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Deadly Attacks in Dagestan; Netanyahu Says Intense Phase of Gaza War "About to End"; Yoav Gallant to Discuss War Against Hamas in Washington; Russia Blames U.S. for Deadly Attack on Crimea; More than 1,300 Died During this Year's Hajj Pilgrimage; U.S. Presidential Debate on Thursday; Gaza Woman Recounts Strike that Killed her Family; Deadly Flooding in China; Missing California Hiker Rescued. Aired 12- 1a ET

Aired June 24, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome. I'm Anna Coren.

Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Dagestan is observing three days of mourning after deadly coordinated attacks on synagogues and churches.

We're just three days away from CNN's U.S. Presidential Debate, the first major showdown between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, this election cycle.

And flash floods and mudslides forced tens of thousands of people in Southern China to leave their homes.

We begin this hour with a series of shocking attacks on churches and synagogues in Southwestern Russia. Authorities in Dagestan province say at least 15 police officers and a priest were killed on Sunday in what appears to be coordinated attacks in two cities. But the total number of victims remains unclear.

This video shows heavily armed law enforcement officers taking on gunmen at a Russian Orthodox church, Makhachkala. And this is the aftermath of an attack on a police traffic post in the same city, a synagogue there was also attacked. There were similar scenes in the city of Derbent. Authorities say a 66-year-old priest was killed during the assault on a church in the city. And Molotov cocktails were used in an attack on a synagogue there.

No claim of responsibility so far, but officials told Russian News that the perpetrators were "adherents of an international terrorist organization." Well, Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim province on the Caspian Sea. Three days of mourning have been declared.

Well, our Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson is here in Hong Kong with more. Ivan, this is a terrorism investigation that is now underway. What are you learning?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, the active part of the counterterror operation, according to authorities there in Dagestan, is over. And now, the officials say, they are conducting searches and investigations and looking for what they've described as possible sleeper cells.

But, regardless, it was a bloody and, I think, very frightening evening and night in these two cities on the Caspian Sea, in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, with the authorities describing what appeared to have been a coordinated attack in two separate cities on places of worship, on Russian Orthodox churches, on synagogues, and on police posts with a pretty serious death toll among the Russian security forces and law enforcement of at least 15 police officers killed, including a senior police commander, it appears.

The -- authorities say that at least six militants have been killed as well. There has been no claim of responsibility thus far. Among the things that took place during this frightening evening was that at least 19 churchgoers boarded themselves up in a church in Makhachkala, that's the capital of Dagestan. And they were eventually -- they eventually made it to safety.

The officials there in Dagestan say that a 66-year-old Russian Orthodox priest in the City of Derbent was killed. His throat slit. And that priest described as somebody who was ill to begin with. So, now, we'll be learning, trying to find out what the results of this could be.

There's already been a local lawmaker who has blamed the attack on Ukraine and on NATO. And what's fascinating is we've had the response coming from a Russian senator saying this is completely counterproductive if we blame every terror attack in Russia on the west. We have to acknowledge that this could be an internal matter. And of course, Russia does have a long and bloody history of acts of political violence and terrorism. Anna.

COREN: Yes, Ivan, let's talk about that because it'd be interesting to, I guess, unpack the role that Dagestan plays regarding the unrest inside Russia.

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WATSON: Sure. Dagestan is in the caucuses. It has historically been a pretty turbulent area. It has a Muslim majority, though there are small minorities of Christians and Jews there who appear to have been targeted in these attacks.

Going back to the 1990s, you know, Chechnya, which neighbors Dagestan, was the place of a separatist uprising and just absolutely brutal conflicts between the Russian State and Chechen separatists. And that spilled over at times into Dagestan. So, there have been moments of tumult and violence there.

I think most recently, if you go back to November, I believe it is, that's when a mob overran the airport in Makhachkala, claiming that a flight had come in from Tel Aviv, and that was in the early weeks of the war in Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian -- the deadly violence there with sympathizers waving Palestinian flags and people were injured in that incident. If we go more recently, and we don't know whether or not there's any link to this, there was the terrible terror attack at a concert hall outside of Moscow, that's back in March, with more than 140 people killed and the concert hall burned. ISIS-K, an affiliate of ISIS, claimed responsibility for that. And ultimately, the Russian authorities detained, arrested a number of suspects that were all from Tajikistan in that case.

We don't know if there's any link between that incident in March outside of Moscow and what's taken place here in Dagestan. It just goes to show that there is a long and deadly history of violence and terror that has taken place inside the Russian Federation, even as the Kremlin is waging this brutal war and occupation and invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Anna.

COREN: Ivan Watson, we appreciate the reporting. Thank you. Jill Dougherty is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and former CNN Moscow bureau chief. She joins us now from Washington. Jill, great to see you. A lot to unpack here, but what are you learning about these seemingly coordinated attacks on churches and a synagogue in Dagestan?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY AND FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: You know, I think at this point, we have to be very careful about where we go with the story and how we interpret it.

I mean, you know, big picture, this is an area that ever since the Chechen Wars has been very unstable. And remember, it's a Muslim area. It's very ethnically diverse. So, you do have a very old Jewish community there. You have Christians. But essentially, it's a Muslim area. There have been a lot of tensions, and those tensions have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. We can get into that if you want.

So, when the -- Russians right now are investigating this as a terrorist operation, and you know, that could turn out to be the case, but I would say, still, it's very complex and actually quite brutal. I was surprised at the number of people and those could change those figures could change, but it's quite a high number.

COREN: You mentioned the heightened tensions since the war in Ukraine, but they've also been heightened levels of violence, ethnic, and religious tensions worsening since the Israel-Hamas war as well.

DOUGHERTY: Yes, definitely. In fact, I think it's really important to remember that back in October of last year, there were antisemitic riots at the airport in Makhachkala. And again, that's a little complicated, but essentially, there was disinformation that there were Jewish refugees who were who are coming to settle in Dagestan because of what was happening in Gaza.

I told you it was complicated, but that is what happened. It was a disinformation campaign locally, and there was a very big riot at the airport. So, you have that, you have -- previously, you have attacks on churches. And then, you know, in -- with terrorist operations, Crocus City outside of Moscow back in, what was it, March of this year. So, there's -- there are a lot of, I'd say, destabilizing and sometimes terrorist acts that have been taking place.

COREN: Yes. As you mentioned, authorities have opened a terror investigation. And yes, it comes months after that terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow, which claimed the lives of something like 145 people. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for that.

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Do you see any link between that attack and what has happened in Dagestan or it's just too early to tell?

DOUGHERTY: I think it really is too early to tell. We'll see who claims responsibility. But certainly, the way it was carried out, it was, again, very brutal in the murders of especially the priest who was murdered. And then, the attack on the synagogue. So, the -- whatever was going on, you know, you have -- you'd have to say, interreligious violence. And that is one thing I can tell you, that Vladimir Putin has been very, very worried about.

Remember, during some of the -- back in the Syrian War, et cetera, some people from that region went to fight with ISIS and other organizations like that in Syria and in the Middle East, and then they came home. And so, that's another wrinkle to this. Again, very complicated and very, I would say, unstable situation.

COREN: Jill, have we heard from the Kremlin, and if not, who do you think Vladimir Putin will blame for this attack?

DOUGHERTY: At this hour, we haven't. There could be something, of course, coming. But remember, Crocus City which was deemed a terrorist attack by ISIS, President Putin at least initially blamed that on the west, Ukraine the -- in general. And I've already seen some comments. I think there's a member of the Duma, essentially like a congressman from that region, who has blamed Ukraine and NATO.

But then, there was another official, Dmitry Rogozin, who is quite well known. He's a senator, and he said, look, you know, if we blame everything on NATO and Ukraine, we're going to be in a fog and this will be very bad.

So, I think it's very important to watch whom the Kremlin blames and why. It will be significant in terms of Ukraine, the war, and also domestically.

COREN: As you say a very complex story, this investigation. We'll have to see where it leads. Jill Dougherty, always a pleasure. Thank you.

DOUGHERTY: Thanks, Anna.

COREN: In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the intense phase of fighting in Gaza is "about to end," as the country looks to possibly shift some military power to its northern border. But the Israeli leader is making clear this doesn't mean the war against Hamas is over. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more details from Jerusalem.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given an interview to the Israeli TV Channel 14, and he's really given some more clarity on the war in Gaza and his plans for its future.

Now, he said within this interview that the intense phase of the war is about to end. Also, saying that he's vowing to shift the power to the north, meaning Northern Israel on the border with Lebanon. There have been increasing cross border attacks with Hezbollah over recent weeks.

Now, he also pointed out that this doesn't mean that the war will come to an end. He is saying that the current phase of fighting in Rafah will come to an end. He also said that he was ready for a partial deal with Hamas. This is about the ceasefire hostage deal which is on the table at the moment, but has really been in limbo in recent days.

He says, though that he is willing. to agree to a partial deal. He wants to get some of the hostages back. But he also said that he will continue after the ceasefire to try and achieve his goal of eliminating Hamas. Now, of course, this may well be problematic for Hamas. We have heard consistently from Hamas officials that they want a specific timeline for a permanent ceasefire for this war. So, it may even make it more difficult for the two sides to come to any kind of agreement now on this ceasefire hostage deal, which I must add, has been stalled somewhat over recent days.

He also pointed out he wants to bring people back to the north, meaning tens of thousands of residents who have been evacuated due to the tension up north, and he said that he would like a political agreement, that would be great. But if it's not possible, we will do it another way. Now, of course, on the Lebanese side as well, there are also tens of thousands of residents that have had to be evacuated.

So, this interview really giving a little more clarity on where the Israeli prime minister is and what he plans for the coming potential days, weeks. There is no timeline when it to these clarifications.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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COREN: Israel's defense minister is set to discuss the war against Hamas during his visit to Washington. Yoav Gallant left Israel on Sunday and is scheduled to meet with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week. He spoke about U.S.-Israeli relations before departing for the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The United States is our most important and central ally. Our ties are important and probably more important nowadays than ever. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: The White House said it's looking forward to constructive consultations with Gallant, while also saying it will not keep responding to claims by the Israeli prime minister that the U.S. was delaying the shipments of weapons. U.S. officials last week called those claims not accurate and disappointing.

A Ukrainian strike in Russia occupied Crimea left at least five people dead, including three children and more than a hundred others wounded. Russia's ministry of defense says it shot down four missiles. Another missile exploded in the sky, scattering fragments over a busy beach in Sevastopol on Sunday. Russia says the Ukrainian fired missiles were supplied by the United States and blamed Washington for the attack.

Witnesses say air raid sirens did not sound to warn of the attack. CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment.

Meanwhile, Russia's continued bombardment of Ukraine's second largest city has left another person dead and 10 others wounded. Officials say strikes on Kharkiv Sunday hit a home and a school. Russian troops are inching closer to the city after an offensive near the border last month.

Well, Saudi Arabia says more than 1,300 people have died during this year's Hajj Pilgrimage, as temperatures at times peaked above 50 degrees Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit. It says most of those who died were unauthorized to perform the trip and walked long distances in the scorching sun. CNN's Scott McLean has more.

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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been clear for several days now that the official death toll from this year's Hajj would likely rise, and now, we know by precisely how much. The Saudi Arabian government says that more than 1,300 people died at this year's pilgrimage, at least in part due to the extreme heat.

It says that almost half a million people received some form of medical attention, some are still hospitalized. It also says that all of the families of the 1,301 victims have been notified despite serious challenges in identifying all of the bodies.

On Monday, the mercury hit almost 52 degrees Celsius, 125 degrees Fahrenheit. And what you have to remember is that almost everything at the Hajj is outdoors and it involves some physicality, walking some distances between or to some of the various sites. And pilgrims that we spoke to describe releasing two categories of pilgrims, one, the official kind, the kind that came with a Hajj visa that had proper transportation options and air-conditioned accommodations.

And then you had this unregistered kind of pilgrim that maybe came on a tourist visa or a business visa to Saudi Arabia, didn't have proper transportation and didn't have access to proper accommodation. In fact, some people were setting up these makeshift tent encampments to try to get under any shade that they possibly could. And the Saudis say that some 83 percent of all of the pilgrims who died were in that latter category.

Now, countries like Egypt are cracking down on tour companies that may have helped facilitate these unofficial travel routes. We have also heard from the daughter of an American couple who paid more than $20,000 to a travel company to attend this year's Hajj, only to find out that that company could not provide proper transportation.

And she says that on the day that her parents died, they reported waiting several hours for transportation that never came. So, they ended up walking a long distance to one of the sites, they went missing, and were later confirmed dead. And then, to add insult to injury, she says that she had asked the Saudi government to hold the bodies for identification, but turns out they had already been buried. And now, her and her family are not sure where they were buried.

Scott McLean, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: After the break, CNN's Presidential Debate is now only days away. More on the historic showdown, next.

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COREN: We are counting down to CNN's historic Presidential Debate. In just three days, a sitting U.S. president will debate his predecessor for the very first time. This will also be the first major showdown between Joe Biden and Donald Trump since 2020. Trump shunned traditional debate prep for the campaign trail this weekend, courting Christian conservatives and teasing who will be his next running mate.

Well, meanwhile, Mr. Biden is at Camp David, hunkered down with advisers. He's pouring over possible questions, holding mock debates and focusing on how best to frame his Republican rival as unfit for office. The Biden campaign says the president is set to focus on issues like abortion, democracy, and Trump's economic policies.

Well, Ron Brownstein joins us now from Los Angeles. He is a CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at "The Atlantic." Ron, great to see you. This, of course, is a crucial moment for both men. What are you expecting from this rematch?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST AND SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC: Well, you know, it's interesting because certainly we're going to hear each candidate try to focus the attention of the electorate on the issues that they think most advantage them. I mean, from Trump, it's certainly going to be inflation, immigration, crime. Biden, as you mentioned, is going to talk about abortion, democracy, an economic populist argument, a contrast with Trump.

But, you know, I think that the lesson of the history of our debates going back to 1960 is that there have been very few occasions where one side or the other -- one candidate or the other has had a decisive win about a policy argument. I think the debates have been more consequential for the verdicts voters take from them about the personal capacity and character of the candidates, and I suspect that will be the key impact here again, with so many questions swirling in the electorate about the character of Trump and the capacity and capability of Biden.

COREN: Well, let's talk about that, because the last time they were in the same room on stage together was the debate in October 2020. I mean, they share a mutual hatred and animosity for one another. The question, I guess, is, you know, Biden, he's 81. Will he be on his game? Will he be on the attack? Trump, 78. Will he be constrained or unhinged like we've seen in the past?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. I mean, look, I think those are the most important questions about this debate, not who wins the argument about tax policy. I think that voters are going to be watching both to see whether Biden, you know, projects the energy, the vigor, the kind of with-it-ness that will give them more confidence than polls now show Americans have about his ability to do the job for another four years.

And certainly, Trump is at risk of validating what is going to be, I think, one of the core narratives and has been one of the core narratives for the Biden campaign, which is that if you re-elect him, you are signing up for four more years of chaos, confrontation, and division.

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And Trump, as you noted in that first debate in 2020, seemed virtually unhinged and encapsulated, you know, in those couple hours that argument from the Biden campaign. So, I think that the -- what -- how they say -- you know, how they say how they perform on Thursday is going to be as important as what they say and the arguments they make against each other.

These are very familiar figures. People have a lot of settled opinions about these two candidates. It's not like one is an unknown challenger, as we usually get in the debates. And so, that's why I think kind of like the judgments that people make about each of them individually may be more important than the arguments they make against the other.

COREN: And, Ron, I think what's also really interesting is how will the rules affect their performances? You know, like no live audience, no opening statements, two minutes to answer, one minute rebuttal, and then, of course, microphones can be muted or will be muted. Will this change the dynamics and perhaps the energy of the debate?

BROWNSTEIN: I think they will change the debate significantly. And I think of those, I mean, they're all important, but the microphones being muted seem to me have the potential to really affect the outcome of this debate.

And to some extent, that protects Biden from Trump, but it also protects Trump from Trump, you know. I think Biden will have a better chance of delivering a coherent argument to voters if he is not constantly interrupted by Trump the way he was in that first debate in 2020. But the fact that voters -- you know, that -- at least as I understand the way the technology is going to work, you know, whatever Trump does, voters are not going to hear and see him constantly trying to interrupt. Biden may also make it easier for Trump to have, you know, deliver a better impression. Because certainly that -- you know, that 2020 kind of performance did not really endear himself to anyone except his hardcore supporters.

You know, there's one other interesting contrast, I think. In many ways, Trump wants to look back and Biden wants to look forward. Trump clearly wants to frame this campaign and certainly this debate as were you better off in my four years or his four years? You know, was life more affordable? Did the border seem more secure?

Biden, I think, you know, has a hard time winning that argument, whether deservedly or not, most Americans will say they were better off when Trump was president. But that doesn't mean that most Americans are necessarily on board with the agenda that Trump has laid out for a second term, including ideas like mass deportation and tariffs that could make inflation worse.

And so, Biden, in many ways, wants to get voters to focus on what Trump would do if returned to power. I think Trump wants to basically kind of imprint the argument that things were better than not when I was president. And if you re-elect me, they're going to be better again.

COREN: It's certainly going to be a fascinating debate. Ron, I have so many more questions I want to ask you, but unfortunately, we have to leave it there. I'll have to wait for our next interview. Ron Brownstein, great to see you. Thank you so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

COREN: Well, tune in to watch the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. And we will replay the entire debate, 7:00 a.m. London time, that's 2:00 p.m. here in Hong Kong.

Well, coming up next on CNN NEWSROOM, she lost half her family in an Israeli strike in Gaza, an attack which became the focus of a CNN investigation. Well, now, we hear directly from that young woman, as she shares her heartbreaking story.

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COREN: Earlier this year, CNN investigated an Israeli strike that killed half a young woman's family in Gaza and left her with life changing injuries. Our Jomana Karadsheh was part of that investigation and has now met with that 18-year-old woman who says she blames both Hamas and Israel for what happened. Jomana has her story, but first a warning, some of the images in her report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War is forever imprinted on Roba's face. Even here in the safety of Qatar, far from the conflict, she avoids people and going out, still haunted by what she survived.

This scene of carnage. It was a horror we uncovered earlier this year. The Israeli military attacked this warehouse in Central Gaza, where Roba and her family were sheltering.

When our cameraman met her in the hospital in January, she was seriously injured and in shock, struggling to tell her story.

ROBA ABU JIBBA, SURVIVOR OF ISRAELI ATTACK IN GAZA (through translator): They are all gone. I have no one left.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): She would become the heart of a CNN investigation, an example documenting how Israel's conducting the war in Gaza, revealing how indiscriminate Israeli fire killed displaced civilians, including half of Roba's family.

But with access to Gaza restricted, we never met Roba in person until this spring.

Following our report, the Qatari government flew her on this military transport plane to Doha for treatment.

JIBBA (through translator): For my mother and my remaining siblings, I tell them, I'm fine, thank God. There's nothing wrong with me. And I'm strong.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): She and her family went through the unimaginable in that Gaza warehouse. They'd taken refuge there in November, following Israel's directive to evacuate south. Residents said that in the early hours of January 4th, they heard what they called resistance fire in the area, though denied there were militants where civilians were sheltering.

The Israeli military told us that after coming under fire from the warehouse, they carried out a "precise strike." Experts told us that strike was likely a massive 2,000-pound bomb dropped with no prior warning to Roba's family and other civilians. Roba was trapped for days bleeding surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her five siblings. The youngest was 10-year-old Al-Zain.

JIBBA (through translator): I blame the people and Hamas and this situation, because we were living normally in the warehouse for a month. If it weren't for those who fired the mortar, the incident wouldn't have happened. We didn't even want to stay in the warehouse, but the bastards made us star there. I blame them for killing the children. They spared no one.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The once outgoing 19-year-old has been left shattered, inside and out, still grappling with seemingly endless pain and loss. Not just her family, even the new love she found.

JIBBA (through translator): After losing my family, my five dead siblings, I found someone to fill that void. Then I lost him too. We were going to get married. He was killed. He supported me and stood by me. He was killed seven days before I came here.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): That young man Muhammad (ph), she says, was out looking for firewood when he was killed in an Israeli strike.

JIBBA (through translator): People would say, how could you marry her, she was injured in her eye and body? He would say, I don't care about her body. I care about what's in her heart.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): But it is her body, the physical scars that are constant reminder of that horrific night. Roba came to Qatar hoping for a prosthetic eye, a shroud for her anguish.

JIBBA (through translator): I want my face to look like it did before, when I was normal. I know it would be a big difference. I won't see again with that eye, but at least it would look the same.

[00:35:00]

KARADSHEH (voice-over): We joined her for this doctor's appointment. She was expecting to get a date for the surgery, but instead it was crushing news. The doctor tells Roba and her aunt the reconstructive surgery is not available in Qatar.

Slowly, the bad news begins to sink in.

JIBBA (through translator): I've had enough. I've had enough.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): She can barely stand. No words can comfort her. She tries to shield herself as she likely did that night, reliving the trauma, reliving a nightmare that just won't end.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Doha.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Ahead here on CNN "Newsroom," more rain is forecast for Southern China as it deals with devastating floods and landslides. We'll head to Beijing next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Countries around the world are battling extreme weather conditions. In Somalia, the capital Mogadishu is experiencing devastating flash floods. Residents say near high water in some areas is causing significant damage to properties and infrastructure. The summer heat is back in parts of Spain after unusually low temperatures. And a heat alert has been issued for the southern part of the country.

In the U.S., millions of people are experiencing a record-breaking heatwave that's now moving south after baking the northeast over the weekend. High temperatures are expected in much of the region.

Well, torrential rain is still lashing Southern China as it deals with deadly flash floods and landslides. And Chinese state media is reporting that the death toll has now risen to at least 71 people across the region. For more, let's go to CNN's Steven Jiang live for us in Beijing. Steven, how extensive is the destruction? STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Anna, these rainfalls and floods are getting increasingly dangerous and, in many cases, deadly. As you just mentioned, the authorities continue to revise up their casualty figures. That death toll you just mentioned is expected to rise from these summer floods as we are not even in the month of July just yet.

We have seen state media reports and really tragic instances with entire families wiped about -- wiped out by these floods. And the bad news is, after pounding Southern China for days, heavy rainfalls are now moving northwards to impact even more regions. The national service here, a few hours ago, just issued a red alert of heavy rainfalls, their highest alert, to impact multiple provinces along the Yangtze River. That's after what we have seen over the weekend.

[00:40:00]

In one province alone, in the eastern province of Anhui, more than half a million people already affected by these floods and the rains with the authorities there evacuating some 64,000 people. Now, dramatic footage from state media showing both urban and rural areas submerged in muddy water with emergency responders rushing to rescue trapped residents using speed boats, rafts and in some cases, carrying elderly citizens on their shoulders away from their submerged houses.

Now, choppers have also been deployed to sending more supplies as a growing number of people have found -- have now found their access to roads, electricity, and the communication being cut off.

Now, a lot of these parts of China are no stranger to annual summer floods, but scientists have warned that the effect of climate change has amplified extreme weather, making it more frequent and deadly or perhaps, case in point, as rains continue to pound many parts of Southern and Eastern China. In Northern China, many parts have been experiencing severe drought and record high temperatures. So, really, the misery is -- doesn't seem to end across this vast country. Anna.

COREN: Steven Jiang joining us from Beijing. Thank you for the update.

A week-long search is still going on for a British teen in Spain. 19- year-old Jay Slater disappeared in the -- in an area of Tenerife's remote national park. Well, dozens of police officers, rescue teams, and firefighters are combing a steep valley on the Canary Islands west coast with dogs, drones, and a helicopter. Before going missing last Monday, Slater sent a message to a family member saying he had suffered a leg injury.

A hiker missing in the mountains in California for 10 days has been found. 34-year-old Luke McClish went out for what he expected to be a three-hour hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11th. But he lost his bearings in part because local landmarks had been destroyed by wildfires. He survived by finding and drinking a gallon of water a day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LUKE MCCLISH, RESCUED HIKER: So, I kind of just -- I -- each day I go up a canyon, and down a canyon, to the next waterfall and sit down by the waterfall and drink water out of my boot. I felt comfortable the whole time I was out there. I wasn't worried about it. I had a mountain lion that was following me, but it was cool. He kept his distance. He was -- I think it was just somebody watching over me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: McClish's shoe was located with the help of a drone, says he's humbled by the rescue effort and that he's tired and a little sore. I bet he is.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. I'll be back in 15 minutes with more news. World Sport is next.

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