveling at a low to moderate speed, 45 kilometers an hour when it ran off the tracks. But 10 passenger cars derailed. Now this is in a remote farming area and the first people on the scene were local villages trying to pull survivors from the wreckage. Let's have a listen to one of those eyewitnesses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASIF MIR, EYEWITNESS (through translator): We were standing here, as soon as the accident happened, people started screaming. Everyone was running around in panic. People were totally distraught. Many were injured. Many had died. Local people carried out the rescue operation for almost an hour before the rescue services arrived. We shifted people to local hospitals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Well, as we heard from that eye witness, it did take time, hours in fact for emergency crews to arrive on the scene. And they had to bring in heavy machinery to free those who had been trapped for hours in this mangled wreckage. The injured were taken to local hospitals and military got involved and flew some by helicopter to these hospitals where an emergency was declared to deal with the influx of patients.
We've seen footage of dead bodies covered in plastic outside the hospital next to the injured. Now the cause of the derailment, Laila, is unknown at this stage. But we heard from the railway minister yesterday and he said it could be a technical fault or an act of sabotage. I mean, this is Pakistan after all, where terror acts happen quite regularly. However, no one at this stage has claimed responsibility so it cannot be ruled out. An investigation however is underway. Let's have a listen now to one of the survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARMINA BIBI, TRAIN CRASH SURVIVOR (through translator): There were five family members with me of which two died. One son is admitted in the intensive care unit and two sons are here with me. One of my sons and my husband died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Laila, fatal train accident, sadly, are frequent in Pakistan, the country's decaying rail network has lacked funding and attention, you know, for years, despite promises from successive governments to upgrade the system. So certainly a spotlight is shining on that decaying network right now, Laila.
HARRAK: Anna Coren reporting in Hong Kong. Thank you so much Anna.
The Israel Defense Forces say they thwarted a quote terrorist cell in occupied West Bank on Sunday. The IDF alleges the three Palestinians killed during the operation in the Jenin camp were parts of the cell. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has not yet commented on the killings. Hamas has condemned the incident.
And Israel Supreme Court has instructed the government to explain why it should not delay implementation of a controversial law making it harder to declare the prime minister unfit for office. The court says it will hear arguments again on September 28th, before an expanded panel of 11 judges. Well, the law limits ways the prime minister can be removed from office transferring the power to do so from the attorney general to the cabinets. Critics say it has been amended to benefit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still faces a number of charges including bribery.
Meantime, on Saturday tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest Minister -- Prime Minister Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan.
Members of Italy's Coast Guard and Air Force made dozens of daring rescues after two migrant ships sank in rough seas last week. That's story straight ahead.
[01:19:04]
Plus, America's reign at the Women's World Cup comes to an end. How Sweden managed to dethrone the two-time defending champions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRAK: Italian coast guard crews rescued dozens of migrants after two boats sank off the island of Lampedusa. Migrants serving to survive in choppy seas until they could be pulled out, authorities recovered the bodies of three people including a three-year-old and a pregnant woman. They say one of the survivors gave birth immediately after being rescued.
At least Air Force saved dozens of other migrants stranded on rocks and officials believe the boat set off from Tunisia on Thursday. At least 30 people are still missing.
In the U.S., New York City is racing to help thousands of migrants who are seeking asylum there. Nearly 100,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake centers since last spring, and nearly 200 sites have been opened to shelter them. But city officials say they need federal help. CNN correspondent Polo Sandoval is in New York with more on the growing crisis.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Still no end in sight for New York City's migrant crisis as New York City officials struggle to find housing for the increasing number of asylum seekers who have arrived here in the city since last spring. Close to 100,000 of those about 56,000 or more continue to be in the city's care. They have been placed at shelter facilities in and around the city. In fact, the Roosevelt Hotel that you see behind me here in Manhattan that not only serves as a shelter, but also as that primary intake facility where many of the newly arrived are directed to so they can best be or at least make contact with those resources that they need.
It was as recent as last week that we saw dozens of asylum seekers, mostly men actually forced to sleep on the sidewalk because of an influx in the numbers. We should note, the New York City officials were later able to actually place them in temporary shelter facilities. So this weekend, no signs of that kind of an issue.
However, in Eric Adams's most recent remarks, the New York City Mayor, he's made very clear that that scene is bound to repeat itself if the city does not receive any further support at the state or at the federal level.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
HARRAK: In the UK, a controversial floating barge could start accepting asylum seekers as soon as Monday. Top officials are moving forward with a plan to house migrants on board the Bibby Stockholm barge in southwest England. Well, that's despite delays over safety concerns from the fire brigades union. Approximately 50 people are expected to be in the first group of migrants to board the vessel.
And even so, the U.K. government has been working to slow down the flow of asylum seekers into the country. The number of migrants arriving on small boats across the English Channel last year reached a record 46,000 people.
Still ahead, the small European nation of Slovenia is facing a huge price tag to repair damage caused by recent flooding. We'll have the details.
[01:24:28]
Plus, the defending champions are eliminated at the Women's World Cup. We'll show you how Sweden ended America's quest for a third straight title.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak. And this is CNN Newsroom. At least 14 people are dead as the result of flooding in northeastern China. One of those killed is the vice mayor of Shulan City. The region is also suffering heavy agricultural losses from the rainfall. In addition 40,000 people have been evacuated from Wu Tang City. They're part of a massive wave of people being forced from their homes and aid is being trucked in for more than a million people.
The flooding comes in the aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri which slammed into China at the end of July were flooding is also swamping parts of Europe in the small nation of Slovenia, which borders Austria the cost of repairing flood damage could be more than half a billion dollars and that's after a month's worth of rain fell in just one day. Michael Holmes reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dragged down by floodwaters. This house in Slovenia no match for days of torrential rain. Residents say they watched and waited as a nearby river swelled in the storms which began last week. But by Saturday, they were forced to evacuate after the river burst its banks leaving nothing to contain the rushing waters.
This man says that eight people live there both young and old. He says it's a huge loss but he's grateful they got out in time. Slovenia's Prime Minister says this is the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, affecting two-thirds of the country with large parts of central and northern Slovenia deluge with floods.
Emergency workers and making a public plea for rubber boats so that they can reach areas no longer reachable by road. This is what they're up against dangerously fast waters, which have stranded people in some areas. Volunteers in this northern town, risking their lives to save two tourists stuck in the rapids.
One local man says he's just now getting a chance to inspect the damage. He says much of his town has been inundated since Friday in what isn't covered in water is caked in mud. He says it's a huge financial loss and estimates the damage in his town alone will run into the millions of dollars.
The Prime Minister echoing that concern saying the price tag to clean up and rebuild across the country could top half a billion dollars. But some residents are already starting that process and local media says around 600 soldiers have been deployed to hard hit areas to help with the efforts have eclipsed.
This restaurant owner says it will be hard to bounce back from what she calls an apocalypse. But she says at least this disaster is one that many people are weathering together.
[01:30:04]
Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: America's quest for a third straight Women's World Cup title has come to an abrupt end. Team U.S.A. has been eliminated from the tournament after a heartbreaking loss to world number three, Sweden. It is the first time the Americans have lost a World Cup match in 12 years and it marks the earliest tournament exit ever. While Sweden pulled off the upset thanks to a brilliant saves from their goal keeper and clutch performances in a penalty shootout.
CNN's Don Riddell has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Penalty shootouts can be the most exhilarating thing in sports, unless your team is involved in one and then they can be a nightmare. The U.S. Team are heading home after a dramatic loss to Sweden, and, in the end the difference here is about as thick as this piece of paper.
These two sides have often met on the world stage, Sweden usually come out on top, but the U.S.A. gave it everything. They just peppered the Swedish goal with 11 shots on target, but they couldn't find a way past their goalie Zecira Musovic who saved every single one of those shots. She was brilliant and deservedly won the player of the match award.
So after 90 minutes and extra time it was goalless and that is when the drama really began.
The first five penalties were all scored, Sweden's Nathalie Bjorn was the first to miss and American legend Megan Rapinoe had a chance to give her team a commanding lead, but she placed her kick over the bar. Normally so composed and reliable, she could only laugh at the agony.
But now, everyone's nerves are dangling. Rebecka Blomquist (ph) stepped up, only to be denied by a brilliant save from the U.S. goalie, Alyssa Naia (ph). And that meant Sofia Smith (ph) had a chance to win it for the Americans, but she missed as well.
The pressure is now almost intolerable. The U.S. team was hoping to win a third consecutive World Cup, but Kelly O'Hara shot against the post. It was their third missed out of four kicks and it was Lina Hurtig who won it for the Swedes in the end, but they had to wait to celebrate. It seems as though Naia had saved her kick, but the goal line (INAUDIBLE) review revealed that it had crossed the line, but only just.
It really couldn't have been any closer could it? Everybody held their breath until the ref got word. The kick was good, the ball was over, the game was over, and for everyone involved, the emotions were just overwhelming. MAGDALENA ERIKSSON, SWEDEN DEFENDER: They are ranked number one in the
world for a reason. They're massive, they have so many good players to choose from. There are a massive football country and little Sweden had knocked them out. So I'm really happy about that and proud of everyone.
ZECIRA MUSOVIC, SWEDEN GOALKEEPER: It felt like, we have everything to win. We are facing the number one in the world and they have all of the pressure on them, so I felt extremely confident and felt like, let's go.
RIDDELL: The (INAUDIBLE) surprises keep on coming at this World Cup. Former champions Norway, Germany, and the United States are all out already. So too are the Olympic champions Canada.
And for the U.S. Team, they have never known pain quite like it. This is their earliest elimination ever at the World Cup. They have always made it to at least the semifinals. This is the first time the tournament's defending champions have gone out before the quarters and Sweden are now officially their kryptonite.
Sweden have knocked out the U.S. of both the World Cup and the Olympics on penalties.
MEGAN RAPINOE, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: It is tough to go out obviously like this. I mean, it's like obviously you saw us smile (INAUDIBLE) it's like that a sick joke, it's just dark, dark (INAUDIBLE) humor in there somewhere.
But that is the way that, you know, the game goes and that's the way that life goes and I feel grateful for this moment still to be able to have played in another one and I've had this experience. Yes, this is life.
RIDDELL: Sweden now play Japan in the quarterfinals, while the Americans head home wondering what the future might hold for the four- time champions. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRAK: Our thanks to Don Riddell.
An Olympic swimming test event that was due to take place in Paris over the weekend was canceled due to poor water quality following recent heavy rain. The decision was made by World Aquatics in consultation with French Public Health officials. Paris plans to make the River Seine the centerpiece of next year's summer Olympics for swimming events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERRE RABADAN, DEPUTY MAYOR IN CHARGE OF PARIS 2024 ORGANIZATION (through translator): We are faced with an outdoor sport that is subject to impromptu climate and weather conditions. And that creates uncertainties that we are going to manage.
[01:34:50]
RABADAN: Today, all the work was not finished in 2023. That is normal, since the games are in 2024. And so, once the work is finished we will be able to regulate even exceptional phenomenon like the one we are facing today.
The guarantee will be made with the contingency days (ph), all the infrastructure that will be delivered and that will enable us to regulate even exceptional episodes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRAK: Olympics officials say they will be monitoring the water quality carefully over the coming days. The test event is scheduled for later this month.
And elsewhere in Europe, fire crews battled wildfires over the weekend in Portugal. They brought one under control that had threatened homes and burned nearly 7,000 hectares.
In Italy, on the island of Sardinia, hundreds of residents had to be evacuated. And this drone footage from Spain shows how neighborhoods near the border with France, narrowly escaped a wildfire that leapt the charred hills and fields.
Europe is dealing with one of the hottest summers on record, now Spain's weather agency is predicting another heat wave to begin on Tuesday.
A new report from UNICEF says 76 percent of children in South Asia are exposed to extremely high temperatures, the highest percentage in the world. It means children in the region, which includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are living under extremely high temperatures -- 83 or more days a year.
Now the report emphasizes how these children are bearing the brunt of climate change through no fault of their own.
CNN's Vedika Sud is in the heart of South Asia right now and comes to us live from Delhi.
Vedika, children bearing the brunt of ever more extreme heat waves. What more can you tell us about UNICEF's findings?
VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Laila, that is exactly what the UNICEF report based on analysis and data from the year 2020 is now highlighting. These concerns are great, because according to their analysis, almost half a billion children under the age of 18 in South Asia bearing the brunt, like you said, of high temperatures, which have been escalated by climate crisis across South Asia.
We are talking about an estimated 460 million children from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and Afghanistan and a couple of others that are bearing the brunt.
They face extreme high temperatures, as extreme and high as 35 degrees Celsius, which amounts to about 95 Fahrenheit for more than 83 days in a year.
Now let's just take you through a few highlights from this report. According to UNICEF and their analysis, 76 percent of children in South Asia were exposed to high temperatures, compared to 32 percent globally. 28 percent of children in South Asia were exposed to 4.5 or more heat waves per year, compared to 24 percent globally. 800,000 children in flood affected areas were at risk of severe heat stress in June, 2023.
And according to the analysis, 24 children in South Asia are already exposed to extreme high temperatures, compared to only one in three globally. These are very concerning facts, provided by UNICEF through their data.
Now if you remember, July was the hottest month on record globally. And that is a concern, even for South Asians and children here. According to experts, it is ultimately vulnerable children, adolescents and women who faced the brunt of extreme weather conditions.
Now according to the regional director of UNICEF, this remains a concern, and climate crisis remains a concern. I'm going to read a report where he says the lives and wellbeing of millions of children across South Asia are increasingly threatened by heat waves and high temperatures. Young children simply cannot handle the heat. Unless we act now, these children will continue to bear the brunt of more frequent and more severe heat waves in the coming years for no fault of theirs.
And that is a worry for experts because according to climate experts, climate crisis is, of course, going to continue in South Asia. There will be prolonged and more frequent heat waves and these vulnerable people, especially children and women, will be impacted by it.
Here in Delhi, just a couple of weeks ago, we faced very high temperatures across northern India. There were more than 40 deaths and hundreds of people felt sick after facing high temperatures.
We have also seen extreme weather conditions where we have seen flooding in parts of northern India and that continues and remains a concern for farmers as well, who have been impacted. Their crops have been impacted by this.
So across South Asia, according to UNICEF, children are being impacted under the age of 18. Almost half a billion there Laila -- that really is a staggering number. Back to you.
[01:39:56]
HARRAK: Staggering number indeed. Vedika Sud reporting in New Delhi. Thank you so much.
A much beloved resource for thrifty travelers. "Lonely Planet" is marking its 50th anniversary this year. I will speak with a cofounder and discuss its legacy after the break. Also ahead, zoo visitors could barely believe this was an actual sun
bear, not someone in a costume. But experts say it is the real deal, and they're hoping the viral video will give this endangered species some much needed attention.
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HARRAK: If you have done some traveling over the last 50 years, there is a good chance that you have come across a "Lonely Planet" guidebook with their tips for traveling on a shoestring budget, the guides have become required reading for would-be globetrotters.
But the travel empire had much more humble beginnings back in 1973. Tony and Maureen Wheeler hammered out their own budget journey from the U.K., across Asia, and finally to Australia's northwest cape.
50 years on, the company has changed hands a few times, and the market for traditional travel guides has certainly changed, but the wanderlust that drove the Wheelers to explore the world surely hasn't.
Well, joining me now live from London is Tony Wheeler, the cofounder of "Lonely Planet". Tony, a very good morning. We are so thrilled to have you with us.
How has traveled changed since you cofounded the "Lonely Planet" series with your wife, Maureen 50 years ago?
TONY WHEELER, CO-FOUNDER, "LONELY PLANET": Look, it has changed in all sorts of ways. We immediately think of the Internet and how information is instantly available and it is not just guidebooks, it is social media, it's all sorts of other forms of information.
But the Internet is not the only change. The way airlines have changed in that time, the arrival of the low cost carriers, whether it is RyanAir in Europe or Southwest in the USA, that has been a big factor.
And just areas of the world that have opened up. When we did that first "Lonely Planet" guidebook, there was no way you could go to China. It was 20 percent of the world population was totally shut off from you. And just the mere fact that China has opened up has been a huge change to travel, both inbound and outbound.
HARRAK: Now Tony, we have been reminiscing, all of us here in the NEWSROOM about how the "Lonely Planet" guides have impacted our lives and I know you must get this a lot. How do you feel about being responsible for giving generations the courage to venture out into the world on a shoestring, armed with a "Lonely Planet" travel guidebook and a backpack?
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WHEELER: Look, I feel terrific about it. And anytime I meet somebody, particularly young people who said I would not have done this if you hadn't given me that little bit of a push. You gave us that little bit of extra assistance that got me out there to explore the world.
Well, that is terrific. And as you say, this generation I tell people today "Lonely Planet", and they say yes, my parents were using those.
HARRAK: It is terrific. I mean you really have -- you and Maureen have really made such an impact on so many people. What do you make of the criticism though that low-cost travel and, by extension "Lonely Planet", played a role in global tourism that has a negative impact on our environment?
WHEELER: Look, travel, we all know that it is not a one-way thing. It's not all good. And I think that the two things we immediately think of when it comes to negative effects, one is the whole climate change story. Let's go on the train instead of a plane, that is often a partial answer to that.
And another thing, of course, is over tourism. Some places have really had too many tourists. We certainly solved that for a while, the pandemic certainly stopped over tourism and people then were thinking, when we said too many tourists, we didn't mean to no tourists at all.
It is a balancing act and we are a factor in that balancing act, we have to recognize that.
HARRAK: Now travel, as we started out our conversation, has just changed so much in those five decades. Is there ever a time when you feel you would rather not travel?
WHEELER: No, I am sorry. I may feel guilty about it at times, you know, I've got a lot of guilt on my shoulders because I do travel quite a lot. But no, I am always happy to be on my way somewhere.
HARRAK: What is your favorite "Lonely Planet" guide?
WHEELER; Well, I would nominate two. Southeast Asia on a shoestring guide, that was the book that really was our second book and it really took off for us. It is still around today. You can still go to a book shop anywhere in the world, it seems, and pick up a copy of that book.
Millions of people have used it and have had great trips because of it. So that guide.
But then later on our India guide because that was a sort of game changer for "Lonely Planet". It was a bigger book than anything we had done before and in effect we bet the shop on it and it worked and it is still a very popular guidebook.
HARRAK: It worked out. Where do you see the travel industry's future trajectory going?
WHEELER: Look, I want to say that it is going to continue to go up because there is so much more of the world traveling these days. It used to be a case of us, the first world going out to the rest of the world, but now it is just as much the rest of the world going in the other direction.
So the audience is much larger. We cannot fight that. I just hope that we have managed it in a balanced way that we realized that the problems of travel and work with those, because I know so many positives. It is how we meet each other, it is much better that we meet each other face to face than we meet each other through media reports or anything else.
HARRAK: Tony before I let you go, what is the legacy of "Lonely Planet"?
WHEELER: I think the legacy has been that we have opened the world for a lot of people, people from all over the world have taken their first steps out into the rest of the world with a little help from "Lonely Planet". I'm proud of that. I'm very happy with that. If that is my legacy, yes, I will have it.
HARRAK: It is a terrific legacy and, like I said, you and Maureen impacted so many lives, including so many of us here in the NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for joining us, Tony Wheeler.
WHEELER: Thank you.
HARRAK: All right.
Now a viral video is raising awareness about one of Asia's most endangered and intriguing animals -- the video of a sun bear at a Chinese zoo got global attention with visitors saying it appeared to be a person in a bear costume. Well, now, conservationists are hoping the added attention will help save these bears.
CNN's Ivan Watson reports.
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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This video put a zoo in China in a bind. When Chinese social media exploded with claims this animal was a human in a costume, the zoo decided to grin and bear it issuing a statement in the voice of the animal saying, I am a sun bear. A message echoed by another zoo in the U.K.
Have you seen that video?
SIEW TE WONG, FOUNDER, BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTER: Yes, I have seen that video and I am very, very convinced, 100 percent sure that it is a sun bear.
WATSON: Siew Te Wong is a biologist and founder of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center.
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WONG: This is Neil. We have Joe over here.
WATSON: I think we can confidently say that that is a bear, not a human in a costume?
WONG: Yes, that is a bear.
WATSON: This forest enclosure in Malaysian Borneo shelters 44 rescued sun bears. WONG: They are the smallest bears in the world. They look very similar
to people when they stand up.
WATSON: Sun bears are also an endangered species. Their tropical forest habitat across Southeast Asia is shrinking.
What does the future look like for the sun bear as a species in the wild right now?
WONG: If the forest is not big enough, if hunting and poaching still continues, the future is very bleak for the sun bear, because they need lots of forest in order to survive.
WATSON: Wong says there is an illegal market for sun bear claws, teeth, and organs, used for traditional Asian medicine. Now the Chinese viral video is giving the world's smallest bear a moment in the sun, at least a day's attendance surged 30 percent at the zoo in Hangzhou.
It doesn't look human at all when you see it in person, this man says. Something to bear in mind the next time you are sent a viral video.
Ivan Watson, CNN -- Hong Kong.
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HARRAK: And animal experts in Alaska are caring for a rare walrus calf found wandering alone in Alaska's north slope four miles inland. It is unusual because this species is often found in the ocean, or along the coastline and with their mothers.
The wayward calf is believed to be just a month old and has some medical issues. He is now under a 24-hour cuddle care at the Alaska Sea Life Center to mimic the maternal closeness that these calves are used to. The center says he is eating well, remains alert, and is on the road to recovery.
Pope Francis is back home after five days in Portugal where more than a million faithful greeted him for an open air mass to cap off the visit. We will have more on his trip, just ahead.
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HARRAK: Pope Francis is back at the Vatican after his whirlwind trip to Portugal, which included events for World Youth Day and an open air mass on his final day. It was the Pope's first major trip since his abdominal surgery in June and the turnout for his visit was massive, as CNN's Antonia Mortensen reports.
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ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Pope Francis arrived back at the Vatican Sunday after a jam-packed trip to Portugal for World Youth Day.
But he was welcomed by over 1 million young Catholics from 200 countries. The event definitely felt more like a festival, and some compared it to the Catholic Woodstock, where Pope Francis was most definitely welcomed like a rock star. Local authorities from Portugal said this was the largest event in the history of the nation.
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MORTENSEN: And during the closing mass, in front of 1.5 million people on Sunday, the Pope announced that the next World Youth Day would in fact take place in Seoul, South Korea in 2027.
The trip took place in the shadow of a clergy abuse scandal in Portugal, when an independent commission found that Catholic clergy members in Portugal had abused more than 4,000 children over a 70-year period.
And on the flight back to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, the Pope said that he had a private meeting with some 13 victims of clergy abuse in Portugal and that this meeting was very painful to him.
During that press conference he also told journalists that he was in good health and feels really great after the trip.
It was definitely an intense five days for the octogenarian, but he was in great form despite recent surgery and mobility issues.
His message to young Catholics on the trip was clear. There is room for everyone in the church, be careful of the pitfalls of social media and the Internet, and look after your planet.
Next up for the Pope, a trip to Mongolia at the end of August and then a trip to Marseilles, France in September.
Antonia Mortensen -- Rome.
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HARRAK: Scientists in Peru may have found the heaviest animal that ever lived. Paleontologists discovered the bones of a whale that lived nearly 40 million years ago and say it could have weighed up to 340 metric tons. Currently the heaviest known animal is today's blue whale, which weighs about 180 metric tons.
Scientists say the ancient whale was around 20 meters long, that is about 66 feet, just one vertebrae weighed 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds.
Now, Barbie once again proving she can do anything. This time, the child's doll turned movie superstar really does have something to dance about, earning more than $1 billion in the global box office.
Film experts it is now one of about 50 movies, not adjusted for inflation to earn that much. "Barbie" has been the top performing film in the U.K. Mexico, and Australia since its release according to Box Office Mojo.
Of course, it is a Warner Bros. movie, the studio owned by the same parent company and CNN.
Meantime, Christopher Nolan's World War II thriller "Oppenheimer" has become the highest grossing period film of its kind. Released on the same day as "Barbie", the film has made more than $500 million at the global box office, making it also the highest grossing Rated R movie of the year so far. "Oppenheimer" has managed to cement itself as number three in both the U.S. and international box offices.
The film about the Manhattan Project physicist is only one of four biopic's to cross the $500 million mark.
Thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Laila Harrak.
Do stick around. My colleague Rosemary Church will be back with more news in just moment.
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