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NEWS STREAM

Maduro Wins Valenzuela Elections; Trump Demands DOJ Probe Of FBI; U.S. And China Trade War On Hold; Raising Tension In South China Sea; Another School Shooting In The U.S.; Surge In Birth On Rohingya Rape Victims; World Headlines; Kilauea Volcano Erupted Twice Over The Weekend; Defection or Abduction?; CNN's Icons; Space Ambitions. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired May 21, 2018 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream."

Another six years, Nicolas Maduro claims victory in Venezuela's election as the country wades through economic misery.

Justice Department intervention, Donald Trump demands an investigation into whether his presidential campaign was spied on for political reasons.

And a new volcanic threat, Kilauea throws yet another hazard at residents in Hawaii.

Well, the U.S. has labeled this a sham election, but Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, is celebrating after he was declared the winner of Sunday's

presidential poll. While Mr. Maduro held a victory rally in the capital Caracas, his main rival saw the presidency said there were hundreds of

complaints about election violations, but Mr. Maduro says he's the clear winner with 68 percent of the vote. He's promised to rescue the country

from its economic hardship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): Today, I am a president with more experience. I am a human being more prepared. I swear

to you I will fulfill my promise and will dedicate myself entirely to recover the economic growth, to heal our economy, to prosecute criminal

mafias. You will see me throughout the country, in the streets, to activate the motors of the economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Let's get the very latest now from Caracas. Our Paula Newton is there for us. Paula, it was widely expected that Nicolas Maduro would win a

second term, but considering that Venezuela is on the verge of economic collapse, its people suffering, how was he re-elected?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the question here is that residual base and the number to remember is the turnout of 46 percent, so low. I

mean the last time we had a presidential election in 2013 it was 80 percent. Some international observers doubt whether or not 46 percent

actually came out. I can tell you from some of the polling stations I was at, they were nominally empty.

But again, there is that residual support, Anna, of people wondering it could get worse and they just want to stay with Maduro especially given the

campaign of intimidation that has just intensified in the last year here Anna. We have seen people the opposition officially boycotted this

election, the mainstream opposition. But even those protesters who were on the streets clamoring for change last year have been intimidated into

silence.

Many of them have left the country. Others say that they have been harassed by the intelligence services and that is really the atmosphere which was

around this very underwhelming election, Anna. I can't tell you how quiet it was here in Caracas yesterday. Now, the other thing to point out here

are irregularities. The principal opposition leader, Henri Falcon, pointed to the fact that throughout the country he feels the irregularities were

pronounced and he said that this election is not valid. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRI FACLON, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translation): In such circumstances, we have serious, serious questions on our part. And in

addition to the questioning that we may have about the process, without any doubt it lacks legitimacy and in this sense, we do not recognize this

electoral process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, Henri Falcon is with (ph) by international observers, governments from around the world including from the United States who

called this election rigged and a sham. What's important to look for now, Anna, is the reaction. You know, if you think about countries like China,

they have said that this result is legitimate and should be recognized. As you just indicated, the economic malaise here has been going on for so many

years and people here are really losing hope that anything will change in the near term.

COREN: But Paula, I want to ask you about that because obviously Maduro has come, he's promised to fix Venezuela's economic crisis. Mind you, a

country estimated to have the largest oil reserves in the world, now on the verge of collapse. His government has been accused of incompetence,

mismanagement, corruption, and overvalued currency. Is he in fact capable of turning things around?

NEWTON: Well, you know, you saw in that clip of him that he was saying I'm going to heal the economy. There is no way that anyone would have

confidence that he can actually do that. I mean, money isn't even used here, Anna. This is a 50 bolivar note. It's worthless. If you throw it in

the streets, no one will even pick it up. I mean, people are using it to make handicrafts. You don't really see cash in the streets here. Everything

is done by a debit card.

[08:05:01] And having said that, the minimum wage really when you put the official exchange rate, the minimum wage is a couple of bucks, couple of

U.S. bucks a month. The issue though is that oil production. It is down to, you know, records not seen in 30 years. Now, the increased oil price will

help a little bit, but the Maduro government will really be faced with a lot of debts upcoming in the next few months and many fear that it is those

external debts that are really be felt here on the streets of Venezuela with people being pinched more and more.

I mean, Anna, I can't tell you, in the few years that I have been coming here, every time I come, the poverty is so pronounced. I mean, you cannot

pass a dumpster without seeing people picking through it literally looking for their next meal of the day.

COREN: Well Paula Newton, we certainly appreciate you bringing this story and all those others that you have covered from Venezuela in the past.

Great to see you, many thanks for that.

Well to the U.S. now where President Donald Trump is setting up what could become volatile clash between his White House and the Department of

Justice. Kaitlan Collins has all the details.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump making good on his threats to get involved at the Justice Department,

demanding an investigation into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump campaign for political purposes, and if any such

demands or requests were made by people within the Obama administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK WARNER, (D) VIRGINIA: I've not seen any evidence of that kind of truth of the claim the president has made. The first thing you learn when

you get involved with the intelligence community is you have to protect sources and methods. People's lives depend upon it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Hours later, the Justice Department announcing it's asked its internal watchdog to expand the ongoing inquiry into surveillance during

the campaign to address the president's concerns with deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein noting, if anyone did infiltrate or surveilled

participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action.

President Trump's stunning move coming after the "New York Times" reported that a confidential intelligence source interacted with Trump campaign

advisers Carter Page and George Papadopoulos during the 2016 election. "The Times" describing the confidential source as an American academic who

teaches in Britain. U.S. officials have told CNN that the source wasn't embedded in the Trump campaign despite statements from the president and

his allies suggesting otherwise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: For a long time we've been told that there was some kind of infiltration. Well I believe if there was an

embedded person, that person cleared us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, telling CNN that Mr. Trump won't be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators

until he has more details about the source. Giuliani also was saying that during negotiations with Mueller's team over the potential interview,

investigators said their obstruction probe could wrap up by September 1st if the president agrees to sit down and answer questions.

This as "The Times" reports that Mueller is looking into another controversial meeting at Trump Tower, involving the president's son three

months before the election. Prominent Trump supporter, Erik Prince, arranged the meeting with Gulf emissary, George Nade, who told Trump, Jr.

that prince's from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were eager to help his father win the election.

Israeli social media specialist, Joel Zamel, also attended the meeting, pitching a multimillion dollar proposal to help elect Trump. His lawyer

denies he offered or received anything. A source tells "The Times" that the president's son responded approvingly to Nader who became a close campaign

ally. But Donald Trump, Jr.'s lawyer tells CNN that the president's son was not interested and that was the end of it.

President Trump responding to the report by sending a flurry of tweets criticizing Mueller's probe and insisting the witch hunt finds no collusion

with Russia so now they're looking at the rest of the world.

So Anna, both the president and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, ratcheting up the pressure on the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to end his

investigation, but you'll notice that in the president's tweets this weekend, he did not dispute the accuracy of the "New York Times" reporting.

Now today on his schedule, the president is going to go out to the CIA headquarters Langley to swear in his new CIA director, Gina Haspel. Anna.

COREN: Kaitlan Collins reporting there. Well as the White House grapples with the Mueller investigation, it's also wrestling with a new way forward

on Iran now that President Trump has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to unveil the administration's new

strategy in a speech in about an hour from now. It is a bigger, better deal, really a pipe dream as some critics say. We'll have much more next

hour so please stay tuned.

Well the U.S. and China say they'll hold back from launching a trade war for now, but China says it can't guarantee new frictions won't arise in the

future.

[08:10:01] Well after weeks of tensions, the two sides reached an initial trade agreement over the weekend. U.S. President Donald Trump is praising

the agreement in a series of tweets as well as making a dig at the Obama administration, claiming it did nothing about trade with China. Our Matt

Rivers has the details on what was agreed upon by the two sides.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONBDENT: Well Anna, the tens of billions of dollars in tariffs threaten by both China and the U.S. are now on hold

thanks to a pledge to a potential trade deal on the horizon. So, when looking at the framework of a possible agreement between the United States

and China on trade, it is as important to look at what we know so far as it is to look at what we don't.

So start with what officials from both sides have said was agreed upon in Washington, D.C. First, China would buy, quote, significantly more American

imports. The secretary of the treasury spoke about that on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE MNUCHIN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Very hard commitments in agriculture where we expect to see a very big increase, 35 to 40 percent

increases in agriculture this year alone. In energy, doubling the energy purchases. I think that you could see $50, $60 billion a year of energy

purchases over the next three to five years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS: The purchase of more American goods would then lower the trade deficit between both countries, something President Trump has repeatedly

called for and pointed out as a problem. In addition to that, the U.S. said China agreed to strengthen cooperation on intellectual property protection

and institute structural reforms to its economy. But given all that, think about what we don't know. We don't know what a, quote, significant amount

of American goods means.

Last week, U.S. officials told CNN that China agreed to buy $200 billion more in goods. That would be a massive figure. But then China immediately

disputed that number, so we don't know that. Further, what do technology protections and structural reforms to the Chinese economy mean? Does that

mean strengthening intellectual property rights? Does it mean allowing greater market access to U.S. companies? Does it mean stopping the forced

technology transfers U.S. firms regularly have to do in order to do business here? We just don't know.

But there is wide-ranging sentiment among analysts and business people that we speak to here in China that if only the trade deficit is addressed and

fundamental reforms to Chinese protectionist policies aren't achieved, that China not the U.S. will emerge from this trade spat as the winner. Still,

for those hoping to avoid a trade war, there is a lot of positive here, both sides speaking optimistically, and now we look to the next round of

talks.

No dates has been set yet bit we know U.S. commerce secretary Wilbur Ross will be coming to Beijing soon to lead a U.S. delegation. They'll meet with

their Chinese counterparts to presumably hammer out the final details that for now are lacking in the framework for a potential agreement, Anna.

COREN: Matt Rivers joining us from Beijing. Thank you.

Well the Pentagon says Beijing is continuing to raise tensions and destabilize one of the most contested regions in the world, the South China

Sea. Well, that's after China landed long-range bombers on a disputed island for the very first time. The Chinese air force says it coordinated

the takeoff and landing of several bombers, including the nuclear-capable H6K.

Well the military claims the mission is to improve its reach and strike capabilities. A Chinese foreign minister spokesman argues the islands in

the South China Sea are China's territory. He says the relevant military activities are normal training and other parties should not over interpret

them. Parts of the South China Sea are claimed by multiple surrounding countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

Well let's get more now from a Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, an independent international policy think-tank based in

Australia. Mr. Roggeveen joins us from Canberra. Thanks so much for being with us. Now, China is making no secret of what it's built in the South

China Sea and its new capabilities, should the region be concerned by these latest developments and does it pose a threat?

SAM ROGGEVEEN, SENIOR FELLOW, LOWY INSTITUTE: Yes, you should be concerned. Look, this is part of a gradual militarization that China has

embarked on, which it promised not to do, by the way. President Xxi Jinping made that promise to President Obama. It's happened anyway. We saw a few

weeks ago news that China had deployed anti-ship missiles and long-range anti-aircraft missiles to various of its new artificial islands in the

South China Sea.

And now as you mentioned, we get word that a long-range bomber aircraft, H6K, has bee flown to Woody Island, which is the northernmost of China's

territories in the South China Sea. No actual landings, but they did some landing exercises, touch-and-go's as they're called, with a clear signal to

the region and to the world that China, I think, aims to continue its militarization of the region.

[08:15:10] COREN: Tell us, you know, the Pentagon obviously has come out and accused China of raising tensions and destabilizing the region, but

realistically, what can the United States do to stop China without going to war?

ROGGEVEEN: Not much. That is in fact the dilemma that we all face, all western powers and all countries that are concerned about China's behavior.

And in fact, there's a lot of argument that's been put that it's already too late, that really the South China Sea now is very much belongs to China

and we've left it a little bit too late to try to resist Chinese pressure in that region and, you know, the slow process of China and developing its

forces and developing foreign sovereignty over the region. I think the aim --

COREN: So we --

ROGGEVEEN: -- from here will be to make sure that we don't let things slide any further, so the United States could do things like launching free

of navigation -- freedom of navigation operations. America's allies could do the same thing as well to demonstrate to China that at least in law, if

not in fact, that the U.S. and its friends and allies don't recognize China's claims on the region.

COREN: I think we can safely assume that China will continue with its construction of military bases and facilities in the South China Sea. Do

you believe that this will lead to a confrontation down the track?

ROGGEVEEN: Well, I think one way to approach that question is to ask ourselves how we got here in the first place and, you know, there are a lot

of analysts now saying that essentially the struggle for the South China Sea is more or less lost and that China won and that China's efforts have

succeeded. Now, how did that happen? Well, think the reason it happened is because the region matters more to China than it did to the countries that

were opposing it.

Effectively they made the implicit decision that they weren't going to struggle hard enough against what China was doing in order to stop it. So,

I think in the future these countries need to ask themselves again how important are any of these points of dispute and do we actually think

they're important enough to risk the possibility of a conflict with China.

I think in most cases, even in -- certainly in the South China Sea, but perhaps in the pacific, perhaps even in North Korea where China has

interests, the answer is going to be that China's interests are far more central, far higher than they are to the rest of us, and then therefore,

our tolerance for risk, the west's tolerance for risk is going to be lower than that of China.

COREN: Well Sam Roggeveen from the Lowy Institute, we thank you very much for joining us from Canberra tonight.

ROGGEVEEN: Thank you.

COREN: Still ahead, another deadly shooting at a school in the United States. What we're learning about the victims and the gunman in Santa Fe,

Texas. That's next.

A nine months on from mass violence and rape of Rohingya in Myanmar, we hear from a pregnant victim and speak to the top U.N. representative on

sexual violence. That's coming up.

[08:20:00] (COMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back to "News Stream." In the U.S. state of Texas, schools are closed in Santa Fe today after Friday's shooting that left 10 people

dead. Eight students and two teachers were killed when a 17-year-old gunman opened fire just as classes began for the day. The sheriff says the entire

incident lasted half an hour, including a 25-minute shootout between the gunman and police.

On Sunday, a memorial service was held for the victims. As it began, a rainbow appeared above the church. Well CNN's Nick Valencia joins us now

from Santa Fe, Texas. And Nick, obviously a very painful weekend for the people of Texas as they paid tribute to those 10 victims of yet another

school shooting in the United States, and shortly there will be a moment of silence across the state. Tell me, how are people making sense of this?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is just gut wrenching here in Santa Fe, Texas. We've interviewed so many people who were either at the school,

victims, family members of the victims, and it is no doubt emotional, but it's not the same narrative that we saw in Parkland, Florida. There we saw

students really push forward a gun control movement and that's no indication it's going to take hold here. What we're hearing from residents,

they don't blame guns in this case. They're not using that as a pivot point to talk about gun control.

What they're saying though is that this is more about inclusion. That's the message that we're hearing from community residents. They want to know

their neighbors better and this is an opportunity for people to get to know who lives next door to them or maybe talk to classmates that they have

never talked to before. A much different narrative than what we saw in Parkland.

We are also trying to get more on motive and that is still unofficially -- it is not cleared up yet by police, but we did talk to the mother of one of

the students that was killed on Friday and she says that her daughter was harassed by this alleged gunman for at least four months as he tried to

desperately make her his girlfriend. She said last week her daughter stood up in the middle of class, humiliating the gunman, saying that she would

not go out with him. She says because of that, her daughter was targeted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter was going up to my mother, telling my mom the past four months and my brother that he had been making advances on her

and that she finally stood up to him because her younger sister was being bullied in school and she was showing her, look, this is what you do.

You've got to stand up to them and tell them, no, it's not right. And this is the outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: The first funeral for one of the students who was killed on Friday was held over the weekend. We expect more funerals to follow. As for

the school, it remains closed today and at least tomorrow as well. Anna.

COREN: Nick Valencia, we appreciate your reporting. Many thanks.

Well, the Texas tragedy was the 22nd school shooting in the United States this year, and let's take a look at how the U.S. compares to other

countries. Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in the United States alone. The next highest is Mexico with just eight. Then there's

South Africa with at least six school shootings and India with five. Canada and France both have at least two. Well CNN was able to reach these numbers

by reviewing media reports on the local and national level.

Aid officials are concerned there's about to be a surge in births among Rohingya rape victims. It's been about nine months since mass violence

targeted the Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine State including murder, torture, and rape, described by the U.N. as ethnic cleansing. Seven-hundred

thousand people fled into neighboring Bangladesh where they now live in refugee camps.

The U.N. says aid workers suspect thousands of the refugees may be pregnant as a result of rape. One 17-year-old, who is seven months pregnant spoke to

Unicef about her situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Since my husband had been killed and they were burning villages, I fled with all the other people. Then they

caught me in the forest and a soldier raped me and then they released me. When they released me, I came here.

[08:25:03] If it's from my husband, then it will have his features. If it's from someone else, it will have their features.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: This poor woman. Well, Kristie Lu Stout spoke to Pramila Patten, the U.N. Secretary General's special representative on sexual violence in

conflict. She asked her how many Rohingya women and girls will soon give birth as a result of rape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRAMILA PATEN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT: We do not have the exact number of rape victims.

What we have is the number of pregnant women. In December, the minister of health of Bangladesh had given the figure of 81,000. The information I'm

receiving from UNFPA as the main service provider in terms of prenatal and postnatal care is that they are trying their utmost to reach out to the

women.

Some I'm told are hiding their pregnancies, but I'm also told that many are simply having deliveries in their homes, in their camp, unattended or

sometimes with local midwives. So, the information I gathered on Monday when I was in Cox's Bazar is that it is only a small proportion of pregnant

women who are actually accessing medical care. According to international NGO's that I met, there has been a lot of termination of pregnancies for

various reasons, which they did not want to pry for obvious reasons.

But based on the menstrual regulation provision in the legislation in Bangladesh, they have actually done a lot of termination of pregnancies.

But what is emerging now is a request by a number of women to place their children in foster care within the community, and it is the assumption of

the service providers that these could well be children born of rape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, Kristie also asked how justice can be achieved for the women and girls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATEN: All the women and girls that I met on Monday in Cox's Bazar continue to claim for -- to claim justice. They are also claiming

repatriation to their land. We've guaranteed full citizenship rights. What I want to say is that I met with a group of Rohingya men and women who are

pinning their hopes on the Security Council. I did not see the distress that I saw last year in November. This time I could see hope, hope that the

Security Council will work in a concerted manner and will find durable solutions for them.

I really want this message -- to give this message to members of the Security Council, that the shock, that the outrage they expressed while in

Cox's Bazar should now be translated into concrete action to secure justice for this persecuted community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well that was Pramila Paten, the U.N. Secretary General's special representative on sexual violence in conflict.

We're seeing awe-inspiring sights coming from the volcanic eruption in Hawaii, but the danger is growing for the people there. We'll go live to

Hawaii.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Scott McLean in Pahoa, Hawaii where Mount Kilauea continues to erupt and it is not just the lava causing

danger. I'll tell you about the new hazard, ahead.

[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. You are watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election. He celebrated with a victory rally in

Caracas and promised to revamp the country's failing economy. Several countries, including the U.S., called the election a sham.

A victim of clerical sexual abuse says the pope told him it was OK to be gay. Juan Carlos Cruz said he discussed his sexuality with Pope Francis in

April. He says the pontiff told him God made him like that and loved him the way he was. The Vatican says it does not comment on private

conversations.

In Hawaii, there is yet another danger to worry about after the Kilauea Volcano erupted once again over the weekend. The molten lava has now

reached the Pacific Ocean, producing giant fumes of laze, a deadly mix of acid and volcanic glass. It can cause lung, eye, and skin irritation.

Let's get a look at the situation there. Our Scott McLean joins us from Pahoa. Scott, tell us more about this laze and how dangerous it is.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: let me show you what we're seeing here right now. It really does look like hell on earth in this place

that is heaven for so many people who live here. This is where all the lava is coming from. It is actually a collection of five different fissures that

have opened up, but it looks less like cracks in the earth and really more like five out of control fire hydrants.

You can see just how high that lava is spewing into the air. Now, it has to go somewhere, so it is cascading downhill into these lava streams that are

quite fast moving and eventually it is reaching ocean. You can actually see where it reaches the ocean from our vantage point high upon a hill. You can

see that steam there rising above. We actually have new video to show you as well.

Now, that may look like steam but it is actually something much more nefarious. It is something called lava haze or laze, and it is potentially

deadly. As you mentioned, it is a mixture of sulfuric acid, steam, and tiny glass particles. It can be irritating at best, it can be potentially

damaging to your lungs at worst.

Now, the stream of lava, it's actually slowing down as it heads into the ocean, and that's because geologists have discovered that there is a new

crack that has opened up under that stream that is diverting some of that lava back underground. Geologists say that this has happened before and

that lava never actually resurfaces.

Now, for people who live here, many of them of course cannot return to their homes just because of the threat of lava that continues to bubble up

unexpectedly or really out of control. If it's not the lava that drives people out, it might be the gas. Geologists say that the level of sulphur

dioxide in some areas has tripled in recent days.

There are good signs though. That is that the summit of Kilauea about 20 miles from where I am standing right now, the main crater, they have seen

explosions that are smaller and less frequent. That may be good news in the meantime, but of course those also mean that a much bigger explosion could

be coming, Anna.

COREN: And so much longer is this lava expected to flow?

MCLEAN: Yeah, it is really anyone's guess. Geologists are using historical events to try to get some sense of how long this might go on for, but it

has already been several weeks and it is really showing no signs of letting up.

And so they are expecting that it could go on for much longer. In fact, in some cases, these lava flows, these explosions have gone on for, you know,

the better part of nearly two months.

[08:35:00] And so it is really anyone's guess. As you can imagine, Anna, it is weighing on a lot of people here who are staying in shelters, staying

with friends or have no home to go back to, period, because there have been 40 structures destroyed already. The majority of those are people's homes.

COREN: Yeah, quite incredible. Scott McLean, we appreciate the report. Many thanks for that.

The arrival of a dozen North Korean waitresses and their manager in South Korea two years ago proved an embarrassment to Pyongyang and a propaganda

boost for Seoul. But were they kidnapped or did they defect of their own free will? The manager spoke to CNN's Paula Hancocks to set the record

straight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mass defection or mass abduction? Twelve North Korean waitresses from a North Korean state-run

restaurant in China and their manager arrived in South Korea April 2016. The north claimed they had been tricked. The south said they had escaped

freely. Now the restaurant manager is speaking out and says Pyongyang is right.

Heo Gang-il wants his face hidden for fear of retribution. A former member of the elite, he tells me, he was informant for South Korea's spy agency,

the NIS, while running this North Korean restaurant in China. He became disillusioned with the Kim Jong-un regime.

Because he was blackmailed by one of his customers who knew he was working with the intelligence agency, he decided to defect to South Korea with NIS

help.

"The NIS told me to bring everyone with me," he says. "I told them it was impossible. Their attitude suddenly changed, telling me if I didn't bring

the workers with me, they will report to the North Korean Embassy and have me killed. They called back and said this is the President Park Geun-hye's

order. She has a big claim."

Heo claims the defection was arranged to give conservatives a boost just days before a parliamentary election. In a highly unusual move, the South

Korean Unification Ministry publicized the mass defection, releasing a photo of the North Korean, saying 13 defectors voluntarily decided to leave

and pushed ahead with the escape without any help from the outside.

The ministry, now part of a new liberal government, says they are looking into the fresh allegations, but there's no change in the government's

stance that the women defected of their own free will.

Three of the waitresses' families were brought to a CNN team in Pyongyang in May of 2016 for interviews. They all said the women were kidnapped. The

emotional interviews organized by the North Korean government.

Officials also brought other waitresses they say were working at the same restaurant in China but left before Heo took the women to Malaysia. They

too insisted their colleagues would never have abandoned their families and were tricked into going to South Korea.

What did you say to the women to convince them to go with you? What way they were going?

"I told the workers we are moving accommodation to a better place," he says. "In North Korea, there's a very strict hierarchy like the military.

Lower rankings cannot question my orders."

CNN affiliate JTBC who first spoke to the manager also spoke to three women who say they are the waitresses and were tricked by their manager. Others

did not want to talk or could not be tracked down, JTBC says.

"We were put into cars," they say. "A few in each car. That's when we saw the South Korean flag and the embassy. When we were going into the South

Korean Embassy in Malaysia, I thought something is horribly wrong here."

Heo says the women were given South Korean passports with false names and flown to South Korea, a normally treacherous journey that takes defectors

months. It took these North Koreans just two days.

Did the NIS pay for the flights?

"The NIS paid paid for the plane fair," says Heo. "It was about $10,000."

CNN has asked the NIS about these accusations. They have yet to respond.

Why have you decided to talk about this now?

"I realized the government was manipulating people," he says. "I was trapped and felt the North Korean propaganda against the south was bright,

but I regret it so much."

These accusations surround the former government here in South Korea, but it's the current government who will have to deal with any potential

fallout. Now, the issue does threaten to complicate warming relations between North and South Korea.

Just ts weekend, North Korea renewed its demand that these women be sent back to Pyongyang. They didn't actually mention the manager, but he has

told me that he is willing to face any punishment if it means he can see his mother and his family again.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: China could soon be paying the dark side of the moon a visit. We'll check the country's young but ambitious space program, next.

[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: Welcome back. Let's go back now more than 200 years to one of the most scandalous salons in Paris. In our series "Icons," CNN Style goes on

an exclusive photo shoot to recreate the surroundings of the salon in its heyday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was this very unique place in Paris that has a lot of history where rich men would come and visit the mistresses in those

rooms. You can just imagine all the scenes and the scenarios going on.

As a photographer, I always think of inspiring ideas for my pictures. I always try to recreate scenes. So when I come here, I just imagine all

these things which happened in the room. Its' really wonderful.

What I tried to capture is a little piece of life, sense of fun, a bit of naughtiness, a bit of mysterious. A good picture is just like this one

image which is haunting and changing your life in a way. A good picture is something a bit magical too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: One of the mysteries of the moon is the side of it that we never see. But China isn't taking no for an answer. It just launched a relay

satellite as part of its mission to explore the dark side of the moon. Soon it will attempt to send up a probe. And if it pulls that off, China will be

the first country to land on and explore the hidden face.

China may be late to the space race, but it's pouring billions of dollars into the program. And it's aiming for the moon and beyond with plans to get

its probes to Mars and explore the red planet's mysteries around 2020.

Well, that is "News Stream." I'm Anna Coren. Thanks so much for your company. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Christina Macfarlane is

coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END