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Dry Conditions & Excessive Heat Fueling Destructive Fires; 220,000 Plus People Evacuated As Wildfires Rage In France; Tate Brothers To Stay In Jail As They Fight Extradition; 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Japan; Kyiv: 30,000 More North Korean Troops To Fight For Putin; Savannah Guthrie Renews Plea For Help Finding Mother, Nancy; France's D-Day Beaches Become UNESCO World Heritage Site; "Ted Lasso" Celebrates Season 4 Premiere In Los Angeles. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 28, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

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[04:31:45]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN HOST: Welcome back, more now on our top story. Temperatures are set to climb this week in Spain and in France and that makes the threat of massive wildfires even more dangerous. The experts are telling CNN that the fires around the French city of Bordeaux are causing air pollution to spike at levels six times higher than what the World Health Organization considers safe.

And in Spain's Castellon province, Reuters reported that firefighters are facing a unique challenge. They have to work carefully to avoid, get this, unexploded ordnance from the Spanish Civil War nearly a century ago. You see, those munitions are highly sensitive to heat and they could go off unexpectedly, posing a very serious danger to those firefighters.

CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on the weather conditions that are fueling these flames.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: With wildfires raging out of control across parts of France and Spain. It's important to step back and say, how did we get here? Well, there was a substantial amount of rain during the winter months of this year, particularly January and February over the western parts of Europe. Then the taps were shut off, creating what's known as a flash drought.

The vegetation dried out very quickly. We turned up the thermometers and we had multiple successive heat waves, one after another, impacting the Iberian Peninsula and much of Western Europe. So this is how we've got to this point, right? We've got our mini hotspots, but we're focusing in on west of Madrid and western portions of Bordeaux across southwest France.

This is a very fascinating satellite image. There are authorities saying that they have never seen forest fires create their own weather patterns. Well, this is a different type of a beast, right? So we've got the extremely dry vegetation creating intense heat.

And from satellite, you can see those billowing plumes of smoke. Well, what's happening is it's actually creating these pyrocumulonimbus clouds. Think of it as a thunderstorm cloud, but created by the intense heat from the forest fires on the ground.

It forces the air to rise. It eventually cools, condenses, creates cloud cover, sometimes lightning that can form additional forest fires. And then it also creates precipitation, sometimes producing wind outflow boundaries that take embers and push them far away from that forward flank, creating additional spot fires, making it that much more challenging for firefighters on the ground to get a handle on these forest fires.

Not to mention, we've got winds gusting 20 upwards to 40 kilometers per hour at some points. And then the heat, this is the successive heat domes that we have been talking about for several weeks, really since May across this part of Europe. And guess what? There's another heat wave that will impact some of the hardest hit areas with forest fires, southwest France and into central Spain.

These areas could range anywhere from 5 to 7 degrees above where they should be this time of year, with a wind shift change coming as a cold front temporarily cools the temperature, but really provides very little precipitation in this extended forecast going forward. You can see the rain accumulation going forward is sparse at best. But again, it is the dry conditions, the excessive heat, and of course, the fingerprints of climate change that leads to this increase in fire danger that will continue.

Back to you.

[04:35:01]

SANDOVAL: All right. Thanks, Derek.

And I did speak earlier with Colonel Thomas Bourgerie, he's the Chief of Staff at the National Operations Center for the French National Gendarmerie. That's actually the branch of French forces in charge of evacuations. He gave us this update.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. THOMAS BOURGERIE, CHIEF OF STAFF, NATIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER, GENDARMERIE NATIONALE: We have an exceptional situation with 250,000 people evacuated. And our main effort is to convince people to evacuate and to accept this very difficult situation. We have a massive movement of solidarity and responsibility in the population, and so far, we have no casualty in this very difficult evacuation operation.

SANDOVAL: Colonel, are there any regions where evacuees are now able to return home? I mean, we saw reports of one blaze in the country's southwest region where it was contained. So are some places safe to return at this point? BOURGERIE: The first places safe to return are the land region in the southern part of the front line. And so far, 5,000 people could return back to their homes. And today, we should have 20,000 more people going back to their homes. But it is a very sensitive operation because people shouldn't go back too early to their homes. So we have to go with them to carry out this situation in close link with local authorities.

SANDOVAL: That's great to hear. It not only shows some progress on behalf of fire authorities and their efforts to contain this situation, but also hopefully some normalcy for all these families that you just mentioned will hopefully be able to return soon.

Let me ask you this, Colonel. When you hear President Macron describe the grave situation there as the, as he put it, the toughest since World War II, if you could just expand on that, you're there, what does that look like on the ground?

BOURGERIE: On the ground, it is an unprecedented situation with nearly 50,000 hectares burned. But we are prepared to face any situation. We have resilient firefighters and Gendarmerie forces that can help the population to accept this situation. This situation is exceptional because fire tree forests are very vulnerable.

And it comes in a context after three successive heat waves, leaving vegetation very dry. But in this situation, as I mentioned, we had no casualty in the evacuation. And it is mainly forest areas that are destroyed. Any village is completely destroyed by the fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in a Florida jail while they fight extradition to the U.K. They're each facing multiple rape assaults and sex trafficking charges.

CNN's Carolina Peguero reporting from Miami.

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While the Tate brothers remain in federal custody in Miami, their legal team says they're going to continue to challenge the extradition request from the U.K. and looking for an immediate release or a bail for the brothers. Now, they were not present in today's hearing.

Last week, there was unsealed court documents revealing alarming details from prosecutors about the latest sex crimes charges and allegations against them, including rape and sex trafficking by four additional alleged victims. The brothers, however, have denied all allegations against them, and their attorneys have vowed on requesting more information and documents from the U.K. and the U.S. authorities that prove these allegations.

The Tate brothers together face 59 charges while the treaty and the agreement of the potential extradition request remains in effect until September 16th. The judge has scheduled the next hearing for August 13th, and the brothers will remain in federal prison.

Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.

[04:40:11]

SANDOVAL: And the tide could be turning in Russia's war on Ukraine. Just ahead, how North Korea may be coming to Vladimir Putin's rescue once again.

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SANDOVAL: We're closely following some breaking news. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has struck in southern Japan, and there are now some warnings for possible tsunamis as well as aftershocks in the region. Reuters is reporting that the quake hit Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture just on the island of Kyushu. Just thousands of homes have lost power already, and all rail services in the area have been halted.

We do know that major tech companies like Sony and TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, they do have plants in this area, though no word yet on whether their operations have been impacted by this earthquake. Our team's in Asia right now working together. More official information again there in the region where it's now 5:43 p.m. More information as soon as we get it.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning that North Korea is once again preparing to come to Russia's rescue. He says that Pyongyang plans to send another 30,000 troops to fight alongside Vladimir Putin's forces in the war on Ukraine.

CNN International Correspondent Will Ripley with more.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a cemetery for North Korea's fallen soldiers this weekend, Kim Jong-un, his wife and daughter, walked past the graves of Korean War dead. Now, Ukraine says Kim could send 30,000 more North Korean troops into another war.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim sent more than 100 soldiers to march in Moscow's Victory Day parade in May. South Korea and Western militaries estimate more than 10,000 North Korean troops helped Russian forces recapture the Kursk region.

[04:45:07]

And soon, Putin may be getting something even bigger from his partner in Pyongyang, says Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, set to meet President Trump tomorrow in the Oval Office, a White House official says.

Russia wants to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops, Zelenskyy says, adding Ukraine's military has solid reports. Preparations are under way to receive them. He says they're headed to southwestern Russia, about 150 miles from Ukraine's border.

Zelenskyy says Kim may also be sending several ballistic missile launchers. North Korean missiles are a lethal part of Putin's war machine. Ukraine says they're growing more accurate with every strike.

Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improve its weapons, and gain real combat experience, Zelenskyy says. Kim built a new war memorial in Pyongyang, with thousands of graves and space for many more. Ukraine's military estimates more than 6,000 North Koreans have already been injured or killed fighting for Russia, part of Putin and Kim's deepening anti-West, anti-U.S. alliance.

A drastically different outcome than the vision of Kim's grandfather, North Korea's founder, Kim Il-Sung, who once hosted former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

MIKE CHINOY, FORMER CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: And I recall Kim Il-Sung saying to me, we want to have good relations with the United States. That's all gone now.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Former CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Mike Chinoy made 17 reporting trips to North Korea. He says after Trump's diplomacy collapsed, Kim made a hard pivot to Russia and never looked back.

CHINOY: And I don't think he's interested anymore in having that kind of relationship because I don't think he trusts the United States.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Instead, Ukraine says, Kim is betting big on Moscow, a bet that could soon mean another 30,000 North Korean troops fighting for Russia.

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RIPLEY (on-camera): Despite thousands of North Korean troops fighting for Russia, only two are known to have been captured alive. Ukrainian officials say that's because North Korean soldiers are under orders to avoid capture at all costs. Kim Jong-un has even praised what state media called soldiers who self-blasted with grenades rather than surrender. Ukrainian forces say some North Korean soldiers have shouted Kim's name before pulling the pin on a grenade, choosing to die instead of being taken prisoner.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

SANDOVAL: After the break, Savannah Guthrie's emotional new plea to the kidnappers of her still missing mother, Nancy. Her message nearly six months after her mother was taken from her home in the middle of the night.

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[04:51:39]

SANDOVAL: The journalist and host of NBC's Today Show, Savannah Guthrie, has posted a new emotional plea for new information about her missing mother, Nancy, who was taken from her home in February. The latest appeal, this comes after federal investigators said earlier this month that -- earlier this month, that all three of the notes that were linked to the case were fake.

CNN's Jason Carroll has more on Guthrie's latest message to her mother's kidnappers and where the investigation stands at this hour.

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SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, HOST, NBC'S "TODAY SHOW": It has been months since our mom was taken from us. Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new heartfelt plea coming from Savannah Guthrie.

GUTHRIE: The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I'm asking you, begging you to do the right thing now.

CARROLL (voice-over): Guthrie posted the emotional message today on Instagram, the same platform the family has released many of its messages to the public ever since Nancy Guthrie, Savannah's mother, disappeared nearly six months ago. Days after her kidnapping, the family received its first ransom note, unknown publicly at the time, but revealed last week by Crime Journalist Briana Whitney on the Crime Junkie podcast.

That note to the Guthries said, "We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed."

Whitney says the note referred to details about Guthrie's Arizona home, including a smartwatch in her bedroom and a damaged floodlight in the backyard to validate its authenticity.

BRIANA WHITNEY, CRIME JOURNALIST: I'm going to read you three more parts of this ransom note.

CARROLL (voice-over): Whitney says the note also indicated Guthrie would be held for a maximum of seven days, and went on to say, "If the payment is not received by the last deadline, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands. You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you."

Just last month, CNN reported on the contents of another note that the Guthries received back in February. That note said Guthrie died shortly after the kidnapping, that according to law enforcement sources. Whitney said the author also wrote, "We never intended to hurt her," and that they were truly sorry.

The last time the family reportedly saw Nancy Guthrie was about 9:45 p.m. on January 31st. That's when a family member dropped her off at her Tucson home after dinner. The 84-year-old was reported missing around noon the next day, when she didn't show up at a friend's house to watch a church service online.

On February 4th, the Guthrie family's first public plea.

GUTHRIE: On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy. We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them too. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her, and you'll see.

CARROLL (voice-over): On February 10th, the FBI released doorbell camera footage showing what it described as a masked armed individual outside the home the morning she disappeared. Still, authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or a motive in the investigation. Now, six months later, another plea for closure.

[04:55:19]

GUTHRIE: I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. Help us bring this situation to an end.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: The French beaches where Allied forces landed on World War II's D-Day, they've been added to UNESCO's list of protected world heritage sites. More than 156,000 troops landed by sea and air on the beaches of Normandy back on June 6th, 1944. It marked a key step towards the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany. The U.N. agency says that five landing beaches form an exceptional cultural landscape shaped by the events of D-Day and their enduring remembrance.

Scientists are getting a rare look at the Amazon's elusive ghost dog from over two decades of hidden camera footage. Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society, they used 34 camera trap surveys to document this short-haired dog in a major study that was conducted between 2001 through 2024. Well, the new compiled 500 -- the study actually compiled some 500 records across Bolivia, providing some new insight into one of Latin America's least known wild animals.

And the stars of "Ted Lasso" hitting the red carpet in Los Angeles to celebrate the premiere of the comedy's fourth season. The Apple TV's smash hit produced in part by CNN's parent company will be dropping a new season on August the 5th.

It's now been three years since the series wrapped its third season, which followed America's coach Ted Lasso as he then led an English soccer club. Well, now season four gives him a new challenge, bringing his inspirational coaching skills to women's soccer.

Thank you so much for staying with me the last hour. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our coverage continues with CNN Headline Express in a moment.

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