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Advance U.S.-Supplied Rocket Systems Helping Ukraine; Lavrov Defends Odesa Attack During Africa Tour; Pope Asks for Forgiveness from Canada's Indigenous People; At Least 471 people Killed, Injured or Missing in Haiti; International Leaders Condemn Junta for Executions; Wildfire Near Yosemite Burns 17,000-plus Acres; China Grapples with COVID Surge and Scorching Heat Wave; Monkeypox Outbreak; Equality in Swimming; Swarms of Jellyfish Push Swimmers Away from Israeli Coast. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 26, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:30]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone, live from Studio 7 at CNN's World Headquarters in Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom.
Coming up, the deal holds exports of Ukrainian grain expected later this week despite a Russian missile strike on the Black Sea port of Odessa. Apology to appropriators begs Canada's indigenous community to forgive the evils committed by Christians, which led to 1000s physically and emotionally scarred for life. Silence gives consent, well, much of the world express outrage after four democracy activists were executed by the military dictatorship in Myanmar. Beijing said nothing, owe the company we keep.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Ukrainian forces are pushing back on recent gains made by Russia's military. They're taking territory in the south. Ukraine's military report strikes on key bridges, ammunition warehouses, Russian missile systems and command posts in the Kherson Region. One official calls it a turning point for Kherson, making it difficult for the Russians to resupply troops and move vehicles and heavy equipment. Ukraine also claims it's recaptured the village near the front line in the Mykolaiv Region, despite being heavily outgunned by the Russians.
Joining us now for a closer look at the battlefield in Ukraine is CNN Military Analyst General James "Spider" Marks who served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center. Good to see you.
MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you, John, very much. Good to see you as well.
VAUSE: Thank you. Now, in one specific way, the U.S. supplied HIMARS long range rocket system has helped the Ukrainians, it's been too slow the flow of ammunition for Russian artillery, high miles of targeted railheads, which is where the ammunition moves from train to trucks. And until now those Russian railheads were about an hour's drive from the front. They've now been pushed way back. And this is not insignificant. But these measures, these gains, if you like they seem to fall well short of what's needed for the Ukrainians to actually defeat the Russians.
MARKS: Yeah, absolutely, John. What's really required is what's known as a three dimensional battlefield. The advances that are being made by the Ukrainians on the ground are quite significant. They've been able to hold the Russians where they are, they've been able to achieve some tactical success, which is what you just described, of targeting the Russians as deeply as they can through weapon systems like the HIMARS, and so very precision artillery. But it's not deep enough. What they really need in this discussion has been on the table for months and months, is they need to be able to strike from the air, they need fighters so they can go much deeper, to really disrupt the Russian ability to get its act together, get all its logistics in place as far away as the Russians would like to do it in Sanctuary. That's what it's called. And that might be in Russia itself, so that they can then move those logistics forward. And it really take the momentum away from the Ukrainian. So the Ukrainians are doing a good job of holding them but they're not taking the operational momentum away from the Russians.
VAUSE: Well, phase two of Russia's military offensive to try and take the Donbass Region, it's moving about as quickly as the rate of drying paint. And, for example, the Russian offensive to take Severodonetsk and Lysychansk began around May 6, the Ukrainians held out for 58 days before retreating, and allowing both cities to fall under Russian control. If you do the math here, the Russians are moving the frontline forward about 500 meters a day. They've gained about 30 kilometers over that period of time. So and now with the high miles that Russian advances slowed even further, are we heading towards a frozen conflict like the Korean War? And if that's the case, it would seem that that would be one of the worst outcomes for the Ukrainians?
MARKS: Well, you know, that's a term that -- a term of art, a descriptive term of what we're seeing. This is not dissimilar from a World War I battlefield. If you look, if you go back to January 1 of this year, what was happening in the Donbass over the course of the eight previous years had really been a frozen conflict along trench lines, right? So we we've seen that both the Ukrainians and the Russians and the separatists, supported by the Russians were really frozen in place.
And so what we see happening in Ukraine right now, is an outcome that looks like it could be inevitable unless the Ukrainians can really arrest this operational momentum from the Russians albeit not great in terms of distance and space and geography that they're taking over. But the Russians aren't going anywhere even the small games, they're not going anywhere and the only way to do that is to really reach that much deeper.
[01:05:10]
So the Ukrainians are moving into a position where the ultimate outcome might be what we see right now, over the court frozen what we see right now over the course of the next several years, both sides the Russians, and the Ukrainians think they are winning, and they have a narrative that says they're winning. It's quite compelling. The Ukrainian narrative is the Russians were defeated in Kyiv. They've been pushed back in a number of areas. They're now concentrated exclusively in the Donbass. The Russians are saying, well, that was our plan all along. And look, what we've done, we push from the Donbass down to Kherson. We've created this land bridge. So as a result of that, neither side is in a position to really want to negotiate. This is an outcome that I think we're going to be living with for some time.
VAUSE: So the pressure is not just on the Ukrainians over the coming weeks and months to do something, here to wrap up the offensive, but also on NATO and the U.S.
MARKS: Right absolutely. What the United States and NATO is doing, I mean, frankly, it's quite impressive. But they are providing the systems that the Ukrainians need to provide a very aggressive defense. So they're holding very effectively. And the offensive capabilities are at the tactical level. And without getting into too much baseball here inside baseball, again, as I've indicated, the Ukrainians need to be able to strike deeply and at a place of their choosing. And right now the Russians have decided all of that, primarily, the Russians are using artillery, they just back off and start lobbying a bunch of artillery, dumb weapon systems at the Ukrainians, to include hospitals and synagogues, and places of worship and schools, et cetera. I mean, it's abysmal, it's tragic. And it's unthinkable. But that's what the Russians do. And this will remain like that until the Ukrainians can break that and force and separate the Russian ability to logistically support itself and maneuver.
VAUSE: Yeah, so there's some interesting times coming ahead in this conflict. We'll see what happens. General Marks, as always thank you, sir.
MARKS: Thank you, John, very much.
VAUSE: Despite a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian port city of Odessa over the weekend, it seems a deal to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports is holding, first shipments still expected later this week. The Turkish president who helped broke the deal is urging Russia and Ukraine to act responsibly and honor their commitments. While the U.N. remains hopeful renewed exports will help ease a global food shortage.
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FARHAN HAQ, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: All parties have reconfirmed their commitment to the initiative. The Government of Turkey has generously provided a physical space for the Joint Coordination Center where operations are being established now. By tomorrow, all parties and the U.N. will have a presence in the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. We expect the first ships may move within a few days, the Joint Coordination Center will be liaising with the shipping industry and publishing detailed procedures for ships in the very near future.
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VAUSE: Ukraine says it's ready to resume exports but President Zelenskyy says Turkey and the U.N. must guarantee security for shipping in the Black Sea.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We will definitely start exporting to once again prove to the whole world that it is not Ukraine that is blocking export. These are the narratives that disinformation on the Russian side is spreading. We will start exporting and let partners take care of security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Ukrainian official says reports you see here will be ready to export grain in the next few weeks. That includes Odessa, the target of the weekend Russian missile strike.
And Russia's Foreign Minister says that missile strike did not violate the grain deal. Sergey Lavrov says making a true of Africa alter quickly time because many countries are in desperate need of that Ukrainian grain. Details now from CNN's Clare Sebastian.
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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amid pretty abysmal relations with the U.S. and Europe, Russia's Foreign Minister was on friendlier turf as he continued his foreign nation tour of Africa Tuesday, a continent that has trodden a delicate line avoiding Western sanctions and mostly avoiding condemning Russia's war in Ukraine, and some countries seek to maintain economic and military ties with Moscow.
Well, the timing of the trip is critical. Africa is the continent worst affected by the blockade of Ukrainian grain and just days after signing a U.N. broker deal to restart those exports, Sergey Lavrov wasted no opportunity getting across Russia's perspective on the situation denying that Russia has caused the global food crisis and defending its decision to bomb the port city of Odessa one day after signing that agreement, an attack condemned by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): If we talk about the episode that took place in Odessa, there is nothing in the obligations that Russia has taken us, including within the framework of the agreement signed on July 22 in Istanbul which would prohibit us from continuing the special military operation, destroying military infrastructure and other military targets.
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SEBASTIAN: Speaking in the Republic of Congo, Lavrov repeated Moscow's claims the strikes targeted military infrastructure and we're nowhere near the port through which grain is set to be exported in the coming days. This trip is not only designed to rally support for Russia's war in Ukraine, but also to firm up non-western alliances and tried to establish Africa as a Russian sphere of influence.
In a letter published in several African newspapers before the trip, Lavrov railed against the U.S. and its allies attempts to, "impose a unipolar world order on the international community," promising, "Moscow will continue to pursue a peace loving course in foreign policy," not something it's been doing in Ukraine, of course. Lavrov will finish up his trip in Uganda and Ethiopia. Clare Sebastian in CNN, London.
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VAUSE: Less than two hours, another hearing will be held in the trial of American basketball Star Brittney Griner who is being held in Russia on drug charges. The two time Olympic gold medalist pleaded guilty earlier this month to bring cannabis oil into the country. The White House has been undergoing pressure to try and strike a deal for grinders release.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: In terms of our embassy's involvement, as you know, they have carefully monitored her trial. Our charge was present at her last hearing. I have every expectation that the charge will be there at the next hearing tomorrow as well. Our charge and senior embassy officials have been able to speak to Brittney Griner in the context of those court appearances.
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VAUSE: The Phoenix Mercury star says she did not intend to break the law. The defense team says the cannabis oil was for treating chronic pain. Nonetheless, Griner faces up to 10 years in prison.
We're going to take a short break, when we come back, Pope Francis apologizes in-person to Canada's indigenous people for the Catholic Church's role in what today has been called cultural genocide.
Also gang violence causes 1000s to flee Haiti's capital, hundreds more reported dead, injured, missing. Officials are powerless to do anything.
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VAUSE: Pope Francis is in Canada and made historic and formal apology for what he called the evil committed by so many Christians against the indigenous peoples. The pontiff has repeatedly called this trip a tour of penance, asking for forgiveness for abuse of church run schools where indigenous children were separated from their families had suffered horrendous abuse. Vatican Correspondent Delia Gallagher is traveling with the Pope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAL CORRESPONDENT: We are here in Maskwacis which is the former site of one of the largest residential schools in Canada, Pope Francis has opened his first event here with a highly symbolic gesture returning a pair of tiny children's moccasins, which had been given to him at the Vatican by indigenous leaders in April.
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The moccasins represent those children who did not return home from residential schools. When they were given to the Pope at the Vatican, they were a sign of a kind of promise that he would come here and he would return those moccasins, something which he has done this morning. Earlier, the pope spent time in silent prayer at an indigenous cemetery here and then he addressed the crowds. And he said he humbly asked for forgiveness for the evils he said, committed by so many Christians against indigenous people. And the Pope said apologies are not enough that he is calling for a full investigation into the facts of what happened. It has been a somber, even sad day. There are survivors here who are offering their testimonies. They say that apologies need to be followed up by action. And some of them say that apologies will never fully heal their trauma, yet they recognize the historic importance of this day something they had requested that a pope come to their soil, listen to their stories, and apologize. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Maskwacis.
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VAUSE: To Alberta, Canada now and we're joined this hour by Brandi Morin, an award-winning journalist and author of Our Voice of Fire. Brandi, thank you for being with us. I know it's been a big day for you. Because this story is very personal in direct connection to you, your grandmother attended by the schools. She was alive today. And she heard the apology from Pope Francis, what would be her reaction? What would she say?
BRANDI MORIN, AWARD-WINNING CREE/IROQUOIS/FRENCH JOURNALIST: Wow. I think that she would be grateful. I think that she would cry. And I think that she would be proud to be proud of all the survivors that are still standing today.
MORIN: Did she ever share with you what she went through?
MORIN: It was very little, she always referred to it as the convent. And I never really understood what that was. She passed away in 2008. And it wasn't until after then that I learned what a residential school was, many of us were in the dark about it. Many of the intergenerational, you know, survivors are the survivors themselves didn't talk about it a whole lot. These were very, you know, traumatic experiences that they went through. So she shared bits and pieces with me. But it's something that I, you know, dug deeper into when I got into my journalism career, and started exclusively telling Indigenous stories.
VAUSE: You know, an apology is always a good start. But the Pope was clearly asking for forgiveness for the actions of members of the church, not the church itself. He also made it clear that the missionaries at the time were implementing a government policy. And this may be a little harsh, but it's almost like they were just following orders. And there has been a bit of criticism for that. How did you say, was that disappointing anyway?
MORIN: Yeah, there are some people that, you know, are accusing the Catholic Church of not taking the full responsibility that it should be. The Catholic Church administered over 60% of the Indian residential schools in the country. Very few of the clergy members and staff that perpetuated these abuses against children have ever been prosecuted or held to account. So there are a lot of outstanding grievances. You know, they -- oftentimes, these institutions, you know, try to shift the blame, you know, from one to another, but in actuality, I was, you know, pretty surprised by Pope Francis' speech today. But there was something very significant that he left out that I noticed immediately, and survivors started contacting me immediately, when he referred to the abuses perpetuated against these children. He said, verbal, physical and spiritual abuse, and he did not reference sexual abuse. And we know that sexual abuse was rampant in these institutions. And there are many survivors who are very upset about that.
VAUSE: And understandably so, professes to call for a serious investigation. But it's sort of isn't clear if that means church personnel records will be open to identify priests and nuns who are guilty of abuse and you touched on this, how important is it right now to hold those responsible accountable for what they did?
MORIN: It is very portents, a lot of the, you know, survivors are getting older, they're passing away. Some are still as young as I am, if you can believe it or not, the last school closed in 1997.
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But, you know, there happens to be a fugitive priest that's hiding out in France right now. He's in his early 90s. And he's living comfortably at a Catholic run nursing home. He's accused of molesting Inuit children. His name is Father Johannes Rivoire. And France will not extradite him. So the Inuit leadership has asked Pope Francis, they asked him in Rome, to intervene in this case, to force Rivoire to return to Canada to face trial. So I think with this apology, a lot of people are expecting it to be endorsed with actions like this.
VAUSE: Just very quickly, the words, the demeanor, the emotion, everything from Pope Francis, that you saw, it does seem that he at least understands the trauma that so many have suffered.
MORIN: Yeah, so I was less than 10 feet away from him today, when he visited the former site of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, Indian residential school. And, you know, I did get a sense of his sincerity in those moments. I had a sense of his sincerity in Rome. I was in Rome, you know, on April 1, when he gave -- first gave that historic apology. And, you know, he is being, you know, very -- he's not beating around the bush, when it comes to acknowledging the -- you know, the violence that the Catholic Church endorsed. And so I think a lot of people are, you know, taking notice at that. VAUSE: Brandi, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate your time, especially on a day like this. Thank you.
MORIN: Hi, hi, thank you.
VAUSE: In one neighborhood of Haiti's capital in just over one week, nearly 500 people were either killed, hurt or went missing amid a surge of gang violence. For years, rival gangs who fought for control over parts of Port-au-Prince, but the U.N. now reports the Palace of Justice, home to the seas main court is under gain control. More now from CNN's Matt Rivers.
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MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're getting some new information from the United Nation, that's giving us a little bit more insight into what is happening in a neighborhood of the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince called Cite Soleil. This is a neighborhood one of the most impoverished in the entire country. Several 100,000 people live in Cite Soleil and it was earlier this month, that gang violence broke out in and around that neighborhood. And it really put the neighborhood directly in its crosshairs with levels of violence that were just staggering. And the United Nations says that from July 8 to July 17 alone just a nine day period, some 471 people were either killed, injured or unaccounted for, they say roughly 3000 people were forced to flee their homes in Cite Soleil, including hundreds of unaccompanied children, we know that dozens of homes were also destroyed.
Now, Cite Soleil is a neighborhood that often relies on deliveries of food, water aid to be brought into that neighborhood because it is already a very poor place. And what this violence has done, or did rather was cut off that neighborhood from the rest of Port-au-Prince.
Now, the U.N. says it has had some recent success in getting deliveries of aid into Cite Soleil starting on July 19. They say they were able to deliver hundreds of 1000s of liters of water, food deliveries, some aid deliveries as well. But they say it's really just a drop in the bucket and they're calling on a more longer term solution to this crisis.
Now, we reached out to Haiti's federal government to ask what are you doing about this situation and they would not even respond to our requests for comment on the issue. They've been largely silent publicly. Although the mayor of Cite Soleil told us that the federal government has basically done nothing to help the several 100,000 people that are essentially been held hostage by this recent gang violence. The mayor said that the federal government is either unwilling or unable to help those people. Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.
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VAUSE: Tree men have been arrested for human smuggling in the Bahamas. Police say 17 people died including a child when their boat capsized. Dozens of Haitian migrants were on board. The boat was found off the coast of New Providence early Sunday morning. Officials believe it was probably heading for Miami.
Still to come, accusations that Myanmar's military dictatorship executed for protest leaders to try and terrify the country into submission.
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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching CNN Newsroom with me, John Vause. There'd been widespread outrage after the full pro- democracy leaders and activists were executed by Myanmar's military dictators, grew up protesters gathered on the streets of Yangon on Monday carrying a banner which read we will never be frightened, along with the names of those killed.
The U.N. Secretary General says the move signals further deterioration of an already dire human rights environment in Myanmar. According to Amnesty International, the first -- these are the first executions in Myanmar in three decades since 1988.
Joining us now, Manny Maung, a Myanmar Researcher for the Human Rights Watch. She is in Chiang Mai in Thailand, just across the border from Myanmar.
Thank you for being with us. What is the situation there at the moment, though, there have been some protests there? A lot of people turning out on the streets of Chiang Mai as well as in Bangkok. What's been happening?
MANNY MAUNG, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH RESEARCHER: That's right, John. I mean, look, the death sentences and the executions that followed were really upsetting. And I think the Myanmar military is calculating that, you know, they've given up on pretending to kowtow to international pressure. But perhaps what they've miscalculated is the backlash from their own parts within the country. The executions have been cruel enough in their finality but this has been particularly awful for the families who found out just as we did through state media, and after the fact.
VAUSE: What was interesting, though, about the way the families found out is that they were initially told that they would get a chance to be in contact with their relatives via zoom, because they've spoken for a very long time. And they see that their relatives are dead. They surrendered?
MAUNG: This is what is just so awful about it. So actually they did -- they were invited last Friday to go into the present to see their families, which they also thought were going to be in-person. But as it transpired, they were allowed to speak to them from a prison room to another prison room via zoom. The families did ask about what this meant for the executions, whether it was possible to have negotiations to actually get the sentences commuted. And the response was that it would proceed as the law would go. There was no mention that they were going to be executed. And to this moment in time, we still don't know exactly when the executions were carried out, how they were carried out, but we do understand that they were carried out an insane prison in Yangon. And yesterday after hearing about this on the news, the families went down to the prisons again to try and find out what had happened. They've been refused access to even see the bodies or retrieve the bodies.
VAUSE: It is incredibly difficult to try and imagine what these families are going through, but in the hours after word spread about the execution, there was outrage, there was condemnation from many countries around the world.
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There's statements which described the killings as reprehensible acts of violence that further exemplify the regime's disregard for human rights and the rule of law.
That was a joint declaration signed by the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the United States. Noticeable absence is China. Could Beijing have prevented these executions from taking place? Do they have that much leverage over the military dictators?
MAUNG: We had hoped so, but it turns out that no one really does. I mean in this moment in time, ASEAN is who has been who been really looking for towards leadership role, and they've really failed in the process. ASEAN has been at the lead of the negotiations. China has said that ASEAN will be at the lead. These other countries that have signed on to the condemnation have also said ASEAN will be at the lead. But they have failed.
And the five-point consensus plan that was meant to lead Myanmar back toward the path of democracy has failed. So what we can say is we need a completely new strategy. It's clear that the military is going to do what they want to do.
But I just want to also add, John. International condemnation and rhetoric has not worked. What we need is action, including from the United States, to actually put effective targeted sanctions into place. Yes they have taken some measures, but they haven't actually sanctioned the key culprit which is the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise which makes at least a billion U.S. dollars every year from oil and gas revenues.
These are some of the very small measures that could be taken, but have not been done yet.
VAUSE: The prime minister of Cambodia, you mentioned ASEAN. He's a former member of the Khmer Rouge, current chair of ASEAN. He wrote to the ruling general, pleading with him not to go through with this execution. Part of what he wrote, "With great concern and in an honest attempt to help Myanmar to achieve peace and national reconciliation, I frankly request that your excellency and the SAC (the State Administration Council) reconsider the sentence and avoid the use of the death penalty for all SAC antagonists."
It says a lot when Hun Sen, the man who has ruled Cambodia with an iron fist for almost 40 years, not exactly known for his love of dissent, is begging the generals not to go through with this. And this could just be the beginning. There's been what almost a hundred people sentenced to death since the coup took place.
MAUNG: That's right. And Cambodia actually does not practice the death sentence anymore, because it goes against the Buddhist belief, which really, Myanmar should also be taking heed of. Malaysia has also commuted mandatory death sentences.
And, you know, it's just clear that the military is doing what it wants to do but that is why I think there is greater urgency needed within national action, swift action.
The United Nations Security Council also can actually put an enforceable embargo on arms sales and distribution of weapons to Myanmar. But to this day, arms are being sold and being used against the Myanmar population. And they haven't even referred the country's situation to the International Criminal Court.
This is when we know that Myanmar is spiraling. The violence is at all-time new levels and there are military-backed militias going around as death squads, killing people, hacking people. We have all of the evidence to suggest that the rule of law is definitely not in place. Yet we still hesitate.
VAUSE: Very much on its way to being a failed state, which is a concern to so many people in the region, not just obviously for Myanmar itself.
We also have just as an update, the chair of ASEAN did actually call the executions reprehensible. So we do have that statement coming from Hun Sen from Cambodia.
Manny, thanks for being with us. We appreciate the update. We appreciate your time.
MAUNG: Thank you John.
VAUSE: Well, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog tells CNN that the organization has no information what Iran is doing with its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it doesn't have visibility on Tehran's uranium enrichment and wants Iran to restore all inspection capabilities.
In June, Iran removed inspection equipment stored as part of the 2015 nuclear deal that includes cameras. Tehran says the cameras will stay off until the nuclear deal is back on.
But chances are slim. The Biden administration says the window for a deal or a new deal is closing rapidly.
Kenya's presidential election just two weeks away. And in the coming hours, the candidates will face off in a debate. Opposition leader Raila Odinga and the country's deputy president William Ruto were once leader allies, now rivals. Each one is claiming only they are the ones who can tackle widespread corruption. CNN's Larry Madowo spoke with both candidates ahead of Tuesday's debate.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAILA ODINGA, KENYAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will win this election.
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are very confident we are going to win this election.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The 55-year-old Ruto calls himself hustler-in-chief. A populist appeal to Kenya's largest voting bloc, the youth.
RUTO: Our plan under the bottom-up economic model is to focus on infrastructure that not only drives our economy, but intentionally, deliberately creates jobs.
MADOWO: What is the difference between you as a candidate and your main opponent, Raila Odinga, who's one of your allies before.
RUTO: I have a plan. He doesn't. When I listen to the campaign, they do not really have the detail on what they want to do.
He is a good old man, but I don't think today he has the capacity to pull this country from where it is.
MADOWO: At 77, former Prime Minister Odinga is running for what he says is the fifth and last attempt to lead Kenya.
ODINGA: I'm younger than President Biden. I don't think that age has anything to do with it. I think it is about the plan that somebody has for our country.
MADOWO: If you were to win the presidency, what do you need to do fast to try and fix some of the many problems that Kenya faces.
ODINGA: We don't want to see a Sri Lankan syndrome manifesting itself here in the country. So we have several options that we are going to look at. To keep the costs of essential goods down, in order to ameliorate the suffering of our people.
MADOWO: Both sides have accused each other of corruption and both claim to have the solution.
RUTO: We run the real high risk of running this country using cartels and people who have not been elected, you know, people who will be in shadows.
MADOWO: It's interesting that you mentioned cartels, because your main challenger is accused you of being corrupt. That if you become president, then this country will be even more corrupt than it is right now. What's your response to that? RUTO: We are going to build the institutions to make sure that any
corrupt person, including the president, can be prosecuted.
MADOWO: More than $16 million is stolen from the Kenyan government every day, President Kenyatta claimed last year, a staggering figure for a poor nation.
ODINGA: What you call budgeted corruption. When we address this, what we are going to get (INAUDIBLE) is going to be more than what we require to fund the projects that we are talking about.
MADOWO: So your plan is to deal with corruption, so that more money is available. But every government promises that but it just never happens.
ODINGA: We are not going to make any compromises. Nobody is going to be indispensable including myself in the fight against corruption.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN -- Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: It seems the Arab Spring may be coming -- may have come full circle with the birthplace of the 2011 uprising on the way back to autocratic rule. According to Reuters, voters in Tunisia have backed a new constitution, granting vast new powers to the president.
Critics warn hard-fought democratic reforms are being dismantled. Opposition parties boycotted Monday's referendum, accusing the president of a coup after he dissolved parliament last year. He's been ruling by decree ever since. (INAUDIBLE) explain only about a quarter of voters actually took part in the referendum.
The final two candidates in the race to replace Boris Johnson as the next British prime minister are sounding tough on China. Former finance minister Rishi Sunak and current foreign secretary Liz Truss met in their first one-on-one debate Monday. They sparred over taxes, fixing the economy and the rising cost of living but it was China which drew the most attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I'm very clear that after the appalling abuses in Xinjiang, after the terrible actions on Hong Kong and the most recent outrage, which is China working with Russia and essentially backing them in the appalling war in Ukraine we have to take a tough stance.
We have to learn from the mistakes we made of Europe becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas. We cannot allow that to happen with China and freedom is a price worth paying.
RISHI SUNAK FORMER U.K. FINANCE MINISTER: But what we do need to do is acknowledge that China is a threat to our national security. It is a threat to our economic security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Truss says the U.K. should be cracking down on companies like Tiktok, as well as-limiting technology exports to authoritarian regimes.
The new leader of the conservative party is expected to be announced September 5th and by default, the next prime minister of Great Britain.
[01:39:55]
VAUSE: Still ahead, the heat wave baking Europe is fueling wildfires across the south. Could relief, for what it's worth, be on the way soon? A look at the forecast in a moment.
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VAUSE: Brutal heat waves continue to blanket parts of the United States, Europe and China bringing dangerous temperatures and fueling destructive wildfires.
Europe fires are racing across Greece with concern over one fire that has been burning for five days in a national park. In Italy, crews have managed to contain a wildfire in southern Tuscany after burning more than 1,200 acres.
And in the U.S., more than 30 million people are currently under heat alerts. In California the fast-moving Oak Fire has burned more than 17,000 acres. Right now only 16 percent contained.
CNN's Adrienne Broaddus has more.
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ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And here in Mariposa County firefighters are attacking the Oak Fire from above using aircraft like helicopters to dump water.
This is a rural area. And it's also rugged, leading to some of the challenges firefighters have experienced. But here is a little more about that challenge strictly dealing with topography. Listen in.
KEITH WADE, SACRAMENTO CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: I come from the flatlands down in the city of Sacramento. And as you are coming up here you start to see the change in the topography. The rolling hills, into the mountains and the available fuel load out here. It's trees and light flashy fuels on the forest bed.
There is so much fuel out here to burn. And everything is so dry. California is huge. The footprint out here, the acreage of available fuel to burn when a fire gets going, along with the available topography. The canyons, the drainages, the wind that flows through these areas can make the fire behave erratic and it can explode.
BROADDUS: He also added they've been able to attack this fire with numerous resources because currently California, in his words, doesn't have that many big fires.
Meanwhile, California is also dealing with a years' long drought on top of the heat which is impacting the current situation.
Adrienne Broaddus -- Mariposa County, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Pedram Javaheri is a meteorologist, he works here at CNN. He joins us now live for the forecast.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. You know John, looking at some of these images coming out of California we know the situation, of course, has been dire here. It's been excessively hot, it's been very, very dry. You seen the coverage of this particular fire just outside of Yosemite National Park, now up to about 10 percent containment over 6,700 acres have been consumed.
And this is really rapidly expanding and, of course, the weather pattern across the region not helping out. Look at these temperatures, into the 40s, where the 30s are normal across even the Pacific Northwest. Usually the coolest location around the United States the middle 30s in store across the region.
Seattle, an incredible round of heat here -- 34, 35 degrees, 26 is usually what you would expect this time of year. You notice Seattle, well known for the gloomy set up and they've seen plenty of it here, even up until recent months.
[01:44:53]
JAVAHERI: But the next six or so days, five of the next seven days bring plenty of sunshine across the region and tremendous heat as well. That's why the heat alerts are in place here for spots that feel as warm as 43 degrees across the northwest.
Now, some good news around the southwest, of course, we have had quite a bit of activity here as far as fire weather is concerned. The monsoonal moisture has been very much prevalent here in recent days. And you notice the drought coverage, nearly the entirety of the states of New Mexico and Arizona experiencing drought conditions right now.
But the rainfall here has been very beneficial and it continues to come down the next couple of days here as we see quite a bit of rainfall. And in fact even the long term outlook, looking into early August, rainfall is expected across that region. So some beneficial rainfall there.
Now, across areas of Asia, we know the long duration heat here, where we've seen the hottest temperature ever observed in Shanghai. We've seen the hottest temperature ever observed in Hong Kong in recent days.
Of course, you work your way towards Europe as well, we've seen the hottest temps ever observed across the U.K. and London included. Climatologically, you expect the hottest weather to be right now. But these numbers here are running about five, almost ten degrees above average. There are a few pockets of wet weather here over the next few days that should bring some relief here.
But you'll notice relief John this time of year that means maybe not at 41, but possibly a 36 to a 38 and that is what is forecast across eastern China.
VAUSE: Pedram, we appreciate that. Thank you. Take care.
VAUSE: Well China is being hit on two fronts -- scorching heat waves, temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius and a COVID surge bringing fears of more lockdowns possibly on the way.
Let's go to CNN's Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang. He's live for us once again.
There is a lot of implications that come with this heat wave and with the lockdowns. For starters, it's miserable and it's a double mystery, but also affecting the economy and a whole bunch of other stuff.
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes John double misery, but some would argue both are manmade disasters or challenges.
The heat wave front as Pedram was saying, this has been extraordinary in terms of how unrelenting and widespread this heat wave has been in this country. In some places it's been going on for more than months. And really hitting nearly every quarter of this vast country from the east to the south, all the way to the northwest.
Again on Tuesday, nearly 60 Chinese cities have issued their highest level red alert, meaning temperatures in those locations could surpass 40 degrees Celsius.
And in one extreme example caught on video actually, a bridge in Tienzhou (ph) in southeastern China was seen buckling under the strain of intents heat last weekend.
So not surprisingly, many people in this country trying to escape the heat by flocking to beach towns, especially the island of Hainan, often nicknamed China's Hawaii.
I just came back from there. I can tell you the resorts there are filled with domestic travelers, really undeterred by all the challenges and restrictions of traveling in China these days because of the government's strict zero COVID policy.
But as you mentioned, there is a resurgence of COVID cases across the country, with the Health Ministry reporting more than 800 locally- transmitted cases on Tuesday. That is, of course, a very alarmingly high number by Chinese standards. That is why we are seeing lockdowns and mass testing making a comeback in many cities including in Shanghai which just came out of a brutal two month lockdown on June 1st. But already for the past few weeks they have been dealing with a very stubborn new outbreak with the authorities there ordering several rounds of mandatory mass testing for much of the city's 25 million residents. And the latest round of testing happening right now from Tuesday through Thursday as temperature again is supposed to approach 40 degrees. So obviously a very unpleasant experience having to lineup outdoors to get tested, John.
VAUSE: Steven, thanks very much for that. Steven Jiang, live for us in Beijing.
The White House is reportedly searching for a monkeypox czar to coordinate the government response to the outbreak. Cases continue to be detected worldwide. As of Monday 1,700 monkeypox cases found in France.
Japan confirmed its first case on Monday. And the U.S. has confirmed around 2,900 cases as well.
Over the weekend, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global public health emergency.
And a California man speaking out about his experience with monkeypox trying to raise awareness and urging people to get vaccinated. He says he found out he had been exposed after a friend got it, nice friend. The first few days were pretty normal he said, but then the lesions started to show up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT FORD, MONKEYPOX PATIENT: You know, The first few days, the first week, since I realized I had it, it was mostly flu-like symptoms. I had, you know, intense fever, full body chills, sweating through my sleep at night, sore throat, cough. Those lasted about five to seven days. And as those let up, more and more legions were appearing across my body. In total, I counted more than 25 all over my body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Matt Ford says there was some backlash when he first spoke about his diagnosis. In some ways, he says it reminded him of the initial U.S. response to HIV and AIDS.
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FORD: We are seeing a lot of parallels of what happened with HIV/AIDS, right? Like a slow government response because it's primarily affecting queer people. That's really unfortunate to see.
I think vaccines are the number one most important thing that we can have right now to help curb this outbreak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Vaccines against monkeypox are available but supplies are limited. The CDC suggests, now this is good, "avoid contact with anyone who has a rash that looks like monkeypox". Thank you CDC. Avoid touching clothes, bedding, or other items used by someone who has tested positive. Again, thank you CDC. And wash your hands.
We'll take a break. When we come back, black communities historically denied access to public swimming pools in the U.S. and U.K., now women in Britain are working to turn the tide on that inequality. That is next.
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VAUSE: A key architect for the historic Good Friday Peace Agreement has died. David Trimble won the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize along with the John Hume for their efforts to end decades of bloody conflict in Northern Ireland.
Trimble served as Northern Ireland's first minister, and led the Ulster Union Party for a decade. He was 77 years old.
Eurovision 2023 is moving to the U.K. but only because it just wouldn't be safe to be hosted in Ukraine. The Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra won the contest this year meaning their home country should host Europe's biggest music event next year.
But, there is a war going on and organizers asked the U.K. to host on Ukraine's behalf. Britain was placed second this year and says the event will be a true reflection of Ukrainian culture.
Monday was World Drowning Prevention Day according to the U.N. Historic racism and segregation with many black communities in the U.S. and Britain without safe access to swimming lessons and public pools.
The World Health Organization reports that drowning is one of the top five causes of death in children ages 1 to 4 -- 14 rather. But these numbers can be improved.
Heed (ph) this look at three women pushing for equality in swimming.
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DANIELLE OBE, BLACK SWIMMING ASSOCIATION: 95 percent of black adults in England do not swim and 80 percent of black children.
I am Danielle Obe (ph), co-founder and chair of the Black Swimming Association. To do one thing and one thing well, to be a bridge between disenfranchised African children in communities and the aquatic sector.
On the 24th of December, 2019, the most tragic event in Costa del Sol (ph) where three members of a family of five drowned in a pool while on holiday. And this was devastating because these families were actually acquainted to me.
At that point in time, I broke down as a mother. Because I thought, we've given them prior protocols for (INAUDIBLE) about crossing the street or not speaking to strangers, but we've never given them protocols around water safety.
We have got to do something. We've got to do it now. We cannot keep recovering bodies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Alice Dearing and I'm a British marathon swimmer. I was the first black woman to represent GB in swimming at the Olympic Games. I think quite often swimming is underappreciated, the fact that it is a life skill. It can potentially save your life.
[01:54:59]
DEARING: I really hope people start to view it in that way. And give it the weight it deserves. I have faced (INAUDIBLE) when I was younger. People just don't think black people should swim or do swim or think that we are better suited for the sport. And so, it's kind of no surprise I ended up in the situation where 80 percent of black children in England don't swim.
Swimming lessons aren't that cheap. It's not easy. If you are swimming pool is half an hour away and you have to pay for bus or taxi to get there, that's another barrier in front of that person to learn to swim.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a swimming instructor and outdoor swim coach. I offer swimming lessons for children and women. It is really, really important to just offer free swimming lessons because there is a real lack in inner city areas as we've seen it.
Many children, they have about five weeks, six weeks of swimming lessons at one point in their school career. And it's just simply not enough for them to actually learn to swim.
I think there is a real class barrier. And you could see the difference when private schools and independent schools would come in and swim.
Big national government bodies have a real thing to do. Actually talking to organizations on the ground and grassroots community groups.
I've seen the impact of what these lessons have, seen the impact in different communities. Supporting them with resources, supporting them financially. And also just helping make swimming fun.
DEARING: I have been quite torn between the amazing achievement of being the first black woman to represent GB in swimming. But then also just kind of wanting to be, you know, my own person, my own athlete who is known for being an athlete and not for her race and her sport combined together.
Nobody pushed me out and said you need to go speak about this. I could step back from this at a moment I want to, but I don't. I think it is really important personally to change the way that black people are viewed in swimming and the way black people view swimming.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And swimmers staying out of the water along Israel's Mediterranean coast this summer, because of an invasion of jellyfish -- stinging swimmers, clogging fishing nets as well as desalination plants. All this costing Israel's tourism industry about $10 million in lost revenue.
Experts blame climate change for raising the water temperature and creating ideal conditions for the jellyfish to breed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUY LAVIAN, HEAD OF MARIN RANGERS, ISRAEL NATURE AND PARKS AUTHORITY: I can definitely say that global warming contributes to these massive swarms of jellyfish. You can see them as it gets hotter. You know, the temperature of the water is hot and then you can see those very large swarms of jellyfish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Israel's ecologists say offshore leaks of fertilizer have also helped to grow the food for the jellyfish to eat which is why they're there.
I'm John Vause. CNN NEWSROOM is up next with my friend Rosemary Church. Stay with us.
See you tomorrow.
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