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NEWS STREAM

Zimbabwe's Opposition Disputes Election Results; Iran's Major Military Exercise In The Middle East; Turkey's Prime Minister Warned Of Threatening Language Or Sanctions Is Not Productive; Mahathir Mohamad Calls The U.S. President An International Bully; Donald Trump Receives A Letter Kim Jong-Un; Mixed Reactions On Donald Trump's Role On The Korean Peninsula; Brutal Suicide Attack Afghanistan Leaves 25 Dead; Intelligence Community Warns Russia Still Meddling In The U.S. Elections; Suspected Russian Spy At The U.S. Embassy In Moscow; World Headlines; Exam Rigging Allegations; Interview Cut-Off; U.S. Economy Adds 157,000 Jobs in July; Oppressive Heat; Zimbabwe Uncertainty. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired August 03, 2018 - 08:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:00:00] ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong. Welcome to "News Stream."

Disputing the outcome. Zimbabwe's opposition party thrashes the country's electoral commission accusing it of releasing tight results.

Exam rigging. Japan's government calls for an investigation to reports of gender discrimination at a top medical school.

And unbearable heat, the Iberian Peninsula braces for what could be record temperatures on the European continent.

Zimbabwe's president is calling for a new beginning after he was declared the winner of the nation's first election since Robert Mugabe's ouster. But

the battle over ballots appears far from over. The opposition is slamming the final election count as unverified and fake. Six people have been

killed in violent clashes between security forces and protesters since Monday's vote.

Well David McKenzie joins us now live from Harare, the Zimbabwean capital with the lightest. And David, opposition later Nelson Chamisa says the

results are fake. How are his supporters reacting?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well so far the supporters haven't taken to the streets like they did a few days ago where

you saw that tragic bloodshed in Harare, Andrew. Behind me they'll have a press conference from the opposition leader in the coming moments where we

expect him to chart a way forward on how exactly they are going to dispute this election.

Yesterday he said that they would use -- to me, he said they will use any legal means necessary, but there have already been an endorsement from the

regional block SADC and from the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, congratulating Emerson Mnangagwa as the president of Zimbabwe.

So they might face an uphill battle. I put the question to the E.U. observer mission (inaudible) this was a free and fair election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK STEVENS, EUROPEAN UNION DEPUTY CHIEF OBSERVER: One of the biggest challenges this election faces is the lack of trust in all aspects. And I

think now that the result is being given, what we stress very strongly is it needs to be fully explained how that result was ascertained, broken down

by constituency, by polling station, so everyone can see exactly how the result was ascertained and be confident about that since it clears the gap

is quite narrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well that a result came out of the very early hours of this morning, Andrew. There were some celebrations but you do get a sense of at

least that many Zimbabweans on the street today here on the capital want to get on with their lives, but still this moment of uncertainty of how the

opposition will deal with what they say is a rigged vote, Andrew.

STEVENS: Interesting, your point about the people in Zimbabwe wanting to get on with their lives. It's obviously been very tumultuous recent couple

of decades, really, for Zimbabweans. It has divided the community. It is a fractured place many people will say. How does the leader, the man who at

this stage who has been named as the leader, how does he bring the country back together?

MCKENZIE: Well, Zimbabweans have long memories and they know that Emerson Mnangagwa has a tortured past in this country. As a politician, he was the

right hand man of Robert Mugabe for all those decades. Now, after those dramatic scenes that Mugabe was ousted in a coup in November orchestrated

by Mnangagwa and the military, he is trying to make a clean break and trying to persuade Zimbabweans that he will bring in a new era when

investment comes in.

But the trouble is, is that the E.U., the U.S. and others will be looking to the way this election has been handled as to whether they are going to

see sanctions on individuals in this country including senior members of Zanu-PF, the ruling party. So, he's trying to say that people should move

on, obviously, that's in his self-interest.

The opposition is saying, well wait, we don't believe these results are legitimate and they are crying foul, Andrew.

STEVENS: David, thanks very much for that update and we will be monitoring Nelson Chamisa and that press conference and get back to David if Chamisa

brings out some sort of evidence to prove that there has been tampering with that election.

A U.S. defense official tells CNN that Iran is conducting a major military exercise in the Middle East. The naval operation is taking place in the

Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

[08:05:01] Now these exercises aren't unusual, but the source says it's the timing of the exercise that is concerning to U.S. officials. Let's go to

our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson. Now, he is in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz and he joins us now. Nic, so what do

you know then about the timing of this exercise by the Iranians and what is their intention here?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It was very interesting because the moment the Iranians on even (ph) declaring that

they are having these exercises. Normally, they would happen later in the year around November where they would use dozens of smaller boats and these

training exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key strategic, vital global artery in the supply of oil.

Twenty percent of the world's oil are traded or passes through that very narrow waterway, 30 miles narrow at it sort of closest point. So it's a

major chokehold. So the very fact that they are being held at a different time of year, that unlike normal times when Iran would announce that it's

having these exercises, it isn't right now.

It comes on the heels of a couple of weeks that has been an increased in tension and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran. You have the head of

the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who are in-charge of these military exercises, saying that if Iran cannot export its oil through the

Strait of Hormuz, then no one else will be able to get their oil through there as well. And that has been echoed by Iran's president, by the supreme

leader.

We've had President Trump as well warning in an all caps tweet just a week or so ago saying that, you know, not to use threats like that and

threatening serious consequences. So the war of words is coming up. The value of the Rial in Iran is going down. There were street protests in

Iran.

And in a couple of days more sanctions are going to come into effect on Iran that further threatened the economy. And in another 90 days

potentially threaten these -- Iran's sale of oil. So, all of these things seem to be contributing factors, but again, unclear why Iran is doing it

right now.

STEVENS: OK, Nic, thanks very much for that. Nic Robertson near the Strait of Hormuz.

Turkey's prime minister says that he's warned America's top diplomat that using threatening language or sanctions will not be productive. Now, the

two met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore. Ankara and Washington are locked in a dispute over detention of an American

pastor in Turkey.

CNN international correspondent Ivan Watson is in Singapore. He joins us with more now. So Ivan, strong language from the Turkish prime minister,

what is the threatening language he's referring to Mike Pompeo using? What was he talking about then?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Turks made it very clear they didn't like the fact that their NATO ally, the U.S. have imposed

sanctions on two cabinet ministers in Turkey. They vowed an equivalent response in the run up to this meeting here in Singapore.

And meanwhile, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, he came into the meeting talking tough saying that the Trump administration had put Turkey

on notice, that they were demanding the release of this American pastor as well as others Mike Pompeo alluded to, presumably two Turkish citizens who

work at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey who have been detained since October on terrorism charges.

But, both sides came out of this quite short meeting here in Singapore. I was in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The Turkish foreign minister

was there for barely a half hour, that's where he met Mike Pompeo. And they sounded quite positive saying that they have constructive conversation and

positive talks. Take a listen to an excerpt of what the Turkish foreign minister had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU, TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We've told the other side that using a threatening language or sanctions will not

be productive from the start. We repeated this and we believe that they have understood this very well. Today in our meeting with Mike Pompeo, we

talked about what steps can be taken to resolve our issues. In that sense, I can say that this was a positive meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: To repeat a journalistic cliche, Andrew, it seems like both sides have agreed to disagree and try to work through this. I spoke with a senior

Turkish official and I asked, hey, Turkey vowed an equivalent response to the US sanctions and he told me that the priority right now is on trying to

resolve these differences and argued that the U.S. sanctions are quote, "very symbolic" since the two Turkish cabinet ministers have no assets in

the U.S. that they are being stripped of.

[08:10:01] So, it appears at this time that Washington and Ankara want to try to resolve this rather than let this potential crisis in relations

between these two allies get any worse, Andrew.

STEVEN: Well, speaking of potential crisis in relationships, let's talk about the ASEAN meeting there. Mike Pompeo is there. Obviously, North Korea

is going to be a big topic and Mike Pompeo is already talking about North Korea in the lead up to this meeting. What does he say about North Korea

and what does he want from AEAN as far as North Korea is concerned?

WATSON: He sounds like he's taking a tougher line, Andrew. He said that he's going to focus most of his discussions here on thanking other ASEAN

members for supporting the sanctions that the U.S. -- has led the sanctions regime against North Korea. He also told journalists on his flight to

Singapore that quote, Chairman Kim made a commitment to denuclearize."

It was demanded by United Nations Security Council resolutions and he argued that North Korea is behaving in an inconsistent manner according to

those commitments and the demands of the international community, that it still in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

So, we are not hearing the kind of gushing appreciation of North Korea coming from Mike Pompeo that we are hearing let's say, from President Trump

who recently thanked in a tweet Chairman Kim for the release of the remains of 55 United Nations troops left over from the Korean War, and thanked

Chairman Kim for a letter that was sent to him earlier this week and said, hey, basically I'll see you soon.

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State seems to be taking a tougher line and calling for a tougher line against North Korea at this international

gathering here in Singapore, Andrew.

STEVEN: Ivan, thanks very much for that. Ivan Watson joining us live from Singapore.

Now, en route to Singapore, Pompeop stopped in Kuala Lumpur to meet Malaysia's new prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. In the past, Mahathir had

a tense relationship with the United States as well as out (ph) west of the nations to put it mildly. So, how does he feel about the current U.S.

administration? CNN's Anna Coren asked the 93-year-old leader about his impressions of the U.S. President Donald Trump in a recent interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You described the U.S. president as an international bully. Do you still feel that way?

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA: More interesting he is not consistent. He can change his mind in 24 hours three times. He wanted to

see the president of North Korea then he didn't want to see and then he wanted to see again. I mean, how do you deal with a person who's mind

changes so rapidly?

Well, America is a powerful nation, we know that, but if he chooses to fight China in our area, then we are going to be a price for him (ph). So,

we don't want that kind of thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: The full interview with the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, that's on "Talk Asia" Saturday 1:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, only on

CNN.

Now, an intriguing correspondence has been confirmed by the White House. President Donald Trump received a letter this week from the North Korean

leader Kim Jong-un. The White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump responded with a letter of his own.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He did receive a letter. I believe that he received it on August 1st. There is not a second

meeting that is currently locked in or finalized. Certainly open to discussion but there isn't a meeting planned. We have responded to Chairman

Kim's letter -- the president has and that letter will be delivered shortly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: The U.S. president tweeted his thanks to Kim for the letter and said that he would, quote, see him soon. The two leaders met for the first

almost two months ago at a summit in Singapore, June 12th.

Donald Trump's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula are drawing mixed reviews, some were impressed by his approach to Kim, but CNN's Paula

Hancocks reports other are not sure if it is the right thing to do.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This says Koreans love the U.S. president. Older, generally more conservative, they

show their support for Donald Trump on a regular basis. Others disagree Mr. Trump's talk last year of fire and fury, of totally destroying North Korea

made residents sitting on the frontline of a potential conflict nervous.

[08:15:06] But Trump's tough talk on Pyongyang to South Korea's Parliament last November impressed many across the political divide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned. It is a hell that no person deserves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Words the won him the respect of Jeong Kwang-il who escaped North Korea 15 years ago. The human rights activists traveled to

the White House last year to meet President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDOE CLIP)

JEONG KWANG-IL, (through translator): At that moment he said I had great hopes and expectations. I thought it won't be long before I can return to

my hometown in the north, I honestly believed it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Then came the Singapore Summit. Standing next to Kim Jong-un, June 12th, Trump's words went from Little Rocket man to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I learned he's a very talented man. He love his country very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Words that devastated Jeong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KWANG-IL (through translator): I completely lot my faith in him, he says. Trump even said things like Kim Jong-un loves his people. I couldn't sleep

after I heard that. Anyone who is strongly against the North Korean regime no longer supports Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HABCOCKS (voice-over): President Moon Jae-in and his cabinet have given the U.S. president the lion share of the credit for improving relations and

lessening tensions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANG KYUNG-WHA, SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Clearly, you know, credit goes to President Trump. He has been determined to come to grips with this

from day one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Appreciation that spreads partly to the streets of Seoul.

This woman says, I think Trump's clever. At first, I rejected him. I thought he was a president that was bouncing all over the place. But when I

saw Kim and Trump at the summit, I saw Trump in a different light.

(on-camera): Even some here who are skeptical about peace talks working, have this nagging curiosity as to whether this unorthodox approach to

Pyongyang may actually make a difference in the end. They may not support Trump, but they're not ready to write him off just yet. Paula Hancocks,

CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEVENS: A top U.S. intel official say Russia is not done interfering in the U.S. elections, but does President Donald Trump agree?

Plus, a Russian spy caught working for the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Detaisl on that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEVENS: Welcome back. We're just getting some news coming in to us at CNN. At least 25 people are dead after a brutal suicide attack in eastern

Afghanistan. The bomb targeted a mosque during Friday prayers in the city of Gardez. Police forces are trying to help the 32 or so wounded people.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far. The Taliban released a statement denying any responsibility for that attack.

[08:20:00] Now, a national security show of force at the White House where top administration officials issued a blunt warning just a few months

before the midterm elections. Russia is still trying to influence the U.S. elections, but as is often the case, President Trump does not appear to be

on the same page as his staff.

At a rally hours later, he didn't mention interference. He did though blast what he called the Russian hoax. And today, the president is trading the

adoring crowds for a quite confined of his -- one of his golf resorts kicking off an 11-day stay. We've got CNN's Kaitlan Collins who join us

near Bedminster in New Jersey.

Kaitlan, obviously, a very clear warning, the Russians still intend to try and sabotage the U.S. elections. How do we interpret this sort of latest

silence from the president?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is exactly what everyone is noticing, this stark contrast between the president and his own

administration officials who made that rare appearance during the briefing yesterday. They were candid. They were blunt. They said that yes, that

threat from Russia is real. Now, that is not what we heard from President Trump during his rally last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I had a great meeting with Putin. We discussed everything. We got along really well. Now, we are being hindered by the Russian hoax. It's a

hoax, OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): President Trump downplaying the Russia threat once again. Just hours after the nation's top intelligence officials briefed

reporters about ongoing efforts by Russia to interfere in the upcoming midterm elections.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

DAN COATES, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the

United States.

KIRSTJEN NIELSEN, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs.

CHRIS WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: Russia attempted to interfere with the last election and continues to engage and malign influence operations to this

day.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

COLLINS(voice-over): The show of force standing in stark contrast to the inconsistent messaging from the president himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place. Could be other people also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): Still, administration officials insisting President Trump takes the issue seriously and has instructed his national security

official to confront the threat.

PAUL NAKASONE, COMMANDER, U.S. CYBER COMMAND: Your Cyber Command and the National Security Agency are tracking a wide range of foreign cyber

adversaries and are prepared to conduct operations against those actors attempting to undermine our nation's midterm elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): FBI director Christopher Ray warning that the FBI has seen criminal efforts to suppress voting and provide illegal campaign

financing.

WRAY: Make no mistake, the scope of this foreign influence threat is both broad and deep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): Those warnings coming amid bipartisan criticism of President Trump's relative silence on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R), OKLAHOMA: He's been the only one in the government that hasn't been paying attention to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What they said was important, but the president has been missing on this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): Asked by a reporter how he explains the apparent disconnect between the president and his administration on display in

Helsinki, the director of National Intelligence admitting he still in the dark about the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COATS: I'm not in the position to either understand fully or talk about what happened at Helsinki.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): Trump's national security advisor, John Bolton, stepping in insisting that the attack on the 2016 election was discussed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: President Putin said the first issue that President Trump raised was election meddling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): President Trump falsely claiming in a rally last night that Putin didn't want him to win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'll tell you what, Russia's very unhappy that Trump won, that I could say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (voice-over): Despite President Putin saying the exact opposite three weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Putin, did you want President Trump to win the election?

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA: Yes I do. Yes I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS (on-camera): Now the White House insists it was President Trump's idea that his officials come out and talk about election security at that

briefing yesterday, but there is no denying that the only time President Trump brought up Russia during his rally last night, a rally that lasted

over an hour long, was to say that the Russia investigation, the investigation into Russia meddling in the election was a hoax.

STEVENS: OK, Kaitlan, thanks very much for that. Kaitlan Collins, joining us from near Bedminster where Donald Trump is now in his -- one of his golf

resorts and is there for an 11-day stay.

Now, a suspected Russian spy worked at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow undetected for more than a decade before she was fired last year. A

security review found that she was having regular unauthorized meetings with the Russian intelligence service, the FSB. Let's go now to Matthew

Chance. He joins us from Moscow with more on this. What sort of secrets could this woman have been passing on to Russia, Matthew?

[08:25:07] MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Andrew, I'm not sure -- well I don't think there is any suggestion that she

had access to secret information or highly classified information. And she was of course a Russian citizen and therefore would not have been given

access to the sort of inner circle of the functioning of the U.S. embassy here in Moscow. She would have been focused more on administrative tasks,

translations, liaison with locals and things like that, perhaps she has some responsibilities in the visa office, we're not sure.

But we're told that she would not have had access to that highly classified information that could have been damaging to U.S. national security. What

we have learned though is that she would have had access to the U.S. Secret Service e-mail accounts and to the intranet so their internal internet

service, which may have been something she could have mined for information that she is looking to passed on to her Russian handlers.

As you just mentioned, she worked at the US Embassy here in Moscow for a decade, astonishingly, without being detected. It was only last year that

she was finally let go or relieved of her position after a security sweep revealed that she had unauthorized meetings with members of the FSB, the

successor organization of course to the KGB here.

And for some time apparently, U.S. officials were aware of her activities and the fed her information that they then watched being passed on to the

FSB to make sure that she really was sort of leaking this information or revealing this information on to them on U.S. activities.

And so, you know, an extraordinary situation but of course the U.S. State Department says that, you know, people all over the world who are locals

working U.S. embassies, not just here in Moscow of course, but elsewhere in the world as well, and they are always regarded as potential security

threats and because they are often targeted by the domestic security services, in this case, the FSB here in Russia, as a possible source of

information.

And so, the way the U.S. officials are playing it is that, yes, this happens but nothing secret was revealed.

STEVENS: It certainly comes at a time of the heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S. and it is certainly grabbing the headlines. Matthew,

thank you very much for that. Matthew Chance, joining us live from Moscow.

Now, an explosive allegation is prompting anger in Japan. A reporter is claiming one of its most prestigious medical schools is discriminating

against female applicants. The allegations as the university is now investigating, just ahead.

(COOMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:07] STEVENS: I'm Andrew Stevens in Hongkong. You're watching "News Stream" and these are your world headlines

The E.U. is calling for full explanation of Zimbabwe's election results after Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially declared the winner on Thursday.

Mnangagwa gets a narrow win just enough to avoid a runoff. The leader of Zimbabwe' opposition, he is calling the results unverified and fake.

U.S. defense official tells CNN that Iran is carrying out a military exercise in the Persian Gulf region. A source says U.S. officials are

concerned Iran may try to publicly demonstrate it can shot down the Strait of Hormuz. The operation comes just days before the U.S. reinforced the

sanctions on Tehran.

Turkey foreign minister says that he warned America's top diplomat that using threatening language or sanctions will not be productive. He met with

Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meeting. The two countries are in a dispute right now over the continued jailing of an

American pastor in Turkey.

There is outrage in Japan. One of the country's top medical schools rigged entrance exam schools to keep women out. The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri

Shimbun says the facts emerge from a separate bribery investigation.

An online source of Tokyo Medical University tells the paper that in 2010, 40 percent of successful applicants were women. Under the alleged rigging,

that number dropped to around 30 percent. This year, it was even lower. Women represented 39 percent of total applicants but only 18 percent of the

students actually passed the entrance exam.

Japan's education minister is asking the university to investigate and report back as soon as possible. The university tells CNN that it's

investigating to determine whether such a case actually happened.

Joining us now is Machiko Osawa who is a director of the Research Institute and Careers at Japan Women's University. Machiko, thank you very much for

joining us. Tokyo Medical Hospital says it has to limit the number of women doctors to avoid staff shortages.

Now, this is coming from the report. Is that actually a genuine concern because it's why women will take maternity leave and the numbers could fall

or is it more just an excuse to discriminate against women?

MACHIKO OSAWA, DIRECTOR, RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN AND CAREERS, JAPAN WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY: I think it's just an excuse to discriminate against

women that should not happen.

STEVENS: Why do you think there is this discrimination so -- what looks like so firmly (ph) in place?

OSAWA: Well, I think, as you said, the women may take a leave or they might left their career in the future because of the -- becoming mother.

And I think this is why they don't want to take a risk of having many women candidates.

STEVENS: That's just on a specific case. It looks like the university actually was deducting points from the entrance exam. So the women sat and

filled out the exam and then they took points away to keep what was effectively a quarter, a low number of women. That sounds actually illegal.

Is that to your knowledge illegal?

OSAWA: I think so. It is illegal. But looking at the wider perspective, this kind of direct discrimination is widespread in Japan. So this is

worrisome.

STEVENS: Well, let's just talk about that, the general level of discrimination in Japan, in corporate Japan. At what level do you see it?

Just how widespread is it? And how many women are being denied their rightful place in the workforce?

OSAWA: I think it is high. It is also practiced in large corporation and also the promotion perspective, also limited for women mostly. And then

also women are more likely to become non-regular workers. And as a result, we see large gap between men and women.

STEVENS: And which brings me on to government policy. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, campaigned on "Abenomics" --

OSAWA: Yeah.

STEVENS: -- which was -- that was basically "womenomics." He said, we need more women in the workforce to promote economic growth to help the economy.

So, why isn't the government being more -- taking more action, being more discriminatory against this sort of practice?

[08:35:00] What do they say?

OSAWA: I think this is the time that the -- previously just talking about it and this is the time for government to take action, a very strong action

against women.

STEVENS: OK. Machiko, we have to leave. Thank you so much for joining us. Machiko Osawa with Japan Women's University. Thank you.

OSAWA: Thank you very much.

STEVENS: Chinese activist was in a middle of a live television interview when police broke into his home and China and forced him off air. Well

known China critic Wenguang Sun was speaking with the U.S. broadcast "Voice of America" about President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Africa when police

abruptly cut him off. The incident was recorded on tape and it is another telling example just how far Beijing can go to silence voices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNTRANSLATED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNTRANSLATED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: And just on the line, the activist was speaking about China policy towards Africa.

CNN has reached out to the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comments. Meanwhile, "Voice of America" released a statement after broadcast was

aired. It reads, "everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinion without

interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

And we are just getting some news out on the U.S. economic front. Jobs for July has just been released. The U.S. economy adding 157,000 jobs last

month. That is slightly disappointing actually, looking for gains around 190,000 jobs. The unemployment right though down to 3.9 percent. We got

much more on CNN Money in about 20 minutes or so on the latest job numbers and of course the market reaction.

You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEVENS: You're watching "News Stream" live from Hong Kong. It has been a depressing week for Climate Watches Asia and the U.S. has seen the mercury

hit record highs. Europe is also facing extreme heat. The northern hemisphere (INAUDIBLE) new weather warnings for the world's most populous

country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Taking shade is just not going (INAUDIBLE) in China if temperatures continue to rise as they have been. Scientists predicted the

nation's northern plane including Beijing is set to become the world's deadliest heatwave zone by 2070. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology predicts 35o heat combined with extreme humidity.

[08:40:02] Even healthy people may not be able to survive for six hours or more in those type of conditions. The region is home to 400 million people.

The land is some of the most fertile farming land in China.

In Japan, the heat is already deadly. This week, a record high temperature was set in Kumagaya City northwest of Tokyo. At least 100 people have died

in Japan in the last month alone, many of them elderly.

"Considering my age, I can't really push myself, so I'm usually inactive or just stay at home."

People are struggling to cool down in South Korea. Temperatures there hitting a record high in the capital on Wednesday.

Then there's Death Valley in the U.S. state of California, known for its scorching heat with a new record for the hottest month anywhere in the

world, an average of 42.3 degrees. The dry hot weather has made it hard for firemen to put out fires elsewhere in California.

In other parts of the world not normally known for intense heat, Europe is set for record highs this week after an already sweltering summer for

people all the way through Scandinavia to the edge of the arctic circle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Many (ph) record temperatures reached in Scandinavia where at night the thermometer didn't go below 20

degrees Celsius beyond the polar circle. So that's really unheard of. It is a situation which has lasted throughout June and July. It is quite

remarkable.

In Spain and Portugal, it is thought the worst this summer is yet to come. Meteorologists expect heatwaves across the world to get hotter, start

earlier, and to lasts longer. We can already see what effect that is having.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEVENS: (INAUDIBLE) many parts of the world. I want to take you back now quickly to Zimbabwe and the fallout from the presidential election. David

McKenzie is monitoring events for us in Harare. There have been new developments. David, what has been going on?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Andrew. You can see behind me, there is a line of riot police. While we were at this

press conference that we were speaking about of the opposition, these guys came in with their commander and pushed into the press, pushed us out of

the venue.

It just shows you that the more things change in Zimbabwe, well, the more it stays the same, because this is the force of the government coming in to

an opposition press conference where they would give their complaints about the election that they say has been rigged.

I put the question several times to their commander why they were here, what they were doing, isn't this a bad sign for Zimbabwe trying to rejoin

the international community. He wouldn't say anything. But it is a show of force and of intimidation for the press and the opposition that we just

witnessed here in Zimbabwe.

ANDREWS: Talking about the opposition, what we know now of the movements of the opposition leader? Is he still going to try to hold his news

conference? Does he have information which would sort of verify his claims that the election results were fake?

MCKENZIE: All along, Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition, has said from the early hours that this was a rigged election and it was

(INAUDIBLE). But he hasn't yet given concrete evidence of that. But if you look a the line here behind me, this is the evidence of the power of the

state.

Just behind me over this side where there was -- Nelson Chamisa was held up in this hotel due to hold his press conference, several trucks arrived with

police inside, also water cannons. So, the intimidation is being raised but levels have been raised here in Zimbabwe.

It shows you that despite the talk of Emmerson Mnangagwa, the newly-elected president, that they need to heal divisions in this country -- sir, can you

tell me why this has been happening? Excuse me? He says there is nothing which there is happening, it looks a little bit different to me with the

police here intimidating the press and trying to stop the opposition from having their say. Andrew?

STEVENS: David, thanks for your reporting on this. Obviously, we will be staying with David throughout the day and monitoring all developments in

Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the controversial election. David McKenzie there joining us.

That is "News Stream" for the day. Thanks for joining us. I'm Andrew Stevens. Don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Christina Macfarlane is just

ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END