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Donald Trump Admits He Opposes New Funding For U.S. Postal Service In Order To Block Mail-In Voting; Belarus Election Protesters Refuse To Back Down Despite Violence; NGO Feeding Thousands Of Injured And Displaced; The Multicultural Background Of Kamala Harris; Israel and UAE Establish Full Normalization of Relations; Many European Countries See Sharp Rise in COVID-19; New Zealand Reports 12 New Cases as Testing Ramps Up; Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Speaks About Arrest. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 14, 2020 - 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)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi. Welcome to all of our viewers joining us from all around the world. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Robyn Curnow.

So just ahead on the show, a historic peace deal between the Israel and the UAE. But not everyone is celebrating.

U.K. adds new countries to its travel quarantine list as people across Europe brace for a second wave of the coronavirus.

And the U.S. president admits he is holding up funds for the Postal Service, claiming voting by mail encourages fraud. So, why then did he and the first lady request their own mail-in ballots?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on camera): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Robyn Curnow.

CURNOW: To our top story now. Celebration, condemnation, and a shift in the Middle East after Israel and the UAE strike a deal with the help of Donald Trump. The U.S. president says he expects the leaders of both countries to visit Washington soon to sign the agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Israel has agreed to suspend plans to annex parts of the West Bank at least for now. The two countries will exchange ambassadors and embassies, and they will sign a number of pacts on investment, tourism, direct flights, security, technology, telecommunications, energy, health, culture, and environment.

The Israeli prime minister, who has his own problems, put it squarely in the win column.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Israel and the UAE are two of the most advanced countries in the world. Together, we will transform the region and form an even better future for our people. This is a future of peace, a future of security, and a future of prosperity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: We have complete coverage of the story for you. Journalist Elliott Gotkine is in Tel Aviv for us. But first, let us go Sam Kiley in Beirut, Lebanon.

Sam, hi. The key question, I think, is what does the suspension actually mean? It seems to be very different from abandoning annexation, for example.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you put your finger right on the key issue as far as Palestinians are concerned, which is that this is a mirror suspension of internationally condemned plans to annex large areas of the West Bank, which in the view of the European Union, for example, would've put an end to any prospect of a two-state solution, an end to any prospect of a negotiated solution that would lead to a Palestinian state living in peace next to the Jewish state, which has been the principal of negotiations going back to the early 90s, the Oslo peace process.

Now, in that context, this deal that has been struck, the American president was explicit about this, Robyn, saying that in return for suspending that, the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalize their relations with Israel. It is something though that the Emiratis and Israelis have been really hinting pretty rapidly, if you can do that.

Over the last year or so, they've already had, for example, announced their cooperation over the development of a COVID vaccine. There has also been quite a lot of business going off via the United States. From the Emirati perspective, they consider the Palestinian leadership to be incompetent, corrupt, too old, too lacking in ideas to move things forward.

And also, they do believe that they were trying to preserve the two- state solution, the idea of a two-state solution, by at least extracting this concession from the Israelis. This is how the Emirati foreign minister put it to Becky Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANWAR BIN MOHAMMED GARGASH, UAE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: There was a long, I would say, internal dialog and dialog also with Americans. How can we do it? It is the right moment? I think there is never a right moment here. There is never a right moment. But at the same time, if we really get this commitment, it will be like defusing a time bomb on the two-state solution.

As I said, ultimately, a solution isn't in the hands of the Palestinians, in the hands of the Israelis, and we urge them to go back to the negotiating table.

[02:05:04]

GARGASH: We know that prospects are dim right now, but we hope that through this, we can actually achieve something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KILEY: No concession was given by the Israelis, for example, on ending the settlement program, which has been eating into land that the Palestinians want for a future Palestinian state, for example. So, as a consequence of this deal, the Palestinians have roundly condemned it as a betrayal, Robyn.

CURNOW: OK. Thanks for that perspective there from Beirut. Elliott, over to you there in Tel Aviv, what does Israel gain from this? What does it lose, if anything?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: It's hard to see what it loses right now. I mean, if you are one of the settlers or part of a settlement groups, then I guess your main worry right now is that this postponement of annexation, which they see as a betrayal as well, is something that ends up becoming permanent, especially if Donald Trump fails to win reelection.

But I think, broadly, Israelis will be very happy with this. Perhaps some on the left may have preferred to see some kind of progress vis- vis the Palestinians at the same time. But for Israelis, it's a big win. It's a big win for the country. It is only the third Arab nation with whom Israel will be normalizing a relation after Egypt and Jordan.

As Sam was referencing, you know, this bodes well for the possibilities of trade, for tourism. They say that they are going to be collaborating on developing a coronavirus vaccine.

It is also very good for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. You alluded to some of his issues, whether it is criticisms for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Israel on some measures now has one of the worst outbreaks in the world, and also his corruption trial, which is due to resume in a few months. He has been facing growing protests, as well.

At the same time, we have seen in the wake of this announcement yesterday, Netanyahu being widely praised, not just from the opposition, but even from members of his coalition, with whom he also has been butting heads of late as well, congratulating him for this achievement.

So it is a win for Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is a win for Israel. There will be some, of course, the Palestinians, who see this as a very big loss. Certain settlers will see this as a loss as well. But certainly from the country's perspective, this is a very big win.

CURNOW: OK. Thanks also for that perspective from Tel Aviv. Elliott Gotkine and Sam Kiley, thanks to you both.

So we are hearing mixed reactions to this agreement. We are hearing from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He tweeted in favor of it, saying, the UAE and Israel's decision to normalize relations is usually good news. It was my profound hope that annexation did not go ahead in the West Bank and today's agreement to suspend those plans is a welcome step on the road to a more peaceful Middle East.

Meanwhile, Israel's foreign minister tweeted, stability in the Middle East, the reduction of security threats, and brining agreements with the people of the region closer, these are my goals. The news about normalizing relations with the UAE is important and is an opening to further agreements.

Now, Hanan Ashrawi, member of the PLO Executive Committee, tweeted her anger at the accord, saying, Israel got rewarded for declaring openly what it has been doing to Palestine illegally and persistently since the beginning of the occupation. The UAE has come out in the open on its secret dealings/normalization with Israel. Please don't do us a favor. We are nobody's fig leaf!

So, I spoke earlier to CNN's global affairs analyst Aaron David Miller about this deal. He is a former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. I began by asking him these questions about the biggest winners and losers. This is his take on who the big winner was.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think there are three. It's a win, win, win, lose proposition. The U.S. won, we can talk about why and how. The Emiratis won, why and how. And clearly, the Israelis won. The loser in all this clearly is the Palestinian National Movement. They have been marginalized and virtually ignored as Arab states begin to consider normalization with Israel without much progress on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

CURNOW (on camera): Let's talk about the loser here then. Where does this leave the Palestinians? What does this mean for the Palestinians going forward?

MILLER: I mean, I think it is clear that they remain weakest, most divided party. Their options are very bleak. Military struggle and arm struggle is not an option. A negotiation under the terms being offered by the Trump administration, by the government of Israel, is not an option.

There is a good measure of drift. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian authority has been discredited.

[02:10:01] MILLER: His popularity is sagging. Hamas remained isolated and boxed in by Israelis.

It seems to me we are stuck in a space between a two-state solution that is too important to abandon, on one hand, but too difficult to implement on the other. I am afraid, varying degrees of dysfunction and violence and perhaps periods of calm. That is where we are going to remain for quite some time.

CURNOW (on camera): You said UAE is a winner here. But how, potentially, Israel and the U.S. outplayed the UAE here? I mean, this is a major victory for them, but for only a promise of a return?

MILLER: Well, first of all, the proof, obviously, isn't the proverbial putting. If in fact annexation is suspended, the UAE can rightfully claim that they have been kind of a redeemer of the two- state solution and a proponent in favor of the Palestinian cause.

Remember, the UAE reads the polls in Washington, as well. They see Donald Trump's fortunes sagging. They are hedging their bets. They picked up kudos in the Trump administration through this move, on one hand, and they position themselves, should Joe Biden become president, to be a pretty significant and potentially important partner for his administration.

They're trying to separate themselves from the Saudis whose reputation in Washington, at least in the Biden administration, is going to be pretty poor. Like many Arab states, beginning with Sadat, they understand that the road to Washington lies through Jerusalem.

CURNOW (on camera): Where do you see other states after this following, potentially?

MILLER: Well, this is -- you asked a critically important question. I mean, there are a handful of possibilities. There are ones that I would exclude. I think there is a real possibility that the Omanis, although Qaboos is no longer the head of state and it may take some time for them to adjust, the Omanis become a possible successor for normalization, the Bahrainis, too, with the acquiescence of the Saudis.

The big prize, of course, is Saudi Arabia. I don't think there is anyone with any certainty that the Saudis will follow anytime soon. Mohammed bin Salman still has very little room to maneuver, given Saudi Arabia's prestige in the Arab world and the traditional constraints under which the Saudis operate on the Palestinian issue.

So if you get traction, if you get the Bahrainis and the Omanis, perhaps even the (INAUDIBLE) although that is a more complicated situation, you're going to end up with a pretty heavy weight with respect to normalization with Israelis, which will reinforce a message to the Palestinians that their fears and suspicions of Arab abandonment are proving to be all too real.

CURNOW (on camera): Aaron David Miller, thank you so much. Always very good to get your perspective.

MILLER: Thank you so much, Robyn. Take care.

CURNOW (on camera): You, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: U.S. health experts say the coronavirus epidemic is not under control. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, it is dangerously out of control. Now, there are more than 5.2 million cases in the country and more than 167,000 deaths. Look at that graph, going up.

The CDC says, the way things are going, more than 20,000 more people could die from the virus by early December, just in this country alone.

The U.S. president is attacking his democratic rival, Joe Biden, who is taking a different approach to the pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at minimum. Every governor should mandate, every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing.

TRUMP: Joe doesn't know too much. Unlike the Biden approach, our approach is guided by science.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: To be clear, the advice from the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the White House's own task force is to wear a mask. The Trump administration, several Republican governors, even Donald Trump himself have spent months giving conflicting guidance on masks or flat out refusing to wear them.

Meanwhile, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Health says there is not going to be an October surprise corona vaccine. So, don't get your hopes up on that.

Now, to Europe, where the U.K. is adding France, Malta, and the Netherlands to its travel quarantine list. Starting Saturday morning, visitors from those countries must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Many European countries are also bracing for a second wave.

Here is Scott McLean.

[02:14:59]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the summer heats up in Spain, so has the coronavirus pandemic. Daily new infections, the highest they've been in months. Some of the worst spikes have come in Madrid, Barcelona, and Zaragoza. The Spanish Air Force is building a brand-new field hospital to deal with the surge of new patients.

ARANCHA GONZALEZ LAYA, SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: So situation is under control. Outbreaks are the new normal. The important thing is to manage them in a responsible manner to prevent them from becoming a sanitary crisis.

MCLEAN (voice-over): Spain has had the most confirmed cases in Western Europe and once had one of the strictest lockdowns, too. But as restrictions ease, cases have risen. Many are linked to young people and night life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we do not take care or take precautions or pay attention to the health ministry.

MCLEAN (voice-over): It's a similar trend across Europe where overall infections are rising.

MICHAEL RYAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S HEALTH EMERGENCIES PROGRAMME: Call that a second wave. You can call that a second spike. You can call that a flare up. You can call it anything you like. Take the pressure off this virus, the virus will bounce back.

MCLEAN (voice-over): Italy, once the epicenter of the pandemic, is now requiring visitors from Spain, Croatia, Malta, and Greece to be tested for the virus. Greece, which was spared the worst of Europe's first wave, just registered its highest daily increase ever. France is also seeing its sharpest rise in cases since its lockdown ended and even requiring masks outdoors in some places.

OLIVIER VERAN, FRENCH HEALTH MINISTER (through translator): Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 now are younger, 20 to 40, and less fragile, and because older people continue to protect themselves.

MCLEAN (voice-over): So far, the number of deaths in Europe is holding steady. But experts warn more deaths will follow if new measures to control the virus are not taken soon.

Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks, Scott, for that. New Zealand is scrambling to contain its outbreak as the country there reports 12 new coronavirus cases. More than 50,000 people were tested on Thursday alone, the most in a single day in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

Let's go straight to Selina Wang. She is following developments from Hong Kong. Hi. Good to see you. What more can you tell us?

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: New Zealand is pursuing this full elimination strategy, and Robyn, all it took was a few new cases for New Zealand to say goodbye to normalcy.

In a press conference, the prime minister just said that the current restrictions, which are level three restrictions in Auckland and level two restrictions in the rest of the country, they will remain for another 12 days. So that means that in Auckland, which has a population of about 1.7 million people, they cannot leave their homes unless it is for an essential trip.

Now, New Zealand has been praised by the global community for its very hard and fast response. The prime minister, in her remarks, said that if they were to lift restrictions now, it could lead in an explosion of cases and that it would be the worst thing for the New Zealand economy. So the best response to help the economy is a strong health response.

And back in March, we saw New Zealand put in some of the harshest restrictions and lockdowns and pairing it with contact tracing, with testing, with quarantine. It was effective. Up until this week, they were celebrating a 100 days streak of COVID-free days. Life was virtually back to normal.

We do see, with the new resurgence, that it is easy for this virus to come back in a mystery outbreak, even if it seems like the virus was completely stamped out.

In terms of the origins of the outbreak, the prime minister said they are still investigating a variety of theories. One of them, which the health officials there have said, is a low possibility, is that it could be linked to frozen packaged goods. We know that in refrigerated environments, the virus can live for longer periods of time.

In places like China, they have traced and detected traces of this virus on frozen seafood packaging. The prime minister did say that they may never find the origins of this current outbreak, but that they don't necessarily need to answer that question to be able to effectively deal with this current one.

CURNOW: OK. Thanks for that update there. Selina Wang there in Hong Kong, thank you.

So now to Brazil where its government reported more than 60,000 new cases on Thursday, the country now has 3.2 million infections. More than 105,000 people have died there.

In the meantime, a new report shows the majority of Brazilian states lack supplies to put breathing tubes into COVID-19 patients. Brazil's health minister says the issue is due to unbalanced supplies around the country.

And Chinese authorities are urging people to be careful when buying imported meets, after a sample of frozen chicken wings from Brazil tested positive for coronavirus. Health officials say everyone who may have come in contact with the product has since tested negative.

[02:19:56]

CURNOW: The World Health Organization, though, and the U.S. Centers of Disease Control repeatedly said there is no evidence of food transmission and the possibility of it is highly unlikely. Hong Kong media mogul, Jimmy Lai, is free on bail and speaking out about his arrest under the controversial national security law. That is coming up, next. What he is saying about Hong Kong independence. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow. Jimmy Lai, the owner of a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, is not speaking out about his arrest. He and his two sons -- two of his sons were arrested under the new controversial national security law there.

Police accused him of -- quote -- "colluding with foreign forces and conspiracy to defraud."

Will Ripley spoke to Lai and Will joins us now. Give us a sense of what he said and also the mood and the atmosphere of this conversation?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We walked into one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Hong Kong. The mood in the house was relaxed. He was wearing, you know, Jim pants and sneakers underneath his jacket. He definitely seems not nonchalant about this but very much at peace with what he calls his destiny.

He could have easily left Hong Kong months ago. He has a U.K. passport. He has a lot of resources. He says there is not even a thought in his mind of trying to escape from this, even if it means that he might spend some of his final years, as a man who is in his 70s already, in jail for his beliefs.

But he wants to draw the clear distinction between what he is being accused of and what he actually believes, because a lot of these people who have been arrested are accused of being a part of this pro- independence movement here in Hong Kong. He was very clear to state, from the beginning, that independence is not something he has ever called for. Here is why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY LAI, FOUNDER, APPLE DAILY: It's very stupid to think that Hong Kong can be independent when they can send troops to, you know, crush (ph) you down in three hours, you know. This is not possible.

RIPLEY (on camera): A lot of people associate you with the pro- independence movement. So you are going on the record saying you are not pushing for independence but you want people to have the right?

LAI: To keep the (INAUDIBLE) and the freedom we have.

RIPLEY (on camera): And the right to say that they want --

LAI: Yes, exactly, the freedom of speech. I don't associate with the independent camp.

[02:25:01] LAI: Not at all. I never have.

RIPLEY (on camera): Did you meet with U.S. officials at the consulate in other places as China alleges and, you know, try to encourage U.S. officials in Washington, as you have a lot of connections in the states, to sanction Hong Kong government leaders?

LAI: Well, I did not do it in person. But in the interview, I did it. You know, I said, you know, the only half (ph) that we can get from is the U.S., you know, and when they asked whether the U.S. should revoke the special status of Hong Kong, I said that is senseless.

You know, what you should do is (INAUDIBLE) in China. That is the kind of things I said because when the national security law is here, whether you revoke the special status of Hong Kong or not, Hong Kong is dead because we are out of the rule of law and our international financial center is dead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Lai says his prosecution is really going to be a true test of this national security law, Robyn. Whether the charges and the evidence that were gathered when they searched his home and the newsroom of Apple Daily and his other properties, whether -- you know, he doesn't believe they have anything to prove the allegations against him. He hasn't been formally charged by prosecutors yet.

And so he is confident that if the rule of law in Hong Kong is upheld, he will not have to spend time in jail. He also said he is at peace with if, for some reason, because the law so vaguely written, it ends up in a different way that, you know, that's what has to happen.

CURNOW: What do you have to say about these allegations that he is influencing young people who don't have the resources to defend themselves?

RIPLEY: Yeah, that's one of the main accusations made by the central government in Beijing, that he is using his newspaper to basically influence young people who don't know a whole lot about China, but to make them feel afraid and to go out in the streets.

His response is, one, most of the people, overwhelming majority of people involved in the protests, were always peaceful demonstrations. That is what he thinks Beijing has been most afraid of, not the small core group of violent protesters, who he has said he has never supported or endorsed.

He said violence has never been an answer. He also said that the violence that Hong Kong saw, in some ways, was a much smaller scale than even the recent protests that we saw in the United States.

But he also says that now, given that the penalties are potentially so severe, up to life in prison for certain offenses, young people need to have conversations with their parents if they are under age about whether they should participate. They need to have a good think about whether the potential risk for getting involved in this movement is worth it, considering they still have their whole futures ahead of them and most of them certainly would not have the ability to defend themselves as he does.

He also, basically, made it pretty clear that he thinks that, in large part, this law that China has imposed has already been effective in silencing a lot of the protesters, because people here are, frankly, at least for now, very afraid to go out on the streets and voice their opinions or even voice their opinions on social media because people have been arrested over posts and for even possessing just a banner that Beijing finds offensive and a threat to their national security.

CURNOW: OK. Great stuff. Great interview. Thanks so much. Will Ripley there in Hong Kong. Thanks, Will.

Coming up on CNN, warnings that the U.S. president is undermining election integrity by withholding money from the post office. We will explain that one just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:31:00]

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So, welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks for joining me.

It's certainly raising some eyebrows, President Trump and First Lady Melania. Trump have requested mail-in ballots for the Florida primary election. Records from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections show that their ballots were mailed on Wednesday to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

But it comes even as the president now admits he's holding up funding for the post office because he believes balloting by mail encourages fraud, even though there is no evidence for that. Here's Kristen Holmes with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump admitting he's opposed to funding for the Postal Service for political reasons.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They want $3.5 billion for something that'll turn out to be fraudulent, that's election money, basically. Now, they need that money in order to have the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. Because of those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because they're not equipped to have it.

HOLMES: Fueling outrage over the Trump administration's attempts to use the Postal Service to meddle in the election.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pure Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi guys, let's go. Let's go, come on. BIDEN: He doesn't want an election.

HOLMES: With more people than ever expected to vote by mail in an election held in the middle of a pandemic, President Trump has spent months making false claims about widespread fraud.

TRUMP: This is a thing that will be a disaster like never before.

HOLMES: Meanwhile, both the Democrats and Republicans raising concerns over changes made to the agency by the new Postmaster General, a Trump fundraiser and allies, including major shakeups and leadership and cost cuts that some workers say have slow delivery.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): Now, it's not the time to be cutting back services.

HOLMES: All this as postal workers across the country are sounding alarms this week over the removal of hundreds of mail processing machines from postal facilities.

Documents obtained by CNN outlined the plan to remove nearly 700 machines used for organizing letters and other mail.

While a spokesperson for the service describes the removal as a cost saving measure, postal union leaders warned that something like this just months before the election could cause delays.

In a statement, the Postal Service saying it, quote, routinely moves equipment around its network as necessary to match changing mail and package volumes.

S. DAVID FINEMAN, FORMER CHAIRMAN, U.S. POST OFFICE BOARD OF GOVERNORS: I don't understand why they were taken out. Someone's -- I heard someone report that they might have been taking out to use for spare parts, made little sense to me.

HOLMES: A new revelations over the Postal Service's urging that states (AUDIO GAP) expensive first-class mail to make sure the ballots are prioritized or risk that voters will not receive their ballots in time to return them by mail.

The influx of mail-in voting causing some states already financially unstable during a pandemic to bulk at the cost.

Now, Democrats are asking for a new USPS inspector general investigation, this time to look into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's finances. New financial disclosures obtained by CNN show DeJoy apparently did not divest millions in stock from his former company, a current Postal Service contractor. And that DeJoy hold stock options in a major USPS customer, Amazon. The Postal Service says he has followed all of the ethics requirements.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: So, just to recap here, we have a president who is now openly undermining the system. You have not only Democratic and Republican lawmakers raising concern, but also postal workers, state officials all sounding the alarm and we are just three months out from this election.

We have to be clear; this is the integrity of the election. And right now, it remains unclear whether or not this is going to change ahead of November.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.

PLEITGEN: Such an important story, thanks to Kristen for that. Now, the election crisis and discontent in Belarus are showing no signs of abating after security forces there attacked and imprisons hundreds, if not thousands of anti-government protesters.

But in just the past few hours, authorities began releasing the detainees as you can see from this video, some with severe bruises and apologized to those who are injured in the violence.

[02:35:15]

CURNOW: The interior minister said all the protesters will be freed by later Friday morning as the government appears to be buying at least somewhat to widespread pressure from inside and outside the country.

Well, Frederik Pleitgen is in the capital Minsk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Belarusian opposition is coming out in full force. Thousands of people lining the streets of the capital Minsk, peacefully calling for change while hoping things don't take a turn for the worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He should go away, otherwise it will be a civil war in our country. And it's very scary because Belarusians are very peaceful people.

MOOK: The protesters answer to a recent government crackdown holding up flowers as motorists honk for support.

Despite the repression, despite the use of stun grenades, tear gas, the mass arrests and the beatings, the opposition is still coming out. Their action now is more decentralized with marches like this one seemingly popping up out of nowhere to avoid the security forces.

Belarusian police and army units beat down crowds protesting the recent contested presidential election containing thousands.

State T.V. parading and humiliating some of those arrested on air. Many remain missing, possibly incarcerated here. The central detention facility where hundreds have been waiting outside hoping for any information about the fate of their loved ones.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to understand that people are being beaten up, tortured, from the moment when they're detained in the streets, then they're taken to the local police station. They're beaten -- they're being beaten there. And then they bring them either to here after maybe a day or two, and the beatings and tortures they continue.

MOOK: Strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who's ruled Belarus for around 26 years claim he won last Sunday's election, garnering 80 percent of the vote. His opponent opposition icon Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has since had to flee the country.

The U.S. and E.U. have heavily criticized the election. And that night in Minsk, many people are coming out and also say they believe the vote was rigged and they will take it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to be heard. When we -- nobody hears us, nobody sees us. Everybody will just -- we like do not exist here because we want changes. We want to just to try to live another way, not being afraid of the police.

MOOK: The opposition is demanding talks and a new transparent election, and they say the demonstrations won't stop until change happens.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Minsk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks, Fred for that report.

So, the U.S. jobs market is showing new signs it's recovering, but it certainly still has a long, long way to go.

Well, let's go to Eleni Giokos for a quick wrap of the numbers. Eleni, hi.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Robyn. I mean, look, we always look at initial claims on a weekly basis and it's become such an important barometer and litmus test, in terms of what we'll be seeing in the jobs market.

Now, initial claims for last week came in at 963,000. We're talking about 963,000 Americans being laid off in just one week.

Now, it's a significant number because it's the first time it's dipped below that key one million level. But in historical terms, we're talking about an astronomically high number.

And to give you an indication of just the scale and the pain that is experienced in the United States with regards to jobs, during the peak of the global financial crisis, we saw jobless claims coming in at a max of around 600,000.

And of course, importantly, pre-COVID times, we saw initial claims maybe averaging between 150 to 200,000 on a weekly basis.

So again, we're talking about a staggering number here, but the move downwards is the right momentum. The question is, can it maintain this movement to the downside? Now, importantly as well, continuing claims as a number we always look at on a weekly basis, 15-1/2 million Americans still filing for continuing claims. 28 million Americans, Robyn, are still fighting for some kind of jobless benefits here.

And the reason that these numbers have also seen a move to the downside is because emergency benefits expired at the end of July.

So, that's the one big risk that experts and economists are warning of that we still have a lot of movement to make to see a true recovery.

[02:40:04]

GIOKOS: And this is on the backdrop of the stimulus talks coming to complete standstill. I mean, we know that enhanced benefits, really an important part of trying to prop up and support vulnerable Americans.

And while lawmakers in Washington can't seem to find common ground, you have the most vulnerable needing assistance at this time.

Now, the question is what is the delay going to do to the numbers in a few weeks time? That is what we'll have to focus on.

And then I have to say, I'm looking at what the markets are doing. Wall Street is saying something completely different. We're sitting close to record highs. That is such a huge, huge disconnect in terms of what is happening in households in America, the most vulnerable.

You're looking at what's happening in Washington and then, Wall Street is pricing in a strong recovery here. These are all the important things we need to focus on as we see coronavirus cases increasing in the United States.

So, I think we absolutely have to be very cautious of what's to come, Robyn.

CURNOW: OK, thanks for that. Eleni Giokos there in Johannesburg.

So, coming up on CNN, feeding the displaced and desperate in Beirut. We'll speak to the director of a groundbreaking NGO that's on the ground right now trying to bring relief, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: North Korea's Kim Jong-un says he will not accept international aid after recent flooding there. So, Red Cross and the Red Crescent officially asked -- say almost two dozen people have died, several are missing and more than 20,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed.

Now, the state media reports that more than 16,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged with many roads and bridges washed away.

And the FBI will help Lebanon investigate last week's deadly explosion in Beirut. The blast killed more than 170 people, wounded 6,000 and devastated the Lebanese capital as you can see from these images. And Lebanon's president has acknowledged his war -- he was warned about the ammonium nitrate stored at that port.

And the U.S. official says the Bureau is coming in at the invitation of the Lebanese government to help answer questions about the circumstances leading up to the explosion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HALE, U.S. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: If that same spirit of unity and collaboration, and the focus on getting things done, could not only be tapped to rebuild Beirut, but to undertake the necessary reforms that will bring the kind of transformation that is necessary for Lebanon, to make sure things like this never happen again. The economic and fiscal reforms that are needed. The end to dysfunctional governments -- governance and empty promises.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:45:18]

CURNOW: So, 10 days out and from the horror of that blast, those injured and displays to finding recovery a terribly challenging task with an NGO called World Central Kitchen as they're cooking amid the crisis.

They're on the ground identifying who is most in need and providing them with nutritious meals. World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook joins me now with more.

On the work you're doing there on the ground, thanks for speaking to us. So, how many people have you fed so far?

NATE MOOK, CEO, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: So, we fed close to about 50,000 meals in total now. We've -- we're now up to serving about 10,000 fresh meals a day to 50 locations. You might be able to see our map behind us as we set up distribution points working with local organizations, Lebanese Red Cross and a number of other groups on the ground to make sure we can get food to where it's needed most.

CURNOW: And who have you targeted? I mean, who's the most needy? How do you prioritize this?

MOOK: So, you know, this explosion has impacted so much of the city. And so, really, it's looking to identify those neighborhoods that are both hit the hardest. And with those residents that many of them have already been struggling, right?

I mean, Lebanon has been facing a number of crises over the years. And right before the explosion, of course, COVID and the financial crisis.

And so, really, it's about identifying those families that right now don't have access to food. They're not able to -- they don't have kitchens left, refrigerators, and they need that assistance.

CURNOW: And, obviously, how great is this need? I mean, is there concern that it's growing because these are just early days. MOOK: There is. There's quite a bit of concern. You know, in the aftermath, there is a lot of outpouring of support and it's incredible.

I mean, come out on the streets of Beirut, you see volunteers from all over the country coming and cleaning up. You have those who can preparing food, sandwiches, handing out organizations like ours that are -- that are doing so in a -- in a larger fashion.

But there is concern that some of this aid will start to run dry and there's questions about the food stores and access to food as prices have also gone up.

And so, you know, we're monitoring this closely, we're trying to see what we can do to create a system that can sustain for the long term.

In the process, we're also supporting the local businesses, we're working with about 10 local restaurants now. We're paying them to produce meals in addition to our own kitchen. And this way, we can support the businesses that are impacted by this explosion as well but definitely a lot of concern about what the coming weeks are going to bring.

CURNOW: Yes, the sort of long-term sustainability of this because people are no doubt -- again, struggle more and more in the weeks ahead.

So, I just want to know, what are you actually cooking?

MOOK: So, we're cooking all sorts of amazing meals. We're cooking a combination of hot food and then also preparing sandwiches that can be distributed out into the streets and transported very easily.

You know, by working with restaurants and local chefs here in Beirut, they're able to come up with local recipes -- you know, food that folks want to eat that's very comforting that they're used to.

And we definitely leave it up to the chefs to come up with those amazing dishes and they change every day. And that's really -- you know, what's so important is this is real food -- you know, that that can help get folks through the day.

CURNOW: And who's coming? I mean, no doubt families, mothers trying to feed their children, elderly people? Just give us a sense of the demographic, because in many ways, this disaster cuts across class and demographics in terms of wealth in Beirut.

MOOK: It really did. And I think we're seeing the organizations we're working with, the local community, nonprofits, also families that we're meeting in the streets. I mean, it really is a cross section.

You have -- you know, folks from all over different backgrounds, different areas. You know, Beirut, of course, is a very multicultural city. And so, you see that in those that are impacted and it is both young and old. It's both -- you know, mothers and grandmothers and many children. So, you know, I -- this explosion did not discriminate. It really --

you know, has impacted a huge swath of this city. And while of course, everybody is coming together to clean up, to start to figure out how to rebuild right now. It's a tough time for a lot of the residents here in the city.

[02:50:03]

CURNOW: But at least, for some of them, they're getting a meal and their belly is full as they look to the future.

Nate Mook, thanks so much for joining us. And thanks so much also for this great work that you're doing there on the ground.

MOOK: Thank you so much.

CURNOW: So, almost all of the oil in a wrecked Japanese ship off the coast of Mauritius has been removed, that's according to the Prime Minister. But much of the damage has already been done.

Greenpeace estimates 1,000 metric tons of oil has spilled into this Indian Ocean lagoon just over the past week.

A Japanese ship struck the reef three weeks ago and began leaking oil just last week. And you can see how it unfolded in these satellite images in the first one in a few days. After the accident, there was no oil spill yet. But then, in this photo from August the sixth, you can see the oil slick colored red here covering an area of more than three kilometers.

Five days later, on August the 11th. This image shows an oil slick 10 times larger. An estimated 27 kilometer -- square kilometers. It's devastating, isn't it?

We know that local volunteers, environmental groups, international experts, ordinary residents are working to limit the damage to wildlife and coral reefs. We'll keep you posted on that story.

And then, after the break, Kamala Harris soon could be vice president of the United States if her and Joe Biden win this election.

How her multicultural black background shaped her into the woman many call, the future of the Democratic Party. That story just ahead here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: So, President Trump is fueling another birth conspiracy. He's praising a controversial lawyer who falsely says that Kamala Harris is not a U.S. citizen and is ineligible to be vice president. Harris, of course, is American and is fully eligible for office.

The lawyer wrongly argues that Harris is ineligible because of her immigrant parents, that they were not naturalized U.S. citizens when she was born in California. But the President did not dismiss this accusation which of course has been called bogus. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are claims circulating in social media that Kamala Harris is not eligible to be -- to run for vice president because she was an anchor baby, I quote. Do you or can you definitively say whether or not Kamala Harris is eligible, illegal -- and meets the legal requirements to run as vice president?

TRUMP: So, I just heard that, I heard it today that she doesn't meet the requirements. And by the way, the lawyer that wrote that piece is a very highly qualified, very talented lawyer. I have no idea if that's right. I would have thought -- I would have assumed the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Independent fact checkers called the lawyers argument, quote, racist nonsense. But it's her family background that certainly inspired Harris to enter public service.

Nic Robertson looks at how being the child of multiracial parents influenced the vice presidential candidate. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kamala Harris speaks passionately of her heritage.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, my mother and father, they came from opposite sides of the world to arrive in America. One from India and the other from Jamaica.

[02:55:01]

ROBERTSON: A daughter shaped by the world.

HARRIS: My grandparents were phenomenal. We would go back to India like every other year.

ROBERTSON: Her grandfather, an accomplished diplomat, a young Kamala Harris would walk the beach with him and his buddies.

HARRIS: They would talk about the importance of fighting for democracy and the importance of fighting for civil rights and that people would be treated equally regardless of where they were born or the circumstances of their birth.

ROBERTSON: Values Kamala's mother Shyamala Gopalan embraced, and her parents indulged. Her brother Harris's uncle awed by her drive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you imagine 1959, a 19-year old girl who has done home science in B.A. in a Lady Irwin College, going to a PhD program in biochemistry at University of California at Berkeley all by herself. ROBERTSON: She met Kamala's father, Donald Harris, an economic student

together becoming civil rights activists and marrying, they had two girls Kamala, then Maya. Divorcing when Kamala was seven, those early years spending time with Jamaican grandparents to her father, well regarded in Jamaica.

RICHARD BERNAL, FORMER JAMAICAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Professor Harris is a very urbane, thoughtful, calm person.

ROBERTSON: Although, Ambassador Bernal never met his friends' daughters, he's sure they benefited from his country's qualities.

BERNAL: It's just this quality of self confidence. And I am sure that we children would have imbibed some of that from a Jamaica, born in Jamaica.

ROBERTSON: But it was her mother who would raise her and influence her the most.

HARRIS: She was a brown woman. She was a woman with a heavy accent. She was a woman who many times people would overlook her or not take her seriously. Or because of her accent, assume things about her intelligence. Not every time my mother proved them wrong.

ROBERTSON: Like mother, like daughter, a trailblazer, and maybe all the way to the White House. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks so much for watching, I'm Robyn Curnow. Another hour of CNN starts right after the break. I'll be doing that so stick with me.

END