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Preparing for Hurricane Hilary; Ukraine Says, Pilots Training on F-16 Jets; England and Spain to Compete for Championship. Aired 3- 4a ET

Aired August 20, 2023 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.

Bracing for landfall, parts of Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. -- Hurricane Hilary. The powerful storm could bring floods and catastrophic destruction.

Ukraine says its pilots are already training on F-16 fighter jets, but just when those planes will be ready for use in combat is an open question.

And who will get the trophy in the women's World Cup? We will find out just a few hours from now. A live report from Sydney, Australia, ahead.

The Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary. The historic storm expected to make landfall in the coming hours in Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

But the region is already feeling the effects. Hilary is now a category 1 storm, but it remains dangerous with maximum sustained winds of around 85 miles an hour. It's expected to bring catastrophic and life-threatening flooding and California's governor has declared a state of emergency for southern parts of the state. Officials are urging residents not to underestimate the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR TODD GLORIA, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Again, the message from the mayor, from I think all of us here, please take precautions right now. A couple of minutes of effort today could reduce our impacts tomorrow. And that can make the difference between a prolonged power outage, other service disruptions, and obviously it could also make the difference between life and death. So, I hope the people will make good choices.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: For more, let's go now to CNN Meteorologist Karen Maginnis. Karen, you are keeping an eye on Hurricane Hilary. Does it still pose extreme danger for those in its path? KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. If anything, we're looking at a situation that will concentrate as we go through the early morning hours Sunday, which in the next few hours, you'll really start to see the weather deteriorate across Southern California. We've seen the clouds and the rain fairly continuous throughout the afternoon and evening hours. And Las Vegas, also Phoenix, Arizona hasn't been having rainfall.

But I'll let you know here's the advance of Hurricane Hilary, now supporting winds of 85 miles per hour. We've got an intermediate advisory. It is moving a little more quickly north-northwest at just about 20 miles an hour. Its position puts it about 480 miles south- southeast of San Diego.

All right, here's some of that moisture moving across the southwest into western sections of Arizona and into Southern Nevada. This is going to have broad reaches.

I did mention Southern California because that is its own test, because never before, or at least in several generations, have we seen tropical storm warnings out in Southern California. San Diego into Los Angeles, Bakersfield into Coachella into Palm Springs. This rainfall is going to be significant.

And some of these coastal area, one to maybe three, four inches of rainfall. You get up into higher elevations, it will be more. And then those higher peaks into the Santa Rosa Mountains, the San Gabriel Mountains and into the Santa Ana Mountains, this is where the rainfall is going to be significant. Because Hilary's moistures orographically, and that's what we mean, there are orographic dynamics with this and will wring this moisture out to the tune of eight to ten inches of rainfall.

Now, let me point out, these areas hardly get any rainfall this time of year, just fractions of an inch. And to see this volume of moisture that will materialize over the next 24 to 48 hours, Laila, this is potentially catastrophic. We could see infrastructure damage, power outages, the wind will kick up. Probably a tropical storm intensity, but because it's going to be here for the next 24 to 48 hours, that's the big problem. We'll keep you updated. Back to you.

HARRAK: Thank you very much for staying on top of it, Karen. Thank you.

Now, residents of Southern California are preparing for the storm, but most are unsure what to expect since they haven't seen a storm like this in their lifetime.

[03:05:01]

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a weather event that's created a lot of questions for people in Southern California because they have never seen a tropical storm warning, and the last time a tropical storm made landfall in California was more than 80 years ago. So, a lot of people are wondering what exactly they should do.

Officials have said a lot of the preparations that folks would have made for winter storms and flooding months ago apply here, asking people to please take advantage of the sandbags that are being given out, to bring materials indoors, to not go outside or drive in the weather on Sunday and Monday if they don't have to.

Officials have also been very proactive in going to outdoor areas where there are encampments of unhoused people trying to convince them to take shelter inside before the storm really comes through. The most intense of which is supposed to be Sunday afternoon, at least through the San Diego area, with very strong rains and winds.

We are seeing a lot of events being canceled or postponed. In fact, Major League Baseball moved their Sunday games to Saturday. There are concerts, like ones at the Hollywood Bowl, being canceled. The U.S. Navy has even temporarily moved their ships and submarines away from San Diego just during this storm, at least until it passes through.

Catalina Island in Los Angeles County has been warned for people -- they're strongly encouraged to leave that island that they're likely to get hit. A lot of high water rescue vehicles prepositioned, a lot of personnel out there ready to act as soon as this weather comes through.

It has been more than 80 years again since Southern California has seen a tropical storm make landfall, so a lot of people are nervous here, but officials telling them to just be prepared.

Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

HARRAK: Joining me now is Kristina Dahl, she is principal climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Kristina, thank you for joining us.

Millions brace for Hurricane Hilary. I understand this is very rare for that part of the country. What is causing this dangerous storm?

KRISTINA DAHL, PRINCIPAL CLIMATE SCIENTIST, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS: That's right, Laila. California does not typically experience hurricanes or tropical storms like this, but we're having a very unusual situation in which a hurricane formed off the west coast of Mexico, and it's traveling northward, whereas most hurricanes that form in that region travel westward out to the Pacific Ocean. So, they don't affect California regions so much. This one is traveling northward through relatively warm waters and it's prompted the first tropical storm warning in California history. So, we've never experienced something like this before.

HARRAK: Wow. What concerns you, besides the fact that it's so rare and unusual?

DAHL: Well, the flooding is really a big concern here. There are parts of California and especially desert areas that can expect to see a year's worth of rainfall in just a couple of days. And that's really dangerous because it can cause flash flooding that comes on very suddenly. It can cause things like mudslides and landslides. And so we have areas that are really unprepared for that level of rain even though it's just sort of five, six inches, which isn't that much for a hurricane these days. These are places that typically see that much precipitation in a year. So, the environment is not really prepared to deal with that massive influx of water.

HARRAK: So, having said that, do you think local authorities in these impacted areas will be prepared for these types of very extreme weather events that they rarely see?

DAHL: Absolutely. I think people heave here are very much looking to their local weather forecasters for advice on what to do, when to do it, when to get out of harm's way. And we know that emergency responders are standing by, because they are aware too that this is an unusual situation. And there are maybe some folks who aren't fully appreciating the dangers that this storm is going to pose.

HARRAK: And do you think going forward, we can potentially see more of these types of dangerous storms?

DAHL: We know that, globally, hurricanes are growing more intense, and that's because our ocean waters are warming. And all of that extra warmth serves as extra fuel for the storms. So, what we see in our climate models that look at what could be happening in the future is that as we continue to warm the planet, we're continuing to add fuel to our hurricanes, and we can expect to see more strong hurricanes going forward.

We don't expect the frequency of hurricanes to change all that much.

[03:10:03]

So, that's a little bit of good news. But we do need to prepare for a future where we're seeing more frequent extreme storms like this.

HARRAK: So, what does a state like California now have to start thinking ahead and implementing measures to take into consideration a future where these types of extreme weather events could happen more frequently?

DAHL: Well, I think what we're seeing really all across the world this season is that we are not able to cope with the climate that we have today. So, we've seen extreme heat in places around the world that has caused deaths and a lot of suffering. We have seen extreme rainfall and extreme storms. We've seen the wildfires in Canada that have made hundreds of thousands of people leave their homes and evacuate and millions more suffer from the downstream wildfire smoke.

So, this is the climate we're experiencing with just over 1 degree Celsius of warming since the industrial revolution. And we've seen now that we have a lot to do to catch up to where we already are. In doing all that catch-up, it will hopefully help us prepare for a future that has more of these climate extremes in it.

HARRAK: Kristina Dahl, thank you so much for joining us.

DAHL: Thanks so much.

HARRAK: Extreme heat is driving winds across North America. More than 1,000 of them are burning across Canada right now, in the worst fire season on record. Tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders. And two fires are raging in Spokane County, Washington, burning more than 17,000 acres and more than 185 buildings between them.

And U.S. President Joe Biden is due to visit Maui, Hawaii, on Monday to get a firsthand look at the devastation from wildfires last week. We'll have more on those stories later in the show.

Ukraine makes a new push to expand its arsenal of fighter jets with an advanced plane from Sweden. We'll have more on that.

And more deadly violence erupts in the occupied West Bank as a father and son are fatally shot at a car wash. We'll go live to Jerusalem for the latest on the hunt for their killers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:15:00]

HARRAK: Russia is reporting two new drone strikes from across the border in Ukraine. The mayor of Moscow says one drone was shot down south of the capital overnight, while another alleged drone wounded five people in the city of Kursk, according to a local governor. He says the attack damaged a rail station but train service is still up and running.

Meanwhile, Ukraine now says 15 children are among the wounded following a Russian missile strike on the city of Chernihiv. At least seven people were killed and close to 150 others injured after a missile hit the city center on Saturday.

While over in Kyiv, top military officials say Ukrainian pilots have started training on F-16 fighter jets. But who will provide the planes and when are still open questions.

Well, for more on these latest developments, Nada Bashir joins us now live from London. Nada, Ukraine did receive potentially more good news related to the F-16s?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. And, Laila, we saw some delay on that front. There were questions around the timeframe of when we would begin to see Ukrainian pilots receiving that crucial training on the U.S. main jets.

Now, according to Ukraine's Air Force, that training has begun. They are receiving training from U.S. instructors within Ukraine. And, of course, typically, this sort of training on these advance jets would take months, according to Ukrainian officials. Typically, it would something around 32 months. But they say this elite class of Ukrainian pilots set to take part in this training program can master the operation of this jet within just four months. Now, we've also heard from Ukraine's defense minister, he's given a slightly longer assessment saying it could take a minimum of six months. And, of course, that will be a blow to Ukraine's air defense and military aspirations over the coming months, particularly in the harsher winter months as they continue to grind on with that counteroffensive. But this training will prove crucial and the hope for Ukraine is that the supply of these jets will mark a shift in their counteroffensive, give them that all-important edge in the skies.

And, of course, there still remain a couple of questions. We've heard the Ukrainian defense minister saying it remains to be decided what weapons these jets will be kitted out with once they're supplied to Ukraine. We know, of course, that the U.S. has expressed its commitment to approve the supply of these jets as soon as that training is complete.

And, of course, there are still talks ongoing between the U.S. and its European partners over what other countries might potentially supply Ukraine with these U.S.-made F-16s. But, of course, we also know that President Zelenskyy has been in talks with counterparts in Sweden over the possible supply of the Swedish-made Gripen fighter jet. That is expected to be an ongoing discussion. The hope there is it will bolster Ukraine's air defense operations and also, of course, offensive operations as they continue to battle Russia's ongoing encroachment in the eastern region.

Meanwhile, those talks are ongoing, but Ukraine and Sweden appear to have agreed on a statement of intent on the supply of Swedish-made armored vehicles to boost Ukraine's counteroffensive capabilities on the frontline.

HARRAK: Nada Bashir reporting, thank you so very much.

And Ukraine made some progress in its counteroffensive, capturing a village in the Donetsk region this week. Nick Paton Walsh went to see the newly liberated area.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There may be ruin around them, but the direction is forwards. We're with the 35th Ukrainian Marines, the first reporters to get to the outskirts of Urozhaine, yet another village announced liberated Wednesday.

[03:20:01]

The victories may be small but are constant.

So, just down here, Urozhaine, yet another town taken as the counteroffensive does move forward. We were just seeing the neighboring village taken last week, but they keep moving.

With that much incoming, we're getting out of here as quick as we can. While they control Urozhaine, the Russians do everything they can to make it a nightmare for the Ukrainians to be there.

The unit showed us the intense fight captured by drone. This, their tank advancing, dropping a string of anti-mine explosives behind it, they said, which then, once it turned, detonated.

The unit released a video of them in the town Wednesday, of how they turned their firepower on what was once a Russian stronghold that shelled them. The company commander recalls many more Russians hidden there than he expected.

Very many died, he says, especially when they started to run. When they held houses, lots of them died there. But they were caught as they fled.

The smoke around Russians likely made by cluster munitions. Ukraine has said it is already using some rounds controversially supplied by the United States. We could not confirm if these fires here were the new American cluster bombs, but the losses suffered were clear. And they say their use is less of an ethical dilemma when you're in this brutal fight.

I don't understand it, he says. That side is using whatever they want. Our people are dying from all this and it's okay. When the other side die, it's not? I don't understand.

His footage shows how young some in the assault were. He has no time for western analysts who say this should be moving faster.

I would say they can always come to me as a guest and fight with me, he says. If someone believes that you can fly over the minefield on a broom like in Harry Potter, it doesn't happen in a real fight. If you don't understand that, you can sit in your armchair and eat your popcorn.

Out here, the last month of advances feel both empty and grueling, littered now with Russian dead. They haven't moved perhaps as far as it is felt.

These just empty farm fields in which many have died to take each kilometer.

The Russians mined so hard here, they used this machine to do it. So much damage done, it's hard to imagine what plans Moscow had for here at all, had they kept it.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, near Urozhaine, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: A manhunt under way in the occupied West Bank right now after a 60-year-old Israeli father and his 29-year-old son were fatally shot. It happened at a car wash in the town of Huwara, which has seen previous violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The killers are still at large, and Israeli Security Forces are searching for them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling the shooting cruel and criminal. The militant movement Hamas praised the shooting, calling it a response to the Israeli occupation.

CNN's Hadas Gold is tracking developments for us from Jerusalem. Good morning, Hadas. What more have you learned?

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Laila. So, this father and son were reportedly in Huwara, this town in the occupied West Bank. It's a Palestinian down. But just to give you context of why these Israelis might be there, it sits on a major roadway that connects many Israeli settlements as well as Palestinian towns.

And both Israelis and Palestinians often frequent shops and services in Huwara because they're much cheaper than elsewhere. And that's apparently what this father and son duo were doing there in this town. They are not settlers. They are from the city of Ashdod in Israel. They went Huwara to run errands, and they were at this car wash when they were shot and killed.

Now, CCTV video being reported by Israeli media does show what appears to be a gunman shooting people at a very short range. That's what we have to go on. And Israeli medics said that they tried resuscitation efforts on the father and son, but that they succumbed to their wounds.

Now, there is a major manhunt under way. Residents in Huwara and those surrounding villages are reporting a very heavy israeli military presence. They say that there's several checkpoints being set up. Otherwise, we are seeing reports that movements are still happening in the area, but there's just a lot of checkpoints and some restrictions on movements.

[03:25:05]

Now, in terms of responsibility, both the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have praised the attack, but neither of them have necessarily claimed direct responsibility for the attack. Now, as you noted, the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sent condolences and said security forces are working diligently in order to find the murderer and bring him to account, he said in a statement.

Now, Huwara has also been the scene of several attacks by Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians. These are often revenge attacks in the aftermath of the attacks, like what we saw last night.

Now, there were reports of Israeli settlers targeting things, like Palestinian cars, some cars were damaged. We did not see any reports of homes being damaged. And the Israeli military has said that it has stepped up its enforcement efforts to try and stop these attacks.

And we are seeing reports the IDF reports that it did shoot and injured a masked suspect that they said did turn out to be an Israeli citizen who was reportedly throwing stones at Palestinians. Laila, this has been already one of the deadliest years in recent memory for both Israelis and Palestinians across Israel and the occupied West Bank. And this shooting shows that this cycle is continuing. Laila?

HARRAK: CNN's Hadas Gold reporting in Jerusalem, thank you. Still ahead, the latest on Hurricane Hilary, the storm threatening to bring catastrophic flooding to Mexico and Southern California.

Plus, hundreds of people still unaccounted for after the Maui wildfire disaster. We'll bring you the latest on the search efforts, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

HARRAK: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak and you're watching CNN Newsroom.

The latest no on our top story, Hurricane Hilary barreling toward the Southwestern United States and parts of Western Mexico. The historic storm expected to make landfall in the coming hours on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. It's now a category 1 storm but it could still pack a punch with maximum sustained winds around 85 miles an hour. It is expected to slam into Southern California as a rare tropical storm.

The search for survivors in Maui, Hawaii, goes on nearly two weeks after wildfires devastated the community of Lahaina. Officials have now searched 78 percent of the burn zone. The death toll stands at 114, but authorities estimate more than 1,000 people are still missing.

Bill Weir brings us the latest from Maui.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It is now day 11 since the catastrophic fire that tore through parts of Maui and absolutely decimated the town of Lahaina. And while the search area has grown with a lot more personnel, a lot more cadaver dogs coming into West Maui, the number of the missing remains stubbornly stuck and just puts a pit in your stomach when you think about all the families waiting for some confirmation, fearing the worst, but holding on to some bit of hope.

President Biden and the first lady are coming to Maui on Monday. Whether or not they actually will walk through Lahaina, the burn zone, or just fly over the scene, Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, could not say but promises the president will stand with the people of Maui and lend an ear to local leaders who are very concerned that the reopening plans, the rebuilding plans, anything going forward, won't include them as has been the case here for generations.

The number of people in shelters, though, is going down as more move to hotels around the island and off-island as well. And there's a lot more personnel. We're hearing there are now over 1,000 personnel here, both state and federal. That has been a big cry early on, mostly a citizen-led response, now seeing more of the official response, and they're trying to fold those folks in but meeting some resistance from the locals who have pretty much said, look, we set this up ourselves, you're a little too late.

So, a lot of raw emotions, as you can imagine, in a place with so many displaced, so many still missing this many days after the fire.

Bill Weir, CNN, Maui.

HARRAK: And at this hour, wildfires in Canada are still ravaging northern and western parts of the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holding a meeting with key ministers and senior officials Saturday to discuss the situation.

Well, forest fires intensified this weekend in Canada's western province of British Columbia. Right now, an estimated 35,000 people are still under evacuation orders there and the premier says another 30,000 might have to clear out as well. And they're restricting lodging for nonessential travel in parts of the B.C. interior. That's so evacuees and first responders have enough places to stay.

CNN's Paula Newton has more now on the fires sweeping through Canada.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Canada continues to grapple with an incredibly challenging and historic wildfire season, and this weekend is no different.

I want you to take a look at a map here just to understand the two communities now most at risk. And that is Yellowknife in the northwest territories and Kelowna and West Kelowna, British Columbia.

And if we start with Yellowknife, that capital city had to be completely evacuated, nearly 20,000 people. The town is a ghost town. It had threatened to definitely consume parts of that city. But now, authorities are saying that most people have left, the evacuation was successful. And in the meantime, the weather has helped keep the wildfire at this point in time away from that city.

Now, they still say much work continues. They do not expect those residents back any time soon. And they did get a little bit of help from the weather. Cooler conditions and the wind conditions are much better as well.

But then there is the situation throughout British Columbia. It's most acute in Kelowna, British Columbia and West Kelowna. There have been at least dozens of structures, possibly more, already consumed by fire. And earlier in the week, people there really had to scramble to get out of harm's way.

Authorities there say they did have a bit of a reprieve with that wind. Smoke is still there, but it does mean that those water bombers, despite the smoke, are up in the air. And valiant efforts there to try and keep homes and also critical infrastructure safe from fire.

This does start to cap, hopefully, as far as Canadians are concerned, a historic wildfire season that has affected nearly everyone in the country from one coast right to the other.

[03:35:09]

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa. HARRAK: When Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants surrender later this week in Fulton County, Georgia, it's hard to know how that will play out. Negotiations are ongoing and likely to continue.

CNN's Isabel Rosales explains how the jailhouse process there usually works and how Trump's booking could be modified.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sources tell CNN that Trump's team has already been in contact with D.A. Fani Willis' team and that those conversations are expected to go into early next week, conversations specifically about the conditions of Trump's appearance and the logistics about his surrender.

We're also heard from the Secret Service. A spokesman telling us that the agency has been on-site at the jail over the last couple of weeks, in contact with the sheriff's office in Fulton County, and also with the city of Atlanta, ahead of Trump's surrender and also planning for his first court appearance.

Now, we've heard from officials here, including the sheriff, Patrick Labat, of Fulton County, that Trump and his codefendants are going to be treated the same as everybody else. So, let me walk you through what the normal booking process would look like here at the jail for a newly charged defendant. And that process would involve hours of waiting, simply waiting for their turn to get fingerprinted and get their mug shots taken.

Also, there is typically a body search that is conducted by a jail deputy. Although in the past, high-profile defendants who have voluntarily surrendered have been able to forgo that body search. A medical screening also typically happens and a pretrial consultation to determine whether it's appropriate for someone to be released without bond.

Here's what the sheriff had to say about the nature of this case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK LABAT, FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF: Our goal is treat everybody equally. And so if you're indicted, and we're going to treat you as though you were indicted here locally, and so we will continue to do fingerprints, mug shots, et cetera in the safest possible fashion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And it is much more likely this process will still be conducted much more swiftly for these co-defendants just due to the high-profile nature of some of them, including Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff, and then also due to the safety precautions that are involved with transporting somebody that is a former president of the United States.

It's also possible that Trump and his co-defendants might not even have to show up in court for that first appearance for arraignment. And that is because a judge could choose to conduct that arraignment virtually or choose to allow them to waive that right to an arraignment. If that happens, it's unclear when the public will be able to see Trump in a Georgia courthouse for the first time.

Clearly, though, the clock is ticking. Trump and his fellow 18 co- defendants have until Friday to turn themselves in.

Reporting outside the Fulton County, Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.

HARRAK: We're learning more about former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's health from his grandson. He says, quote, it's clear we're in the final chapter, end quote.

The 98-year-old former Navy lieutenant and Georgia farmer has been in hospice care since February. And his wife, Rosalynn, has dementia. Josh Carter says there's always somebody at the house to keep his grandparents company.

Adding the two of them are still holding hands and the Carters have been married 77 years. CNN has reached out to the Carter Center for comment but has not received a response.

The widow who wrote a book on grief after her husband's murder will not face the death penalty if she's convicted of killing him. Kouri Richins is accused of killing her husband, Eric, and then writing a children's book about grief. Prosecutors in Utah say they do not intend to seek capital punishment if she's found guilty.

39-year-old Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose. Investigators say Kouri searched what is a lethal dose of fentanyl on her phone.

We're just hours away from the start of Ecuador's presidential election. Coming up, a candidate having breakfast with his family forced to flee the restaurant when gunfire erupts outside.

Plus, Niger's coup leader discusses a possible return to democracy. We'll explain how his transition plan would work and when it could take effect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

HARRAK: Voting in Ecuador's national elections gets under way just hours from now, but it comes at a time of deep anxiety over political violence, including the assassination of a presidential candidate.

On Saturday, another candidate and his family were in a restaurant when gunfire broke out nearby setting off a panic that he might be the target.

CNN's Rafael Romo has those details.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Otto Sonnenholzner, one of eight presidential candidates participating in this Sunday's election in Ecuador, said he was having breakfast with his family in Guyaquil, Ecuador's second largest city, when the shots rang out. He said he was approached by a supporter for a picture, and when they were about to take it, the shooting started. The Ecuadoran National Police later said Sonnenholzner was not the target. It was actually an armed robbery at a sports store nearby and five suspects were detained. Officers also confiscated two firearms, sports merchandise and cash. The attack was so close to the restaurant that it rattled not only the candidate and his family but also everybody there.

The shooting happened only ten days after Fernando Villavicencio, 59- year-old outspoken anti-corruption candidate and former investigative journalist, was gunned down after a rally in Quito, the capital. And it also happened a day before the Ecuadorans head for the polls on Sunday for the first round of presidential voting.

In another development, the family of Villavicencio, the murdered candidate, has filed a legal complaint against the government. They accuse the state of murder by willful omission for failing to protect the life of Fernando Villavicencio, knowing that he had received threats from various criminal groups.

The assassination and the spate of violent attacks in the last few months against elected officials and candidates have marred the election in a country struggling with corruption and organized crime.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

HARRAK: Almost a month after overthrowing Niger's government, coup leaders are now weighing a possible return to democracy. The military ruler has called for a national dialogue to outline the principles of such a transition, saying it should last no longer than three years.

[03:45:00]

In a speech, he also said the military is still open to talks with the regional bloc, ECOWAS, but he pushed back against the group's threats of military intervention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDOURAHAMANE TIANI, NIGER COUP LEADER: Neither the national council for the safeguarding of the homeland nor the people of Niger want war and remain open to dialogue. But let there be no misunderstanding. Should aggression be undertaken against us, it would not be the walk in the park that some believe it to be. In effect, they will be facing up to 26 million Nigeriens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, earlier, thousands of military supporters gathered for a census outside a stadium where they said they would be willing to help the army if ECOWAS attacked.

While, it happened on the same day, ECOWAS sent a delegation to Niger to continue diplomatic efforts. An officials says the envoys met with both the junta leader and the ousted president, who has been in detention since the coup. They overcame tough opponents and personal challenges. Now, England and Spain are one win away from the World Cup title. We'll have a preview of Sunday's match, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

HARLOW: And just over two hours, England and Spain will compete for the biggest prize in women's football, the World Cup Championship. Both teams are set to play in the final for the first time. England are trying to become only the second country to hoist the title as reigning European champion, Spain meantime hoping to win despite never advancing past the round of 16 before.

CNN's Amanda Davies is in Sydney where the final will be played. Oh, to be there with you, Amanda, it's Team England and Team Spain's moment.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, I can tell you the atmosphere is building. The gates have opened, fans from both sides starting to pour in. And they really are here and invested in what is about to play out. People with their faces painted, shirts, wigs on, scarves, hats, you name it. They are definitely displaying their colors with pride.

And after what has been the biggest and best, most competitive women's World Cup to-date, it all comes down to this, one final match. And there really is a sense of a feeling that this is the beginning of a new world order. Not just because it's the first women's World Cup final in 16 years without the U.S. Women involved. Of course, they lost the final in 2011, then won the next two in 2015 and 2019. But as you said, we're going to get a first-time winner whose name is going to be engraved on that trophy this evening, both Spain and England in this, the decider, for the first time.

It's been seen as a tournament, hasn't it, that has really shifted the momentum, placed a focus not only on women's football but also women's sport in particular. And this is just the beginning of the new era.

Spain's Irene Paredes was saying in the press conference, her final pre-match press conference yesterday, how it's only relatively recently she's been able to dream of taking part in a women's World Cup final, that until recently women didn't feel that they had a space in this World Cup final. That has very, very much changed with the way her and her teammates and the rest of the 32 nations who have taken part here in Australia and New Zealand have competed.

Of course, the best way to make your mark and really get people to sit up and take notice is to win the biggest prize of them all, which is this women's World Cup final.

And England's captain, Millie Bright, admitted that she and her teammates need to play the game of their lives here this evening against a side who ran them very, very close just 13 months ago in the quarterfinal of the European Championships back in England. England has had to come back from a goal down to beat Spain 2-1 in the quarterfinals. England, of course, then went on to win that tournament and really were given such a huge boost by that.

But this is a Spanish side who are widely regarded as one of the most talented squads in world football. They've scored more goals than any other in this tournament. And there was no escaping in the pre-match press conference just how big a moment this is.

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MILLIE BRIGHT, ENGLAND CAPTAIN: I think everyone knows how big this is. I think it's been players' dreams for years. So, I think everyone already knows that. And we know how passionate our nation is back home and how much they'd want to us win. But for us, it's a process. We have a game plan to execute. And we need to play the game of our lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Both sides have received messages of support from all over the place. Tennis world number one Carlos Alcaraz has sent his support to Spain's players. He, of course, playing in Cincinnati in the buildup to the U.S. Open. Queen Letizia of Spain is also set to be here whilst Prince William is going to be watching from home very much, hoping this England team, the Lionesses, bring back a first World Cup crown to England, of course, the first since 1966.

HARLOW: The teams are on fire, Amanda Davies, thank you so much.

Now, tourism in Italy is expected to break records this summer. And now there's a new, or should we say old attraction, an ancient Roman crime scene that's opened for the first time in a couple of thousand years.

Ben Wedeman reports from Rome.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Passersby peered down into the crime scene in Rome's busy Largo Argentina.

Giovanna Campanione (ph) points to where the murder happened.

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During the ides of March in 44 B.C., the Senate was in session. And there, Julius Caesar was assassinated by the conspirators, stabbed 23 times, says, Giovanna (ph), an architect who supervised the restoration of the ruins here.

Okay. So, the murder happened a while ago. But now, after more than two millennia, visitors can get a close look at where historians believe Roman senators dispatched the would-be dictator. For years it was stray cats who came, saw and conquered this square. Now, they have to make room for sightseers.

The authorities in Rome are eager to capitalize on the resurgence of tourism following the pandemic lockdown, recently revealing a private theater built for a mad emperor, immortalized in the epic 1951 blockbuster, Quo Vadis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is history's evil genius, Nero.

WEDEMAN: Nero was a classic case, says Rome-based Archaeologist Darius Ary, of a leader who thought he knew best.

DARIUS ARY, ARCHAEOLOGIST: But at a certain point he realizes, as he's getting older, wait, I can do whatever I want. Those guys that are advising me, they're inhibiting me. I can get rid of them. Who's to say I can't?

WEDEMAN: The theater was where Nero, a self-styled poet, musician and athlete, honed acts to entertain the masses. He was bigly into bread and circuses. The bread and circuses are over now. His city still brings in the masses.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

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HARRAK: And that wraps up this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Laila Harrak.

Kim Brunhuber picks up our coverage after a quick break. I'll see you tomorrow.

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