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Bombings Target Tourist Resorts In Thailand; British Girl Who Traveled to Syria Feared Dead; Family Lawyer: British Teen Died in Raqqa; Trump Says He Was Being Sarcastic About ISIS Founder; Cannes Burkini Ban Sparks Outrage; Phelps Break Ancient Olympic Record; Russia Holds Naval Drills As Tensions with Ukraine Soar; Muslim Cleric Accused In Coup Speaks To "Le Monde;" Turkey: We've Received "Positive Signals" From U.S.; Burkini Ban Causes Controversy In Cannes; Five Reported Dead In Portugal Wildfires; 24 Medals Up For Grabs Friday; Fiji Wins First-Ever Olympic Medal; At least Four Killed In Thailand Bombings; Cuba Celebrates Fidel Castro's 90th Birthday; U.S. And Cuba Now restoring Relations; Pedestrian Hit By Truck Left To Die; South Korea To "Smartphone Zombies:" Look Up; Darth Vader Appears In New "Star Wars" Trailer; Michael Phelps Wins 22nd Olympic Gold; Australia's Golden Standard; Fiji Wins Olympic Gold In Men's Rugby
Aired August 12, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00] ISA SOARES: Hello and a very warm welcome to the International Desk, I'm Isa Soares.
We begin this hour in Thailand where string of bombing targets a popular tourist resorts. Eleven places were hit in the span of just one day.
Police are investigating the terrorist attacks but they say it's not international terrorism.
Let's get more on the story. Ivan Watson joins us from the resort town of Hua Hin. And, Ivan, what did you learning this hour about these horrific
attacks? Are these bombings connected?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know we've just arrived here on the scene and let me just set the stage here. This would
normally on a Friday night be of teeming bar district. There are just bars all around here that are completely shuttered. And what's remarkable is
we're right next to where this blast went off.
Now, you can see compared to other bombings I've covered the damage is not massive. The windows here haven't even been broken. This little cart here
where a food vendor would have been working, just some of the glass has been shattered here, but one of the street vendors here was killed. And
the man who worked behind this stall here was very seriously wounded, a bystander here says. And many people were wounded in what was normally a
busy nightlife district.
And the important thing to note here, Isa, is that this was just one of at least 11 bombings that have rocked across this country in a period of just
24 hours.
A busy bar street in a popular tourist resort transformed into a crime scene Thursday night after a deadly bomb blast. The bomb just one of a
series of explosions that erupted across five provinces in Thailand over the course of 24 hours. The targets, mostly major tourist destinations
popular with locals and foreigners alike.
The coastal resort city of Hua Hin sustained the most casualties after two explosions Thursday evening followed by another twin bombing Friday
morning. Two explosions also hit popular holiday spot Phuket, one at a dolphin park on the beach and another at Bangla Street.
Another two bombs hit to the Surat Thani city which is a transit point for tourists going to Koh Samui and the other islands that Thailand is famous
for. Thai police say the attacks don't appear to be related to international terrorism.
PIYAPAN PINGMUANG, DEPUTY POLICE SPOKESMAN: What we know for sure is that the incident do not link directly with the -- any kind of terrorism. They
say in fact, they say the local sabotage by which we are trying to identify are those suspects who are behind the scene. So it's too soon to jump to
any conclusion.
WATSON: Authorities tightened security across Thailand but many tourists are clearly rattled. CNN spoke to one foreign witness of Thursday nights
attack, Shane Brett has been to Hua Hin six times already but says this may be his last trip.
SHANE BRETT, BOMBING WITNESS: I love it here, beautifully scenery, lot of foreigners here that just want a nice quiet vacation, but after this visit
and I feel -- I've heard about all the bombings in other areas of Thailand, I -- it's very unsettling and I might be looking at other places in
Southeast Asia to vacation.
WATSON: If others feel the same way, it could seriously hurt Thailand's economy which depends heavily on tourism.
And, Isa, just take a look around us, blood-stained stretch of sidewalk here, you've got a scattered shoes here, some bouquets in honor of some of
the people who were hurt and at least one woman who was killed at this location. Tourism we're told makes up 16 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We've lost Ivan Watson. We'll try and reconnect with him and get back to that story out of Thailand.
Moving on now to the devastating consequences of terror recruitment reaching one family right here in the U.K. One of the three girls, the
school girl who traveled to Syria if you remember last year to apparently joined ISIS is now feared dead. Our Phil Black with us now with the
latest.
And so, you and I worked here, we were covering the story it. I remember quite vividly because it led to a lot of soul searching, didn't it, as to
why what was leading these girls to go, to travel to Syria. What are we learning happened to Kaditha here?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're right, Isa, this is a story that really gripped the British public, I think. It was such so big knowing
that three of these girls had -- together, worked together, plotted together, planned together, abandoned their families, traveled to Turkey
and then somehow -- and smuggled across the border into Syria to join ISIS.
[10:05:04] Now, that was 18 months ago. One of those girls, as you said, is Kadiza Sultana.
SOARES: The girl right, we're looking at right here.
BLACK: In that time since her family has really worked quite desperately to try and get her back. They made appeals, sent a video messages,
traveled to Turkey, even were able eventually to make direct telephone contact with her.
But according to a lawyer who worked with the family he says that a few weeks ago they received really the worst possible news and that is that yes
she had been killed in Raqqa, the self declared ISIS capital there in Syria as the result of an air strike of some kind. So, devastating news for a
family that had been so focused on trying to get, you know, Kadiza back.
Let's take a listen now to that lawyer talking about that family for the last 18 months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TASNIME AKUNJEE, SULTANA FAMILY LAWYER: Was a -- it's no less than any family member would have done for their own child, you know, you'd move
heaven and earth to try and bring your kids back from any danger site. And this family had made every effort and stretched every sinew just trying to
have their daughter, their sibling back home.
That was always the situation when you have a person in a war zone that, you know, worst can happen. And the longer that they're in that danger
zone the more likely the risk can catch up with you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: Now we don't know precisely how the family found out or how they received this call or this contact. But, around the same time Kadiza
stopped calling home as well.
The family had been working on a plan to try and get her out, according to this lawyer, and apparently she was going to leave. She's very much become
fed up with lies under ISIS but was also terrified about the possible consequences of what could happen to her in the event that she was called
caught, because, of course, they been have been known to brutally punish those who try to desert.
SOARES: Shocking, shocking story for this family here in the news of course via e-mail whichever way they received it. Do we know anything
about the other two girls who accompanied her on that video that we showed?
BLACK: The short answer really is now we know nothing. They were all last seen publicly together on video just before crossing the border into Syria.
But that was 18 months ago. There've been reports since then that the girls may have been wedged to ISIS fighters even mattered in that time, but
really just a complete information blackout. The British government says it really has no way of really knowing for sure the state and wellbeing of
these particular girls.
The story, I think, is so gripping and it resonates here because it does show the pull, if you like, the ability of ISIS and its so-called caliphate
to recruit and to make people take these extraordinary steps, young, seemingly idealistic people from a school in London who literally abandoned
those who loved.
SOARES: Highly -- and they were educated.
BLACK: Indeed, educated straight A students is the way that they are commonly described. So, just one of those examples that really
crystallizes the ability for ISIS to pull people from their regular lives to try and join them in Syria and Iraq.
SOARES: Phil Black, thanks very much.
Now to the U.S., Donald Trump is backtracking on his comments calling U.S. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton the founders of ISIS. He says
he was being sarcastic and that the media especially us here at CNN just don't get that.
I want to bring in Athena Jones from our Washington bureau. And Athena, Donald Trump repeated multiple times his comment on President Obama and
Clinton as founders, as cofounders of ISIS but now he's back pedaling. Tell us exactly what he's saying?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Isa, that's right, he did spend all day yesterday using every opportunity he was given to repeat this claim
that President Obama and Secretary Clinton founded ISIS. He even told CNBC, "I'm just being a truth teller." He told a radio host who tried to
give him a chance to walk it back, "No, no, I mean exactly what I said."
This morning, after we began airing the story about him and talking about this so much yesterday, he tweeted this. He said, "CNN reports so
seriously that I called President Obama and Clinton the founder of ISIS and MVP. They don't get sarcasm?" About an hour after that he tweeted more
broadly to all of the media, I guess. "I love watching these poor, pathetic people, pundits on television working so hard and so seriously to
try to figure me out. They can't."
So there is a lot to talk about here, Isa. The fact of the matter is this is something that Trump does over and over and over again. He comes up
with a line, a line of attack that he loves. He repeats it and repeats it then when he comes under fire he, rather than apologize, he comes up with
this sort of Donald Trump apology saying that he was just being sarcastic.
You remember a couple of weeks ago he came under fire for asking Russia basically or inviting Russia to hack secretary Clinton's e-mails. When he
was under pressure, he came back and said, "Oh, no, I was just being sarcastic." And so, that raises the question, when are you suppose to take
Trump at his word?
[10:10:03] And that second tweet about pundits trying to figure him out, it raises another question which is if you are running to be the leader of the
free world, if you're running to be president of the United States, is it a good idea to be an enigma, is it a good idea to be misunderstood or have
people struggling to understand if you mean what you say? I think most people, Republicans or Democrats, people the world over would agree that it
is not a good idea to be leaving people constantly confused.
And what's interesting here is that we may be, you and I, the folks in the media, may be watching his Twitter feed minute to minute to see his
clarifications or to watch for whether he's talking, what he says. But the folks that are going to these Trump rallies, they're not necessarily
looking at his Twitter feed. So, you know, he says something but then he can't unsay it especially after he said it repeatedly so much. And so it
leaves people confused about where he stands and that is not a good thing for him. Isa?
SOARES: No, absolutely. And Athena, when we make jokes, be it with our family or husbands or wives, we often say, you know, oh it's a joke,
straight off, I was being sarcastic.
JONES: Exactly.
SOARES: We don't wait two days. So explain this to our international viewers if you can. How are these incendiary comments being received by
ordinary Americans? Is he losing any support?
JONES: Well, he has lost support in the surveys we've seen, the polls we've seen since the end of both conventions, both the Democratic
convention and the RNC, the Republican National Convention. In the polls we've seen coming out, he's sagging. Clinton is opening up quite a lead in
national polls. She's also opened up a lead in several important swing states. Those of course are the ones to watch because in America it's
really a state by state race.
And so, Trump is not faring well and that is exactly why you have so many Republicans concerned and calling on him to get serious, get on message,
and stop just barking all of these controversies. Isa?
SOARES: Yeah, get on message and stay on message is the message I've been getting from many people.
Athena Jones there, thank you very much, Athena for us there in Washington.
JONES: Thank you.
SOARES: Coming up here on the International Desk, women are banned from wearing these on the beaches of Cannes in France. Now the city's Mayor is
quoted saying the burkini represents "the uniform of extremist Islamism." We're live. Plus Michael Phelps blowing modern as well ancient records out
of the water, here is how his latest picture in the pool, a record set nearly 2,000 years ago. Can you believe that?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Russia is conducting naval drills in the Black Sea as tensions with Ukraine continue to rise. This is just off Sevastopol in what was
Ukraine's Crimea until it was the next remnant by Russia back in 2014.
Moscow says the maneuvers are to prevent underwater sabotage in the tensions which flared on Wednesday when Russia accused Ukraine of sending
saboteurs into Crimea. Ukraine denies that and now had its troops in the east on the highest alert.
[10:15:09] Forces backed by the U.S. now set to be close to recapturing strategic Syrian city of Manbij from ISIS fighters. A fight to disposing
for the joint Arab and Kurdish force said that final stages of the operation now on the way. The offensive to recapture their town from ISIS
started at the end of May, it is located in northeast of Aleppo.
And more tragic news from the besieged city of Aleppo, a Syrian volunteer known for saving a newborn baby from a bombed-out home two years ago has
been killed in an air strike. Khaled Omar was a member group White Helmets which is also known as the Syrian civil defense. The group says Omar was
married and had a 3-year-old daughter.
A Muslim leader accused in minding last month's failed coup in Turkey speaking out. Peter Lagola has written on opinion piece for the French
newspaper "Le Monde." The cleric says he'll return to Turkey from U.S. to face charges if an independent investigation finds evidence to prove he's
actually guilty.
Arwa Damon had been following all this for us and she joins us now from Istanbul. And Arwa, I read the article and he said if there's proof of
these accusations, then he pledges to return to Turkey. But he also spoke about the recently failed coup, didn't he? What do you have to say?
ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, well, to address your first point to start off with, he's saying that he'll return if an
independent investigative committee is able to provide evidence of his guilt. Then he says he would be willing to come back and face justice. He
also, in this article, highlights his concerns as to whether or not he believes he would receive a fair trial if he were to return to Turkey at
this point.
But he starts off that he's talking about the night of July 15th, the night of the failed coup, calling it the largest catastrophe in recent history in
Turkey, saying that it is the worst kind of act that a terrorist can perpetrate on Turkish soil, saying that he, himself, had come out fairly
quickly to condemn this coup. And he says if anyone who says that they are affiliated with his movement, the Gulen Movement, then they are betraying
the movement, they are betraying his ideals.
This is very much a man who, it would seem, has taken to the public's fear to try to at least, at this stage, seemingly prepare his own defense.
Because Turkey says that it has plenty of evidence to implicate him. In fact, the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already come out and said that
they have sent over some 65 boxes containing files of evidence to the U.S. as the bulk of that evidence pertains to previous accusations by the
Turkish government leveled at Fethullah Gulen and his movement to do with various different attempts to try to undermine and destabilize Turkey.
The country's Foreign Minister today, coming out and saying that they are in the process of preparing a file that includes a specific evidence to do
with this coup attempt. Also, going on to say that they are receiving initial, what he's described as being positive signals from the United
States.
In the upcoming weeks, Turkey is expecting a high level delegation visit by U.S. officials here. Presumably, this is going to be the top issue on that
agenda.
SOARES: Arwa Damon there for us in Istanbul. Thanks very much, Arwa.
Now, the city of Cannes in the South of France has banned body covering burkinis from the beaches. Rights groups are outraged. But the Mayor is
not backing down. CNN's Michael Holmes in Paris with all the details.
And, Michael, this is not the first time that women's clothing has been restricted in France. Tell us why that the country's decided to ban
burkinis.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah this latest, the controversy. Certainly as you point out, it certainly not the first. This is a local
lore, a municipal lore. It's one that's meant to be in effect to the end of the month. But, what it actually says is that beach wear and I'll quote
here, it says, "Beach wear that ostentatiously displays religious affiliation at a time when France and places of worship are the target of
terrorist attacks is liable to create risks of disrupting public order." That's the wording of it.
Now, the law does might mention of a safety issue if you like that such clothing could make swimming unsafe. But really, the religious connotation
could not be clearer. And as the controversy grew, interestingly, the Mayor of Cannes, really doubled down really today saying to local media and
quoting again, he says, "I am banning a symbol of Islamic extremism." Now, we did call his office to make sure that's what he meant and they did not
back down from that wording.
Now, bear in mind, what we're talking about is basically a full body swimsuit with the face showing. Now it's making news now because what's
happened is a local Muslim association has challenged it in court today, actually, Friday, demanding that the law be revoked for reason of
discrimination.
[10:20:15] Now, when the court rules on it, we don't know, but Monday is a public holiday, so that might will go into next week. And I can tell you
too, we've heard just in the last hour or two of another town in the same region. This is a town called Villeneuve-Loubet, which has also put a
similar law into place. So far, no comment from the Prime Minister's Office, Isa.
SOARES: And Mike, I saw also comments from the Mayor of Cannes who said, "I don't have the time nor do I want to stir up controversy," but that's
exactly what this decision is doing, isn't it? I can only imagine the political storm that this is causing in France. What are you hearing?
HOLMES: Yeah, I mean the thing is that after making that original law, and by the way, it went into effect on the 28th of July and is meant to run
until the end of this month. But it only hit the headlines because this challenge to it was lodged in court.
But it was interesting after reading to you then the wording of the law, them doubling down and saying something, I am banning a symbol of Islamic
extremism, no stepping back from that. You pointed out this isn't the first time it's been a controversy here over Islamic clothing. You can go
back to the Sarkozy administration in 2011 where face coverings there were banned and even back in 2005 or '04, 2004. There was that law that banned
heads scarves in schools, but that was a broader religious distinction. It involved Muslim, Christian or any other religion making their religion
clear in school.
But, all this at the time of extreme nervousness and fear over terror, and when it comes to Cannes, as you know well Venice attacks were literally
just a few miles from the beaches we're talking about now. And the Muslims in this country are saying all this does is feed the ISIS narrative of it's
them and it's us. Back to you, Isa.
SOARES: Absolutely. You just feed more division. And Michael Holmes there from the beautiful sunny Paris. It does suit you, Michael. Thanks
very much.
Now, five people are now we're hearing reported dead as wildfires continue to rage now for third day in Portugal. These pictures we're showing you
shows what's happening in the Portuguese Island of Madeira. We showed you similar scenes earlier in the week. Well, that's not stopping the heat,
just keeps coming and the wind.
More than 1,700 firefighters are battling the blazes, few still very hot as well as dry weather. Wildfires are also burning in France as well in
Spain.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
If you hear the samba, you know it's time to get you caught up on the Olympic action from Rio de Janeiro. Twenty four medals are up for grabs on
day seven and track and field events are debuting without Russia.
The people still buzzing about Thursday's record-setting performance and what record-setting they were. Amanda Davies joins us now with excitement
from Rio.
And, Amanda, let's talk about Michael Phelps, took a top pool action. He was just completely unbeatable, wasn't he?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS REPORTER: He was, Isa. And of course, he's meant to be retired. We said farewell to him four years ago, didn't
we, after London, but at 31-year-old, he's back, and arguably better than ever.
He just keeps racking up those medals. He claims his fourth gold of these games last night in the 200-meter individual medley. It was billed, the
kind of final fling between Phelps and his great rival and he's roommate here at the Rio Olympics, Ryan Lochte. They were joking around before
taking to the pool. But, when they got into that water it was very much down to business for Phelps. He powered his way to victory. So, as I said
a fourth gold of these games, 22 gold overall.
And, Isa, I loved the report by an orthopedic surgeon in the United States. He said that if Michael Phelps was to put all of those gold medals around
his neck at one go, it's the equivalent of him carrying a bowling ball and he'd be in danger of cutting off the blood supply to his arms. But, you
suspect as he gets ready to take to the pool again this evening, this time in 100 meters fly, he won't be worrying about that too much.
There's just one other note to bring you up today with from the pool last night. There was something you really, really, don't see very often at
all. It was a dead heat finish in the women's 100 meters freestyle. Simone Manuel from the United States and Penny Oleksiak of Canada both
touched the wall in an Olympic record time of 52.70 seconds.
[10:25:01] Manuel from the United States with her red, white and blue painted fingernails touching out both of them in their first Olympic games
but a fantastic story. And you think how incredibly difficult for that to happen. It's actually the only -- the second time ever in that event out
an Olympic games that you get a dead heat and two people stood on the top of the podium getting a gold medal each.
SOARES: Fantastic. Well done to them.
And Amanda, I was actually glued to the T.V., gymnastics I should say last night. Really blown away by Simone Biles floor series, talk to us about
her stunning performance.
DAVIES: Simone Biles that came up with a fantastic quote afterwards. She said, "I'm not the next Usain Bolt, I'm not the next Michael Phelps, I am
the first Simone Biles," and you suspect the only Simone Biles.
Nineteen years of age in her first Olympics. She was very much the favorite. She was unbeaten in the all rank competition since winning the
World's Championship in 2013. But despite the pressure and all the attention on her, she absolutely nailed it.
She was in second place halfway through after her least favorite of the four disciplines, the uneven bars. But, in her beam performance and then
her floor performance, she absolutely was incredible.
And I was talking to former U.S. gymnast Shannon Miller a little bit earlier. And she was saying the problem with Simone Biles is that she
makes these tricks and these tumbles look so easy, you actually forget how difficult it is, what she is performing. She beat the rest of the field by
2.1 points.
This is a sport where you're normally talking about tenths and hundredths of marks and she surpassed the rest by a whole two points. It was quite
something else. That's two golds from her so far, and potentially three more to come when the individual disciplines take place.
SOARES: Yeah, absolutely. Well done to her and to Fiji as well who did very well, I hear, with rugby sevens, the sport I've always follow.
Thanks very much, Amanda there from Rio de Janeiro.
And still head right here on the show, Cuba celebrates a major birthday for the revolutionary who changed everything. We are live for you in Havana
with the details on Castro's big day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:17] SOARES: Welcome back to the International Desk, I'm Isa Soares. Let me bring you update with the main news headlines we're following for
you this hour.
A string of bombings in Thailand left at least four people dead and dozens wounded, resorts are among 11 places that were hit and foreign tourists are
among the wounded. There's been no claim of responsibility, but police say there are no ties to international terrorism.
A British teenager who ran away to Syria last year is now believed to be dead. She was among three school girls who traveled there reportedly to
join ISIS. Her family's lawyer says they've gotten word that she died some weeks ago, we're told, in Raqqa.
A Muslim leader accused of master minding last month's failed coup in Turkey has written a new piece for the French newspaper "Le Monde".
Fethullah Gulen said he'll return to Turkey from US to face charges if an independent investigation finds evidence to prove he's guilty. He has
denied any involvement in an attempt to overthrow Turkey's government.
Donald Trump is backtracking on his comments calling U.S. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton the founders of ISIS. In a tweet on Friday
morning, he claimed he was being sarcastic and the media, specifically CNN, failed to realize that. Trump first made the ISIS comments on Wednesday
and repeated them several times on Thursday.
Let's take you to Havana now with Cuba celebrating a milestone birthday for its first famous revolutionary leader. I'm talking about of course, Fidel
Castro, who turns 90 on Saturday.
Patrick Oppmann is in Havana for us. Talk to us more about the celebration. And Patrick, how will Castro's birthday be celebrated?
Should we expecting any parades, parties and more importantly, should we expect to see him?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course, that is the big question. And if there will be a Fidel Castro sighting of any kind, that's still very
much under wraps right now, Isa. But what will begin starting this afternoon is some small scale of festivities. We're talking about concerts
in the former Cuban leader's honor. A photo exhibits speeches about his long career in politics. And, of course, when he stepped down he was the
longest serving head of state in modern history.
So, a lot to talk about there, of course. And that they're celebrating anything at all, there's something of a departure, because in the years
past when Fidel Castro was president of Cuba, he typically did not have any kind of public celebrations of his birthday, unlike other communist heads
of state. He didn't want to give at least the other reception that there is cult of personality around him here.
I think she (ph) will a little bit different because of course he is 90. And so, some of things we can expect are concerts and children singing
happy birthday even if he's not there.
And then, of course, throughout the weekend there will be a number of small scale activities. Of course, the headline here really is that Fidel
Castro, it's amazing that he's still alive because it was 10 years ago exactly, he said that he was forced to step down because of a mystery
illness, an intestinal illness. And many people then at that point said his life was hanging in the balance.
You know, looking back over his long career, of course, there were numerous assassination plots against him. The official number from the Cuban
government is over 600 assassination plots against Fidel Castro. And you know, the last time we saw Fidel Castro, which was back in April, he said
he never expected to live this long and that's probably one point that his many enemies, Isa, would agree with him on.
SOARES: Yeah, and Patrick, we were just showing footages and video of young Cubans celebration with a birthday cake, 90-year-old celebration for
Fidel Castro, just a minute ago. We know that Cuba has changed a lot, many Cubans now embracing capitalism. Do they still -- is there still an
overwhelming love of Fidel? How is he viewed there?
OPPMANN: You know, for young Cubans, it's been 10 years and he's really been out of sight. So, while they have some memories of him during their
childhood, for a long time over a decade now, he really has not been a present force here. So, on T.V. we're seeing his speeches played again,
we're seeing articles reprinted in the paper here.
But for many people, they just moved on. It is not a factor in their life. They're looking towards the future and very concerned because of course
with all the economic trouble in Cuba's socialist ally Venezuela that is affecting the economy here. Cuba gets much of its oil from Venezuela.
We're seeing less of that oil entering the country. So, people are very, very concerned. We're seeing an uptake in Cubans leaving the country for
the United States. And there's a great deal of concern.
So, whatever parties are today honoring Fidel Castro, that's very much part of the past, I think a lot of Cubans would say and not part of their
future.
SOARES: And of course, for his celebration for his 90th birthday, he will see a very different Cuba from the one he led for many, many years,
Patrick. How was life changed for ordinary Cubans, what do you say?
[10:35:05] OPPMANN: You know, we've seen so many things happen in really the last two years, almost two years with the opening up to the United
States, more Americans coming here, more Cubans being able to travel.
Raul Castro has unveiled some tender reforms that Fidel Castro frankly resisted. And Fidel Castro has been a critic of the opening with the U.S.,
but that is very, very popular here, Isa, talking critically with young Cubans. They want to have a close relations with their neighbor. They
want to have a better economy.
Fidel Castro was very much in the line that we have to be revolutionary pure even if that means we don't have cars, even if the economy is in
tatters. And more and more Cubans are looking to escape this period and try to create an economy and a country that is much more prosperous.
SOARES: Patrick Oppmann there for us in Havana, Cuba. Thanks very much, Patrick, very good to see you.
Now, to a shocking deadly hit and run in India. It was caught on camera in the capital New Delhi. What happened after the crash is even worse. But
first, a warning for you, some of the video you're about to see is very disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAORES: Security camera video shows the victim walking down the side of the road early on Wednesday when he's suddenly hit from behind by a
speeding truck. The driver stops, gets out to the vehicle, but instead of going to aid the injured man, he checks his truck for any damage and then
drives away.
Pedestrians and cars pass by, either unaware or indifferent to the man who lay bleeding on the side of the road. After some 30 minutes, a rickshaw
driver pulled over, but instead of helping, he picks up the man's mobile phone and then just leaves.
It was 90 minutes before police were finally called to the scene.
DEEPENDRA PATHAK, POLICE JOINT COMMISSIONER: Then we immediately, we took him to a hospital where he is -- he was declared brain dead.
SOARES: Police were able to track down the truck driver from the video. He's been arrested, according to local media. Delhi's Transport Minister
said he's disheartened that no one came forward to help.
SATYENDRA JAIN, NEW DELHI TRANSPORT MINISTER (through translator): People are scared. They think that helping someone could embroil them in a legal
case. I would like to tell everybody that the Supreme Court has ordered that no such person will be questioned or bothered in any way by police.
SOARES: Police say the hit and run victim was a 35-year-old security guard identified only as Matibool.
Sadly, he's become just one of more than 1 million traffic deaths in India this year. According to government data, India has the world's deadliest
roads with a fatality nearly every four minutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Shocking numbers, and we have an update for you. CNN News18, our affiliate in India, reports the truck driver has been charged with culpable
homicide and reckless driving.
Stay here with the International Desk. We'll be back after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:04] SOARES: South Korea is one of the most wired places on the planet. More than 80 percent of the countries population owns a
smartphone. But in the capital Seoul, people are being urged to use their smartphone less.
David Molko, explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zombies on a bullet train. It's this year's summer blockbuster, terrifying audiences at the South Korean box
office.
We're here on the streets of the capital. There is concern about another type of menace, someone who's oblivious to everything except their phone.
Let's face it, we've all probably done that at some point. Here, though, they've given it a name, smartphone zombie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I almost got hit by a car while using my phone crossing the road. Well, I didn't think it was such a big
deal so I keep texting while walking.
MOLKO: Distracted walking may seem like a joke, but this crash caught on a Korean dashcam proves otherwise. It's not clear how seriously he was
injured.
JIN-DONG KANG, SEOUL TRAFFIC OPERATION DEPARTMENT HEAD (through translation): Smartphone-related traffic accidents have tripled since 2010
so we decided to do something to prevent more of them from happening.
MOLKO: "Be careful of smartphones while walking," it reads. In other words, look up. The city's trying to mount in crowded spots, but it's a
working progress, Kang admits. After all, how can you spot a sign if you're too busy staring at your screen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Perhaps the signs should be bigger so they're more noticeable. I didn't notice that sign there maybe
because it is up high.
MOLKO: Seoul isn't the first city to try to tackle the ped-textrian. In China, a theme park created sidewalk lanes for texters and non-texters. In
Germany, blinking lights warn wondering walkers they're about to hit the tracks. And in Japan, one mobile network created this. A simulation of
what could happen if hundreds of people in a smartphone-inspired trance tried to make it across Tokyo's Shibuya crossing. Only 36 percent did.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Of course when I see the signs, I think I shouldn't be doing it. Because when I concentrate on the phones,
I forget about the signs.
MOLKO: That makes perfect sense says Yanzap Cho (ph), psychologist who specializes in digital addictions. Distracted walkers are getting their
own version of high (ph) with every tap, swipe and notification.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Research shows that about 15 percent of smartphone users in Korea are addicted. It's not like alcohol
or gambling. When you stop drinking, you can stop the addiction. But you can't tell people not to use their smartphones.
MOLKO: So, in today's hyper-connected world, experts say you have to ask yourself just one thing, are you willing to delay instant gratification?
Are you happy becoming just another zombie?
David Molko, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, I can tell you there's plenty of zombies, smartphone zombies, here in London including on the train.
Now, we just had a first glimpse of the trailer for the next "Star Wars" film, it was called, you know, "Rogue One." It looks like Darth Vader is
back. Right at the end of the two-minute trailer this is what you get. But blink and you'll miss it.
And that's it. That's it. That's just one deep breath from the evil one, him, obviously, not me. And the film is due out in December.
That does it here for us at the International Desk, I'm Isa Soares. World Sport is up next. Do stay right here with CNN, the world's news leader.
Have a wonderful weekend.
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[10:45:22] DAVIES: Hi, thanks for joining us. Welcome along the World Sport live from Rio with me, Amanda Davies.
On day seven of the games, the weather is letting us down a little bit today, but there is no shortage of action to get excited about with the 24
golds up for grabs. And there's no rest for Michael Phelps.
So he's right back in the pool this evening having claimed Olympic gold medal number 22, his fourth of the games so far on Thursday night.
It was another action-packed night over at the Aquatic Center. The final of the 200 meters individual medley had been billed as Phelps versus his
old rival, Ryan Lochte. They were laughing and joking before the start of the race. But when they got into the water, there was only one winner, and
that was Phelps claiming victory in the race for the fourth straight games, Lochte signing off in fifth place.
Well, the numbers just keep on stacking up for the most decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps with his 22nd Olympic gold medal, 26 overall. He's
become the first swimmer to win four straight golds in the same event.
And with his 15th individual medal he's passed, Soviet gymnast for Larisa Latynina. And he's got the chance of another later today in the 100 meters
fly, not bad for a 31-year-old who retired four years ago.
And the 12-time Olympic medalist, Dara Torres, the oldest swimmer to represent the United States as an Olympian at the age of 41. She knows
just how hard it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARA TORRES, 4-TME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: As you get older, you get smarter. You listen to your body more. When he's younger and he swam,
those eight events back in 2008, he swam boom, boom, boom, and swam no problem, had no issues recovering. But, I've heard him make some comments
that this is a little harder than I thought it was going to be. He actually swam the 100 fly prelims in the morning then came back. He had to
parade out for the 200 IM, then he had to warm down, then had his ceremonies, and then he had to -- scoot him out of the medal ceremonies and
get him in the ready room to go out.
So, he had about maybe 35 minutes between when his race was over and when he had to swim again. And that's not easy. And you can tell, it hurt him
a little bit on that first lap when he was swimming the 200 butterfly because he was in eighth place. And I was like, "Oh, my gosh, that is
Michael Phelps, he'll be fine." You know, and he ended up touching the wall either top one or two. So, he did a good job.
DAVIES: Are the other ends of this spectrum in terms of her career of course, Katie Ledecky, she's been described, I think, by Missy Franklin as
once in a lifetime. How impressed are you by what you've seen?
TORRES: That's a perfect description of her, once in a lifetime, because here you have a swimmer who's so versatile. And usually swimming is very
specific in what you swim. And so, she can swim 100 which she anchored the corner freestyle relay which is a sprint event to an 800 which is to me it
just seems like forever. You don't see that. You don't see someone swim a sprint event and also dominate in 800. So it's pretty amazing what she's
doing and I don't think you'll ever see that again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: Well, not just the pool where we've been seeing some amazing scenes but in the gymnastics hall as well. She may only be 4.8 feet but
Simone Biles is making huge waves at the games. The 19-year-old took victory in the women's all-around gymnastic competition to claim her second
gold here at Rio 2016.
Biles was the strong favorite having not lost an all-around competition since winning world champs back in 2013. She was actually in second place
at the halfway mark but stunned with her performances on the beam and the floor to win by a massive 2.1 points. This is in a sport where you're
judged on tenths and hundredths. It means she becomes the fourth American in a row to win the event.
Afterwards she came up with a great quote. "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or the next Michael Phelps. I am the first Simone Biles." And she got great
praise from America's most decorated gymnast, Shannon Miller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNON MILLER, 7-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST: She's just really good at dealing with the pressure. I don't think she lets it kind of seep into her mind
that much. To me it's very foreign because I couldn't even have imagined it tweeting before competition. I was sick to my stomach, you know,
worried about what was to come and she seems to be very relaxed.
She's a three-time world all-around champion. Unheard of, history making, nobody knew her name, and now you know, a couple times at the Olympic
games, gold medalist and everyone knows Simone Biles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: There were a whole lot of firsts for Fiji's men's rugby sevens team after they took gold in their 43 points to 7 win over team G.B., gives
Fiji its first ever medal in the first ever Olympic men's rugby sevens event.
[10:50:02] Fiji were the hot favorites having dominated the sport for the last couple of years. They had no problems getting past team G.B. They
scored seven tries along the way. A remarkable feat though for a nation where rugby sevens is a religion.
The athletics gets underway today, and I can tell you we have seen a world record at the Olympics stadium already in the 10,000 meters. The first
gold medal to be handed out at the athletic stadium, Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana, she's the young Ethiopian billed as the pretender to the throne of
Tirunesh Dibaba, the defending champion. She is not now the pretender. She has absolutely taken that throne. She smashed the world record on the
way to gold parring (ph) home 29 -- 17.45 seconds. That's nearly 14 seconds quicker than the existing world record.
Defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba took bronze. We'll have more on that. Of course, ask him when we get this. We were talking about the rugby,
though, weren't we? Fiji celebrating their first gold and Australia's women's rugby side haven't stopped celebrating either. We'll have two of
the sevens team in the studio in just a couple of minutes talking about their achievements. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DAVIES: Welcome back to World Sports in Rio. While the Fiji are just getting started in their celebrations after claiming a first Olympic gold
in the men's rugby sevens, Australia's women have had a few days to get used to their achievement. And I'm pleased to say two members of the squad
that's Alicia Quirk and Chalotte Caslick, here with me now in the studio.
Thanks so much for coming in. Great to see you. Let me start with you, Charlotte. How's the celebrations been going? You both look very well.
CHALOTTE CASLICK, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY GOLD MEDALIST: Yeah, they've been amazing. The day or the night that we won, we went and celebrated with our
family and friends altogether and it was just incredible to share that experience with them and they've been such a big part in our journey. So,
that was really special. And then, we've had kind of a couple of days off just let it sink in and then we celebrate again last night with the boys.
So, it's been a good a couple of days.
DAVIES: And it was billed was it, as a big kind of rivalry between yourselves and New Zealand. How confident were you going into it?
ALICIA QUIRK, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY GOLD MEDALIST: Throughout this past year we've been successful as we played against them, so we always had
confidence to believe in ourselves. And we know that we've done all the hard work to the Olympics and throughout the tournament that when we got
out there, we decided that we will do our best and that we will get the result that we wanted to. They've been so dominant in women's rugby for so
long and so it was so great that we were able to achieve the pinnacle of women's rugby at the moment now and take this gold medal. So, we're just
very happy that we beat such a world class team to achieve this.
[10:55:05] DAVIES: And it really shows that the investment from Australian rugby has paid off. I think both of you were part of the kind of group of
sports people who got attracted into rugby sevens when it came into the Olympics and got announced as an Olympic sport.
CASLICK: Yeah, definitely. The Olympics was the biggest drawing card that I think brought a lot of the girls over, and that .
DAVIES: What were you doing before?
CASLICK: We both played touch football previously but we've got girls from all different types of sports and the A.U. (ph) made the right decision in
centralizing us and making us professionals. So, yeah, that was a really great decision by them. And it's obviously paid off. And I think we've
made Australia proud and we hopefully have inspired a lot of girls to join the sport which will also make their decision pay off even more.
DAVIES: And you mentioned the men. What seems to be very interesting at these games the fact that the women went first. You seem very much of an
equal footing, it doesn't seem to be a sport where the men are by far leading the way.
QUIRK: Yeah, no, it's been -- the Olympic committee has been awesome in promoting the rugby sevens. Obviously, it's a new sport for both men and
women, so, the publicity see that we've received, it has been phenomenal and everything has been positive. And their having us go first is a great
way to showcase women's rugby and rugby in general and then to top it off with the men and the way that Fiji performed yesterday was great. So, and
the equality and that's been really good.
DAVIES: Thank you, Charlotte. Thank you so much for coming in and enjoy the rest of your time here in Rio.
It is a very busy day seven, 24 golds up for grab. We've seen a world record over at the athletic stadium. We'll have news of that and the rest
of today's sport throughout the day here on CNN and, of course, online.
That's for me and the team for now. Thanks for watching. The International Desk with Isa Soares is next. Goodbye.
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