Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Talks on U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Going Aboard U.S. Warships near Iran; U.K. Police Release Suspect in Death of Former Government Minister; Shooting Witnesses Say ICE Statement is False; Dozens Rescued after Catastrophic Flooding in Missouri; Platner Formally Withdraws from Senate Race; King Charles Hosts Family Reunion; NTSB to Assist Greek Investigators on Flight Window Break; Bayeux Tapestry Back in Britain; FIFA World Cup Highlights. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired July 11, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers, joining us from all around the world and in the U.S. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Here are our headlines.

President Donald Trump has a message to Tehran in the event that he is assassinated, as mediators work to prevent another round of strikes between the U.S. and Iran.

And a former member of Britain's Parliament found dead inside her home, leading police to launch a murder investigation. This morning, an update on that case.

And mid-air mayhem when a Ryanair passenger is nearly sucked out of a plane.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Salma Abdelaziz

ABDELAZIZ: This hour Iran's foreign minister is in Oman's capital meeting with his counterpart there as international mediators try to get talks between the U.S. and Iran back on track after the meetings in Muscat.

U.S. officials expect that Iran will declare the Strait of Hormuz open and confirm that commercial vessels will not be attacked on the waterway. Shipping through the waterway has again slowed to a crawl and oil prices are, of course, rising.

An official told CNN the start of nuclear talks depends on safe passage in that strait. Officials also said any final deal must see Iran turn over its enriched uranium to the United States.

And all of this comes as president Donald Trump weighs in on social media, referring to earlier reports about an Iranian plot to assassinate him.

He said the U.S. military would, quote, "decimate and destroy" Iran if he is killed.

Meanwhile, CNN got rare and exclusive access aboard the aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the Navy destroyer that's protecting it. That destroyer is the closest U.S. ship to Iran in the Arabian Sea.

CNN's Pam Brown has a firsthand look at the mission of these warships. She also spoke with the commanding officer responsible for the safety of 2,000 people above and below deck and in the skies above the Strait of Hormuz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One fighter jet after another takes off from the USS Abraham Lincoln, overnight missions amid rising tensions with Iran. We're in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, aboard a ship President Trump says has been attacked more than 100 times since the conflict began.

CAPT. DANIEL KEELER, COMMANDING OFFICER, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: You know, the Iranians were looking for opportunities to attack this ship. I think we're very well defended. They don't get close.

BROWN (voice-over): Earlier, we watched as missiles were prepped and loaded onto these fighter jets. The mission, as real as it gets.

BROWN: I want to show you these symbols right here. These are drones right here that this fighter jet has taken out during this conflict that started five.5 months ago. These are missiles that have been taken out just by this fighter jet alone.

BROWN (voice-over): With the Lincoln under constant threat of attack, it's guarded by Navy destroyers for protection. On a chopper headed to the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. Destroyer, high above the Gulf of Oman, we get our first look at vessels headed toward the Strait of Hormuz.

BROWN: We've seen about five vessels so far. We are seeing maritime traffic, in fact, right here if you turn around, you can see, there's a ship right there passing by. That's about the sixth ship we've seen.

BROWN (voice-over): The traffic is lower now as tensions rise again in the Gulf. Officially, the Navy reports 20 vessels around the strait as we head to our destination. The warship they say is at the tip of the spear.

BROWN: We are the closest Navy ship to Iran right now.

CAPT. CASEY MAHON, COMMANDING OFFICER, USS FRANK E. PETERSEN JR.: Correct. You're right on the, we call the picket line, the firing line right now.

So if Iran were to attack, you know, the U.S. Naval forces, we'd be the first ones they'd be attacking. But don't worry, our radars are working, our guns work. You have a lot of well-trained folks down below.

BROWN (voice-over): Threats are part of life out here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don't obey my order, you will be targeted.

BROWN (voice-over): Like when Captain Mahon led this ship through the Strait of Hormuz in April. Radio transmissions between the U.S. and Iran were released by Iran state media. Mahon confirmed to CNN an exchange did happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready to open fire on them without any warning.

[05:05:00]

BROWN: And so the Iranians were threatening?

MAHON: Correct. Yes, yes. They told us, hey, you have to turn around within 30 minutes or we'll open fire on you. We kept going. Obviously had to go through what was potentially a minefield to get there, which was, you know, not something I had in my bingo card for things I would do in my life go through a minefield.

BROWN (voice-over): The firepower aboard this ship is everywhere.

MAHON: We have this as our last ditch defense.

BROWN (voice-over): Captain Mahon calls the shots from a command center several decks below.

BROWN: Just with Iran being to the north, they're always on the lookout for all kinds of threats. Have you had any close calls?

MAHON: My flight really starts at that Iranian coastline and comes all the way back. I don't wait for it to come to me. I go out and I try to meet that threat.

BROWN (voice-over): Back on the Abraham Lincoln, it can be tough to keep spirits high for the nearly 5,000 people here.

Because of its limited port visits, the Navy considers this deployment among the longest consecutive days at sea for any aircraft carrier.

RANDALL STONE, HANGAR BAY WORKER: I mean, I haven't stepped off the ship in the year 2026.

BROWN (voice-over): Most have been here more than three months under constant threat and change and missing their families.

BROWN: What kind of toll does that take on you personally?

LT. CMDR. JOE CAPSTAFF, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: It's tough. I said I had my first kid born in February. So very excited to get home, meet her.

BROWN: You've never met your daughter?

CAPSTAFF: Nope.

BROWN: She was born right around when this conflict started.

CAPSTAFF: She was born February 6th. So I was able to get on FaceTime, watch the birth, talk to my wife before everything went down, so.

BROWN: And you don't know when you'll be able to do that.

CAPSTAFF: Nope. We'll see. I mean, hopefully home soon but unfortunately it's a common story on the ship. I think, you know, get in the Navy, this is what you kind of sign up for.

BROWN (voice-over): Pamela Brown, CNN USS Abraham Lincoln.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: For more on what's happening there, I'm joined now by CNN's Nada Bashir here in London.

So we know now that Iran's foreign minister is in Oman.

What demands is he going to bring to the table?

Who is he meeting with?

How is this expected to play out?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, some of the key focus of these talks being held today in Oman is, of course, the Strait of Hormuz, that key stumbling block that continues to be an issue.

It appears in these ongoing attempts to mediate some diplomatic resolution between the United States and Iran.

It's understood, according to the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, that Iran's foreign minister will be meeting with his Omani counterpart to look at and discuss mechanisms to put in place to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, of course, we have seen over the last few days renewed strikes by the U.S. military targeting Iranian territory. We have seen retaliatory strikes as well by Iran targeting U.S. assets and allies in the region in the Gulf.

But the focus, of course, of those recent strikes by the U.S., according to the Trump administration, has been a response to attacks on vessels, on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

And, of course, that was the key tenet of that memorandum of understanding, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route. And clearly, that has not been the case over the last few days.

Now again, this will be the focus of talks in Oman. But whether this leads to any further diplomatic movements, whether this shifts the needle somewhat in terms of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, including mediators from the region, that remains to be seen.

We would expect to see more high level talks as well as the involvement of other key regional players, for example, Pakistan, Qatar, perhaps the UAE. We know that the U.S. and its officials have been holding talks, for example, with Saudi officials on the situation in the Gulf region and across Iran at this stage.

But we've heard from the U.S. president, threatening more strikes if there isn't some shift in the tactics put forward by the IRGC and if there isn't that guarantee of safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump administration says it believes it could expect to see a statement from the Iranian regime over the coming days. But again, no word from Iran on that particular front.

ABDELAZIZ: And you mentioned the threats there from president Trump. And time and time again, we've heard Iranian negotiators saying we will not negotiate under threat. But that's exactly what's happening.

Could his language derail these talks?

Or is this just a matter of rhetoric, just a matter of toughening their position of posturing?

BASHIR: Well, there has been a lot of posturing and some rhetoric from both sides over the course of these negotiations and over the course of the war in Iran. They certainly might be seen as an escalation.

Of course, the threat from the U.S., from president Trump has been quite stark. He has said that they are locked and loaded, thousands of missiles ready to go at his command.

[05:10:03]

But, of course, this is also focused directly in response to reports of intelligence coming from Israeli intelligence, suggesting that there are plots to assassinate the U.S. president.

Now according to officials and sources familiar with the matter, this isn't necessarily a firm, thought-out plot, as it had been described and reported initially but rather more the drumbeat of chatter amongst senior Iranian officials over the desire for U.S. president Donald Trump to be assassinated.

So we're not necessarily talking about a clear operational plan in place, according to the intelligence obtained by Israeli intelligence officials. And that has been reflected in U.S. intelligence as well.

According to two U.S. sources familiar with the matter, U.S. intelligence assessments at this stage indicate no new specific Iranian plot to kill the U.S. president. So again, that rhetoric coming from the U.S. president may well just be posturing at this age.

He certainly downplayed the significance of these findings by Israeli intelligence in an interview on Friday with the "New York Post." So we are seeing again some daylight between his rhetoric on social media versus what he has been saying, perhaps to U.S. officials and, of course, in this interview with the "New York Post."

But again, we are continuing to hear differing messages, both from the U.S. side and the Iranian side, as officials in the region continue to scramble to try to restart mediation efforts.

ABDELAZIZ: Nada Bashir there on the attempt to yet again reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Thank you so much.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ABDELAZIZ: Now to Ukraine, where a military command is to focus on strikes deep inside Russia. Those strikes have often targeted Russian refineries, causing major fuel shortages in the country. And Ukraine's president says the goal is to force the Kremlin to accept peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We have put forward proposals for bringing peace closer and they have support not only among our international partners but also within Putin's inner circle.

They understand what is happening and that there is no alternative to peace. This realization will continue to grow in Russia

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Meanwhile, four people are dead. This is after Russian strikes on the city of Kramatorsk. Ukraine says that Russia dropped seven aerial bombs on Friday that left at least nine more people wounded.

But further south, officials urged residents to clear the streets in Zaporizhzhya after an attack on the city's downtown Friday strike left one person dead and 16 others wounded.

Now I want to bring you to a developing story here in Britain. A man arrested in connection with the death of a former government minister, Ann Widdecombe, has been released from custody. Police say he is no longer part of the investigation.

The 78-year-old former Conservative politician was found dead at her home on Thursday. Detectives are conducting house to house interviews and reviewing video evidence. CNN's Anna Stewart has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): British police were called to a shocking scene. Former lawmaker and household name Ann Widdecombe was

found dead in her home in southwestern England, her body bearing serious injuries. Forensics teams on the scene are searching for answers, piecing

together her final moments. Police say the investigation is moving Swiftly. A 26-year-old white man has been arrested, police say, on suspicion of

murder but a motive remains unclear.

Widdecombe's death recalls deep scars in British politics. Nearly five years ago, conservative lawmaker, David Amess, was stabbed to death by an

attacker inspired by ISIS. And 10 years ago, Labour lawmaker, Jo Cox, was shot and stabbed during the tense Brexit campaign, the first sitting MP to

be killed in office since the 1990s. Her attacker was a far-right extremist.

Police emphasize this is not currently being treated as a terror- related incident. They've warned the public against social media speculation. In

the U.K. online rumors are a highly sensitive subject, especially after misinformation triggered nationwide riots following the Southport stabbings

two years ago. Police say that so far, there is no evidence of a political motive but Widdecombe's death has nevertheless rocked the nation. Tributes

are pouring in across party lines.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements and it's a huge, huge loss.

STEWART (voice-over): Widdecombe was a polarizing, eurosceptic conservative who later joined the Brexit party and then the Reform Party.

She became an unlikely reality TV star, endearing herself to millions.

[05:15:00]

Labour politician and interior minister, Shabana Mahmood, called her a true

servant of her constituents and conservative MP, Priti Patel, called her a much-loved member of the Conservative family.

A combative, forceful figure in British politics for decades, whose untimely death is now being mourned across the entire political spectrum -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ABDELAZIZ: When we come back, new witness statements are raising questions about the government's account of a deadly shooting of a Mexican national in Houston.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ABDELAZIZ: There are conflicting new accounts of Tuesday's deadly shooting of a Mexican national in Houston. Three men who were actually riding in the victim's work van say that the government's description of events is outright false.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has the details for us. And a warning here. His report does contain disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Lorenzo Salgado Araujo laid on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound, the three other men in the van with him were being taken into ICE custody by ICE agents Tuesday morning.

[05:20:00]

For the first time, we're hearing their version of the events that led to the deadly shooting through an attorney who spoke with them.

BALDERAS-IBARRA: I can tell you with conviction that it -- that -- my clients' versions of the events are extremely different from. what ICE agents are saying or what the agency is saying.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): After the shooting, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency put out a statement saying Salgado attempted to quote evade arrest, weaponized his vehicle and tried to run over an ICE agent, forcing the officer to shoot the 52-year-old construction worker in self-defense.

BALDERAS-IBARRA: At no point was there ever an agent standing in front of the vehicle, nor was an agent ever placed in the line of danger that is simply false. And I believe my clients are telling the truth.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security says the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras and the unmarked cars they were driving were not equipped with dash cameras.

And so far, a clear video of the shooting has not emerged. But the videos that have been uncovered raise questions about the federal authority's description of what happened.

At 5:54 am, Lorenzo Salgado leaves his house to pick up the three other men for work. The three men told the attorney they were all driving north along Wayside Drive in a white van when an unmarked vehicle started following them.

The white van made a U-turn and started moving south on Wayside Drive, as shown in this CNN animation based on videos compiled from the scene.

The images show Salgado's white van turned left onto Canal Street 46 AM, while a black SUV followed closely behind. A second video shows the white van continuing on Canal Street, while a black SUV drives alongside the van on the left side.

Seconds later, another black SUV emerges from a parking lot of a shopping center onto Canal Street and follows the two vehicles. Salgado's white van then makes another U- turn and seconds later, the unmarked ICE vehicles in the white van come to a complete stop.

Here is a closer look at these videos and the sequence of move-ins that led up to the shooting. Salgado's van turns left onto Canal Street, with the black SUV pursuing.

The unmarked vehicle carrying ICE agents pulls alongside the van and the next camera angle captures the last U-turn on the edge of the video image before the cars come to a complete stop and several ICE agents are then seen running toward the van.

It's unclear from the videos when Salgado was shot but one minute later at 6:48 am, a bystander captured video of Salgado on the ground bleeding with agents surrounding him. The attorney for the detainee said Friday that agents shot at Salgado from the passenger side of his vehicle.

BALDERAS-IBARRA: They also confirmed that the shots came from the sides, not from the front, which is inconsistent, you know, with the ICE agency statements.

REP. SYLVIA GARCIA (D-TX): We certainly now have conflicting testimony. I'm not prepared to say today that it's all lies but it sure is looking that way.

LAVANDERA: Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and other advocates for these three detained men tell us that they've been telling loved ones that they are being pressured to sign papers to self-deport. The Department of Homeland Security denies those allegations, calling them false.

Congresswoman Garcia also says she spoke with the acting ICE director and that he told her that the agents involved in the shooting have been taken out of Houston. We've reached out to DPS to find out if they've been placed on leave but we have not heard back -- Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: The district attorney for Harris County, which covers Houston, tells CNN his office has not yet been granted access to the shooting victim's work van. He called it one of the most crucial pieces of evidence. The DA says the lack of collaboration with federal investigators is highly unusual. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN TEARE, DA, HARRIS COUNTY, TX: In Harris County, we have 100 sworn police officers that work for the DA's office. We typically go out to every officer shooting and run a parallel investigation in collaboration from that day all the way to whether charges are filed or not, with the work and the help of those agencies.

This is the first time that I can recall -- well, it's the first time we've had a shooting with ICE. And this is the first time that we haven't been invited to the scene, that we haven't collaborated from the very first day.

It's not stopping us from doing what we do in every one of these cases but it is -- it's a unique circumstance. I remain hopeful that they will begin to collaborate and share information so that we can work to uncover actually what happened. But every day that it goes on, it becomes more and more concerning that we haven't collaborated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Nearly 100 people have been rescued from catastrophic flooding in southeastern Missouri, some from the roofs of their own homes. Video shows water rising almost over a local bridge. In one county, a building collapsed due to the flooding, causing rescue teams to search for 10 to 17 people who may have entered the water.

[05:25:06]

And more rain is in the forecast from Missouri to Pennsylvania as slow-moving thunderstorms enter the region, raising the risk of more flooding in the days ahead. A heat dome is also about to make life miserable for millions of Americans.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ABDELAZIZ: Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a story that might make you think twice about picking that window seat on your next flight. The terrifying mid-air incident aboard this Boeing 737 when we come back

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Salma Abdelaziz. Let's check some of today's top stories. Diplomatic efforts are underway to keep talks between the U.S. and Iran going. Iran's foreign minister is in Oman, meeting with his counterpart there.

Afterwards, U.S. officials expect Iran to declare the Strait of Hormuz open and to confirm that commercial vessels will not be attacked. Plus, conflicting new accounts are raising questions about Tuesday's

deadly ICE shooting of a Mexican national in Texas. Three men who were riding in the victim's work van during the incident say the government's description of events is false.

That's according to an attorney for two of the men who are being detained now by authorities.

And a nationwide power outage has hit Cuba for the second time this week. It is plunging the country into darkness. Officials say the national electric grid collapsed Friday afternoon.

Cuba is facing an energy crisis that's been compounded by the U.S. cutting off shipments of oil from Venezuela.

A bipartisan housing bill officially became law just a few hours ago. That's despite last-minute pushback by president Trump. It is the largest housing affordability bill in a generation.

But Mr. Trump refused to sign it on Friday because Senate Republicans failed to pass his major voting law, the Save America Act. The housing bill took effect as law without the president's signature.

That's seen as a potential lost opportunity for Republicans looking to tout their affordability agenda just ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Embattled Democratic candidate Graham Platner has formally withdrawn from the Senate race in the state of Maine. At the end of his withdrawal letter, Platner wrote, quote, "F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts," a reference to a Maine soccer team.

Platner's submission was needed to allow the state party to replace him on the ballot. Maine Democrats will hold a nominating convention to select a replacement candidate.

Now to Britain, where King Charles has reunited with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children. The Friday meeting took place at the king's private country residence. It was the first time he was seen with the whole family together since 2022.

It's suggesting a possible step toward mending that royal rift. The last-known meeting between Harry and his father was in September, when the pair had tea in London.

Harry returned to the U.K. on Monday. He is here to mark the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games. It's a sporting competition for injured servicemen and veterans that he had set up more than a decade ago.

For more on all of this, we are joined by CNN's royal historian, Kate Williams.

Good morning to you. It is so lovely to see you bright and early on a Saturday. You are, of course, a longtime observer of this royal family. Tell me what you what you thought when you saw that this meeting happened, the whole family, for the first time, in four years.

What is the significance of that?

What does it mean?

What does it symbolize?

What does it tell you in the broader context of the royal family?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Well, good morning, Salma. And yes, this, I would say, watching it as a longtime royal observer, royal historian, this is very significant.

There has been, it's no doubt, a rift between Prince Harry and the royal family, partly since he left the royal family six years ago. But particularly I think it has been stronger in recent years.

And as you say, Prince Harry and Meghan have not been here together since the funeral of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. The children have not met the king since the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2022.

So this is some time since the king has met his very small grandchildren, 7 and 5.

And this moment of meeting, which I think it's very important to point out, that it is in the king's private residence in Highgrove in Gloucestershire, in the Midlands of the country, not in Buckingham Palace, not in official residences, Buckingham Palace or St. James' Palace.

So there were no photos. There were no photos of anyone coming or going.

[05:35:00]

And because it's -- Highgrove isn't a publicly funded royal residence, there isn't an expectation that people should know what went on. So this was a private meeting between private members of the family.

And this, I think, is a big step forward in reconciliation, rapprochement and everything that people say about Harry and Meghan will lose their titles or Harry will lose his position of council of state, I think this is a signal for the king that that is not going to happen.

ABDELAZIZ: But catch me up here, because, up until a week ago -- and this has been going on for years, of course -- there has -- there was a debate over security. Prince Harry said he feared for the safety of his family. The palace said it could not provide security because he is no longer a working royal.

How was this resolved?

How was this meeting even possible?

WILLIAMS: Yes, well, we believe that Harry and Meghan were on holiday in Europe, so they came from Europe to the U.K. And yes, the security that Harry wished, the full royal security, was not paid for, was not given and therefore Harry said he was not bringing Meghan or the children.

However, he was thinking that perhaps he might bring them further in the week, particularly to visit the grave of Princess Diana in chophouse, which we believe, according to reports, that they have attended over the weekend, that they have visited Diana's grave.

So the children met their grandma (ph) and Harry said that he didn't have the security. But it does seem as if, to a degree, this has been resolved, because Meghan and the children are here.

If that is the royal family paying for it, if that is Harry paying for it, we don't as yet know. But certainly Harry obviously feels that a solution was reached, whereas he feels comfortable bringing the children and his wife to the U.K.; whereas he felt very much before that they were threatened, that they were in danger.

That, I mean, we might rightly agree with him that they need full security because of the level of scrutiny that they're under.

ABDELAZIZ: And is all forgiven now?

Is it one big happy family?

Have we all moved on?

Can you give me a relationship status update here?

WILLIAMS: I think this is a -- this is an important first step. Now we know that Harry rushed over here in 2024 when he heard the king had a cancer diagnosis. This is an important first step.

But it must be noted that this happened in a private residence. We believe the queen, Camilla, was also there. So it was the king, the queen, Harry, Meghan and the children. William and Kate and their children were not there. Wider (ph) members of the royal family were not there.

At the moment, this is, I think, a meeting between the king and Harry and their families. And let's hope this is the beginning of a wider reconciliation that perhaps we will see further meetings, because these are -- Prince Archie and Princess Elizabeth are not just the king's grandchildren.

They are in line to the throne. And they do have a role in the royal family as a consequence of that. So let's hope we see more meetings, that perhaps the king comes to California.

Of course, the king came to -- the king and queen came to the United States for the state visit but were in -- were with president Trump and in Washington and New York but didn't go to California, where the Sussexes live.

So I think we're seeing the beginning of a reconciliation, beginning of a wider happy family story. But there is still some way to go. And certainly I could speculate here but I don't think that although the -- there's a -- there's a good relationship between the king and Harry, I'm not sure there's a good relationship between Harry and William.

ABDELAZIZ: Kate Williams there on the first signs of a potential reconciliation, maybe. Thank you very much for that update.

An airline passenger is recovering from sheer shock and other injuries. That is, after the window next to his seat broke mid-air on a flight from Greece. Witnesses say the man was sucked partway out of the plane up to his shoulders. CNN's Pete Muntean reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A terrifying incident but not the first time something like this has happened aboard a Boeing 737. In this case, a passenger seated in a window seat was suddenly pulled part way out of the airplane when a window failed in flight, exposing him to the 400 mile-per-hour air rushing by outside.

Thankfully, fellow passengers were able to pull him back inside, Greek media reports the man suffered neck injuries and friction burns. A new video, also from Greek media, shows the inside of the passenger cabin, with the window completely missing, the oxygen mask dangling overhead after this rapid decompression of the passenger cabin.

One more silver lining, this happened while the jet was climbing through about 16,000 feet, according to flight tracking data, not at its cruising altitude of around 35,000 feet. That means the air was still marginally breathable.

And the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the airplane was much lower than it would have been at cruise altitude. That likely made the decompression of the passenger cabin much less violent than it could have been.

Now comes the investigation.

[05:40:00]

And one of the biggest questions is why this window failed in the first place, Greek media reports it may have been struck by debris from one of the airplane's engines but investigators have not confirmed that just yet.

If engine debris was involved, investigators will be able to determine that relatively quickly by examining the damage to both the engine and the window -- Pete Muntean CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: It took nearly 1,000 years and a police escort but this world-famous tapestry is back in Britain. Just ahead, I'll speak with the project curator behind the top secret operation

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ABDELAZIZ: It's taken nearly 1,000 years but the famed Bayeux Tapestry is back in England. It all happened under the cover of darkness in the early hours of Friday morning under police escort.

The world famous 11th century artwork was taken to the British Museum here in London. It will be on display there starting in September through July of 2027.

The artwork is 70 meters long. That's 230 feet. It's technically not a tapestry. It's an embroidery of dyed wool on linen. Now it was created 960 years ago and it illustrates the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

For more on all of this, we are joined now by Dr. Millie Horton-Insch, who holds a PhD in art history and is the project curator for this exhibition.

I am so intrigued by the arrival of the tapestry. It was delivered in the dead of night under police escort in a top secret operation. It sounds like something out of a movie. Paint me a picture here.

What was it like?

Because you were there. Talk me through it.

DR. MILLIE HORTON-INSCH, PROJECT CURATOR, BAYEUX TAPESTRY EXHIBITION: It was incredibly exciting. I personally got to the museum around 9 pm.

[05:45:00]

And literally in the dead of night, we walked through the museum to a loading bay, where, after great anticipation, the gates opened and we saw a lorry arrive with its police escort.

It reversed in, the doors were opened and a large crate within a crate that contains the tapestry was removed. And everyone was -- you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was so excited. And sort of -- yes. It was in my throat as I was watching.

(CROSSTALK)

HORTON-INSCH: It was just incredibly exciting.

ABDELAZIZ: That must have been one of the absolute highlights of your career. Tell me more about this piece of artwork.

Tell me about the story behind it, because it's not even actually a tapestry, right?

What are -- what are its origins? HORTON-INSCH: You rightly said, it's almost 70 meters long, so that's the length of five double-decker buses, back to back. We don't know exactly for sure 100 percent when it was made, where and by whom.

But we can be pretty sure that it was made very soon after the conquest of England by invading Normans from the north of France. We're pretty sure that it was made in England by English people, probably women who would have lived through and experienced those events themselves.

And it's a very moving piece of art in some ways, you know. It does not shy away from the effects of the conquest and the violence of the battle.

So to think about what that must have felt like, you know, stitching that as someone who'd lived through those events and maybe been affected by them, is really profound. And I'm incredibly excited for people to see it on display in England

ABDELAZIZ: And there's so much excitement around this. I read that the tickets for the exhibition for this year are entirely sold out.

What is all the excitement about?

Why are people so keen to see it?

HORTON-INSCH: I think it's a mixture of things. I think it is an exceptional piece of art, so people are naturally very excited to see it. It's not every day you see a 70-meter long, almost 1,000-year-old tapestry embroidery.

But it's taught to, you know, widely across schools in Britain, especially in England. This period of history, it's an object that everyone knows and immediately recognizes as the Bayeux Tapestry. And previously people have only been able to see it in France. As far as we're aware, this is the first time it's returned to England.

Certainly we know it was in France by the 1400s. We imagine it traveled there very soon after it was made in the 1060s or the 1070s. So it really is a once in a -- once-in-a-millennium event. So everyone's just very excited to join in.

ABDELAZIZ: And, of course, you don't just curate art; you also study and learn from art.

Very quickly, is there still something we can take away from this magnificent piece?

Is there still something to learn here?

HORTON-INSCH: Yes, absolutely. I personally spot new things in the tapestry all the time, so it's not historian, it's seemingly limitless in terms of the kind of interpretations that you can make from it.

And really, you know, who knows what scientific advancements may be possible in the next few years? Conservation methods and testing are coming on so quickly that, you

know, there's anything could still be learned from it. And, of course, we think the end is missing. So you never know. One of the other objects we're displaying is the Edward Charter, which was discovered in a private collection in the 1960s.

So you never know what other objects we may find that help us contextualize this object even further.

ABDELAZIZ: Dr. Millie Horton-Insch on the return of the Bayeux Tapestry to the U.K. Thank you very much for that exciting update.

Nearly 1,000 years after the Normans came knocking, England has yet another date with the descendants of the Vikings, this time on the football pitch. You can see there the Norway fans are just loving it, performing their trademark Viking row as they set out to battle England for World Cup glory.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:50:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): You are looking at celebrations in Madrid as Spain beat Belgium 2-1 for a spot in the World Cup semifinals. Spain took the lead in a tight first half before Belgium became the first team to score against the reigning European champions in this World Cup.

After Belgium's goalkeeper was injured, Spain capitalized on a mistake by his replacement and booked their spot in the semifinals against France.

The final World Cup quarterfinal matches kick off in the coming hours. Defending champions Argentina will take on Switzerland in Kansas City and Norway is chasing its first-ever semifinal appearance against England in Miami.

CNN "WORLD SPORT"s Amanda Davies caught up with some Norway fans ahead of that highly anticipated match

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The now famous Norway fans and their Viking Row have made it here to Miami Beach. It really is a sight and a sound to behold, almost as iconic as Erling Haaland.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My hair was long way before Erling Haaland, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'll say the same because I'm two years older than Haaland and I've been rocking this. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I rowed in Boston at the escalator. I wasn't in

the movie but I then went to New York for the next game and we went to Times Square. OK. The first night there's maybe like 100 or 200 of us there. OK.

And then it spreads and we come back the next day and it's like 4,000 Norwegians. It's just like taking over all of Times Square. It was completely out of control. You can hear like the echo from the buildings. It was just insane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you've seen the pictures from Oslo, it's hundreds of thousands of people.

[05:55:02]

Just sitting, rowing and cheering for Norway. And it's so beautiful to see because it brings us together.

DAVIES: How do you practice?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

We do it in Norway. We row. We don't drive with the engine. We just row.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIES: But for all the fun, a first-ever World Cup quarterfinal for Norway against England is serious business.

I hate to tell you there's some England fans saying Norway are going to be rowing home.

What do you say to that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no. We have wind in our sails. We have crafted the Viking ships. We know how long this ship will last.

And it took us over to America how many thousand years ago?

We are back. And it's even better now. So it's staying. We're in it for the long run.

ERLING HAALAND, NORWAY STRIKER: It's super special because I play in England and I'm born in England. And yes, you also play against teammates and everything. So I think there's some clear favorites out there. England's one of them. So I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.

DAVIES: This is being billed as Haaland against the England captain, Harry Kane, in the goal scorer stakes, both of them going for the golden boot. The Bayern Munich star is just over there with the entirety of the England squad.

The only one missing is Jordan Henderson. And you have to say, for all the talk of the perceived pressure, they're looking really relaxed. This is familiar territory for them, a third straight World Cup quarterfinal.

And today a little boost from a visit from Mr. Miami himself. The former England captain, David Beckham, stood just over there watching on.

It's all set to play out here at Miami's iconic Hard Rock Stadium. But for all its history, neither side want to see this as the last stop on their World Cup journey. We don't say it often but they would be delighted to say goodbye to the beach and the Florida sunshine to make it next week to Atlanta and that semifinal -- Amanda Davies, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you for joining us. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London.