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IAEA Releases Report On Zaporizhzhia; Extreme Heat Fuels California Fire; Liz Truss Vows Action On U.K.'s Economic Challenges. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 07, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:01]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead. Liz Truss has ambitious plans to rebuild the U.K. and in a few hours she will have her first opportunity to defend those plans in Parliament as the new prime minister. We're live from 10 Downing Street.
It must end. The IAEA report regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in and the findings are clear. Continued fighting around the plant will lead to a nuclear catastrophe.
And soaring temperatures wreak havoc across the western U.S. fueling deadly fires and overwhelming power grids into shutdown. We will discuss efforts to combat these extreme conditions.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with Rosemary Church. Good to have you with us. Well, it is just after 7:00 in the morning in London where Liz Truss is set to kick off her first full day as Britain's new prime minister. She's already vowing immediate action on the country's enormous economic challenges, saying she's confident it can ride out the storm. Truss was formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday becoming only the third woman in British history to hold the office.
In the hours ahead, she will take part in her first prime minister's questions in Parliament and begin tackling the challenges that lie ahead, including an energy crisis and soaring inflation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIZ TRUSS, PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN: I know that we have what it takes to tackle those challenges. Of course, it won't be easy, but we can do it. We will transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high-paying jobs, safe streets, and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve. I will take action this day and action every day to make it happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Truss' cabinet is already taking shape. And for the first time in British history none of the four most senior positions will be held by a white man. Well, Truss' predecessor Boris Johnson is pledging his fervent support for the new prime minister and her team as he reflects on his own time in office. CNN's Max Foster reports now from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: A final lap of honor for Boris Johnson flanked by applauding staff and civil servants. Johnson departed Downing Street as prime minister for the last time. Asked her what he'll do next.
BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER OF UNITED KINGDOM: I'm no like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function. And I will now be gently reentering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.
FOSTER: A speech outlining his legacy. Brexit, the vaccine rollout and support for Ukraine, many in his party sad to see him go ousted following months of scandal. Johnson made no mention of the events that ultimately led to his downfall. He concluded by throwing his considerable political heft behind his replacement.
JOHNSON: It's time for politics to be over, folks. It's time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and her program and deliver for the people of this country.
FOSTER: Johnson and Truss then took separate planes for the 1100-mile round trip to Scotland to visit the Queen. Johnson submitting his resignation and Truss being invited to form a new government. Meetings which are strictly private. For Britons looking on support amidst a cost of living crisis is their top priority. Truss will be expected to lay out a new vision and quickly. The leadership contest lasted six long weeks, during which the pound slumped to its lowest rate against the dollar since 1985.
Returning to London, Truss stood where Johnson had stood hours before. Britain can ride out this storm she said as thunder cracked and lightning struck over London. Details of how we'll follow this week.
TRUSS: We shouldn't be daunted by the challenges we face. As strong as the storm may be. I know that the British people are stronger.
FOSTER: Max Foster, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking developments. She joins us now live from London from outside 10 Downing Street. So, another Britain faces some major challenges right now.
[02:05:02]
Record high inflation among them But Liz Truss is yet to offer specifics on how exactly she plans to rebuild the economy and get the country through this. What all is she saying and what's been the reaction so far to her new role as prime minister?
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, you're absolutely right, Rosemary. Liz Truss now comes into the position of prime minister facing numerous really severe challenges ahead left behind by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government as she will have to grapple with. But at this stage, we haven't had any clear answers as to how exactly she aims to tackle these challenges ahead.
And we did hear from Liz Truss yesterday speaking here at Downing Street after formally being invited to form a government by the queen. And she did outline three key areas that she plans to focus on, of course, chiefly among them is the economy. As he saw there, in Max Foster's reporting, the country is facing a severe cost of living crisis. And that is certainly at the forefront of many voters, minds up and down the country.
She says that she will deliver a bold new plan to grow the economy through cutting taxes, and pursuing financial reform. But as to how she will actually do that, how that will actually work in practice, we're still waiting for the clear details on that. Second among those key priorities is, of course, the energy crisis, which is also the forefront of many people's minds with rising energy prices. She said just yesterday that she plans to not only focus on making sure that people up and down the country aren't facing on affordable energy bills, but also to secure Britain's future energy supply which she says has been caused by Putin's war in Ukraine.
And our third key focus over the coming weeks and months will be on improving the National Health Service, the NHS. So these were the key priorities for Liz Truss. But there are of course, other challenges that she will face as prime minister, not least within her own party trying to unite her Conservative M.P.s behind her after weeks of blue on blue infighting over the course of the leadership campaign that we've just seen.
Today of course, she does face prime minister's questions for the first time as prime minister, as she will have some tough questions to answer from the opposition. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Absolutely. Nada Bashir joining us live from outside 10 Downing Street. Many thanks.
The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog group has released a damning new report on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency says immediate changes are needed to prevent a nuclear emergency in Ukraine. After visiting the site last week, the IAEA says that shelling around the plant poses a large threat and is calling for the creation of a safety zone around the facility. He is more now from the IAEA chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: Now the IAEA has been there, we have corroborated what is happening. And this is a measure that one way or the other must be put in place. We can do it. We have the means to do it. Nuclear safety is indispensable. Nuclear security is indispensable. We are playing with fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The report also mentions the presence of Russian military equipment and personnel at the plant, as well as a supervising group of Russian nuclear experts.
Meantime, The White House says there's no indication weapons bought by Russia from North Korea have made their way to the battlefield in Ukraine. A U.S. official tells CNN Moscow is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from Pyongyang. And the U.S. believes Russia has already bought weapons capable drones from Iran. The Pentagon and other sources say it shows Russia is running low on ammunition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. PATRICK RYDER, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Certainly as has been said, we assess that things are not going well on that front for Russia. So, the fact that they're reaching out to North Korea is a sign that that they're having some challenges on the sustainment front.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The news comes as President Vladimir Putin attended war games in eastern Russia. Moscow claims 50,000 troops are taking part but western analysts say that number is an exaggeration.
Well, Russian media reporting heavy attacks in the Kherson region. One local official claims Ukrainian forces fired at least 74 rockets early Tuesday, hitting road infrastructure and hydroelectric power station. It's all part of a strategic counter offensive to reclaim territory in Kherson. And Ukrainian forces are getting help from foreign fighters. CNN's Sam Kiley has this exclusive report.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) go, go, go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go, go.
[02:10:03]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No panic. No panic. This is normal, this is normal.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Among the most forward troops in Ukraine's latest counter offensive. This really is normal. When the crunch of incoming artillery is this intense, casualties in this reconnaissance unit, which includes three foreigners are inevitable.
Marke (ph) as a Briton was lightly wounded on day one of the offensive. On day two he was more seriously injured in the leg by artillery alongside Michael Zafer, a former U.S. Marine from Kansas. He was hit in the hand, stomach and head. They joined Ukraine's army together but met fighting ISIS in Syria. Zafer is the former U.S. Marine's Kurdish codename.
As (INAUDIBLE) troops they'd been the tip of Ukraine's attacks on its southern front in the fight to recapture Kherson.
MICHAEL ZAFER RONIN, AMERICAN FIGHTING IN UKRAINE: And then I just remember looking up to my left and then pop. I couldn't see anything for a bit, everything looked the same, everything came to. Look at my left look fine, look to my right, OK, I'm (BLEEP) I'm (BLEEP) all right. To the whole, to the whole.
KILEY: It's going to be a slow grinding fight they say. Whatever the claims of Ukraine's government.
KILEY (on camera): This counter offensive is being billed as a -- as kind of a quick process. Do you think that that's --
MARK AYRES, BRITON FIGHTING IN UKRAINE: No, no. Definitely not. It would -- that won't be quick. I mean, it's hard, slow for me -- by me, our position by position because we haven't got the resources to do a massive blitzkrieg.
KILEY (voice over): U.S. weapons and other NATO equipment have proved useful, but not decisive as Ukraine has captured a handful of villages since the counter offensive began. Here, Russian troops wave a white flag of surrender. Precision artillery strikes by U.S.-supplied howitzers monitored by Zafer's (INAUDIBLE) unit with a drone. Russia's motivated its troops with false claims that they're liberating Ukraine from Nazis. For Ukraine, it's a battle of national survival, attracting help from around the world.
KILEY (on camera): Do you feel sorry for the Russians?
AYRES: No. No, not so. It's not like Ukraine has invaded Russia. They've invaded Ukraine. They're here killing civilians clearly now soldiers. I've got no sympathy for them and whatsoever.
KILEY (voice over): Ukraine's imposed a news blackout on the southern offensive and keeps his casualty figures secret. But for these men being wounded isn't the end of combat. It's an interruption.
KILEY (on camera): And are you going to go back?
AYRES: Yes. Once everything heals on my body. Probably within three to four weeks, I should be right back out there.
KILEY (voice over): Sam Kiley, CNN, Odesa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We turn now to the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. The Washington Post reports one of the documents seized describes a foreign government's military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities. The paper cites people familiar with the matter. CNN has reported the Justice Department has recovered more than 300 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago this year. Meanwhile, one of the top officials in the Trump administration says a federal judge got it wrong when she ruled a special master should review all seized documents. CNN's Sara Murray reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Donald Trump's own former attorney general is urging the Justice Department to appeal.
BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The opinion, I think was wrong and I think the government should appeal it.
I don't think the appointment of a special master is going to hold up.
MURRAY: Judges put on hold the Justice Department's review of documents and other items seized at Trump's Florida Resort. But William Barr who has already criticized the former president for having classified material and its resort telling Fox News the judge got it wrong.
BARR: Can the president bar DOJ from reviewing the documents and the answer to that I think is clearly no.
MURRAY: Trump's team and prosecutors tasked by the judge to come together and submit a joint statement by Friday, including a roster of special master candidates the scope of the special masters duties and limitations and a schedule for the review. The judge called for both sides to flag any points of substantive disagreement in the joint filing. That third party is tasked sift through sees material for Mar- a-Lago to weed out personal items, documents covered by attorney- client privilege and to the confusion of many legal experts documents covered by executive privilege.
In granting Trump's request for a special master to review thousands of documents from Mar-a- Lago, the judge cited swirling allegations of bias in media leaks. She was also deferential to Trump's position as a former president, writing that Trump faces an unquantifiable potential harm by way of improper disclosure of sensitive information to the public. Adding, the stigma associated with the subject seizure is in a league of its own.
And noting that during the search, the FBI took items including medical arguments and accounting information.
[02:15:02]
ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR: There's not another litigant in the United States of America who could have gotten this same ruling.
It's really a very pro-plaintiff, pro- Trump ruling in all respects.
MURRAY: Still Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Travesty of justice.
MURRAY: Spent the weekend unleashing a torrent of attacks on law enforcement at a Pennsylvania rally.
TRUMP: This egregious abuse of the law is going to produce a backlash, the likes of which nobody has ever seen before.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MURRAY: Now, of course, one of the big questions is how this special master could end up working and whether after all this acrimony between Team Trump and prosecutors if they can agree on frankly, anything in what is supposed to be a joint statement do on Friday. Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Trump associate Steve Bannon is expected to surrender to New York State prosecutors on Thursday over new indictments. The charges are related to his fundraising efforts to build a wall along the southern U.S. border. The state charges are based on the same conduct Bannon was charged with by federal prosecutors back in 2020. But former President Trump pardoned him.
According to reporting by the Washington Post, Bannon issued a statement through his spokesperson calling the indictment phony charges and nothing more than a partisan political weaponization of the criminal justice system. Well, coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM. Pakistan's largest leak breaches a game threatening to make a dire situation in the country even worse.
Plus, hurricane Kay has claimed the lives of at least three people in Mexico and it's expected to continue gaining strength. We're tracking the storm, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: More misery for Pakistan as a third of the country is already underwater. Now the country's largest lake has unexpectedly breached leaving hundreds of thousands of people at risk of more flooding and destruction. It's not clear yet if that breach was natural. Authorities breached the lake intentionally earlier this week to divert water. The deluge across the nation has already killed more than 1300 people CNN's Anna Coren has more.
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Stretching to the horizon and beyond. An expanse of endless brown murky water dotted with tops of trees and roofs of houses. Never before has Pakistan seen the scale of flooding, as water now covers one-third of the country. This climate change induced disaster has been months in the making with more than double the amount of rain falling since May in what the U.N. has referred to as a monsoon on steroids.
[02:20:02]
Last month, deluge unleashing even more misery as violent torrents of water decimated townships, homes and crops. The sheer volume and able to drain away.
CHRIS KAYE, PAKISTAN COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Hundreds of thousands of families now have absolutely nothing. The land where they had their houses totally flooded. They don't have anything more than what they're wearing.
COREN: Thirty-three million people have been affected. That's around 15 percent of Pakistan's population. More than 600,000 people have moved into displaced persons camp. But some of the most vulnerable have been left stranded.
On this tiny strip of land are a number of families, their surviving livestock, a few belongings and 24-day old Shamala (ph). Her mother Kainat (ph) is sick, exhausted and struggling to care for her sixth child. She's marked the baby's forehead to ward off evil spirits.
I want my baby to survive, but it's God's will if she dies she says. We cannot afford to move from this area. We are at the mercy of nature because we are poor people. Kainat says she labored with baby Shamala through the rains, the World Health Organization says 1.2 million pregnant women are among those displaced across Pakistan. A few bags of aid have been dropped off. But it's not enough to sustain the families according to a 70-year-old grandmother who's witnessed three floods in her lifetime, but nothing quite like this.
We keep our eyes on our children after sunset, they could fall down into the water and drown. We have one meal a day. We have to say food for our kids. God, please help us.
But it's not just a lack of food they're worried about. Mosquitoes, venomous snakes and waterborne diseases are a constant threat. The WHO says cases of typhoid, malaria and diarrheal diseases are rising and will undoubtedly worsen.
Foreign aid is slowly trickling in, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and now head of USA ID Samantha Power, and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres are due to arrive in Pakistan this week, in a desperate bid to ramp up international assistance and support.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pakistan looking forward is very dire. We've got to be there for the long term. We've got to be there for three or four months at the minimum in order to save lives.
COREN: But for these people, mere survival is a daily struggle. And these clear blue skies aren't expected to last long. More devastating, monsoonal rains are days away to further terrorizing a traumatized country. Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And Pakistan's neighbor India is also seeing major rainfall and it's causing flooding in parts of the southern city of Bangalore. The area has received unprecedented rainfall in recent days. It's also affecting the city's water supply after the water pumping center was flooded. Water is being provided through tankers and officials say the normal water supply will be restored by Friday. Well, back here in the United States. Triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions continue to feed a deadly wildfire burning in Southern California. Two people have died and several buildings have been damaged since the Fairview fire started on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, those soaring temperatures are threatening rolling power outages across the state. More than 90,000 customers were without power on Tuesday as Sacramento broke its all-time temperature record.
The temperatures are not only making things miserable for residents, they've made fighting those wildfires much more difficult.
I'd like to bring in Cal-Fire Battalion chief Jon Heggie. He joins us from Riverside, California. Thank you, sir for being with us.
JON HEGGIE, CAL-FIRE BATTALION CHIEF: Thank you.
CHURCH: So what is the latest information that you have for us on the fires devastating your state right now particularly the Fairview fire burning in Hemet?
HEGGIE: Yes. I just left that incident a few hours ago. And as of about 7:00 tonight, the fire is 4900 acres and three percent -- oh, correction, five percent contain. So really making a lot of acres in a short period of time and really challenging our firefighters that are out there today.
CHURCH: Yes. And of course, the problem for California right now is that these record-high temperatures are forecast to continue for now at least and that makes your job even harder of course. What is the plan for the next few days and weeks to try to contain these fires particularly this one only five percent contained?
[02:25:04]
HEGGIE: Yes. It's a challenge when the -- when the temperatures are extremely high and the humidity is low, the fire really becomes a lot more active. And what we you typically see is your humidity recovery at nighttime. That's when we take advantage of that, that cooler weather and the damper conditions, and usually get a little bit of headway in the fire. We're not seeing that right now because it's so hot, so dry.
The fire is burning just as active at night as it is during the day. So that's what our challenge is, we're looking forward to hopefully a break in the weather as we get towards the end of the week. And hopefully we'll have some better news at that point.
CHURCH: Right. And what other issues do you need to help try to turn this around?
HILTON: You know, the challenge is, it's, you know, a lot of remote locations and it's really rough and steep terrain. So it's just a matter of getting those resources, getting the men and women in there. And they -- this is a hard job. And they're going to really just have to engage themselves on the fires edge. And in these conditions with these hot temperatures, that makes it very challenging.
So we have to rotate crews, and more often than we would typically just because it's so hot, and it's so dangerous to get people working in these types of conditions.
CHURCH: And of course, climate change is signaling that these record high temperatures could become the new normal for your state and others. So, what is the bigger plan for the future how to tackle these fires?
HEGGIE: Yes. We've been seeing this happen for the last few years in California. So we've been able to anticipate that and basically change the way we fight fire. And we've been doing that differently for the last few years. It really comes down to multitask approach to this. It's not just one thing. It's either fuel management, it's prevention, it's community engagement, education, and then also aggressive firefighting.
So, if we can put all those together, that is kind of the plan for success moving forward as we are in this new generation of firefighting.
CHURCH: Chief Jon Heggie, thank you so much for joining us and we wish you the best in your incredible efforts to try to contain this fire and others. Thank you.
HEGGIE: Thank you.
CHURCH: And we are watching not one but two growing tropical systems in the Pacific. Watches and warnings are in place as Hurricane Kay moves up Mexico's Pacific Coast after leaving at least three people dead. In the Atlantic, Earl has strengthened to a hurricane. It's the second hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. Som let's bring in CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for more on this.
Pedram, what is the latest on these troubling tropical systems?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: You know, Rosemary, it's been a quiet start so far to the hurricane season. But activity, as you noted here is really beginning to ramp up. We've got ourselves a category one in Kay, it is just off shore of the Cabo San Lucas area near the tip of the Baja and the Mexican government certainly taking this seriously enough to where they've prompted the tropical storm warnings even a few hurricane watches across the western periphery of the Baja.
The system will migrate northward. Conditions here are conducive for development. So we think the storm will want to strengthen in the next 24 hours up to a category two. And then beyond that to say 36, 48 hours and then 72 hours conditions deteriorate pretty quickly. So we'll watch this, as the system essentially rains itself out along this region. But populations certainly going to feel the impacts of this and even areas of southern California with a system that frankly even though maybe just the tropical storm, those winds that are extending away from the center are extending about 300 kilometers away from the center. So, very strong gusty winds are going to be felt well away from the center of the storm system, which does include areas of say, San Diego, even possibly in Los Angeles where the system gets close enough as it begins falling apart. It's where some of those gusty winds and certainly the high swells could be felt. But how much rainfall are we talking? Well enough here to cause some flash flooding concerns.
We're talking 200, maybe 300 millimeters before the system is all set and done. That again as early as Thursday and Friday across this region. Now the Atlantic activity also beginning to take shape, couple of areas of interest developing off the coast of Africa, a couple of category one hurricanes that have already developed and keep in mind we're just a few days away here from September 10th which climatologically is peak season for tropical activity.
Now this season, Rosemary, we have been very quiet so far. And letter E storm. Notice this time last year or the September average is the letter F storm and this time last year, we're way down here on the list. Two years ago, Rosemary, we were way down here on the list. So we're following these storms at this point over open waters but folks across Bermuda on alert for the storms to approach that region in the coming days.
CHURCH: Gee, so much to cover there. Pedram Javaheri, many thanks as always. Appreciate it.
The manhunt for an alleged mass killer in Canada is stretching into a fourth day. And new details show the suspect has a long and troubled history. That story when we return.
[02:30:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, two days of military exercises are underway right now in Taiwan. This comes amid simmering tension with China weeks after Beijing held its own military drills near the self-ruled island. Our Will Ripley is there.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm here in Southern Taiwan where the army is holding live-fire drills amid rising tensions with China. It's one thing to read about the $1.1 billion in weapons at the United States Biden ministration just announced will be sold to Taiwan. The six such arms sale under the Biden administration, five of them just this year.
It is another thing, though, to actually be out here and to feel, you know, the ground shutter from these massive explosions when you're looking at the tanks and the armored vehicles and the combat helicopters. And you're seeing the mortar fire basically decimating the hill behind me. It really does give you an indication of just how horrifying it would be if war were to actually break out on this self- governing democracy. An island of almost 24 million people that has had its own military, its own government for more than 70 years. But continues to be claimed by Beijing's communist rulers as Chinese territory even though they've never controlled this island. The Taiwanese military says they will defend their homeland. They say that they do not accept a unilateral takeover by China. And that's why they're conducting military training like this. These live fire drills on a regular basis. They happen throughout the year.
CAPTAIN KUO JIAM-MING, 56TH ARMORED BRIGADE (through translator): In this environment, we must prepare for war and simulate the battlefield. Let our soldiers get used to it.
RIPLEY: But it's especially important to focus on them right now, given what has been happening over the last month or so, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to Taipei, followed by several high-profile U.S. lawmakers. You had China conducting the largest scale military drills encircling this island that we've seen. It was truly unprecedented.
China almost simulating a blockade of Taiwan, which would be a precursor to an actual war. You also had incidents escalating on the outlying islands of Taiwan, including the islands of Kinmen where Chinese drones have been spotted in the air flying over and photographing sensitive restricted military outposts.
The officials who are on command here say that this is a part of the island's ongoing effort to get ready for a possible war with mainland China. Will Ripley, CNN, Taiwan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, the infamous former defense contractor known as Fat Leonard is on the run. The U.S. Marshals Service says Leonard Francis cut off his ankle monitor and escaped house arrest in San Diego three weeks before his sentencing.
[02:35:00]
In 2015, Francis pled guilty to charges in the biggest corruption scandal in U.S. Navy history. They bribe Navy officials with cash, prostitutes, and luxury items such as Kobe beef and Cuban cigars to steer navy ships to ports where his company operated.
Well, an update now on last week's assassination attempt on Argentina's vice president. The main suspect has been taken to court and is expected to testify before a judge after refusing to cooperate last week. 35-year-old Brazilian man is accused of pointing a loaded gun directly at the head of Argentina's vice president when he allegedly pulled the trigger, the gun appears to jam and did not fire. The suspect's girlfriend has also been arrested and appeared in court. Police believe that she may have played a role in the attempted assassination.
New details have emerged about the remaining suspect in a deadly stabbing rampage in Canada's Saskatchewan Province. This, as the manhunt for the alleged killer enters its fourth day. Myles Sanderson had been assessed by a psychologist as a moderate risk of violence and has a prior criminal history. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest now on the manhunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The manhunt goes on. Authorities looking for 30-year-old Myles Sanderson, and they are looking pretty much across the entire province of Saskatchewan. That's more than 250,000 square miles. Sanderson believed to be responsible for that stabbing spree Sunday morning on the James Smith Cree Nation and in a village nearby that left at least 10 people dead.
Now, initially, authorities believed that Myles Sanderson was on the run with his brother who was also involved in that spree, they say. His brother, Damien. But Damien's body was found on the reserve. He was found dead. So, Myles Sanderson is the only suspect that we know of still at large.
Now, on Sunday, there was this report that a car that authorities believed the brothers were driving was seen in Regina, about 200 miles south, that appears to have that nowhere. Also, on Tuesday, there was a report that Myles Sanderson had been seen back on the reserve. Again, that came to nothing. So, the manhunt goes on.
In the meantime, we are learning a bit more about Myles Sanderson. He is, as they say, 30 years old with a rap sheet that goes back nearly 20 years, 59 convictions. Among them for kicking a police officer in the head and stabbing two men with a fork. We're told he had a troubled childhood. Began using drugs and alcohol at age 12. There are allegations of some gang connections. There are domestic violence issues.
He was also jailed in Canada for his part in an armed robbery but he was released in August 2021. And then in February of this year, the Canadian parole board confirmed that that statutory release is valid, that he should be out and about. And I will quote from their decision, "It is the board's opinion that you will not present an undue risk to society if released."
Well, he's now on the run. The subject of a manhunt. Believed to be with his brother. Responsible for that stabbing spree and charged, already, with three counts of first-degree murder. And so far, evading the authorities. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And still to come here on CNN Newsroom, Brazil ramps up security for bicentennial celebrations as the president rallies his supporters. We will have a report from Sao Paulo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:00]
CHURCH: Amnesty International is appealing to the Iranian government to save the lives of two Iranians sentenced to death. Zahra Sedighi- Hamadani was accused of and convicted on trafficking charges. But amnesty believes she was prosecuted for speaking out about abuses against the LGBTQ community in the region. According to Iranian state media, another person, Elham Chobdar, was tried and sentenced to death in the same case.
In the coming day, Brazil will mark 200 years of independence from Portugal. President Jari Bolsonaro has called for supporters to rally in the streets in a show of force ahead of next month's presidential election. CNN Brazil's Mathias Brotero has details now from Sao Paulo.
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MATHIAS BROTERO, CNN BRAZIL CORRESPONDENT: Demonstrations are expected all over Brazil on Wednesday when the country celebrates 200 years of independence. The rallies will be held less than a month before federal elections. The celebrations are seen by supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro as an opportunity for him to show his strength and rise in the polls where he is currently in second place behind his rival, the former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
In a campaign video, the Brazilian president calls on the population to take to the streets with peace and harmony. Bolsonaro said that in the morning, he will be in Brasilia, the country's capital. And in the evening, he will travel to Rio De Janeiro.
The rallies occur amid tensions between Jair Bolsonaro and ministers of the Supreme Court. During last year's Independence Holiday, the Brazilian president gathered supporters and threatened to disobey the Supreme Court's orders. This year, there will be a 70 percent increase in the number of police officers around the Supreme Federal Court in Brasilia. The region will also be monitored by anti-bomb, anti-drone, and sniper teams.
In Rio De Janeiro, parades conducted by the navy, air force, and army will begin before Wednesday in different locations of the city. Bolsonaro himself focuses participation on Copacabana Beach. Although the president is not planning to come here to Sau Paulo, more than 1,000 extra police officers will also be called in as more rallies and demonstrations are expected.
As for Lula, his campaign has asked supporters to avoid taking to the streets. Arguing that there could be conflicts with Bolsonaro backers. Instead, his campaign is preparing rallies for next Saturday all over Brazil. In a radio ad, Lula said the Independence Day should be celebrated with union, which according to the former president does not happen today. Mathias Brotero in Sao Paulo, from CNN Brazil.
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CHURCH: And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. World Sport is up next. Then I'll be back with more news from all around the world in about 15 minutes. You are watching CNN, do stick around.
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SUMMERS: I think it's crucial that we move as quickly as we can to build out the country's infrastructure because that will contribute to greater productivity and, ultimately, that's what's most important for peoples living standards.
I hope, at some point, we'll be able to go back and do something about the egregious international tax loopholes where corporations were able to move their profits to the Cayman Islands and get away with paying less taxes. They made a start on dealing with that in the Inflation Reduction Act, but there is much more that can be done.
So, my advice to the administration would be they have legislated a lot. They have put in the framework to do an enormous amount, but it doesn't implement itself. And for example, making sure that this $52 billion for semiconductors really restores American competitiveness. That it doesn't go to help China. That it doesn't go as corporate welfare. That's going to be a very difficult and very, very important task. I think Secretary Raimondo is up to that task. But she's going to have to assemble a first-rate team to implement that legislation.
LEMON: Well, Larry, we always learn so much from you. We appreciate you joining us. We'll see you next time. Thank you so much.
SUMMERS: Thank you.
LEMON: So, she had been living with a man she met on Craigslist. And now, she is missing. What happened to Irene Gakwa? That's next.
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LEMON: A family seeking answers and accountability after their daughter went missing last winter. Irene Gakwa reported missing less than three years after she moved to the United States from Kenya. At the time, she went missing, she had been living in Gillette, Wyoming with the man she met on Craigslist on Craigslist's forum.
Well, police say the man, Nathan Hightman, is considered a person of interest in her disappearance and he is not made himself available to the detectives looking to resolve questions that exist in the investigation. Now, CNN has made repeated attempts to reach Hightman via phone, via text, and e-mail, but he has not responded. CNN also left messages for his public defender but did not hear back.
So, joining me now, our CNN contributor and former FBI profiler, Candice DeLong. She is the host of "The Killer Psyche" podcast, a great podcast.
Candice, thank you so much for joining. I appreciated. So, let's talk about Hightman here. Hightman has not been charged in Irene's disappearance but he is a suspect in a related case involving financial crimes -- a financial crimes case against her. Police charged him for allegedly changing her bank account password and deleting her e-mail count after she had gone missing. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. What are they?
CANDICE DELONG, CNN CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER FBI PROFILER: Well, he commits these financial crimes and when you think about it, it appears that for what he did, running up credit card accounts, draining her checking account. He knew she wasn't going to need those things anymore and then he fails or he refuses to cooperate with police regarding her disappearance. It's pretty clear to me what's going on.
LEMON: Yes. You know, he told police that he last saw Irene in late February when he says that she came home one night, packed her clothing in two plastic bags, and left in a dark-colored SUV. He also told police that he withdrew money from her bank account so she would be forced to contact him if she needed money. Does that tell you anything about him and their relationship? And do you -- are you buying this story?
DELONG: I don't believe a word he says. And if you care about someone, and they've left you, and you want them to come back, why would you restrict their access to money so that they could get back? It makes no sense.
LEMON: According to court documents, investigators recovered a shovel, they recovered some boots. Hightman brought -- he said he bought it at the Walmart in late February, using Irene's Visa card. Again, he hasn't been charged, but that seems like something investigators would ask more questions about, no?
DELONG: I'm sure they are asking questions. I think it's difficult to get any new information because I think the police are working very diligently and they're keeping the lid on the investigation. And that's a good thing.
LEMON: Irene Gakwa's parents who are in Kenya, they say that they were not aware that she was living in Wyoming with someone she had met from Craigslist. Her brothers told CNN told CNN that the couple had dated since 2020 but had broken up several times and they didn't know that they were living together either. Now, her family says that they are close. What could be happening with her that she wouldn't share details like that with them?
DELONG: I thought about that. And, perhaps, before she went missing, the reason she did not share details was -- well, it wouldn't be the first time a young person didn't talk to their parents about their personal life, especially their dating life. But, one thing that occurred to me is maybe because they were breaking up a lot, getting back, breaking up, getting back.
Maybe she didn't want to worry her parents that maybe she was unhappy. Maybe she was -- but even her brother is an Idaho, maybe she was ashamed to tell them she was dating someone that was, well, a problem.
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LEMON: You know, no one has been charged in Irene's disappearance. Police haven't found her yet. What happens next in this case, Candice? DELONG: Like I said, I think the police are, especially now that there's a national spotlight on this, yes, six months after it happened, nevertheless, a lot of crimes, a lot of mysteries, missing person mysteries have been solved after the fact. And we know the police are looking at him as a person of interest. They've asked him to sit down and talk with him, and he refuses. That's a red flag to a detective.
LEMON: And as you just said, again, CNN has made repeated attempts to reach Nathan Hightman via phone, text, and e-mail but he has not responded. Thank you, Candice. I appreciate it.
DELONG: You're welcome.
LEMON: And thank you for watching, everyone. Our coverage continues.
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