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Tariff Trouble; Nadler Privately Pushing for Impeachment Inquiry; Biden Reverses Course on Hyde Amendment; Trump in Europe; Theresa May to Officially Resign as Party Leader. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 07, 2019 - 02:00   ET

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


[02:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Deadline day. The U.S. and Mexico face a Friday deadline to reach a deal on immigration enforcement, where President Trump says he will move forward his plan to slap Mexico with new tariffs.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Official resignation. British Prime Minister Theresa May will soon hand in her resignation as conservative party leader, but she is not moving out of number 10 Downing Street just yet. We'll explain, also this hour.

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What we're trying to do is find ice that is representative of the area.

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HOWELL: CNN's Arwa Damon joined scientists in the Arctic to find out what's threatening the ice from below.

ALLEN: Welcome to viewers all around the world. Thank you for joining us. Coming to you live from Atlanta, I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: I'm George Howell from CNN world headquarters. "Newsroom" starts now.

Under heavy pressure from the United States, Mexico says it is taking steps to stem the flow of illegal migration from Latin America.

ALLEN: Mexico's foreign minister says as many as 6,000 National Guard troops are being sent to the Guatemala border. The U.S. president has threatened tariffs on Mexican imports if the country does not stop migrants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you are the piggyback that everyone steals and robs from and they deceive you like they have been doing for 25 years, tariffs are beautiful thing. It's a beautiful world if you know to use them properly. Republicans should love what I'm doing because I view tariffs in two phases. Number one, it's great to negotiate with because people don't want to be tariffed for coming into the United States. They don't want that. And number two, frankly if they are gone, you will make a fortune because all the companies are going to move back into the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Mexico faces a Friday deadline from Washington.

HOWELL: Either they strike a deal on immigration enforcement or President Trump will sign an executive order to start the tariffs on Monday. CNN's Michelle Kosinski has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT: After another day of lengthy meetings at the State Department, at the White House, there is talk of there being some progress but still not enough, although there is no hard indication that these tariffs against Mexican products will indeed go into effect on Monday.

Early in the day, we were hearing from a source not to expect a full- pledged agreement with Mexico, saying that the U.S. was on the path of figuring this out. Let's see if the numbers at the border go down and Mexico can do more, giving us an indication that the U.S. might be willing to wait before it imposes these tariffs.

However, the latest we are now hearing from the White House is that they are planning on moving forward with the tariffs. From the Mexican side, we hear that talks are continuing, that they are exploring options, but that the U.S. is focused on immigration enforcement and that the Mexican side is focused on development, getting to the core problem of why people are leaving these countries to go through Mexico and into the United States. That indicates that there is a gap there on thinking of what should be targeted in the near term.

But for these tariffs to go into effect, the president needs to sign an executive agreement by Friday. Customs and border patrol needs to submit paperwork by Friday. Let's see if that paperwork is actually submitted. It seems only then would we have a real idea if these tariffs are more than just a threat and more than just a feeder (ph) to try to get Mexico to act more quickly.

Michelle Kosinski, CNN, the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Michelle, thank you. U.S. Immigration says that the wave of migrants has pushed it to the breaking point.

ALLEN: CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at the surging number of illegal crossings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The numbers are huge, 144,000 migrants arriving in the U.S. via the southern border in May alone, including more than 11,000 unaccompanied children. That's more than 30 percent higher than the previous month and the highest total in 13 years. "We are in a full-blown emergency," the acting head of Customs and Border Protection says. The system is broken.

REP. WILL HURD (R-TX): All of last year, 400,000 people came in the country illegally, right? And so this is how staggering this current crisis really is.

FOREMAN (voice-over): For the president, it is another reason to hammer on Mexico, saying that country should stop migrants before they reach the U.S.

[02:04:59] TRUMP: They have to step up to the plate. And perhaps they will. We are going to see.

FOREMAN (voice-over): To be sure, many points (ph) out migrants are being driven out of their home countries south of Mexico by economic hardship and violence with a promise of a better life in the states if they can make it to the border to make an asylum claim. The White House says Congress must help fix that part, too.

MERCEDES SCHLAPP, WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: -- we know that needs to happen is true congressional action, which is that of closing the legal loophole which would then stop the magnet of illegal immigrants coming to the United States.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But some critics say the president is also to blame. They argue his singular focus on building a wall has allowed an administrative logjam to develop, and many immigrant families know the rules limiting how long children can be detained mean they will likely be released while their cases make their way to the immigration courts.

JOHN SANDWEG, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: The administration has begun beefing up the immigration courts but it's really just far too little. We're looking at about 400 judges today. Maybe next year, 500 judges processing over a million cases.

HURD: They basically stay in the United States for almost five years before they go through their complete immigration court case. They are all being treated as an asylum seeker.

FOREMAN: The nature of these asylum seekers is changing as well. In decades passed, it was frequently single men looking for work. Now, many times, you are looking at families with children seeking asylum. That is changing the political and the practical challenges in dealing with them.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ALLEN: A break at the very top of the Democratic Party. The two people who will decide whether there are impeachment hearings against President Trump are now at odds. We have new details about what they said to each other behind closed doors at a meeting Tuesday.

HOWELL: That's right. The chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, made his case to launch an impeachment inquiry, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused. Those new details make this pause by Nadler in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on "New Day" speak a thousand words. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Are you on the same page with Speaker Nancy Pelosi when it comes to impeachment?

REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): As I said, we are launching an inquiry now, and whether we launch an impeachment inquiry -- it may come to that. It may come to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: That's not all. After Nadler failed in that meeting to convince Pelosi to move ahead with an impeachment inquiry, multiple Democratic sources say Pelosi said this about President Trump. "I don't want to see him impeached. I want to see him in prison."

HOWELL: Let's talk more about this now with Scott Lucas. Scott is a professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham, also the founder and editor of EA WorldView with a different look. He is joining us this hour from Birmingham, England. It is good to have you with us, Scott.

SCOTT LUCAS, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: Excellent morning to you, George.

HOWELL: Scott, the U.S. and Mexico, the trade talks continue. Let's start there. The deadline is near. Whether a threat, whether a feeder (ph), we will find out in the coming days. But is the use of tariffs, is it working as a motivator on this issue of immigration as President Trump hopes that it will?

LUCAS: Well, it has created a crisis point, George. We might get today, I think, Mexico is saying, for example, that they are willing to increase the number of National Guard on the border with Guatemala. They may increase the number of personnel on the border with the U.S. But they will not do, let's be clear here, is they will not take all the migrants and say you cannot have any them eventually claim asylum in the United States. Mexico is not going to become the country of large resort.

The question is whether Donald Trump accepts what will be limited, but I think headline accepts (ph) by the Mexicans and say, yes, I won, or whether he doubles down on this and says no, there has to be more from the Mexicans and imposes these tariffs despite the economic damage that they will cause.

HOWELL: I want again another question in on this. Scott, we hear there are signs of progress in the negotiations. Mexico is sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Guatemala. Do you see this as an issue that Mexico can tackle with more troops, or is it sort of a bandage that shows good faith in these latest tensions over tariffs, but does little to really address the bigger issue here?

LUCAS: I think there is a practical issue for years to think about, George, and that is when you deploy the National Guard, whether it's from the United States or Mexico, you can't permanently deploy them. They have to be stood down. So to actually ask Mexico to put up a permanent military force in Central America and on the border, that's not viable. There have to be other steps that are taken and you put your finger on it.

[02:09:57] The cause of this influx towards the United States in large part is violence and economic issues. That's why we are not seeing those dangerous men that Donald Trump was talking about, but many families and women. And until you deal with that, it will be in a permanent crisis. But I think Donald Trump wants a permanent crisis. I think he wants this for 2020 for the re-election bid which is if a problem is solved, everybody is happy. If a problem is not solved, he can keep saying to build a wall.

HOWELL: I want to get your thoughts on the divide among Democrats. We talked about this a moment ago, specifically the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, reportedly saying that she wants to see Donald Trump in prison versus Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler pushing for an impeachment inquiry to start.

The party wants to maintain this image of unity moving forward. Can it do so, as we saw there Nadler speaking with Wolf Blitzer, can it really do so given that there is a clear divide here?

LUCAS: I think it's a bit of theater (ph) here, George. I think Nancy Pelosi is playing the cautious legislator. I think she is as it were the firewall, says we are not there yet. Jerry Nadler is understandably frustrated that the White House is stonewalling on this. I think he is going to say that an impeachment may be an option.

But there's common ground here and that is, will the hearings proceed in House Judiciary Committee and in other committees? If they do, then I think impeachment will be deferred. If the White House continues to say, no witnesses, no handover of testimony, we will defy Congress charges, then I think they hand as if were the pistol for (ph) Pelosi to possibly fire to at least go through impeachment hearings in the House even if there is no way of getting a conviction in the Senate.

HOWELL: Finally Scott, the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, he reversed his long held position on what is called the Hyde Amendment. For our viewers around the world, the Hyde Amendment is a ban on federal money used for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life is in danger.

So one day on the campaign, his campaign, he said he supported it. The next day, Mr. Biden admitted that he changed his mind. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally protected right. If I believe health care is right as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's zip code.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Keep in mind, this has been around for decades. Given the climate around abortion, women's reproductive rights, how do you feel that that played into the former vice president's decision here?

(LAUGHTER)

LUCAS: I think it has everything to do with his decision. I mean, the issue of abortion has been with us even before the 1970 decision of Roe v. Wade. But now that that decision could face judicial challenge and now that we are seeing states ban abortions in all cases or at least in all cases in the first -- except the first six weeks of pregnancy, this will be a key issue for Democrats and for many Americans.

I think Joe Biden was slow (ph) on this. I think the fact is he does it like he changed position light (ph). I think he has a chance to repair that position.

But the more that this becomes as if we're (ph) escalated because the conservatives will force this, more states will say no abortions, and even more that it puts Biden under pressure to say look, you got to deal with this not only as a political issue but as a serious issue of women's rights. We are beyond politics now. There are lives that are being affected.

HOWELL: It's interesting. The last presidential election, that particular issue put Biden to the right of other candidates like Hillary Clinton, put him to the right, so seeing him make the shift now. Scott, thank you again for your time today.

LUCAS: Thank you, George.

HOWELL: President Trump is in Ireland this hour, set to spend the morning golfing at his resort, weather permitting before returning to the United States.

ALLEN: The five-day trip to Europe (INAUDIBLE) with the gathering of world leaders and more than 100 surviving veterans of D-Day to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. President Trump called those who fought on the D-Day "among the very greatest Americans who will ever live."

HOWELL: And afterward, the president arrived by helicopter at his resort on Ireland's Atlantic coast. The nearby village of Doonbeg credits Mr. Trump with boosting the local economy there, employ hundreds of people in the area at his golf club. ALLEN: Nic Robertson joins us from Doonbeg, Ireland. So it seems, Nic, this might be a rare warm welcome for the U.S. president there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Certainly a warm welcome by the residents of the area. I don't think the weather is measuring up today. At least the people are providing here in Doonbeg.

[02:15:02] It really is a bit of a grey overcast day. The rain has poured off. We can show you here a picture of President Trump's golf resort there. If you look closely, if anyone pops out of the main building, they will be able to see them. This is the headquarters of his golf. It is expected now the rain stopped, maybe get out and play some golf this morning.

But this resort was in financial difficulty when President Trump picked it up in 2014. It was designed to help employ people in the local community. That's exactly what people here are been telling us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Eric and Don Jr. Trump dropping in to their dad's local.

A few minutes, this Doonbeg golf resort, laughing up the love.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Great. Always great to be back here. Thank you guys. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I love seeing all the support coming in today. It's incredible.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): It became a (INAUDIBLE) next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was big shock. We really didn't expect this. Suddenly, this entourage came in the door and media lights flashlights.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The whole town came out.

TRUMP JR: It's everything, right?

RITA MCINERNEY, OWNER, ATLANTIC WAVE CAFE: It's like (INAUDIBLE).

ROBERTSON (on camera): Really like a big sporting event.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. It reminds me of kind of the team coming home and visiting all the pubs with the cap. That's what it kind of reminded me of.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Rita McInerney runs a cafe in this tiny village. The population, 341 last census. Folks here put the flags up for Trump a few days ago but support for the American president began ways back when he bought the failing Doonbeg Golf Resort in 2014, saving local jobs.

MCINERNEY: For me, it's putting my niece and nephews through college. They both work there. It's a great spinoff for me in the cafe. I own a grocery store as well, so it's a great spinoff, as well as the guests.

ROBERTSON (on camera): It's keeping your family going?

MCINERNEY: Yeah, 310 people that are working there as well. They spend through the local economy as well.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Up and down this main street, Trump is a success story. As Tommy Comerford, his family have owned this bar for four generations.

TOMMY COMERFORD, OWNER, COMERFORD PUB: Donald Trump took it over before he was president. People said, oh, he will forget about the village. No, he didn't. He actually enhanced it.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Could you keep your pub going if there wasn't a Trump resort?

COMERFORD: No, not a hope. Not a hope.

ROBERTSON (on camera): It's not to say everyone here is a fan. Don Jr. and Eric missed a handful of protestors who did come out. But, of all the special relationships Donald Trump is courting in Europe, Doonbeg is perhaps his biggest success, with people of this village paying the president back in a way that he likes, with their loyalty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: That really does seem to be working out for everyone here. There is an estimated 8.5 million euros, probably around $8 million a year coming in to the economy. Many people are earning. Many people are spending the sort of enhancement of tourism here. The pub owner told me he sees people coming in from as far as Toronto to Florida.

He put that down to the Trump effect. They are attracting people and having put his name to the golf resort. It makes it more of a place and destination that people want to go you. Most people in this area are happy. They may not like President Trump's politics, but they do like the way that he's helping them here.

ALLEN: Understood. We will see if he gets a tee off considering the weather there in Ireland. Nic Robertson, we appreciate that story. Thank you.

HOWELL: Still ahead, the British prime minister hoped this day would never come. The latest on her resignation and why she's not going anywhere just yet, also ahead this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It meant so much to be above the woman's game. It means a lot to women in sports.

ALLEN (voice-over): Built (ph) so much more than soccer, the Women's World Cup kicks off soon in Paris where the pressure is on for host country France. We look at their chances as we push on here. You are watching "CNN Newsroom."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: She held on for a long time.

HOWELL: She did.

ALLEN: British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to officially resign as leader of the Conservative Party on Friday.

HOWELL: Worked on Brexit for a long term there. It comes after a series of bruising battles on that issue. She will remain at number 10 until the new prime minister is chosen and in place. That's expected to be the week of July 22nd. Our Anna Stewart is following the story from Peterborough, England, where the newly formed Brexit Party has failed to win its first seat in the British parliament. Tell us more about that.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, George. The Brexit Party is only eight weeks old, led by Nigel Farage, they were actually favorites to win a seat here. It would have been their first seat in parliament but they lost out. It was a narrow loss. We have a Labour Party having 31 percent of the votes. They would be incumbent.

The Brexit Party, 29 percent, and that actually put the Conservative Party into third place, which is very interesting when we consider who will next lead the Conservative Party. This is what they're facing. They are having a huge (INAUDIBLE) across the country most likely by Brexit people that want to see Brexit delivered and are disappointed that this government hasn't been able to do that, three years really after the referendum. George?

HOWELL: Also, let's talk about the end of Theresa May's term as conservative leader and now a field of the 11 conservative MPs looking to replace her. Depending upon who takes the helm will determine whether a no Brexit deal might become even more of a possibility.

STEWART: Yeah, the front-runner at the moment, the favorite is Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary, a staunch Brexiteer. Yes, that could raise the possibility of this no-deal Brexit. Although, I would say, the mathematics of parliament has not changed. We know from all these many, many votes in recent months that there is no majority appetite for a no-deal Brexit.

Is there going to be a majority for anything under a new leader of the Conservative Party, under a new premiership? That remains to be seen. That is the huge challenge here. There are 11 candidates who incredibly want to take on this incredibly difficultly role. The nominations are open on Monday. This is the last day that Theresa May will be leader of her party.

The campaign is really already underway and it will take several weeks to get whittle down with secret ballots within the Conservative Party MPs. They have several ballots. It gets whittle down to two candidates. Then wide membership of the Conservative Party gets to vote on that.

[02:24:58] We do expect to have a leader, as you said, week of the 22nd of July, so several weeks to come with all this. It would be very interesting to see whether Boris Johnson is still the favorite at the end of that.

HOWELL: All right. And again, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is even more possible depending upon who steps in as the new P.M. Thank you again, Anna. We will stay in touch.

President Trump leaves Europe in the coming hours after a state visit to the U.K. He also remembered those who change the course of history on D-Day.

ALLEN: He also dives deep into British politics, breaking protocols, choosing favorites, and creating storm of controversy, something he is pretty good at. Matthew Chance is in London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The British media won't suggest that he had a problem with stairs, having to explain Theresa May holding his hand in Washington. But this week, President Trump seemed fine, stepping straight into Britain's politics.

Even before Air Force One touchdown, he branded the critical London mayor a stone cold loser, a nametag to couple of potential next prime ministers, including the British foreign secretary, who had to greet Trump on the tarmac.

JEREMY HUNT, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: President Trump saying what he thinks and catching people off-guard is just part of the deal. President Trump --

CHANCE (voice-over): You think it is inappropriate for an American president to intervene in British politics at an insensitive time?

HUNT: What is not appropriate is to focus on the small number of differences we have.

TRUMP: I know Boris.

CHANCE (voice-over): Plus the endorsements didn't stop.

TRUMP: I liked him. I've liked him for a long time. He is -- I think he do a very good job.

CHANCE (voice-over): Not necessarily a good thing for candidates, in a country where Trump is almost as divisive as he is at home. Boris spoke with the U.S. president over the phone, but politely declined a presidential meeting. When we spoke earlier this year, he was uncomfortable with that Trump image that could backfire. Even described as Britain's Trump with better hair.

BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I don't think that at all. I think when I was foreign secretary of the U.K., I had good relationships with the White House. Met the president of you times and was very pleased to meet him as any foreign secretary would be.

CHANCE: Intervening in the domestic politics of other countries is usually seen as a huge diplomatic no, no, because normalizing meddling could give the green light to others like Russia to do the same.

But this state visit to Britain isn't the first time the U.S. president has appeared to step in over half of his political favorites. In fact, it's become a bit of a Trump trend.

TRUMP: It is my honor to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House. He's a very special man. He's done a great job.

CHANCE (voice-over): On the eve of recent Israeli election, the U.S. president recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the controversial move which the White House denied was political, but was seen as supportive of his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who went on to win.

Back in Britain, Trump snubbed the leader of the main opposition party, but reached out to Nigel Farage, the outspoken head of a pro- Brexit party over a highly contentious parliamentary by election. Don't do unto others what you wouldn't like done to yourself. It is a key rule in international diplomacy and another one this president seems to have thrown out.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Coming up here, Chinese tech company Huawei may be banned from working on 5G networks in the U.S., but closing in on other countries. We will have that story ahead.

HOWELL: Plus, the world's most expensive football player pushes back against allegations of rape as his accuser publicly details her account.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:344] ALLEN: And welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell with the headlines we're falling for you this hour. Mexico's Foreign Minister says his country sent troops to its southern border to stem the flow of migrants heading north. The U.S. has threatened tariffs starting Monday if they are not stopped. Talk between the two nations on immigration and tariffs are set to resume Friday.

ALLEN: China has promised to their words here, fight to the end if the U.S. escalates the trade war. President Trump says he could add tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese products if talks with China's president at the G20 summit don't pan out. The upcoming conference is the first chance for the leaders to meet since last year.

HOWELL: The British Prime Minister Theresa May officially resigning as a Conservative Party leader Friday. She'll remain prime minister until its successors in place. This comes as the newly created Brexit party barely misses out on electing its first member of Parliament. As labor retains its seat in a closely watched election in the City of Peterborough.

ALLEN: China's major tech company Huawei is on the frontline of the escalating trade war with the U.S. It is the world's biggest supplier of telecom equipment and the world's number two smartphone brand.

HOWELL: Well, Washington has banned Huawei from anything to do with the 5G network in the U.S. The tech giant is making significant inroads in Russia as our Fred Pleitgen reports.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: On day one of the economic forum here in St. Petersburg, China, one of the countries that's taking center stage. On the one hand of course, you have that trade war that China is involved in with the United States but then you also of course have very much deepening relations between China and the Russians.

Now, one of the big companies that people are talking a lot about is Huawei which of course right now is feeling a lot of pressure from the U.S. But has also just landed a contract here in Russia to develop a 5G network. Now, we were able to speak to the CEO of the Russian telecoms company that's involved. And he insists that there is no political motive behind the contract.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXEY KORNYA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MTS: I think here we have the most concerns of, you know, some political agenda in our thinking about 5G development. I think it's extremely important that provides additional comfort than security because we can see and we don't want to be our service. And now products being hostages of any political decision or solution. So in this sense, we are trying to be as neutral as it is possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now of course that's the view from the company level but on the political level, the view is very much different. Both Moscow and Beijing have been saying that they want deeper political and economic cooperation between these two countries. Vladimir Putin of course having met Xi Jinping in the past couple of days and they are saying quite frankly that they trust each other and that they are friends.

Now, all of this of course comes as there is a lot of pressure from Washington on China with the Trump administration laying some pretty heavy tariffs on Beijing. I was trying to ask the current head of Huawei whether or not that has impacted the company's business.

[02:35:00] He was reluctant to answer but he did say a little something.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: How successful has your trip in here?

GUO PING, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, HUAWEI: It's OK. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Now of course the economic forum here in St. Petersburg remains the premier economic event here in Russia as it is every year. But one country that certainly has seems to have a lot less representation than usual is the United States in this year. The U.S., very angry about the fact that American Michael Calvey, a big investor here in Russia continues to be under house arrest. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, St. Petersburg, Russia.

ALLEN: Brazil football star Neymar has denied allegations of rape against him.

HOWELL: A woman alleges he assaulted her at a hotel in Paris in May and he is -- and he's speaking out about it. And that's not the only problem he has. Vince Cellini reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCE CELLINI, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: He's one of football's most recognizable stars. Expected to lead Brazil to glory in the summer's Copa America. Instead for PSG forward Neymar, his reputation on and off the pitch is being questioned. The 27-year-old had to be stretchered off during Brazil's friendly with Qatar on Wednesday night. With doctors declaring he had suffered a ruptured ligament in his ankle.

The superstar received a visit at the hospital from his most powerful supporter. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. Who posted a photo of the two of them along with a message of support and good luck. On the same evening, Brazilian network SBT aired an interview with a Brazilian model, Najila Trindade Mendes de Souza who is accusing the footballer of raping her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Were you raped or was it a consensual sexual relationship?

NAJILA TRINDADE MENDES DE SOUZA, NEYMAR ACCUSER (through translator): I was raped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you raped or was it just an assault?

DE SOUZA: Assault along with rape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You reaffirmed you were raped?

DE SOUZA: I was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trindade said she initiated contact with Neymar via Instagram. With the intent of a sexual relationship. She says he paid for her travel to Paris.

DE SOURZA: I had the desire of being with Neymar and when I got there everything was good, everything was fine. But when I got there he was aggressive, totally different from the guy I met through the text.

CELLINI: The model says the alleged attack took place on May 15th in a Paris hotel. With the police report being filed on May 31st in Brazil. She claims the police report was delayed because her legal representatives advised her not to file it. They have since dropped her as a client. She says she's not in this for the money. Paris police have not returned CNN'S calls. And the prosecutor's office says no investigation is taking place.

Neymar has not responded to Trindade's the interview. But two days after Trindande filed a report, he took to social media strenuously denying her accusations. And sharing a sexually charged text exchange between the pair that he claims continued after the alleged assault. He says proving the consensual nature of their relationship.

NEYMAR, BRAZIL FOOTBALL PLAYER (through translator): Anyone who knows me knows my character and my nature, knows that I would never do such a thing. But I was exposed to this and I'm here to show my face because I know that any news that comes out with my name involves a lot of things and comes with a lot of noise and everyone wants to make a statement. And what happened was totally the opposite of what's being said. What they said, I'm really upset right now.

CELLINI: This latest controversy adds to the growing sense than in football crazy Brazil, this generation's greatest talent is not delivering on his potential.

FERNANDO KALLAS, BRAZILIAN JOURNALIST: We were supposed to be talking about him competing with Messi and Cristiano to be the best player in the world and we are not doing that. For Brazilian team it's better that he goes away so all the distraction goes away. But I think for him, for career, I think that maybe Neymar, we can start saying that Neymar is the biggest waste of talent in the history of Brazilian sports.

CELLINI: Brazilian Football Confederation issued a statement on Thursday saying that "Due to the gravity of the injury, Neymar will not be in physical condition or have enough recovery time to participate in the Copa America-Brazil in 2019. Neymar will now have the entire summer for his ankle to hear before the start of next season. Where he already faces a three-match suspension over behavioral issues from last season.

What was supposed to be an unforgettable year has turned into one he's likely going to want to forget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The biggest tournament for women's football kicks off in Paris in the coming hours with host France taking on South Korea.

ALLEN: It is only the eight FIFA Women's World Cup but it is being billed as the most anticipated ever. There's increased competition on the field with even more people expected to watch.

HOWELL: And this year's tournament is especially important to the host country France. CNN's Amanda Davis explains why with the football legend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:40:05] AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Its host France who have the pleasure, the owner of kicking off the eight Women's World Cup. They take on South Korea (INAUDIBLE) on Friday night. And to look ahead to the game, I'm pleased to say I'm joined by a former player who made nearly 200 appearances. For France is now the France Football Federation General Secretary Laura Georges, great to speak to you.

If you look on paper, France and the quarterfinalist in recent times hasn't gone too well but everybody that I've spoken to in the buildup to this tournament, for them France is the team we should be watching over the next few weeks. Do you agree with that?

LAURA GEORGES, GENERAL SECRETARY, FRANCE FOOTBALL FEDERATION: I do agree with that, yes. So for sure, I think this year is going to be special, it's at home. I guess the players that -- yes, it's -- they are done losing. They've been preparing and mentally preparing. So it's going to be a huge difference from the vast competition.

DAVIES: When you're playing at home as the host, there's always the P-word, pressure. In your opinion, is the pressure greater because the tournaments being played here in France or is it what the men did, 12 months ago of course lifting the title in Russia.

GEORGES: It's going to be pressure because of the national team. The men's national team. But I think the -- for them, for the players, for the girls, it would be more about playing at home like to -- or to manage this pressure. To play in front of people because there's like a lot of expectation. So I think they would be prepared and I hope they will just enjoy this competition.

DAVIES: What does it mean for the women's game here in France that this tournament is taking place?

GEORGES: Well, it means so much not about, on the about women's game, it means a lot for a women in sports. It shows that you can like host the most important sport -- I mean, women sport event of the year. So far, it seem -- it's delivering a message to say, we can organized -- we can organize something great and bring people together, bring men and women who like football or not but just want to support friends.

DAVIES: And of course, the opening game against South Korea, so people who maybe aren't necessarily big fans of the women's game haven't been watching up to this point. Is there one French player that you think people should keep an eye on over the next few weeks? GEORGES: I would advise them to look after Delphine Cascarino. She's

been great, she's a fast player, technical player, young player in the -- in football we know her. Everyone knows her when she was in competition U-20 World Cup in the other stage hedge, she was been really good. Now she's with the full team, she's doing really well in the scrimmage. We can't wait to see her play and we can't wait to see or shine on the field. She is really good.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: All right. Women's World Cup. Be prepared to watch it and we'll be covering it of course. Amanda Davies with that story.

HOWELL: The arctic ice shelf is becoming a casualty of global warming. Still ahead. CNN join a team of scientist who were studying the scope of the threat, not just for the animals that rely on the ice but for the entire world. Stay with us.

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[02:45:54] ALLEN: The climate change is threatening the world's fragile ecosystems, the most dramatic consequence is how fast the Arctic ice shelf is melting.

HOWELL: But for the Arctic, it's not only rising air temperatures that are a threat. As CNN's Arwa Damon reports, there's also the threat from below.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's spring in the Arctic. Nature is waking up as the sea ice melts warmed by 24 hours of sunlight. This year saw a record loss of sea ice in April across the Arctic, and this is where that ice comes to die. But the story of ice loss is more than just warming air.

TILL WAGNER, POLAR OCEANS PHYSICIST: I would lean to have trying to keep going a little further in.

DAMON: We're in the Fram Strait far north in the Arctic Circle.

MATTIAS CAPE, BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHER, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF OCEANOGRAPHY: So we're choosing this area because this is an area where we have this warm water meeting the ice edge.

DAMON: Biological oceanographer Mattias Cape is one of a small group of scientists headed by Polar physicists Till Wagner. The warm water they are talking about is the fast-moving Gulf Stream originating in the Gulf of Mexico.

WAGNER: This actually, this warm water -- this (INAUDIBLE) of surface as it comes up, and then it drops under the ice as it goes into the Arctic Ocean. And that layer that's under the ice that has been coming up close to the surface and melting the ice from (INAUDIBLE).

DAMON: We know the oceans are taking the brunt of global warming we have caused. But the team wants to understand how the way the ice and water are interacting affects our changing world.

WAGNER: What we're trying to do is find ice that's representative of the area.

DAMON: And ice that doesn't risk breaking apart under our feet. With a polar bear guard on watch, the team works on the ice floes day after day.

There are so many challenges when it comes to really understanding our planet's changing climate. It's a bit like trying to put together a puzzle whose pieces are constantly changing. Changing faster than the science and the studies can keep up with.

The team drills through the ice to measure thickness.

WAGNER: So, we're starting to get a fairly good idea and it has definitely thinned. This, in this area as well, it's basically thin everywhere.

DAMON: Extracting ice cores that hold frozen clues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, look at this. Beautiful.

CAPE: That about a meter of ice core right here. And inside, this piece of ice actually has little microscopic pores.

DAMON: Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise is converted into a floating lab.

CAPE: All right. Now, I can grab the first one.

DAMON: Melted ice core samples come to life under the microscope. A kaleidoscope of algae and phytoplankton.

CAPE: So, these sea ice algae and phytoplankton in general tremendously important for carbon drawdown. These -- they photosynthesize, takes in carbon dioxide.

DAMON: Phytoplankton don't just store carbon dioxide, they jumpstart the cycle of life. Feeding on the phytoplankton under the ice our zooplankton, which in turn feed small fish feeding the bigger fish all the way up the food chain including us.

WAGNER: Really exciting. Yes, yes, there's a lot there and this is very different than we've always seen so far actually, in terms of just the diversity of things that I've met.

DAMON: Initial data from hundreds of samples confirmed the team's expectations. Plankton that critical source of ocean food concentrates where the freshly melted ice is.

WAGNER: This is crazy how strong is this 14 milligrams per liter.

CAPE: Yes.

WAGNER: Really strong bloom. CAPE: Yes, yes. Located right at the ice, said -- I mean, we did have icy ice around at that station, right?

[02:50:02] WAGNER: Yes, this is like the hot devil water sits at the bottom is just waiting to come up.

DAMON: Increasing ice-melt is wearing down the cycle of life here, and undermining nature's carbon stored system. And that's bad news for all of us.

This water in this region is among the most productive when it comes to the building blocks of ocean line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is.

DAMON: It is polar bear track. Increased melting of glacial and land ice from above and from below have recently led to doubling previous projections of sea level rise to two meters around the world by the end of the century.

That coupled with the loss of sea ice is not only going to deprive us of magical moments like this. Beluga whales would rely on the food under the ice to survive. It will also deprive us of the riches the ocean now holds, riches we all depend on. Arwa Damon, CNN, the Arctic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Beautiful story, but not a beautiful message from Arwa Damon there.

HOWELL: Yes, but that's the reality.

ALLEN: It is a reality, you're right. An abandoned nuclear site turned tourist attraction. Is seeing a boom and visitors why people are headed toward Chernobyl? That's ahead here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: It looks like a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but visitors are showing up to Chernobyl. And the neighboring city of Pripyat.

ALLEN: This as a new T.V. series tells the story of the nuclear disaster there more than three decades ago. CNN's Michael Holmes takes a closer look at the Ukrainian ghost town that is getting a second lease on life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm pleased to report that the situation in Chernobyl is stable. In terms of radiation, I'm told it's the equivalent of a chest x-ray.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How Chernobyl is on fire? And every atom of uranium is like a bullet. MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the new Chernobyl. Transformed from a nuclear ghost town into a tourist attraction. 33 years after an explosion sent clouds of nuclear material across much of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, and into Europe, the U.N. put the death toll from the explosion and cancer at about 4,000. But some studies put that number much higher.

The success of the HBO miniseries, Chernobyl, has boosted the city's profile as a tourist destination. Companies offering tours of the site report a 30 to 40 percent rise in bookings since the series aired.

VICTORIA BROZHKO, TOUR GUIDE, CHERNOBYL: It's a beautiful place. You see that the nature returns and takes over nowhere and that's what we can see. You can feel the (INAUDIBLE) very calm here, you can just feel the atmosphere.

This is actually the only one place I would say in Ukraine where you can really feel the atmosphere of USSR.

HOLMES: Now, it's a ghost town. But Pripyat was once home to 50,000 people. Its Ferris wheel has never been used, it was scheduled to open on May the first, five days after the disaster.

[02:54:58] CAROLINE MACIEL, TOURIST TO CHERNOBYL FROM BRAZIL: The way you see, and you can relate when you see those empty buildings is just fantastic. You just feel like you connect with people that were actually here, and you kind of feel what they felt when they had to leave. It's a -- it's a very cool things here to experience.

BROZHKO: So, we are here.

HOLMES: The area around the plant feels like a haunted wasteland with vegetation encroaching on the abandoned site.

GARETH BURROWS, TOURIST TO CHERNOBYL FROM ENGLAND: Just seeing how nature is taking back all the buildings and all the roads, and just see how everything's falling to pieces. I'm in Pripyat, from what I've seen so far, a little luck it would have been a really nice town. Actually, down on the river by there by the port. They look beautiful, but of course, is uninhabitable now.

HOLMES: Some worry that Chernobyl could be damaged by its new popularity. They concerned its impact could be weakened. There are quite a lot of tourists already here. And it does kind of take away the experience of being in a completely abandoned town. So, I think if more and more tourists will come here, that will ruin the experience I think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 500.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it OK, enough?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) not enough money. HOLMES: At least, the souvenir stalls at Chernobyl look set for brisk business for the foreseeable future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The phone lines contain the spread of misinformation.

HOLMES: Michael Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And this note, CNN and HBO, which aired and co-produced Chernobyl share the parent company of Warner Media.

ALLEN: So, happy vacationing at Chernobyl.

HOWELL: Yes, I can go there.

ALLEN: Well, if you're going -- if you're going to build a bridge, it's probably a good idea to make sure it's strong enough to hold things like -- you know, cars.

HOWELL: Take a look at this scene in a Russian village after a bridge collapsed. Authorities say the structure was probably too fragile to hold the weight of four cars which were parked on it. Luckily -- can you believe it, no injuries, Natalie, reported there.

ALLEN: Yes, only four cars and there it goes. So, start over.

HOWELL: It's just incredible.

ALLEN: Well, good news for kids and possibly bad for parents. Nickelodeon is developing -- you got it.

Baby shark into an animated series, I bet you didn't see that coming.

HOWELL: Oh boy, you can't get that song out of your head. The song became a breakout YouTube sensation when it launched back in November of 2015. It's had nearly 3 billion views today, and it's marked a 20th street on the Billboard Hot 100 list. The release date for the series hasn't been set yet.

ALLEN: Oh, maybe a hit. That you think?

HOWELL: I think it will.

ALLEN: The day's top stories are just ahead. Try to get that song out of your head.

HOWELL: Good luck with that. We'll be right back after this.

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