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Norway, Ireland And Spain To Recognize Palestinian State; Ebrahim Raisi To Be Buried After Final Funeral Ceremonies; CNN On The Front Lines Of Ukraine's Fight In The North Of Ukraine; China Launches Two Days Of Military Drills Around Taiwan; British Prime Minister Announces Vote Will Be Held July 4th; Growing Concern Worldwide About Ai's Impact on Elections; Court Rules Elvis' Family Will Keep Control of Graceland, Delayed Foreclosure Until a Hearing Determines Rightful Ownership of the Estate; Nine Female Athletes Get Barbie Dolls Made in Their Likeness. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired May 23, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:29]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. And streaming on CNN Max. I'm Paula Newton.

Just ahead, a terrifying scene unfolding in Mexico, as a stage collapses during a political rally leaving at least six people dead.

Norway, Spain and Ireland moved to recognize the state of Palestine and receive swift backlash from Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the move rewards terrorists.

And Britain's Prime Minister makes a surprise call for snap elections, hoping to cash in on some positive economic news. But with his party trailing badly in the polls.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: And we do begin with breaking news out of Mexico where rescue crews are looking for more people trapped under the debris following a deadly stage collapse near the city of Monterrey.

Now, it happened at a campaign rally for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez that was late Wednesday. Video from the scene you see it there shows strong winds sending pieces of the stage crashing down with him and his supporters scrambling to try and get away.

Now, he says at least six people were killed, 50 others injured. Alvarez Maynez of the Citizen's Movement party says he was in fact briefly hospitalized, but he's doing OK. We will continue to bring you more on that story.

Now, the decision by Spain Ireland and Norway to recognize a Palestinian state is prompting pushback from some European governments and outright condemnation from Israel. The three countries say the recognition which takes effect Tuesday is the best way to achieve lasting peace in the region. Spain's prime minister says it's not a decision against Israel, but one in favor of coexistence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Next Tuesday on the 28th of May, Spain will approve his council of ministers the recognition of the State of Palestine.

JONAS GAHR STOERE, NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This is an investment in the only solution that can bring lasting peace in the Middle East. It is a strong call to other countries to do the same as we are doing today.

SIMON HARRIS, IRISH PRIME MINISTER: In the lead up to today's announcement, I've spoken with a number of other leaders and counterparts, and I'm confident that further countries will join us in taking this important step in the coming weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, final funeral ceremonies -- pardon me, we will continue on with the story in Israel. We will get more reaction now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Israel on Wednesday recalling its ambassadors to Spain, Norway and Ireland after those three countries chose to recognize a Palestinian state.

The Israeli government also summoning the ambassadors of those three countries to the Israeli Foreign Ministry for a formal reprimand wondering which the Israeli Foreign Minister said he would make these ambassadors watch videos of the taking of hostages on October 7th.

The Israeli prime minister for his part has slammed this decision saying that it is tantamount to a reward for terror by recognizing a Palestinian state. And he is also making clear that he firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying, that this will be a "terror state which he believes will attempt to recreate the October 7th massacre over and over again."

That is obviously a notion that these three countries have firmly reject as does the Palestinian Authority which is encouraging more countries to follow suit here.

Now, the Israeli Foreign Minister has said that there will be serious consequences for these three countries and potentially as well for the Palestinian Authority for this decision to recognize a Palestinian state.

And so far, we haven't gotten a flavor from him of what those consequences will look like. But we have heard from the Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far right member of Netanyahu who's governing coalition who has said that he will seek the approval of tens of thousands of housing units in Israeli settlements who will also seek the approval of new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In addition to that, he's also saying that he plans to withhold Palestinian tax revenue collected by the Israeli government meant for the Palestinian Authority, which is already severely cash strapped and that could certainly have some serious consequences on the ground in the West Bank.

[02:05:08]

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now, to Iran where final funeral ceremonies are underway for its late president Ebrahim Raisi. Massive crowds are packing the streets of the city of Birjand and at this hour to pay their final respects to Raisi ahead of ceremony in the north eastern city of Mashhad where he will be buried later in the day.

And this comes one day after large crowds in Tehran bid a final farewell to their president, as well as eight others killed in a helicopter crash over the weekend.

CNN's Paula Hancocks continues to follow all the developments for us. And Paula, we continue to see those large crowds as these days of mourning really set to finish today as they continue to figure out what happened during this helicopter crash.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Paula, what we'll see today is the individuals being buried in their respective hometowns. We know for example, the late President Raisi, his body is in Birjand this morning. This is where he was a special representative to the Supreme Leader.

And then, he will -- his body will be transported to Masshad, as you say, which is his hometown, and this is will -- where he'll be laid to rest after funeral rites.

For example, the former -- the late Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian , he will be buried later today in just south of Tehran, his own home town and this will be the same for seven others who were also on that helicopter that crashed on Sunday.

And at the same time, as you see these images on state T.V. showing mourning of those that supports the government. We also know there is an investigation underway to find out exactly what happened.

Now, the chief of staff has ordered that there'd be a military commander, also technical experts who are on the ground to try and ascertain exactly what happened.

But the chief of staff of President Raisi who was in one of those helicopters has given more details as to what happened. Let's look at where the investigation is at this point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice over): As mourners gathered to pay final respects to Iran's president, foreign minister and seven others, an investigation is determining why the helicopter they were traveling in crashed into the side of a mountain on Sunday.

President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation were at an inauguration event for a dam on the border with Azerbaijan, alongside that country's president. Formalities over, a convoy of three helicopters left the area.

The president's chief of staff on board one of the helicopters that landed safely told Iranian state media what happened next.

Gholam Hossein Esmaili said weather conditions in the mountainous region of Varzeqan were fine when they took off at 1:00 pm.

GHOLAM HOSSEIN ESMAILI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S CHIEF OF STAFF (through translator): Around 30-35 minutes into the flight, Captain Seyed Mostafavi, who was the pilot of the helicopter carrying the president and the commander of the helicopter convoy, ordered the other helicopters to gain altitude and go above the clouds.

After 30 seconds, our pilot noticed that the president's helicopter suddenly disappeared.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Esmaili says they circled back and looked for the aircraft, unable to decrease altitude because of the cloud, repeated calls through radio devices went unanswered.

Rescue teams were also unable to fly a helicopter to help with the search due to the weather. It took them 16 hours to reach the mountainous location of the crash on foot.

Call to the pilot's mobile was answered, however, by the Friday prayer Imam on board with the president, according to Esmaili. He said they had crashed and he was in critical condition.

He survived for at least three hours after the crash, speaking to officials multiple times before he died. The others are believed to have died instantly.

For investigators, this will be key evidence. They will look at the weather, the possibility of technical issues, the aging helicopter is from the 70s. Possible human error and one that the official Iranian line has steered clear off so far, foul play.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (on camera): And obviously, the helicopter itself we know was old, that will be looked at very closely by investigators.

In fact, one former Iranian official accused the United States of being implicated in this crash as they have had in place for decades now sanctions on the aviation industry.

[02:10:02]

Now, it's an accusation that U.S. officials have responded to and they have called them baseless, Paula.

NEWTON: Thanks so much, Paula. I know you'll continue to follow all that investigation, appreciate it.

Now, a deadly Russian strike in northern Ukraine has been caught on video. Ukraine says it shows the moment a Russian drone hit a police car in Vovchansk on Wednesday killing one officer and wounding another.

And it reportedly happened while the city was being evacuated. Vovchansk now looks like a ghost town, you see some of the video there, Ukrainian troops are fighting Russian forces house to house to keep them from advancing.

Ukrainian prosecutors say a woman in a wheelchair was shot and killed last week while her husband was trying to help her flee the town. They blame Russian troops and an investigation is underway.

Now, many of those evacuating that town are headed to the nearby city of Kharkiv, which took more Russian fire on Wednesday. Ukraine says an airstrike damaged multiple buildings and left four people wounded. A bus driver lost both legs in that attack.

Kharkiv is Ukraine's second largest city which lies just south of Russia's main thrust there, their advancement in the north.

But there's another crucial town also in the Kremlin's crosshairs, which Ukrainian troops are desperately trying to defend, but they're heavily outgunned.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh got exclusive access to see this battle firsthand and a warning, some of the images in his report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Some towns they can never let Putin take, and this, Lyptsi, is one of them.

Destroyed artillery on the streets. Homes aflame from an airstrike, they can only move at night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lights off.

WALSH (voice-over): It's a perilous grip they keep, but lose here, and Russian artillery will be in range of Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv.

WALSH: You can still smell the smoke here from an airstrike that landed just in the last hour or so.

WALSH (voice-over): This is life under the drone. We're the first reporters into the heart of the town. Only soldiers left here underground. The Khartiia 13th National Guard first tackled Russia's new offensive.

OLEKSANDR, KHARTILA NATIONAL GUARD BRIGADE (through translator): You saw how it's all burning. It's like that every night.

WALSH: Do you think there were good enough fortifications here?

OLEKSANDR (through translator): Nothing was prepared here. Nothing. Just nothing. All the positions are being built by the hands of the infantry.

The Russians are trained professional soldiers. We can see it from their equipment, from their tactics.

WALSH (voice-over): There were eight airstrikes just in the last hour, so we leave soon. A buzzing noise near us, very close, and the only way they know whose drone this is, is if it attacks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Is it your drone?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Who knows?

WALSH (voice-over): All around Kharkiv, they don't have enough guns and the Russians have too many drones. The 92nd Assault Brigade show us something that isn't even theirs.

WALSH: Russian artillery piece that they captured in the first year of the war in the fighting in Kharkiv region. And now they use, strangely, French mortar rounds to fire from here. It's just a sign of how little appropriate ammunition they have available to them. This wire is a protection from FPV drones.

WALSH (voice-over): Above, he sees a drone with two battery packs, a long- range scout.

WALSH: Run. Basement.

WALSH (voice-over): It is not friendly. If you can tell, it's an attack drone. Hide. This seems to be a scout. So, running is better before it calls in shelling.

Another artillery unit wants to show us something not even Russian, but Soviet. Made in the 1940s, it can still fire newer Polish shells. In the autumn, it was a hundred a day, now it is 10.

WALSH: Extraordinary to see something here that's three times the age of either of these two guys holding back a new Russian offensive in 2024. I say the metal is so old that that limits the number of times.

WALSH (voice-over): That sound warns another drone is incoming. And back in the bunker, they show us the online bought 30 gadget that is their best warning mechanism.

The team here embody Ukraine's exhaustion and resilience. Older guys, wounded infantrymen. Artur (ph) has drone shrapnel in his arms still. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Moving towards Lozova?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Orlan. Don't go out at all for now.

WALSH: He just saw an Orlan Russian drone passing overhead. So, he is saying, better stay inside.

WALSH (voice-over): On the way back into the city, we see what fuels this defense. This was a lakeside resort, football, cocktails, a beach.

[02:15:06]

WALSH: Extraordinary devastation. I think they're here to collect the bodies.

WALSH (voice-over): A seven-month pregnant woman was among the seven dead here. Another body found later, just fragments in the mulch.

Russia's advance looms over whatever life persists here, belching out over homes. The darkest little salvation, this may be a drone being hit, but they kill two when they crash in failure. Flares breached the enforced blackout. Moscow is getting nearer again. And there are always too many blasts before dawn.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: And we will be right back with more news in a moment.

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NEWTON: An update now on the breaking news out of Mexico, the death toll following that stage collapsed or the city of Monterrey is now risen to nine, that's according to state governor.

At least one child is among the dead, more than 50 other people were wounded. The collapse happened at a campaign rally for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez that was late Wednesday, you see the video there and the scene shows those strong wind gusts and pieces of the stage crashing down, that you'll see that candidate there and his supporters scrambling to get away with so many more were injured.

We're going to go now to the growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait where China has kicked off two days of military drills around Taiwan and that's just days after the swearing in of a new democratically elected leader in the self-ruling Island.

China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory says the drills are, "Punishment for separatist acts." Taiwan's defense minister calls the moves irrational provocations. CNN's Will Ripley joins us now from Taipei and will fill us in. I mean, look, we see there the verbal volleys, but what can we expect over the next couple of days of these drills?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, what the PLA has announced as they're calling this Joint Sword-2024A which of course, Paula begs the question, will there be A, B or C, it wouldn't be surprising. China's Eastern theater command, they've been out in the Taiwan Strait, there's actually been some pretty nasty weather in recent days, which might explain why they didn't do this on Inauguration Day, which was just a couple of days ago here in Taiwan.

But what the PLA is saying is that this is a response to, in their words, Taiwan independence separatist actions and external interferences. So, basically, they're angry about Taiwan and the United States in this close relationship that is expected to be solidified even further under Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te, who made statements in his inauguration speech.

[02:20:03]

And you and I talked about this, Paula, where he said that he hopes that China will recognize the existence of Taiwan, that was viewed by a lot of analysts as pretty provocative and certainly less cautious than president lies predecessors Tsai Ing-wen.

And this is part of a pattern where China frequently does conduct these sorts of military activities around Taiwan to assert its territorial claims over this self-governing democracy, and also respond to what they perceive as provocations or perhaps they use news items as an excuse to stage these drills, which have grown incredibly more provocative in recent years ever since Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to this island where the Chinese military essentially encircled Taiwan and even launched a ballistic missile over Taiwan for the first time.

Let me read you a portion of a statement from the PLA Colonel Li Xi. He called these exercises and I quote here, a strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces and a serious warning against interference and provocation by external forces.

We also have a response from Taiwan's defense ministry, which is condemning China's drills, they're calling them, I quote, irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability, saying they stand by with firm will and restraint, saying they seek no conflicts but will not shy away from one and they say they have the confidence to safeguard Taiwan's national security.

Certainly, Paula, a chaotic start for the new president here but not unexpected. We had been speaking with senior security officials here in Taipei in recent days who said this is exactly what they predicted. The weather in May is pretty much perfect for staging military drills.

Unlike the weather at the time of the Taiwanese election earlier this year when it would not have been feasible. So, they've been bracing for this, Taiwan's military also, you know, putting its own planes in the air, putting out its own videos to try to show strength against the formidable Chinese military, which is now once again, engaging in drills just miles from the Taiwan East Coast, Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, Will, I know how closely you track this, we'll continue, obviously, to see the reaction around the world to this.

But I want to ask you, what is the reaction among people there in that country when they, you know, wake up and hear about this?

RIPLEY: Well, just like any place which has lived with this sort of threat for a long time, you know, the attitude here reminds me of the attitude in South Korea, and even North Korea where these two sides have for decades kind of, you know, bend rhetorically at the brink of war, and people have just grown accustomed to it.

But there are real life tangible changes happening here, for example, the extension of compulsory military service for young Taiwanese, and, in fact, friends of mine just got a notice they've been recalled for mandatory military training this summer that's actually being stepped up.

And so, people are feeling a difference in the air than perhaps in previous years. They know that China under Xi Jinping has been taking a much stronger stance towards Taiwan. And in some ways, backing that up not just with rhetoric, but with military action.

Life goes on. People are not necessarily losing sleep over this out on the streets, but they're always aware that the life that they enjoy here, the democracy that they enjoy here is in some ways, very fragile and something to be cherished. Because you just never know what could happen.

NEWTON: Yes, it is an interesting perspective right, given you are there and interesting to compare it as well to how they are in South Korea or even North Korea.

We'll continue to keep an eye on this. Will, thanks so much for bringing it to us, appreciate it. We will be right back with more news in a moment.

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[02:26:18]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of parliament. The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the Fourth of July.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: That was the British prime minister and a surprise move announcing snap elections. Rishi Sunak admitted his conservative party has made mistakes but insisted the Tories remain the most capable of leading Britain out of challenging times.

However, the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, has a commanding lead in the polls. The vote will be the only the second one in the past century to take place in July and the first since 1945.

CNN's Nic Robertson picks up the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, this sudden decision by the British prime minister to call a snap election for the Fourth of July, does seem to be based on good economic numbers that came in on Wednesday.

2.3 was the inflation rate, the lowest it's been for some time, it was in double digits just over a year ago. And the prime minister pointing to that as a reason why the electorate should have trust and faith in his party and vote for them in the coming election.

SUNAK: Our economy is now growing faster than anyone predicted, outpacing Germany, France and the United States.

And this morning, it was confirmed that inflation is back to normal. This means that the pressure on prices will ease and mortgage rates will come down. This is proof that the plan and priorities I set out are working.

ROBERTSON: The prime minister got absolutely drenched in the torrential rain there standing outside of Downing Street giving his speech, he spoke as well about the dangerous situation around the world about Putin's invasion of Ukraine of energy instability.

And this was the reason he said to vote for his party, a party that has a plan that is in essence capable of handling these tough world changing events.

On the other hand, Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, the main opposition party that looks poised to do exceptionally well in the coming elections. And especially if you look at the recent local election results where they absolutely trounced the Conservative Party.

Keir Starmer saying here's a party for change, he's going to bring that change, and that's why people should vote for Labour.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH LABOR PARTY LEADER: It will feel like a long campaign, I'm sure of that. But no matter what else is said and done, that opportunity for change is what this election is about.

A vote for Labour is a vote for stability, economic and political. A politics that treads more likely on all our lives, a vote to stop the chaos.

ROBERTSON: And if you take a general look at what voters are saying across the country, the wide expectation is and has been now for many months, even years. Some people might say that Labour will win the election, they will likely win it handily. That's their expectation, and that's what a lot of bookers are saying too.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: U.S. regulators are calling for new rules to limit the use of artificial intelligence in political ads. The chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission says people have a right to know when A.I. tools are being used in the ads they see.

She urged the agency to come up with rules that could require ads on T.V. and radio to include disclaimers. It comes amid growing fears that manipulated video and audio could in fact disrupt elections. That scenario is already playing out in India where the election that started in April is set to wrap up next month.

[02:30:00]

NEWTON: Now recently, videos went viral purportedly showing two of the biggest Bollywood stars criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the actors say they were deepfakes and they were generated by AI. Oren Etzioni is Founder of TrueMedia.org, a non-profit fighting political deep fakes and he is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington. You in fact have seen this coming for all law long time now. And the bottom line, as far as I know, as far as you're concerned, is that deepfakes not only could be capable one day of materially influencing elections, you say perhaps that could be decisive someday. Can you explain your concerns?

OREN ETZIONI, FOUNDER, TRUEMEDIA.ORG: We are visual animals and when we see something, we tend to believe it. When we hear something like President Biden's voice on a call in New Hampshire, it sounds credible to us. So, I am extremely worried about this for the upcoming elections.

NEWTON: OK. Those are elections in the United States. I'm going to go back to the issue of whether or not anything can be done about this. But specifically on the issue of disinformation, so just kind of another outlet of AI and deep fakes, we already know it's insidious. There is systemic disinformation. These are campaigns. They are reality in politics. Now, could AI actually continue to advance that, make it even more pernicious?

ETZIONI: Yes. And we have seen this not just in the U.S., right, but in the elections as you mentioned, in India, also in Pakistan, Taiwan, Indonesia. This is a critical year and of course, elections coming up in E.U. and U.K. So this is a global problem.

NEWTON: It's a global problem. We are looking at some video now where it is difficult really to tell what is fake and what is real. So that's where the regulation comes in. Are you optimistic that it's possible? And if it is, what would be the reaction? What kind of reaction have you been getting in Washington and beyond in terms of regulating this? ETZIONI: I think we need a multifaceted answer. Regulation is a part of it, but it's a question of whether it'll come fast enough, whether it's enforceable appropriately. TrueMedia.org, the non-profit that I founded, we are using technology to detect deepfakes. And of course there's no substitute for media literacy and common sense. When you see something, particularly something jarring, something outrageous, you have to ask yourself, is this real? Do I know the source actually? Where did this come from? Could it be a fake?

NEWTON: But, do you think that regulation is capable of keeping up with the advancements of AI?

ETZIONI: In theory, yes, but there's no silver bullet. So let's say, imagine that we have exactly the right rules on the books and imagine that through some very impressive process, the governments of the world pass this in time for the upcoming elections, how does it get enforced? How can you even tell if what you're seeing is a deepfake? So, regulation is never going to be the only answer to the problem. It can be a part of it at best.

NEWTON: You know, many of those like you involved in AI for many years signed an open letter wanting something to be done. I mean, where are we going with this? Because on the one hand, we continue to get headlines and see real world results of AI. And on the other, we get a lot of rhetoric, we get a lot of committee meetings on the regulation side. And yet, that doesn't seem to be developing right now.

ETZIONI: I think it's important to remember the positive aspects of AI. So you're right, there is this issue around synthetic media, around disinformation, and it's not going great. It's a big challenge. But in healthcare, in driverless cars, in safety systems, in so many ways, AI is playing a positive role. So like any technology, whether it's electricity, the internet, or software, it can be used for good, it can be used for bad, and it's up to us to figure out how to make it be a net positive for society.

NEWTON: That was a lot of confidence you were putting in "us." We have seen some things around the world in elections, but even outside of that, that have been absolutely terrifying. I know you started this conversation that you need media literacy. I'm not that hopeful, quite frankly, is -- do you believe that in stepping in that there is some kind of AI tool even that will help us. And I'm talking about things like watermarks, things like that, where we can use the technology to actually authenticate what we are seeing in here (ph).

ETZIONI: The problem with watermarks is that they're often easy to remove, easy to get rid of in various ways, and a lot of the software that we are using to process media, for example, browsers or your Facebook app, what have you, doesn't require them.

[02:35:00]

ETZIONI: So again, particularly if you're talking about this year, watermarks are not going to do it. We need a combination of technologies. We need the regulations you mentioned. But I do think that you bringing this up and the viewers listening in and saying, wait a minute, the next time I see something like a Bollywood star saying something that I'm not sure is right, I have to ask myself, what's the origin of this video? Am I sure that it's real?

NEWTON: Oren Etzioni, we'll leave it there and we will consider ourselves warned through a lot of elections all over the world. Appreciate it, thanks so much.

ETZIONI: Thank you.

NEWTON: And we'll be right back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: So, it seems now that Elvis Presley's family will indeed keep control of his Graceland mansion, a Tennessee court made that ruling on Wednesday after Presley's granddaughter sued to block a mysterious company from selling the historic Memphis home. Now, the company later said it was dropping all claims to the property. CNN's Isabel Rosales unravels this mystery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For decades, they have come to honor the king, to get a glimpse of where Elvis Presley lived, and to be close to rock-and-roll royalty. The Memphis home haloed ground for music lovers around the world and the resting place for Presley, his daughter Lisa Marie, and other family members.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, it should be in the Elvis' family always.

PAUL YOUNG, MAYOR OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: We hope that it stays with the family. Graceland means so much to our community. It does so much for our economy. We attract over 600,000 visitors each year.

ROSALES (voice-over): But with the threat of foreclosure, the fate of Elvis Presley's fabled Graceland was all shook up. The historic landmark front and center in court Wednesday morning.

JOEDAE L. JENKINS, CHANCELLOR, SHELBY COUNTY CHANCERY COURT: The (inaudible) is considered unique on its (inaudible).

ROSALES (voice-over): To determine who is its rightful owner after the iconic 14-acre property was put up for a foreclosure auction to be held Thursday, until the singer's granddaughter and heir Riley Keough filed suit, and a judge granted a temporary restraining order against any sale.

JENKINS: The court will (inaudible) the sale.

ROSALES (voice-over): Ruling the iconic Memphis home can stay in the hands of the Presley family for now. The creditor behind the sale, Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC, presented documents claiming Lisa Marie Presley defaulted on a nearly $4 million loan with Graceland as collateral. Keough claims not only are the documents fake, but that her mother never borrowed money or used Graceland as collateral. Keough also claims Naussany isn't even a real company. [02:40:00]

JENKINS: (Inaudible) provided you prove at the ultimate hearing fraud that has been alleged.

ROSALES (voice-over): The Chancery Court deciding to delay the foreclosure until a hearing can determine the facts, the notary swearing she never met Lisa Marie Presley or notarized her signature on the loan paperwork.

JENKINS: Which brings into question as to the authenticity of the signature and indeed the (inaudible).

ROSALES (voice-over): Today, the company says it will not move forward with the foreclosure and will be withdrawing all claims with prejudice, according to a statement released by a person identified as a representative. So for now, for fans and for the family, Graceland remains a good luck charm.

ROSALES: Withdrawing all claims with prejudice, that means that the decision is final. So, it sounds like this lender will abandon any future efforts to foreclose on Graceland. We have also reached out to the attorney of Riley Keough to inquire as to the status of the lawsuit against this company in light of this news. We've also reached out to Tennessee banking regulators, the D.A.'s attorney's office and also the U.S. Attorney's office to see whether they will play any role in this legal battle, considering the accusations of fraud.

Isabel Rosales, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: So, Barbie is shining a light on nine outstanding female athletes around the world with role model dolls made in their image. Tennis star -- superstar I should say, Venus Williams is immortalized with her doll wearing an all-white outfit and, of course, holding a rocket, right? Williams says she's honored to team up with Barbie to continue to empower girls. Others getting the Barbie treatment includes soccer players, a paratriathlon athlete, a boxer, a swimmer, a sprinter, and two gymnasts.

Toymaker Mattel says the dolls are a part of its continued celebration of Barbie's 65th anniversary and a recognition of the impact sports has in fostering self-confidence in the next generation.

All right. I'm Paula Newton. "World Sport" is next, then "CNN Newsroom" continues at the top of the hour with Max Foster in London.

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