Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Deadly Shooting Hangs over World Cup Opening Day; Russia Fires Missiles at Southern Ukrainian Cities; Why this Year's Women's World Cup is Groundbreaking; Cuban Entrepreneurs get a Crash Course in Business. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired July 20, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN "Newsroom". I'm Christina Macfarlane live in London in for Max Foster today. Just ahead, terrible damage in Odesa after a third straight night of Russian missile strikes in the Ukrainian port city. We're live on the ground with more on why this city is being targeted.

Then angry scenes in Baghdad as protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy there will tell you what sparked the unrest. And the Women's World Cup has kicked off I'll speak with a Former star player about why this year's tournament is already unlike any other?

On a day when New Zealand was supposed to be celebrating perhaps its most important moment on sports world stage, the country is instead reeling in shock over gun violence. A man with a shotgun opens fire at a construction site in downtown, Auckland Thursday, just hours before the opening match of the Women's World Cup.

He killed two people and injured several others the gunman was also found dead. Gun violence is rare in New Zealand especially since a 2019 mass shooting led to much stricter gun laws. CNN's Angus Watson has been tracking the story joins us now. And Angus I know play has been well underway on the opening day of the World Cup despite this incident this morning.

But tell us more of what actually occurred during this gun attack and how much that has been overshadowing events today?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Christina, both games today New Zealand versus Norway earlier and Australia versus the Republic of Ireland that's just finishing now those games began with a moment of silence. For the two people killed and the several others injured in this horrific mass shooting event in Auckland in downtown areas of the city where several teams are staying.

I might add a lone gunman entered his place of work a construction site with a shotgun firing as he moved his way through the levels of this construction site killing two and injuring several. One of those people injured was a police officer police were commended for their bravery arriving at the scene just moments after the man started firing.

Incidentally, in the end, that man was shot and was killed. Found at the bottom of an elevator shaft with a bullet where now team U.S.A. was one of the teams that were in the area at the time. And they gave a press conference in which they mentioned they were asked about the tragedy of gun violence. Take a listen to what player Lynn Williams had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN WILLIAMS, U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD CUP TEAM: -- like in the U.S., we've dealt with this far too many times. But there was definitely a sense of like, let's come together. We still have a job to do, but also recognizing that there were lives lost and that is very real and very devastating. So we were just thankful that we were safe, that the first responders came in and everything was very quick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, the New Zealand authorities this morning very clear that this incident was not a national security, one with national security implications. It was not a terrorist attack or ideologically motivated, unlike, of course, the memory of 2019 still fresh for New Zealanders when a white supremacist terrorist targeted two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people.

This time, the gunman is thought to have acted alone. And the games went ahead, Christina, but of course with this dark cloud over them. Let's hope that the tournament can get ahead soon some and we can go ahead with enjoying the football instead, Christina.

MACFARLANE: Yes, just focusing on the football on the pitch. Angus Watson, there live from Sydney. Thanks so much, Angus. Now he was going so fast. That's according to a woman who was there at the Korean Demilitarized Zone when an American soldier bolted into one of the world's most hostile countries.

Now U.S. authorities are trying to piece together what might have motivated private Travis King. CNN's Will Ripley is near the DMZ with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Korean DMZ the demilitarized zone is one of the most heavily fortified border areas in the world. That's the reason why you have barricades and spike strips and all of these military checkpoints to prevent people from being able to go in or come out. There's a reason why this road has tank traps.

Basically, if tanks were to come rolling down, they would blow up to stop an invasion from the north to the south. And the North has similar booby traps set up as well. So obviously, it's a highly secured area.

[08:05:00] How did this U.S. Army private just run across? Well, we're learning that on Monday at Incheon Airport about 90 minutes' drive from where I'm standing right now. He was supposed to get on an American Airlines flight to Dallas but he told after going through all of the procedures, all the security right at the gate to the plane, he claimed that he had lost his passport.

And was escorted back outside of the airport somehow made his way here on Tuesday where he was able to board, get on a tour, he had booked a tour. It was apparently the passenger manifest was approved by the United Nations Command. And he along with about 40 other people took a bus down this road over this unification bridge.

And less than five miles that way is the Joint Security Area where he was able to basically according to others, who were on the tour with him run across ignoring the calls of guards and get into a North Korean van where he was whisked away now where he is now after being in North Korean custody for Wednesday.

And now Thursday, still an open question because the North Koreans have not released any information publicly. And it may be quite some time before we officially know anything about his soldiers, whereabouts or when he might have a chance of getting back to the U.S., Will Ripley CNN in South Korea near the DMZ.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Paula Hancocks has covered the careers for years and joins me here now. Good to see you, Paula. I mean, Will was reporting there about five miles I think from the demarcation line where you have been many, many times and you know what he was explaining the events that might have played out as to why this man bolted across that line.

But I just want to get your read on you are having been there. What you think might have occurred, how it might have happened? And of course, what might be happening to this soldier, you know, right now in North Korean custody?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, this raises a lot of very uncomfortable questions for the U.N. Command, for example, for the soldiers that were there, watching this tour and making sure that nothing untoward happened because when you go on these tours, whether it's a military sponsored tour, or whether it's one of the commercial tours.

You have South Korean soldiers who are stationed just by the border, they have their back to North Korea, and they're watching you. That is their job to make sure that you don't do anything that could cause any kind of an incident. So the fact that this individual was able to make a run for it is really quite remarkable.

Now, as we've seen, it is a very short border, you can just step over the border as we have seen President Trump and also the Former South Korean President Moon Jae-In doing in the past. But once he is beyond that border, there is nothing that the U.S. soldiers and the South Korean soldiers can do. That is where their jurisdiction ends. Now, in the past what we have seen, for example, when there was a North Korean soldier back in 2017, who ran across into South Korea, he was shot multiple times by his own soldiers, so and he was hit five times. But he did survive that encounter.

There are no guns at Panmunjom anymore. That was a deal made back in 2018. So there is no way of the U.S. and South Koreans stopping him from getting across once he has actually made that decision. Now, of course, what's happened to him now is a very interesting question we understand from eyewitnesses and from U.S. official speaking to us.

He was bundled into a van and driven off. The North Koreans haven't acknowledged this. They haven't mentioned anything about this. They haven't even said that they have him. Of course they do, because there's nowhere else he could be. But I suspect they are trying to figure out what to do at this point.

They are trying to figure out if they can debrief him if he is useful to them if you can give intelligence and as he was quite a low ranking soldier and haven't been there very long. I suspect he won't be able to and then they have to decide what to do.

MACFARLANE: Very difficult to resolve this as well when there are no diplomatic ties really between the United States and North Korea. Its great context, Paula, thanks very much. All right, Russia is dramatically intensifying attacks on Ukraine southern region.

For the third night in a row, the port city of Odesa came under relentless bombardment resulting in enormous destruction. Authorities say at least one person was killed. The nearby port city of Mykolaiv was also pummeled with drones and missile strikes. The Kremlin says the strikes in Odesa are in retaliation for Monday's Crimea Bridge attacks. CNN's Alex Marquardt reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This city has never seen anything like this since the beginning of this war. I can't overstate the terror that the citizens of this city have had to experience over not one but the last three nights and it is no mistake that Odesa is home to Ukraine's most famous port. I want to show you some of the destruction from last night.

This is an administrative building. It looks like it was around four storeys high. You can see it has completely collapsed. We are told this is still a search and rescue operation. We know that at least one young man was killed there were several people who were injured.

[08:10:00]

You can see those firefighters trying to put out the fires in this building are both in from among the rubble and up on that ladder up there. There are firefighters, there are rescue workers, and there are volunteers and residents of this neighborhood who are just trying to make sense of what we experienced last night. We are on the edge of the port, the one of the biggest port in Ukraine, which we can't show you for security reasons. But that is almost certainly why according to Ukrainian authorities. Russia has been carrying out the strikes on Ukraine now this attack started just before 2 am local time.

It was a combination of drones and missiles. We could hear those drones very, very clearly buzzing the rooftops in downtown Odesa. I want to play you some of the video that sorry, we're going to get out of the way these this water. I want to play you some of the video shot by photojournalist Scott McWhinney of one of the explosions of the missiles here in Odesa last night. Take a listen.

That is the kind of thing that we heard for an hour and a half now it was not just Odesa that was hit. It was also Mykolaiv, which is another southern port city there 19 people were wounded. This was an incredibly sophisticated attack almost 40 drones and missiles, most of the missiles got through.

Russia used long range strategic bombers, supersonic bombers they use for different kinds of cruise missiles. They use those Iranian Kamikaze drones just the symbolism of what they use is sending a very large message to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy has said it is very clearly Russia trying to target the grain infrastructure just a few days after Russia pulled out of that critical Grain Deal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Alex Marquardt, there in Ukraine. Now Sweden says its embassy staff in Iraq is all safe after a huge crowd stormed U.S. Embassy in Baghdad setting on fire. They're angry over the Swedish government's decision to allow a protest outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm today.

There are reports organizers their plan to burn the Koran. It comes weeks after alone man set fire to pages of the Quran outside Stockholm's main mosque. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is striking the story and joins us now. And Salma, attentions over this are escalating by the hour and we are just getting reports that the Swedish Ambassador has now reportedly been asked to leave the country.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, so just getting this information right now that the charge d'Affaires from the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm has been recalled. And the Swedish Ambassador asked to leave the country. Iraq says the Iraqi Prime Minister rather says that this is in response to the Swedish government repeatedly permitting the burning of the Holy Quran and insulting Islamic sanctities.

Now the demonstration that is in question here is underway. I must emphasize this is a single individual, one lone man carrying out this demonstration in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm, but it begins to show you just of course, these ripple effects, how controversial, how inflammatory his arcs are.

Now this one man which I have to mention, he is himself an Iraqi he moved to Sweden about five years ago. His name is Salman Momika, he had engaged in the burning of pages of the Quran just about a month ago that caused widespread condemnation. It even threatened at one point of Sweden's bid to join NATO when Turkey stepped in with its discontent.

That leader of course, went ahead but that lone individual is yet again right now outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm. He has a live stream going last day look some 55,000 people were watching and we've already seen the repercussions of today's event last night.

I know we have images to show you have hundreds of protesters storming the Embassy of Sweden in Baghdad. These were followers of Moqtada al- Sadr, of course, the very prominent Shia cleric in Iraq who spoke about these acts as being highly offensive who blamed Swedish police who said that there must be a response.

But right now, I think many eyes are on that live stream to see what takes place. Swedish police have emphasized rather that they have given permission for a demonstration, but they don't give specific permissions for the happenings within that demonstration. So unclear what will take place but again, a lot of eyeballs on that live stream and a lot of concern about the response to one lone individual's actions in Stockholm today?

MACFARLANE: Yes, incredible and important story for us to continue tracking as well as Salma Abdelaziz, thanks very much. Now the FIFA Women's World Cup has officially kicked off in New Zealand and Australia. And after the break, I'll be joined by a legend of football to take a closer look at why this year's edition is record breaking.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:00]

MACFARLANE: Welcome back, the ninth edition at the FIFA Women's World Cup has officially kicked off and it's already groundbreaking for a variety of reasons. For the first time since the tournament began in 1991. The games will be spread across two countries Australia and New Zealand.

Almost 1.4 million tickets have already been sold and 2 billion people are expected to tune in to watch the tournament. FIFA has said that this World Cup is on track to be the most attended women's sporting event in history. The prize money is also breaking records, but it still falls far short of what the men get and is a long way from achieving parity.

The total prize money at this year's tournament will be $110 million, which is only a quarter of the 440 million prize pool at last year's Men's World Cup in Qatar. And my next guest has also broken records. Michelle Akers is the all-time highest scorer in the Women's World Cup.

A gold medalist and one of the first players to push for equal pay in football. She joins me now live from Orlando, Florida. Michelle, it is a pleasure to speak to a legend on the opening day of the World Cup. Welcome.

MICHELLE AKERS, FORMER PLAYER OF U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: Thank you for having me.

MACFARLANE: Yes. So listen, I know you played in the very first World Cup back in 1991 in China, when times were very different, certainly not 2 billion people tuning in for a World Cup then obviously not as much funding sponsorship deals. When you hear about how this tournament now is breaking records? How does it make you feel?

AKERS: Oh, incredibly proud, excited for the game. And you know this World Cup is it's a celebration of how far the game has come. You talked about the prize money now even though it's a quarter of what the men get in that first World Cup, which the U.S. won in 1991.

There was zero prize money and we had no salary. So the distance we have come and so far, right now, but we have further to go.

MACFARLANE: Yes, for sure. I wonder on that pay disparity, what you make of the argument we so often hear, I think, in football, which seems to persist as a justification for this disparity, which is that women's football is just not at the same level of men's football. I mean, what would you say to that now?

AKERS: I would say let's meet the demand in the women's game. People want to be at the games, they want to watch it. They want the jerseys, there's a huge and vast amount of want from the world, from the audience from the spectators and it's just not being met yet. So let's meet that demand and then equal pay, equal everything should be there.

[08:20:00]

MACFARLANE: Yes, I know that you will one of the first to push for equal pay back. I think it was the 96 Olympics and at that time you and your teammates solicited the help of Billie Jean King. I'm curious to hear what was that partnership like? How did she help?

AKERS: Wow, Billie Jean King, what a force! Yes, that 1996 team we were headed towards the Olympics and went on strike for not equal pay. We just wanted more facilities, massage therapists and babysitters for kids. So we weren't asking for all that much.

But we had to go on strike just for that Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation came on board and she is a giant and we had her support and I've never felt more powerful in my life than standing in that group of women with Billie Jean King leading the way.

MACFARLANE: And I'm sure, Michelle that you make other feel powerful now with the steps that you took way back then. And as I mentioned, you are still the all-time highest scorer in the Women's World Cup. We're waiting to see if those 10 goals are breaking in this next month.

Unfortunately, I have to leave it there, Michelle, but really appreciate you coming on and speaking to us pleasure.

AKERS: Thank you -- .

MACFARLANE: All right, coming up exercising their right to own a business will take you to a boot camp in Cuba where the U.S. government is giving budding entrepreneurs a lesson in capitalism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MACFARLANE: Now for a long time, capitalism was a dirty word in Cuba. Now budding entrepreneurs have more freedom to go into business for themselves, but no place to learn the ABCs of business. Our Patrick Oppmann reports they're now getting a crash course courtesy of the U.S. government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A business seminar and hotel meeting room may not seem that groundbreaking, but not long ago in Cuba world capitalism used to be outlawed, it would have been impossible to imagine. All the more so since the man teaching this business boot camps organized by the U.S. Embassy in Havana is Cuban American development expert Gustavo Arnavat.

He left the island as a young boy to flee Fidel Castro's revolution. He's been invited by the U.S. government to share his knowledge with Cuba's trailblazing entrepreneurs.

GUSTAVO ARNAVAT, BUSINESS SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR: What they need is, they need capital, they need an idea, they need persistence, and they need to really work through very difficult times. Every entrepreneur is going to have good days and bad days. Some bad days are going to be extremely challenging. They're probably going to you know, give up, again, no different any other country, but here's particularly difficult.

OPPMANN (voice over): Particularly difficult because for decades following the 1959 revolution, all private enterprise was banned in Cuba. Cubans were required to work for the state, then following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Official prohibitions on self-employment slowly began to ease.

[08:25:00]

OPPMANN (on camera): The first entrepreneurs in a generation here face a unique problem. There are no businesses schools, scarce knowledge that can be passed down about self-employment. Cuba's budding capitalists have had to learn by doing.

OPPMANN (voice over): Juan Carlos Blaine is turned a side business selling hamburgers into a restaurant franchise, a small supermarket and logistics company. Altogether, he says he employs more than 60 people attending the business boot camp, he says helped him to identify areas of future growth.

We've done courses on E-commerce marketing, risk capital private financing, he says. They're very current things very modern and things that we can use a lot. Even though the U.S. government says it wants to help Cuban entrepreneurs, U.S. economic sanctions intended to impact the Cuban government also hurt business people here.

Making it all but impossible for them to access the U.S. banking system or receive financing. The U.S.'s top diplomat in Havana says the Biden administration is studying if sanctions can be eased for Cuban entrepreneurs.

BENJAMIN ZIFF, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES AT U.S. EMBASSY IN HAVANA: -- there's a shortage of food, there's a shortage of gas, shortage of water. The Cuban state economy is no longer able to provide for its people. And the answer to that is not a necessary evil private sector it is more better, more empowered private sector.

OPPMANN (voice over): So far, the U.S. Embassy in Havana says about 200 entrepreneurs have taken this boot camp and the hope is that they can move beyond the decades of hostility between the U.S. and Cuba to not only transform their lives, but their country. Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: And before we go, I just want to let you know that the search is on at this hour for a wild animal running loose near Berlin. Police believe it is a lioness they want people southwest of the city to stay indoors. They also urge them to bring their pets inside.

There's no word yet about where the animal came from. Police helicopters and 100 officers are taking part in the search -- me. Alright, thanks for joining us here on CNN "Newsroom". I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. "World Sport" with Amanda Davis is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00]