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At Least 241 People Killed In Powerful Quake; Gunmen Kill 13 At American University In Kabul; Underground Forces Battle ISIS In Mosul; Donald Trump Courting Minority Voters; Earth-Like Planet Found Orbiting Neighboring Star
Aired August 25, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead at the "International Desk." The search for earthquake survivors in Italy. France's Prime Minister says the
burqini is a symbol of enslavement. And Donald Trump calls Hillary Clinton a bigot.
Hi there, welcome. I'm Robyn Curnow at the CNN center. Thanks so much for joining me. And the pressure is certainly on in central Italy to find
survivors 36 hours after that devastating earthquake. We've seen some amazing rescues that still prove there is hope, like this one, a little
girl pulled from the rubble in Pescara del Toronto. Just look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS: (Foreign Language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: The little girl had been trapped for hours, but we're not sure of her condition right now. And then there was this rescue the day of the
quake. Did you remember this? You see a woman there trapped under a collapsed building as a rescue worker tries to comfort her. Well, here she
is a day later, bruised but free from the rubble and recovering.
So the death toll now stands at 241 people. Our Fred Pleitgen is in the hard hit town of Amatrice near the quake's epicenter. Hi there, I know
that you have been experiencing these aftershocks, how is that impacting on the rescues?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's making the rescue much more difficult, Robyn. And some of these aftershocks I can
tell you are quite severe. We had one, let's say about an hour and a half ago, when literally all the buildings, of course many of which are already
damaged, started shaking again. And we could basically not walk anymore as that aftershock was going on, it was quite violent. And what happened in
that aftershock, apparently, is that another building here in Amatrice also collapsed.
Now, what you have to keep in mind is that as all this is happening, there are rescue crews who are still working inside some of these damaged
buildings and of course they then make a run for it as fast as possible. But of course, they are working under a lot of threat at this point in time
as at least time that I've been here in the past two days.
We've had dozens of aftershocks. Some of the not too strong but the most recent one that we witnessed was very strong. And of course, aftershocks
also reduce the likelihood that you're going to find people alive underneath the rubble there. The time, of course, is running anyway very
quickly to try and find people alive. The authorities here saying, it's about a 72-hour window after disaster like this happens, we're about 36
hours since it happens, so the authorities know that they are in a race against time but it is very much being hampered by these aftershocks making
it very difficult, Robyn.
CURNOW: And very difficult as you can see the condition of that city, that village where you are. I mean, there's basically nothing left of this
medieval village of -- there were some very, very old buildings which didn't seem to just collapse, Fred, they crumbled, they turned to powder by
the looks of those images. Let's just describe what it looks like?
PLEITGEN: Yeah. I mean, you're absolutely right. A lot of them do just crumble. There are some newer buildings in this town as well, some of them
actually have collapsed as well. But then those really ancient ones and some of them are between five and 600 years old. The city that fell is
about 1,000 years old. And those are just absolutely reduced to dust in a matter of seconds when something like this happens.
And it's interesting also when these aftershocks happen, you do have a lot of dust that just rises into the air. So you can see how these buildings
literally are just crumbling. And of course, with the way that these buildings crumble, that also makes it very difficult to try and find any
sort of survivors in there. And you can really see how the people here who are working the search and rescue crews, using their bare hands, using pick
axes to try and get through some of that rubble hoping to find people who might still be alive.
The other thing that they're also using on a large scale is search and rescue dogs because they say that's one of the most reliable and best ways
to find people who are buried in very deep in the rubble and were even, in technical matters, won't be able to be as good as, for instance, the dogs.
It's been very difficult and you're absolutely right, the way that these buildings have crumbled, also makes surviving for the people who were
inside them much more difficult and much less likely.
CURNOW: Yeah, historic old city, historic old buildings in many ways becoming death traps. Thank you so much Fred Pleitgen, appreciate it.
Well, coping with the aftermath is hard enough for the adults, but the impact on children can be even more traumatic. That's why the group "Save
the Children" is setting up child-friendly bases in the earthquake zone.
We're joined now by the group's deputy director for Italy, Daniela Fatarella, on the phone from Amatrice.
Daniela, hi, thanks for joining us. We were just playing images of a little girl who was rescued late yesterday, how difficult has it been for
hospitals and for you to identify many of these children still in their pajamas? The case, in point, with this little girl is that there's
conflicting information on her age and her name. How common is that?
DANIELA FATARELLA, "SAVE THE CHILDREN" DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Well, I mean, of course it is a very complicated situation, you see these protection and all
the people involved in rescuing these children, families do really know what is their job. So they are really doing their best.
And of course, the very first thing is really to save lives. But at "Save the Children," we went immediately there because we also know that there is
a lot of post-trauma that we have to take care of. Because especially the children, they are very much traumatized. They have been woken up in the
middle of the night. They have escaped their houses. Eventually, they have lost their family members so they need as far as possible to come back
with a sense of normality.
CURNOW: What exactly -- you say, you're setting up child-friendly zones in this area. What exactly does that mean?
FATARELLA: Yeah. It's hard on this place. Actually, there is a tent where we will deliver recreational and educational activities. It is
really a safe place where children can be kept and they can play with professional educators and it's a way through game and so playing that they
just come back to normality and to start deliberating their trauma.
Also, it is a very special place to give families and parents a really happy to leave children in this place and they can really take care of all
the activities and the very difficult things that they have to think of in this very crucial moment. So it is also relief for families themselves.
CURNOW: We know 241 people have died in this quake. There have been report that a lot of them are children. Do we know the number of child
fatalities? Also, how injured, how many are missing still?
FATARELLA: Well, actually we don't have numbers of children who died. Unfortunately, we know that there are many children that have been affected
and many of them, they have also lost their family members or relatives. So, I mean, this is really a double tragedy and this is the reason why it's
so important that we keep children away from televisions, that we try not to make them remember and see a lot of images of what they have done, and
that we really bring in safe places to where they can restart, re- experience a kind of normality.
And this is why we actually are running our very first child-friendly space in Amatrice. This will be in the sport field where they see this
protection as created by the camp. But that we are also assessing the other area especially accumulated to see as soon as possible to start
another child-friendly space.
CURNOW: Daniela Fatarella from "Save the Children." Thanks so much.
Well, to Afghanistan now where the end of the school day at the American university in Kabul was met with explosions and gunfire on Wednesday. By
the time it was all over, 13 people were dead, dozens were wounded. While the battle raged on, frightened students huddled in corridors waiting for
it to end. Alexandra Field has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A campus under attack. The first week of the fall semester stopped at the American University of Afghanistan.
FAHIM AHMAD, ATTACK SURVIVOR: There was smoke and fire. And suddenly the windows of our classroom just shattered. And there was blood everywhere.
So, we panicked. There was screaming and shouting and crying.
FIELD: Thirteen people are killed, seven of them students. Thirty more injured during a 10-hour siege. First, a suicide bomber dies in a car
blast, then two attackers get on to the Kabul campus, setting off explosives and firing shots.
NAQIB ULAH, ATTACK SURVIVOR, (through translation): The insurgents threw hand grenades at us but we covered ourselves under the desks in order to
save ourselves from shrapnel. Then we all jumped down from the window of the second floor and escaped.
FIELD: One of the best universities in the region, they have done safety drills to prepare for the worst, measures that may have save lives.
AHMAD HUSAIN, ATTACK SURVIVOR, (through translation): We were at the gym inside the university when the attack took place. There's a safe room
inside the men's fitness club. We all stayed there until 1:30 a.m., then the security forces came in and rescued us.
FIELD: Last year, the campus shut down in the face of threats. A few weeks ago, it suspended operations after an American and Australian
professor were kidnapped at gunpoint. There's no word on either of them.
With mostly foreign teachers and a majority of Afghan students, the school is a symbol of American and Afghan cooperation. The deadly attack now
another sign of mounting violence in the country, even more destruction.
AHMAD MUKHTAR, ATTACK SURVIVOR: They are the enemy of Afghanistan. They are the enemy of education. They are the enemy of the bright future of
this country.
FIELD: 750 students were on campus when the attackers stormed it. Doctors are helping injured students at a Kabul hospital. They don't know when
they can return to school. Some aren't sure whether they will.
Alexandra Field, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: We take you now to Northern Iraq where Iraq's military is reporting a victory in its slow and steady fight against ISIS. It says
counterterrorism forces have recaptured the town of Qayyara inflicting big losses on ISIS and bringing them closer to Mosul, the largest Iraqi city
still in the Islamic extremist group hands.
Well, CNN's Arwa Damon has gotten extremely rare access to a secret team of anti-ISIS fighters, they're awaiting the army's arrival. She joins me now.
Hi there Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Robyn. And as you can imagine, it's very difficult to really determine and understand exactly
what is happening within ISIS-held Mosul. But we have been able to piece together a fair amount of information about this organization that is
already making what they describe as a fairly significant stance against ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: Operating deep within the shadows of ISIS territory in Mosul is a network so secretive even its own members do not know each other's
identities. The letter "M" spray painted on Mosul's walls, M for Muqawama, the resistance. The message to ISIS, "We are here. We are among you."
The Mosul battalions watch for weaknesses in ISIS defenses, carrying out hit and run operations or waiting for a moment to strike isolated targets,
like this checkpoint on the outskirts of the city. This man is Abu Ali, one of their liaisons.
How did the Mosul battalions even managed to initially organize themselves?
ABU ALI, MOSUL BATTALION LIAISON, (through translation): It started as two friends who trust each other, and they would arrange to target ISIS in a
particular point.
DAMON: The same happened elsewhere. And by the end of 2014, the Mosul battalions had formed. Their weapons are basic, what they found and hid in
the city or what they snatched from ISIS.
ALI (through translation): The roadside bombs they use, they would steal from ISIS. ISIS puts bombs in certain areas. And those who have previous
military experience would go on and steal those bombs and place them where they target ISIS.
DAMON: They operate in two to three-man cell, independent of one another. No cell knows specifically of another. No fighter knows the names of more
than two others.
Abu Ali calls his nephew (ph) and said it's with the battalions in Mosul. He's speaking from an orchard just outside of the city. Talking on the
phone is punishable by death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translation): We carry out assassinations. No preparation against senior ISIS members. We target the houses they live
in.
DAMON: The distorted voice in this video says they assassinated an ISIS fighter. The images then show what they say is the dead man's I.D., pistol
and suicide belt. And Abu Ali says, they are providing through intermediaries, intelligence and coordinates to the coalition.
Here the aftermath of a strike they say was based on their information. And they are waiting for what they call zero hour, distributing leaflets
warning ISIS, its end is coming. They are ready, ready for the day the Iraqi Army breach the system and they rally the people to rise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: And part of that effort to rally the population is actually going to be undertaken by a different organization, Robyn, one that calls itself
the peace battalion. Their main role is going to be to try to secure the population, but also to prevent chaos and looting like what we saw in
Baghdad in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion. Because even though, everyone, who we've spoken to said that they want to see ISIS out of the
city, they of course want to try to mitigate the damage when it comes to potential loss of human life, but also actual damage to the city itself.
CURNOW: Arwa, thanks so much, great reporting there.
Well you're watching CNN. And Donald Trump has so far been tough on illegal immigration in the U.S. But now, he's softening his stance, so is
he. We'll look what's behind the change.
Plus, what not to wear to the beach according to the French authorities. The latest on the burqini debate is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump is making a concerted effort to reach out to African-American and Latino voters, two groups that
have been giving Trump incredibly unfavorable ratings. Now, at this hour he's hosting a round table on race and immigration issues.
Well, let's get straight to the campaign trail. Sara Murray joins us from Tampa, Florida.
Hi there Sara. I mean, what can he say to try and win over these groups?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, it's been interesting to see how Donald Trump has changed his tone. Remember, he won over so many voters in
the Republican primary with his tough stance on immigration. Now, it appears that he's pivoting in the general election, really watering down
that talk, suggesting he might let millions of undocumented immigrants stay in the U.S. And Hillary Clinton is watching this play out, doing
everything she can to say, this is not a pivot and to paint Trump as an extremist right wing candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They'll pay back taxes. They have to pay taxes. There's no amnesty as such. There's no amnesty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
TRUMP: But we work with them.
MURRAY: Donald Trump suggesting a major reversal on the hard line immigration proposal he's touted since the start of his campaign.
TRUMP: Everybody agrees we get the bad ones out, but when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people in this subject and I had very
strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me and they have said, "Mr. Donald Trump, I love you. But to take a person that's
been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr. Trump." I mean, I have it all the time. It's a very, very hard
thing.
MURRAY: Backtracking on his tough talk of using a deportation force to round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.
TRUMP: I would get people out and I would have an expedited way of getting them back into the country so they can be legal. They are illegal
immigrants. They got to go out. At some point, we're going to try getting them back, the good ones.
MURRAY: Now, he appeared to be considering deporting those with criminal records while allowing other undocumented immigrants who pay back taxes to
stay in the country. Remarkably similar to the plans his Republican opponents pushed during the primary.
MARCO RUBIO, (R) U.S. SENATOR: I don't think you're going to round up and deport 12 million people?
JED BUSH, FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: You pay taxers. You don't receive federal government assistance. You earn legal status, not citizenship.
MURRAY: Plans that Trump criticized back when he was fighting to win the Republican nomination.
TRUMP: They're weak people. Marco Rubio is in favor of amnesty.
MURRAY: Trump's minority voter outreach, inspiring him to lob one of his sharpest attacks against his opponent.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton is a bigot, who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future.
MURRAY: As Clinton turns the line of attack around on Trump, previewing the Trump take down she's set to deliver in Reno today.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He is taking a hate movement mainstream. He's brought it into his campaign. You know, someone who's
questioned the citizenship of the first African-American president, who has courted white supremacists, who's been sued for housing discrimination
against communities of color, is someone who is, you know, very much peddling bigotry and prejudice and paranoia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: Now, Donald Trump's Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway was just on CNN downplaying any changes to Trump's approach to immigration saying that
his policy hasn't change at all. One thing is clear there is certainly a lot of confusion now about where Donald Trump stands in one of his key
issues, Robyn.
CURNOW: Let's talk about what happened yesterday, Sara. Mr. Trump was joined by Britain's former right leader, Nigel Farage. Now, Trump seems to
really embrace the Brexit theme. How much do the voters of Mississippi know about Brexit and Farage?
MURRAY: Well, I'm not sure if so much that the voters in Mississippi are particularly concerned about Brexit or the implications of Brexit. But,
when all of these was happening, Donald Trump sort of grasped this as a movement that was playing out abroad, that's also playing out in the U.S.,
the notion that an outsider could come in and break the system and could rise to power. And at the time, even though Donald Trump himself admitted
he knew relatively little about Brexit before it happened, he embraced this notion and said we're going to pull off something similar in the U.S. I
think that was the message he was hoping to bring to Mississippi with him last night.
CURNOW: Sara Murray, as always, thanks so much keeping eye there on the Trump campaign. Thank you.
Well, Hillary Clinton is easing up a bit on her reluctance to do interviews. The Democratic presidential candidate spoke Wednesday night to
CNN's Anderson Cooper. She answered questions by phone about her opponent and of course her e-mail controversy.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CLINTON: I've been asked many, many questions in the past year about e- mails and what I've learned is that when I try to explain what happened, it can sound like I'm trying to excuse what I did. And there are no excuses.
I want people to know that the decision to have a single e-mail account was mine, I take responsibility for it. I have apologized for it. I would
certainly do differently if I could. But obviously, I'm grateful the justice department concluded there was no basis to pursue this matter
further.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well U.S. government investigated Clinton for using a private e- mail server while serving as secretary of state but decided not to charge her. As for her lack of press conferences, Clinton says stay tuned.
Now, to controversy in France as several cities banned the burqini. A patrol in Nice ordered this woman to remove her swim wear right there on
the beach. That's grabbed amount of attention on social media.
Today, the French Prime Minister called the burqini a symbol of enslavement. And Sadiq Khan, London's first mayor, Muslim mayor, had this
to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADIQ KHAN, LONDON MAYOR: I'm a proud feminist. I've seen over the last few decades the amount of campaigning women in my country have done and
around the world to ensure women have rights to choose what they study, to choose themselves what work they do, to choose themselves what happens to
their body, and to choose themselves what they wear or don't wear. And I don't think anybody should tell women what they wear or they shouldn't
wear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well, a top French court is considering a challenge to these laws today. Our Jim Bittermann joins us now with the latest from Paris.
So is there a growing backlash?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I think so, in a way. I mean, the fact is that if they're going to do
surveys on this, Robyn, they found that about 65 percent of French are opposed the wearing of the burqinis, as they're called, a kind of a tunic
with a head scarf or something like that on the beaches of France.
Having said that, the arguments that are being presented this afternoon, in fact, the Conseil d'Etat, that's the highest administrative court in
France, has just ended its hearings this afternoon. They were listening to arguments from the league of human rights and from an Islamic federation
against these bans that have been now instigated by about 30 mayors in different towns across the coast of France.
And basically their arguments are that this is ridiculous, you can't ban these articles of clothing on this basis on the fact that they might
present a threat to the public order. This is what the mayors are saying. And in fact, they've been not been able to offer any proof that there's
been a threat to the public order. But things are very sensitive here in France ever since especially those attacks in the south coast of France in
Nice on July 14th that killed 86 people, Robyn.
CURNOW: Heated, sensitive. So then the question is what happens next? How is this debate resolved?
BITTERMANN: Well, I think it's going to come to an end tomorrow as a matter of fact because the Conseil d'Etat promises a verdict tomorrow
afternoon about this same time. And as a consequence, when that verdict comes down, these mayors are either going to be permitted to forbid this
kind of beach wear or they are going to be allowed to proceed with their decrees and do the kind of thing that we saw on various videos of the
police arresting women on the beach and telling them to either take their clothes off or leave the beach. Robyn?
CURNOW: The Prime Minister said this is a symbol of enslavement even if there's some sort of administerial resolution. How poisonous has this
become and has it made the atmosphere worse in France?
BITTERMANN: Well, it's been poisonous even for the Prime Minister's own cabinet. There are now two cabinet members who voice opposition to what
the Prime Minister had to say, where he just say, the government here is divided on exactly how the government should proceed on this issue. So,
it's a very divisive issue all across the country.
And I think that one of the things we've seen just this afternoon is that, some of the ministers are saying, look, let's just back off and bring this
issue under control by not paying any attention to it. We're putting too much emphasis on it in the media and whatnot. And so, some ministers are
not wanting to talk about the issue at all.
It's a really divisive issue, and I think everybody knows it's a real hot potato the longer that it's talked about. But we'll see what the Conseil
d'Etat court rules tomorrow afternoon and what that brings for the various mayors who tried to forbid the beach wear on the various beaches. Robyn.
CURNOW: In Paris, Jim Bitterman, thanks so much.
You're watching CNN. Still ahead, amazing rescues after the earthquake in central Italy. But, how long can victims hang on before they are beyond
help. We'll take a look after the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Welcome to the "International Desk," I'm Robyn Curnow. Here's a check of the headlines. Search and rescue continues in central Italy after
an earthquake that's killed at least 241 people. Heavy equipment is now reaching remote areas and should be at the process. But it's been more
than 36 hours since disaster struck and chances of finding more survivors are diminishing.
At least 13 people were killed Wednesday in an attack on an American university in Kabul Afghanistan. Many of the dead were students. Police
say gunmen stormed the campus, opening fire and setting up explosives. Police killed two gunmen and a third blew himself up.
A peace deal has been reached between the Colombian government and Farc rebels in a 50-year insurgency. It took nearly four years of talking for
negotiations to come to an agreement. The Colombian people must still sign off on the deal in a referendum next month.
And the struggle to find quake survivors in Italy is growing more intense by the hour. The digging continues, but a person trapped in the rubble can
only survive for so long. Well, Chad Myers has more on that.
Hi, Chad. How long can a human being survive? I mean, it's all about body temperature, isn't it?
CHAD MYERS, CNN WEATHER EXPERT: Sure, it's about body temperature, it's about water, but it's also about oxygen, depending on what the person is
breathing if the room has any ventilation at all. Because you can only really hold your breath for about three to five minutes, but you can go
three to five days without water. And somewhere between three to five weeks without food up to eight weeks in some circumstances if you have
plenty of water. So really, the number that we're going to look for now is three to five because we don't think that many of the people that are
trapped would have water unless there was something by their bedside and they're still in that area.
So, those are the numbers that we're truly looking for. Sometimes when we get significant amounts of rain, and I know this seems counter productive,
but significant rain can actually help survivors drink the rain water as it trickles into the broken buildings. So that can prolong life too there.
It's not going to be hot. We're going to have nice mild temperatures, temperatures in the middle 20s, morning low temperatures somewhere around
13. Well, that's chilly, but that is not like being immersed in water that is probably, you know, 20 degrees centigrade and all of a sudden you're
losing body temperature.
Bodies will be able to be warmed up. A lot of these things and a lot of these areas, although the heat is not on, the sun will be out all day long.
And even when you -- if you live or visit Italy, most people there don't have air conditioning anyway. They will close the house up in the
sunshine, in daytime, keep the heat out in the summer and then at night, open the windows, open up the big shutters. And that allow the cool air
in. So that's their kind of natural heat, because of how the homes are built, how they're made of such stone, the stone holds heat during the day
and it radiates it back through at night. So in the morning low temperatures somewhere around 12 to 14 degrees, Robyn.
CURNOW: And so what you're saying is that we still have a window hope which is why there is so much urgency with these rescues. Let's just talk
about the geography. I mean, we've heard about the ring of fire in the pacific. But Europe also has these very dangerous fault lines.
MYERS: You know, any time, Robyn, that two plates come together you will get earthquakes. And, you know, and we talk about the earthquakes in
Afghanistan and anywhere up along the top of the world, up near Mt. Everest and K2. Those are huge earthquakes, those mountains were created because
of plates crashing together in the first place and that's where the earthquakes are.
So we have the African plate and the Eurasian plate and it's right through the Apennines. That's really where the Apennine Mountains came from.
That's why there's an Italy at all is because of the clash right there.
And now there's also something else that I can talk to, yet to about the aftershocks. We're going to see the aftershocks diminish here along this
front. And as the one quake was a 6.2, then we had a 5.5, but our aftershocks are getting less and less. We just had about a 4.3 an hour
ago.
And that's enough to rattle your nerves. Certainly rattle your feelings and rattle what's going on in your mind when you're standing on top of a
building trying to get someone out and all of the sudden you're in fact being shaken by the earthquake itself or by another aftershock. A 4.3 is a
pretty good rocking shock on itself. Maybe not an aftershock, you know, in some spots that could be considered an earthquake, certainly the 5.5
aftershock was as good as an earthquake. Robyn.
CURNOW: Yeah. I now see there on the ground Fred Pleitgen saying .
MYERS: Yeah.
CURNOW: . you know, they definitely felt that one. Chad Myers, thanks so much.
MYERS: You're welcome.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CURNOW: All this week, CNN's Freedom Project is looking into sex trafficking in Canada's indigenous communities. Many of the young people
who fall victim to traffickers come from remote villages. Well, in our latest report, CNN's Paula Newton travels to a healing lodge for survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The location is hidden. This is meant to be a safe house. The natural setting evokes peace and a
sense of freedom. For months, this rural healing lodge has sheltered Lauren Chopek and cradles her with the love and protection she so needed.
LAUREN CHOPEK, SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: It's really important because if I didn't come here I probably would have died or something. I remember
waking up some mornings like this really is painful. I'm not in a crappy unsafe place in a city somewhere. But I can like look outside and hear all
the birds, well, peaceful.
NEWTON: Just 14 when she arrived, Lauren had already survived a lifetime of pain. An emotionally troubled child, Lauren would at times run away
from home. Eventually, she fell victim to sexual exploitation and trafficking on the streets of Winnipeg. The breaking point came when
Lauren went missing for nine days, lured to a hotel by an older man.
CHOPEK: I'm pretty sure I was telling him I was like 20. People used to believe me when I would say I was 20 years old. I don't know -- when I
think about that, I was only 14. I looked like a freaking child.
NEWTON: It's only now, five years later, she realizes how vulnerable she was.
CHOPEK: When you experience sexual abuse, it's really confusing. You never know if it's your fault or is it theirs.
NEWTON: Lauren blamed herself, and that made healing that much more difficult.
CHOPEK: Before I moved here, I used to blame myself. And even during time I was living here, I used to blame myself, everything. I would say I let
them do that to me. I'm dirty, it's my fault.
NEWTON: But here at the healing lodge, named "Hands Off Mother Earth" or "HOME," Lauren says she truly came to understand that she was a victim.
HOME helped her connect with indigenous culture and promoted a spiritual path of healing that no one had ever shown her before.
CHOPEK: When you look at yourself and all you see is bad. Someone else will look at you and all I see is good. This was like my safe place.
These staffs were like my family.
NEWTON: Diane Redsky is the executive director of Ma Mawi, the charity that conceived of and runs HOME. She said the fact that indigenous youth
comprise the majority of sex trafficking victims in Manitoba means rehabilitation programs need a special cultural and spiritual focus.
DIANE REDSKY, MA MAWI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The indigenous community is really rising up and has been the leaders in the forefront on the healing
that needs to happen on looking at the prevention pieces and supporting victims. And there's a very unique way to support victims. It's not to
criminalize them anymore or to victimize them anymore than they already have been. It really is, as we say, loving them back to help.
NEWTON: When she was here, Lauren embraced a traditional indigenous spirit name. She is "Striking eagle." And she says she is starting to believe in
what that name stands for, a person who will leave a mark on this earth.
Paula Newton, CNN, in Vero, Manitoba.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well, tomorrow you'll hear from a prosecutor and others fighting for justice for the victims of sex trafficking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no question that this is a very difficult area to prosecute for a whole number of reasons.
NEWTON: This year, she successfully prosecuted 46-year-old Darrell Ackman, sentenced to 15 years for living off the avails of prostitution, making
child pornography and sexual assault. Seven victims came forward, five of them children, two committed suicide before a verdict was even reached.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: More tomorrow on our Freedom Project series, an important series, "Canada's Stolen Daughters," only on CNN. We'll be back after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: Did you ever gaze at the heavens and wonder whether we're alone in all that space? Scientists say they've discovered a new place to look for
clues. A rocky planet dubbed Proxima b orbits the nearest star outside our solar system, not slightly larger than earth. And if there is an
atmosphere, it might have similar temperatures, but maybe a little warmer. That makes it suitable for liquid water to exist on the surface without
evaporating. So, if Proxima b has water, it could be a tantalizing target in the search for alien life.
And the controversial pesticide they used to kill mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus in the U.S. is now raising major concerns. Here's why. Some of
the chemical has been linked to behavioral issues in children and could be harmful to unborn children. But health officials insist the pesticide is
safe. Our Elizabeth Cohen explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zika is spreading in south Florida and the stakes are high. When pregnant women become infected with the virus,
their babies can be born with devastating birth defects. That's why health authorities have sprayed a pesticide from airplanes, to kill the mosquitoes
that carry Zika. But there's concern that the chemical being sprayed called naled may also be harmful to unborn babies.
BARRY RYAN, FLORIDA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, EMORY UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: It's essentially a neurotoxin and can result in unborn children in
particular having neurodevelopmental problems.
COHEN: The European Union has banned naled insecticide.
And in Puerto Rico where Zika has been rampant, people have demonstrated against naled, a type of organophosphate. The mayor of San Juan filed a
lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Controlled to prevent spraying saying, "There have been recent findings linking the presence of
organophosphate and behavior problems in babies whose mothers were exposed to this type of chemical during their pregnancy."
The CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency saying naled is safe and the best option for killing these mosquitoes. The CDC points out that
naled has been used extensive for years in the United States. That just two tablespoons are used over the size of a football field. "This small
amount does not pose a health risk to people," according to the CDC.
So who's right? Will naled help stop babies from developing birth defects or could it harm them? Experts say dozens of studies have shown that when
pregnant women are exposed to naled, their children are more likely to develop behavior problems. But for the most part, those studies were done
in agricultural areas where families live near spraying for many years. They say the risks are much smaller in Florida, but the Zika sprayings have
been done only four times.
Dr. Barry Ryan at Emory University has done some of that research and he supports the spraying.
RYAN: Zika is a real problem. Children who suffered from this would not be able to cope with real world. They will never recover from this.
COHEN: He said now naled tends to carry risk but not nearly as big as the risk posed by Zika.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Thanks to Elizabeth for that report. Well, that does it for us here at "International Desk." Thanks for joining me. I'm Robyn Curnow.
World Sport is next.
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RHIANNON JONES, CNN WORLD SPORT REPORTER: Hello and welcome to CNN World Sport. I'm Rhiannon Jones live from London.
Not long now before Champions League group stage action returned. About 32 teams will be drawing in the Monaco in just 90 minutes from now.
A big day for Leicester City as they get ready to make their debut in Europe's elite club competition. The fairytale continues of Claudio
Ranieri's men after they made history last season becoming premier league champions for the very first time.
And it's good use for the sign currently on top of the primary league. Manchester City made sure of their place in the draw after strolling to
victory over Steaua Bucharest in the playoffs. After last week's five nail thrashing in Romania, Joe Hart was virtually a spectator at the Etihad
stadium. And what was his first, and probably, his last appearance for the club this season as city have in the last hour completed signing Claudio
Bravo from Barcelona.
Fabian Delph's second half headed the only goal off the game on Wednesday. (inaudible) he's not across from close range. That was the feel of 6-0 of
aggregate victory. The Pep Guardiola's men.
Well, here is what we can expect from Monaco later, 32 teams are drawn from four parts of eight clubs. Teams from the same country can't play each
other in the group stage.
The Spanish dominance of European football continues with four teams from Spain in the draw. And the Spanish side has won five of the last eight
tournaments. A strong presence too from Germany with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the two obviously a team to look at for. The England
also has four teams in the draw with Leicester drawing from a very tough part one.
One of the club's desperate for Champion's League success this season is Paris Saint-Germain. The league earth club has an incredible season last
year picking up a domestic clean sweep and finishing an astonishing 31 points ahead of second place Lyon. But, what they're really after this
season is a European title. And AFP Sports Correspondent Tom Williams told me earlier why it is just so important to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM WILLIAMS, AFP SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: When the Qatari office took over back in 2011, the first stage of the project, the buzz word that always
club owners use was domestic domination. That's been achieved. The next stage is making PSG a real force in Europe. And while they are a feared
team in the Champions League, they've not yet made that breakthrough to get into the last four, to get into a final, and that's what they're aiming to
do this season
JONES: Which is specifically why they've hired Unai Emery, presumably, because he certainly has pedigree in European competition. Will he be the
man for the job?
WILLIAMS: Well, he's basic been hired to winning more match. I mean, you look at what Laurent Blanc did over his time of PSG, the last two seasons,
clean sweep in France all four domestic trophies but they kept going on in the Champion's League and the quarterfinals.
Unai Emery fantastic Europe league pedigree with Sevilla three-time champions, but he's never actually got to the quarterfinals in the
Champions League with any of his previous clubs. So, for him to surpass this, what Laurent Blanc did to PSG, he'll have to surpass his previous
achievements in the competition.
Certainly, you look at the way that Sevilla have dominated the Europe league recently. He's clearly well-placed to have a crack at the
Champion's League. But can he get the place he's inherited from Blanc to go one step further that they've done previously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Tom Williams there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has heavily criticized the decision not to allow any Russians to compete in Rio Paralympics next month. He was
speaking at the Kremlin earlier as he welcomed home those athletes who were allowed to compete and the games just gone. Russian's track and field
team, they remember, was excluded as well other athletes following a scandal over a state-sponsored doping program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Decision to disqualify our Paralympics athletes is outside the law, morality and
humanity. It is simply cynical to take it out on those for whom sports have become the meaning of life, on those who inspire hope and faith in
their powers for millions of people with disabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Still ahead, news on when Roger Federer hopes to next compete after tennis major. And why Steffi Graf calls Serena Williams an all-time great.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: We're back in series Formula One which returns this week and after an Olympic break. And Lewis Hamilton is starting the second half of the
season on the back third. His Mercedes team said it is likely he'll suffer a great penalty for Sunday's Belgium Grand Prix. The penalty would see
Hamilton demotion to at least 10 grid places. It's been looming over the world champion after he encountered a host of engine problems during the
early rounds of this season.
Monday sees the final tennis major of the season swing into action at the U.S. Open. One man who won't be there though is, of course, Roger Federer.
But some good news from the 17-time Grand Slam winner, he says he's aiming to be fit for next year's Australian Open. The 35-year-old's been out of
action since late July after injury wiped out the last half of his 2016 season. His last match was Wimbledon semifinal loss.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams will be looking to break Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam titles at the USA. Steffi Graf sat down for a rare interview
with our Don Riddell for our monthly tennis show Open Court. She said it's Serena's determination that makes her strive to be the best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: It's that powerful forehand that has helped Steffi Graf become an international superstar. There's no
question the 22-time Grand Slam champion still has an aura on court.
Steffi Graf won all of the Grand Slam tournaments multiple times. In 1998, she even won all four in the same year plus the Olympic gold. She's the
only woman in history to complete a golden slam. Graf now shares the open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles title with Serena Williams.
Serena Williams has been playing very well, lately.
STEFFI GRAF, 22-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Yes.
RIDDELL: The U.S. Open .
GRAF: No, not only lately it's been a time.
RIDDELL: Forever. Forever, right?
GRAF: Yeah.
RIDDELL: How has she changed tennis and women support in general?
GRAF: I think, you know, she's been unbelievable. She's been amazing to watch. I mean, if you think about it, she's been around for, you know,
over 20 years. And to have a career and to play at the level that she's been playing is pretty unbelievable. I have so much respect.
RIDDELL: How will you feel if Serena passes your record, either at the U.S. Open this year or next year?
GRAF: I'm happy for her. I'm excited for her. I think it's cool that records are being broken. It's what they're there for. It's been
phenomenal to the sport of tennis. It's been great to watch and I hope she does break it.
RIDDELL: Serena's strongest rival this season has been Germany's Angelique Kerber, the two has beaten each other in the Grand Slam finals this year.
Kerber won the Australian Open and Serena won Wimbledon.
GRAF: I've gotten to know her a little bit. Over the years, she's come through Adidas program to Las Vegas where we have a little tennis camp.
And she is physically really strong. She's a really hard worker. Sometimes, though, I felt like that she wasn't quite believing enough in
herself. You could see that how sometimes that would change during a match. She's gotten stronger mentally and I think that makes a big
difference.
RIDDELL: How far do you think she can go?
GRAF: Hey, I mean, she's been in the finals. She won Australian Opens. She can do it all.
RIDDELL: Graf says that during the Grand Slams, the T.V. at home has turned to tennis. She'll have plenty of storylines to watch as Serena
Williams tries to break the record they now share. And Angelique Kerber tries to add another Grand Slam title to her breakthrough year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: That's all for this edition of World Sport. I'm Rhiannon Jones in London.
"Connect the World with Becky Anderson" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
