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U.S. & Iran Launch New Strikes Amid Tensions Over Hormuz; Pub Fire In Bangkok Kills 27, Injures Dozens; Medical Examiner's Preliminary Finding Cites "Aortic Dissection" In Senator's Death; Impeachment Trial of Philippine Vice President Set to Resume; Remembering Lindsey Graham; Russia Misleadingly Recruits Peruvian Nationals into War; Jannik Sinner Keeps Wimbledon Title with Win over Alexander Zverev; Four Teams Remain in the Hunt for Football's Biggest Prize. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired July 13, 2026 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:35]

WILL RIPLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Will Ripley, live in Hong Kong, and you are in the CNN Newsroom.

Here's what we're following right now. The U.S. and Iran are trading military strikes as tensions mount over passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

At least 27 people are dead in an awful fire at a pub in Thailand. We will have the latest in a live report from Mike Valerio.

And world leaders react to the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, and they remember his legacy in foreign affairs.

And we begin in Iran, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard says it has launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks. These are targeting U.S. bases in the region. The announcement comes after the U.S. began an hours-long barrage of strikes across central and southern Iran. A U.S. military spokesperson says the attack is in response to Iran firing at another commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. It's like a broken record here. Tehran is warning neighboring countries not to assist any U.S. military action. Also is accusing the U.S. of violating international law. So here's what President Donald Trump told CNN about the U.S. strikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I will say we hit them very hard last night. We had to deal with them yesterday. They were giving up everything. And then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people, there's something wrong with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) RIPLEY: Joining me now from Doha, Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar. So good to have you again. Looking at this back and forth in recent days, do you think that this is primarily a military problem that diplomats have to solve? Or is this a diplomatic problem that's increasingly being managed by the military?

MEHRAN KAMRAVA, PROF. OF GOVERNMENT, GEORGETOWN UNIV. IN QATAR: I think it's a little bit of both. I think on both sides, we have diplomats who want to resolve this diplomatically. But at the same time, we have military officials that want to inflict pain on the other side militarily. So and as you said correctly, Will, this sounds like a broken record. I think what we have are people who are kind of not yet tired of fighting on both sides.

RIPLEY: And if Iran cannot permanently close the Strait of Hormuz militarily, it certainly can still make it so dangerous that effectively it disrupts global commerce. Because who wants to take the risk of having their ship attacked or having their crew taken into custody?

KAMRAVA: Absolutely. Iran is keenly aware of the fact that it cannot match the United States and Israel militarily. So it is trying to turn the conflict from a military one into an economic one. And it has in some ways succeeded in doing so. Here in the region, everyone is holding their breath as to what Iran might do next. Overnight, we hear that the Americans have hit a water pump in Iran. And countries like Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, they're reliant 100 percent on desalination water -- desalinated water for everyday use. And if Iran starts hitting civilian infrastructure, then we're looking at a completely different ballgame.

RIPLEY: How much confidence do you think policymakers really have in understanding Iran's decision making right now?

KAMRAVA: I think there's not that much accurate understanding. I think certainly outside of Iran, people are desperately looking for signs of division and fraction within Iranian policymakers. And I think what we're seeing from Tehran is actually kind of quite united leadership. Iran is determined to hold on to the Strait of Hormuz as a source of leverage. And that's where the latest military confrontation is at. It's all about the Strait of Hormuz right now.

[01:05:13]

Iran wants to establish some sort of administrative influence. And the Americans are determined to undermine that influence. And so, you know, it's not necessarily fractured decision making. It's a very determined fight over who controls the Strait of Hormuz.

RIPLEY: What scenario would you say worries military planners the most?

KAMRAVA: Well, we've seen that the more wounded that Iran gets, the more dangerous it gets. And it can start hitting energy facilities here up and down the Persian Gulf region. As I mentioned, it can hit water desalination plants. It can disrupt commerce. Airports here in Doha, in Dubai, and even in Abu Dhabi have become global hubs for commerce and transit. And if Iran starts hitting airports, which are for the most part defenseless, that's a real worry.

RIPLEY: You have to wonder too if this conflict creates opportunities for terrorist organizations that have been relatively quiet in recent years.

KAMRAVA: Absolutely. What we saw is a proliferation of groups like ISIS after the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, where we had a proliferation of weak states across the Middle East in places like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya. And so that is a real danger, that what we might have are these localized terrorist organizations that would take advantage of these conflicts.

RIPLEY: Mehran Kamrava, just after 8:00 a.m. there in Doha, we'll see what today brings. Hopefully not more of the same. Thank you very much for your time and for your expertise, as always.

KAMRAVA: Thank you, Will.

RIPLEY: Oil prices are reacting to the latest round of strikes between the U.S. and Iran. Brent crude and U.S. crude prices are up more than 4 percent following the weekend of attacks. That means gas prices may also be impacted.

We continue to follow that terrible fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand. It killed a lot of people very quickly. Many of them apparently due to smoke inhalation. At least 27 people reported dead. Mike Valerio was telling us last hour 22 people injured. So let's go back to Mike in Beijing. You know, we were talking about how a lot of these old buildings, the way they're designed, they're really not up to code. And that's why Bangkok has seen horrible fires like this in the past. But this one, particularly horrifying in that video that you showed, just awful.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Will, I think that could be the understatement of our afternoon here in East Asia. And we're going to show it to you again. We're going to play a story that's about a minute and a half. And it begins with that pretty astonishing video that we only showed just once. And we want you to listen to new clues that are coming into focus, especially with perhaps the ceiling. We're going to hear with the first responder who was on the scene and then somebody who is friends with a performer who was inside. So we'll watch this story. We'll talk about it a little more on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO (voice-over): A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens more. Witness video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives. Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance, the fire engulfing the building in minutes. Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene, taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then, the damage was devastating. CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translator): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet. Most of them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.

SUNKANYA WONGWONGWAI, FRIEND OF MISSING PERSON (through translator): My friend, who's a singer singing on stage, said at first they noticed the smell of something burning. Then a little after, they saw the ceiling was on fire.

VALERIO (voice-over): The blaze broke out around midnight at the Na Lat Phrao Brewery restaurant, popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture and blackened walls. Authorities are working to identify victims, with many of their I.D. cards unable to be found.

[01:09:58]

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the deadliest pub fires Bangkok has seen in recent years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO: So we also need to talk about what has happened in the past few years, specifically 2009 on New Year's Eve. That's when 66 people were killed because of similar problems of a fire and then building -- the building that the club was in not being up to code. Southeast of the city in 2022, there was also another similar fire. We want to say similar, not an exact case, 14 people have died. But again, you mentioned Kocha Olarn, our producer who's down in Bangkok.

Her reporting, Will, is conveying that there are still people who are in the hospital, about 16 of them, who have injuries that are bad enough that their gender and their identity is hard to confirm at this hour. That's the grievous nature of these injuries. So important in terms of our reporting targets, where we're going from here is to figure out what exactly happened, how this fire could accelerate so quickly.

And if this has other lessons for other Bangkok clubs and establishments going forward, because this is such a heavily visited city, number one in terms of tourism for last year. And of course, this has happened. A similar circumstance, similar circumstances have happened in the past. Will?

RIPLEY: No, gosh, I mean, yes, to see the fire. It almost looked like a blowtorch coming out of the door of that pub. Just our prayers for them, for their families. Just a terrible, terrible situation. Mike Valerio in Beijing appreciates you following this for us. Thank you.

We have new details now on the sudden, shocking death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. A preliminary finding from the medical examiner says that he died following what doctors call an aortic dissection, which is linked to cardiovascular disease. But he was feeling good, working long hours, active right up into the hours before this happened.

The longtime South Carolina Republican died on Saturday night. He just celebrated his 71st birthday. He had just returned from an overseas trip where he met with the president of Ukraine. Graham served in the Senate for nearly a quarter of a century, and he was known for his willingness to work long hours and to reach across the aisle. The late senator was a leading voice for U.S. support of Ukraine.

That trip that he arrived just hours before his death from Kyiv, that was actually his 10th trip to Ukraine prior to his death. Lindsey Graham was also a major supporter of Israel, and his death has shocked leaders there, especially the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the late senator a great friend. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more from Jerusalem.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: From the perspective of Israel, the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham is an enormous loss. Graham was an outspoken and very public supporter for the state of Israel. He advocated for more funding for Israel on missile defense and on other issues. He brought Israel's perspective, especially on issues like Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, into D.C., into Washington, and, crucially, Graham himself was close to President Donald Trump.

So even as we would see divisions between, for example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump, Netanyahu knew that he could and would speak with Graham to make sure that at least Israel's perspective was known and understood in the White House. Graham would also visit frequently, not only since October 7th, 2023, but even before that. I've attended some of his press conferences here. I've been invited to many more. And it wasn't just the media he would engage with. He would meet with politicians.

He would go around the country. He made it a point to be here and to be here often, especially over the course of the last three years. And that's why you see not only Netanyahu mourning his loss, but many others across Israel's political spectrum. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a statement, said, America has lost a devoted patriot and Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. Lindsey stood with Israel through our darkest hours with courage.

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, for years he stood by our side, even when it required courage and even when it involved significant criticism. And former Prime Minister Yair Lapid put out a statement saying, Lindsey had unwavering moral clarity, a deep devotion to the people of Israel and a clear vision for a secure and peaceful Middle East.

You get a sense of how close Senator Graham was to all of these officials because many of them have also put out statements of their meetings with Graham. Now an Israeli source says Netanyahu is considering traveling to the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham when that's scheduled in the United States. That too would give him an opportunity and a reason to meet with Trump as well. Netanyahu and Trump had agreed to meet in one of their last phone calls soon, although a date hadn't yet been put on the calendar. Now it seems potentially that meeting might happen around the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

[01:15:00]

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

RIPLEY: There is a massive manhunt underway in Toronto. They had a deadly mass shooting there over the weekend and police say they are still looking for several of the suspects.

Plus, Western Europe facing its third heat wave since May. The high temperatures are creating the perfect storm for wildfires across the continent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:19:56]

RIPLEY: This is CNN Newsroom live from Hong Kong. Police in Toronto are looking for the people responsible for a deadly mass shooting at Canada's largest Latin street festival. They say at least two shooters opened fire. They had a crowd of about 13,000 people there. Two people were killed, several others were injured and they are still looking for suspects at this hour as CNN's Gloria Pazmino reports.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. It was supposed to be, you know, another summertime activity like so many that we see during this time of the year. This was one of the largest celebrations of Latin culture in Toronto. This festival takes place every year. There were thousands of people in attendance. But police say two people were killed and several others were injured when at least two people opened fire against each other.

You see people just running for their lives in some of that video when gunshots rang out. Now what we know is that at least six people were shot including the two people who were pronounced dead who were men. And police say that four of the injured victims were taken to hospitals with serious injuries.

We also know that police have been able to establish three different crime scenes. They are in the process of investigating. They have also recovered two firearms and they're continuing to look for suspects. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF FRANK BARREDO, TORONTO POLICE SERVICE: There were people that were injured. There were people that were down. And there was a lot of activity and a lot of frontline responders that quickly went into action. Two males since that incident began have been pronounced dead. Another four individuals have been transported to local hospitals with serious injuries. Two firearms were recovered at the scene. This was a very active and chaotic scene at times. (END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now while police have said that there is no ongoing threat to the public, the festival organizers have decided to cancel the remainder of the events. More events were scheduled to take place on Sunday. But because the investigation is still ongoing the festival decided to cancel so that police can continue the investigation as they continue to look for multiple suspects.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

RIPLEY: To Europe now where fire crews are battling a fast moving wildfire. This is south of Paris. Authorities were forced to close a major highway in both directions to try to contain this fire because it was spreading so quickly into a nearby forest as you can see there. About 100 firefighters deployed along two helicopters and a water bombing aircraft.

And officials say there's a strong possibility that this fire could actually continue burning for several more days. Parts of Western Europe are facing a third heat wave in just six weeks and that's what's increasing the threat of wildfires.

Hundreds of firefighters are also working to contain one of Spain's deadliest wildfires. One of the deadliest in that country's history. It erupted earlier this week in a southern town. At least 12 people are dead. The fire has burned more than 25 square miles or 66 square kilometers. Most of the victims died, authorities say, after they either ignored or didn't receive shelter in place instructions. A lot of them were foreign nationals visiting the country.

At least seven perished after they abandoned their cars and tried to walk. Officials say most of them, as I said, believed to be from other countries, which has actually complicated the process of completing the autopsies, collecting the DNA samples and then hopefully identifying the victims.

[01:23:48]

Philippine lawmakers are attempting to impeach the country's vice president. But there is more to this story and the big question swirling around is will these charges derail her chance at a possible bid for the presidency? We're going to discuss all of that, next.

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RIPLEY: This is CNN Newsroom. We're live in Hong Kong. And in the coming hours, the impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is set to resume. She's the daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. And she's accused of misusing public funds, bribery, corruption, and much more in a high stakes trial.

Duterte has denied wrongdoing and says her impeachment is politically motivated. The trial's outcome could play a very large part in the country's 2028 presidential election. This is actually her second impeachment trial. The first was overturned by the Philippine Supreme Court last year and it was deemed unconstitutional.

So joining us to discuss this in more depth is Hansley Juliano, a political science instructor at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

Hansley, thank you very much for being here. I think this trial is just so fascinating to watch because beyond the charges, it really reflects the collapse of this alliance between the two political dynasties there in the Philippines, the Duterte-Marcos alliance.

Is this impeachment ultimately about accountability or is it about the 2028 elections?

[01:30:01]

HANSLEY JULIANO, POLITICAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR, ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY: Yes. Thank you. Good afternoon from Manila.

Well, right now we have to be consistent in viewing this current tussle as both now. Yes, this is primarily driven by the division between the erstwhile allies, Dutertes and Marcoses. But at the same time, we do need to account for the fact that there is a third force that is trying to push against the dominance of these two families in Philippine politics.

There is the liberal opposition and as well as other progressive forces that have been pushing for this over the past few years.

And it just so happens that because of the composition of the Philippine Senate forces were aligned with the more liberal opposition and those who are more aligned with the Marcoses, those who are a bit more neutral about it, they tend to be bedfellows at the moment right now, in the composition of the majority bloc in the Senate.

Right now, this is why the impeachment trial is also quite meaningless since while the pro Duterte bloc in the minority bloc is pretty consistent in actively trying to defend the vice president, they see the majority bloc can go either way.

So this is why the current composition in the impeachment trial, the Senate sits as a jury each senator-judge will be voting based on their own preference.

Ideally, they should not be voting based on party loyalties, but of course, it's pretty difficult especially in light of how hyper partisan politics in the Philippines can be.

RIPLEY: From your seat there in Manila, you have warned about disinformation surrounding this case. What false narratives would you say are gaining the most traction online? And why are they proving to be so effective

JULIANO: Yes. Well, we have to acknowledge that the disinformation networks and mechanisms have been invested upon in the Philippines as early as prior to 2016. The mechanisms that are being utilized by the Duterte camp have been invested upon even prior to the elder Duterte's run for the presidency in 2016.

So they have had now a decade of dominance when it comes to the use of social media. Unfortunately, Filipinos are very reliant on social media in order to get their news due to the lack of access to more quality journalism and even media do rely on social media to transmit the narratives.

So the comments section and even right now, online influencers and online content creators are consistently advancing narratives that are insisting that the family actually fixed the Philippines. The war on drugs is successful, even if, you know documentation of human rights violations are pretty consistent.

And that essentially not only this impeachment trial of the vice president, but also Mr. Duterte's capture by the International Criminal Court is a concerted conspiracy in order to destroy the family.

Now, right now, it doesn't even need to rely on basis of plausibility and reality. The narrative is being expanded through online media because the ecosystem is contained.

And for many Filipinos who are either unable to access other forms of information or who are dependent on social media for most of the communications, they are now cocooned in this ecosystem of misinformation.

It's very difficult to dislodge them or disabuse them of the notion, even if right now survey pollsters in the Philippines are suggesting that even supporters of the vice president do want them to be subjected to impeachment trials, if only to exonerate them from the process.

RIPLEY: Yes. You mentioned Rodrigo Duterte's trial at the International Criminal Court, which I believe is happening on November 30th.

We only have a few seconds left, but I just want to ask you quickly, you know, if all sides of this are convinced that the process was unfair, in large part because of the disinformation campaigns, what does that mean for trust in democracy in the Philippines? If you can give me an answer in 20 seconds or so.

JULIANO: Yes. Well, all things considered trust in democracy right now is pretty fragile. In principle, many Filipinos do believe in the value of democracy, the existence of these institutions.

But because of how hyperpartisan and how personalized politics can get (INAUDIBLE) persists. So there is -- there are personal loyalties. There are very limited institutional trust, which is hopefully what the next few years, 2028 will hopefully will begin getting --

[01:34:49]

RIPLEY: Hansley Juliano, appreciate your point of view and your expertise. Thanks for joining us from Manila. Really appreciate it. JULIANO: Thank you very much.

RIPLEY: Remembering Lindsey Graham. Ahead, politicians in the United States and around the world sharing their memories and mourning the Republican senator after his shocking and sudden death.

Plus the latest on an upcoming meeting in Paris for nations that are rallying in support of Ukraine.

[01:35:22]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: Leaders from around the world are paying tribute to the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. That includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had just met with Graham on his 10th trip to Kyiv.

That trip wrapped up just hours before Grahams death, and Zelenskyy said he was deeply saddened by the news. He called Graham a true defender of freedom and a staunch advocate for bipartisan support for Ukraine.

Germany's chancellor, also remembering Graham, who he said was, quote, "a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance".

And reaction also coming in from NATO's Secretary General, who wrote that Graham was a quote, "powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO alliance".

Graham is also being remembered by those who worked closely with him in the U.S. and that includes Senator Tim Scott and President Trump, who spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What a what a terrible loss it is. He's a great politician. He was a natural.

There are very few of them. He was a natural politician, got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was very tough. You know, he was a tough cookie, too. But he got along with everybody.

Well, he ran against me and he was, you know, formidable. He was tough. He was tough and smart. And that's why I got to know him on the campaign. I didn't know him before then. And I spoke to him maybe once in my life before then.

But I got to know him. He was one of the 17 people that ran against me, and he was, you know, a smart guy.

And it was a nasty campaign. He was tough and nasty, but I was nasty, too. And it worked out fine. And I got to know him by little drips and drabs. And then we became friendly.

And there was no better advocate. He was a fantastic advocate in the Senate, and he could do things that other people. He was -- he was able to -- if I had a really big problem with a certain Democrat, he could work it out. You know, that's something most Republicans can't do.

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): America has lost a true statesman. We don't have many left. But he was a true statesman. But I've lost a friend.

It is a morning of mourning for me. It's a powerful reminder that life is fleeting, that we are not here very long.

If I were to tell stories about Lindsey Graham -- one of the most important stories about Lindsey Graham is that when I was a new senator, he welcomed me in. He knew that my path was different. He understood the power of change in South Carolina and how much our state had changed.

But he was one of the first folks in the Senate to welcome me in with open arms.

And I will say that I do a South Carolina prayer breakfast every year in D.C. And I called Lindsey the first time, and Lindsey says, Tim, if this thing starts before 10:00 a.m., I'm not coming because I'm not going even if Jesus comes back before 10:00 a.m.

And I just laughed out loud. And of course, it started at 8:30 and he walked in the door at 8:31.

Lindsey Graham, he was just the kind of committed person that you don't really appreciate how much, how, how committed he was to America. I can't think of a more committed public servant to this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: And that praise coming from across the political spectrum. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal is urging the Senate to pass a bipartisan Russia sanctions package that Graham championed. Blumenthal co-sponsored the bill with Senator Graham, and he said passing it right away would be a fitting tribute.

After working on the legislation for more than a year, the two lawmakers reportedly had reached a deal with the Trump administration to move forward.

If approved, the package would allow the U.S. to impose sharp tariffs on countries that import Russian oil, natural gas and uranium.

And the effort comes as French President Emmanuel Macron invites international leaders from the so-called coalition of the willing to Paris. Countries involved in supporting Ukraine are expected to meet on Monday and Tuesday around France's National Bastille Day celebrations.

The military parade marking the occasion reportedly will also include foreign troops alongside French regiments. Meanwhile, a group of Peruvians say Moscow is luring their loved ones

into war, promising them jobs in Russia. But then instead sending them to the front lines in Ukraine. They've been demanding answers for weeks. Outside the Russian embassy in Lima.

And that's where CNN's Jimena De La Quintana picks up the details.

[01:44:45]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENA DE LA QUINTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When Norma watched her son board a flight to Russia, she believed he was taking on a job as a military cook.

The 31-year-old Peruvian had answered an online job ad promising good pay, Russian citizenship, and work far from the front lines. But once, when he arrived, she says, he was handed military gear and sent to fight in Ukraine.

GRAPHIC: Hi, Mom. How are you? Good morning.

So I won't be able to connect that often. Mom, what happened is that we screwed up so they cut the Internet. The commander doesn't want us to connect. We are being punished."

"Your plaque? Why are you sending that? Are you going to the front lines?"

"No. Nothing of that. It's just they are moving us to another place. And I won't have any signal."

"Please don't stop communicating. Just tell me 'I'm here' and I will be at peace."

DE LA QUINTANA: This was the last time she ever heard from him.

We are not publishing Norma's full name or that of her son to help protect them from possible retaliation.

NORMA, MOTHER OF PERUVIAN RECRUIT (through translator): I have faith in God, but it's been two months and eight days. My faith is shaking, but I keep saying to myself, I have to stay strong.

DE LA QUINTANA: Norma isn't alone. Dozens of Peruvian families say their loved ones were recruited through misleading job offers and ended up fighting in a deadly war.

CNN reached out to the Russian minister of defense for comments.

The Peruvian government has made hundreds of formal requests to Moscow seeking information about the recruits, while authorities are investigating the local recruiters in a possible human trafficking case.

Several Peruvian recruits told CNN they were connected to Russian contacts through Pocho Wilson Pinto Pena (ph), a reserve officer in the Peruvian military.

POCHO WILSON PINTO PENA, PERUVIAN MILITARY RESERVE OFFICER (through translator): Regarding the alleged crimes, I've seen mentions of human trafficking, which is absurd. It is absurd.

In my case, I am not involved in human trafficking in any way because I'm an honest, straightforward, sincere and highly professional man.

DE LA QUINTANA: Pinto denies recruiting soldiers. He says he only passed along the contact details of another Peruvian recruiter in Russia whom he refused to identify and warned the men, they could end up in combat. His name does not appear on any of the Russia recruitment contract reviewed by CNN.

PENA: Initially, he told me he needed personnel for work there. But he didn't specify exactly what. However, since the country is in conflict, and speaking as a military man myself, if I'm being taken to such a country, I naturally know where I'm going.

DE LA QUINTANA: But there is a difference between being in a (INAUDIBLE) guarding people at the embassy or a similar location and actually fighting in the frontlines.

PENA: He told me they would be Russia military personnel. That they would wear the uniform and work as soldiers. He didn't say they were going to work in a shop or a factory.

DE LA QUINTANA: For Norma and many other families, the investigation offers little comfort. They are still waiting for the same thing they have hoped for since the day their loved ones left a call to say they're coming home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: CNN's Jimena de la Quintana reporting for us.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. We're live in Hong Kong. And we'll be right back.

[01:48:38]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: World number one Jannik Sinner is holding on to his ranking and the Wimbledon title. He beat Alexander Zverev in four sets during a brutally long match at the All-England Club. It's Sinner's fifth Grand Slam singles title.

CNN's Don Riddell has all the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Jannik Sinner is once again the Wimbledon champion but he was made to work for his title defense by Alexander Zverev on Centre Court on Sunday. This was a fascinating match-up between the top 2 seeds. Zverev might have had a bit of trepidation beforehand although he recently broke his major drought by winning the French Open. He had lost nine consecutive matches against Sinner.

However, he stepped up here, edging a tight first set on a tie break, snapping a run of 14 consecutive lost sets against the Italian. The second set also very competitive although this time it was Sinner who edged it on another tie breaker.

And although he went on to win the match (INAUDIBLE) Zverev has pushed him all the way.

Regardless, Sinner is now a five-time major champion and two-time Wimbledon champ and at three hours and 46 minutes, this was the second longest win of his career.

JANNIK SINNER, WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: There is no better place honestly to play tennis than here. You can feel the nerves in Sunday morning when you wake up, you know, that this is, you know, very, very special day and you'd never know how many times you can come back on Sundays.

So I never take things for granted playing in front of very, very special people throughout the whole couple of weeks, it has been amazing. And yes, and thanks for the support.

You are always amazing to me, and you gave me the most special feeling at tennis player can ever feel like. So thank you so much.

RIDDELL: So the focus now switches to the U.S. Open in New York, where Sinner was the champion in 2024. He'll be the favorite, although Zverev must now be considered a serious rival. And at some point the injured Carlos Alcaraz is going to be back in the mix.

If he's been watching on tv, he'll know that Sinner will take some stopping.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: We're down to just four teams remaining in the battle for football's biggest prize. The World Cup semifinals, kicking off on Tuesday.

France will put its star-studded offense to the test against the Spanish team that's allowed just one goal in the tournament so far.

And on Wednesday, one of the sport's greatest rivalries will play out yet again when defending champion Argentina meet the Three Lions of England on the pitch in Atlanta.

And earlier I spoke with Henry Winter. He's a football writer and a columnist for "World Soccer Magazine". He's covered 10 World Cups during his career. And I asked him, what has surprised him the most in this year's tournament.

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HENRY WINTER, FOOTBALL WRITER AND COLUMNIST FOR "WORLD SOCCER MAGAZINE": The joy between the fans. If I can take an off the field one because there were so many issues going into the tournament cost, logistics, size of it.

But actually all I've seen is Americans embracing Scots who'd gone to Boston and drunk the place dry. England fans have not always had the best of reputations but they've been good in recent tournaments.

Going to Mexico City, partying with the Mexicans, even with the Mexicans heartbroken by what happened.

So anyone who wants people to speak peace unto people that is happening on the streets of the United States, Canada and Mexico, and also in the stands of these great sporting cathedrals (ph) that you have there.

RIPLEY: So when people look back at this 2026 World Cup, do you think that is what it will ultimately be remembered for or what else do you think when people look back and think about it?

WINTER: Oh, well, obviously the football as well. And, you know, whether this is the last dance of Lionel Messi the great from the country of the tango.

We thought that was in Qatar when I saw him in the final there. And he was sensational there.

But you look at him in this tournament and you see him walking around, padding around like a panther, and then suddenly bursting into life. He is a player of moments now, but these are great moments, goalscoring moments.

And then you look at the team that I've been covering for so long, and you look at Harry Kane, his finishing, his leadership.

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WINTER: You look at Jude Bellingham and the sort of swagger around him, the confidence, the belief. He can -- he can score, he can create, he can destroy. You know, he's world class in all those three elements.

Lamine Yamal of Spain hasn't quite kicked on. But he's a fabulous talent as we've seen with Barcelona.

And finally, who do you want from this magnificent French team. Whether its Kylian Mbappe, the striker up front who is just so clinical in front of goals, such a beautiful player to watch. Or Michael Olise, the playmaker behind him.

So on the pitch, off the pitch it's been an absolute joy. And I will put it in my top three World Cups I've covered. RIPLEY: What about all of the things that have kind of been different

with this World Cup? I think, you know, referee cameras. One example also, you know, the possibility -- this year it was expanded to a 48- team format. They're saying they could be looking to expanding to 64 teams in the future. I mean have these changes worked out in your opinion?

WINTER: Well, you look at the top four teams are the four finalists. So maybe we just need a four-team World Cup.

I think the problem of continually expanding it, and I understand the political voting reasons for the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, because it strengthens his power base around the world. If more teams can actually qualify for the World Cup, more money for them.

I understand the politics of that. But actually it diminishes some of the quality. It also pretty much kills the qualifying campaigns.

And the club managers who are very strong in Europe will say, well, why are we lending you our star players to play in qualifying campaigns when you're pretty likely to qualify anyway? So I don't think FIFA have thought this through.

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RIPLEY: Now we know that football may not be for everybody. So here's a different kind of competition because there really is a sport for everyone, right?

The 53rd World Pea Shooting championship was held Saturday in England, with winners crowned in two categories. In the traditional final, competitors have to use standard plastic tubes to launch peas at a target covered in putty.

But then there's the open final and they get more creative. They get to use sophisticated, customized equipment in hopes of hitting a bulls eye. Some shooters even apparently use lasers to help them get the perfect aim.

We're live in Hong Kong. I'm Will Ripley, I'm going to go pea shooting.

See you around.

Rosemary Church up next.

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