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Bahrain Reports Damage After New Iranians Strikes; Rescuers Race to Save Trapped People as Death Toll Soars; Dozens of Deaths Linked to European Heat Wave; Passport Stamps Being Phased Out By Many Nations. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired June 28, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:32]

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers all around the world and in the United States. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's get into the headlines.

We're getting the first reports of damage from new strikes in the Gulf. What we know about the state of the ceasefire right now between the U.S. and Iran.

Also, dramatic images of people being pulled out from the rubble in Venezuela. We're going to hear from the leader of an American aid organization now in Caracas about the response to these devastating earthquakes.

Plus, the U.S. is getting a taste of the heat wave that's been making Europe swelter, where the temperatures will be highest on both sides of the Atlantic this week.

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Salma Abdelaziz.

ABDELAZIZ: Iran's foreign minister says the Strait of Hormuz will return to pre-war capacity within 30 days. He spoke just a short time ago to -- during a visit to Iraq. Earlier, we received first reports of the damage from new Iranian strikes.

You can see the images there targeting U.S. military facilities in the Gulf. Iran said it had launched attacks on facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. The government in Bahrain now says a residential building suffered heavy damage, but no one was killed.

The country was also hit by a number of missiles and drones, according to a statement, which it calls a dangerous escalation. Kuwait says it intercepted two ballistic missiles with no damage or casualties. And all of this is happening after the U.S. carried out another wave of airstrikes on Iranian military targets in just as many days. U.S. Central Command called it a response to an Iranian attack on a civilian vessel on Saturday morning.

For more on all of this, we are joined by Paula Hancocks, live in Abu Dhabi. Thank you again so much for joining us, Paula.

Now, we've just heard from Iran's foreign minister. What has he said, and is it going to help defuse these rising tensions, or is this truce just in jeopardy here?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, this is certainly the most serious escalation in violence that we have seen since the MOU, the Memorandum of Understanding, was signed between the U.S. and Iran. We have just heard from the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. He is currently in Baghdad.

And he was talking about the Strait of Hormuz, which is really one of the main sticking points when it comes to the MOU. He was talking about the Strait of Hormuz being back to normal and pre-war levels of shipping passing through within 30 days. What he did say, though, is that it would be under Iran's exclusive management.

Now, of course, that's the key point. Iran believes that it should have this leverage. It has said through the Revolutionary Guard, through officials, that it will be in charge of deciding who goes through and, of course, being able to control the strait. That is not what the Gulf nations want. It is not what the United States, other countries around the world want. We've heard in the past the secretary of state saying no country on Earth should be in charge and in control of international waterways.

So, what we have seen over recent days is really this escalatory tit- for-tat strikes from the U.S., from Iran. We saw Kuwait and Bahrain in the early hours of Sunday morning bearing the brunt of the Iranian retaliation. We also heard from a Revolutionary Guard spokesperson about the U.S. attacks. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSSEIN MOHEBI, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS SPOKESMAN (through translator): This is simply the nature of our enemy. It is untrustworthy and prone to breaking its commitments, and at any moment it may engage in such actions. Regardless, that's consistent with the enemy's nature because we know its character. But as I've said, what is most important is that we have always responded to the enemy, and we will continue to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: The U.S. Central Command, in talking about the strikes against military targets in Iran, said that Iran was given the chance to honor the ceasefire but chose not to. We've heard from the U.S. President Donald Trump, as well, on Saturday. One of his posts on "Truth Social," I'll read to you, quote, "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist." A threat that has been given in the past. Iranian officials in the past have said it just shows the desperation of the U.S.

[05:05:15] Salma?

ABDELAZIZ: Paula Hancocks there on the latest statement from Iran's foreign minister, as tensions escalate between Iran and the United States. Thank you so much.

There is a race against the clock for rescuers in Venezuela. As the death toll from Wednesday's double earthquake soars past 1,400 people, more than 72 hours have now passed since those quakes. The chance of survival rapidly drops after three days without water. And rescue efforts have been complicated by hundreds of aftershocks. But more than 2,700 aid workers from 24 different countries have arrived, along with tons of equipment and medicine.

They join tens of thousands of Venezuelans working amid the debris, including this man in Caracas.

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JONATHAN EXPOSITO, QUATE SURVIVOR & RESCUE VOLUNTEER (through translator): We've really been helping out since it happened, because I was working at the time and that building collapsed right at my feet. I saw it snap in half starting from the third floor. And when I saw the roof coming down, we ran out. I turned right back around and we started helping out with all the food I had. We gave it all away. We cut up the cakes I had and handed them out to the volunteers in the civil protection.

And we're still letting people use the restroom there. They told us to leave for now, but apparently the building's structure isn't too badly compromised, so we can still stay there. So, we'll have to see how things go. Right now, we're heading to La Guaira to keep helping out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: But amid the despair, there are some moments of hope, like this man's reaction as he emerged from the rubble.

(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)

ABDELAZIZ: You can see the gratitude and joy on one man's face when the Spanish team pulled him free. Earlier, my colleague Brian Abel spoke with Susana Arroyo. She's a Regional Communications Manager for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She is currently in Caracas, and she discussed her work and what she's seeing on the ground.

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SUSANA ARROYO BARRANTES, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES: Today, we were able to stand by a father that was told that after four days, his son, 14 years old son, was still alive under the rubbles. And at that very moment, everyone was crying and everyone was celebrating at the same time. So, we are speaking about like a collective grief. And this is also why psychosocial support, psychological first aid is one of the top priorities at the moment. We're also seeing a massive wave of solidarity, not only coming from local people, but also from across the Americas and from all over the world. Even within the Red Cross family, we have Red Cross teams coming from Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador, Mexico.

People that are going to support not only the search and rescue efforts, but also the health care services that we are providing to people. And what is coming right now is exactly that being next to people in this transition that is about to start. When we're going to be going through that grief, realizing that probably our loved ones, as you were saying, relatives, friends, the pets are no longer with us.

So, they need to start from scratch, that they need to look for shelter. We are speaking about starting a new life again. And I have never seen what I saw today in La Guaira.

And I speak for myself, but I can also tell you the story of my colleagues. One of my colleagues sitting next to me, he has removed his bare hands to rescue eight members of his family. Another of our colleagues also lost their whole family. She lost her whole family. And also the volunteers that we are working with, they are working nonstop. They're working unstoppably and with a sense of responsibility that goes even beyond what their own bodies can resist.

[05:10:02]

They are among our patients as well, because they are suffering from extreme temperatures. I don't know if we have spoken about this, but there's extreme heat here. People are suffering also from dehydration.

For instance, they are exhausted. And even though they know that they need to continue to do what they do. So, it's not easy, but at the same time, it's really comforting to see and rewarding to see that because of what our teams are doing, we are able to tell the story of these people of what they need.

ABDELAZIZ: At least four people are dead after widespread flooding across Kentucky on Saturday. Heavy rains caused flash flooding that wiped out bridges and inundated roads. Search and rescue efforts are underway, and Kentucky's governor has declared a state of emergency, this as the eastern U.S. is about to feel the most severe heat wave of the summer so far. A heat dome will bring dangerously hot and humid conditions to the region. Several metro areas could see temperatures climb to their highest level yet this year, including Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Dallas and Nashville. CNN's Meteorologist Melissa Nord has the latest weather report for us.

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MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The heat wave starts in the central plains the second half of this weekend, and it's going to increase and push eastward as we head through the work week. It's multiple days of high heat, humidity is going to be building, little relief from rainfall, and in the overnights, near record warm minimum temperatures as well, so your body doesn't have a chance to recuperate if you don't have good working A.C. during the overnights as well.

Here's the heat dome set up, and that is going to just kind of re- radiate that heat through the day and night across some of the same areas, the heat is centered over the central U.S. to finish the weekend, but as we get into Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, it's really racing eastward, we could see multiple days in a row with some cities in the triple digits for temperatures themselves as we get towards the second half of the week there in the east coast.

All right, heat indices, what is it going to feel like factoring in that high humidity with the temperatures? Well, you see a lot of 100- degree numbers on this map, these are feels like temperatures, 104 in Dallas on Sunday, 104 in St. Louis, a lot of these cities here, we're starting to see those extreme heat alerts issued because of the danger of that heat and humidity on your body as you're overexerting yourself outside.

The heat pushes eastward, we'll see highs reaching the century mark in places like Raleigh, Washington, D.C., and New York City by the end of the week, but we add in the feels like temperatures, that humidity into effect, look at this, 112 in D.C. on Thursday and 108 in New York City, Boston, 104, that forecast feels like temperature there on Thursday.

Here's D.C.'s numbers themselves, the actual temperature, not the humidity combined, and you can see three days in a row there where it is going to be above or at 100 degrees. New York City as well, dangerous heat moving in the end of the week, 102 on Wednesday, 104, records in jeopardy for Thursday.

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ABDELAZIZ: A record-breaking heat wave is moving east across Europe, rather, dozens of deaths on the continent have been linked to the sweltering heat, Germany hits its highest temperature ever recorded on Saturday, thermometers reached 106 degrees Fahrenheit in the city east of Leipzig, that's a 41.5 degrees Celsius, Paris hit a June record of 105 degrees Fahrenheit, we're 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, and the heat is not stopping on Saturday, the French capital and 36 other regions remained in an extreme heat warning zone, officials say nearly 3,000 people were seeking care in hospitals, that's a third more than usual.

Last hour, I spoke with climate scientist Chris Gollinger about this unprecedented heat wave in Europe, and whether this is our new normal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS GLONINGER, METEOROLOGIST AND CLIMATE SCIENTIST: It is our new normal, Salma. And the World Weather Attribution Organization, which looks at attribution science, so how much of a role climate change has played on these particular events, 50 years ago, this heat would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change and that is a significant statistic. We are seeing temperatures in London for example that broke their record all-time record June temperature three days in a row. So, each day we broke that new record that was set. So, they look at modeling the Earth's atmosphere, right, and then you take greenhouse gases out of the equation and see what weather conditions we would have seen without burning oil, coal and gas. So, that is how they're able to tell that we are tipping the scale and making these conditions a lot more favorable.

The bad news is across parts of Europe, once we're done with this heat in the next couple of days, we expect it to return. We have these dueling heat domes one across the eastern part of the United States east of the Mississippi and then a new one forming across Europe. And this is a part of the world where many residents don't have air conditioning, and that is what makes this heat that much more extreme across parts of Europe and especially the U.K. and parts of France.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:15:19]

ABDELAZIZ: Joe Biden spent Saturday night raising money for Democrats. After he had some harsh words for the current occupant of the White House, we'll have that and more from the world of U.S. politics.

After the break, the latest World Cup results from the final day of the Group Round. Thirty-two teams remain in the tournament. From this point on, no second chances. Win big or go home.

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ABDELAZIZ: Let's check in on the world of U.S. politics as primary elections continue ahead of critical midterms in November. CNN projects that U.S. Representative Julia Letlow will win the Republican nomination for Senate in Louisiana. The Trump-endorsed candidate won her runoff election on Saturday. Letlow is vying to replace Bill Cassidy, a two-term Republican senator who finished third in the primary after Trump opposed him.

In the meantime, incumbent Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff held what was billed as his first major re-election rally in Savannah. That was on Saturday. He is facing a Trump-endorsed representative, Mike Collins, in November. Collins spoke with CNN's Manu Raju and echoed some of President Trump's disproven election claims.

[05:20:20]

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When the Trumps cited his endorsement, he cited that -- said that Derrick Dooley believed that it was Joe Biden who won in 2020 in Georgia. What do you think? Did Joe Biden win Georgia in 2020?

MIKE COLLINS, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE: I have said this over and over and over again. You don't change the rules in the middle of the game. And that's what happened in 2020. They changed the rules up. You don't all of a sudden turn around and start mailing out absentee ballots to everybody. You don't set up drop boxes all over the place for people to just start this mass harvesting, ballot harvesting. RAJU: Do you think Trump won?

COLLINS: Trump won that race, yes.

RAJU: In Georgia?

COLLINS: Yes. So.

RAJU: Got it.

COLLINS: And the thing is, we're going to make sure in 2026 that we send Jon Ossoff home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Former President Joe Biden appeared at a fundraiser for Maryland Democrats on Saturday night and delivered one of his most pointed critiques of President Trump since leaving office. Biden called Trump a loser, painting him as vain and corrupt. CNN's Arlette Saenz was there and filed this report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Former President Joe Biden offered a blistering critique of the man who succeeded him in the White House, painting President Donald Trump as vain and corrupt. The former president's comments came as he tried to rally Maryland Democrats at a state party fundraiser on Saturday evening. Here is one of those critiques that he had for Trump.

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Reflecting poll reflects something even worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It's the corruption. The corruption. The brazen, blatant corruption. Corruption on a scale never seen before in American history in any administration. Trump has made billions of dollars since he turned to the White House. It's simply stunning to me. He has no shame. And frankly, it's embarrassing for the country.

But Trump, Trump could care less. Making money off the presidency is one of the reasons he wants to be president. Trump wants to give taxpayers money, your money, to the January 6th insurrectionists.

Oh, that's what he wants to do. People who stormed the Capitol, attacked the police, and tried to execute his own vice president. My God. These people don't deserve to be compensated. They deserve to be put in jail for a long, long, long time.

SAENZ: The speech also coincided with the two-year anniversary of when Biden appeared on that debate stage with President Donald Trump in 2024, a moment that upended Biden's aspirations for a second term and raised questions about the future of his legacy. A recent CNN poll found that only 30 percent of the American public hold a favorable view of Biden, a figure that is lower than at any point in his presidency. But Biden continues to show up for these types of events and types of speeches. This was one of the former president's most forceful political

speeches since leaving office, even as he is battling a cancer, a prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.

Now, Biden has spent much of his time in Delaware in his post- presidency period, but has given these sporadic speeches from time to time as he has tried to continue to warn about the threats that President Trump and his administration are posing in this country.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Hanover, Maryland.

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ABDELAZIZ: More than 350,000 people living legally in the United States could be forced to leave after a landmark Supreme Court decision. On Thursday, the court cleared the way to end temporary protected status, known as TPS, for Haitian and Syrian people who have come to America fleeing war or instability. The Trump administration has now moved to end TPS for 13 of the 17 designated countries. In total, the ruling could impact more than 1 million immigrants. CNN has been speaking with migrants in New York's Little Haiti neighborhood. I want you to have a listen to some of their reactions to this ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN BAPTISTE, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT: Not good, not good. It's not fair to send them to Haiti right now. It's not a good idea. No matter what, we're not going to give up. You have to continue to fight for the Haitians.

JOHN PRINSCON, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT: Right now my country, we will fight, you know, I don't know when you're going back again where I am before. You know, we will fight for my country. I love my country, but I love this over here too, because they helped me do something for my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:25:19]

ABDELAZIZ: It is do-or-die time as the World Cup's knockout stage starts today for the 32 surviving teams. Yesterday, at the last group stage matches, England finished at the top of their group after a 2-0 win against now-eliminated Panama. Captain Harry Kane became England's all-time World Cup scorer after making the 11th tournament goal of his career during that game.

Defending champs Argentina beat Jordan 3-1, knocking them out of the competition. And Lionel Messi hopped off the bench and onto the scoreboard with a penalty kick, extending his record into seven straight World Cup matches with a goal. A six-goal thriller between Algeria and Austria ended in a 3-3 draw.

The two teams traded stoppage time goals, but Algeria synced an equalizer in the final moments. Both will move on to the next round. And Colombia secured the top spot in its group after a scoreless draw with Portugal. CNN's Elizabeth Perez was in Miami for the hard-fought match between Colombia and Portugal. She brings us a closer look at how it all unfolded.

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ELIZABETH PEREZ, CNN EN ESPANOL SPORTS ANCHOR: The most highly anticipated match of this World Cup stage, the one that generated the most buzz after the draw, ultimately fell short of the expectations. Colombia and Portugal engaged in a physical battle with few dangerous chances in either penalty area. The Paris main guest, the goal, failed to show up, perhaps because the ticket was too expensive or because it had other engagements on different pitches.

While neither team played conservatively, despite both having already qualified for the next round, the attacking talent on display, including James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz, Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix, was stifled by the outstanding defensive work of both sides.

The immense defensive effort from Arias duo, Santiago and John, combined with Gustavo Puerta's solidity, neutralized Felix's runs down the flank, while in the center of the defense, Yerry Mina played an exceptional game, keeping Ronaldo in check near the box. Colombia came to life late in the match following substitutions, particularly the introduction of Luis Suarez to push the team higher up the pitch.

The South American side even had a late opportunity, though the goal was disallowed by VAR, while Portugal also saw an effort from Rafael Leao failing to find the net. In the end, the goal was the one thing missing from the party in the stands. Colombia finishes at the top of Group K after a 0-0 draw against Portugal in Miami.

It's all from me. I'm Elizabeth Perez from Miami Gardens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: From this point on, there are no second chances. The knockout round starts later today, with South Africa facing off against Canada in Los Angeles. And the action continues on Monday, when six teams will fight to keep the World Cup dreams alive.

Team USA will play on Wednesday against Bosnia and Herzegovina. And there is much more to come on CNN, including the latest on rescue efforts in Brazil after those deadly double earthquakes. We'll go live to Caracas to talk to an aid organizer.

Plus, protesters in Albania are accusing the Prime Minister of corruption still ahead, the growing public backlash over a luxury resort linked to President Trump's son-in-law.

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[05:32:12]

ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. Let's check some of today's top stories. Bahrain says a residential building has been heavily damaged in new Iranian strikes earlier today. No deaths have been reported, but Bahrain is calling the attack a dangerous escalation. Earlier, Iran said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, calling it a retaliation for a wave of U.S. strikes on Iran on Saturday.

And catastrophic flooding across Kentucky has killed at least four people. Many cars, houses, and roads have been submerged by floodwaters. Dozens of people have already been rescued. The governor has declared a state of emergency to help deploy more resources, as more rain is expected.

And in Venezuela, rescuers are racing to save survivors trapped under the rubble, as the death toll from Wednesday's double earthquakes soars past 1,400 people with thousands injured. Some 2,700 international aid workers have arrived, along with tons of equipment and medicine.

Members of the Venezuelan diaspora are working with many others to collect donations and get assistance to those who need it. CNN's Carolina Peguero has that story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here in the center of Dallas, where Venezuelans and community members have all come together to give their helping hands and make sure that back home people feel supported.

Now, as the devastation happens in Dallas, we can see that community members here at this local restaurant have gathered in solidarity to bring any non-perishable and essential items to send to their families and people affected in La Guaira after the two major earthquakes struck the nation. Here in the U.S., people from all over have come together, hosting local and donations drives, where local cargo companies and organizations will be covering the cost for the shipments of these items and medical supplies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food, clothing, and medicine, those are the three biggest ones. Water as well, hydration. And then, you know, we're just doing our part, but really the main thing has been the people that are coming and donating, because that's the hardest part. There's a bunch of people that want to help, so getting it over there is very easy, but the hardest part was this, and we're just really happy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dallas has a huge Venezuelan population. They're some of the hardest, kindest people ever. I think, you know, they get kind of a bad rap with just the politicalness, but today it's all about just being human.

PEGUERO: Meanwhile, search and rescue teams have already been deployed from the U.S., like Los Angeles, Miami, and Virginia, hoping to offer their aid to the people and the country, the nation, that is still going under a political tension, environment, and weak infrastructure for decades, under the Nicolas and Delcy Rodriguez regimes. In the meantime, here, people will continue to offer their helping hand.

Carolina Peguero, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: We'll be right back after a quick break.

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[05:38:35]

ABDELAZIZ: I want to go back to one of our top stories. The death toll from Wednesday's double earthquakes has topped 1,400 people. But more than 2,700 aid workers from 24 different countries have arrived, along with tons of equipment and medicine. They joined tens of thousands of Venezuelans working amid the rubble.

Michael Copponi is the Founder of Global Empowerment Mission, and he joins us live now from Caracas.

I know you must be so busy trying to get that aid out, so thank you so much, first of all, for joining us, Michael.

MICHAEL CAPPONI, FOUNDER, GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION: Yeah, thanks for having me. So, we are a, you know ...

(CROSSTALK)

ABDELAZIZ: I was just going to ask you about these really heartwarming images that we've seen from your warehouses across the U.S. that have just been packed, these warehouses in America, just packed with donations. Can you talk to me about the outpouring of support that you've seen and how you're now bringing it to Venezuela?

CAPPONI: Yeah, so we operate a 60,000-square-foot warehouse. It's called half of a Target. And usually at a massive disaster, we probably have 200, 300 volunteers come from the, you know, the diaspora. Here we've had -- it's been 2,000 people have been coming per day, outpouring. So, our warehouse is completely full. We had to get more space, and now we have to get more space.

So, now we have a total of about 200,000 square feet of warehouse space in Miami. But collecting aid is actually the easiest part. Where you have to be an expert at is setting up the infrastructure inside the country to be able to properly deliver it.

[05:40:10]

So, that's why I'm here. We've already set up warehouse space now inside Venezuela, set up all the vehicles, flatbed trucks, everything that we need to properly deliver this, and set up the chain, working with State Department, working with U.S. Embassy, to be able to receive cargo planes on this scale, right? Because you're going to have to be sending. We have our first cargo plane that arrives later today. We're going to be sending two to three cargo planes per day, probably for the next month. And that's a lot to manage. ABDELAZIZ: That sounds like so much to juggle. Have you actually been to the affected areas yet? What are you learning about the crisis now that you're on the ground and can see it up close?

CAPPONI: Yeah, so our team's been on ground zero. I've been working with the logistics behind the scenes. What I'm hearing from my team, who's operated inside Gaza, who's operated inside Ukraine, is that it looks like Gaza and Ukraine. It looks like wartime. You know, we operated for two and a half years after the Turkey earthquake. There's a very similar feel to the situation, just buildings that, you know, weren't very structurally sound, that completely turned to dust and collapsed.

And you have this situation where you have, you know, tens of thousands, if not more people, you know, under that rubble right now. There's amazing search-and-rescue efforts going on, but it's not enough. But, you know, everybody's doing what they can. I think 24 countries have come to send their SAR workers to date.

ABDELAZIZ: And I heard one survivor say, Michael, that there's two crises, there's two disasters that are happening right now, the earthquakes and then the inability of the Venezuelan government to actually respond to the needs of its people. Is there a sense among those on the ground that they've been abandoned by their own government? And what does that mean for the need for international help?

CAPPONI: Yeah, well, on a positive note, I think the U.S. Embassy has worked really hard facilitating and getting all of our professional, you know, search-and-rescue teams from around the country and all the good organizations, right? There's tons of good organizations here right now, World Central Kitchen. Everybody is here.

So, it's familiar territory. It's also historical, because in 2018, when we were working, you know, in Venezuela, we weren't operating in Venezuela. We were operating in Cucuta, right, when people were coming over. Because of the restrictions, it was very difficult.

So, the mere fact that we are all here together, we're all experts, we know what we're doing, we're in every disaster, you know, we're allies, and that's what matters. And we're the ones that are going to come through for the Venezuelan people and do everything we can. We're going to be here for years. This isn't a -- you know, jump-and-go. Everywhere we operate, we're still here. We're still in Ukraine, we're still in Gaza, we're still in Hawaii, we're still in Texas after the floods, with offices, with teams, with support. And that's what will be here in Venezuela. And this is a long, long haul.

There's, you know, there's this phase of it, and then there's going to be a stabilization phase, then there's going to be, you know, a kind of, you know, rehousing phase, we're going to have to figure out where to put all those people and come up with really good programs. So, there is a lot to do here, and we're going to focus on the positive and do everything we can.

ABDELAZIZ: And, Michael, what is it now that you're on the ground that you see that people need the most right now and maybe don't have yet? What is it for those affected that they need?

CAPPONI: I mean, emergency supplies, right, stabilize a place and prevent it from too much chaos going on, right? You remember what happened in Gaza when it was suppressed for a while, right? Then there's looting and all that stuff. So, that's what the aid, that's its main purpose. Let's call that 60 to 90 days. It was the same thing after Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, where we were by far the largest importers of aid in that situation.

So, then we have to figure out now, you know, how many available units there are, right, in Caracas. And there's a lot, actually, because about 30 percent of the population moved away from here and moved out. But there's renting, and there's a lot of regulations that don't work for landlords.

But we have to figure out a way to use the existing housing inventory here and put everybody back in those, because they're not coming home. Otherwise, they're going to be homeless for the next years to come.

ABDELAZIZ: Michael Capponi there on the massive international relief efforts that are right now underway in Venezuela. Thank you so much for your time.

We'll be right back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:48:43]

(CHANT)

ABDELAZIZ: Those are demonstrators taking to the streets in Albania for yet another night of protests, calling out what they see as corruption within their government. The wave of nightly demonstrations first took hold in late May against plans for a luxury resort linked to Donald Trump's son-in-law. Environmentalists warned that the development could threaten flamingo and turtle habitats. Since then, the protests were dubbed the Flamingo Revolution, and they've evolved, with some now calling for the prime minister to step down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best thing is the resign of our prime minister. This is our main goal. Our main goal. So, this would stop it, I think. But I think that Albania entered into a new era, so people now started to learn how to protest, because we never had the culture of protesting that maybe comes also from the regime that we had before, from a dictatorship that we had. So, we never wear these clothes together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Prime Minister Edi Rama has rejected the allegations of corruption, telling the Financial Times that Albania is actually, quote, "far less corrupt under his leadership for decades." World travelers have proudly filled their passports with stamps from all the nations they visit, but now many countries are transitioning to digital entry and exit records.

[05:50:10]

Charline Bou Mansour talked to the travelers about this key change.

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CHARLINE BOU MANSOUR, CNN DIGITAL REPORTER: Is this the end of passport stamps? The 100-year-old ink stamp tradition is being phased out in some countries and replaced by digital e-gates. This could quietly end a much-loved travel ritual for some, collecting passport stamps, and now it's playing out on social media.

CAITLIN (ph), TRAVEL VLOGGER: 2026 is the year that we're having unique experiences again. These are three things you can do to have a unique experience.

BOU MANSOUR: Caitlin is a travel vlogger who likes the physical aspect of travel memorabilia.

CAITLIN: It is kind of sad. I feel like my generation, we kind of still want to hold on to, like, those kind of more traditional ways of, like, travel. Even, like, to, like, be talking about it with my friends about, like, how much we love passport stamps. Like, I think it shows that we really wouldn't want that kind of thing to go, because it is just a really fun memory.

BOU MANSOUR: How do you think e-gates have changed the feeling of crossing borders?

CAITLIN: It's just, like, a lot of technology that maybe just doesn't really feel needed and I don't necessarily think it actually takes any less time than, like, physically speaking to someone.

BOU MANSOUR (voice-over): In April, the European Union finished rolling out its entry-exit system across 29 European countries in the Schengen area. The change is part of a broader global trend. Countries like Australia, Japan and Canada already use biometric data at border crossings, while the United States has announced plans to expand similar systems.

While travel documents and stamps of some kind have existed for centuries, it wasn't until the early 20th century that modern passports began to take shape. Ink and rubber passport stamps were only universally standardized after the 1920 Paris Conference and customs formalities on passports. Before this, early international travel documents were primarily signed and stamped with wax seals by governing authorities and monarchs.

Tom Topol is a passport historian who collects old travel documents.

TOM TOPOL, PASSPORT HISTORIAN: Before 1914, you could actually travel without a passport. A passport was optional. For Europe, it's definitely the end of passport stamps. What Europe just did is the end of an accident 100 years ago. Initially, the outbreak of World War I, all the countries involved wanted to avoid enemies and spies entering the country. So, the passport was introduced. This is vanishing with the EES system. Then the question is, do we really need passports with 36 and more pages? Because if you don't get stamps anymore, then it's really the question, how will the physical passport look like in the future?

BOU MANSOUR: Yes, the e-gates and biometric checks will drastically reduce wait times compared to manual stamping, but this will change the way some people collect memorabilia forever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything you should know before buying a Louis Vuitton passport holder. Every single city across the world has their own city stamp. Some travelers have started collecting commemorative stamps in unofficial passports, including luxury versions like those made by Louis Vuitton.

JAMM CAV, TRAVEL VLOGGER: Are you traveling to London or Singapore soon?

Jamm is a travel creator who doesn't want to see passport stamps go away forever.

CAV: Passport time is very emotional to me. It's like your memories. It's like, you know, a physical stamp, and you can flip through your passport and remember the travel and the memories that you accomplished in your life.

BOU MANSOUR: How do you feel about wanting to collect stamps and have something physical in a digital world?

CAV: I like that memories is something that you can actually physically show your children, your grandchildren. Digital, I feel like it can get lost in the systems. Having that memories physically with you, you can have it for all the generations to come.

You can keep it in a box with some pictures, and your kids and grandchildren can see it. Do you know what I mean? It should be optional, or there should be, like, a line if you want to do a physical stamp.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: The Vespa is celebrating its 80th birthday in its home city. Rome is hosting a four-day event centered on the iconic scooter. Part of the city was turned into a Vespa village of exhibitions, races, parades, and club events.

[05:55:00]

The Vespa launched in 1946 and quickly became a symbol of Italy's rebirth after World War II, appearing in films such as Roman Holiday.

And finally, World Cup fans in Atlanta are lining up to get their hands on commemorative jerseys, but these shirts don't just represent their favorite teams. They're celebrating a beloved gathering place in the American South, the Waffle House restaurants.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the story for us.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're seeing people with jerseys from countries like Congo and many others here at the FIFA Fan Fest, but one thing we didn't expect to see is people wearing jerseys from Waffle House. Why is that? Well, it's become a trend here in Atlanta, not only for local fans, but also for international visitors.

GABRIEL LARA, SOCCER FAN: You know, I mean, there's so many people from so many different places and different countries, and I feel like it's human nature that when you come to somewhere new that you want to learn about that place and almost feel like you're a part of the community. And, you know, kind of how I said that, you know, Waffle House is something that, you know, we take claim to. I feel like that's kind of a part of the Atlanta experience.

ZINA MAYO, SOCCER FAN: Well, they don't have that in Europe. As you know, a lot of stores close or places close, either 9:00 or 10:00. And, of course, you have a lot of drunk people. They want something. So, this is new to them and amazing to them, so I hope they enjoy it just as much as we do.

ROMO: And people are telling us that they like this merchandise, and not only because for them it represents the American South, but also because it reminds them of fun moments that they have spent with family and friends over the years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw it on TikTok, so I think Waffle House is just like such a cultural part of Atlanta itself. So, to not only have the World Cup, but then also have Waffle House on top of it, it's like, I don't know, the combo of the century.

ROMO: The hottest item seems to be the jersey, but they're also selling a lot of hats, scarves, and other items.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Waffle House jersey. Everyone needs this in their home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. For our viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is coming up next. For the rest of the world, "It's showtime."

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