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Trump Talks to CNN; China Devalues Its Currency; Iraqi Parliament Approves Anti-Corruption Reforms; Japan Reboots First Nuclear Reactor in Four Years; A Migrant's Terrifying Tale; New Flag Designs to Represent New Zealand; "Sherlock" Star Playing "Hamlet" in London. Aired 10-11 ET
Aired August 11, 2015 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade at the CNN Center.
"I will take care of women like nobody else can." Those words from Donald Trump after spending days under fire for his comments about a female
journalist who moderated the Republican presidential debate.
The billionaire business man appeared in a wide-ranging interview on CNN a short time ago. He touched on a variety of issues, including
abortion, foreign policy and his controversial comments about FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly.
Here's some of that interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: You've talked about the military. You say you'd hand it to ISIS. The Iran deal stinks. People are going to want to
know --
DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: What did you say, I'd hand what to ISIS?
CUOMO: You would hand it to ISIS. You would give it to them. You know, you would really take them on. You said --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: So, your definition of "hand it" is a lot different than mine.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Yes, I'm not saying that you would give something to them.
TRUMP: -- there's no question --
CUOMO: How would you knock the hell out of them?
TRUMP: I would take the oil away, I'd take their money away. I'd take their source of --
CUOMO: How do you take the oil?
TRUMP: -- make sure that Saudi Arabia and, by the way, Iran, which gives plenty of money to ISIS, I would make -- believe it or not, Iran is
funneling money into ISIS, too. And Iraq is going to Iran just like I predicted in --
CUOMO: So how do you do it?
Do you put troops on the ground?
TRUMP: I would go in and take the oil and I'd put troops to protect the oil. I would absolutely go and I'd take the money source away. And
believe me, they would start to wither and they would collapse.
CUOMO: But what about -- well, I -- but you have to get the oil. And you know, Iran would say we are actually one of the ones who are fighting
you -- fight ISIS for you in a lot of places. And that's why they got some leverage --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: -- disaster with Iran.
Do you know, even if the deal isn't approved, if the deal isn't approved, they still get the money, which is something I heard that the
other day, which is -- they are going to be so rich, so powerful, so mean, they are going to be so angry.
CUOMO: Well, that's not exactly how it works. If they don't do what they need to do, there is a snapback.
TRUMP: -- it's going to go down as one of the dumb deals of all time. And one of the most dangerous deals ever signed.
CUOMO: There is a snapback provision, though, that if they don't do what they are supposed to, then these sanctions get back in.
I mean, that's --
TRUMP: No, no, no, but I'm talking the $150 billion and all the other money they're going to be getting. Chris, they are getting a fortune.
They are getting tremendous --
CUOMO: There's no question -- there's no question they are going to get money.
TRUMP: They are still getting much --
CUOMO: The question is what was the better deal?
What would you do?
You know you can't sit down --
TRUMP: Oh, what would I have done?
CUOMO: Yes.
TRUMP: First of all, I would have doubled the sanctions. Then I would have said before we start, I want our prisoners back. Then after
that, I would have made a good deal. And there wouldn't have been 24 days -- and by the way --
CUOMO: -- your allies aren't with you on the sanctions. They want to do business.
TRUMP: No, that's part of leadership. You got to get the allies with you.
You got to get them. Of course, Putin's not going to -- I mean, the different people that are involved aren't going to be with you.
You know why? Because they can't -- they have no respect for our president.
CUOMO: But what do you think happens?
If you are sitting across from Rouhani or you're sitting across from Vladimir Putin, and you look at them and you say, you get out of Ukraine,
and he says, make me.
Now what?
TRUMP: Well, Ukraine is a whole different subject.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Listen, excuse me. Ukraine, why isn't Germany and Europe fighting for Ukraine?
Why are we involved so much with Ukraine instead of Germany?
Germany is a very powerful, very rich country. I mean, they don't owe money like we do. They don't have a $19 trillion number on their balance
sheet.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: -- leadership, that America goes first.
TRUMP: Germany should be involved.
Why isn't Germany and all of the European countries -- they are still buying oil. They're still taking gas. They're taking everything from
Russia and we are standing there, fighting about Ukraine.
CUOMO: If you're saying --
TRUMP: -- excuse me, Chris, why isn't Germany, which is tremendously powerful and very strong and has probably the greatest leader in the world
right now in Merkel, why isn't Germany fighting Russia?
Why is it always the united states? We are like the policemen of the world.
CUOMO: Germany, as you know very well, doesn't have that kind of military capacity that the U.S. has. And there are reasons for that --
TRUMP: But they have tremendous economic power. They can crush Russia. They have tremendous economic strength.
CUOMO: But they have their own interests. See, and I mean, look, I know you know this stuff, Mr. Trump, and forgive me if it sounds like I'm
teaching you about the world. You know it and I know you know it.
But I'm saying that there's a tendency to oversimplify situations. People buy into that. And then you're setting them up for disappointment.
There's a reason that Germany doesn't do it.
TRUMP: -- is a good thing. Sometimes we make it too complicated.
CUOMO: Yes, but when you are sitting with Iran, when you're sitting at the table -- give me one second, Mr. Trump. When you're sitting at the
table with Iran, and you say, well, I'm going to double the sanctions, and all of your partners get up and leave because they don't want to. They
don't want to -- they want to do commerce.
And you say you are not getting a new --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: And the Iranians say we already have it. We can have it tomorrow if we want.
TRUMP: Excuse me, they won't leave if I'm president because they are going to respect our country. They're going to respect me. They are going
to do what I tell them to do.
[10:05:00]
TRUMP: We have a lot of power over those countries. We have a lot of power over those countries. They won't leave. They'll do the sanctions.
CUOMO: Why would you do this deal if you didn't absolutely have to?
TRUMP: -- long term, you would bring Iran to the table.
Why didn't we get our prisoners back?
You know what they said?
They said we don't -- we're not going to ask for the prisoners, Chris, we're not going to ask, because it will complicate the negotiation.
And yet we gave back a nuclear scientist to Iran. We gave them back the nuclear scientists that they wanted. We can't ask for four prisoners
that are sitting there. One of them is there because he's a Christian, in a horrible prison. He's there because he's a Christian. I met his wife.
She's an amazing woman. She doesn't know what to do. We don't even bring it up.
I tell you what, I guarantee you that if I were president, this deal wouldn't be made. A deal would be made that's 100 times better.
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: A hundred times, better, what is the deal that's 100 times better?
TRUMP: Chris, what about 24 days to go and inspect? You have 24 days. And what people don't say is before you get to the 24 days, it takes
a long time because you have to start a process.
CUOMO: You're not giving any benefit of the doubt to the fact that they had to negotiate something.
Of course you'd rather inspect right away, than with any kind of notice.
But how do you know there was an alternative? And why do you say that --
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: They didn't real "The Art of the Deal," obviously. They're incompetent people.
We have incompetent people. I watched on Charlie Rose their chief negotiator. I watched. After watching him for five minutes, I tweeted, I
said, Do not let Kerry deal with this guy. This guy is too smart for Kerry.
You know, the Persians are great negotiators, always have been, the Iranians re great negotiators, the Persians. And I will tell you, they --
we are so out -- we gave up on every point.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Let's get more on that compelling interview. Athena Jones joins us now from CNN Washington.
Hi, Athena. For what seems like a first, we really saw Donald Trump offer some policy positions, although he still managed to defect quite a
bit, saying he has to be flexible on policy.
What did you make of it?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I thought it was remarkable, Lynda, as you mentioned. It was a wide-ranging interview, half an hour long. And
we heard Trump for the first time sound a bit more thoughtful, maybe take a pause and try to answer some of the questions that maybe he hadn't been
asked before or if he had been asked them before, he hadn't really answered in a fulsome way.
So we got to see some of that. And yet, he still did also deflect. He deflected when criticized or asked if he needed to apologize about his
comments about women, he deflected that to Jeb Bush.
He didn't really answer what his tax reform policy would be. He said, you know, you just replace it with something better. And so we got to hear
him talk about in a more fulsome way about some things, like Planned Parenthood funding, for instance.
He, unlike other Republican candidates, and certainly Republicans on Capitol Hill, said, hey, I wouldn't necessarily defund the women's health
organization. I'd take a look at some of the good things that they are doing. I have a problem with what they do with abortions. But I wouldn't
necessarily defund them.
So he tried to offer a little bit of nuance. And I think that this is going to be a first for a lot of people, who have been wanting to hear a
little bit more from him. He, again, didn't get too specific but at least he gave a little bit fuller answers on a variety of subjects. And one more
thing that we heard from him that we really hadn't before is that he's considering what his policy might be on demanding equal pay for equal work
for women. He said that he, his top executives, women executives, often make more than men in his own companies. So that was (INAUDIBLE) to hear
as well -- Lynda.
KINKADE: We would love to continue this conversation but we have to leave it there for now, Athena Jones, thank you very much.
JONES: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, Trump also had some harsh words about China over its decision to suddenly devalue the country's currency. China's central bank
has said that the yuan's nearly 2 percent drop is aimed at boosting the economy. CNN's Steven Jiang has more from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVEN JIANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Until today, China's currency was tightly monitored and was only allowed to fluctuate within a narrow
predetermined range set by the central bank. But this morning, that all changed. In a shock move, the People's Bank of China announced it was
letting market forces play a bigger role in valuing the yuan.
Instead of the PBOC setting the midpoint of a 2 percent window in which the yuan can move, now that midpoint is based on the previous day's
closing price. The policy change meant a one-time yuan devaluation of 1.9 percent, according to the bank, because that key midpoint value had been
diverging from the market rate for some time.
JULIA WANG, ECONOMIST: The market has been calling for some reform to the defecting (ph) mechanism, for some time. And actually (INAUDIBLE) has
been calling for such reform to happen within this year.
So there was always, I think, an expectation that the PBOC will eventually do something to make the fix more market driven and more
transparent.
JIANG (voice-over): Now some will claim China is weakening its currency intentionally --
[10:10:00]
JIANG (voice-over): -- just days after poor export data signaled another headache for the slowing economy. And the United States has long
accused China of keeping its currency artificially low to help its exporters.
But China's central bank says this move is part of reforms designed to have market forces have more influence over the yuan. That could boost
China's campaign to have the yuan included in a lead grouping of currencies used by the International Monetary Fund.
To be included alongside the dollar, euro, British pound and Japanese yen would lend major prestige to the yuan, a currency already being used
more and more in global transactions -- Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Chinese investors are still considering the impact of a devalued yuan and stocks in Shanghai and Hong Kong saw small losses on the
day. Other Asia Pacific markets were also lower. You can see the Nikkei down 0.42 percent, the Shanghai Composite down just a little.
And U.S. stocks sank at the open on the devaluation of the yuan. Let's take a look at how they're doing now, the Dow Jones, you can see
there, down 161 points. And here's a last look at the big board.
KINKADE: (INAUDIBLE) has approved a reform package that proposes big changes at the upper levels of government. The prime minister announced
the plan after weeks of protests against corruption and failing public services.
Jomana Karadsheh joins us now from Amman, Jordan.
And Jomana, this reform aims to fire corruption and reduce costs. But it also eliminates some key government positions.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely it does. It's a very ambitious plan, Lynda. And today we saw Iraq's parliament swiftly,
smoothly approving the prime minister's plan here for reforms. It really goes to underscore the seriousness of these protests that we have been
seeing taking place across Iraq over the past few weeks. And that anger on the streets.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARADSHEH (voice-over): This is the sound of a people who simply had enough. Iraqis took to the streets in demonstrations calling for change,
political reforms, holding corrupt officials accountable and demanding the basic services that government after government for more than a decade have
failed to restore.
The protests in Baghdad and other cities were prompted by continuing power cuts as the country faced one of the worst heat waves in its recent
history. On Sunday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in what appeared to be a response to the streets and a call for serious action by Iraq's most
influential Shia cleric, announced a series of bold measures, the most drastic reforms since 2003.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It may be the first time that we have a (INAUDIBLE) which actually changed things on the ground rather than just
continue (INAUDIBLE) in the same mold as predecessors (INAUDIBLE) elections (INAUDIBLE) and nothing really changes on the ground.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): And Abadi's reform package was swiftly approved by his cabinet on Sunday and on Tuesday parliament unanimously
voted in favor approving the reforms. The measures include eliminating the senior post of three vice presidents and three deputy prime ministers,
posts held by top politicians like Nouri al-Maliki and Ayad al-Allawi. The positions are allocated based on a sectarian and ethnic quota system,
created by the United States in 2003. But many Iraqis feel this system is ineffective and part of the problem.
Other measures also include cutting back on the costly security allowances provided to officials and more corruption investigations.
Despite the public backing of his reforms by Iraq's politicians, it remains unclear how and when these reforms will be implemented.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think honestly the processes are not going to go away, even if they hear the words from the prime minister (INAUDIBLE) they
want to see action on the ground. And that will take some time (INAUDIBLE). It is (INAUDIBLE) will happen in the next week or two. This
will be a several-month process. And I think (INAUDIBLE) government while this process happens.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): In a country where political instability and grievances have historically created fertile ground for terrorist groups to
thrive, Iraq's politicians cannot afford to ignore the rising discontent on their streets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KARADSHEH: And Lynda, this is just the beginning of what is expected to be a really tough process. It's going to be a major challenge right now
for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to implement those really ambitious reforms and we've heard from the prime minister in the past few hours,
releasing a statement, congratulating the Iraqi people on parliament passing his reform package and promising them to stay on what he describes
as this path of reforms, even if it costs him his life, he says.
[10:15:00]
KINKADE: And, Jomana, the grand ayatollah also called on the prime minister to strike with an iron fist on corruption. Now that these reforms
have been approved in parliament, how will they be implemented?
And given there's been promises in the past and no action, how much skepticism is there?
KARADSHEH: Well, I think there's a lot of cautious optimism to an extent on the streets in Iraq, people that we have spoken to say that this
is the first time you are seeing an Iraqi politician, a prime minister, who has got, as you mentioned, the backing of Grand Ayatollah Sistani, the most
revered Shia religious figure in the country. He's also got the support of the street.
So this is a great opportunity that the prime minister has got there to make some changes, whether it is the whole political system that Iraqis
blame or the situation in their country and the miserable living conditions or going after corruption, which is really endemic in that country, it is
so entrenched. Iraq is one of the world's most corrupt countries. It is really going to be difficult, Lynda, to see how this is actually going to
be implemented. Definitely the biggest challenge ahead. But the pressure is on. These protests got what they wanted now but they still want more.
They want to see results. They've heard the promises, as you said, year after year, government after government. Now they want to see action.
They want to see tangible results for what they're being promised by their politicians. And it will be a great gamble here by Iraqi politicians if
they try to stall or delay the implementation.
But very tough road ahead -- Lynda.
KINKADE: We'll just have to wait and see if those reforms do make a difference. Jomana Karadsheh, thank you very much.
Still to come, Japan pivots back to nuclear energy as the country restarts its first reactors since the Fukushima disaster. But anti-nuclear
campaigners say the risk is still too great. And while one Syrian migrant made a dangerous journey to Europe, we'll have his tale of terror and loss.
All that and much more here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
Japan has brought a nuclear reactor back online for the first time in more than four years. It was rebooted under new regulations implemented
after the Fukushima disaster. But as Anna Coren reports, much of the public is still against bringing back nuclear energy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Under what the Japanese government is describing as the toughest safety standard in the world, the country's
first nuclear reactor has reopened since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 sparking angry protests.
The Sendai nuclear reactor in southwestern Japan was restarted by its operator, Tepco (ph), after passing strict new regulations. They're hoping
to open a second reactor --
[10:20:00]
COREN: -- onsite by October. It's more than four years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami led to a meltdown at the Fukushima
plant. High radiation levels and contamination means it's highly unlikely people will ever be able to return to their homes in the area.
All nuclear reactors were taken offline as a result of the disaster. But the government is now hopeful that under the new regulations most of
its 43 nuclear reactors will be reopened over the coming months and years (INAUDIBLE) opposition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Firstly, these new standards of the government (INAUDIBLE) the nuclear regulatory agency to agree upon,
these standards have just slightly raised the bar with regards to earthquakes and tsunamis. But in fact, it's full of holes.
COREN (voice-over): Recent polls show that between 50-60 percent of the public oppose the restart of nuclear reactors, claiming with a country
prone to earthquakes, it's dangerous and irresponsible to produce nuclear power, fearing another disaster.
Japan, however, has limited energy resources. Before the Fukushima crisis, nuclear power accounted for one-third of the country's electricity.
Since all reactors were shut down, the government has had to import more coal, oil and liquefied natural gas, pushing household electricity prices
up by more than 25 percent.
COREN: But that's little deterrent to the protesters, who say the government has a responsibility to its people to invest in renewable energy
and keep the country safe from another natural disaster -- Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Three dozen Republican lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives are visiting Israel ahead of next month's critical vote on
the Iran nuclear deal. Israeli president Reuben Rivlin welcomed the delegation and he expressed serious concerns about the Iran deal, saying,
quote, "We fear this agreement is a first step in the legitimization of Iran's policies and strategies and only acts to further destabilize a
chaotic region."
We are at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Still to come --
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ABU MOHAMMAD, SYRIAN REFUGEE (through translator): When we left Turkey, we got lost at sea for around seven hours. We nearly drowned
several times.
KINKADE (voice-over): A Syrian migrant's terrifying tale of fleeing ISIS for an uncertain future in Europe.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
The Italian coast guard says it's rescued hundreds of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean over the past few days. It's a dangerous
journey that's left more than 2,000 people dead this year. But they are taking a risk out of desperation, many of the fleeing violence or extreme
poverty.
CNN spoke to a Syrian refugee in France who's hoping to reach the U.K. Kellie Morgan has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLIE MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Syrian father of two shows us where he sleeps in Calais' so-called "Jungle." These are his only
belongings, so different to what he had.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): I owned my house in Raqqa (ph), also one in Damascus. I had a happy life.
MORGAN (voice-over): Now Abu Mohammad, which is not his real name, says he --
[10:25:00]
MORGAN (voice-over): -- lives in fear of both the Syrian government and ISIS.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): Our home was destroyed. We spent a year with daish. It was difficult life. We escaped from them. There were
too many restrictions, even religion. They have harmed religion. For them, it's just a cover.
MORGAN (voice-over): Raqqa remains the de facto capital for the Islamic State in Syria and it's a regular target of coalition airstrikes.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): Today our children have lost their smile. They only know fear, the sounds of bombs, explosions. Today, they
live in terror.
MORGAN (voice-over): Abu Mohammad fled Damascus on July 1st in the hope of finding sanctuary for his family, who remain in Syria. He crossed
into Lebanon and a day later arrived in Turkey, where he stayed for two weeks before boarding a boat in Icmeler (ph) bound for Greece. After four
days at Athens, Abu Mohammad crossed into Macedonia, where he took a train to Serbia before walking to Hungary.
From there, the journey was by car, through Austria and Germany. He then boarded a train to France, arriving in Calais 28 days after he left
home.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): When we left Turkey, we got lost at sea for around seven hours. We nearly drowned several times. On the road
from Hungary, we encountered gangs, bandits.
MORGAN (voice-over): After traveling more than 5,600 kilometers, this is not the destination Abu Mohammad envisioned.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): Here at the camp we sleep on the ground. There's nothing else. They offer us only one meal a day, some
charities offer us some help, nothing else. We have to queue up for the bathroom. We have to be there on time between 12:00 to 3:00 pm or you miss
out.
MORGAN (voice-over): Like hundreds of other migrants, he still hopes to get to the U.K. just 33 kilometers across the English Channel, so close
yet still so very far.
MOHAMMAD (through translator): I'm not worried about my own life. But I'm worried about the future of the young children who need education.
Education is important, especially for Muslims. It is the path to paradise.
MORGAN: A path that, for now, remains closed -- Kellie Morgan, CNN, Calais, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE).
KINKADE: You're at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Still to come, investigators say they may have a new clue in the downing of Malaysia
Airlines Flight 17. What they recovered from the crash site in Eastern Ukraine.
Also ahead, New Zealanders could soon be flying under a new flag, why it wants to embrace the new design. Those stories just ahead.
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KINKADE: Welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. And here are the headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE (voice-over): U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he's a whiner and will keep whining until he wins. Those
comments came in a wide-ranging new interview with CNN. The controversial candidate says he's running as a Republican but won't rule out a third-
party campaign.
Iraq's parliament has unanimously approved major anti-corruption reforms. The proposals call for the elimination of top government posts,
including deputy prime minister and vice president. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi introduced the reforms after weeks of protests against corruption.
Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Reactor number one at the Sendai plant passed strict safety
regulations. But anti-nuclear activists say the government is ignoring seismic and volcanic risks. And the concerns that the reactors are aging.
The Turkish military says it's carried out airstrikes on Kurdish rebel targets in the southeastern part of the country. The PKK has claimed
responsibility for an attack on Monday on Istanbul police station that killed a police man. Turkish authorities say fighters from the Kurdish
militant group have killed five other security personnel since then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: We have some new details in the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. Dutch officials say they are
examining what could be parts from a missile found at a crash site in Eastern Ukraine.
CNN international correspondent Matthew Chance joins us more -- joins us with more on this.
And, Matthew, just tell us about this piece of missile.
What are investigators saying?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're not saying a great deal, Lynda, at this stage except that they found bits
of metal, essentially which they believe could be part -- "possibly" is the word they used -- of a Russian Buk missile system, a Buk missile system,
which is a surface-to-air rocket of the kind -- weapon of the kind that it's been widely reported may have been used by rebels in Eastern Ukraine
to down that Malaysia Airlines MH17, killing all 298 people on board in July of last year.
Of course, that's something the rebels and the Russians deny. They say that it was the Ukrainian military that's responsible for the downing
of that aircraft.
But the latest findings by this joint investigative team and Dutch prosecutors seems to contradict that claim, saying that this is something
that could be of particular interest; the statement said that they could provide -- once they've investigated this more fully -- it could provide
more information about who was involved in the crash of MH17.
The statement being very circumspect, though, being very careful to say that at the moment it's not drawing any conclusions from this. It's
saying that in fact we cannot draw the conclusion that there's a causal connection, is the phrase it uses, between the discovered parts and the
crash of MH17, indicated that this is a battleground. There's a war going on in that region. There are bits and pieces of missiles lying all over
the place, presumably.
So at this stage, they say they haven't actually established whether it was still a Buk missile system that brought down this airliner or not.
We're expecting to get more clarity on that, though, Lynda, later on this year in October, a more formal, final report from the investigators is
expected to be published.
KINKADE: OK. Matthew Chance, thank you very much for that update and I'm sure we'll talk to you very soon.
The Greek government says it has a deal and is close to securing a new lifeline from international lenders. The Greek finance ministry tells CNN
the main terms of a third bailout package have been settled. Athens hopes it will unlock $95 billion to help it meet its debt to the European Central
Bank. That's due next week.
But the final deal still needs to be passed by lawmakers in Greece and Europe.
In New Zealand, there's a push to choose a new flag. Its current banner is practically identical to Australia's and they're pretty easy to
mix up. Australia's flag is in the background here. You can see the Union Jack in the left corner against a blue background with white stars. New
Zealand's flag is in the foreground. The only distinguishing feature: the stars are red, not white, with fewer points.
New Zealand's prime minister is leading the charge to find a flag that represents the country's present and future and gets rid of that colonial
symbolism of the past. James Ransley reports from Auckland.
[10:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMES RANSLEY (PH), CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This flag has represented New Zealand for more than a century.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): We fought two world wars under it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Led proudly tonight by the lad from Lohart's (ph) --
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): Displayed it proudly on the international sporting stage and now we're getting closer to it possibly changing for
good.
RANSLEY (PH): Which one would you pick?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably that one.
RANSLEY (PH): Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess because it's really similar to the one we've got already.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be honest, I'd probably go for that one.
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): The flag consideration panel selected 40 flag designs from more than 10,000 options submitted by the public.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
RANSLEY (PH): Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. It's got the (INAUDIBLE) of course.
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): Musician and artist Otis Frizzell (ph) has two designs in the top list.
OTIS FRIZZELL, FLAG DESIGNER: I wanted a new color scheme. I wanted something that had a strong sort of Mardi (ph) design element to it.
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): Designer Sven Baker (ph) has five of his designs selected, too.
SVEN BAKER, FLAG DESIGNER: Through the process of looking at designs for a flag, I really became convinced that we need our own identity in the
world. We need an identity on the flag that's going to really stand out.
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): From November, New Zealanders will get to rank their four most preferred flags, the flag with the most votes will be
pitted against our current flag in a second binding referendum next year.
But this two-step referendum has drawn criticism, many arguing it might have been better to ask people if they wanted to change the flag in
the first place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a little bit like telling someone we may or may not take you out to dinner tonight but we'd like you to put on a dress
anyway. So some people aren't going to do it because if there's no guarantee, why should we actually put the effort in?
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): Professor John Burrows (ph) cheers the flag consideration panel and says it was the government who decided on the
process.
JOHN BURROWS (PH), PROFESSOR: The theory is you really need to see what flag will replace the present flag before you can sensibly answer the
question, do you want to change?
RANSLEY (PH) (voice-over): Change or not the whole process is costing $26 million, a price the government's quite happy to pay to rebrand a
nation -- James Ransley (ph), ONE News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: (INAUDIBLE) may look the same but behind the scenes, the company's making some major changes. The tech giant announced it has
formed an umbrella company called Alphabet. Google and several of its divisions will now operate as separate companies under the new
conglomerate. Google's cofounders say the change are meant to allow each unit more freedom to take risks.
The new company already has a website, abc.xyz.
He's known for playing the world's most famous detective. So how will Benedict Cumberbatch do Shakespeare's best known tragic hero?
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
Playing "Hamlet" would be just about any actor's dream and many big names have taken on Shakespeare's iconic role on stage and screen. Now a
popular British actor is embracing the part. Isa Soares has the story.
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LAURENCE OLIVIER, ACTOR, "HAMLET": To be or not to be, that is the question.
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This award-winning performance from Laurence Olivier as Shakespeare's "Hamlet" came with
international accolades. Since then --
[10:40:00]
SOARES (voice-over): -- other leading actors have stepped forward to take on this dramatic role.
RICHARD BURTON, ACTOR, "HAMLET": . and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to. 'Tis a
consummation devoutly to be wished, to die, to sleep.
SOARES (voice-over): Richard Burton, Michael Redgrave, Jonathan Pryce, Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Michael
Sheen, John Gielgud, they all braved the stage.
Now that role is being taken up by "Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ACTOR, "SHERLOCK": I hardly knew myself, Mrs. Watson. That's the trouble with dismembered country squires.
ED KEMP, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, RADA: What we are paying to see in an actor is their imagination, their talent, their ego and in the end, any
great performance is an extraordinary fusion of the writer, the director's imagination, the actor's imagination and that's what we're paying for.
SOARES (voice-over): Cumberbatch fans, it seems, are already excited about his performance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to do something different with it, like so many actors have done, like Jude Law's done, Ben Whishaw, you know,
David Tennant. They've all done something different with it and it's just -- I think it's every actor's dream, isn't it.
SOARES (voice-over): Despite the dream role, it seems Cumberbatch hasn't taken too well to his fans using their phones during his
performance.
CUMBERBATCH: I can see cameras. I can see red lights in the auditorium.
SOARES: This is a demanding role for any top actor. It's a marathon of a play absolutely relentless, three hours long. So you as you can
imagine, concentration is very much required. And that's not easy to do when you have these things blinking in the audience.
CUMBERBATCH: It's mortifying. And there's nothing less supportive or enjoyable than, as an actor, being the stage experiencing that.
SOARES (voice-over): Cumberbatch has a large and young TV following, thanks in part to his "Sherlock" role. But of all the excitement, can his
fans stay away from social media for the duration of the play?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe he should have one performance where everybody can tape it. But for the majority of the performances, I think
he's quite right. Turn your phones off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They deserve all the respect they can get to be on a stage, to have rehearsed for this for months, I'm sure. And it's just
that silly (INAUDIBLE).
SOARES (voice-over): Isa Soares, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, that does it for us here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. But don't go anywhere. "WORLD SPORT" with Amanda
Davies is up next.
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