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CNN NEWSROOM
Remembering Jo Cox as Suspected Killer Due to Appear in Court; Brexit Campaigning on Hold to Mourn Jo Cox; Belgium Police Arrest Twelve for Suspected Terror Plots; Investigators Dig Into Orlando Shooter's Past; Trump Defends Second Amendment; Iraqi Forces Raise Flag in Fallujah. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired June 18, 2016 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:07] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Vigils being held across Britain in memory of slain parliament member, Jo Cox, as her suspected killer is set to appear in court in the coming hours charged with murder.
Burying the victims of the Orlando massacre as investigators continue to dig into the shooter's past.
And a big victory for Iraqi forces raising their flag in Fallujah where authorities say they have retaken major parts of that key city from ISIS.
Live from CNN world head quarters in Atlanta. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Richard Quest in Birstall, England and this is CNN "NEWSROOM."
A town of Birstall in England is quiet this morning as people are mourning the loss of their beloved law maker, Jo Cox. It's all happens as a local man suspect in her death is due in Westminster Magistrates' Court where he will appear later on Saturday.
The police say that Thomas Mair has been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offense.
A 41-year-old mother of Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street in broad daylight. Authorities are trying to figure out how Mair was able to obtain an illegal firearm.
Thomas Mair is charged with murder and we are waiting his appearance which will take place in London.
Phil Black is at Westminster Magistrates' Court joins me now.
And there are obviously restrictions on what one can report, Phil, but Mair is due to appear. Is he expected to plead at this appearance?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's probably not likely at this stage, which it is very likely this will be a short, procedural appearance where he appears to the court. The charges that present to the court murder grievous bodily harm, charges related to the use and possession of an illegal firearm.
And then the court will decide on custody, whether or not that he should be remanded in custody while the police continue their investigation. Of course that is very likely given the very serious nature of these charges.
But, it is the first important step in the judicial process from here. You're right, to some extent it does limit the things that can be discussed. It will certainly limit the things that the police are prepared to say publicly.
They're already been very careful in what they are saying because what they are in the process of doing is building a very detailed complete picture of who this man is and trying to explain his motives.
Now, they have said that there's a potential in history of mental health issues that is something it's aligning of inquiry they are looking at. The priority line of inquiry they say will be possible links to right-wing extremism.
And of course, the other big issue they're trying to determine is just where and how he got this gun, which is not an easy thing to do in this country. But, that's the process that is now unfolding.
And the reason the police won't be commenting in detail from here is because they do not want to prejudice this matter once it does ultimately go before a court and before a jury.
The British legal system is very sensitive to the fact the juries are supposed to determine a person's guilt based upon the information that is presented in the court and only that information that is presented in the court.
So from here on, details will be few, at least officially, but the police are confident they say that given time the investigation, the trial, it will ultimately answer all the questions that this country has about what happened and how and why Jo Cox was killed in this way, Richard.
QUEST: And one question, I noticed he's to appear before Westminster Magistrates. And do we know, firstly, if he will be appearing in person or by video link and is it at all unusual that this appearance will be in London, some 200 miles rather than say for example in Leeds, which is the nearest major city to where Birstall is. Anything we should understand about that at this stage, Phil?
BLACK: These are interesting questions, so we don't know the specific answers to them just yet. The court opened (inaudible) ago behind me. We're waiting for his appearance and we will see if it is not in person is certainly possible that it is intensive the geography.
It is not uncommon for big important cases, terror cases for example to be heard in London because this is where the infrastructure is, the security infrastructure and, also there is determined to be adequate for handling these sorts of high interest important cases.
[04:05:13] But, we'll wait and see. We'll wait and see what the appearance is, whether he'll be here in person and just say what comes of it as well, Richard.
QUEST: Phil Black, he was at Westminster Magistrates' Court and we'll remain there throughout the hours ahead as we await Thomas Mair's appearance.
Authorities are trying to find out everything they can about Mair and some details are already emerging.
The police are looking into reports that he had links to right-wing extremism and that he may have also suffered mental health issues. Fred Pleitgen has more on this aspect of the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Britain remains in a state of shocked and outraged after the violent murder of Parliamentarian Jo Cox. And now, details about the suspect have emerged.
52-year-old Thomas Mair is in police custody British media reports. He lives alone in this house near Leeds. His neighbor shocked at the news.
DIANA PETERS, SUSPECT'S NEIGHBOR: This is totally unexpected. He was very mild-mannered, kept to himself, would never -- I would just thought or even thought of him doing this, never in my mind actually doing it.
PLEITGEN: Labour MP Jo Cox devoted a lot of energy fighting to help refugees and people affected by conflicts around the world leading to the question, could racism have been a possible motive in her killing.
Thomas Mair appears to have showed interest in white supremacy in the past, purchasing material from the American white supremacy's group the National Alliance as late as 2013, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center and also subscribing to a South African pro- apartheid groups magazine in the 18980s.
There are also question about Mair's mental health. His brother Scott Mair reportedly telling "The Sun" newspapers" that he had, "A history of mental illness, but has had help." And further, "We are struggling to believe what has happened. My brother is not a violent man and is not that political."
According to English media reports, Mair received treatment at this mental health clinic outside Leeds. The clinic staff would not confirm the reports. Mair also volunteered as a gardener at this park.
Local staff here had confirmed to us that Thomas Mair volunteered here as a gardener both in 2010 and in 2011. They described his presence here as sporadic. Now, in a local newspaper, he was also quoted as saying that volunteering as a gardener here had done a lot to help with his apparent mental issues.
As this complex investigation into the murder of Jo Cox and the possible motives for the killing continue to captivate a nation in disbelief and mourning.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Leeds, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Now, it will come as no surprise to you that the morning newspapers in Britain all have the story of Jo Cox murder and the various developments on that front page.
So let me just show you some of what's being reported. The "Daily Mail" talks about the police probing the killer's mental care suspecting crisis and saw (ph) counselors before the attack.
Several of the newspapers have the last words of Jo Cox that they have been reported by those who were with her at the end. "Know my pain is too much." Tragic last words of the murdered MP, that's the rival daily express.
But the broadsheets, the heavier newspapers and the local paper, for instance and the Yorkshire Post chooses to go for the political side because here, just yesterday literally, behind where I'm standing was the British Prime Minister David Cameron, the leader of the opposition and the Speaker of the House John Bercow. "Rivals unite to honor Jo as police focus on far right links" is how the local Yorkshire Posts this reporting.
Jo Cox was vocally campaigning for Britain to remain within the European Union before her death and campaigning in the referendum is on holds for the time being, but the vote will take place next Thursday.
Francesco Guerrera is the Associate Editor and Chief Financial Correspondent for Politico and joins me from London.
Francesco, if it is too soon we don't know if there is any direct link or if any even tangent link between the murder and campaigning if you like or the issue of the referendum. But, do you see any effect of the effects of what happened.
FRANCESCO GUERRERA, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, POLITICO: Oh, I think absolutely. I think the campaign has changed forever now. I think this has completely changed the -- called the political discourse in Britain and the referendum campaign.
Now, the campaign would effectually resume tomorrow because we have some scheduled appearance on the Sunday T.V. shows by some of the leaders about the leave campaign and the remain campaign.
[04:10:10] But I think we'll see a lot somber tone and a lot more subdued tone in light of what just happened.
QUEST: Right, but you see if there is no connection, I mean, people are drawing both a direct connection said right-wing extremism, but they're also drawing an indirect connection claiming that the victory (ph) of the campaigning so far has taken it out of all realms of reasonableness. Do you see it that way?
GUERRERA: Well, I don't know if that's the case, but I do think the people are reflecting upon that and the suspension of the campaign allows everybody to reflect on that.
I think it's hard to underestimate just how shocking this has been both for the British public, but also for the British political class.
One of their own has been attacked. One of their own has been killed and they are all reflecting on what might have caused that and whether any of their actions could have led to this climax, so that led to what happened last week.
And therefore, there will be a lot more reflection and I expect a lot more calm in the campaign in the last few days before the referendum.
QUEST: A difficult question, one that not particularly easy to ask. But, when -- before Jo Cox's murder, the leave campaign had a small lead of about 6 percent. Do you believe that the tragic events have any effect on the outcome?
GUERRERA: You're right. It's a very difficult question. Nobody knows, you know, at least because the polls were shaky before. We didn't know exactly where people stood. But, what I do think is the leave campaign has a lot of momentum going into the weekend. What this does is at least temporarily hold their momentum.
We'll see once the campaign resumes whether their momentum continues or whether there's been a break in the campaign. But, it's difficult to tell just right now.
QUEST: Francesco Guerrera, thank you for joining us from London. We'll talk more about that.
Joining me to talk more about the other issues involved here is the Bishop of Huddersfield, Jonathan Gibbs. Good morning to you, Sir.
JONATHAN GIBBS, BISHOP OF HUDDERSFIELD: Good morning.
QUEST: Bishop, yesterday at this very spot the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition, the political elite of Britain were here. What did you make of it?
GIBBS: I was delighted to see the Prime Minister here together with the leader of the opposition, Speaker of the House of Common. That was a fitting tribute to a wonderful politician, a wonderful woman.
I think it was also an expression of the shocked that the whole nation feels about what has happened and it was good at this time in particular to see that expression of unity. QUEST: And then from here they went to the local parish church who were talking to the reverend last night about that. What happened in the church?
GIBBS: Well, I wasn't present.
QUEST: Yeah.
GIBBS: But the church, of course, was o focus for the vigil that took place on the night of Jo's death. It's where people come from across the community came together to express their sadness and to support one another. And of course, there is a book of condolence, which I believe all of the politicians were able to sign.
So the church is focus for the community to come together to express it shocked and sadness and to support one another and to look for support in this time.
QUEST: In your address, in your sermons tomorrow in morning services, what will you be saying and what will you -- what would you encourage your fellow deacons and reverend, members of the clergy to say to their flock.
GIBBS: Well, I doubt there'll be church up and down this country that's not saying prayers for Jo and her family tomorrow. And all the churches will be open to welcome people there.
In terms of what we're saying, I think the church is a place where people can come together in safety to support one another and look to God for comfort and strength and we'll be speaking into that situation and it's about Christian faith over God who shares our pain and who cries with us.
QUEST: Right, but that is relates to the loss of Jo Cox. Will you be referring, will you make reference to civility and public opinion in the same way that we heard the Prime Minister talking about politicians who are doing good. Do you see it as your duty tomorrow in your sermon to remind people of that and of the need for discourse?
GIBBS: I think tomorrow we will indeed be focusing firstly on the sadness of these events and it's very important that we don't move on too quickly from that.
But, you're absolutely right. The church and the bishops of the church being there in particular at the time of the general election raised questions about the way we conduct political debates and I think these would be tragic events will force us to reflect on those issues.
[04:15:06] Jo spoke about issues with passion, but spoke about people with respect and I think that's a challenge that she leaves all of us.
QUEST: OK. Bishop, thank you very much.
GIBBS: Thank you.
QUEST: I appreciate it.
(CROSSTALK)
GIBBS: Thank you.
QUEST: So, there we are, George, as we continue our coverage. And I'll send it back to you at the CNN center.
HOWELL: Richard Quest, live for us. Richard, thank you. And we continue to await Thomas Mair's appearance in court.
New evidence suggests the Orlando shooter may have prepared for the attack weeks in advance. What he was doing? Straight ahead.
Plus, in the wake of the massacre, Donald Trump stands firmly behind the second amendment as he works close to bridge the gap in his party. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Hi, this is Richard Quest and these are the top business headlines.
Campaigning ahead of Britain's EU referendum will resume over the weekend, but the leave and the remain campaigns have suspended activities following the killing of Jo Cox on Thursday.
Speaking here in Birstall where Cox was murdered, the British Prime Minister David Cameron to the country to pause and reflect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Today our nation is rightly shocked and I think it is a moment to stand back and think about some of the things that are so important about our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Russia's track and field teams likely to be banned from the summers Olympics in Rio. The IAAF is extended a ban against Russia who claims that Moscow is not been enough to stop doping. A decision to ban Russian athletes from the Rio games will be confirmed as soon as Tuesday.
"The Wall Street" where stock send the week on Iraqi notes and down for that again (ph). The industrial lost nearly 58 points and parts of a concern about next week's U.K. referendum on the EU.
An international property board has ruled Apple violated design items held by a Chinese company for the iPhone 6. The company was ordered to stop selling the phones in Beijing. Apple says when stabled pending an appeal.
Those are the headlines. I'm Richard Quest in Birstall, England.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOWELL: Developing right now in Brussels, Belgium police have arrested 12 people suspected of planning new terror attacks.
The federal prosecutor's office says police carried out dozens of house searches on Friday and Saturday. They also searched more than 150 garages.
[04:20:03] Police question 40 people after the raid. So far, no word on what the alleged attack plans were or what police found, but of course we will continue to follow the story for you here on CNN.
In Orlando, Florida people are saying their final goodbyes to some of the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub. As the many, many victims are laid to rest, people from around the world are digging into their own pockets to help.
Online, a GoFundMe page has already raised more than $5 million. That money will be used to help pay for things like funerals, like hospital bills and the transportation of bodies overseas.
In the meantime, law enforcement officials tell CNN the gunman's behavior in the weeks before the massacre suggests premeditated murder. CNN's Pamela Brown has more for us on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Law enforcement sources say weeks before the attack, Omar Mateen made sure his wife had access to his bank account and added her name to important documents like his life insurance policy. He also bought his wife an expensive piece of jewelry.
In the middle of the three hour massacre on Sunday, Mateen and his wife, Noor Salman, exchanged texts after he asked her if she had seen what was happening. Salman also called her husband multiple times after news broke of the shooting.
She has told investigators she did not know his specific plan, but was suspicious he wanted to launch an attack. And tonight we're getting a clearer picture of the gunman's past. He had a long history of disciplinary problems at school, 48 days of suspensions, some for fighting.
Today, the FBI digging for more people who may have known the gunman, visiting the mosque where he prayed. And this afternoon, FBI Director James Comey toured the crime scene.
Meanwhile, CNN is learning new details about what happened inside the club.
OMAR DELGADO, EATONVILLE POLICE OFFICER: We pulled like, you know, three or four people out. With all the chaos, you couldn't see faces, you know, and if the few faces that I saw were just covered in blood.
BROWN: Officer Omar Delgado was one of the first officers to arrive. DELGADO: People's phones were ringing all over the place. And to this day I can't hear an iPhone ring because one was so close to me, because it just kept constantly ringing, constantly ringing. And when I got home, I realized how those people are never going to be able to answer their phone again.
BROWN: Later, Officer Delgado recognized one of the people he saved on TV.
ANGEL COLON, SURVIVOR: I'm looking and some cops, which I wish I can remember his face or his name because I'm -- until this day I'm grateful for him.
BROWN: The two were reunited in the hospital, Thursday.
DELGADO: I'm one of the ones that helped you get out of harms way and I need a big hug from you, man. I'm glad you're doing good. I'm so glad you're alive, man.
BROWN: In the midst of the chaos, there were hundreds of calls to 911.
CHIEF RODERICK WILLIAMS, ORLANDO FIRE DEPARTMENT: We had a fire station less than 100 meters away the actual incident. Not only did we get 911 calls, we had actual victims running to the fire station knocking on the doors, trying to make -- trying to gain access to the fire station.
Our personnel were just there 30 minutes prior for medical call. They heard what you call some noises. Banging, bang, bang, then they begin to hear the knocks from the people who was trying to get away from the actual gunman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Pamela Brown reporting there for us.
The attack has once again brought the issue of guns in the United States in the spotlight. While Donald Trump is rallying support behind the constitutional right to bear arms, fellow Republicans support the constitution, but some say they are not rallying around Donald Trump. Jason Carroll has more on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A defiant Donald Trump attacking President Obama's response to the Orlando shooting.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Into a large extent he's blaming guns and I'm going to save your second amendment folks. I'm going to save your second amendment.
CARROLL: As President Obama argues the answer to the massacre should not be more guns.
BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: The notion that the answer to this tragedy would be to make sure that more people in a nightclub are similarly armed to the killer defies common sense.
CARROLL: Those positions reflecting a striking divide between Republicans and Democrats on how they interpret the Orlando shooting.
A Gallup poll shows 79 percent of Republicans describe the massacre as an act of Islamic terrorism. While 60 percent of Democrats see it as an instance of domestic gun violence.
Trump says he wants to meet with the NRA to discuss barring people on the terror watch list and No-Fly list from buying guns. But the presumptive GOP nominee is using his support for the second amendment to go after Hillary Clinton.
[04:25:04] TRUMP: Hillary wants to abolish the second amendment, remember that. Now, more sophisticated than that, but the end result will be she will abolish the second amendment.
CARROLL: Clinton does back tougher gun laws, but she is not in favor of doing away with the second amendment.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: These are demonstratively lies. But he feels compelled to tell them because he has to distract us from the fact he has nothing substantive to say.
CARROLL: All this as a number of GOP lawmakers unnerved by Trump's rhetoric are keeping their distance.
House Speaker Paul Ryan telling Republicans they should feel fry to follow their conscience.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI_, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience. Of course I wouldn't do that, but I feel as a responsibility, institutionally as the Speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of our party.
CARROLL: Yet the divide within the party appears to be growing, but the convention (inaudible) a month away.
ALEX CONANT, FORMER MARIO RUBIO COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: He's a sinking island. His poll numbers are under water. His poll numbers continues to go down compared to Hillary Clinton and it's about to get a lot worse.
CARROLL: CNN has learned that some Republicans are in fact looking into ways to block Trump's nomination in Cleveland, including changing the rules to free delegates bound to Trump to vote for whomever they want.
It was the subject of a call Thursday night, first reported by "The Washington Post". One participant on the call former Cruz supporter, Steve Lonegan told CNN today, "These delegates have a moral obligation to nominate a candidate who best represents the values of the Republican Party."
As those talks continue to swirl, Trump is saying he's prepared to run with or without the full backing of the party.
TRUMP: We have to have all Republicans either stick together or let me just do it by myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Donald Trump on the campaign trail there.
This is CNN "NEWSROOM." Still ahead we continue to follow the news out of England putting politics on hold less than a week away from the EU referendum. We'll show you how the nation is focusing on unity as it mourns a beloved MP.
CNN "NEWSROOM" is live in the United States and around the world this hour. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:30:48] QUEST: A very good day to you, to viewers in the United States and around the world you're watching CNN "NEWSROOM" in Northern England in Birstall. I'm Richard Quest.
HOWELL: And from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, I'm George Howell.
With the headlines we're following in for you. This hour in Orlando, Florida people are paying final respects to some of the victims laid to rest in the massacre at the Pulse Nightclub.
More funerals were held on Friday, including this one that you see here for 25-year-old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla. 49 people were killed by a gunman who claimed to support ISIS, but authorities are investigating whether he had other motives as well.
Iraq says that its troops have we taken most central Fallujah from ISIS. The Prime Minister said in a public address on Friday, "Only pockets of the terror group remain." Iraq's security forces say that they have raised the Iraqi flag over the Mayor's office.
It is now unlikely that Russia's track and field athletes will compete at the Rio Olympics. The governing body for World Athletic is maintaining a competition ban saying that Russia has not sufficiently dealt with widespread doping. The international Olympic committee is expected to decide on Tuesday whether to uphold that ban.
The governing body for European football is responding once again to unruly fans at the Euro 2016 Championship. During the Croatia/Czech Republic match on Friday, fans through flairs into field. UEFA says it will hold disciplinary proceedings due to this incident.
QUEST: Good morning from Birstall in England where it's just after half past nine. And as this small Yorkshire town gets moving on its Saturday the mood here, of course, is one of somber reflection as residents, citizens, and those who elected Jo Cox mourn the loss of their member of parliament. Meanwhile, Thomas Mair a man charged with killing her is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court later on Saturday. According to the police, the West Yorkshire police is expected that he will make an appearance in person, which means he will have been transferred from Yorkshire, 200 miles down to the capital in London.
Mair has been accused of stabbing and shooting Cox here in Birstall just about 30 or 40 meters away from where I am.
Mrs. Cox's death has brought England's political in fighting to a certain hold. Campaigning ahead of the so called Brexit it referendum on EU membership has now been suspended. Instead of political infighting, there's appears to be a country unified in grief.
Vigils have been held not only here in Birstall, but also in the capitol for Cox who was held in front of the U.K. Parliament building.
CNN's Will Ripley on the impromptu memorial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY CNN CORRESPONDENT: Throughout the day people have been gathering here at the palace of Westminster, one of the wonders most iconic landmarks.
There were tourists. There were Londoners stopping by and seeing this beautiful seat of the British government, but also seeing this, a spontaneous memorial that continues to grow as people come to express and share this feeling of disbelief. This feeling of sadness and feeling of what this country has lost.
A divided nation united instead grief. The fierce debate over Britain's future on hold, now is not the time for politics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tragic. The young woman who fought for a better world.
RIPLEY: Crowds gathered in Parliament Square to honor the life of Jo Cox.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just tragedy to somebody who seemed to come into politics they were the rights reasons to die like this.
RIPLEY: The married mother of two, only 41, served in the House of Commons just 13 months. Long enough for former Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband to say she already made an impact.
[04:35:09] ED MILIBAND, LABOUR PARTY MP: She was sit clearly there for the right reasons. She was an aide worker. She was somebody who devoted herself to humanitarian courses, somebody who'd worked around the world and she came to parliament to further those courses.
RIPLEY: Like most in her opposition party, Cox was working hard to convince voters that Britain should stay in the European Union. She was also a champion for the migrant community of remarkably better debate even in this country where more than half of MP says they have been stocked or harassed.
Despite the threats, Cox continued the British tradition of meeting her constituents face-to-face which allowed her suspected killer to get close to her.
MILIBAND: I think it's a moment of reflection for all of us on the tone of our politics. And I think in a way we should be inspired by Jo's life.
RIPLEY: Even Nigel Farage, one of the loudest voices supporting the Brexit was here to pay his respects, joining so many others beneath the majestic palace of Westminster. MP's from both sides of the U.K. debate have been recalled and are expected to gather here Monday to honor a life and career brutally cut short.
The most powerful moment of the evening, a two minute moment of silence when Big Ben struck 8:00 and even though they were easily more than a thousand people standing here in Parliament Square you could not hear anybody speaking.
People were simply here in disbelief and sadness and hope that perhaps this tragedy will help the country move forward with a greater sense of mutual respect and unity.
Will Ripley, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: And here in Birstall in Northern England, this has become the makeshift memorial. If you like the flowers, the top local residents are coming to pay their respects. It was here that's the Prime Minister laid his flowers and made his comments.
And indeed the Prime Minister's card along with that of the Speaker and the leader of the opposition still is on the -- amongst to all of the bunches. And people have been coming here is steady flow for the last 24 hours and is expected to do so.
It is a measure of the way in which Jo Cox was regarded by people on both sides of the political divide and that of course is clearly affected, deeply affected the people in West Yorkshire.
As we continue our coverage, Iraqi officials are claiming major progress in the fight against ISIS. We bring you here about the latest in the battle for Fallujah when we come back. This is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:41:01] HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN "NEWSROOM." I'm George Howell.
Iraq says that it has retaken the center of Fallujah from ISIS. Iraqi forces backed by U.S. air support and Shia militias launched a defensive to recapture the key city last month.
The U.S. Defense Secretary said on Friday, Iraq controlled part of Fallujah, but it was too early to say that all of it was retaken.
Iraq's federal police said they raised the national flag over the mayor's office on Friday.
Following this story for us, CNN's Arwa Damon joins us now live from neighboring Turkey with the very latest.
Arwa, it's good to have you. As you pointed out in your report, the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulating the country and security forces for retaking the heart of Fallujah, but pockets of resistance still remain.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They do, George, and the Iraqi security forces have been facing booby trapped roads, buildings, some pretty intense clashes, but at the same time not necessarily the level of resistance that they were expecting from ISIS fighters as they did push through into the center of Fallujah, a very strategic and symbolic city. Strategic because of where it is located. Symbolic because it was the first city to fall to ISIS.
Now, these pockets of resistance as they are being called, well, in past battles we have been seeing them take quite a few days if not longer to try to clear out and Iraq's military came out in a statement and said that they have managed to clear 60 percent of the city at this stage.
This has been a multipronged approach into Fallujah, one that encompassed as you mentioned there some very, very heavy support by the coalition, by the U.S., as well as backed up by these Shia militias. But it has also, as the Governor of Anbar pointed out in a tweet, resulted in what he was calling a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
Remember, this is a city that has been effectively under siege for months right now, surrounded by the Iraqi security force with ISIS fighters refusing to allow civilians to leave.
Things like food in short supply, medicine also at very critical low levels. A lack of water and electricity, life was literally at a standstill and any civilian that tried to flee if they were spotted by ISIS was, according to reports that we have been receiving, at risk of getting killed by the terrorist organization.
But, the portions of the city that have been cleared so far, the 60 percent of the military is talking about, has meant that we have been seeing a wave of civilians fleeing tens of thousands of them.
Some of them describing to relief organizations how they woke up in the morning yesterday and in the few days prior and noticed that the ISIS fighters were no longer holding their positions at the checkpoint. And this meant that they just gathered their belongings and left on foot as fast as they possibly could.
Humanitarian organizations right now struggling with the influx into the various makeshift camps that have been set up around the city and even though, yes, the Prime Minister has said that the government has fulfilled its promise when it comes to recapturing and liberating Fallujah, it is still potentially a tough battle left ahead in that city.
And then, of course, we have the upcoming seemingly impending battle to retake Iraq's second largest city, the city of Mosul, which will most certainly prove to be the most difficult battle of all.
HOWELL: Pressing forward just a bit more on the situation for the many, many civilians that are caught in the middle of all these human rights watch reporting that people there not only suffered abuses from ISIS, but also from government-backed troops. Arwa, what can you tell us about that?
DAMON: Well, according to that human rights report, there are thousands of members of the male population of Fallujah, military aged males that have gone missing according to their families. They're unable to track down their locations.
[04:45:02] What we do know is that when these areas that are under ISIS is controlled are clear, the Iraqi security forces do tend to separate the men and -- from the women and the children because they say that they want to try to screen them, but according to this report there are various allegations of abuses, of summary detentions and the people as I was saying, just the securing.
And this is something that is really, especially crucial for the Iraqi government to take very, very seriously at this stage. Because remember, this is a predominantly Shia government. There are all sorts of concerns about these Shia militias that are partaking in the offensive in Fallujah and in other parts of the country and there are very real, to a certain degree, concerns by the Sunni population.
And the government at this stage cannot risk alienating the population because it was initially the alienation of the Sunni population by al- Abadi's predecessor, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that then actually helped to create the framework that allowed ISIS to emerge and make the gains that it did make inside Iraq.
So, it is phenomenally vital at this stage for the Iraqi government to address these allegations very seriously, and if they are in fact taking place, do whatever it can to try to stop it and also reverse the impact. They need to convince the Sunni population that the Iraqi government is not against them.
HOWELL: Always good to get the detail there from you. Arwa Damon, live for us in Turkey. Arwa, thank you so much for your reporting. And we'll stay in touch with you.
Russia says that competition ban on many athletes is unfair and extremely disappointing. It's now unlikely the Russian track and field team will compete at the Rio Olympics. The governing body of World's Athletics is maintaining its ban.
It says Russia isn't doing enough about widespread state-sponsored doping. Russia denies the allegations. The International Olympic Committee is expected to decide on Tuesday, whether to let the Russian team compete in Rio.
Earlier, our Amanda Davies from CNN's World Sports spoke with the president of the World's Athletics governing body. He explained why the ban was extended.
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SEBASTIAN COE, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATHLETICS FEDERATIONS: It is very important and, you know, you will be surprised if I said anything other than this that, you know, somebody who had competed internationally for many years, my sympathies will always be with athletes, but we have to deal with this issue.
We have to deal with this issue and we have to make sure that for generations to come, the athletes are competing, the public have confidence in what they're watching and that we have athletes in safe and secure systems. And the message that we put out today I think absolutely underpins that.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Given what Russia have said the IOC meeting next week, how concerned are you that there might be some comeback from this, that your decision won't ...
COE: Well, look, you know, there is always recourse in the court of arbitration. And, you know, some athletes may choose to do that and they may be supported in that. The eligibility of an athlete to compete internationally resides with the International Athletics Federation and that is clear and that is understood.
DAVIES: And if Russian athletics take the action as a whole, how concerned would you be?
COE: Well, that is a potential and we will deal with that. But the decision that was made today was a unanimous decision and I think it was in the best interest of the sport.
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HOWELL: Amanda Davies there. Meanwhile, at the Euro 2016 football championship, Europe's football governing body says it's considering disciplinary actions over Friday's match between Croatia and the Czech Republic. Fans threw flares onto the field, temporarily stopping the match. Clashes among fans also broke out there.
The Croatian coach says fans responsible are sports terrorists. The championship has been overshadowed by fan violence, including a bloody weekend in Marseilles.
Extreme heat and sporadic winds have produced dangerous wildfire additions in Southern California. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is here.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: George, we're talking about the Sherpa fire and the Santa Barbara County region just west of Los Angeles. This fire has tripled in size. Just on Friday alone, currently at 6,000 acres burned and only 20 percent containment. Take a look at some of these visuals of the firefighters battling this extremely large blaze. Mandatory evacuations for some of the Canyon regions north of Santa Barbara, and this particular area has not seen this large of a fire since 1955.
There's the firefighters on the ground. Take a look at what they do from the air. We're talking about a DC-10 airplane releasing fire retardant on those areas that hadn't been burned yet, helping to keep the fire at bay.
Of course, only a 20 percent containment and unfavorable weather conditions going forward. This particular weather situation looking rather bleak for the firefighting efforts taking place there. Temperatures in the middle and upper 70s today and extremely dry relative humidity and a brisk northerly wind.
[04:50:09] Compare last year to date the amount of burned acres at half a million to what we're experiencing this year so far, a true sign of the extreme heat and droughts that's taking place in the California in the Southwest of the United States.
Speaking of heat, we're going to talk about the potential of breaking long standing records of this dome of heat that is forming over the west. In fact, the National Weather Service has extreme heat warnings from Phoenix, Las Vegas, all the way to Los Angeles.
I'm great to focus in on Phoenix here, because look at this extended forecast by Sunday. We are predicting that particular location to reach 120 degrees that has only happened three times in history at that particular location.
This is considered a one in 40 year event. Unbelievable heats for this part of the world, well, and with some of phenomenal video coming out of a popular holiday destination in Bali, Indonesia.
Take a look at this tidal wave, George, the difference between a tidal wave and a tsunami. A tsunami has cause by an underwater earthquake. A tidal wave comes from the gravitational forces from the moon and the sun all down the Earth's ocean.
And that's going to scare you.
HOWELL: That's scary. That is something you're anticipating going to a destination like that.
DAM: For sure.
HOWELL: Derek Van Dam, thank you.
CNN "NEWSROOM" continues right after the break.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [04:55:26] QUEST: Across the United Kingdom, people will be paying their respects to Jo Cox, especially here in Birstall. Her constituency, if you look behind me you can see the shrine of cards and the flowers, the messages of love and photos is certainly growing if this is the local memorial, the local statue if you're like right in the heart of the center of the marketplace here.
And people have been arriving all throughout the morning to pay their respects. Quite an extraordinary number of steady stream, in fact, even as I'm looking over down the marketplace, more people are arriving.
It's a scene that is being played out in some shape of form across the United Kingdom. The people we've been talking to grief-stricken, they are heart broken for the MP who was murdered and what it says about what's happening at the moment.
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QUEST: As where they be coming with like flowers and candles. They've been writing messages to here as well. One of them here says, "We are not remain/leave Tory, Labour Lib Dem tonight. We are Britons with a belief in parliaments and democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we are sad but (inaudible) because we don't expect it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Poor girl. For the first time in many, many years we actually have an MP who was interested in Birstall, an interest in us (ph), an interest within the people in the business as we are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have got to know her really well. And to all these people who ever she met her embrace with open arms on people was actually warm to her, and she had this monitors around her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, everybody is stunned. Jo was such a lovely bubbly person. We're going to miss her part in this community.
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QUEAT: The memories of Jo Cox, because the news never stops. Neither do we. You're watching CNN.
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