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North Korea Fires Two More Ballistic Missiles; Russians Suffers Losses As Ukrainian Forces Advances In South; Mysterious Death Of Teenage Girl In Iran Raising Alarm; OPEC Plus To Cut Oil Output By Two Million Barrels A Day; More And More Britons Struggling To Get By. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 06, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:18]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM. U.S. aircraft carrier strike group said to be heading for the waters of the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang fires off an unprecedented barrage of ballistic missiles, another two launches recorded just hours ago.

As Vladimir Putin makes his illegal annexation official, Ukrainian forces are retaking more and more of the very territory he claims for Russia.

And with friends like these, OPEC announces a cut in production to increase the cost of oil, rewarding Russia and screwing Ukraine.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: USS Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Ronald Reagan is now heading for the waters of the Korean Peninsula, according to officials in Seoul in response to a flurry of missile launches by North Korea. The most recent came just a few hours ago.

Two short range ballistic missiles believe to be launched from an area called Samsok not far from the North Korean capital with a flight path towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

One missile traveled 350 kilometers, the other about 800 kilometers drawing an angry response from Tokyo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASUKAZU HAMADA, JAPANESE DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): North Korea, especially from the sheer has been repeatedly launching missiles in a new way at a rapid pace. In the past few days they have been continuously launching ballistic missiles. These actions by North Korea are a threat to the peace and security of our country, region and the international community and it's absolutely unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Just two days ago, a North Korean ballistic missile flew over Japan, triggering a J-alert advising residents to take shelter.

Pyongyang has now carried out 24 missile tests this year including ballistic and cruise missiles, the highest number since Kim Jong-un came to power 10 years ago.

North Korea's illicit weapons program was raised at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, the U.S. is accusing both Russia and China without naming them of enabling North Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: As we all know, the DPRK has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council. These two members have gone out of their way to justify the DPRK's repeated provocations and block every attempt to update the sanctions regime.

In short, two permanent members of the Security Council have enabled Kim Jong-un.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: For more we're joined by Paula Hancocks staying there live in Seoul with the very latest. I guess the question is where is this heading? Why so many launches in such a short period of time?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, John, we've had six in just the past 12 days from North Korea, and as you mentioned that it's unprecedented this kind of activity that we're seeing from the North Koreans.

Now, we did hear from Pyongyang itself talking through state run media KCNA blaming the U.S.-South Korean military drills saying that is the reason that they're carrying out these kinds of launches, that it is in retaliation for that.

But what we're seeing is widespread condemnation. You heard there from the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, effectively blaming Russia and China for enabling North Korea for allowing them to continue with these missile launches, which are against U.N. Security Council resolutions without any kind of consequences.

Now, both Russia and China unsurprisingly rejected that and they blame the United States for this increase in tensions saying that that's the reason that North Korea is retaliating.

The very fact that we've seen the U.S. South Korean military drills that just last week there were naval drills between the U.S. and South Korea. There was also a day where Japan was involved as well. So, a trilateral Navy drill. And we're hearing from the South Korean side from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Security Council that the USS Ronald Reagan is coming back into the waters off the Korean Peninsula.

From the Navy's point of view, the U.S. Navy spokesman saying that it is currently operating in the Sea of Japan but we do not comment on future operations.

But looking at the wider diplomatic situation, the politics of this, we did hear from the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking in Chile.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe that North Korea would be much better served by not only refraining from his actions but actually engaging in dialogue.

[00:05:04]

I think what we're seeing is that if they continue down this road, it will only increase the condemnation, increase the isolation, increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: But many experts I have spoken to say that the isolation that North Korea could potentially feel does not include Russia, does not include China.

At the moment, the geopolitics of the region and of course, looking at Russia's invasion in Ukraine, is the Russia and China are not going to support any sanctions against North Korea in the United Nations.

So, it is an opportune time for them to be continuing and carrying out these military launches, these missile launches. And of course, the question now is when not if they would carry out that seventh underground nuclear test, pretty much everybody who watches North Korean closely that I have spoken to believe that that will come within weeks, if not months.

VAUSE: Paula, thank you. We appreciate that update. Paula Hancocks live for us in Seoul.

We have this just in from Ukraine, word of a Russian missile strike in the city of Zaporizhzhia with one official saying residential buildings have been destroyed. This comes as a rapid Ukrainian advance is underway in the Kherson region and to the east in Luhansk, social media images show Ukrainian forces in at least one village. One official says several settlements have already been liberated.

Correspondent embedded with the Russian military says Russia lacks the manpower to stop and advance in that region.

Ukrainian troops are entering Luhansk from neighboring Donetsk region but the key city of Lyman has been reclaimed just days ago. Video from Ukraine's National Guard shows some of the damage on the streets.

Meantime, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there is good news from the front. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Over the past 24 hours only, settlements such as Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka were liberated and stabilized from the fake referendum in the Kherson region, the movement is ongoing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Ukraine says Russian forces are trying to move wounded troops and damaged equipment as they suffered losses in the South.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh traveled to two liberated villages to see what's been left. And a warning, some viewers will find the images in his report disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): We don't leave our own behind, a Russian war slogan you hear less these days, especially along the road south by the Dnieper River, where the Russians seem to be collapsing since the weekend on yet a third front.

The pace of Ukraine's advance you can feel on the road here. That is hour by hour that they move forwards this road lined with Russian bodies, abandoned Russian positions. It's clear people left here in a hurry.

In just the last three days, they've swept along the west bank of the river through Russian positions, the shallow shabby foxholes of an army with almost nothing at hand.

Even what little they had was abandoned, especially this tank, a model that first came into service 60 years ago when Vladimir Putin was nine.

Here, the village of Mykolaivka right on the river is getting cell phone service for the first time in six months and aid. Shell slammed into here 90 minutes ago from the Russians still across the water. It's the price of their freedom.

The Russians would check on her, she says, tried to make us vote in the referendum but we didn't. Still, we survived. We old people always have food supplies.

Outside the village are more of the short lived occupation left in the tree line with a sleeping mat and shells.

In nearby Liubashivka, there was heavy fighting Saturday and then Sunday, the Russians just vanished. Gratitude for aid and liberation going spare to almost anyone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cry because two of mine are fighting too. I am crying as I am happy you are here.

WALSH: Smiles as it is over. And shock at how fast.

That was very scary. We were afraid, she says. Hiding, they were bombing, robbing, we survived. They ran, the rain came and they ran.

Signs all around of how their unwanted guests just did not know what to do when they got here, or have food or beds. So, they filled that gap with cruelty.

Andrei (PH) had a generator and would charge local's phones. So, the Russians decided he was a Ukrainian informer and beat him.

[00:10:08]

They brought me from here and they put a hood on my head and taped it up, he says. Then we walked a few steps up and down. They beat him so badly, his arms turned blue from defending his head. Still there months later.

Stalemates had torn these huge expanses up for months. Now it's broken, as has the fear of the Kremlin's army here. Bereft, abandoned, filthy and vanishing down the road.

Nick Payton Walsh, CNN, along the Dnieper River, Kherson region, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Sources tell CNN, the U.S. intelligence community believes elements within Ukraine's government authorized the car bombing which killed the daughter of a prominent Russian political figure.

Darya Dugina was killed in a blast on August 20th. One source says intelligence officials believe she was driving her father's car and he was the actual target.

Alexander Dugin has been a fierce supporter, a very vocal supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine. Sources say the U.S. was not aware of the plan beforehand, remains unclear who exactly the U.S. believes signed off on the car bombing.

After only two weeks of anti-regime protests across Iran, large demonstrations in support of the government were held in the Capitol on Wednesday.

One state media aired images of demonstrators, many of them women, chanting and waving flags while condemning the "rioters who created the recent unrest". Other pro government demonstrations have been held about 10 days ago.

A crowd of female protesters in black chanted Basij, get lost to a man at the podium in the city of Shiraz. It's not clear who he was but Basij refers to the volunteer militia, which acts as the country's morality police.

They've been blamed for the recent death of a young woman after she was arrested for allegedly wearing a hijab incorrectly, authorities deny any wrongdoing.

Meantime, there is growing shock of the death of an already teenage girl who reportedly posted a video of herself burning her headscarf, and then she disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Iranian authorities say eight people have been arrested in connection with their death.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is Nika Shahkarami (PH), one of the thousands of young Iranians who took to the streets on September 20th. But Nika never made it back home. She disappeared.

10 days later, her parents found her, a lifeless body at the morgue of a detention center in Tehran. Nika's aunt spoke out in a BBC Persia interview.

ATASH SHAHKARAMI, NIKA SHAHKARAMI'S AUNT (through translator): I was in contact with her until 7:00 p.m. on September 20th, her friend said Nika put a story on Instagram to show she had burned her headscarf, and she said to her friend, she was running away because security agents were after her. That was the last contact from her.

KARADSHEH: According to her aunt, Nika's phone was switched off and her social media accounts deactivated.

SHAHKARAMI (through translator): At the morgue, they showed the body. They only allowed her mother and her brother to identify the face. They were not allowed to unzip the cover to see the torso.

KARADSHEH: While the circumstances of her death remain unclear, human rights groups have documented the brutal force used against protesters.

Iranian security forces have dragged unveiled women by their hair, with some also reportedly sexually assaulted according to Amnesty International, Iranian state media released the CCTV video that investigators say shows Nika going into a building, possibly falling from it later. They say they've arrested eight workers who were there.

Authorities say there is no evidence the teenager was killed by police. Prosecutors say they've launched an investigation into her death. That comes just weeks after Mahsa Amini collapsed and died in morality police custody.

Amini's family say doctors told them she had head trauma and believe she was beaten to death. Police said the 22-year-old died of a heart attack, they deny any wrongdoing. And it's been nearly three weeks since that investigation was announced.

Nika's funeral, this mourner cries today was your birthday. Congratulations on your martyrdom.

Nika Shahkarami was buried on what would have been her 17th birthday.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul. (END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A dramatic demonstration during an impassioned speech Wednesday by a member of the European Parliament calling on the E.U. to do more to help protesters in Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABIR AL-SAHLANI, SWEDISH MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: We the peoples and the citizens of the E.U., demand the unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against the women and men in Iran. Until Iran is free, our fury will be bigger than the oppressors. Until the women of Iran are free, we are going to stand with you. Women, life, freedom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:15:11]

VAUSE: That was Swedish Iraqi politician Abir Al-Sahlani dramatically cutting off some of her hair in front of lawmakers in solidarity with women of Iran.

During an interview with CNN, she accused the international community and European leaders in particular are failing Iranian women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL-SAHLANI: The courage of the Iranian woman has been unprecedented. And the world's leaders met a few weeks ago and the General Assembly of the U.N., and no one of them had that courage to actually mention the fight for freedom of the Iranian women.

And we owe them that, at least let their voices eco in the beacon of democracy, they will appear in Parliament, let their voices equal here and show our support to the women of Iran when the world's leaders are failing in showing that kind of support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: When we come back, an OPEC cut in oil production means that Joe Biden and Ukraine are the big losers and Russia the big winner. More on that when we come back.

Also, the U.K.'s prime minister trying to rally fellow Tories behind her bold economic plan. Muted response is probably not what she was hoping for. More on that when we come back.

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VAUSE: OPEC Plus, a group of oil producing nations which includes Russia has announced a reduction in oil production by two million barrels a day starting next month. Largest cuts since the COVID pandemic began. And that's despite the Biden administration trying to convince the cartel not to. OPEC says the cut is necessary because of the possibility of a global recession which just may cause. There are growing fears, the bigger than expected cut could actually push gasoline prices higher, most likely will.

All markets rose on the news. White House says it's disappointed in that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you concerned about these cuts from OPEC?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I need to see what the detail is. I am concerned, it is unnecessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Catherine Rampell is CNN's Economics and Political commentator, as well as an opinion writer for The Washington Post, good to see you.

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to be here.

VAUSE: OK, so from OPEC's point of view, don't think of this so much as in terms of an increase in the cost of oil? Think of it more along the lines of the cost of price stability, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAITHAM AL GHAIS, OPEC SECRETARY GENERAL: We are not endangering the energy markets. We are providing security, stability to the energy markets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At a price?

AL GHAIS: Everything has a price, energy security has a price as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Oh, boy, that price actually will be higher, prices at the pump, possibly higher inflation as well. Do we know at this point what the kind of production will mean in real world dollars and cents for people?

RAMPELL: Not with that much precision. What I would say is to bear in mind that even though they announced a huge cut in their quotas for OPEC Plus members, the countries that are members of OPEC Plus were already producing below their quotas.

[00:20:10]

So, the headline number was, you know, two million barrels per day fewer going forward, but they were all -- they weren't even close to their quota before. So probably it'll be more like 600,000 fewer barrels per day going forward, so you'll see some increase in oil prices, some increase in gas prices, but maybe not quite as much as the headlines suggest.

And they'll probably be somewhat of a lag in any event before consumers see a big increase in prices at the pump.

VAUSE: Overall, higher oil prices, (INAUDIBLE) for a fragile world economy. It seems kind of short sighted.

RAMPELL: Well, there's a reason why oil prices have been falling. And that's largely because demand is down. And there are concerns that it will fall further as a result of the risk of recession. This is normally what happens when there is a recession, particularly a global recession, there's much less demand for oil, and that gets priced into the cost of purchasing oil.

So, part of the reason oil has gotten cheaper, gas prices have gotten cheaper. It's sort of a good news bad news story is that there's a lot of pessimism about the state of the global economy.

And if gas -- excuse me, if oil gets more expensive, that's only going to put more pressure on the prices that businesses face, that consumers face, which will make those economic challenges even worse going forward.

VAUSE: Here's a statement from the Biden administration. The president is disappointed by the short sighted decision by OPEC Plus to cut production quotas, while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Biden was disappointed that all the criticism and blowback as well for his trip to Saudi and that fist bump greeting with Mohammed bin Salman who Biden called a pariah for ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was actually at the end of the day all for nothing.

You know, sometimes leaders have to do unpleasant things, but usually for a greater good. So did MBS just totally screw Biden in this instance?

RAMPELL: I mean, it's hard to -- it's hard to look back on that moment, favorably. I mean, at the time, I thought it was pretty gross that that Biden went through with this fist bump with MBs, in part because it was my former colleague, Jamal Khashoggi, whom MBS is responsible for the death of and that was part of the reason why Biden was calling him a pariah.

Now, he's cozying up to him, ostensibly with an eye towards bringing down oil prices and helping American consumers and helping Biden's own party in the midterms.

Of course, what was the point? You know, he debased himself, he debased the reputation I think of the United States for not, as you put it, given that MBS turned around, the Saudis turned around and said, actually, we care more about helping Russia in propping oil prices up.

I mean, certainly, it's in the interests of the other OPEC Plus members, including Saudi Arabia to push oil prices up. But let there be no doubt, the big winner here right now is Russia, because it is the higher price of oil that helps sustain Russia's war against Ukraine. It is the higher price of oil that is helping keep Putin in power.

And part of the reason why this cartel decided to do what it could to try to push up prices a little bit more, in part is in response to a decision made by the G7 countries led by the United States to try to form a buyers cartel to push down oil prices for Russia.

So yes, the Saudis and others certainly have a fair amount of self- interest here. They're going to do what's best for their own country. But the big winner, you know, in a -- in a really regrettable way, is Putin is Russia.

VAUSE: And the big losers, obviously now on the receiving end, so are the Ukrainians who now have the prospect of a well-financed, well revenue supplied Russia because of the increase in the cost of oil and gas.

RAMPELL: Yes, certainly. Russians are the winner. American consumer is not going to be happy. Obviously, lots of consumers around the world who purchase gasoline and other petroleum products are not going to be happy.

But by far, the biggest victims are the Ukrainians, upon whom this onslaught from Russia will be able to continue because higher oil prices will help sustain that war effort.

So, you know, not good news on a number of fronts, both economically as well as in a humanitarian like.

VAUSE: Yes, and so, we'll finish up here Catherine, but thank you so much. But yes, I guess the last thing to say is that with friends like these, I guess, when it comes to this.

RAMPELL: Right, yes. That friendship sealed with the fist bump. What is it worth?

VAUSE: Exactly. Good to see you. Thanks so much for being with us.

RAMPELL: Thank you.

VAUSE: Liz Truss's keynote address to the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday was meant to be a moment to shine to turn her prime ministership around to save the party, to make or break moment.

But the tepid response suggest all is not well within her fractured party. Climate activists with Greenpeace briefly disrupted the speech with a banner reading, who voted for this before being escorted out of the hall to a chorus of boos.

[00:25:09]

Truss did managed to tease out some applause as she promoted an aggressive economic agenda trickled down economics, that kind of stuff. Just days after an embarrassing about face on a key part of that plan, here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER: I have three priorities for our economy, growth, growth, and growth.

The fact is that the abolition of the 45p tax rate became a distraction from the major parts of our growth plan. That is why we're no longer proceeding with it. I get it, and I have listened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: But the reality is while the Tories are consumed by tumult, infighting and political navel gazing in the real world, the cost of living continues to skyrocket, and low and middle income earners are the hardest hit with expectations of worse to come.

CNN's Nina dos Santos has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After a disastrous reaction to her government's budget, the pressure is on for Liz Truss to balance Britain's books.

TRUSS: The political debate has been dominated by the argument about how we distribute a limited economic pie.

Instead, we need to grow the pie so that everyone gets a bigger slice.

DOS SANTOS: She's already U-turned on tax cuts for the rich, but with billions more to be saved. Choosing where to trim is politically tricky in a country already facing stark inequality.

At this food bank in South London, staffs say that they're seeing more and more people rely on their services just to meet their everyday needs. This is one of the richest cities in one of the world's biggest economies.

And after years of biting austerity, anemic wage growth and now rampant inflation, there's little tolerance here in places like this with further government spending cuts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot more people come here, a lot more people suffering, but I never ever ever in my life thought they should be move.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm worried. I'm really worried.

DOS SANTOS: Mariana (PH) is among millions of Britons reliant upon benefits to top up their earnings to cover housing costs or to compensate for disabilities that keep them out of work.

A welfare state under pressure from a new P.M. who won't say if such payments will keep pace with soaring prices.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will be difficult for me to manage the situation if I don't get help from the government.

DOS SANTOS: Meanwhile, middle income families could be pushed into poverty too, thanks to rising mortgage costs sent spiraling by the budget itself.

JAMES SMITH, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, RESOLUTION FOUNDATION: We've seen interest rates at the short end rise by about a percentage point since Liz Truss's many budgets. And all that will mean is that the impact of the cost of living crisis will hit those who have middle incomes. And not just those on really low incomes.

DOS SANTOS: The advocacy body's Citizens Advice reckons 53 percent more people now need this type of help versus at the start of the year. And the food bank, they're seeing that trend firsthand.

REBECCA DAY, LIVING WELL BROMLEY: It's not your average homeless guy coming along to a food bank anymore. We are seeing working people come to the food bank. We're seeing people who are getting to the end of the month and they can't manage to pay for their food. We have families that are coming along which we never had before.

DOS SANTOS: As bills increase, locals are also donating less. Food Bank itself has halved the number of bags that it gives to each family.

Do you think that the U.K. government really understands the predicament that some of the people who use your services face?

DAY: No. I mean, it's just been shocking. I'm appalled by the government and their reaction. I would really welcome to invite maybe the prime minister and the chancellor down here because I don't think they get a true picture.

DOS SANTOS: Nina dos Santos, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Burkina Faso has a new president days after the country's second military coup in nine months. Now, protesters are calling for closer ties to Russia? Just ahead.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:31:41]

Fighting is flaring again in Northern Ethiopia, where an airstrike has reportedly killed more than 65 people. According to Tigrayan forces, the strike killed many who had been forced to leave their homes because of the conflict, the so-called internally displaced. At least 70 others were wounded.

Thousands of people have been killed in the past two years of fighting. The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces had agreed to a cease-fire in March. It ended in August. Both sides say they will take part in peace talks planned for this weekend in South Africa.

Well, the West African country of Burkina Faso has a new president after a military coup forced the previous government from power. The new leader will have to deal with a deadly Islamist insurgency and will need to decide on closer ties with Russia.

CNN's Larry Madowo has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Large crowds, cheers of excitement, as the new faces of the ruling junta rolled into Burkina Faso's capital on Sunday.

Emerging through the turret of an armored vehicle was a 34-year-old self-appointed leader, Ibrahim Traore, waving to joyous crowds.

This military takeover is Burkina Faso's second in nine months, after an Islamist insurgency continued to roil the country under the previous ruler, President Paul-Henri Damiba.

Shortly after taking power, Traore spoke with cabinet officials, urging them to move faster.

IBRAHIM TRAORE, BURKINA FASO PRESIDENT (through translator): In Burkina, everything is urgent. Security, defense, health, social action, infrastructure, everything is urgent. We will have to go quickly.

MADOWO (voice-over): Speaking to CNN in neighboring Ghana, professor and author Takyiwaa Manuh said the latest coup hurts the people the most.

TAKYIWAA MANUH, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES: Burkina does more harm to (ph) all great indicators of socioeconomic progress. So this -- this instability is likely to worsen already poor indicators and blight the future.

MADOWO (voice-over): When Traore was welcomed into the capital by supporters, they were waving Russian flags and chanting pro-Russia slogans, rejecting any ties to France.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We call on Russia. Whoever is the president that comes to power now, we can't involve France. We don't want France anymore.

MADOWO (voice-over): Policy expert Comfort Ero told CNN what matters most is dealing with Burkina Faso's fragile government.

DR. COMFORT ERO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CRISIS GROUP: -- deal with the fragile situation of the country, the collapse of governments, the collapse of social fabric in the country, no external force is going to be in a position to wrestle this situation.

MADOWO (voice-over): The Sahara region has suffered from the threat of Jihadists violence in recent years. Manuh thinks France's mismanagement of its former colonies has laid the foundations for other alternatives to enter.

MANUH: The French neo-colonialism has been -- long been a problem in the sub-region. And the current attitudes towards France in those countries show that, really, this forever domination cannot go on, you know. For us, it's not Russia or France. It's Africa. It's West Africa.

MADOWO (voice-over): Despite the seeming inevitability of foreign influence over local affairs, Ero says the next step for citizens in the region is to support domestic political reform.

[00:35:06]

ERO: In the Sahara, we're seeing seven years of military intervention hasn't led to a reversal. Rather, we're seeing Jihadi forces become more agile, become more robust, because there isn't a clear political strategy in place.

MADOWO (voice-over): Some commentators say Captain (ph) Traore has to watch his back, or he, too, could be overthrown.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Accra, Ghana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Still to come here on CNN, after Australia's biggest data breach, the federal government set to overhaul cybersecurity laws. But what about corporate responsibility? More after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: In the last few hours, the Australian government has proposed changes to that nation's telecommunications regulations, in the wake of the biggest data breach in the country's history, directly and indirectly impacting 10 million people.

Just over a week ago, Australia's second biggest telecom, Optus, was hacked. Sensitive customer information was stolen.

These new changes are only giving enhanced safeguards, as well as monitoring to help those affected in this cyberattack. But the Optus hack is just one in a series of data breaches.

Fergus Hanson is director of the International Cyber Policy Center at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. He's with us this hour from Canberra.

Fergus, thanks for being with us.

FERGUS HANSON, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CYBER POLICY CENTER, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Thanks for having me along.

VAUSE: OK. So as expected, a raft of new laws, aimed at protecting customers are on the way. The focus seems to be on data sharing among companies and government departments. So in a practical sense, what will change? What will Australians be doing differently when they log in? How effective do you expect this to be?

HANSON: Well, what we're looking at in the first phase of reforms is am easier mechanism for companies that are subjected to a data breach to share some customer information with other entities like banks or it's called Services of Australia here, which is essentially the agency that does a lot of our transfer payments to citizens.

So sharing data with those types of entities, so they can help prevent fraud, identity fraud, essentially.

But I think that's really only the start of the process here. We're going to be looking at, I think, potentially fines for companies that are subject to data breaches and potentially other remedies like action around ransomware, for example.

VAUSE: Just after this cyberattack on Optus, I want you to listen to how the CEO of Optus described the breach. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY BAYER ROSMANN, CEO, OPTUS: This particular one is not similar to anything we've seen before, and unfortunately, was successful. And we are looking into it really strongly with the help of the authorities to make sure we understand fully what has transpired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, we had now to kind of understand what actually transpired. So the details have come out that Optus was unwittingly sort of leaving the equivalent of a back door open to its network, which allowed the hackers to just walk in.

It was by (ph) an application programming interface, which was open to pretty much anyone who knew what to look for. It wasn't even password protected.

[00:40:04]

So to imply this was a never-before-seen, unprecedented hack no one saw coming seems disingenuous, to say the least. Optus has a responsibility here, right?

HANSON: Yes, it's one way to say that it's something you haven't seen before, if you've just let all the doors open. So in that sense, maybe it was unique and original.

But I think the issue we've got here is, you know -- is a bit of back and forth about what actually happened. The company, you know, disputes that it was that simple. The government has pushed back against that and said that it wasn't a sophisticated attack, and that Optus has got a lot of -- a lot of blame in this situation to bear.

I think, if we take the government's view, which I think is probably the one we should be looking at on -- in this case, Optus hasn't done the right thing by its customers. It hasn't taken the right precautions, and it's resulted in a huge data breach. About half the Australian adult population has potentially been

impacted by this. And not just in a minor way. In some cases, you know, pretty significant amount of data being leaked.

VAUSE: Yes. And it seems last week, we talked about the government sort of looking at Optus and saying, Hey, you've got a stake in this you've got to take some of the blame.

In the Parliament, they're demanding accountability. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN JONES, AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANT TREASURER: Overwhelmingly, this is Optus's mistake. This is Optus's stuff (ph) up. And it's up to Optus to rectify the customers. And it's up to Optus to ensure that any cost arising out of this is compensated by Optus and not by the government or other government and the regulators.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: You mentioned in the laws which are yet to come, or really the legislation, which is yet to be put out there, there will be sort of fines for corporations. Because these new cyber laws right now, they don't see to address the issue of corporate responsibility to customers after a breach like this.

HANSON: Well, that's right. We haven't yet seen any, you know, concrete examples of what the government is thinking of when it comes to fining companies, or potentially fining them.

One of the challenges you've got here is the cost to government entities that might have to provide new identity documents like driver's licenses or passports.

At the moment, that's borne either by the individual customers who are impacted, or the government is pressured into it by the government departments.

But you've also got the cost to consumers. So it's a huge amount of effort for individuals to go about changing their driver's license, passports, other details.

And it's also -- it's a heartache that involved in this identity fraud. And we're talking about, you know, half the population here. So it's a large number of people.

So I think there's two issues here. One is the cost of replacing documents, but also the cost to customers who are impacted for their pain that they have to go through.

VAUSE: Yes. Fergus, thank you. We're out of time. But I guess at the end of the day, someone has to take responsibility when they leave the backdoor open.

HANSON: Yes, I think you're 100 percent right on that.

VAUSE: Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

HANSON: Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: A new study indicates that the climate crisis made this summer's brutal drought across the Northern hemisphere 20 times more likely.

The analysis also found that the soaring temperatures and drought that killed tens of thousands of people across Europe and China would have been virtually impossible -- virtually impossible -- without climate change.

Well, the study also has described the drought's impact, saying, "In Europe, drought conditions led to reduced harvests, at a time when global food prices were already extremely high, due to the war in Ukraine."

Stating the obvious.

I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, we have WORLD SPORT, which starts after a very short break. Hope to see you soon.

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