hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and all around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. ahead on "cnn news room," concerns over the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant as it creates havoc around the world. i'll discuss with my guest, who was the chair of the hong kong inquiry into sars in 2003. the shocking moment a wall of mud and water swept through a popular coastal resort town

southwest of tokyo. we're live on the ground with the latest. what started as a traffic stop escalated into a nine-hour standoff with police and armed men in tactical gear. the highly transmissible delta variant is complicating the u.s. fight against the coronavirus and pushing case numbers back up. authorities say the strain is the likely driver for a 10% rise in u.s. infections this week compared to the week before. experts say the delta variant is hitting states with the lowest vaccination rates the hardest. right now nearly half the u.s. population is fully inoculated and that's not enough to reach herd immunity, where 75% to 80% of people are immune to the disease. health authorities say the delta

variant could make reaching that threshold harder. in california, where the positivity rate has doubled, the strain is responsible for more than one-third of new infections. some officials are asking people to wear masks in indoor public spaces even if fully vaccinated. >> we are not requiring people who are vaccinated to wear those face coverings indoors, we're just making a strong recommendation, if you're indoors in a setting where you don't know everybody else's vaccination status, and in fact, there may be unvaccinated people around, for security for others and for safety for others, it is best at this point to prevent another surge here in l.a. county by having everyone in those settings where it could be crowded and you're indoors, often with poor ventilation, to keep those face coverings on. >> it's independence day here in the united states, and the u.s. travel organization aaa estimates about 48 million

people are travel this will holiday weekend by air or car. those big numbers are causing big headaches. southwest and american airlines both had to cancel dozens of flights with hundreds more delayed. cnn's polo sandoval reports. >> reporter: by now, most americans who plan to travel this holiday weekend may have already based the fourth of july frenzy on the roads -- >> busy and congested, that's why i didn't want to wait and leave any later than today. >> reporter: or at some of the nation's airports, many of which team to be bursting at the seams on friday. aaa expecting nearly 48 million people will have traveled either by road or air by the time this fourth of july weekend comes to a close. most of them some 43 million opting to drive to and from their destinations. >> international travel is down. cruising has not picked back up yet. people may generally feel more comfortable traveling by car.

you can decide when you're going to leave, where you're going to stop. maybe not everybody in the family is vaccinated yet. >> reporter: rising fuel prices likely aren't keeping families from a post-pandemic getaway. it won't be cheap, a gallon of gas averaging $3.12 nationally, the highest in seven years. >> $11, 2.5 gallons. >> reporter: not only is summer demand to blame, but a shortage of fuel truck drivers that has left some service stations empty. flying, adhere to our air crew's instructions or face paying hefty fines. the federal aviation administration has received over 3,000 reports of unruly passengers this year alone. majority of incidents related to noncompliance of the federal mandate requiring mask wearing on flights. hoping to address people who don't listen to crew instructions, the agency rolled out a video message for those who should know better from

those who do. >> that is so unsafe. >> they should know better if they're adults. >> reporter: polo sandoval, cnn, new york. >> the delta variant isn't just a problem for the united states, it's wreaking havoc in countries around the world. our correspondents have the latest. >> reporter: in delhi, transport offices and malls will remain closed through the lockdown, only essential services allowed. national flights remain operational. army personnel are deployed on the streets. people violating guidelines will be arrested and could face up to six months in jail. the delta variant, first detected in india, is the main cause for the surge in covid-19 cases in the southeast asian country. a study conducted by international research center indicates 68% of the current

cases in the capital city are off the delta variant. the u.s. is donating 2.5 million doses to bangladesh. about 2.6% of the country is fully vaccinated. i'm angus watson in sydney, australia, where much the of the country is in or coming out of lockdowns amid a fresh outbreak of covid-19 fueled by the delta variant. sydney, 5 million people, told to stay at home until july 9th. friday, prime minister scott morrison announcing in an effort to keep out the virus, the number of australians allowed back into the country each week would be halved from 6,000 to about 3,000. some good news, however. with scott morrison offering future freedoms for vaccinated people in an effort to lift australia's sluggish vaccine rollout. just about 8 million jabs administered so far. the australian government wants to give a chance to every

australian eligible for a vaccine to get one before the end of the year. in rome, italian health authorities are concerned about a surge in covid-19 cases tied to the contagious delta variant in some european countries. they've seen increases in the united kingdom and portugal, where they've had to reinstate the curfew to try to stem the contagion rate. the world health organization warned the european football championship tournaments which are being held in 11 countries across the region have played a role in the spread of the delta variant. this comes especially worrying to countries like italy, where vaccination levels are low, only 38% of the population has received two doses of any sort of vaccine. this also comes on the back of reopening of the economies and opening of international tourism that could leave many countries vulnerable. in jerusalem, israel is experiencing a new surge in covid cases at levels not seen

since april. since monday, at least 280 new positive cases have been recorded per day. according to health officials, over 90% of those cases are of the delta variant. however action hospitalization rates have not reached the same levels as previous waves. friday, under 30 people were listed as in serious condition. one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world has reopened to vaccinated travelers. it's part of a test program in thailand and doesn't require the tourists to quarantine. our paula hancocks has this report. >> reporter: a big gamble for thailand's biggest island, phuket. the prime minister himself rolled out the red carpet for vaccinated international tourists that leads straight to the picture referring sandy beaches, without any quarantine restrictions. in a surreal contrast to the year that's been and to the rest of thailand, that's mostly shut down due to rising cases and three days of record deaths, nearly 400 tourists from the middle east and singapore arrived under an experiment

called the phuket sandbox. ready to hit the beach armed with sunscreen and covid antibodies. >> it's so nice. >> how do you feel now? >> very happy. >> reporter: there's a lot riding on their return and the island has been preparing. more than 80% of its population have been vaccinated, with at least one dose, about 65% fully vaccinated. >> i am quietly confident that the industry and the government has done all it can to make this sandbox scheme both safe and effective. >> reporter: an assurance echoed by thailand's tourism minister. >> translator: looking at the nationwide coronavirus infection rate, we would say we are not ready. but if you folk committees only on phuket, we've laid out groundwork for more than three months. we are 100% ready. >> reporter: the government estimates at least 100,000 tourists will arrive over the next three months, bringing in nearly $300 million in revenues,

desperately needed on an island that relies on tourism. still, some are not convinced this is the right time. >> we are still very concerned among the people of thailand that there is real spread in thailand. >> reporter: but the sun seekers aren't complaining. neither are the local business owners, like suzanne, who describes the past year and a half. >> horrid. we didn't expect the last wave to hit us the way it's hit us. >> reporter: tourism accounts for 20% of thailand's gdp. for phuket, it isis 95% of its economy, which is why the minister says it's a calculated risk worth taking. >> translator: in 2019, revenue from both domestic and international tourism stood at about $95 billion. that shrank to near $20 billion in 2020, a huge drop. >> reporter: while it may seem like a parallel universe, for

now, thailand is pinning its hopes on phuket while the world watches. sean griffiths was cochair of the hong kong inquiry into sars in 2003, american professor, thanks for being with us. i want to contrast what's happening in france, where you are, and in england. because of the threat of a fourth wave due to the delta variant, france is delaying lifting covid restrictions in some areas. but in england, where the delta variant is much higher, represents some 99% of cases, it looks like the government is intent on fully reopening july 19th as planned. which country has it right here? >> the major difference between france and the uk is the rates of vaccination. and in the uk, there has been a big drive on vaccination since

vaccines have been available. what we're seeing in the uk is we are seeing an increased rise in the cases. now across all age groups, although initially amongst younger people. but we're not seeing the commensurate rise in hospitalization. some small numbers have increased in terms of hospitalization. the people being hospitalized are mainly the unvaccinated. the big hope is if you can get the population vaccinated, get the second dose, which is what the concentration in the uk is, second dose of all adults by july 19th, it will be possible to lift some of the lockdown restrictions. it's obviously carefully monitored, and some parts of the uk have had higher rates than others, such as the northeast. but the general feeling is that if you can get people vaccinated, then we're learning to live, we're moving away from saying that we'll get rid of the

virus, the containment policy, towards a mitigation policy, where we're learning to live with the virus. if we're going to learn to live with the virus, we have to understand what we need to do. in france, the vaccination rates are much lower. france is putting big effort on to getting first doses into the adult population at the current time. but across europe, across the eu, the rates of vaccination are about 40%, whereas in the uk, they're over double that. >> vaccination is the key, as you say. here in the u.s. and elsewhere, of course, we're seeing debates about whether employers can require employees to get vaccinated. it's legal here right now but it's being challenged. there in france, the health minister said the government is considering making the vaccine mandatory for certain health care professionals like people who work in hospitals and care homes because not enough of them are getting the shot. do you think mandating it for those people is a good idea?

>> in general, it's much better to persuade people so that it's done willingly. because obviously you don't want to be mandating things that people don't want, or reducing the workforce by excluding people who don't want to be vaccinated. however, there is an ethical element, a sort of moral imperative, that if the disease is being spread by those who are caring for the sick or the elderly in care homes, you have to ask the question, isn't it better to protect the vulnerable and to do that through vaccinations? the best way is to use persuasion, discussion, and to work through communities. and that's the approach that's been taken in the uk, where we're quite averse to mandating, but also recognize the need to increase the rates in certain parts of the community. >> because of the super-transmissible delta variant, we're seeing some experts in the u.s. encouraging people to wear masks under some circumstances even if they've been vaccinated. do you think that's a good idea?

maybe more importantly, that is realistic? anecdotally, i don't see people willing to get their masks out of storm now that they've tasted freedom, so to speak. >> masks are always rather a divisive subject to talk about. when i worked in hong kong post-sars, everybody had masks available. if there was an increase in upper respiratory tract infections or if they had symptoms, often people would wear masks in the office, a social responsibility. i think you have to translate mask wearing not into mandatory framework, but into a framework where people say, masks can add protection. if i'm going into a crowded place and i know the rates are high or increasing, such as on a subway train, maybe i will wear my mask. it becomes normative, rather than it being something that's mandated. i think that's probably what living with covid means, at the end of the day. it means that we're taking some

responsibility if we know that covid is around. i would not put. >> my mask into cold storage, i'd keep it available and wear it at times of risk and get that to be more of a general behavior in society, as it is in southeast asia. >> thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us. really appreciate it, doctor, thanks again. an update now on breaking news. cnn philippines has confirmed at least 17 were killed when a c-130 military transport plane crashed in the southern philippines. at least 40 people have been rescued from the crash site. the philippine air force plane was carrying troops to an island in the philippines sue lieu province when it missed the runway and crashed into a nearby village. officials say at least 92 were on board when it crashed. photos we just got show flames and smoke pouring from the crash

site. military and civilian firefighters are now on scene working to put out that fire. again, a military transport plane with the philippine air force crashed in southern philippines. at least 17 people have been killed and 40 people rescued so far. we want to bring you knew information just coming in to cnn in the last hour. officials in japan say nine more people have been rescued following a mudslide that's devastated the coastal city of atami. that brings the total to 19 rescued so far. let's bring in cnn's blake esic who joins us live in atami, japan. blake, just looking at the monitor here, just incredible scenes behind you. really just hard to see there. what can you tell us about the latest on the ground there? >> reporter: kim, when you look at this path of destruction, it's hard to believe that anyone was able to survive that was in

the path of this mudslide and the fact that so far 19 people have been rescued is just incredible. but the frantic search for survivors continues after torrential rains triggered a massive landslide in the seaside resort town of atami. that horrifying scene was captured on cell phone video around 10:30 saturday morning. a section of the hillside gave way, sending residents scrambling as a torrent of mud and water came crashing through town, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. you can see this path of destruction. this was once upon a time and residential area littered with homes, now very little is left. atami city officials say 130 homes have been completely buried or swept away. hundreds more affects. search and rescue efforts have been under way throughout the day to find survivors. we've seen crews searching on the ground, at sea, at times from the sky. there's a drone above me right

now that has been going back and forth, kind of surveying this area where the landslide hit. we've also seen a rescue dog enter impacted buildings, searching for signs of life. so far, city officials say 19 people have been rescued, dug out from their homes. around 700 people are assisting with operations. that includes police officers, firefighters, the coast guard, and members of japan's self-defense forces. early sunday morning, roughly 380 people have been evacuated throughout 10 evacuation centers in the city. we spoke with one man who says he and his family are lucky to be alive. they got out just moments before the landslide hit, burying part of their home. >> translator: i wasn't watching the mudslide from home, but at a different place. the ground rumbled and the electricity pylons were shaking. the mudslide looked like a tsunami. it was like a big wave that made a thunderous noise and came crashing down onto the ground.

>> reporter: adverse weather conditions and steep mountainous terrain have made the search and rescue effort more difficult. it has been raining throughout the course of the day. that being said, there are fears that more landslides could take place, not just here but in several areas along the coast. in fact, since we arrived earlier this morning, we've received multiple messages sent to our phones warning of that very possibility. because of those concerns, evacuation orders have been put in place in several cities along the coast. experts say even in the rain stops, the risk of another disastrous incident, because of the amount of water that's already accumulated in the ground in an area prone to landslides. >> stay safe, blake essig in atami japan, thanks. demolition of a collapsed condo in florida could take place within hours. officials say an approaching tropical storm could knock it down if they don't take it down

first. they can't wait too long. heavy wind and rain could arrive in the area in a couple of days. a lot of people think they know their credit, but did you know you have more than 28 fico® scores? and yet we pretend that one score from a free app

is what lenders actually look at? it's not. so let me ask, do you really know your credit? do you know how to improve it? how to protect it? don't worry. that's why there's extracredit. don't settle for a free credit app. get the most comprehensive credit solution ever created. extra credit at credit.com. [♪] are you constantly cleaning and sanitizing your bathroom? for an easy solution that lasts, try microban24 bathroom cleaner.

simply spray and wipe away to easily dissolve soap scum, and kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria initially. then reapply and allow to dry on tile to prevent mold and mildew growth for 7 days, or on countertop surfaces to keep killing bacteria for up to 24 hours. try microban24 bathroom cleaner. brand power. helping you buy better.

the impending arrival of tropical storm elsa in florida has dramatically moved up the timeline for demolishing what remains of a collapsed condo. it could take place as early as the next few hours. have a look here. this is a live look at the site. if left standing, there is growing concern that the storm -- that wasn't a live look, these are just pictures. there's concern that the storm could topple the unstable 12-story structure. engineers now believe they can safely bring it down before the storm arrives. in the meantime, search and rescue efforts have been suspended. >> search and rescue does have to pause temporarily while the demolition preparation is under way. and there is threat to the standing building that is posed to the first responders, as we've told you. we will begin the search and rescue once again on any

sections of the pile that are safe to access as soon as we are cleared. >> cnn's brian todd is in surf side, florida, with the latest developments. >> reporter: officials in surfside, florida, have announced a pause in the rescue operation while they prepare to demolish the remainder of what's left of that condo complex that collapsed. there is part of the champlain towers south complex in surfside that remains upright, but they have paused the search and rescue operation. they are planning to bring that building down via demolition probably within the next couple of days. they say they want to do that before the tropical storm that is tracking toward south florida, tropical storm elsa, gets to this area. it's not clear what, if any, impacts elsa is going to have on surfside and the nearby area, but the storm could at least provide some remnants of high wind and heavy rain here. they want to make sure they get that building demolished before that happens. will they be able to do it? that's not clear. they had to because the rescue

operations at 4:00 p.m. eastern time saturday while they prepare for that demolition. that includes drilling into columns and doing other technical work to prepare for the demolition of the building. because that building, as it stands upright, remains simply too dangerous. there are concrete slabs, concrete columns hanging from it, part of the rubble has shifted under the building, there have been sensors indicating cracking. it's a very dangerous structure as it remains. they're going to try to bring it down the next couple of days and the mayor said they will not need to evacuate anyone from nearby buildings for that demolition. >> we want to show you what tropical storm elsa looks like on satellite as it moves west through the caribbean. its path the next 48 hours is uncertain, but a tropical storm watch has been issued for the florida keys. even if it doesn't directly hit the miami area, bands of strong winds and rain could further compromise the collapsed condo building in surfside if it isn't

torn down first. meteorologist derek van dam, you've been tracking this. what more can you tell us? >> you can imagine the difficult decision process to halt the search and rescue efforts, to take down the rest of the building that's been compromised. when you're facing winds like this, this is coming out of the barbados region from what was hurricane elsa, not just 24 hours ago, you want to take this storm seriously. the loose debris that is still associated with the standing building could pose quite a risk for the search and rescue crews. here's the latest from the national hurricane center. 65-mile-per-hour winds. it is just to the south and west of haiti. you can see the storm, relatively compact. let's talk about the impacts, potential impacts on florida. heavy rains, isolated tornados and waterspouts, and storm surge impact, especially for the keys and into extreme southern portions of florida. that time frame from monday through wednesday, depending on

the exact track and the speed of the storm. this is the latest tropical storm warnings from the hispaniola region through eastern cuba. that includes the dry tortugas as well as the keys of florida. this is the official track from the national hurricane center. you can see a strengthening tropical storm, up to 70 miles per hour by sunday. by the time it reaches cuba sunday night and makes its way over the florida straits by monday morning, a lot of this will be torn apart by the mountainous regions of cuba and it could help deteriorate the storm. that doesn't mean we want to take the storm any lighter. it doesn't take much for tropical systems of this nature to spin up quick, short-lived storms that could produce an isolated tornado or waterspout. the earlier arrival time of tropical storm force winds any time between sunday evening to early monday morning. you can see the shower and thunderstorm forecasts for the surfside region monday into tuesday. the weather prediction center has also put this particular location under a slight risk of

flash flooding. so that is also a concern, as showers and storms associated with the tropical storm move throughout the area. i'll have our computer models picking up on the direction of this system, moving it into the eastern sections of the gulf of mexico. a lot of warm waters there. what it will do from there is still up in the air. we'll look at it closely. >> absolutely, yeah, you'll be monitoring that because of the important implications that you've been talking about. derek van dam, thank you so much. the u.s. is updating evacuation plans at its embassy in kabul as america takes its most significant step yet in the drawdown of troops from afghanistan. the latest from the afghan capital next. r looks clean but, when grease and limescale build up, it's not as hygienic as you think. use finish dishwasher cleaner its dual-action formula tackles grease and limescale. finish. clean dishwasher. clean dishes.

gillette proglide. five blades and a pivoting flexball designed to get virtually every hair on the first stroke. so you're ready for the day with a fresh face for a fresh start. for a limited time get a 5th cartridge free. mother: i think it's just vapor and flavors. it won't hurt my kids like cigarettes. father: vaping is safer than smoking, isn't it? narrator: get your head out of the cloud. talk to your kid about vaping. visit talkaboutvaping.org what makes febreze air effects different? while cheaper aerosols rely on artificial propellants...

febreze uses a 100% natural propellant. check it out! pressure created by what's in your air makes the bottle spray. which means freshness everyone will love. talk to me. what do we got? when you have xfinity xfi, with blazing speed... [ screaming ] a powerful connection. that's another level.

and ultimate control. power us up. you can do more than you ever thought possible. yes! hold on. get a powerful and secure connection you can count on. only with xfinity xfi. and see f9 only in theaters. ♪ ♪

welcome back to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom." the threat of escalating violence in afghanistan has led u.s. officials to update their emergency evacuation plans at the american embassy in kabul. it comes days after the u.s. troops left bagram air base, the center of military power in afghanistan during the 20-years' war. the taliban have made recent gains across the country, and top u.s. military commanders warn civil war could follow the american pullout. cnn's anna coren joins us from kabul. anna, president biden promised the u.s. isn't abandoning afghanistan diplomatically, but how long can the u.s. keep its diplomats in the country? >> reporter: it's a really good question. i can tell you now that

yesterday, hot on the rumor mill was that the u.s. embassy was closing. that's what local afghans were telling us. obviously that is not the case. it's more an update of the emergency evacuation plan which the state department says is something that they do at embassies all across the world. but there is certainly a sense of urgency when it comes to the embassy here in kabul because of the deteriorating security situation. you mentioned the taliban, the offenses that they've been carrying out around the country, particularly in the north. we're hearing through the local news of districts falling every single day. this is mainly in the countryside, but they are getting closer and closer to cities and provincial capitals. peace talks with the taliban are virtually nonexistent. so a political roadmap for afghanistan seems to be in tatters. we know there's political infighting within the

government, that unified state is not in play here in afghanistan. and that just leads to the fear and uncertainty when those u.s. and nato forces flew out from bagram air base on friday morning, that was really the nail in the coffin for so many people here in afghanistan. that sense of security, knowing that there were u.s. forces in country, has now gone. of course, there is a very small footprint. 650 marines will protect the u.s. embassy. there will be others, as well as contractors who help provide security for the international airport. but that will only be a temporary solution until something more permanent comes into play. kim, yesterday i spoke to a local ngo here. and he's angry. he feels an absolute sense of betrayal and abandonment. he can't believe that the west and america in particular is

leaving afghanistan after 20 years. leaving it in this state of hopelessness, of insecurity, and with this widespread violence across the country. he said this just does not bode well for the future of afghanistan. >> great to have you there on this important story, anna coren in kabul, thanks so much. an armed standoff ended about as well as it could saturday in massachusetts. 11 people were taken into custody, and no one was hurt, after heavily armed men were confronted by police on the side of a busy interstate. but that may be little comfort for residents who woke up to scenes like this. officers in the streets and orders to shelter in place. cnn's evan mcmorris santoro has more. >> reporter: a sigh of relief outside boston saturday as an armed standoff with police on a major highway ends peacefully. >> we were able to successfully

resolve this situation through a combination of negotiation and some tactical maneuvers. >> reporter: an hours'-long standoff between heavily armed men and police on one of the nation's busiest interstates ended without incident as authorities took 11 people into custody. still, many questions are left about what exactly was behind this potentially dangerous saturday morning just north of boston. >> they wanted to be heard. they wanted to be -- a variety of, not demands, but requests, that they just be allowed to leave the area, transit the area, without any accountability. and at the end of the day we couldn't accommodate that. >> reporter: overnight, a highway patrol car came upon two vehicles in a breakdown lane on i-95. police say the heavily armed men, wearing tactical gear, were attempting to refuel one of their vehicles. after learning the men were armed but not carrying firearm licenses, the state trooper called for backup. some of the men fled into nearby woods. the standoff began. >> we are currently engaged with

the subjects through our hostage negotiation team. we are talking with the subjects, some that are in the woods, some that are still at the vehicles in the breakdown lane where the original interaction occurred. and we are hopeful that we will be able to resolve this peacefully with them. we're committed to a negotiation with them, having a conversation. >> reporter: portions of i-95 were closed in both directions for several hours, on a busy holiday weekend. those in nearby homes were told to go into lockdown as police attempted to negotiate with the group. >> he's loading his gun right now. >> reporter: the armed group appeared to have livestreamed their side of the standoff online. it's unclear if the man filming was one of the 11 arrested. >> we are not anti-government. our nation, which our flag is right here, has a treaty with your government. >> reporter: they appear to belong to a group called rise of the moors which seems to be connected with the moorish sovereignty movement that believes among other things an 18th century treaty between the

u.s. and morocco grants them special rights. >> everyone remain calm! >> reporter: in livestreams from the highway, one member insisted they did not break laws and they did not intend to be hostile. police said the men were passing through the state to attend some sort of training operation. >> we're abiding by the peaceful laws of the united states federal courts -- >> reporter: massachusetts officials said the state's laws are clear. >> they did not have gun licenses on them, first of all. massachusetts does not allow the carrying of a loaded or unloaded firearm on an interstate highway such as this. you can imagine 11 armed individuals standing with long guns slung on an interstate highway at 2:00 in the morning, certainly raises concerns. >> reporter: the men eventually surrendered to police on site without incident and authorities seized a still-undisclosed number of guns. >> a number of firearm have been seized. i cannot share with you the exact number. the two vehicles that were at the scene are being towed from the scene. they will be processed pursuant

to a court-authorized search warrant, and only then will we know exact number of firearms that have been seized. >> reporter: i-95 was reopened to holiday travelers, but the investigation is ongoing. it's expected officials will look into this little-known group and their motivations. >> the bunch of armed men are traveling in a car to do something, and we don't know what that something is. so that's where the investigation is going to go right now. >> reporter: authorities say the men taken into custody should appear first in court on tuesday. the investigation into that incident continues. for now, the highway is back open to traffic. evan mcmorris-santoro, cnn, new york. a former south african president finds legal wiggle room in the face of a 15-month prison sentence. still ahead, a last-ditch legal move that keeps jacob zuma out of prison for now. one of the medal hopefuls of the u.s. track and field team is

now forced to miss her signature event. zarqawi richardson speaks out about what led to her suspension. rapid wrinkle repair® smooths the look of fine lines in 1-week, deep wrinkles in 4. so you can kiss wrinkles goodbye! neutrogena®

president jacob zuma appeared before chanting supporters in his hometown saturday. zuma is facing a 15-year prison sentence for contempt of court. he was up against the deadline of today to turn himself in to police, but his attorneys made a last-ditch legal move to buy him some time. cnn's david mckinsey is standing by in zuma's hometown, about 500 kilometers southeast of johannesburg. there was so much praise for the country's judicial system after zuma's sentence. what does this mean for zuma and the country? >> reporter: i think there are two options. one option is that it's just a delay and that we'll be here in this situation in a few weeks after this application for

zuma's legal team to see mitigating circumstances on this order to send him to prison. jacob zuma was supposed to hand himself in to prison later today, but because of this application, he will be heard, they say he's old and that the 79-year-old former president shouldn't be put in prison. they say it's a death sentence. his supporters have been here. late yesterday he came out himself with the traditional zulu warriors. and the feeling now is this is a big test of south africa's democracy and the situation could get tense. here's one of zuma's sons. >> they can give zuma 15 months, 24 months, or they can give 9 months. he's not going to serve one day, one minute of that. they would have to kill me before they put their hands on him.

>> reporter: there's been a lot of talk like that. now the tension has diffused, but the long-running issue is putting this country's constitution to test. >> i can see. concretely, then, what happens next? >> reporter: july 12th, his team will have a virtual hearing in front of the constitutional court. just in a couple of days, on tuesday, they still have to lodge an application to the high court. it gets into in-depth legalese, but effectively, it's expected they won't order that police action on him while the constitutional court hears this. but as you say, there is a lot of praise on the constitutional court standing firm. president zuma talks a lot about facing justice and being willing to go to prison, but his actions don't show that over many years, fighting in every way and form

to avoid hearing the allegations of corruption, fraud, and racketeering in just one case, and the many allegations subsequently. he's avoided those charges both in court and at an anti-corruption commission, which is why we are standing here today. he's expected to speak later today, and i expect he'll continue to fight on. in the meantime, this issue remains unresolved, and it's a very tense potentially political time in south africa going forward the next few weeks. >> thank you so much for tracking this story that we'll keep on top of throughout the day, david mckenzie, appreciate it. after a year-long delay, the tokyo olympics are less than three weeks away. and japan's capital city is fighting a rise in coronavirus cases. i'll speak with a doctor who advised team usa next. ction, more sun, more joy. neutrogena® beach defense®

the suncare brand used most by dermatologists and their families, neutrogena® for people with skin.

i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol.

are you a christian author with a book that you're ready to share with the world? get published now, call for your free publisher kit today! a little more than 19 days to go until the tokyo olympics are set to begin and japan's capital is facing a rising number of coronavirus cases. the olympic torch relay was reduced to a stage show in shena

prefecture due to cases. the number of prefectures with cases would be subject to stricter measures. a doctor overseeing testing in national olympic teams, i asked him how organizers are trying to prevent the spread of covid-19 as teams train and compete together during a pandemic. >> we just completed the major testing for our big events, as you described. we had no athletes eliminated due to covid during the main events. the other thing i can say, although i'm not allowed to give specifics. there was quite a good penetration above the national averages of vaccinations. so those are two positive things. the other thing is congrats to all the olympic leadership. we ran very strict testing protocols. even if you were vaccinated, you were still tested to make sure

that you're not one of those 2%, 3%, 8%, that is breaking through with the delta variant. so that's the way you're going to do this. not much has changed since the beginning of covid. testing is so important. and frequent recurrent testing in the sporting events, like we did with the s.e.c., minimum three times a week. in japan they're testing daily. do i agree with that? yes, that's the way you stop this as we move forward. >> thank you to the doctor there. you can see my full interview with him coming up in the next hour. a top u.s. track and field star is speaking out about her failed drug test ahead of the tokyo games. sha'carri richardson was suspended one month from the u.s. olympic team after testing positive for thc, a chemical found in marijuana. so that means she's forbidden from running in the 100-meter sprint, her signature event. she may still be allowed to compete in a later event like the 4x100 meter relay.

she says the shock of learning about her mother's death from a reporter is one reason why she consumed marijuana. >> i apologize. i didn't know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time. but sitting here, i just say, don't judge me. because i am human. i just happen to run a little faster. u.s. president joe biden said he was really proud of the way richardson responded to her suspension, and he weighed in on the drug test policy. >> the rules are the rules. and everybody knows the rules going in. whether they should remain the rule is a different issue. the rules are the rules. i was really proud of her, the way she responded. english soccer fans are on

cloud nine after their national team finally reached the euro 2020 semifinals. let's have a look here. ♪ >> football's coming home, that's how they celebrated in rome after england crushed ukraine 4-0 in the quarterfinal saturday. that was the first time in 25 years that england reached the semis. the three lions will face denmark, the cinderella story of the tournament. the danes beat the czech republic 2-1 in the second quarterfinal match of the day. they'll go up against england at wembley on wednesday. that wraps this hour of "cnn newsroom." i'm kim brunhuber. we'll be back with more, please do stay with us.

when you skip the rinse with finish quantum, you save up to 20 gallons of water each time. finish quantum with activblu technology has the power to remove the toughest stains without pre-rinsing for dishes so clean they shine. join finish and skip the rinse to save our water. (vo) i am living with cll and i am living longer. thanks to imbruvica. imbruvica is a prescription medicine for adults with cll or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. it will not work for everyone. imbruvica is the #1 prescribed oral therapy for cll,

and it's proven to help people live longer. imbruvica is not chemotherapy. imbruvica can cause serious side effects, which may lead to death. bleeding problems are common and may increase with blood thinners. serious infections with symptoms like fevers, chills, weakness or confusion and severe decrease in blood counts can happen. heart rhythm problems and heart failure may occur especially in people with increased risk of heart disease, infection, or past heart rhythm problems. new or worsening high blood pressure, new cancers, and tumor lysis that can result in kidney failure, irregular heartbeat, and seizure can occur. diarrhea commonly occurs. drink plenty of fluids. tell your doctor if you have signs of bleeding, infection, heart problems, persistent diarrhea or any other side effects. i am living with cll and living proof that imbruvica is right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. all of that extra toilet paper was a good idea, but now you've flushed it all. and it's building up in your septic tank. but monthly usage of rid-x is scientifically proven to break down waste. maintain your septic tank with rid-x.

another day, another chance. it could be the day you break the sales record, or the day there's appointments nonstop. with comcast business, you get the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses, and you can get the advanced cybersecurity solutions you need with comcast business securityedge. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. get started with a great offer and ask how you can add comcast business securityedge. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today.

officials in florida are racing against the clock aiming to demolish the rest of a partially collapsed condo before a tropical storm arrives. we'll have the very latest. plus millions of americans take to the roads and skies this holiday weekend. why airlines are struggling to cope with the sudden demand. and 19 people are rescued after a dramatic landslide in japan but more remain missing. cnn is at the scene this hour. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to all of you watching in the unit