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Donald Trump Says U.S. Will Meet With Iran In Doha On Tuesday; Moscow Faces Fuel Crisis As Ukraine Targets Russian Oil; Tips To Stay Cool During Europe's Heat Wave; Trump Says Talks Set for Tuesday, Iran Denies New Negotiations; Special Envoy Witkoff en Route to Doha; Justices to Rule on Trump Effort to End Birthright Citizenship; Anti- migrant Protests and Threats Increase in South Africa; Canada Edges South Africa to Reach Round of 16; SAIL 250 Will Celebrate Tall Ships in New York Harbor. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 30, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:32]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong.

Ahead this hour, President Trump's chief envoy is headed to Doha to meet with Iran's team, but the Iranian negotiators apparently are going for a different reason.

Rescuers are still finding survivors in Venezuela, even though we're past that critical 72-hour window since the devastating quakes hit.

And all aboard, CNN gets a tour of one of the tall ships participating in America's 250th anniversary celebrations this holiday weekend.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kristie Lu Stout.

STOUT: President Donald Trump says talks between the U.S. and Iran are set to take place in the hours ahead, with U.S. officials saying Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is now enroute to Doha, but Iran is denying there are any negotiations scheduled. This comes just days after tensions flared as the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. On social media, President Trump wrote that Iran had requested a meeting. In the Oval Office, he said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out, but we're winning militarily. It's almost won militarily, I would say, and it's really very simple, it's the denuclearization of Iran. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they're not going to have a nuclear weapon, and they've agreed to that in all fairness.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STOUT: Now, we're also hearing from Iran's president, who said on X this, "Mutual understanding is a two-way street. If the American side adheres to the agreement, we will also fulfill our commitments. Our approach to unreasonable saber rattling and baseless threats is to rely on rationality and human dignity in decision making, and to defend decisively and fearlessly when it comes to act."

Our CNN Senior Producer Bijan Hosseini joins me now live from Doha. Bijan, so good to see you. The U.S. President, Donald Trump, he says that the U.S. will meet with Iran there in Qatar today. But what is Iran saying about talks this week?

BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Yes, Kristie, good morning. It's a lot of mixed messaging. You know, the Iranians have come out and said there are no scheduled talks with the U.S. in the coming days. We heard from their Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei. He said that Iran's focus right now is on implementing the Memorandum of Understanding, that deal that was signed between the two countries in mid-June, and that Iran isn't ready for final talks yet at this stage.

We do know that Iran is sending a delegation to Doha, but not to meet with the U.S. They're coming to lobby for the release of $6 billion in frozen assets. This is money that was promised to Iran as part of that MOU, but the U.S. has come out and said that that money hasn't been released yet, that that is contingent on Iran adhering to the MOU, essentially holding up their end of the bargain, and so, we will see what happens there.

This is all happening on the back of some escalation, as you mentioned, in the Strait of Hormuz. We saw on Thursday Iran attacked a Singapore flag vessel, U.S. CENTCOM responded, hitting missile and drone sites along Iran's coastline, and then we saw missile and drones from Iran into Bahrain and Kuwait, which they say were targeting U.S. assets in the region.

The two sides did agree to stand down, and we have seen a slow and steady return of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, about two dozen ships in the last 24 hours. I mean, that's nowhere near the 110 ships that would normally pass through on any given day before this conflict started, Kristie.

STOUT: Bijan, tell us more about Qatar's significance as a host for any potential talks, and what it reveals about its unique geopolitical position and balancing act.

HOSSEINI: Yes, that's the word, unique. Qatar is uniquely positioned to host these talks, they have mediated on behalf of both of these countries many times in recent years, specifically in 2023 with that prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran. The reason that they are uniquely positioned is because not only does the country host the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East, Al Udeid, which is normally home to 10,000 military personnel, but they also shared the largest natural gas field with Iran. So, that relationship alone takes very strategic coordination.

[02:05:16]

So, again, Qatar, one of the few countries that is in constant communication with both sides.

STOUT: OK, Bijan Hosseini reporting live from Doha. Thank you very much indeed. Keep us updated throughout the week.

Now, moving on here on the program, we'll continue to get analysis for you as well, especially about another front in the conflict, which is of course the situation in Lebanon, but an update now on the situation in Venezuela. The death toll in Venezuela has passed 1,700 nearly a week after two powerful quakes rocked the country. In fact, aftershocks are still being felt in some areas, and that's stirring up fear among the residents, who days and days on, many are still living in fear and some are still searching for their missing loved ones. Our CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzebon has the latest on the rescue efforts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): As the hours and days go by since the two devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela, the window for finding survivors is beginning to close. There are still glimmers of hope, like this moment when a woman was rescued from under the rubble of a building in La Guaira, surrounded by family yelling they love her. Her 18-day-old baby also found alive, cradled by the hands that dug through the dust and debris.

Or this man, Antonio, pulled from a collapsed building to the sound of cheers and applause. Others continue to dig with the tools they have, hoping for a sign of their loved ones, growing frustrated and angry as rescue efforts stall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We want support. We want heavy machinery. We want to take our family members with us. I'm not the only one in this situation.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Dozens of international crews are on the ground in Venezuela, bringing highly trained sniffer dogs, supplies, expertise, and compassion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): At this moment, we're continuing with our search for possible victims. We have conducted canine searches and we're now using electronic equipment, which allows us to be more accurate.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The so-called golden hour window, the 72 hours after an earthquake when the chance of finding survivors is greater, has now ended. Many who survived are still shaken, and each aftershock brings stark reminders of everything they've lost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: Russian aerial barrages, they are raining down terror across cities in eastern Ukraine, and officials say a 23-year-old woman was killed, and at least 12 other people were injured in a guided bomb attack on Kharkiv on Monday. In fact, the munitions they struck a roadway, damaging more than a dozen cars, as well as a tram. And I want you now to listen to one witness described the aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (voice-over): Putin can say on television as much as he wants that everything is under control, that there is plenty of fuel, and that Russian ministers are competent.

But Russians standing in fuel lines across various regions of Russia, you can clearly see that their so-called three-day war has now entered its fifth year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, CNN producer Zahra Ullah brings us a closer look now at the situation unfolding in Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHRA ULLAH, CNN PRODUCER: Fuel shortages are spreading across Russia because Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries mean Russia is increasingly facing supply bottlenecks. And with lines like this forming in the capital city, Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin could no longer ignore it.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): You are well aware that problems persist for both drivers and businesses. Queues at gas stations, unfortunately, also remain.

ULLAH: Many hair tellers, they're fed up. They're frustrated. They've been driving around from gas station to gas station just looking to buy fuel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I've been driving around for over half an hour now, and I've been waiting about 20 minutes. Anyway, I don't have much hope that this will end quickly, but I have no choice. I'm running out of gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was driving around last night, too, but I didn't find anything.

ULLAH: In some places, sales of fuel are being limited or rationed. People waiting here have told us they spent much of the day looking for gas at various stations before finally joining this queue with no guarantee of when they'll be able to fill up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: That was CNN Zahra Ullah reporting.

[02:10:01]

Now, Paul Salem is a non-resident senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Middle East Program. He joins us now live from Brussels to talk to us on our top story on this hour, which is of course the ongoing conflict, the push for peace to end the war in the Middle East.

But with Paul, we want to focus on the situation in Lebanon, and Paul, we know that Israel-Lebanon, they are in this fragile truce, the technical talks ongoing. And as you have written, this is a critical moment for Lebanon. You know, this is a moment that can either deepen its misery or help advance its interests. So, tell us, first, what does Lebanon want? What is its main objectives?

PAUL SALEM, NON-RESIDENT SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM: Well, it's good to be with you today. The Lebanese state is trying to regain sovereignty over all of the territory of Lebanon. That means disarming Hezbollah, which is Iran's main ally and main proxy group in the Middle East, and it also means negotiating with Israel for Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon from areas they've been occupying for the last few months.

The Lebanese also were looking at the progress, the ups and downs of the wider war in the region to see how that would end up, and they were rather dismayed that Iran came out quite powerful from this war, which strengthens its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon and deepens the crisis within the country.

STOUT: Now, Israel has made it clear that it does not intend to withdraw from Lebanon, so long as the Hezbollah threat is there, and Iran says a full withdrawal must be part of any final deal with the U.S.

So, how can negotiators come together and bridge these clashing red lines?

SALEM: Well, there are two relevant lines of negotiation: one is the U.S.-Iran line, the U.S. has said on and off in the negotiations, it's not been a steady position that if the negotiations move forward with Iran and get beyond the Strait of Hormuz and get beyond the nuclear issue, the U.S. wants to raise the issue of Iran financing and arming proxies around the Middle East, especially Hezbollah and Lebanon, we haven't gotten there, but we might get there.

The other line of negotiation is between the Lebanese state itself and the Israeli state, and those negotiations resulted in a framework agreement last Friday, which involves the Lebanese army taking over more territory in Lebanon from Hezbollah, particularly coordinating with the IDF, the Israeli forces for Israeli forces to withdraw phase by phase from certain sectors of South Lebanon, and the Lebanese army to take that over.

So, it's kind of a multi-layered conflict and a multilayered negotiation, and the progress has really been in fits and starts.

STOUT: Yes, it's a multilayered path forward, and it requires at least, you know, consideration to address Israeli occupation, the future of that, as well as the threat posed by Hezbollah.

And Paul, wanted to ask you about the role of the other regional powers when it comes to determining what's next for Lebanon, you know, we're talking about Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and, of course, Pakistan. What role must they play in helping to secure peace and shoring up Lebanon's sovereignty?

SALEM: That's a very good question. They're playing a very relevant role, and they're pushing in a number of, I would say, you know, supportive directions.

One is they're urging Lebanon, indeed, to continue the diplomatic route and to negotiate with Israel. They favor diplomatic engagement, but at the same time, they're urging the Lebanese government not to move too quickly, such that the country, Lebanon, might plunge into some form of civil war.

So, they want Lebanon to be cautious and to move step by step. They're also negotiating with Iran to find pathways for a gradual disarmament of Hezbollah, short of war, short of clashes.

And finally, they stand ready to provide financial support for reconstruction once Lebanese are able to get back to their towns and villages, which are currently under occupation.

STOUT: And Paul, you point this out, you write in this piece for CSIS, "External diplomacy alone will not be enough." I'll just say it again, in case you got some feedback there. You write that external diplomacy alone will not be enough. So domestically, what does Lebanon need to do to better secure its future?

[02:15:02]

SALEM: The Lebanese government, it's important to note, has finally come out from under the influence of the Assad regime, which collapsed in 2024 but had pretty much dominated Lebanon for the past 30 years, and with the collapse of the Assad regime, also the Lebanese state came out from under the control of Assad regime's ally, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

So, for the past year and a half, we've really had a reinvigorated state in Lebanon, but it's had a lot of homework to do to rebuild institutions, rebuild its military capacities, and recover from a very deep economic crisis that hit the country in 2019 a crisis described by the World Bank as one of the worst anywhere in the world in the 20th century.

So, there's a lot of domestic homework that needs to be done, in addition to regional and international diplomacy.

But all in all, I think Lebanon is in a hopeful track, particularly if Syria holds together and continues to move forward. Lebanon, its smaller neighbor, then will also benefit.

STOUT: It's encouraging to hear that you say Lebanon and the situation is on a hopeful track. This is a critical moment for the country that has massive stakes for Lebanon, as well as the region.

Paul Salem, thank you for joining us. Thank you for analysis.

Now, to our next story. A manhunt is underway for a person suspected of detonating a makeshift bomb in the middle of Monaco. According to the French outlet BFM TV, it reports that several people were wounded in the blast. Two suffered life-threatening injuries. This is according to officials.

Police from Monaco and France are conducting a joint operation to find the suspect. The explosive device was a parcel bomb. Again, this is according to BFM TV, citing Monaco officials.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. And up next, Europe's deadly record- breaking heat wave has now shifted to the east, but the impacts in France are still being felt. We will have the very latest on the country's growing death toll from these scorching temperatures, next.

And we'll hear from an extreme heat specialist on tips to stay safe when the temperatures soar like this. Keep it here.

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[02:21:52]

STOUT: All right. Welcome back. Now, France is warning its death toll will likely rise as more details are learned about those affected by last week's record breaking heat wave. Its public health agency estimates that more than a thousand additional deaths were linked to the scorching temperatures that took place from Wednesday to Friday last week. Now, most were among people 65 and older, particularly in areas under red alert heat warnings.

France recorded its hottest temperatures ever on back-to-back days last week, but cooler weather, thankfully, has now moved into Western Europe as that hotter weather continues to move to the east.

Our meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on this, including tips from lifeguards in Poland, and how people can beat the heat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The heat wave that's been scorching Europe for the past week appears to be nearing its end. It peaked in Poland on Monday and is now shifting east.

In a Polish coastal town, beach goers attempted to keep cool during the record breaking weekend. Lifeguards prepared early in the day.

At the main lifeguard base, an emergency response team was on standby, and the lifeguards themselves had to work extra hard to stay protected as their watch tower is uncovered.

JOANNA PIASECKA, LIFEGUARD: Firstly, I would have a hat on for the whole day. It's really important, because it's real dangerous to sit with the hat -- without a hat. I need to care for my water, of course. We need to stay hydrated.

PIOTR, LIFEGUARD: At the end of the day, when you're soaked up, you're beaten down, you finished cleaning up yourself the equipment, and you think, hey, this was a good day.

VAN DAM (voice-over): As for the lifeguards, tips for beach goers, just three items.

PIOTR: First one, hydration, that's a bottle of water. Second, UV protection and sun shades, and the third one is really good humor. Have fun, that's all you need. Stay safe and have fun.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Another lifeguard on the beach had one more tip:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If you consume alcohol and enter the water, there is a risk to life and health. But remember that if we consume alcohol and do not even enter the water, there is still a risk that we may fall asleep on the beach, and then we may also suffer heat stroke, so we appeal to not consume alcohol on the beach.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Good advice for people all over Europe, as more heat is expected next week.

Derek Van Dam, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT: OK, some very good tips there that we heard from lifeguards in Poland. Number one, you got to stay hydrated. Number two, UV protection, and of course, number three, you can still have fun.

Now, joining us now is Alejandro Saez Reale. He is an extreme heat specialist and global heat health information network coordinator at the World Meteorological Organization. Pardon me, sir. Thank you for joining us on the program, and for talking to us about this really serious health hazard that's often underreported.

[02:25:05]

You and your organization, you call extreme heat a silent killer. It causes an estimated - and this is a shocking number, 489,000 deaths a year. So, who is most at risk and who is the most vulnerable?

ALEJANDRO SAEZ REALE, EXTREME HEAT SPECIALIST AND GLOBAL HEAT HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK COORDINATOR, WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION: Great questions, Kristie. Thank you for this invitation to be talking with you. And yes, heat's a silent killer, as we usually say, because it doesn't make so much noise and fast like a flood that happens just like that, or an earthquake. It kills silently, affecting first those who are most vulnerable, and here we are talking about the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those who have pre-existing medical conditions, especially heart diseases and kidney and renal diseases, and those who are isolated as well, where usually the elderly and the homeless suffer as well, because they have nowhere to find refuge.

So, whenever we see a protocol or a heat action plan, then we want to make sure that there are specific protocols that take into account this vulnerable group and that set up concrete actions to put them into safety first.

STOUT: So, you point out the elderly, children, the homeless, these are the people who are most vulnerable to extreme heat and potential, and it could be deadly heat stroke, but what about people who live in urban areas in general? People who live in cities, are they more vulnerable because of a lack of green space and what's known as a heat island effect?

SAEZ REALE: Everyone is vulnerable against heat, and no one should be too relaxed about it. And those most vulnerable groups also live in cities, but the truth is there is a phenomenon called urban heat island effect, which is basically the process through which cities absorb energy coming from the sun, they retain that energy, and then they free that energy during the night.

And if we put thermometers in many places in the city, what we see is a relevant difference between the built dense area, usually in downtown, and the periphery.

So, whenever we see a heat wave like the one that is affecting most of Europe, we need to take into account that on top of what the weather is saying, it's also this event or this effect that adds several degrees, and there are lots of things that can be done. Greenery, you mentioned it, that's one of them, especially if they provide shades.

So, number one recommendation would be to put more trees, but there are several other things that can be done. One example would be cold roofs and cool pavements, and this not only reduces the temperature of the surface, but also reduces the amount of energy that is then required to cool that building.

So, it also certain actions can have an effect on reducing the CO2 emissions that we put into the atmosphere, which is in part, what brought us here, we there are several processes or events going on.

One is the meteorology, which is, and we're in summer, we should expect high temperature, but on top of that, we have climate change that adds more degrees, that adds amore frequency of extreme heat events during the warm season, and also the urban heat island fence.

So, if we combine all this, that's why we have so high temperatures in so many places across Europe.

STOUT: That's why we have such extremely high temperatures, and this is affecting communities not just in Europe, but also here in Asia and the United States, in the Midwest, which is having a very scorching summer right now.

So, what is your takeaway? If someone anywhere in the world, especially in these affected areas, thinks, I'm fine, I'll be fine in the heat, what do you tell them? You know, how can heat exhaustion, or worse, heat stroke affect them?

SAEZ REALE: That's a great point. No one is safe from heat, and now it's Europe, but a couple months ago it was India, a couple of few months it could be South America or somewhere else.

[02:30:00]

So at some point of the year, there's one place that is going through really high temperatures. And as you were saying, no one is exempt or safe from heat. There are several recommendations that they should take into account or pieces of advice. We were just hearing a few of them right before our interview.

On top of that staying hydrated, reviewing behavior, right? Like not going for a run when it's like really hot. There are other things that we can do. Check on our neighbors, on our friends, those who we know that maybe have a pre-existing condition or whoever is in those groups that you were mentioning in the beginning, call them, check up on them.

There are several cities that have an initiative --

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Absolutely.

SAEZ REALE: --- that works precisely on social cohesion, checking on those who are most vulnerable.

LU STOUT: Absolutely. This is the moment where neighbors have to check on neighbors, because as you said, extreme heat is something that can affect literally everyone with devastating effects. It's a silent killer that takes the lives of 100,000 people plus every single year.

Alejandra Saez Reale, thank you for joining us here in the program. You're watching "CNN Newsroom." And still ahead, why thousands of migrant workers in South Africa worried about xenophobic violence and why they face an ominous deadline in the hours ahead.

You're watching "CNN Newsroom."

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[02:36:05]

LU STOUT: Welcome back. Returning to our top story, U.S. officials say Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff is now heading to Doha, that word coming after President Trump said the U.S. would be meeting with Iran in Qatar on Tuesday but Iran is offering a conflicting statement.

Now, CNN's Kristen Holmes has the details from Washington.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there still seems to be an enormous amount of confusion as to what exactly, if anything, is happening in Doha on Tuesday. Iran has continued to say that there are no technical talks happening, however President Trump when asked in the Oval Office doubled down on the idea that his Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who have been leading these negotiations will be there for these talks.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You know oil prices are way down. We hit $69 today. It was higher than that prior to the denuclearization of Iran fight that we have which we're doing very well. There'll be a meeting on that tomorrow in Doha and they're going to Qatar. I think they've already left or they're just about getting ready to leave, so we'll see how that goes. But we're doing very well on that front.

But the meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out. But we're winning militarily. It's almost won militarily, I would say, and it's really very simple. It's the denuclearization of Iran. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon and they're not going to have a nuclear weapon and they've agreed to that in all fairness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, this is not the only thing that there seem to be questions about. We've also heard from Iranians saying that half of the frozen assets which is roughly $6 billion that are currently held in Qatar are being released to the country.

The U.S. has said that none of those frozen assets have been released and anything that in the future was going to be released was going to be directed at Iranians or the Iranian government buying agriculture and goods from the United States for the Iranian people. There are still a lot of questions as to how that would work and also whether or not providing them with this kind of funding would leave the door open for them to use the funds they have for alternate means, including potentially funding proxy groups and terrorism, something that the United States has said they will be tracking to make sure Iran doesn't do.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

LU STOUT: The U.S. Supreme Court will hand down a pivotal opinion on Tuesday regarding President Trump's efforts to end birthright citizenship. Their decision is set to affect hundreds of thousands of children that were born in the U.S. to parents who are not citizens.

It will also likely include implications for legal migrants living under visas or humanitarian programs. And let's expect the court will rule against President Trump on this issue.

Now to South Africa where thousands of migrants are on edge, many of them fleeing as the country braces for a possible surge of violence. Anger toward migrants has been increasing for months from protest groups and self-styled vigilantes, who are now threatening more attacks on the undocumented.

Now Tuesday, Tuesday is the date that they've set for migrants to leave. CNN's Larry Madowo takes a closer look at what is causing this animosity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marches like these have driven some migrants from their homes in South Africa. Thousands of them have been seeking refuge at their embassies. Places like Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana are now repatriating the citizens from South Africa because they fear for their lives.

We're in Soweto in South Africa where a few hundred people have been marching, asking undocumented illegal migrants to leave the country by Tuesday, June 30th.

[02:40:00]

That is the deadline that's been set by anti-migrant groups like (inaudible). You can hear that. They've been singing some songs celebrating Zulu pride. One of them says, "Who can touch a lion when a Zulu man is there?" A lot of them tell us they're just asking people to come to South Africa legally. They don't want them to come here and abuse the system.

And they feel that many of these undocumented migrants, many Africans, are taking advantage of South Africa's generosity and its training resources here, leading to high unemployment. The South African government says that they have a right to protest, but not to violence and intimidation.

KAGISO MVULA, PROTESTER: We are not against any foreigner, but we are saying you must come here legally.

MADOWO: Yeah.

MVULA: Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

MADOWO: So you don't think that South Africa is xenophobic?

MVULA: It's not xenophobic. It's not xenophobic. If I come to your house, I need to abide by your rules. I need to make sure that I follow each and every rule that is regulating the country.

MADOWO: These protesters say they are not xenophobic or Afrophobic, as some African nations have claimed. They just want South African law, immigration law to be respected. But the big day is June 30th, when many migrants fear it will not be safe for them to continue living here.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Soweto, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching "CNN Newsroom" coming to you live from Hong Kong. And up next, serious drama in the World Cup knockouts in the form of penalty shootouts. Two European powers have been sent packing. We'll have details on those matches next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:46:23]

LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, the latest men's World Cup knockout matches were beyond captivating with two high-suspense penalty shootouts. Morocco overcame the Netherlands 3-2, and it all came down to a riveting series of penalty kicks, a heart-wrenching result for the Dutch who have now been bounced from the World Cup.

Now, earlier, Paraguay versus Germany also went down to PKs. Paraguay eliminated, the four-time champs winning 4-3. The heavily favored Germans thought that they had scored the winning goal in extra time, but it was overturned after review.

And Brazil survived a surprisingly close match against Japan, coming from behind to narrowly win 2-1. The Samurai Blue held the lead at the half, but the Brazilians answered with an equalizer before scoring again deep into stoppage time.

Our CNN World Sports' Amanda Davies spoke with U.S. men's national team legend, Cobi Jones and asked how co-hosts, Canada and the U.S. will fare in the knockouts.

COBI JONES, FOX SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: That's the point of coming here, is to actually, you know, to see, you know, those opportunities before you and for the minnow, so to speak, to go up against the giant. And we've seen it so many times throughout this tournament. I think it's been a testimony of the smaller nations or the not-so-soccer-oriented nations stepping up and having big moments. And Canada had a fantastic moment just the other night.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I can hear the sharp intake of breath from Canada with you referring to them as a soccer minnow. But, I mean, just put it into context for us. What a place in the last 16 means for them and for Canadian soccer.

JONES: Well, let me make a statement on that. By that, I mean, we're not one of -- Canada isn't one of the powerhouses. The U.S. isn't one of the powerhouses going up against, you know, those giants that we tend to refer to all the time with the Germanys, the Brazils, or the Argentinas. That's the reference that I'm talking about.

But when I talk about Canada, they've shown that they can win at these games that matter. And that's the most important thing because when it comes to a World Cup, you know, anything can happen. You know, and I think they showed last night, when it did look like it was going to overtime, they were able to step up. And you know, and Eustaquio getting the goal, a fantastic goal at the exact right time to put them through to the next round.

DAVIES: And we can see the pictures of what it meant to fans watching on in Canada as the game was playing out in L.A. But I mean, you were part of the U.S. team in 1994 and experienced the impact that hosting a World Cup can have. How do you think this one is going to compare not only in Canada, but the U.S. as well?

JONES: Well, I think it has a fantastic opportunity before it. I experienced '94 and saw what happened when -- the U.S. was the host nation in '94. And now that we have this World Cup where it's three different nations, this is an opportunity to have that exponential growth of the game in all the countries, you know, but especially in Canada and the United States to really kind of push the game forward to the next level where we can kind of capture the audience that may not be so interested in the sport, but they will be interested in the World Cup.

And then if they show that little bit of interest, the onus is on the various countries to say, hey, look what else that we have and look beyond the World Cup into the various teams that we have here.

[02:50:00]

Because let me tell you, you know, you look at the Canadian League, you look at MLS, you know, there are some fantastic games that are happening throughout.

DAVIES: I mean, the pictures -- I cannot wait to get out to the United States. I make it finally at the weekend. But the pictures we've been seeing from afar look spectacular. From where you're sitting and what you've experienced, how has it as a tournament compared to what you were hoping for, what you were expecting?

JONES: Well, I think so far, this tournament has exceeded expectations, just from the fact that I've seen, you know, you see -- you go out and you see the joy with everyone. We're seeing the cultures coming together, you know, and I love it.

You know, everyone's on social media where you're talking about, is this what world peace is supposed to be like, when you just see different groups, different cultures coming together, celebrating the game. And yes, what's happening on the field, but celebrating each other and experiencing each other's culture. So you have that intermingling there while we're watching in and rooting on and cheering on our team. It's absolutely fantastic.

DAVIES: And I know you were working on Bosnia's last game against Qatar. They are the USA's next opponent in the Rounds of 32. I mean, what are you expecting in terms of the challenge that they'll pose from Mauricio Pochettino's side?

JONES: Well, I think there's going to be an interesting matchup, you know, for the United States. I look at this as where they're going to have to understand, you know, what's before them. It's going to be a team, you know, that is very good in the air.

And they're playing for those set pieces. They have some, as I like to say, it's some trees in the back that these tall guys that can come up and that can dominate in the air. They got Edin Dzeko, up top and experienced veteran, you know, that knows how to score goals. So (inaudible) United States' back line is going to have to pay attention to.

And then the wingers, they have two very good young wingers that have shown in the last few games that they have a willingness to get the ball at their feet, drive at defenders, you know, put them on their heels and then try to attack. So I think it's just going to be a little bit of -- a little bit of wariness, you know, in the back line and pick and choose your moments to go forward, you know, but looking at how the U.S. has played, you know, throughout this tournament, especially in those first couple of games and even in last one, I think they can -- they have a very good chance of competing and getting the result against this Bosnia-Herzegovina side.

LU STOUT: As Cobi says, this is a great moment for exponential growth in the beautiful game in the Americas. So up next, we got a story I really want you to see. Tall ships from around the world are making their way to New York Harbor. And just ahead, we'll take you on board for the largest maritime event in American history. It's all part of the nation's 250th birthday party.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, pyrotechnic crews are setting up for 4th of July fireworks around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Organizers, they hope to set a new Guinness World Record to mark America's 250th birthday. In fact, they plan to set off more than 850,000 fireworks. President Donald Trump says he will personally launch the show.

Now, another spectacle being staged for America's 250th birthday will involve tall ships from around the world. They are all making their way to New York Harbor for the event. It's called SAIL 250. Our CNN's Lee Waldman and her team are on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle better known as "America's Tall Ship."

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CAPT. KRISTOPHER ENSLEY, COMMANDING OFFICER, USCGC EAGLE: We represent America's maritime heritage and the Coast Guard to the public. And this summer, we're doing that as part of SAIL 250.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in 50 years, four or five sister ships, including the Coast Guard Eagle, are sailing together for SAIL 250.

LT. ROBERT MEYER, NAVIGATION OFFICER, GORCH FOCK: The Portuguese ship, the Sagres is here. The Romanian ship, the Mircea is here. The Coast Guard, the Eagle is here. And these are our sister ships and it's unbelievable to have all of these ships here together.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Leaving Baltimore's Inner Harbor Sunday after welcoming thousands of guests on board, the tall ships are now on their way to New York Harbor.

CMDR. JOSE LUIS, COMMANDING OFFICER, NRP SAGRES: For us, it's a historic moment because we are celebrating the independence of the United States.

WALDMAN (voice-over): It's an honor for the officers of these tall ships to sail together again as a way to mark a major milestone in the United States history.

WALDMAN: What does America 250 mean to you, and SAIL 250 mean to you? ENSLEY: Right now, it means we need to sail into New York Harbor safely, which is where we got our head. We're getting ready to do that this week while you're here on board.

WALDMAN (voice-over): For weeks, the Eagle crew and cadets have made port at several U.S. cities along the East Coast, all culminating to the largest maritime festival in our nation's history, a 4th of July parade. Captain Ensley says it's a celebration with some friendly competition.

ENSLEY: We're going to race between New York and Boston. We're lining up the ships and believe me, we're bringing home the gold

WALDMAN: Absolutely. (Inaudible).

(CROSSTALK)

ENSLEY: That trophy is coming home.

WALDMAN (voice-over): On board the Eagle, I'm Leigh Waldman.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that will be quite the spectacle at sea. Thank you so much for watching this hour. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Polo Sandoval has more "CNN newsroom" after this quick break.

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