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Heat Wave Whipping the Globe; Pope Francis Brings Message of Peace to Indigenous People; Hard to Trust Russia's Words; POTUS' Health is Improving; Global Community Fights Simultaneous Health Threats; Haitian Migrants Found Dead Off the Bahamas; FBI Raises Alarm About Presence of Huawei Equipment in U.S.; Odesa Ballet Continues Performances Despite War; Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard Wins Title in Paris. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 25, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United and around the world. I'm Christina Macfarlane, live in London.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, wildfires in California spread without containment as blistering heat takes over three continents.

Plus, how Washington is working on a plan b to the grain agreement between Russia and Ukraine. We'll take you live to central U.K., London, and Nairobi.

And the FBI races the red wet flag over Chinese telecommunications equipment on U.S. shores. CNN has an exclusive report.

We begin with those scorching temperatures across much of the Northern Hemisphere. As heat waves blanket China, Europe, and the U.S. In California, wildfires ranging near Yosemite National Park has burned through more than 15,000 acres. Hundreds of firefighters are working around the clock to battle the blaze. And thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes to escape the fast-moving fire.

While in Europe, the blistering heat is helping fuel wildfires in some areas. This was the scene in western Greece on Sunday as crews battled the fire there. It was one of several wildfires raging across the country right now. We are also seeing scorching heat across much of China.

Our Steven Jiang is standing by in Beijing with those details, but first let's go to CNN's Nina dos Santos just outside of London. Nina, these wildfires are continuing to be a big problem even in London where we no longer seeing the record temperatures of last week.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is right, it is. A number of degrees cooler than it was when it hit a record of 14.2 degrees Celsius, a 104.5 Fahrenheit roughly this time last week. We've seen it, but the grass still remains parched and it hasn't really rained ever since. And this is where the threat is coming. This is why you are continuing to see wildfires here, which I should point out, incredibly rare in the United Kingdom, and incredibly rare right here in the center of urban activity.

So, I am is a place called Hayes, which is just on the road from Heathrow airport, about a dozen kilometers outside of the city center. And just behind me 12, 12 acres where a light for much of Sunday yesterday it took firefighters several hours to put these flames out.

Eventually, they manage to dampen things down but even this morning we've seen about three or four fire trucks head towards the sight of that smoldering grassland just to make sure that it doesn't reignite.

This is the scene that was replicated on various parts of the capital. Just outside of London in Surrey, we saw another 20 acres of grass and farmland blazing yesterday afternoon. And to the southeast in Thamesmead there was another fire as well that broke out. This has prompted authorities to continue to warn Londoners that even if the temperatures have abated somewhat, please, please, they say do not use barbecues, and certainly do not throw any naked blames or, for instance, cigarette butts onto the floor here of grassland like this if they're not fully extinguished.

But this pales into comparison with what is happening in other parts of Europe. You saw those wildfires in Greece where buildings in places like the island of Lesbos, which is a huge tourism destination at this time of the year, ablaze.

We also saw the western part of Greece in the Penapolis having to deal with huge wildfires and even fires raging in the outskirts of Athens. In the Canary Islands, in Tenerife, we also saw wildfires breaking out there. Thankfully now, though when it comes to the large amount of land that is being scorched in southwestern France and into Gironde region near Bordeaux those fires are up two weeks of firefighters tackling around the clock have now been put out.

But that has still left about 40,000 people at one point displaced. It is the specter of something that people in Europe are going to have to get more and more used to even a temperate climate like this in the United Kingdom. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes. Nina, and all of this coming of course during peak holiday season in Europe. Thank you for now, Nina.

Steven, I want to turn to you in Beijing. Because we know that in China, you know, you are getting hit on two fronts tonight right now, not just the heat, but of course, that surge in COVID cases.

[03:05:07]

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Christina, a double whammy indeed. And this heat wave in China has been unrelenting and widespread, hitting many parts of the country from the southeast, including Shanghai and its surrounding areas, down to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, all the way to the northwestern region of Xinjiang. As of Monday, 67 Chinese cities actually have issued their highest-level threat alert. Meaning temperatures in their locations could surpassed 40 degrees Celsius. That's 104 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming every 24 hours.

So, not surprisingly, many people across the country trying to escape the heat in their hometowns. I just returned from this southern island of Hainan often nicknamed China's Hawaii, the resorts there are really filled with domestic travelers and with the crowds, you know, flocking to beaches and pools, really deterred by the challenges of traveling in China these days including the potential risk of getting stranded because of the government's strict zero COVID policy.

And as you mentioned, we are seeing a resurgence of COVID cases across the country with the health ministry on Monday reporting more than 600 locally transmitted cases. That's alarmingly high by Chinese standards. That's why we are seeing lockdowns and mass testing making a comeback with the (Inaudible) in many parts of the country including in Shanghai where they just went through a very brutal two-month lockdown starting in April.

That city just reopens on June 1st but already dealing with a very stubborn new outbreak for the past few weeks, with the authorities there ordering several rounds of mass testing for much of the city's 25 million residents. The next round is taking place Tuesday through Thursday when the temperature is forecast to hit as high as 38 degrees Celsius. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes, Steve, you got a feel for people trying to stand out in lines for those testing in that heat. Nina dos Santos, Steven Jiang, both, thank you both very much.

I want to turn to our CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, he joins us now from CNN center. Pedram, as we've been hearing from Steven and from Nina there, there seems to be no end in sight for this heat wave that is affecting much of the Northern Hemisphere right now. What more can you tell us, any relief on the way?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, for a couple of spots we're going to get some relief eventually, but it does look a pretty long duration setup here and across United States. We're talking about some of the most densely populated cities of the U.S., whether it be New York, on into Philly. Feeling the wrath of what's going on here with the heat indices as hot as 105 degrees in a few spots. Boston included where it could feel as hotter than 105 across the region into the afternoon hours.

Now, around the central U.S., we've touched on how excessively hot it's been in this region for so many days and it just continues. One hundred nine, 112 across areas around sea points eastward into Tulsa. But it's really the Pacific northwest that really as impressive as it gets because this is then the one area where they've been kind of avoiding much of the excessive heat around the United States.

And you know, we've talked about 250 million, 270 million Americans dealing with temperatures above the 90-degree threshold. This was the last few million area where we hadn't seen those temperatures, but guess what, it's here now, as well. Across the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, Portland, down towards Eugene, areas across the south as well where it could feel as hot as 100 to 109 degrees.

And look at Seattle climbing up from 88 to 95 degrees and pretty impressive run of 90-degree days considering on average, you get just a couple of these per year, and now they're getting four of them in consecutive fashion, 79 typically what you expect this time of year.

And again, speaks to the bridge of high pressure because we know how infamous this region is for cloud cover and scattered clouds at the very least even this time of year. But notice, six of the next seven days hard pressed to find much in the skies besides sunshine.

now work your way towards Hong Kong, temperatures there the all-time hottest ever observed on record 37.4, which is a little over 99 degrees Fahrenheit. That was Sunday afternoon. It had never reached 37 Celsius in Hong Kong in recorded history. And what's most impressive is the previous day on Saturday was the hottest day ever. And the previous day before that on Friday was the hottest day ever.

So, three straight days where Hong Kong bested its hottest temperature on record. Notice, again, not much relief here, hot temperatures remain put, a few pockets of showers and thunderstorms over the next couple of days that could bring some relief here.

But anytime you're talking 38 in Shanghai, which again is about a 100 degrees Fahrenheit into the 40s just to the north of this region which sits as warm as 108 Fahrenheit. It's a pretty impressive amount of temperatures here to see these records. But Shanghai has had three red alerts so far this year, Rosemary, Christy -- Christina. You'll notice 17 red alerts is what had been observed on record since the 1800s.

So, three of them having happened just in the past couple of days, Christina, is pretty impressive here --

MACFARLANE: Amazing.

JAVAHERI: -- for this extensive heat wave across northern areas of the world.

MACFARLANE: Yes. And all I can think about, Pedram, is the fact that it was hotter in London last week, 40 degrees say than it is in Hong Kong. I mean, something is not going right, is it? Pedram Javaheri, I thank you very much for that.

[03:09:58]

OK. Pope Francis arrived in Edmonton on Sunday for the first stop in his visit to Canada. The trip comes as the Roman Catholic church tries to atone for decades of abuse against indigenous people at so-called residential schools.

CNN Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher is traveling with the pontiff. DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis arrived in

Canada to a deliberately subdued welcome ceremony, deliberate because as he told us on the papal plane coming over from Rome, he is coming to Canada in a spirit of penance. Penance that is for the wrongs done to indigenous people here.

And he was met at the airport by representatives of indigenous groups, as well as, of course by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now Pope Francis did not take the stairs to come down from the papal plane. We know he has been dealing with a knee issue for some time now. He took a chair lift from the side back of the plane and then was put into a wheelchair.

However, on the papal plane, Francis was standing, walking up and down the aisles with the aid of a cane in order to say hello to journalists. So given that his knee issue caused him to cancel only three weeks ago a trip to Africa, we'll have to see how the Pope holds up during his six-day visit to Canada. After a long 10-and-a-half-hour flight from Rome, Sunday is a rest day for the Pope. His first full day of meetings and events begins Monday morning.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Edmonton.

MACFARLANE: OK. Still to come on CNN Newsroom, how Ukraine hopes to export its wheat if Russia fails to honor the new grain deal. Details on a plan B, next.

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MACFARLANE: We're back with new details on the deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports. Moscow says Russia, Turkey, and another party still to be determined will be escorting vessels carrying those shipments through the Black Sea. Since the start of the war Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports, trapping millions of tons of grain and deepening a global food crisis.

On Friday, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations signed a deal to restart the exports. Russia admitted on Sunday its forces had hit a Ukrainian warship in Odessa with high precision missiles. And Kyiv is warning that provocations like this will put the deal at risk.

Meantime, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is trying to shore up support in Africa after a meeting with top officials in Egypt, he will stop in Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Republic of Congo, all countries that rely heavily on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine.

Well, CNN name is covering this story from all angles. Ivan Watson is in Ukraine. Clare Sebastian is here in London and Larry Madowo is live from Nairobi, Kenya. I would like to start though, Ivan, with you in Ukraine. We are hearing that despite these attacks Moscow is saying this grain is still going to be exported. What more do you know this hour?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well at this point despite the attack on the Odessa port, it sounds like both the Ukrainian government and the Russian government say they're going to hold to this agreement, which was raised Friday evening in Istanbul.

As we learned some more details from the Russian foreign minister where he says that Ukrainians would sweep the mines surrounding three ports, Ukrainian blockaded ports on the Black Sea, and that then ships from Russia, Turkey, and another country that has yet to be determined would escort cargo ships carrying Ukrainian wheat to the Bosporus in Istanbul where they would then move on to world markets.

But that missile attack had the entire Ukrainian government crying foul saying, see, you can't trust the Russian government. And those criticisms were echoed by the U.S. government, by the E.U. foreign policy chief, by the British government as well.

We do know that before this deal was reached on Friday, the Ukrainians were already working with European partners to find alternative routes to export their wheat, for example, on river barges on the Danube with help from Romania into central Europe, on trains as well and on trucks. But what I've learned from shipping experts is that nothing quite competes with the large cargo ships that used to operate freely before Russia invaded Ukraine that used to operate freely, and that can carry much larger quantities of grain at far less cost to those markets.

And it's because that's been stopped that the world grain prices have gone up so dramatically, plunging potentially tens of millions of additional people into acute hunger. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes. Ivan, legitimate concerns from Ukraine after what we saw over the weekend. I want to turn to Clare who's joining me here in London.

Sergey Lavrov choosing this moment, Clare. to conduct a four-country tour in Africa beginning in Egypt who are the world's largest importer of grain. So, what are his intentions here?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this trip I think accomplishes a number of goals for Russia. One, this is yet another attempt. We just saw Putin in the Middle East, another attempt to show that Russia is not isolated on the global stage.

Secondly, it provides multiple opportunities for Sergey Lavrov to counter western accusations that the food crisis is Russia's fault. He's essentially saying this isn't our fault. This is because of western sanctions. We've heard him say this multiple times.

And it's also an attempt to sort of rally supporters around Russia's vision for the world. It's sort of alternate vision and bring them into its fold as an alternative to the U.S. This is what he wrote in an article that was published in multiple Russian -- not Russian, African newspapers ahead of his trip.

He said, we know that our African colleagues do not approve of the under guise attempts by the U.S. and its satellites to dictate their will to everyone to impose on the global community, a unipolar model of the world order. He said, we value the balanced position of Africans as regards situation in Ukraine and around it.

[03:20:00]

In reference there, he goes on to praise the fact that that many African countries abstained or even voted against U.N. resolutions condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine. So, he clearly sees an opportunity Russia has been building up its influence in Africa over a number of years. And don't forget, Russia is also an exporter of wheat. These are its customers so there are financial relationships to try and protect here.

MACFARLANE: Yes. Otherwise, a major P.R. exercise going on in Africa. Clare, thank you very much. And thank you also to Ivan Watson.

Let's go now to Larry Madowo in Nairobi. Larry, you talked to the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development about a plan B for Ukrainian grain exports. What did you learn?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Samantha Power, Christina, feels that as they're still trying to talk to the Russians to agree to their end of the deal so that Ukrainian grain can really be exported through the Black Sea, that they have to figure out other ways to make sure that people like in this part of the world are not affected.

Because the global food crisis is biting deepest here in the Horn of Africa and many parts of the global south where they're heavily dependent on wheat and corn from Ukraine, that's just not been coming through and that's led to an increase in commodity prices, an increase in gas and oil prices here.

And that is exacerbating already a dire situation because of a drought here in Kenya and Ethiopian Somalia. And she called out China and she called out Russia for what they're doing to make this even worse. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMANTHA POWER, ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: This is a moment for all countries that play leadership roles in the international system, as the People's Republic of China clearly aspires to do and has done in certain domains. It is for them, for all of us to show up and to dig deeper than we have so far if we are going to prevent this crisis from becoming a catastrophe.

MADOWO: How big is the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine into the current problem you're seeing in Kenya and Somalia and Ethiopia?

POWER: In terms of food just coming from Somalia, more than half of the wheat in this country in the country of Somalia comes from Ukraine. It is trapped in the port of Odessa 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn are trapped. So, you know, we can all hope and even pray that the deal that the United Nations negotiated, but that Russia immediately turned its back on by bombing the port of Odessa that that deal somehow sticks.

MADOWO: Do you worry about Russia's commitment to that deal if literally just hours after it was signed already bombing Odessa? And what impact would that have if they don't honor the end of the deal?

POWER: Well, we have been living the contingency plan because there's no way you can trust anything that Vladimir Putin says. We are working with the Ukrainians on plan B. Plan B involves road and rail and river. And again, you know, sending in barges and, you know, adjusting the rail systems so that they're better aligned with those in Europe so that the, the exports can move out more quickly.

But there is no substitute for Putin allowing the blockade to end, his blockade to end and the grains being sent out the most efficient way possible, especially because we've lost so much time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MADOWO: Samantha Power told me she appreciated the voice of African leaders that were instrumental in helping that Russia, Ukraine grain deal be signed. And so, you see why it's important for Sergey Lavrov to be making this coordination trip here in Africa because he's trying to rally African leaders who are, in many ways, supportive of Russia, or have abstained from the European and the American side, but also too, he's trying to convince them that Russia is not exporting hunger as has been claimed. Christina?

MACFARLANE: Yes. Larry Madowo there with that report. Thanks very much, Larry. Good to hear that there is in some form of contingency plan in place given how badly that grain is needed in Africa. Thank you.

OK. One of the two Americans who recently died in Ukraine's Donbas region has been identified. Luke Lucyszyn's mother says she was informed of her son's death by the U.S. State Department.

U.S. officials confirmed on Saturday two Americans had died, but did not provide any details about them or the circumstances. The State Department says it's providing assistance to the families.

The military rulers in Myanmar have executed two well-known pro- democracy activists along with two other men, according to state media. The activists Kyaw Jimmy and Zaw Thura had been accused of being involved in what the military called terrorist acts.

They were sentenced to death in January in a military trial that was closed to the public. These are the first judicial executions in Myanmar in decades. And human rights groups fear more could come. Officials with Human Rights Watch call the executions an act of utter cruelty.

OK, still ahead, not one but two simultaneous threats to global health. The world battles two differently disease with deadly consequences.

[03:25:05]

We'll discuss whether pandemic fatigue could cause people to take both of them less seriously. And The Bahamas says it may seek criminal charges after a boat

capsizes at sea. What we're learning about the deaths of more than a dozen people, coming up.

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MACFARLANE: Hi, welcome back. Joe Biden's doctor says the U.S. president is feeling much better four days after his COVID diagnosis.

The latest now from CNN's Arlette Saenz.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor says the president's COVID-19 symptoms continue to improve significantly. His predominant symptom at the moment is a sore throat, and the other symptoms like the runny nose, body aches, as well as that loose cough is starting to diminish considerably according to the president's doctor.

O'Connor says that the president will continue on that Paxlovid treatment as well as take Tylenol and use that albuterol inhaler as needed for his cough. Now, the president has completed his third day of isolation here at the White House and day five will be on Tuesday. His wife, first lady, Dr. Jill Biden continues to remain at their home in Wilmington Delaware, and she tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday.

And earlier in the day on Sunday, Dr. Ashish Jha, the COVID-19 response coordinator here at the White House was asked whether the White House would be transparent and provide information if the president suffers from any long-term COVID symptoms, here was his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHISH JHA, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS COORDINATOR: Absolutely. You know, we think it's really important for the American people to know how well their president is doing, which is why we have been so transparent giving updates several times a day. Having people hear from me directly, hear directly from his physician.

[03:30:00]

And obviously, if he has persistent symptoms, obviously, if any of them interfere with his ability to carry out his duties, we will -- we will disclose that early and often with the American people.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: One big question is what President Biden's week will look like as he remains in isolation here at the White House. He was last seen participating virtually in the meeting with his economic advisers on Friday. The president was actually scheduled to travel to Florida on Monday, but that trip was pulled down after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Now, the White House has said that the president was working over the weekend. He participated in conference calls with his staff and aides, and their message throughout this process is that the president has been able to continue his work even as he is experiencing these COVID- 19 symptoms. Now, the president's isolation will end on Tuesday, but he will not physically return to work until he tests negative from COVID-19.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: The COVID-19 is only part of the problem right. The growing monkeypox outbreak is posing yet another challenge to the global health community.

For more on this, let's bring in Dr. Darragh O'Carroll, an emergency physician, joining us live from Hawaii. Dr. O'Carroll, thank you for joining us.

DARRAGH O'CARROLL, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN: Thank you for having me.

SAENZ: The WHO kind of set alarm bells ringing by declaring this a public health emergency over the weekend, so soon after COVID. So, what does that declaration mean exactly and what does it enabled the WHO to do?

O'CARROLL: Again, thank you for having me. And many people feel it wasn't soon enough. Maybe a month ago might have been time we are seeing, you know, doubling of cases in Los Angeles and New York week to week. And I think it was -- it was prudent for them to release this and it made it feel like a little bit of fatigue coming so short after we are still dealing with COVID. This is -- COVID is by far and away not gone away at all.

But what it does do is it sounds the alarm and also freezes up the public funding as well for increased vaccines, medicines, and how we are going to combat this moving forward because right now the TPOXX medication that we do use for monkeypox isn't of in high quantities.

And it is really going to help governments move forward with the public health initiatives that are going to need to -- we are going to need to keep this from turning into something that is endemic, meaning that it is inside the human population.

And the worst thing that it could do is spill over into small animals like squirrels where it is usually in Africa. That is usually in small mammals. That is where we think the reservoir is. What we don't wanted to happen is to into other small mammals here in the United States or across the world.

MACFARLANE: And I want to talk about transmissibility in just a moment. You mentioned that you felt this declaration had come to light. We are seeing 16,000 cases, I think, around 75 countries in the world. And some experts are already saying that the window to contain the disease is closing or has closed. What's your assessment of that?

O'CARROLL: Look, I think it is really hard to make a global assessment on something as complex as this. But about a month ago, I remember texting and having a conversation with a local reporter here in Honolulu that this thing is really getting out of hand. This is screaming echoes of early 2020 and maybe it's that it comes so short after a large pandemic that we didn't want to sound the alarm quick -- as soon as we should have.

But I definitely think it was -- it's a little bit late. Time will tell. I'm hoping that the public health emergency of international concern that the WHO has released will help us institute the public health measures like vaccination so everybody who has been in contact with somebody who has had the virus gets a vaccine.

We have adequate support for people who need to isolate because isolation period is much longer with this virus compared to COVID. It's on the order of sometimes 21 days to four weeks. So, people are going to need support.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, well, on that note, you know, what should people be looking for? How can people protect themselves from this virus? What practical advice do you have?

O'CARROLL: I think just being very vigilant about what the symptoms are and also if you're having symptoms such as fever, chills, headache is the first sort of initial symptom, but also swelling of the glands either in your armpit or in your neck or down in your groin.

[03:35:02]

O'CARROLL: Lymphadenopathy is the technical term. But if you're experiencing anything of that, then make sure you don't go around to anything else. You do isolate and you do make sure you get a test.

And on that note, one thing that the international concern is going to also promote is testing because we know, just like before, testing was an incredibly insurmountable hill in the beginning of the COVID pandemic. It is proving to be somewhat of a difficulty here as well.

MACFARLANE: What do you make of the official reaction to this so far? You know, governments, health officials moving fast enough?

O'CARROLL: I think, I mean, we are one or two days into the announcement, and I think this is really going to triple charge things. I am really hoping that governments stand up to do the public health measures. It sounds like here in the United States and also in Europe, they are starting to.

We have to realize that -- look at just last two decades of this century compared to the 19th century. How many different viruses have spilled over from the animal community? How many times have we had to say, hey, look, there's this new thing that we have to worry about?

And the common denominator really is if you look at a study in 2013, there was a study all the way back then that said, hey, look, climate change is what maybe leading to this specific virus, monkeypox virus, in Congo spreading to different areas that may lead it to spread internationally. And it has spread internationally before but not on this scale. And so, this was predictable by scientists from UCLA and the University of Kinshasa. If we really want to get a handle on our global public health, we got to get a handle also on climate change.

MACFARLANE: Yeah, two very important points converging potentially. Dr. Darragh O'Carroll, thank you very much for giving us your thoughts on this and let's hope that people do move to protect themselves in the way they need to. Thank you.

O'CARROLL: Thank you.

MACFARLANE: An infant is among at least 17 people found dead after a boat capsized off the Bahamas. The Bahamian prime minister says the victims were Haitian migrants likely trying to reach the U.S.

CNN's Matt Rivers has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What authorities in the Bahamas are saying likely happened here was that it was around 1 a.m. early on Sunday morning when a twin-engine speed boat carrying about 60 people left the coast of one of the islands in the Bahamas called New Providence.

It was shortly thereafter that authorities say they responded to an incident involving that boat. When they got to the scene, roughly seven miles off the coast, they recovered the bodies of 17 Haitians, recovering those bodies, finding out 15 of them were female, one of them was male, and the last body being that of an infant.

They also say they rescued some 25 people from the water. They say they're investigating this as a human trafficking incident. They say the likely destination of the speedboat was Miami, Florida. We know that the number of Haitians seeking to make these journeys to try and get to the United States via boat, those journeys have been increasing as of late.

Just look at the numbers from the United States Coast Guard. It was in late June that the Coast Guard put out a press release saying that they had intercepted more than 6,000 people from Haiti trying to get to the United States by boat since October of 2021. That number is roughly four times the amount of people from Haiti that were intercepted in a similar manner in all of the previous this school year. That is a clear trend there.

And while every single migrant has his or her own individual story about why they are going to the United States, what is true is that the broader trends going on in Haiti right now affect everyone. You have huge levels of poverty, of hunger, food scarcity.

You have a political vacuum that has been left since that country's president was assassinated in July of 2021. And in part, that vacuum has led to incredible levels of gang violence that had just decimated huge portions of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. That has created a massive number of internally-displaced people, some of whom have tried to migrate to the United States.

Again, we don't know the individual story behind the people involved in this latest incident, but what we do know is that illustrates how dangerous journeys like these can be.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Hundreds of migrants had to be rescued in the Mediterranean over the weekend. The German NGO Sea Watch says it saved more than 400 migrants from five different boats in just 12 hours. And the Italian Coast Guard rescued almost 700 more. Sadly, five bodies were found during that rescue. The migrants were transferred to the ports in Calabria and Sicily on Sunday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:40:02]

MACFARLANE: Coming up on "CNN Newsroom," the FBI raises an alarm about Chinese-made telecommunications equipment and potential interference with the U.S. nuclear deterrent. CNN's exclusive report is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: You are watching the moment China successfully docked a new laboratory module to its space station under construction. Docking marks the penultimate phase as China aims to complete its orbital outpost by the end of the year. Three astronauts were aboard the space station as the docking took place.

China is pursuing its own space station as its astronauts have been excluded from the ISS due to the largely U.S. objections. The last component for the Chinese station is set to launch in October.

An FBI investigation has determined that Chinese tech giant, Huawei, has equipments in the U.S. that could disrupt highly-restricted Defense Department's communications. That includes airwaves used by U.S. Strategic Command which oversee the nuclear arsenal.

CNN's Katie Bo Lillis has more on what the FBI found in an exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN INTELLIGENCE REPORTER: It all started with a big FBI counterintelligence investigation that dates back to at least the Obama administration and was ultimately brought to the Trump White House in 2019. The FBI knew that equipment made by the Chinese telecom company, Huawei, was still being used by small rural cell service providers out in the Midwest that were located near sensitive U.S. military installations in Colorado and Nebraska, including nuclear missile silos.

Companies were using this equipment in part because it was cheap and reliable, but the FBI, as part of its investigation, determined that the equipment had the capability to intercept or even disrupt restricted Defense Department communications, potentially giving China a pivotal and dangerous window into America's nuclear arsenal.

[03:45:08]

BO LILLIS: As one source described it to us, this was in the VFD category. As part of the same investigation, the FBI also discovered that the leading regional provider was placing weather and traffic cameras atop a number of their towers and livestreaming them as a public service.

Intelligence officials tell us they believe those livestreams could be used by Beijing or any other nation state to track patterns of sensitive military movements. The combination of these two things was profoundly disturbing to U.S. counterintelligence officials.

Now, China denies using any of this equipment to spy in the U.S., and Huawei denies that their equipment even could be used for such a purpose. But this comes at a time when the U.S. government has worried about what officials tell us has been a dramatic escalation of espionage activity on U.S. soil by China over the past decade. And in the meantime, the equipment remains in place.

These small rural telecom companies have been mandated by the FCC to rip and replace the equipment, but the amount of money Congress has appropriated to reimburse them is about $3 billion short of what is going to cost all these companies to get the job done.

The bottom line is that three years after the FBI briefed the White House on its findings and three years after the FCC passed its rip and replace rule, that equipment still remains in use.

Katie Bo Lillis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Of course, much of the technology used in espionage has dual purposes, especially in the civilian community. CNN's national security analyst Juliette Kayyem explains why that makes it so hard to determine if a threat really exists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, this has been a long-term challenge. We call this technology dual-use technology. In other words, it has totally benign purposes, whether climate, satellite, visuals or GPS, but it also can have nefarious (ph). And so, one of the challenges for both the FBI and the Commerce Department is how do you figure out what is being used for innocent (ph) or benign purposes and then what is being used for the bad purposes. That's the dual-use challenge.

There's an entire regulatory framework in the security arena that covers it. Right now, these smaller telecommunication companies are supposed to do essentially rip and replace the technology, the Chinse technology, out. That's quite expensive. The money is not there and it's been a very slow process.

In the meanwhile, we know that the Commerce Department has started an investigation into some of these larger counterintelligence and technology investigations in terms of whether this technology is being used for nefarious or spy purposes.

The Commerce Department and FBI investigation are ongoing. What we do know from this great reporting is that the FBI is opening up a counterintelligence investigation against China once every 12 hours right now. That's how pervasive the concern is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Okay, as the war in Ukraine rages on, singers and dancers in Odesa remained undaunted. After the break, a look at what the Odesa ballet must endure amid the Russian invasion.

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[03:50:00]

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MACFARLANE: In Ukraine, the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater continues performances despite Russia's invasion. After being closed for months due to war, the theater once again offers a reprieve from the sounds and shelling and gunfire. And now, more than ever, these performances are sending a message of strength.

CNN's Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is great beauty in Ukraine amid the pain and suffering. In the southern port city of Odesa, dancers in rehearsal try to tune out Russia's deadly war.

(On camera): This is more than just a beautiful expression of arts and culture. Against the terrible backdrop of this war, these dancers offer a symbol of defiance, a sign that Ukrainians are not giving up.

(Voice-over): The Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater stands like a jewel, albeit one protected by sandbags. The Russian rockets and missiles periodically pound Odesa. Residents here cling to pre-war normality and that includes the city's 135-year-old opera. Vjacheslav Chemukho-Volich is the opera's director.

(On camera): It's beautiful. Do you still need opera and ballet, and there is a terrible war?

VJACHESLAV CHEMUKHO-VOLICH, CHIEF CONDUCTOR, ODESA NATIONAL ACADEMIC OPERA AND BALLET THEATER: Yes, all people need this. And it's very important for society. Opera house is a symbol of good life. It's (INAUDIBLE).

WATSON (voice-over): The good life, tonight's ballet performance. But amid preparations, there is an interruption. An air raid siren warns of a possible attack.

I am ushered downstairs.

(On camera): This is shelter.

(Voice-over): Musicians and dancers wait in the basement. The threat delays the start of the show. Two of tonight's solo ballerinas try to stay limber.

UNKNOWN: No, this is not normal.

WATSON (on camera): Why are you sitting here?

UNKNOWN: Because of war. War, yes, in our country.

WATSON (on camera): Are you afraid?

(Voice-over): Yes, of course, we're afraid, says (INAUDIBLE), though we are getting accustomed to these threats and that in itself is horrible.

After a long delay, the upper gets the all clear. Audience members emerge from their own shelter and take their seats.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): In case of an air raid siren, all people must proceed to the shelter. Glory to Ukraine.

WATSON (voice-over): The music of (INAUDIBLE) fills the hall.

[03:55:00]

WATSON (voice-over): And for the briefest of moments, the war seems very far away. The reality, though, is some of these performers sent their children away for safety to other countries.

A number of the artists and crew are defending their country, serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, while those on struggle to keep the city's cultural spirit alive.

Soloist (INAUDIBLE) crosses herself before entering stage right. But after just a few steps, the curtain suddenly closes.

(On camera): Bad news. The third air raid siren of the night has just gone off. The curtain just came down and the show has been brought to a stop.

(Voice-over): I want the whole world to start screaming, (INAUDIBLE) tells me, to stop this horror, so that innocent people and children stop dying. I ask for help, the ballerina says, and for people not to remain silent.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Odesa, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Extraordinary. Okay, Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard won his first Tour de France title on the on the famed Champs-Elysees on Sunday. The 25-year-old is the second Dane ever to wear the yellow jersey, cycling's most prestigious prize, after finishing second in last year's race. He beat the two-time defending champion this year by more than three and a half minutes. Good for him. In the heat, too.

That wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Christina Macfalane. I will have more news after this quick break. Stay with us.

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