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Trump Heads Home; Summit is Successful. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 13, 2018 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:15]

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MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: The start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia is just hours away, but first, FIFA has to choose who hosts the Cup in 2026. We're live for the very latest for you from Moscow. The summit between the U.S. and North Korea is now in the history books, now comes the hard work, though, of turning words into action.

And hundreds of migrants rescued at sea off the coast of Italy only to be told they're not welcome. We are seeing how they're on route to a new destination which says they will let them in. Thanks for joining us, I'm Max Foster in London, this is CNN Newsroom.

Greetings to you from the Houses of Parliament in London where yesterday the Prime Minister, Theresa May, survived what would have been an embarrassing defeat over Brexit. An amendment was tabled that would get - would have given lawmakers a say on a final deal if no agreement is reached with Brussels by the autumn.

But after eleventh hour talks, some of the voters back (ph) Mrs. May and she'll face further battles in the coming hours with, both, the opposition Labour Party and rebels from her own conservative party. And we'll have more on that later for you in the program.

But we are just one day away from the start of the greatest show on Earth and that is the FIFA World Cup. 32 teams from across the planet have started arriving in Russia for the tournament and with them, thousands of football fanatics ready to sport their country.

In the coming hours, FIFA will also choose between Morocco and a joint bid from the USA, Mexico, and Canada to host the 2026 tournament. For more on all of that, let's go to Alex Thomas, joining us live from Moscow. And Morocco doesn't seem like the front runner here when you look at who they're up against.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No they don't, Max, but they put up a really good fight. And until the least 24 to 48 hours it's still too close to call. I think the feeding on the ground here is that the united bid, the USA, Mexico, and Canada combined are the overwhelming favorites and should get the votes they need. How many votes?

Well, we're still a little bit uncertain about it. It seems like, certainly, one of FIFA's 211 members has not turned up to Congress to vote, which leaves just 210. Obviously, you've got to take away the four countries that are bidding. They're not allowed to vote for themselves. That would leave 206 voting. You need a clear of 50 percent majority. So, 104 votes is the magic number for, either, Morocco or that united bid.

But a selling point for the united bid is money and we know that talks with FIFA, even in a new reformed FIFA as their new president Gianni Infantino was saying in his opening remarks as the FIFA Congress got underway at the Moscow Expocentre about a 15 minute driveway here from Red Square and Saint Basil's Cathedral.

So, that's going to be appealing to members, but we know the members are human like you and I, they're not robots and Morocco certainly has an emotional pull, another African country, the first to stage it with South Africa (ph) in 2010. Hugely passionate people when it comes to the game of football.

They certainly would make it an atmospheric success, but as far as FIFA's technical report is concerned, Max, the united bid outscored Morocco in every department except for the cost to the organizers and to the fans.

FOSTER: Yes, what about fans? How are they looking at these different bids? Because, obviously, going to this North American, Central American hosted World Cup will mean an awful lot of travel, very expensive to go and see all the matches.

THOMAS: Yes. I think Morocco feel they've got the edge there because they're closer to Europe and there are lots of flight options, but it's not that difficult, is it, to get to North America. Let's face it. They've got plenty of connections there, as well.

No matter what you might think of some American airlines, but it comes to the heart over the head, doesn't it? Football fans definitely go over the forma (ph) - over the ladder (ph). So, it really has divided opinions. And, of course, it's goes - that old cliche, Max, of should sports and politics mix? In theory, no, in practice, yes, of course they do.

Sport, like anything else in life is intrinsically caught up with world events. And I think one of the other appeals of the united bid is that living (ph) has gone on away from sports with the United States, Canada, and Mexico right now.

They are really trying to say, this is a chance for our three countries to unite and host the world with a football event that is the biggest single biggest sports tournament on the planet. And I think that's the other selling points for delegates. We'll know in about an hour and a half's time.

[04:05:15]

FOSTER: Yes, absolutely. Alex says - as he says there, they're voting in about 90 minute's time. We will be bringing it live to you, of course. Tune in for a special edition of Connect the World. Becky is over there with Alex, plus the latest on this year's World Cup as well, looking ahead just to that. Live from Moscow, 11 a.m. London time which is 1 p.m. in the Russian capital, 6 p.m. for you if you're in Hong Kong, only on CNN.

Now, the U.S. President Donald Trump heading to Washington, full of praise for himself about what he says was a huge success, and that was his summit, of course, with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

A few hours ago he tweeted this. The world has taken a big step back from potential nuclear catastrophe. No more rocket launches, nuclear testing, or research. The hostages are back with their families. Thank you, Chairman Kim. Our day together was historic.

He and Mr. Kim signed a pledge to pursue denuclearization but their pact was short on detail and the President made a massive concession in a move that appeared to blindside Seoul. Mr. Trump put an end to U.S. military exercises with South Korea, a long standing North Korean demand, more now from CNN's Jim Sciutto.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITYCORRESPONDENT: Trump and Kim have left Singapore and now diplomats here in Asia. Lawmakers back in Washington are taking stock of the summit, itself. And by the simple arithmetic of what each side came to Singapore with, an imbalance, the U.S. President, President Trump, making some quite specific promises; promises to end to joint U.S, South Korean military exercises, calling them provocative.

Something a U.S. president has not done before, also, putting on the table the possibility of withdrawing U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, troops that are there not just to protect South Korea, but also to project American force in Asia.

From the North Korea side, no specificity, no specific promises on the timeline of denuclearization. Also, no specific promises on how verification would come of denuclearization if and when it happens. Even, not taking the step of giving stock, taking stock of exactly what weapons it has, which would be a normal first step to nuclear negotiations like this.

Now, the President - his aides that that will be for negotiations and that the hard negotiations on the specifics are beginning now, that is certainly true. It is also certainly true that we are in a very different place than where we were a few months ago when the prospect of war was very real. When there were discussions inside the administration of a military strike on North Korea.

The question is now, what comes out of these talks going forward? You've had the symbolism here in Singapore. Will there be substance to follow that symbolism? Jim Sciutto, CNN, Singapore.

FOSTER: Well, the reactions from China to the summit have been, largely, positive. We haven't heard a huge amount, though. Let's bring in Matt Rivers, live from Beijing. I guess their big concern is a collapse of the North Korean regime and that became less likely didn't it, after this summit?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDANT: Yes. I mean, Max, this was a good day for China's government. There's no real two ways about it. Yes, negotiations will go on for a long time, yes things might not go China's way every time. But if you're looking at one day, one summit, this was a good day for China.

There's a number of different reasons for that, mainly based around what the U.S. President said. So, start with the fact that he talked about removing troops from the Korean Peninsula at some point down the road.

He said that's not on the table at the moment, but it's something he wants to eventually do. That is, literally, what China wants, that is exactly what Beijing wants. They hate those troops on the Korean Peninsula. They felt constrained and threatened by them for decades, now. So, that made Beijing smile.

Secondly, the President talked about stopping those military exercises, at least, for now, what he called war games. China hates those exercises as much as the North Koreans because those exercises are not only done with an eye on North Korea. They're also done with an eye on China, traditionally an adversary of the United States.

So, the fact that they're not going to happen, at least for the time being, China absolutely loves that and they were happy enough, Max, to bring up sanctions at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference. A spokesperson said that this summit could - could allow countries to think about rolling back some of the sanctions on North Korea.

They didn't say they would. They said they're still enforcing them as they are. But China never really wanted to put those sanctions on in the first place. They felt bullied into it, pressured into it. So, all of that can take it into totality (ph) sanctions, troops removal, and no more military exercises for the time being. That's a good day for China.

FOSTER: Absolutely. Matt, thank you. America's top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo will soon face a host of questions on the summit in Seoul. Let's bring in CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson there in the South Korean capital.

[04:10:00]

FOSTER: Absolutely. Matt, thank you. America's top diplomat, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will soon face a host of questions of the summit in Seoul. Let's bring in CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson there in the South Korean capital.

Lot's of criticism hasn't there been, Nic, of the lack of hard moves in this communicate that followed, but actually as Matt was pointing out there, the troops might leave the south. There's a huge -- huge moments, there was something substantial there.

NIC ROBERTSON; CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There certainly seems to have been and it does seem to have caught South Korea a little bit by surprise Max.

The statement that we have from the Blue House era(ph), it was sort of a background briefing if you will, is very similar to the lines that we were hearing from the defense ministry here yesterday, which is, we kind of need to understand what President Trump is actually meaning here. What's his precise intentions?

So, I think the indications are there that at least the South Korean military wasn't expecting this. Whether the politicians were is still not clear.

However, that said, the recognition is and this what we're hearing now more than we were hearing yesterday, is that South Korea really wants to keep this dialogue going, it really wants to allow this (inaudible) between the United States and North Korea to take route, to gain ground and to be productive.

So it certainly appears and this the messaging we're getting here, is if they're willing to give it space, they're willing to perhaps be blind sided and then work with what they've heard from President Trump because they want to create the space to allow that North Korea, United States dialogue to happen.

That said, there is concern and we've heard this expressed by both the foreign minister, the readout that we've had from the South Korean's foreign minister's phone call with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday and also the readout that we have with President Moon's phone conversation with President Trump late yesterday afternoon.

They both said -- both of these readouts have said that they want to make sure that they have close cooperation with the United States in this process. So, I think this is something we may hear a little more of.

Certainly Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when he touches down here, has his meetings tomorrow with the South Korean president, with the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers. Perhaps he's going to hear a little more of that expressed, we need to be in the loop, let's not get ourselves caught out on the messaging here or the substance. Max?

FOSTER: Okay, Nic, thank you. Back with you when we hear more from Pompeo, of course.

Now after days of being stranded, hundreds of migrants are now heading toward to what they hope is safety in Spain. But they still have a long journey ahead of them as well. A live report to you next.

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FOSTER: In Yemen, a fresh offensive started just a few hours ago in the three year old civil war despite warnings from humanitarian bodies. They could leave hundreds of thousands of people dead or homeless.

Government forces launched an attack on the poor city of Hodeidah, the most important gateway into the country really for essential food and other supplies. The government side is backed by a foreign coalition headed by Saudi Arabia.

CNN's Sam Kiley is checking developments for us from the region. He joins us live from Abu Dhabi. What's the intel on the then Sam?

SAM KILEY, SENIOR INTEERNATIONAL COORESPONDENT: Well as far as we understand Max, there's been an assault principally from the south of Hodeidah, mainly being carried out by Yemini proxy forces along side Sudanese forces, who are part of the international coalition. The international coalition really paid for and driven by the UAE, and of course Saudi Arabia, they're providing a lot of the air cover.

Now we are getting conflicting reports as to how that advance has been going, but the key here -- or rather there are two keys. The first is, in the south of the city is the airport. There have been some reports of some fighting or explosions around that area and at the same time, of course, the sea port is absolutely vital.

It's the biggest port in the Yemen. It is the vital lifeline, not just for the Houthi militia, but for a very large number of ordinary Yeminis who are trapped in there -- between the various warring sides and this very, very complex battle space, Max.

You've got many different conflicts going on simultaneously. You have the Houthi conflict with the coalition, you've then got an international coalition fighting against Al-Qaeda pockets further to the east of the country and all of that layered, of course, on top of a refugee crisis across the wider part of the horn of Africa. The refugees actually even fleeing the horn of Africa into the Yemin.

So, amidst all of this, there is deep concern in the international community that this is offensive, is going to provoke a massive humanitarian crisis. In the last few days, Max, has been frantic diplomatic efforts largely led by the British, but including the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Guterres and others really almost begging the UAE and the Saudi's not to prosecute this offensive, which they had flagged up for several days.

It now would appear that it is underway and the critical issue is going to be, or with the Houthi's do what the Saudi's and the UEA are demanding of the, which is conduct a peaceful withdrawal from the port city.

The probability is that they won't and that we may see some bitter house to house fighting and the sort of destruction we've seen in Aleppo, in Ruca(ph) and in Mosul, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Sam, from Abu Dhabi, thank you. Hundreds of migrants who have been rescued at sea, have been stranded for days on a ship in the Mediterranean, were on their way to Spain. About 500 were transferred to other ships to relieve overcrowding.

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MALE: Get them off people -- get them off people. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Italy refused to let them into the country, but Spain stepped in on Monday and said it will accept them. Doctors Without Borders says, Italy should have let the migrants land and the extra days at sea would put even greater strain on hundreds of people who were already exhausted. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us live from Catania, Sicily. What sort of preparations are they making there then?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well that boat that you talk about, the Aquarius, and the two Italian ships that are now accompanying it to Valencia are just south of Sicily. They've got 1,500 kilometers left at sea, that is a nearly an extra week that they will have spent at sea as a result of this port here in Catania being closed to them last Sunday, Max.

They're facing, also, as the weather begins to turn four meter waves over the course of that crossing, so, a longer to have those migrants, who will only reach the Spanish coast on Saturday night.

Meanwhile here in Italy, one of the interesting parts of this story is that actually the new Italian government may have prevented -- announced that it's preventing NGO's from docking here, but that does not mean an end to migrants landing here.

[04:20:00] Even now, next to me, here in the Port of Catania, you can see 900 migrants being disembarked from an Italian Coast Guard ship. We've just seen two hearses take away the two corpses from the boat. The 900 migrants are slowly being disembarked.

They're being checked medically. They're having their fingerprints taken and that is crucial, Max, because of course as a result of the E.U. regulation, it is that taking of the fingerprints here in Italian ports that means that those migrants then have to claim asylum in Italy and it is that so-called Dublin rule that has caused so much misery and so much chaos within the European Union.

And the Italian Interior Minister, this is a new government, of course, remember. It is made up of populist and the right wing lead party that campaigned very much on an anti-immigration platform, is going to be explaining the new government's policy in front of the Italian Senate later this morning.

A very controversial policy that is also leading to something of a diplomatic growl(ph) within the European Union. We've heard very sharp words between Emmanuel Macron and the new Italian government. He's the French President has been accused of irresponsibility and sinicism and we've just heard that Italy has now summoned the French ambassador to Rome.

So, even as Europe, and we're looking ahead to this big leader summit at the end of the month where migration will be a key issue and where they're looking for kind of workable policy, a policy that works better than the migration policy has for the last few years here in Europe, with a better -- with passing of migrants onto other countries and sharing of the burden, we're looking, even as the Europeans try to find some kind of coordinated and better solution to this problem after all these years, at even greater disunity as a result of what's happened to the Aquarius, Max.

FOSTER: I guess there will be many in Italy that said this is something they had to do just to get the message out, but they're bearing the burden for all of these migrants coming - - not heading just for Italy, but for the whole of Europe so this is a message that the rest of Europe really does need to hear.

BELL: Absolutely Max, this is a message that the Italians have for years now been trying to get across to Brussels, that they really needed help and you've got this very clear division within Europe between these southern countries where these kinds of disembarkations happening regularly of course by the geography of the place and those countries to the north and to the east of Europe that simply do not want to have quotas imposed on them by Brussels. The issue has never been resolved, Italy has for years now; and since 2013, it has taken in 600,000 migrants, 500,000 of which are still on Italian soil. The new government, perhaps slightly more cynically - - more controversially certainly than previous governments here in Italy, is saying to the E.U. well maybe this will help you focus your minds on what needs to be done.

FOSTER: OK Melissa thanks you. Meanwhile we are outside the British Houses of Parliament as the Prime Minister, Theresa May prepares for further battles over Brexit. Yesterday she won a key vote, but she has many more issues to deal with today, including what to do about Northern Ireland's border going ahead as well so we'll be discussing that.

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FOSTER: Welcome back to the Houses of Parliament here in London, you can see Big Ben is under renovation work right now. In the coming hours, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May will face further questions here over Brexit strategy as the U.K. withdrawal bill returns to the House of Commons. Yesterday Mrs. May survived one her greatest tests over Brexit so far, she managed to fight off a rebellion, demanding the M.P.s have the definitive say over a final Brexit deal, but the prime minister had to make a concession in which parliament could have some say if she doesn't strike a deal with Brussels by the autumn. One of the toughest challenges in the Brexit negotiations is addressing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Atika Shubert (ph), went there to meet the people who regularly cross that border.

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ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN ANCHOR: Colin Morgan (ph) from Northern Ireland drives a truck all across Europe, but especially hauling goods from the U.K. to the E.U. He crosses the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at least 10 a day and like many here, he's got a complaint.

COLIN MORGAN (ph): This won't work (ph) I think it's just crazy to be honest.

SHUBERT: Today the border is all but invisible. Communities here have grown green, peaceful and prosperous, which is exactly how farmer John Sheridan (ph) wants to keep it. He shows us all that's left of the border.

JOHN SHERIDAN (ph): So the border, can you imagine this little line here between the hands (ph) going down the center of the river? Tell that to the fish.

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SHUBERT: Britain's Prime Minister, Theresa May has a dilemma, how will the U.K. exit the E.U. Customs' Union without imposing a so- called hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland?

This is what everyone wants to avoid; a return to police patrols, barbed wire and watch towers. More than 3,500 were killed in 30 years of the troubles, the turbulent violence that divided the island. But the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement in Belfast put an end to that with a power-sharing government that postponed the question of whether Northern Ireland belonged with the U.K. or with the Republic of Ireland.

We spoke to Irish farmer, John Sheridan (ph) last June, since then he's met with Michel Barnier, the E.U.'s lead negotiator, but he's still pessimistic.

SHERIDAN (ph): Why wouldn't we be worried? We have built over the last 20 years, over the last 40 years businesses that work and are sustainable and that make a profit. And they are just - - they are putting a sledge hammer through that, they're putting a sledge hammer between communities, they're creating and us and them factor.

SHUBERT: More than three million cars and trucks cross the border every month, many packed with commercial goods. The E.U. estimates a hard border would cost more than $470 million. Theresa May has floated ideas of a soft border that uses an as yet unnamed technology to monitor the flow of goods from one end of the island to the other without border checks or possibly a customs partnership in which the U.K. collects customs on Northern Ireland goods bound for the E.U., but neither has been deemed feasible by her critics. While Sheridan (ph) was happy to talk with the E.U.'s lead negotiator, he says he would take a harder line with the British Minister. So if you had a chance to speak to Theresa May, what would you tell her?

SHERIDAN: No piece of paper that she will every try and foist upon me or my hand, will ever dictate to me where I can go and walk and live in my country.

SHUBERT: As he drives through yet another pocket of the border, Colin Morgan (ph) has a different suggestion for Prime Minister May.

COLIN MORGAN (ph): On a long-shot, call another referendum and maybe listen to what the people in Ireland said. SHUBERT: A very long-shot indeed. Atika Shubert on the Northern Ireland border.

(END VIDEO)

FOSTER: It's a real hurdle; they need to cross during this process. We want to know what you think with the infighting and unanswered questions, is Brexit doomed to fail? Logon to Facebook.com/cnninternational to have your say about. CNN Talk starting at 12 PM here in London, 7 PM in Hong Kong. I'm Max Foster outside the Houses of Parliament in London, back with a check of the headlines for you in just a moment.

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[04:30:00]

FOSTER: Hello I'm Max Foster in London, this is CNN News Now, FIFA is expected to announce the host of 2026 World Cup in around an hour from now; delegates are deciding between Morocco and the joint bid from the USA, Canada and Mexico. U.S. President Donald Trump will soon land back home in Washington, his trip to Singapore for the summit with Kim Jong-un took him all the way around the world in four days. Air Force One flew from Washington to Crete to refuel then flew past - - flew east rather to Singapore then took the Pacific route on his way back to Washington.

The British Prime Minister, Theresa May has managed to block lawmaker's demands for them to have the definitive say over a final Brexit deal. She managed to win a vote after last minute talks, but had to concede that Parliament will have some say if Mrs. May doesn't make a deal with Brussels by the autumn.

Pro-government forces in Yemen have launched an attack on Yemini port city of Hodeida with the backing of the Saudi-led collation. The Red Cross has warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians could be made homeless or exposed to disease. The port city is the main point of entry for food and other supplies that millions of people in Yemen rely on. And that is your CNN News Now; stay tuned for the 100 Club coming up next here on CNN.