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Emergency Efforts Underway After 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake; Donald Trump Meets With Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy And Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu; Spain And France Race To Contain Fires As Heat Waves Begins; No Update From Trump Administration On Probe Into Iran School Strike; Mexico's UNAM Faces Online Admissions Exam Cheating Crisis; LVMH CEO Pushes Back Against Claims Of Family Feud. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 29, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:36]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, a desperate search for survivors after a deadly earthquake hits Japan. We'll head to the region for the latest.

The U.S. intercepts a surprise Iranian missile attack as high-stakes diplomacy unfolds in Washington. Israel's prime minister and Ukraine's president both meet with President Trump.

A scorching heatwave threatens to worsen devastating wildfires as France and Spain battle the blazes.

Plus, Europe's richest man fights off rumors of a family feud. We'll have the details.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Appreciate you joining us. The death toll is rising in Japan after a powerful earthquake. The prime minister says at least 13 people are confirmed dead so far. The 6.8 magnitude tremor struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday. Japanese media report two of the victims were young women who died in the partial collapse of a shopping mall, where there was an explosion and where it's believed others are trapped. There are also reports of people missing at a paper factory that suffered extensive damage.

Aerial footage has shown buildings on fire. Transportation services are disrupted, and thousands of military personnel have been mobilized to expedite rescue efforts.

Want to go straight to our Kristie Lu Stout who's monitoring developments live from Hong Kong. So, Kristie, an urgent rescue effort underway at a collapsed shopping mall in the quake zone. What's the latest on this?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Rosemary, emergency workers are racing to find survivors in this shopping center that partially collapsed in an explosion after this massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked southern Japan on Tuesday. This was an earthquake so powerful that it brought down buildings, it brought down bridges as well as rail services, and it's also taking lives.

According to an update that we heard from the Japanese Prime Minister earlier today, at least 13 people are dead, dozens more are injured. We've learned that tens of thousands of people, if not more, are without electricity. We've also learned that some 300,000 people have been told to go to evacuation centers. Our focus this hour is on that ongoing rescue effort at that partially collapsed shopping center, and we have aerial video just to show you the level of destruction there.

Again, around 4:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, that was when the earthquake struck. Shortly after, there was an explosion, a blast that ripped through the shopping mall and left behind just an exposed steel beams, debris thrown absolutely everywhere.

We also have dashcam video of the moment of the explosion when this took place, and in the video you could see just the smoke billowing through, going onto that road and into the sky above.

We also heard from officials that an investigation is underway. There was a smell of gas on site, so it appears, but not confirmed, that gas leak is to blame, and it's still not clear how many people are trapped in the debris.

Now there is also a separate rescue operation underway, not that far away from that site, at a paper factory where a chimney, a large industrial-sized chimney, collapsed.

You can see aerial footage there of your screen. This is the Nippon Paper Industries factory. There is, as you can see right there, extensive damage, and it's not clear how many people are still trapped. Several people are unaccounted for.

We heard from the Japanese Prime Minister. She's been giving a number of updates ever since this disaster started yesterday afternoon. She said that she is pledging the full force of government response. We also heard from the IAEA. There is a nuclear power station in the quake zone, but thankfully, according to the U.N. agency, no cause for concern on that front, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Horrifying situation there. Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong bringing us the latest there. Many thanks.

[02:05:00]

We are following new developments in the Middle East, where U.S. Central Command says the military successfully thwarted a surprise attack from Iran on U.S. forces. Video obtained by CNN appears to show interceptors stopping Iranian missiles over Jordan, where U.S. troops are. Based and where three U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian strike earlier this month.

CENTCOM also reporting joint strikes by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed groups in Iraq. Saudi Arabia says those militias were linked to attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

The U.S. president hosted the Israeli prime minister in a closed-door meeting at the White House on Tuesday. U.S. and Israeli officials are calling the discussions between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu positive and productive. An Israeli official says the two leaders discussed the partnership between their countries, "Which is stronger than ever."

Netanyahu is also touting his close ties with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump. When I say excellent, it's not just lip service, it was a conversation of full partnership, of mutual support with an understanding of the shared goal to ensure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons and also other goals. It was one of the best conversations I've had with the president of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The Israeli Prime Minister also attended the funeral of the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who he called one of Israel's, "Greatest friends."

President Trump also met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says they had a good meeting and discussed air defense ideas and reviving diplomacy with Russia. Zelenskyy also attended Lindsey Graham's funeral, who he called a true friend of Ukraine.

U.S. senators invited Zelenskyy to watch the vote on a new Russia sanctions bill. The measure, which was backed by the late Senator Graham, advanced with a vote of 86 to 12. The sanctions would be paired with tariffs against the top five importers of Russian oil and natural gas, including India and China. Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. lawmakers for their support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: This bill is very important. Sanctions pressure on Russia is very important, and really gives -- it's not only about money. How Russia how to stop to finance this war, but it's also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Kevin Liptak has more details about the U.S. president's meetings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump's heavy day of diplomacy on Tuesday in Washington, involved two leaders with whom he has had very complicated relationships in two wars that he has struggled to contain over the course of his presidency.

Now, a year ago, if both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu had been coming to the White House on the same day, most would bet that Netanyahu's meeting would go off better. President Trump has had a very contemptuous relationship with Zelenskyy over the course of his first year in office, but now it seems as if the roles have been somewhat reversed. President Trump has grown respectful of Zelenskyy. He sees him as performing well on the battlefield, and he's talked about how the Ukrainians have been brave over the course of this multi-year conflict.

Now, Zelenskyy in the meeting today did discuss with President Trump this idea of the U.S. licensing Patriot missile interceptors to Ukraine to help it gain the front foot in the war with Russia that was discussed in the Oval Office.

Now, President Zelenskyy was heading into this meeting, I think, with President Trump on a much better footing in some ways than Prime Minister Netanyahu. The president, even in the hours before Netanyahu arrived to the White House, in an interview on Fox News, essentially complained that Netanyahu had detailed some intelligence about Pickaxe Mountain, the Iranian nuclear site, in public instead of coming to him to discuss it privately, and he said that the only reason Netanyahu wanted to discuss this with him was to, "He wants me to stay involved," suggesting that Netanyahu continues to want to ensnare President Trump in the Iran conflict.

And you know, the last time Netanyahu was at the White House was in the weeks before the Iran War began. They sat in the Situation Room, and what Netanyahu told President Trump was that the Iranian regime would fall very quickly, that their missile capabilities would be degraded within weeks, and that Iran would be too weak to close the Strait of Hormuz.

[02:10:11]

Of course, none of that happened, and it has caused a degree of resentment inside the White House among the president's team.

Now, Netanyahu today said afterwards that it was one of the best meetings that he had ever had with President Trump. Same with Zelenskyy, calling it a productive meeting, and Ukrainian officials saying afterwards that the president's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would soon visit Kyiv.

Now, what these meetings portend for the future of both of these wars at this point isn't known, and it's not clear that President Trump is any closer to resolving either of them than he was before the day began, but clearly, the view of administration officials just maintaining these relationships and discussing these conflicts with two men who are intimately involved in them important for the president as he keeps up this diplomacy. Kevin Liptak, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger is chief diplomatic correspondent at the New York Times. He joins me now live from Berlin. Good to have you with us.

STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Good morning.

CHURCH: Good morning to you too. So, U.S. President Trump held these separate meetings Tuesday in the Oval Office with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy and Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu, but no cameras were rolling for either meeting. What did you make of that, and what were the main headlines that stood out to you from these two meetings?

ERLANGER: Well, not only were there no cameras, but there were no press announcements afterwards. Certainly not by Mr. Trump, who loves talking to the press. I think it was a very considered decision by the White House not to have either Zelenskyy or Netanyahu put in front of the press with the president. That shows some strain, obviously, in the relationship.

I think, and it also was interesting that you know the White House let both of these other men spin the meetings pretty much as they liked. So, they were obviously the most successful meetings that ever, ever happened, possibly in the whole world, from Zelenskyy's point of view. The fact is, if he can get Witkoff and Kushner to come to Kyiv, which they've never ever ever done, they've been to Moscow many times. That would be a big victory for him. Let's see what happens.

And for Netanyahu, who's in the middle of a very tough election campaign at the elections at the end of October, just having a meeting with Trump that didn't blow up, I think is -- was very good for him.

The headlines that come out, I think, have been modest, which is probably exactly what the White House wanted. They wanted no strain, no toughness, and that's pretty much what they've got.

The problem, you know, the way the White House does in the past spin the Israeli meetings is that there's this, you know, somehow clever Israeli leader that seduced our great White president into making a big mistake.

And I think, you know, one should remember, Trump makes these decisions. America doesn't go to war because someone asks it to, it goes to war because the president decides that's what should be done. And if there is regret afterwards, it shouldn't just be thrown on other people.

CHURCH: And as you say, President Zelenskyy, he was out there talking about the meeting. Said it went really well. They had discussions about producing Patriot interceptors, pushing for peace talks, and telling the U.S. president that North Korea is preparing to send 30,000 more troops to fight for Russia's President Putin. We don't know how Trump plans to respond to this yet, because as you

point out, we didn't hear from him or the White House. They didn't provide details. But what's the sense of where Trump stands when it comes to supporting Ukraine's fight against Putin?

ERLANGER: Well, it's been very interesting. The other interesting thing was that J.D. Vance was not in the White House photo, at least doesn't seem to be in the meeting with Zelenskyy. If you remember a year ago in the horrible White House meeting where Zelenskyy was told to leave, it was Vance who sort of pushed him pretty much to say, you know, why aren't you grateful, and so on. And Vance has been very skeptical about the whole U.S. involvement in Ukraine.

I think it is important that the United States is providing very crucial intelligence, satellite intelligence, and other kinds of intelligence to the Ukrainians that enable them to do much more accurate targeting, including deep inside Russia.

[02:15:16]

And it is also very important that the Americans continue to sell sophisticated weapons. So, we're running out of them, to the Europeans to give to the Ukrainians. The U.S. isn't providing financial support, but it is helping Ukraine in these very crucial, though quiet ways. And as long as that happens, that's fine.

Now, Zelenskyy would like negotiations to get going again. Obviously, Witkoff and Kushner and Trump have been distracted by this other stalemate problem, which is the war in Iran, which America, in some ways, is strategically losing.

But if they can, you know, revive talks with the Russians, you get the sense that Russia too would be eager to start talking again, though very much on its own terms.

But as I say, a visit by Kushner and Witkoff to Kyiv for the first time would be a very symbolic act to show Moscow that the U.S. is serious about continuing to support Ukraine, even in this quieter way.

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Good to talk with you.

ERLANGER: Thank you. Cheers.

CHURCH: Well, millions face the threat of flash flooding in the northeastern United States. Still to come, we will have the latest on the severe weather and what residents can expect.

Plus, another new heat wave settles in over Spain and France, bringing more challenging conditions in the fight against those massive wildfires. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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[02:21:26] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. We are tracking severe weather across the northeastern United States. More than 36 million Americans are under flood watches as thunderstorms slowly churn across the region. Places like Orange, New Jersey, are already feeling the effects with cars submerged in floodwaters.

Heavy rainfall is set to continue through Wednesday, with one of three inches per hour possible in New York City. The most at-risk areas for flooding will shift further north into New England in the coming hours.

We're already seeing travel impacts from the weather, more than 2,400 flights were canceled in the U.S. on Tuesday, that's according to the tracking website FlightAware, and more than 300 are already canceled for Wednesday.

Well, Spain and France are now facing their fourth heat wave of the summer, which threatens to make wildfire conditions even worse with no rain in sight. This video shows the aftermath in the hard-hit Gironde region, where French officials say a wildfire is stabilized but not yet contained. The fires have forced about 330,000 people to evacuate across France and Spain.

Though some towns in both countries have now lifted their evacuation orders, for some people there's no longer a home to return to. That's the case for many in Spain's southern Avila province, where the largest wildfire in the country's history is burning out of control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CESAR GALLARDO, WILDFIRE VICTIM (through translator): Here, practically everything was burning. The fire had already passed through during the night, but practically, it was very sad watching the house camera and seeing your house burn down because this is my home after all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Pau Mosquera is at the site where that fire is burning outside of Madrid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What you can see around me is the result of the biggest wildfire ever registered in Spain.

This is the Bourgogne wildfire that started last week and has already scorched more than 50,000 hectares of land.

Just have a look to the landscape. I mean, the ground looks completely black, charred, and there's no sign of plant life. Also, you can see that most of the trees have been reduced to ashes, and some of them are still standing, but the trunks have been completely burned.

And actually, if you look behind me, you can see how the fires are still very much active. Because what you can see that seems to be a layer of haze is actually the smoke rising from the areas where there are active fire fronts, which is South and West from where we are.

And this is also the reason,, why we are wearing and using these face masks, just in case the air quality keeps deteriorating any further.

Now, it is important to say that, despite this situation that we are showing you, authorities showed today a little bit of cautious optimism. Because they say that overnight, the 400 firefighters that have been working to contain this wildfire actually got to prevent the flames from spreading any further. But the fires are still out of control.

And actually, it's important, because the next few hours are going to be crucial. Because tomorrow, Wednesday, the weather conditions are expected to worsen as the fourth heat wave of the summer is going to impact the Iberian Peninsula.

And, you know, the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity, the greater the risk for new wildfires.

[02:25:10]

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Cebreros.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Richard Pope is an Atmospheric Scientist at the National Center for Earth Observation at the University of Leeds in England. He joins me now. Thanks for being with us.

RICHARD POPE, ATMOSPHERIC SCIENTIST, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EARTH OBSERVATION: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. So, as we continue to cover these wildfires in Europe, what's fueling Spain's biggest wildfire in history, and of course France's most severe blazes since World War II. And what role is climate change playing in all of this?

POPE: So, we have a warming kind of climate, and we've seen spikes in temperature records over the last, you know, 50, 100 years, but especially accelerated in the last few decades.

So, this means that when we have kind of these big heat waves that are just occurring year on year, that means that a lot more of the vegetation is getting dried out. You've got more fuel loads that are becoming a lot more flammable, and the actual risks of fires occurring are much higher. And this is only a problem that's going to increase with time, especially over this period as well, as we have projected kind of seasonal forecasts for dry weather above the average throughout all of the rest of summer.

CHURCH: And French authorities are warning that these wildfires could continue for weeks, even months. What's your response to that? And is there anything more that can be done to try to contain these fires?

POPE: So, unfortunately, as I said, we're expecting kind of high- pressure systems over France is going to prevent kind of weather systems coming through that might have rain. We're in kind of the fourth droughts period as we are now, and again, as we go through it. The temperature is going to be above average. Going to have quite low winds, high low humidity, so that means that this is just going to continue on for the next few weeks, likely if not a bit longer and the risks as well.

In terms of preventing it, I think the firefighting, the fire services are doing the best they can at the moment. But unfortunately, it's just it's a massive issue, and it's just something that's not going to change in the future unless we have radical changes to climate policy or changes to mitigation and adaptation strategies.

CHURCH: What sort of changes are you talking about there?

POPE: In trying to kind of reduce the risks, really, that people are exposed to. So, it's trying to maybe have like fire warning systems in place and kind of improving kind of the infrastructure that we have.

So, in terms of where we have isolating where there are sufficient risks and then having kind of the resource in terms of the firefighting crews with, you know, additional funding to then make sure that they're able to tackle these blazes when they occur.

But critically, also through kind of education as well is saying that, you know, just having things like disposable barbecues or cigarettes, you know when you have these really kind of flammable conditions, you know where you've got dried out vegetation, any sort of ignition can cause these massive fires that we're seeing.

CHURCH: Yes, so that's a very important point. Of course, these flames are so intense that they've created rare fire clouds, a phenomenon that authorities say has never been seen there before. What exactly are fire clouds?

POPE: Good question. So, this is where you've got these really intense fires that we've not seen for a long time away at all on the scale, especially like in France and Bordeaux.

And essentially, as you have the fires are generating immense amounts of heat, and this is then generating kind of what we call convection, so rapid uplift of air, and then this moisture then condenses into these really big thunderstorms. So, we call these like Pyrocumulonimbus clouds, and they can produce their own weather by essentially generating lightning, and which in some cases can actually generate new fires nearby when kind of lightning strikes the ground.

But also, as you have this kind of rapid descent of air, it's actually dragging kind of burning debris with it, and then scattering it like either kind of several 100 meters or kilometers away, triggering new blazes.

CHURCH: And temperatures are also expected to climb above average across fire-ravaged areas of France and Spain over the next week, with no signs of rainfall in sight, as you pointed out. How concerned are you about these higher temperatures and the dangers they pose? POPE: Yes, it's a big problem. As I said, we're going to have very dry August, high pressure systems over the continent.

So, the kind of what we call the fire risk is very high, and we can see this like in satellite imagery, where you have this big kind of fire hotspots, and also then these massive plumes of pollution which are being transported, so it's kind of a dual impact. You've got people being evacuated because of the fires from their homes. I think there's 300,000 people plus, but also kind of substantial degradation in the air quality just by these big smoke plumes, especially like the aerosol pollution, which are tiny particles in the air, which can be helped by humans and have really bad impacts on kind of -- it took respiratory, you know, issues.

[02:30:00]

CHURCH: Richard Pope, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

POPE: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Wonderful.

Well, after five months, the U.S. government has remained quiet about a strike on a school in Iran. Coming up, a closer look at the tragic incident as families mourn those who died.

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[02:35:15]

CHURCH: Returning now to developments in the Middle East, an Iran- aligned militia says several of its bases in Iraq were hit by U.S. and Saudi strikes, and quote, a number of people were killed and wounded.

U.S. and Saudi forces say they conducted the joint strikes after attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi oil facilities.

Meantime, Jordan's military says, its air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran earlier.

Video obtained by CNN appears to show interceptors stopping missiles. Separately, U.S. Central Command says that Iran launched an attempted surprise attack on its forces in the Middle East, though it did not specify where.

Well, back on February 28th, the first day of the Iran war, a U.S. missile struck an Iranian elementary school. Now, five months later, the Pentagon and the Trump administration have yet to update the public on the circumstances surrounding that attack. At least 168 children and 14 adults were killed, according to Iranian state media.

CNN's Jake Tapper has more on the victims who lost their lives that day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): This is Atena Chameli Nejad singing a Persian children's poem, smiling and making faces at the camera while her mother fixes her hair. Her family shared these videos to remember her.

Atena was killed on February 28th, one of 168 children, according to Iranian state media, who lost their lives when a U.S. Tomahawk missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, on the very first day of the war, five months ago.

In Iran, the parents, the families, and the city of Minab still grieve for those who were killed. They call them the martyrs.

This is Mahdis Nazari. Mahdis' body, and one of her classmates, were found in the embrace of their teacher beneath the rubble of school, according to the head of public relations from the Iranian Ministry of Health.

He wrote that the teacher held Mahdis and her classmate, quote, "Tightly in her arms, as if she had tried with her own fragile body to become a shield against the onslaught of stone and iron."

Fourteen adults were also killed that day, according to Iranian state media.

For Omars (ph) Pegah lost both his daughter, Adrina, and his wife. He describes how it felt to receive both of their bodies, calling his wife his pillar and his daughter his hope and aspiration.

Adrina and her mother were together on the stairs of the school when they were killed. Her teacher who survived the strike told the BBC.

In addition to what we gleaned from other news media, our own information sources are limited to the families whose social media posts we found through anti-regime human rights activists and Iranian media.

That's because the Trump administration and the Pentagon have revealed nothing about the lives they took, apparently, by accident.

Critical and costly mistakes happen in war. This tragedy happened five months ago, but today, the U.S. military and its top leaders and the commander-in-chief, have yet to even acknowledge the errors that led to the deaths of nearly 200 children and adults in Iran on day one of this war.

CNN's Zach Cohen reported earlier this month that according to three sources, "Senior U.S. military commanders bypassed warnings in critical databases that intelligence about potential targets in Iran was severely out of date and approved some strikes," including the one that hit the school in Minab.

Two of the sources said, "The decision by senior commanders to ignore the warnings was made for expediency in a rush to provide targets to start the war." Messages indicated the targets for the strike list were based on intelligence that was more than 10 years old. Three sources now tell CNN's Cohen that the investigation into this strike still sits with military command.

The first two stages of the review, "focused on answering basic questions, including whether the strike hit and damaged the intended target had been completed, indicating that the U.S. was responsible for striking the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, the sources said."

The third stage, a more holistic review of what took place and its impact on the overall mission, was not ordered. "That review would almost always be conducted in the immediate aftermath of a noteworthy strike, they said, but it had not begun as of early July."

We reached out to the Pentagon with questions about the status of the review. An official told us the investigation is ongoing and there are no updates at this time.

[02:40:04]

Meanwhile, President Trump's own downright refusal to acknowledge the U.S.'s responsibility for the strike continues to evolve.

TREY YINGST, FOX NEWS CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: There are images from this site that show fragments that appear to be from U.S. Tomahawk missiles.

Is it possible that old intelligence or a mistake during a very active time in the war led to this event?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is. But it's also possible that those images that you have are A.I. generated, because a lot what they do is A.I. generated. They're actually very good at it.

So, I don't think that anybody -- you know, I know we're waiting for a conclusive report. I don't think they can be a conclusive report.

YINGST: Will you release the report when it is finished?

TRUMP: I guess so. I mean, I have to ask the military people. There might be a reason why they can't.

TAPPER (voice-over): In a statement to "The Lead" this afternoon, the White House said this investigation is ongoing. As we have said, the United States does not target civilians.

For the families of Atena, Mahdis, Adrina, and the nearly 200 others, most of them children who were killed five months ago, images from before February 28th, are now what they rely upon to keep their memories alive.

A photo of Atena and Mahdis holding hands hangs here on a banner outdoors that reads in Persian "Heavenly angels, may your martyrdom be honored." As of now, the Pentagon and the Trump administration have not come even close to honoring the memories of the 168 children and 14 adults, that by all credible accounts, were accidentally killed by the Trump administration five months ago.

Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A major explosion rocked Gaza City on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: That blast coming after an Israeli airstrike hit a mosque, sending flames and plumes of smoke into the air. Gaza remains in turmoil despite last year's ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israeli forces have reportedly continued near daily military strikes across the enclave.

Uganda's health minister says the country is Ebola-free. He made the declaration on Tuesday, following the country's latest outbreak. Twenty people contracted the disease, two died. Fifteen people were infected in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, which is considered the epicenter of the epidemic. Uganda has suffered several Ebola outbreaks since 2000 when it recorded its first epidemic.

Peru swears in its 10th president in 10 years. The new head of state is part of one of Peru's most influential political dynasties. Details are coming up after a short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:34]

CHURCH: In Amsterdam, a tribute to the victims of the Berlin terror attack. People have been laying flowers and expressing solidarity.

The Dutch capital will host a WorldPride Canal Parade this weekend and plans to add extra security.

At least one person was killed in the ramming and stabbing attack that targeted Berlin's pride celebrations last weekend. Dozens of others were wounded. Police launched a manhunt and fatally shot the suspect. German authorities say he was known as a member of Islamic circles and had tried to join ISIS.

Peru has sworn in its new president, Keiko Fujimori, the country's first-ever elected female head of state. She is the daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori and Peru's 10th president since 2016. Fujimori swore in her cabinet on Tuesday.

In recent years, the U.S. has sought to deepen ties with Peru, a major copper and critical minerals producer, as it works to counter China's influence in the region.

Fujimori is the latest in a string of conservative leaders elected by voters across Latin America, frustrated by crime, weak economic growth, and political instability.

In her first speech as president, Fujimori said, she was inheriting a country weakened by corruption.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIKO FUJIMORI, PERUVIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will begin writing our future for the next five years, not a day longer. This mandate commits us to working for the well-being of all Peruvians without exception. But above all, for those who, for too long, have remained on the sidelines of the country's growth and progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: With a new school year on the horizon in Mexico, the country's largest university is facing a major crisis. UNAM's first-ever online admissions exam has raised questions after an unusual number of applicants received high scores. Now, the Mexican government is calling for an investigation as protesters flood the streets.

CNN's Valeria Leon has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of Latin America's oldest and most prestigious universities. I'm at Mexico's National Autonomous University, UNAM, that's now at the center of a growing controversy over alleged A.I. cheating on their admissions exams.

[02:50:02]

For the first time in the university's history, the entrance exam was taken online instead of that in person.

And after the results were released, many rejected students start complaining about this unusually high scores.

LUISA DIAZ, REJECTED APPLICANT (through text translation): I simply think they should have done it the way they did in previous years, that way, the process wouldn't have been delayed and there wouldn't have been so many problems.

LEON: The accusation have sparked protests by students and parents demanding a full investigation.

Even Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, urged UNAM to conduct a full investigation.

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through text translation): They need to determine how this fraud was committed, whether the company hired to administer the exam was involved or whether individuals used artificial intelligence on their own. LEON: In an unprecedented move, UNAM announced it will review the exam results before confirming the final admissions list.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): This doesn't just affect the university, it affects society as a whole.

LEON: The decision comes just two weeks before classes are scheduled to begin, leaving thousands of students uncertain about whether they'll be admitted.

How does this decision affect you?

FRIDA PACHECO, INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT (through text translation): It's affecting us because we're being deprived of the chance to start the school year, something we students had been looking forward to.

LEON: More than 150,000 people took the exam, but only 15 percent secured a place. The UNAM is a tuition-free public university, often seen as a life-changing opportunity for many young Mexicans.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

FIFA's president has announced a plan to create a $20 billion private company to run the World Cup. And it's come under immediate fire from European football's governing body.

UEFA released a statements saying, the tournament, quote, is not FIFA's to sell. And that privatization crosses a line.

Not helping the optics, the potential involvement of President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. His brother is among the private investors who want to form this commercial subsidiary that would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA is currently a nonprofit operation based in Switzerland.

[02:55:01]

Well, the CEO of LVMH is pushing back against a series of articles written about his family and business. Bernard Arnault owns a luxury empire that's home to brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, and many more.

And a profile on the billionaire businessmen suggests he uses money and fear to hold it together. The articles prompted a response from the CEO saying, quote, "It seems I am the head of the last royal family of France. I learned this reading Le Monde between two cups of tea."

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Bernard Arnault is pushing back against reports of a bitter succession battle among his five children, insisting that his family is united.

His comments have caused quite a stir here in France, partly because the chairman of LVMH is famously private and rarely speaks publicly about his family.

But he broke that silence with a statement shared by LVMH in which he responded to a major Le Monde investigation into Arnault's influence and the future of the company.

In a rare display of his trademark irony, Arnault mocked the idea of a family feud, writing, with the Arnaults, apparently, there is no discussion, only plotting, no deliberation, only rivalry. It's the stuff of novels.

Arnault appears to be saying that the real life plot of the hit show "Succession" exists only in fiction, not inside the Arnault family.

The reason the speculation has been so intense is because this is not just a family story. It's about the future of one of the world's biggest luxury empires, whose brands include Louis Vuitton, Dior and Tiffany.

All five of Arnault's children hold senior roles within LVMH, fueling years of debate over who will eventually succeed the 77-year-old.

And yet, Arnault insists, there's no drama behind the scenes. He says his children run the group's brands and even call each other on Sundays.

For now, Arnault has shown no sign of stepping aside, saying earlier this year that the question should be asked again in seven or eight years when he reaches the company's age limit to be chairman and CEO.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A new bridge 20 years in the making is connecting the United States and Canada. A drone filmed vehicles crossing the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Tuesday. The $6.4 billion span crosses the Detroit River, connecting Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

Right now, it's open to passenger and commercial vehicle traffic. Pedestrian and bicycle crossing is scheduled to open on August 5th.

I want to thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom with Polo Sandoval" is next after a short break. Stay with us.

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