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Witkoff, Kushner Meet Qatari P.M. on Iran and Lebanon; Co-host Mexico Advances to FIFA World Cup's Round of 16; Mexico Faces Human Trafficking During the World Cup Hosting. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 01, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hey everybody, this is "CNN Newsroom," and I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York.

A warning from the U.N. as Venezuela marks now one week since those deadly earthquakes.

A U.S. envoy is meeting with mediators in Doha to discuss the next phase of the agreement with Iran. And this as Oman presents a proposal for the future of the Strait of Hormuz, we'll tell you what it is. And then there's this.

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Fans, and yours truly, erupting in celebrations after Mexico defeats Ecuador for its first World Cup knockout win in decades. We'll bring you more.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: All right, now we are monitoring for developments out of Doha, where delegations from the U.S. and Iran are expected to participate separately in technical talks with mediators today.

There are no high-level meetings between the U.S. and Iran that are planned, at least not as of this moment. And this comes just one day after Qatar's prime minister sat down with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They're discussing U.S. and Iran talks, as well as the ceasefire in Lebanon.

The envoys did not meet directly with Iranian officials, and sources are saying that Oman recently delivered a proposal to the U.S. and other allies when it comes to the future of the Strait of Hormuz, where the security threat level has now been raised to substantial. A regional diplomat is saying that the plan is calling for shipping companies to pay service fees to use the Strait, but the source says the disagreements still remain.

CNN's Leila Gharagozlou is following developments from Abu Dhabi. Leila, it's good to see you again. So this early proposal, it seems that it hasn't really been finalized. What are the rest of the countries involved saying about it?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, so this proposal is very much not finalized and does not have buy-in from everyone in the region or the U.S. as of now. And it really speaks to the broader disconnect that we're seeing between Iran and the U.S., something that was very obvious with this meeting in Qatar between the U.S. and the Qataris and separately the Iranians and the Qataris.

And I think, again, it really speaks to that disconnect of the MOU. Now, Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bager Ghalibaf, spoke about this just yesterday, last night on Iranian state T.V., where he said essentially that he believes that we're still in an implementation phase of this MOU, which means that there's going to be things to figure out in how you actually put the MOU to work. And that, again, is where we see this difference between how the U.S. and the Iranians are looking at it.

He very specifically did say that Iran would not be talking about anything beyond the MOU until key elements of this memorandum are implemented. And those are the ceasefire with Lebanon included into that, which we've already seen quite a lot of back and forth on, the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports, the Strait of Hormuz, which, as we see, has not been clarified yet, the unfreezing of Iran's assets and oil waivers being given.

So they're saying that until those are implemented, they won't move forward in any sort of negotiation. And this is Article 13 in that MOU, which actually says that these do need to be implemented before talks begin. Now, the Americans have already started the clock on that 60 days, we're a few weeks into these talks, essentially.

So we're really running out of time, which speaks to the broader concern that people had at the signing of this MOU, that we won't have enough time to work out all the kinks of the MOU, the implementation of the MOU, while also holding negotiations on things like the nuclear deal. And this new Omani proposal really speaks to that, Polo?

SANDOVAL: And then, of course, we're also learning that Iran's government is now planning a funeral for the Ayatollah Khomeini, who died already some four months ago, was perhaps the first day, I believe, of this conflict. What are we learning about those plans, and what is it telling us?

GHARAGOZLOU: Yes, so this is going to be a massive procession through Tehran and other cities, including in Iraq. It's a six-day funeral processional that's going to be happening. The main day is on Monday, although it starts on Sunday.

[03:04:59]

And there's going to be a 10-kilometer procession through the city of Tehran, ending at Azadi Square, which is very symbolic to the revolution. It's where some of the biggest protests of the 1979 revolution took place. Now, the mayor of Tehran has said that they expect to see 20 million people on the streets.

Now, that is with people coming into Tehran from out of town to see the funeral procession of the Ayatollah. So it's going to be a major event. It holds quite a lot of symbolic relevance to Iranians, particularly those who are government supporters.

So it's going to be a very big event. It takes place on the Fourth of July, which itself is quite symbolic.

SANDOVAL: Yes. All right, Leila, thank you so much for that full report from Abu Dhabi.

Let's get some analysis now and head over to Qatar, where Abdullah Bandar Al-Etaibi, an assistant professor in international affairs at Qatar University, is joining me. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us. You can hear us okay?

All right, it looks like we may have some audio issues. We're going to see if we could address those and then get back to Abdullah to get some of his critical analysis as we get a better understanding of some of these conversations that are happening right now in the region.

Actually, let's see if we could try this again. Abdullah, are you with us?

ABDULLAH BANDAR AL-ETAIBI, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IM INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, QATAR UNIVERSITY: Hello? Yes, I can hear you.

SANDOVAL: All right, wonderful.

Wonderful. Listen, I wonder if we could get straight to some of that reporting that you just heard a little while ago. And that is --

I'm sorry, do we have them or not?

All right, tell you what.

Let's just put a pause on that and let's see if we can work out some of those technical problems right now so we can get back to Abdullah again, some of that critical analysis on what could be next for the region.

Meanwhile, we do understand that the Israeli military says that it struck a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon, saying that the individual posed a threat to Israeli soldiers operating in a security zone, and that fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah is ongoing, despite a U.S.-brokered agreement that was signed on Friday between Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the region, specifically southern Lebanon, on Tuesday, where he met with some IDF troops, he reiterated that Israeli forces will not leave the area until this is no longer a threat to Hezbollah and the region.

The U.N. Refugee Agency is now warning of a dramatic surge in relief needs in Venezuela as the country struggles to recover from two deadly earthquakes Wednesday, now marking one week since the quake struck back-to-back. The death toll has climbed now to more than 1900 people, and this is a scene at the port of La Guira, which is one of the hardest-hit areas.

You see there it's been turned into a makeshift morgue, where families have been trying to identify their loved ones among hundreds of coffins and bodies that are still there.

Rescue efforts do continue, aided by crews from around the world. Venezuela's acting President sharing this video of a rescue team from Jordan. They pulled a three-year-old boy from the rubble of a collapsed building early on Tuesday.

Now officials say that nearly 16,000 people have been affected or displaced by this disaster, and the government has already opened dozens of temporary shelters. But some people are choosing to simply stay on the streets, or too afraid to go back into any structure.

And those displaced by the earthquake, they are facing some trauma on an unimaginable scale. Many of them have lost loved ones. They've also lost their homes and everything they own in some cases, and they now have to process all of what's happening, and also to see what they're going to do next.

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RONNIE SANDOVAL, DISPLACED EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): Everything was lost. Between night and morning, there was nothing left. In the blink of an eye, everything was ruined.

ANA ESPINOZA, DISPLACED EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): Many of us lost our homes. It was the kind of situation you close your eyes and never want to go through again, because it was very intense.

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SANDOVAL: And access to any type of health care has been extremely limited. The World Health Organization says that Venezuela's already depleted hospitals are under significant strain right now. An aid worker telling CNN that at least eight hospitals have been forced to close in the nation's capital alone, and that is basically further limiting access to health care for so many.

Joining me now is Roxanne Cohen Silver, Vice Provost for Institutional Research Assessment and Planning at the University of California, Irvine. She's also a distinguished professor of psychology, medicine, and public health, with decades of research into the long-term psychological and physical effects of stress. Doctor, thank you so much for joining us again.

ROXANNE COHEN SILVER, VICE PREVOST FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING, AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, MEDICINE, AND PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE: Thank you very much for inviting me.

[03:09:57] SANDOVAL: Listen, Doctor, we're hearing all these accounts from people on the ground, many Venezuelans having to basically carry out work with their bare hands of digging through the rubble, hoping to find their loved ones that have been missing for days.

I mean, obviously, that has to come with a deep emotional trauma. So can you just speak to the invisible wounds in the aftermath of Venezuela's earthquakes?

COHEN SILVER: Yes. Catastrophes like the earthquake in Venezuela and earthquakes that have occurred all over the world are incredibly devastating for people's livelihood, as you indicate.

Many people lose a loved one, lose homes, are injured, and the psychological consequences of these kinds of tragedies are really profound. And what you're describing of people searching for any sign of life amongst wounds is just heartbreaking. And I think that on top of everything else, individuals who have lost a loved one or have a missing loved one are at greatest risk for psychological problems over time.

SANDOVAL: Professor, how likely is it that Venezuelans who have really struggled to get health care even before this disaster can actually get access to psychological support? And if they can't, at least not right now, in the immediate aftermath, what options would they have?

COHEN SILVER: Well, this is a very common situation in countries that have lost so many people. If you think about Turkey and Syria in 2023, Chile in 2010, where in Indonesia massive earthquakes have destroyed the infrastructure, the medical system, I think that it's really important to recognize that in the immediate aftermath, as you say, people are mostly concerned about either finding their loved ones or burying their loved ones, if possible, or attending to their own injuries.

And people need shelter, warmth, food. But in a very short period of time, the overwhelming nature of the disaster is likely to have serious psychological consequences.

But as you say, getting mental health care in the immediate aftermath or even over a few months later is really very difficult. I think that we can hope that there are international organizations that can assist.

Other countries can come in and assist. That's happened in other circumstances like this. But I think also people are going to have to rely on their own loved ones, their own social network.

They may need to seek out assistance through unusual sources, not the typical kinds of sources, like going to a mental health care professional. I think that you find often that people band together, sometimes school systems, school districts will provide services for children. And I think that we can hope that there will be assistance that will come in from outside the country. SANDOVAL: One of the most moving images I've seen just today alone was of a father, a Venezuelan father, who was digging through the rubble trying to find members of his family. And then a U.S. or at least somebody from the United States had been deployed there to assist in recovery, essentially embracing that father. And you can see that there's at least a very brief moment of peace amid so much anguish.

And then, of course, a question of how long people will likely struggle with this if they don't have access to a way of venting some of their frustrations in some cases or what they're experiencing.

COHEN SILVER: Yes, I think these kinds of tragedies, sadly, last decades and for the rest of people's lives. People don't recover as if the events didn't occur at all.

We see over time that these kinds of tragedies can play out in many ways over the course of people's lives. That's not to say that everybody is going to be incapacitated.

I don't want to imply that at all, there will be enormous variability in how people respond. But I think we have to recognize that the long-term impacts of tragedies like this are quite profound.

SANDOVAL: Yes, I understand some U.N. resources are hopefully arriving there in the region to help specifically with this kind of need. It's often overlooked when there's so much happening in the immediate aftermath.

Roxanne Cohen Silver, thank you so much for staying up with us. We know this is important.

An important conversation to have.

Thank you so much again for inviting me.

SANDOVAL: Of course.

[03:15:02]

The search efforts do continue across Venezuela. And aid groups, they are now on the ground. They're providing assistance to those affected. For more information about how you can help the victims of the earthquake, please go to cnn.com/impact or you can scan that Q.R. code there on your lower screen that will eventually direct you to some of the resources where you can provide some help to the ongoing efforts there.

We do want to get back now to our top story and the expected technical talks between the U.S. and Iran. Live to Qatar now to Abdullah Bandar Al-Etaibi, an assistant professor in international affairs at Qatar University. Thank you so much for staying with us, I really appreciate it.

AL-ETAIBI: Thank you so much, Polo, for having me.

SANDOVAL: Abdullah, so let's get back to some of the reporting that we had at the top, which is that Qatar's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that in their meeting with the U.S. envoys that they not only touched on these ongoing talks between U.S. and Iran, but they also touched on Lebanon.

So just in your view, how do any future negotiations perhaps stabilize the ceasefire that's in place in Lebanon?

AL-ETAIBI: Well, it's really chaotic. When you look at the Middle East and all the regional architecture, I think this is what's being negotiated on, basically, Polo.

We see there is a memorandum of understanding. There is Article 1 or Number 1 says stopping conflicts in all fronts. But you're still seeing some Israeli behavior, some Hezbollah behavior that is actually not keeping within the lines and this is actually threatening the MOU at times of Article 1.

And what makes this even worse is the Iranian bargaining chip of using Hormuz as always. So they're just throwing Hormuz in the middle, throwing their frozen assets in the middle and trying to mix up things, make things more difficult, not only for the U.S., but even more difficult for the mediators. The Iranians know that very well when it comes to Hormuz, that a drone could disrupt the region.

But when it comes to a strait, you could disrupt the whole global economy. When it comes to Lebanon, I think there is a framework now being signed by Israelis and the Lebanese government. And this could be a step forward for the Lebanese government to practice their sovereignty over their land.

But this is a long way to go. It has to do with U.S.-Israeli withdrawal first. And it has to do with practicing Lebanese sovereignty over every inch of their land and this is including the south of Lebanon. And this is where comes the complexity.

So is it going to be Lebanon within the whole deal, or is it going to be a separate track? I mean, this is like to one of the main and major arguments, basically, Paolo.

SANDOVAL: And a lot of, you know, a lot certainly riding on that crucial framework that you mentioned. And then, of course, on Israel's next move. They've maintained from the very beginning, or at least the Israeli government has maintained since the start of this war, that Iran's nuclear program needs to be dealt with in order to end this conflict, in their view, successfully.

So do you think that Israel is still a possible spoiler in any deal that's hatched out?

AL-ETAIBI: It's one of them, basically. Israel doesn't like it, doesn't like a deal, doesn't like to see Iran still there. And this is one of the spoilers, and what Israel is doing in Lebanon is actually jeopardizing the whole region and the security of the region.

But also, Polo, we don't have to rule out what's happening within Iran. It shows that there is, based on the indications we have, there are divisions within Iran itself. So when you look at the state T.V. two days ago, and the Press T.V. as well, which is the Iranian T.V. speaking in English, both are confirming there is a hotline between Washington and Tehran, and then you have the IRGC just issue a statement denying that.

This is just showing that there are divisions within Iran itself. And maybe this is why Hormuz is always being used as a bargaining chip. Therefore, I think the Israelis are playing a role here as a spoiler, but also within Iran.

There are some groups, they don't like the deal. And this is what the Iranian President also mentioned. He said some of them are actually criticizing the negotiating team because they don't like it.

And also, recently, just yesterday, Ghalibaf, the lead negotiator, his T.V. interview, got stopped, basically, on the state T.V. basically. When he talked about the frozen assets and what's going to be used for humanitarian purposes. Therefore, it's very vague.

I think this is what makes the mediators having a lot of burden, because they're negotiating between the U.S. and Iran, but also there are others who are involved directly or indirectly with their interests. And this is what actually complicates things.

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SANDOVAL: There is so much that we are yet to learn, including this apparent proposal that's been brought forth by the government of Oman when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz. So we're going to keep monitoring for developments there, but we're so grateful that we have your analysis and your perspective.

Professor Abdullah Bandar Al-Etaibi, thank you so much for your time. Have a good day.

AL-ETAIBI: Thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Well, a dangerous heat wave, it is intensifying across the eastern United States, and it's putting millions of Americans at risk through the Fourth of July holiday weekend. We'll get to your forecast in a moment.

Plus, Mexico fans, they have a big reason to celebrate after their triumph over Ecuador. The latest World Cup results and a look ahead to today's big showdown.

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[03:25:10]

SANDOVAL: Europe's heat wave now shifting east after shattering numerous records in the west, dozens of deaths on the continent. They have already been linked to the sweltering heat. In Romania, the National Meteorological Agency issued its highest level heat warnings.

Insiders are saying that human-caused climate change is likely to blame for this extreme weather. It is also affecting several countries in the Balkans. In fact, one tourist says that she didn't anticipate the heat when booking her trip to Belgrade, and now she's struggling to stay cool.

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CONSTANTINE LADAVU, TOURIST FROM GREECE: Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and now just to walk because the hotel room is not ready, and then we will go somewhere inside with an air-conditioner because it's unbearable.

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SANOVAL: Millions of Americans across the eastern U.S., they are now at risk from dangerous and potentially record-breaking heat wave. A major heat dome is expected to expand and intensify starting today and potentially last through the Fourth of July holiday weekend. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam with your forecast.

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DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have several major weather topics to follow along on this Wednesday. Check this out.

This heat dome continues to bring in oppressive heat for the eastern half of the country, but right around the periphery of this high pressure in the heat dome is the potential for some stronger storms today, particularly across the Great Lakes and the upper Midwest, mainly a wind threat, but we want to keep an eye to the sky and weather aware from Green Bay into Traverse City, Michigan. But there's also a critical fire risk across the four corners that continues basically from this past weekend right through the week.

We have dry conditions. They're also being fueled by strong winds out of the southwest helping ignite additional fires. Look at these high temperatures, 98 degrees for Washington, 98 for Nashville, but of course we all know it's the humidity that makes it unbearable as we step outside.

The heat index values or the feels like on your skin as you step outdoors will feel like 110 degrees in many locations along that I-95 corridor right through the busy holiday weekend as this ridge of high pressure or a heat dome settles in and just migrates across the southeastern U.S.

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SANDOVAL: Thanks, Derek.

And dozens of wildfires are burning across several western U.S. states as hot, dry, windy conditions are fueling the flames.

The Aspen Acres Fire in Colorado has now burned nearly 30,000 acres and that's prompted many evacuation orders in two counties. Colorado's governor says that 15 other wildfires were burning across the state as of Monday night, triggering several state emergency declarations. And torrential rains in Ghana, they have flooded large parts of that country. At least 12 people there have been confirmed dead with seven others still missing. I want to show you this scene in the capital city where you see floodwaters rushing through what used to be streets.

Officials say nearly 40,000 people have been affected by these floods that have now reached record levels. Thousands of residents have also lost their homes.

And the capital has long suffered with flooding during the rainy season. Poor drainage as well as unauthorized construction near waterways have worsened the impact of heavy rains.

It's official, Mexico booking their ticket to the men's World Cup round of 16. The final whistle that blew just hours ago and I'm sure the party is still going south of the border right now.

Mexico, which is co-hosting the tournament, defeated Ecuador 2-0. Ecuador drawing a late red card in stoppage time before being eliminated.

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This is a celebration on Tuesday night as fans celebrated that big win in the capital city. You know, it's been 40 years since Mexico last won a World Cup knockout match. Hence the celebration.

In New Jersey, France breezed through to the round of 16 after a 3-0 victory against Sweden. And Le Bleus are now one step closer to their third consecutive men's World Cup final, they will now be taking on Paraguay on Saturday.

A late goal from, who else but, Erling Haaland was enough to see Norway through to the next round after a thrilling match against Ivory Coast. Norway will be playing five-time champ Brazil on Sunday.

And we have another stacked line of must-watch matches later today. England's Three Lions will be taking on the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo, you see them there; Belgium will be facing off against Senegal; and the U.S. men, they will try to advance past Bosnia and Herzegovina, that's the primetime showdown. I'll be watching.

Stay with us. We'll be back with more in a moment.

[03:30:10]

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SANDOVAL: Hey, welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York and these are today's top stories.

Well delegations from the U.S. and Iran are expected to participate separately in technical talks with mediators in Doha today. And this comes just one day after Qatar's Prime Minister sat down with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

[03:35:05]

They were discussing U.S. and Iran talks and the ceasefire in Lebanon, the envoys did not meet with Iranian officials.

And the death toll has risen to more than 1900 people in Venezuela just one week now after two earthquakes hit that country. Still, the search for survivors does continue, aided by crews from other countries. The U.N. is warning that there are widespread food shortages in the hardest-hit areas and Venezuela's already strained healthcare system is struggling with some facilities damaged.

A manhunt is underway across Monaco and France after a bomb exploded on Monday injuring three people. CNN affiliate BFMTV reported that officials believe it was an assassination attempt targeting a Ukrainian real estate tycoon. Police are still searching for a motive for the attack.

Ukraine is increasingly trying to take the war onto Russian soil, ramping up large-scale drone attacks. In addition to targeting the Kremlin's oil refineries, Kyiv is again claiming that it hit one of Russia's largest satellite communication centers near Moscow. Russia yet to confirm that strike, but its defense ministry says that it shot down more than 400 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Russian officials also say that a Ukrainian drone crashed into a home just southeast of Moscow. Rescue crews reportedly pulled the family from the rubble. Sadly, a six-month-old baby died on the way to the hospital.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is continuing his tour across Europe ahead of next week's Summit of Allied Leaders in Turkey. In the next hour, in fact, Rutte is set to attend a Cabinet meeting in Berlin that's chaired by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Later, Rutte and Merz will be hosting a joint news conference alongside Germany's defense minister.

Let's go to U.S. politics now. The Colorado primaries proved to be a major task for the progressive movement, hoping to replace last week's victories in New York. And they did just that in the closest House race of the night. 29-year-old Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros defeating 15-term Representative Diane DeGette in Colorado's 1st District.

But it's the Democratic Senate primary that CNN is projecting incumbent John Hickenlooper will be defeating progressive challenger State Senator Julie Gonzales. He will face Republican state lawmaker Mark Baisley in November.

And in Colorado's race for governor, CNN is now projecting State Attorney General Phil Weiser will be advancing to the general election, defeating U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.

President Trump and GOP leaders say they are calling on Congress to pass legislation that limits birthright citizenship. And this comes after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could not use executive powers to end that status.

In a 6-3 decision, justices argued that under the Constitution, children born in the United States become citizens at birth even if their parents are not citizens, just like it's been for over a century. Despite the ruling, the Justice Department is directing all U.S. attorneys to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of so- called birth tourism schemes. The President arguing that foreign nationals intentionally travel to the United States to give birth in order to secure their children's citizenship.

A dark side of life in Mexico is coming to light as the World Cup brings millions of people to that country. You see human trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation, it is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in Mexico. CNN's Valeria Leon has the story.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You see it in plain view, along busy roads and with little to no oversight. The sex trade in Mexico, a profitable and sprawling industry, one that's permitted for adults in parts of the country, but far too often marred by the illicit trafficking of victims.

In busy streets of Mexico City, dozens of women, men and children sell their bodies each night, often against their will. It's a deep-rooted issue, made more visible by the World Cup, and according to many, worsened by the event.

LEON: We've been walking for 10 minutes. It's already 9:20 p.m. in Mexico City, and we've counted more than 30 women in the next five blocks in this area called Tlalpan, which is one of the main avenues in Mexico City, just a few miles away from the stadium in this Mexican capital.

LEON (voice-over): Survivors and activists say the influx of tourists usually increases the demand for sex tourism, causing criminal groups to entrap additional victims or increase the burden on existing ones to meet the demand.

KARLA JACINTO, ACTIVIST AND SURVIVOR OF SEX TRAFFICKING (through translator): Today, I think there will be more disappearances, more sexual abuse, more trafficking, and shelters will be full. So we need to be on high alert regarding prevention.

[03:40:10]

LEON (voice-over): Karla Jacinto is an activist and sex trafficking survivor. Between the ages of 12 and 16, she says she was raped tens of thousands of times by clients across Mexico. She shares her story in hopes of preventing others from suffering the same fate.

JACINTO (through translator): They assaulted me, I cried, screamed, I begged for help, and nobody listened to me until it got to the point where my feelings started to shut down.

LEON (voice-over): Karla now works with Fundacion Libera Mexico, an organization that combats human trafficking. It runs a shelter that helps more than a dozen trafficking victims reveal their lives. Most of the survivors here are minors, who by some estimates account for roughly 40 percent of these victims.

According to official figures, over 7000 human trafficking victims were reported across the country from 2017 to 2025. But cases are vastly underreported, according to activists.

In fact, just around 2 percent of victims actually file complaints. That's according to the Citizens' Council for Security and Justice in Mexico City, an organization that runs the national hotline for reporting cases. Calls can come from almost anywhere, including the U.S.

GABRIELA GONZALEZ GARCIA, CITIZEN COUNCIL FOR SECURITY AND JUSTICE OF MEXICO CITY (through translator): It is one of the three most lucrative crimes internationally, after drug and arms trafficking, because a person can be exploited indefinitely.

LEON (voice-over): The program's director explained why the crime is so prevalent. And it's not just sex that people are trafficked for.

An activist at Libera, who calls herself "Zunduri", though that's not her real name, was among those exploited for labor. She says she was forced to work long hours in a dry-cleaning business while being denied food, sleep and medical care, and eventually kept chained for six months.

"ZUNDURI", ACTIVIST AND LABOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR (through translator): After three years, I had accumulated fatigue and exhaustion. There were many blows. I had bruises on my hands and almost all over my body.

LEON (voice-over): Traffickers commonly ensnare victims through deception, and today they're increasingly using digital tools for recruitment.

DANIELA TAPIA, CO-FOUNDER, FUNDACION LIBERA MEXICO (through translator): With the new capture methods that are social networks, a single person can have 100 or, with a chatbot, 200 open conversations at the same time, which means that a trafficker who previously captured one victim in three months can capture 50 victims in a week.

LEON (voice-over): Many victims end up in places like Mexico City's red-light districts. But not everyone here is being trafficked. Some claim they are here by choice, like this worker who agreed to speak with CNN without showing her face for safety and described the risk she and others face in their line of work.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Clients come drunk, or then they try to treat you however they want. Or here, well, they might try to rob you or try to grab you.

LEON (voice-over): Some skeptics say there's not enough data linking mass events to more trafficking, but rights groups counter that governments do too little to track a problem that makes them look bad. However, activists hope the World Cup Awareness Campaign will incentivize people to denounce trafficking and help victims regain their freedom.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Do stay with us, we're back in a moment.

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[03:45:00]

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back, let's get to your business headlines this hour.

The British government says that it's likely to challenge Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN. Now the U.K. culture minister says that she is inclined to intervene in the $110 billion merger citing a public interest concern over media diversity.

Central banks around the world, they are looking to move away from the U.S. dollar, according to a new global survey. It's showing that for the first time, more countries are planning on reducing their dollar holdings versus those looking to increase them. Now the shift is reflecting a rise in political risk associated with U.S. currency.

A.I. company Anthropic says that the U.S. government has lifted export controls on its most advanced A.I. models. Now the models had faced some restrictions after a reported jailbreak, allowing users to potentially bypass their safety guardrails. Anthropic has also given the government early access to other A.I. models for risk assessment.

Well Nike is looking to get back on solid footing in what's been a disappointing year for the sneaker maker. Shares fell by 4 percent on Tuesday despite the company exceeding its quarterly goals.

[03:50:08]

In total, earnings have dropped 35 percent since the start of the year, and shareholders are growing impatient with efforts to restructure the company. The athletic giant is selling its most ambitious idea yet to alter people's minds, and it seems to be working. The neuroscience-based footwear is now sold out.

Here's CNN's Anna Stewart with more, even tries them on.

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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don't mind me. I'm just trying to stimulate my brain's sensory motor network with my feet.

STEWART (voice-over): Nike used to be all about making you run faster, jump higher, just do it. Now it's entered the neuro-wearable segment. These shoes, the Nike Mind, are designed to improve mental focus and reduce stress.

Nike says they tune down the part of the brain responsible for mind- wandering. These foam nodes, 22 in total per shoe, are supposed to stimulate sensory nerves on the feet. They also stimulate conversation.

STEWART: Would you wear them?

UNKNOWN: No.

STEWART: What are they? They are mind-altering shoes. It looks like an indoor slipper.

UNKNOWN: Or like maybe something you'd wear to the beach?

UNKNOWN: It's just weird. It's just weird looking. But I will say that because it's you, you pull it off.

STEWART: That's why we're friends.

STEWART (voice-over): Nike is struggling in the competitive space of sportswear and athleisure. Shares are down 74 percent over the last five years. It may be losing its footing on our feet, but now it's trying to get inside our heads with wearable tech, or should that be wearable wellness?

ISHARA DHARMASENA, PROFESSOR OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES, LOUGHBROUGH UNIVERSITY: The wearable technologies at present, most of them, what they're trying to do is that they're trying to use more batteries, more electronics inside the wearables. But this technology is different in a sense that this is a passive neuro-wearable technology in my view.

STEWART: Well, I can tell you that these shoes are comfortable, a little bit hot, but are they mind-altering? I don't even know how you could quantify that.

But I can tell you that my mind has been almost 100 percent focused on the fact that I am wearing these.

UNKNOWN: Oh, those are really ugly shoes.

STEWART: Wow, straight out of there.

UNKNOWN: Sorry Nike, won't be wearing them anytime soon.

STEWART: Well, today they've been attention-stealers rather than attention-focusers. And so far, I feel no change in stress levels.

You know, I think feet up rather than shoes on probably works best for me.

Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

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SANDOVAL: Well, astronauts, they took a spacewalk to fix a malfunctioning robotic arm. Ahead, we'll be looking at what's needed to be done on the outside of the International Space Station so that work inside could continue.

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SANDOVAL: Two astronauts, they ventured outside the International Space Station on Tuesday hoping to fix a bad wrist on a giant robotic arm, this video capturing that. CNN's Pete Muntean explains why the repair was so critical for the station.

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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: NASA just declared Tuesday's spacewalk a success.

Astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir are now safely back aboard the International Space Station after successfully replacing a failed joint on the station's Canadian robotic arm known as Canadarm2. Engineers have already confirmed two good streams of electrical power through the new joint, a key sign that the repair worked.

This was essentially orthopedic surgery to replace the wrist on the arm, except the arm is 57 feet long and can lift the equivalent of eight school buses, and the surgery happened 250 miles above Earth. The six-hour, 57-minute spacewalk was not the longest NASA has ever done, but maybe one of the more intricate because it focused entirely on this single repair from start to finish.

The wrist joint contains the motors, gearboxes, and bearings that allow the robotic arm to rotate so it can capture cargo spacecraft, support spacewalks, and move massive pieces of the International Space Station. It's one of the ISS' most important pieces of equipment. But back on May 27, the joint mysteriously drew too much electrical current and failed, so NASA quickly put together Tuesday's repair mission using a spare wrist joint that was already aboard the station.

The wrist joint, now back inside the ISS, will eventually be returned to Earth so engineers can determine exactly what went wrong. The repair should keep the Canadarm operating through the remainder of the International Space Station's life, currently planned through 2030.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

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SANDOVAL: And as Belgium is now welcoming its newest long-necked resident, it is now home to a baby giraffe. It's part of a critically endangered species called chordophan. Well, the giraffes are native to northeastern Congo, and they're under pressure from war, poaching, and also a loss of their habitat. And the zoo says that the female calf is healthy, drinking plenty of water, and visitors are able to see her at the zoo's giraffe lodge.

Incredibly cute. Thank you so much for joining me at the last hour of news. I'm back in a few moments with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."

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