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United States Soldier In North Korean Custody After Crossing Border; Trump Says He's A Target In Election Aftermath Probe; World Leaders Denounce Russia Grain Decision. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 19, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:30]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.

Willfully and without authorization. That's how the Pentagon explained an American soldiers highly unusual entry into North Korea. And now, the question officials are trying to answer is why?

Zeroing in on Donald Trump? The former president likely facing new criminal charges over his efforts to overturn the 2020 elections. We'll discuss Trump's mounting legal battles ahead.

And a power play that puts millions at risk. Russia's withdrawal from the Ukraine Grain Deal threatens food security for the world's most vulnerable nations.

Now, global powers are working to secure a plan B.

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ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM WITH ROSEMARIE CHURCH.

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CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

Well, a U.S. soldier is believed to be in North Korean custody after entering the demilitarized zone, and "willfully" running across the border.

Private Travis King was in trouble with the U.S. Army and had faced disciplinary action for assault. He was supposed to be sent back to the U.S.

But according to officials, after his military escort left the airport, he left too. King then went on a civilian tour of the DMZ's joint security area, and dashed over the military demarcation line into North Korean territory.

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WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER UNITED STATES DEFENSE SECRETARY: It tells you how desperate he must be to seek accountability for his actions by avoiding it and going into the ones -- one of the most hermetically sealed countries in the world. To try to escape from the United States authorities into North Korea.

That's quite a bold and I think bizarre action on his part to think he would find freedom from authority in North Korea as opposed to being accountable here in the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. officials say, so far, there is no indication King is a North Korean sympathizer or that he was trying to defect.

But this incident comes at a very tense time with the North firing of another two ballistic missiles just hours ago.

And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is covering this live from Hong Kong. She joins us now. Good to see you, Kristie.

So, what more are you learning about this U.S. soldier, on how he crossed into North Korea? And what efforts are underway to resolve this?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, the incident happened on Tuesday. This U.S. soldier broke away from a tour group, and then crossed into North Korea willfully and without authorization.

The U.N. Command, the U.S. lead group says it's working with the North Korean military to resolve this. And separately, earlier today, North Korea fired two short range ballistic missiles. So, tension is high.

Now, we are learning more about the soldier he is Army Private Travis King. He was not in uniform when he voluntarily crossed into North Korea. He spent some 50 days in a detention facility in South Korea for assault, involving at least one South Korean national and King was facing disciplinary action by the U.S. military.

He was set to be separated from the U.S. Army, and a U.S. official told CNN this. That King was being escorted to the airport in South Korea to return to go back to the U.S. but because the escorts could not go through customs with him, King was able to leave the airport. And King later cross into North Korea during a tour of what's called the Joint Security Area or JSA.

Now, let's bring it up for you. I want to show you footage of the JSA. This is located inside the DMZ, the highly fortified border separating the two Koreas. The tour is organized by the U.N. Command and it is open to the public. Now, while there are checkpoints to get to the JSA, the actual border between North and South Korea is only a small raise line on the ground. And I'm going to show you these photos.

You may recall when the former U.S. President Donald Trump met with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the JSA in June of 2019, they stepped across that very line located underneath the banner on your screen.

Now, during a JSA tour, participants are kept about 20 yards away from the line.

[02:05:01]

There were no guards on the South Korean side of the border.

And when CNN took the tour last year, no guards were seen on the North Korean side.

The border crossing incident, it comes at a time of high tension on the Korean Peninsula. This year, North Korea's fired around a dozen missiles, including long range ICBMs.

And earlier today, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the waters off its east coast. That happened hours after a U.S. ballistic missile submarine docked in South Korea for the first time in decades.

And now, North Korea has a U.S. soldier in its custody. Back to you.

CHURCH: And Kristie what has happened in the past, to other U.S. nationals held by North Korea and what will likely happen to this U.S. soldier, do you think?

LU STOUT: You know in 2018, a U.S. national named Bruce Byron Lowrance was detained for a month after he made an unauthorized crossing into North Korea from China.

Again, that happened in 2018. And two years before, in 2016, that was when the American student Otto Warmbier was arrested for allegedly stealing a North Korean propaganda banner in his hotel in North Korea. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A year later he fell into a coma, was released, sent back to the U.S. and died shortly after. And shortly after that incident involving the student, the U.S. state department issued a travel advisory banning U.S. Nationals -- banning American citizens from entering North Korea.

As to what could happen next is absolutely unclear, Rosemary. Because there is no talking going on. No talks have taken place in recent years between North Korea and the United States and its allies. There was a period of a brief thaw under the Trump administration.

But since then, North Korea has plunged itself into isolation and nothing has been able to change its behavior, whether it was decades of sanctions, whether it's shows of power like we've seen with this visit by the submarine. It's unclear what can be done to resolve this incident. Back to you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And, of course, we still don't know why this U.N. soldier crossed into North Korea. Kristie Lu Stout, joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.

LU STOUT: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, Donald Trump could soon be indicted for a third time this year. The former U.S. president says he has been informed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, that he's a target of the criminal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The grand jury continues to hear from witnesses including a close Trump advisor who is expected to appear on Thursday.

Trump's legal team has not formally responded to the letter inviting the former president to testify, but it's largely expected he will decline to do so.

More now from CNN, Katelyn Polantz in Washington.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Former President Donald Trump received a clear sign from justice department prosecutors that he is very likely to be indicted in the January 6th, 2020 election investigation. A criminal investigation that's been led out of Washington, D.C. by the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith.

And Trump believes that he may be indicted here. That he may be arrested because he was told on Sunday in a letter to his lawyers from the justice department, from Smith's prosecutors that he is the target of this investigation.

We don't at this time know of anyone else who has been identified as a target or at least told by prosecutors that they are likely to be charged. But this is the sort of signal that the justice department gives at the end of an investigation, and this has been a sprawling probe from the justice department, from the Special Counsel. It is separate from the documents case that Donald Trump has already been charged in, in Florida.

And this is an investigation that has looked at knowledge that Donald Trump had that he lost the election. It's looked at what was said inside the White House on crucial dates after the 2020 election in a late-night meeting on December 18th, where supporters of his were throwing out outlandish ideas that he could use his powers of the presidency to overturn the election.

It's also looked at testimony from Vice President Mike Pence, who was serving alongside Trump at the time and was pressured to block the election results.

It's also looked at threats, intimidation and outreach that various people, including from Trump himself have made in battleground states, seven different battleground states. And there have been officials that CNN has confirmed, in each of the seven battleground states that Donald Trump lost and in which he tried to overturn the election, they have spoken to investigators. That's Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada.

And so, this investigation is at a point where charges are very likely in the coming days or weeks. Donald Trump is very likely to be charged. We don't know if others are. We haven't found other target letters out there that others have confirmed receiving.

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But this is an investigation that while the justice department is not commenting publicly, their target letter to Donald Trump on Sunday speaks volumes about the work of their grand jury, which still is expected to meet as soon again as Thursday.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Joining me now from Los Angeles is Areva Martin. She is a civil rights attorney and Legal Affairs commentator. Good to have you with us.

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, former President Donald Trump says he is a target and the special counsel's election interference probe, and he expects to be indicted.

How significant is this? And how will it likely play out legally do you think?

MARTIN: Well, it's incredibly significant. We have known all along since the January 6 congressional hearings, where the Congress laid out in pretty compelling details, the efforts that Donald Trump made to obstruct an official congressional act, i.e., the act of the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election.

We knew based on the witnesses that testified during that hearing, based on a lot of the documentary evidence that was presented during the congressional hearings, and the referral to the department of justice for criminal investigation and charges that were made by that investigatory body that these charges were likely to come.

And once the Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed by the attorney general, it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump would have to face criminal charges and be held accountable for his actions related to the insurrection and efforts to overturn the legitimate election of Joe Biden as president.

CHURCH: And Donald Trump responded to all of this by calling Special Counsel Jack Smith derange and accusing President Biden of weaponizing, the DOJ against him in an effort to win the 2024 presidential election.

What do you say to attacks like that? MARTIN: We say this is right out of Donald Trump's playbook, whenever he is held accountable, or efforts are made to hold him accountable. Rather than address the merits, he always attacks. He attacks the character, he attacks the process, he attacks, you know, anyone that dare, try to hold him accountable.

So, his comments about Jack Smith, his comments about the Department of Justice somehow being weaponized. They're all meritless. They are all just efforts on the part of Donald Trump to deflect from his real conduct is very serious. What we now know to be criminal conduct.

We know that Merrick Garland is not in charge of -- has not been involved in the investigation of the January 6th insurrection. He removed himself from that process, he walled himself off purposely so that he would not be subjected to these kinds of political attacks by Donald Trump and his allies.

Jack Smith does not serve at the pleasure of the president in the way that Merrick Garland does. So, I think we can dismiss these comments as just pure deflection and efforts by Donald Trump to gain points or curry points with his base. But they do not go to the heart of these very serious charges.

CHURCH: Yes, because at the same time, Trump is using this for sympathy to raise money through his campaign fundraising efforts. And that appears to be working for him, doesn't it?

MARTIN: It appears to be working, but we should know, Rosemary that it is a possibility that Trump will face criminal charges with respect to how he has fund raised on the big lie.

We know that he has used the mail to send out fundraising request all again promoting the big lie that somehow the election was rigged or somehow that Joe Biden didn't win, and that he was the true winner of the 2020 election.

So, there may actually be criminal charges, mail fraud, and other kinds of fraudulent charges based on the fundraising that Trump continues to do with respect to the big lie.

CHURCH: And Areva, Trump's legal woes don't end there. Of course, with additional charges likely relating to other investigations into his actions, Judge Aileen Cannon is signaling that she will side with Trump on the timing of his classified documents trial. Apparently, she's open to delaying that trial just as his side wants.

What could all this potentially mean, do you think for Trump, legally when it comes to the GOP primaries and ultimately, the November 2024 presidential election?

MARTIN: Well, what it means Rosemary is that the Republican Party is going to have to decide. Does it want to nominate someone to be its candidate for president that is twice impeach and likely to be thrice if not thrice times, two, indicted, both in federal court and state courts.

[02:15:04]

Particularly we now know that he's indicted in the State of New York by the New York Manhattan district attorney.

And what does that say about the GOP party? The party that is supposed to be the law-and-order party, if it puts forth a candidate facing the kind of legal jeopardy that Donald Trump is facing, and as you've indicated, this one in with a potential indictment over January 6th, there is the indictment in Georgia. The potential indictment by that district attorney.

That district attorney has indicated that we should expect something early August. He still has a civil case pending with E. Jean Carroll. We know the woman has already won $5 million against him in a civil suit.

There's a Leticia James civil lawsuit going forward in New York. So, literally, Donald Trump could be facing five or six criminal and civil trials by the time we get to the election next year.

And I'm just not convinced that despite the wave of MAGA bases supporting him today, that, that base is going to stick with him as more and more evidence becomes available with respect to the multiple criminal enterprises that he is likely to be charged with.

CHURCH: Areva Martin, appreciate your analysis. Thanks for joining us.

MARTIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the Israeli president to the White House, amid tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

Plus, Ukraine says its air defense systems are repelling attacks. As Russia bombard the city of Odesa with missiles.

We'll have more dramatic footage of the airstrikes. Next.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, Ukraine is fighting off Russian air assaults on the southern port city of Odesa for the second night in a row.

Ukrainian military officials say their air defense systems have intercepted and destroyed a number of cruise missiles in what appears to be an ongoing assault.

Moscow says it's in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on the Kerch Bridge. Ukrainian officials say they are also rappelling missile attacks on the capital city Kyiv.

And on the front lines Ukrainian military leaders are urging patients from those expecting a quick counter offensive. They say Ukrainian forces are making progress as they create conditions for advancing further in the South. Clare Sebastian joins me now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So, what is the latest on those strikes in Odesa and what are you learning about missile attacks also being repelled in Kyiv?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary. We just had an update from the Ukrainian Air Force. They are saying that this was an attack by Russia, involving 31 cruise missiles and 32 showerhead attack drones launched from sea, air, and land.

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So, it appears to be a bigger attack than we saw on the previous night.

They are saying the focus was Odesa, that it was critical infrastructure and military facilities. And they're saying that they shut down the majority, though not all of those missiles and drones.

As for the Kyiv region, the head of the city military administration, they are saying that they were attacked by drones, that the air raid alert lasted almost all night.

But they are, at the moment, saying that there's no evidence of falling fragments of those drones or any casualties.

So, it appears that the air defenses have been, again, relatively effective. We although hearing of a separate incident this morning on the Crimean Peninsula, the Russian installed head of that region, saying that they've evacuated some 2,000 people from four settlements after a fire broke out at a military training ground in the east of the peninsula.

They've also closed a section of highway there, they're not as of yet saying what the cause of that is. And they are saying there are no casualties.

But don't forget Crimea. The Russian installed authorities, they are also saying they repelled on Tuesday a Ukrainian attack using more than two dozen drones.

So, that appears to be an area where another incident has happened today in terms of Russian retaliation. The context being of course, that Russia, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that, that previous night, of overnight attacks, was a retaliation.

Then, the Kremlin said that they were preparing more proposals for retaliation. So, we may be seeing the continuation of that. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us there.

Well, fears of food shortages and global economic instability echoed among world leaders Tuesday, after Russia cancelled the Black Sea Grain Deal. That accord enables ships to safely carry Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, where it could be shipped around the world.

Some of it has gone to poor and food challenge countries that now could see increasing hunger and unaffordable prices.

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ELINA VALTONEN, FINNISH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: It's indeed a very, very, very deplorable decision by Russia since it increases food insecurity around the world, and weakens the position of people having hunger in their lives significantly.

We just have to find them alternative ways to be able to get the grain out of Ukraine, and on to the markets, and to those people most in need.

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CHURCH: And Ukraine's president is echoing that concern adding the Russia's unilateral decision will affect many countries that buy Ukrainian wheat, including Egypt and China.

He says it could lead to political instability and mass migrations in Africa and Asia.

Meantime, Russia's U.N. ambassador in Geneva says Moscow would return to the deal if its demands are met. He says financial and other sanctions are restricting Russia's ability to export its agricultural products, and it wants those sanctions dropped.

Well, I'm joined now by Simon Evenett. He is a professor of International Trade and Economic Development at the University of St. Gallen, in Switzerland.

Thank you so much for being with us.

SIMON EVENETT, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, the international community is condemning Russia's decision to pull out of the Black Sea Grain Deal. Moscow is saying it will only return to the deal if its demands are met. What are some possible solutions to this problem?

How can Ukraine export its grain without Russia's participation? What are some options?

EVENETT: So, there are essentially two options. One is to ship the grain through into Romania and output ports from there. The difficulty there is that there's not enough rolling stock to get the wheat to the Romanian ports, which are being expanded as we speak.

And then, the second is to ship the wheat through southeastern Europe and then into the Mediterranean ports. Again, that's actually very costly and time consuming.

So, both neither option is particularly ideal. The best option is to get Russia to relent on its decision to withdraw from this agreement. CHURCH: One possible way that could happen, we know, of course, the China has come to rely on Ukraine's grain supplies, as well as many other nations, of course.

So, how likely is it that Beijing will eventually pressure President Putin to get this grain shipment deal back on track, because of its own needs? And, of course, it has the leverage, doesn't it?

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EVENETT: So, China was a received about 8 million tons of wheat under this particular deal, a quarter of the total. And also, China is having a quite serious storms and droughts this year.

And if those droughts turn out to be as significant as people highlight, then, maybe Beijing will be moved to put leverage on to Russia to relent on this.

But I think there's a series of ifs there. It's not clear yet if Beijing is particularly worried about its own food security needs. Please remember, China is the biggest producer of wheat in the world. And so, it really needs this. It needs a lot of wheat, but it's unclear yet whether or not it's desperate enough to put leverage on China or whether or not he wants to be seen to be doing so.

CHURCH: Yes, we will be watching for that. And of course, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says that Russia pulling out of the Grain Deal will inevitably result in a price crisis in the global food market, as well as create food insecurity and political instability. What will the impact likely be if no alternative solution is found to export Ukraine's grain to those nations most in need?

EVENETT: So, there -- so, there will be some developing countries were particularly affected. Those who have imported a lot in the past have included Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and some parts of western Africa.

And so, there will be, in those countries, I think considerable price increases possible political instability, and rioting.

The impact on world markets, however, is likely to be more limited. And that's largely because there are a lot of wheat exporters out there, and many of them actually having bumper harvest this year.

And so, I think it's going to be localized, but still, it's still very significant in the countries which are facing food shortages.

CHURCH: Simon Evenett, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your perspective on this. Appreciate it.

EVENETT: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, the leading candidate to be the next prime minister of Thailand has been suspended from parliament. The Election Commission accuses Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party of violating election laws for holding shares in a media company. He denies any wrongdoing. His party won the most seats in May elections and lawmakers are voting today for the second time in a week on his bed to be prime minister.

The 42-year-old Harvard graduate has pledged to soften the kingdom strict royal defamation laws, a move opposed by the military establishment.

Well, in the coming hours, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. And this comes a day after he met President Joe Biden at the White House in a gesture meant to demonstrate America's commitment to Israel and its security.

Meantime, protests show no signs of letting up in Israel over Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul. Demonstrators blocked highways and train stations Tuesday in an effort to stop the first part of the bill from being voted into law next week.

Kenyan opposition leaders have called for three days of anti- government protests beginning Wednesday.

Schools in Nairobi and two other major cities will be closed amid fears the protests could turn violent. Demonstrators are protesting a slew of unpopular tax hikes the government claims will generate jobs and domestic revenue. Protest turned deadly last week after demonstrators clashed with security forces in areas near Nairobi.

The U.N. says it's concerned about the widespread use of violence by police against protesters.

Well, time for a short break. When we come back, ominous scenes, north of Athens Greece as wildfires darken the horizon. We are live in Rome with the latest on the heatwave in southern Europe.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, soaring temperatures across southern Europe have prompted an E.U. Red Alert. It covers most of Italy, southern Spain, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Montenegro. Rome set a new record high at 41.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and wildfires fueled by the heat wave have spread across Greece and Switzerland. One of the largest is burning north of Athens, 250 firefighters are on the scene.

And southern China is surveying the damage from Typhoon Talim, tens of thousands of people were evacuated ahead of the storm. Now, beaches are closed, and search and rescue operations are underway throughout the region. We'll, CNN's Anna Coren is standing by live in Hong Kong. But first, let's bring in our Barbie Nadeau at the Spanish Steps in Rome. Good to see you both. So, Barbie, let's start with you. What is the latest on conditions there in Rome, where you are? And what more are you learning about the rest of southern Europe, including wildfires north of Athens? BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, you know, here room we had 41.8 yesterday, that's a record -- a record was set last year. So, this is sort of a new normal summers are hot, but there's been a 20 percent increase in emergency room calls due to heat related problems. And, you know, that's where you start to get into the situation that the authorities are most concerned with the effect this has on the people, on the population, on the infrastructure.

Now, these fires in Greece, especially those close to Athens are also very concerning. You can only imagine working those firefighters working under these conditions is extreme heat and protective gear with these hot winds blowing these fires. Now, the European Union has dispatched assets to help Canada, you know, equipment and things like that so that they can help put out these fires, but everyone's concerned about fires.

Here in Italy, in Sardinia, they're especially concerned, there's an alert that on over the weekend, for fires, people are to be very, very vigilant. That's one of the big concerns is that a fire like that can start, you know, accidentally with someone, you know, flicks a cigarette butt or something like that. And authorities are warning people to just stay vigilant in terms of the fires and they're warning people to stay out of the sun, you know. We're looking at high temperatures also today. This is, you know, we're into the second week of this heat wave. And it's taking its toll on a lot of people, especially the elderly, and especially the vulnerable, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, Barbie Nadeau, appreciate that, joining us live from Rome. Let's go to Anna now and Anna, high temperatures across Asia as well, including in China, where U.S. Climate Envoy, John Kerry is wrapping up his trip to Beijing in an effort to find ways to urgently respond to these extreme conditions to global warming. What all has been achieved so far?

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, you know, John Kerry has made some serious inroads on this trip, which we'll wrap up later today. He said that the mood is very, very positive and will talks have been complex. They've also been very constructive. Meeting with China's Vice President Han Zheng, this This morning. Kerry said that climate change is a universal threat that shouldn't be treated as a free- standing challenge.

[02:35:06]

Requiring the efforts of the two largest economies and two largest polluters to help resolve. Han Zheng, China and the U.S. will issue a joint statement, perhaps later today that will send a positive signal to the world. He praised Kerry for his close communication and dialogue with China. Now, as we know, Kerry is not your average diplomat. He was a U.S. Presidential Democratic nominee, U.S. Secretary of State under Barack Obama. He is well liked by Chinese officials.

And in meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and Premier Li Qiang yesterday. You know, they both referred to him as an old friend. Kerry also said, you know, with his meeting this morning, and let me read it to you, "If we can come together over these next months leading up to COP 28, he's referring to the U.N. Climate Summit, which will be the most important since Paris. We will have an opportunity to be able to make a profound difference on this issue."

Now, the Paris reference Rosemary, is that agreement signed back in 2015 to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius of preindustrial temperatures that was later revised to 1.5. On this ship, Kerry has been calling on China to curb expansion of coal plants and reduce its youth use of methane, a greenhouse gas responsible for about 30 percent of global warming. China has always resisted this arguing that it's a developing nation and needs fossil fuels to support its economic growth and developmental overnight.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, he weighed in and let me read to you what he said, "The dual-carbon goal we have committed to is firm and unshakable, but the method and path, the pace and intensity of achieving this goal should and must be determined by ourselves, and never subject to the influence of others." Clearly, that might be a bit of a dig to John Kerry. But as we know China has pledged to level off carbon emission by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. The U.S. is wanting China to adopt more ambitious targets, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, thanks to Anna Coren, joining us live from Hong Kong, appreciate it. Well, making the poultry industry more humane, how a company in Israel plans to introduce new technology in hopes of preventing the killing of billions of male chicks. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: New figures from the U.K. are showing a sharp slowdown in inflation that rate fell to 7.9 percent in June, lower than expected. And down from 8.7 percent a month earlier. Lower fuel and food prices are the main reasons, and it could take some pressure off the Bank of England when it comes to raising interest rates.

Well, a more humane way of hatching chicks could be headed to the poultry industry. An Israeli company says it's developed gene editing technology that could prevent the killing of billions of male chicks. CNN's Anna Stewart explains.

[02:40:18]

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ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): It's a girl. Well, in this laboratory, the males will not be coming out of their shells, only female chicks hatch here. Females are preferred for their taste, egg laying ability and economic value. So, the poultry industry kills billions of male chicks every year. Through what many consider to be inhumane culling methods banned in Germany and France. But technology is poised to end the cruelty.

YUVAL CINNAMON, CSO, POULTRY BY HUMINN: So, what we're trying to do is to give a solution to the probably most devastating animal welfare issue worldwide, which is the culling and sorting of the old male chicks in the layers industry.

STEWART (voiceover): How do they do it? Gene editing. They alter the DNA of hens, so only female chicks hatch in the first place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The males stopped developing very early upon induction, very early in embryogenesis. Meaning that they are not fully developed to fall into a chicken, they don't hatch.

STEWART (voiceover): They do this by exposing the gene edited eggs to blue light. This activates a kill switch that affects only male chick embryos.

CINNAMON: We were able to confirm that indeed the eggs which carry the genetic trait, namely the male embryos. They indeed stopped developing at a very early stage of embryogenesis, while the unmodified female layers normally hatch in become a lame, a chicken.

STEWART (voiceover): The global demand for eggs is expected to increase until 2035, according to Huminn. Putting millions more male chicks on the line. A fate this lab hopes to prevent by 2025 when they go to market with their technology. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church, "WORLD SPORT" is coming up next. Then, I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more CNN NEWSROOM. Do stick around.

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