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Ukraine Strikes Bridges Between Crimea and Occupied Areas; Coup Leaders Remain Defiant after ECOWAS Ultimatum; At Least 30 Killed, Dozens Injured after Train Derails in Pakistan; Flood Damage Estimates in Slovenia Top $550 Million; New York City Struggles to House Asylum Seekers; Pope Francis Back Home after Trip to Portugal; Taylor Swift Wrapping Up First Leg of Tour in U.S.; Accidental Discovery Could Help Fight Against Malaria. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 07, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:33]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Ukraine strikes vital Russian supply routes, targeting two bridges connecting Crimea to Russian-occupied territory.

Disaster in Pakistan where a train derailment has left dozens of people dead or injured.

And a scientific breakthrough, by accident. How an accidental discovery could help in the fight against malaria.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: And we do begin this hour in Ukraine, where the country's military is confirming strikes on two key bridges between Crimea and Russian-occupied areas nearby.

Ukraine says the two road bridges targeted on Sunday were the main transportation routes for Russia in those areas. But a Russian- appointed official in the Kherson region claims the bridges are used for civilian, not military, traffic and that a rupture to a gas pipeline running along one of the bridges cut off supplies to around 20,000 residents.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is following developments and has more now for us from Zaporizhzhia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: These two bridges struck by missiles, British-supplied Storm Shadow stealth missiles, according to some Russian officials. They run from the Crimean Peninsula.

WALSH (voice-over): That was taken by Russia in 2014, up through to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Parts of those that are held by Russia still after their last invasion.

WALSH: And I think the bid potentially here is for Ukraine to sever part of the resupply routes, for vital infrastructure for Russia's occupation, particularly in the West of Zaporizhzhia, where so much of Ukraine's counteroffensive strength is trying to focus on pushing down to cut Crimea off from the rest of Russian-occupied Ukraine.

WALSH (voice-over): Quite how successful these strikes will be, we don't know. Russian officials playing it down and suggesting that these bridges will essentially be mostly running by the end of the day, and they have a third alternative, off to the West of Crimea they can still use.

But it's the pinpoint nature that will surely have Russian officials concerned.

WALSH: Essentially, Kyiv suggesting they can switch on and off resupply routes for Russia at will. And sometimes these attacks do presage an uptick in Ukrainian activity. We simply don't know at this point how effective they have been.

But they come after days of tit-for-tat missile exchanges between the two sides. Ukraine very effective in its use of waterborne drones against a Russian amphibian ship, against a Russian oil cargo tanker, even against Russia bridges into Crimea over the past two weeks, attacking things, frankly, that Russia were thought were impregnable.

And at the same time, too, Russia responding with hypersonic missiles over the past 24 hours, some of which Ukraine acknowledged hit military targets, including an aviation field and an aviation plant near where I'm standing here in Zaporizhzhia.

So an uptick, certainly, away from the intensity of the fight along the Southern frontier, where the counteroffensive is focused, but that is still where Ukraine is putting most of its efforts, desperate for a breakthrough.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Western-supplied military equipment is helping Ukrainians get significant results on the battlefield.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian forces during a visit to an airfield at an undisclosed location. There, he also inspected two air defense systems and a Soviet-made aircraft, carrying what appeared to be Storm Shadow missiles.

He later thanked Ukraine's allies for providing such equipment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today, I listened to a report on the use of advanced air defense systems by our warriors. Patriots and IRIS-T systems that we received from our partners. I want to thank every country and every leader who assisted us with them. These are powerful systems, highly effective. They have already yielded significant results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The head of Zelenskyy's office is calling peace talks in Saudi Arabia very productive. Delegations from a number of countries and organizations met in Jeddah to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

The Saudi press agency says participants have agreed to continue international consultations and dialogue, as they put it, in hopes of achieving lasting peace in the region.

While Ukraine said the talks were a step towards implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Ukraine, Russia's deputy foreign minister said the talks were, quote, "doomed to fail."

[00:05:04]

Niger's military junta appears to have ignored an ultimatum to reinstate the ousted president by Sunday or face potential military intervention from the regional bloc ECOWAS. Earlier, the defiant coup leaders announced the closure of the country's airspace. A spokesperson cited the threat of intervention from their neighbors and signaled that the junta was willing to fend off any outside force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMADOU ABDRAMANE, NIGER MILITARY SPOKESMAN (through translator): Niger's armed forces and all our defense and security forces, backed by the unfailing support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory and the honor of our homeland. To this end, the national council for safeguarding the homeland launches a vibrant appeal to the youth, to the worthy daughters and sons of our country, to stand ready to defend the homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Many Nigeriens have been answering those calls. On Sunday, as you can see there, thousands rallied at a football stadium to voice their support for the coup. Some also followed instructions from the junta to patrol the streets for any signs of, quote, "foreign spies."

In neighboring Nigeria, meanwhile, the president there has discussed the crisis with governors of states that border Niger. It happened after lawmakers urged him to explore more diplomatic options to end the coup next door.

Italy and the U.S. have withdrawn dozens of troops who were based in Niger. The Italian defense minister says 75 soldiers arrived in Rome on Sunday after leaving the Nigerian capital. They were part of a bilateral support mission tasked with fighting illegal trafficking and security threats in the area.

The U.S. And Italy still have several hundred soldiers stationed in Niger. Many are set to leave next week.

CNN's Larry Madowo now with more on the crisis in the region and the response from ECOWAS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This block of West African countries is left with two equally terrible choices, but they've boxed themselves into this position to start with.

When ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, threatened to militarily to be in Niger within a week, if the government of Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated, this was always going to end up here.

If they invade the country, then they risk a humanitarian crisis, but also getting involved in a protracted battle. If they do not, then another military has successfully overthrown a government, which they don't want in the region.

And the country appears to be warming up increasingly toward the military as ECOWAS, as France, as the international community, continues to talk tough.

ALKASSOUM ABDOURAHAMANE, SAHEL SECURITY AND POLITICAL ANALYST: The more the military receives or sport from many person. You can see that really today. They are receiving support from many people, even those who they don't understand what's happened, politically. But the way ECOWAS is talking about military intervention, to attack Niger, the way France talk about it is implicated and this kind of thing, and this is creating a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for some -- really, the majority of Niger.

MADOWO: That analyst, Alkassoum Abdourahamane, yes, agrees that ECOWAS could be stronger tactically, equipment-wise, but it will take a long time to even get the boots on the ground in Niger.

And if they did get there, the people who would suffer is ordinary Nigerien people. Sixteen aid organizations say 4.4 million people are in need of humanitarian help. A combination of sanctions and political instability and a war is the last thing they need.

So ECOWAS, this group of West African countries, has got to decide how they're going to play this.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: France says it is suspending aid to Burkina Faso until further notice. That includes all developmental assistance and financial support for that West African nation.

The French government made the announcement Sunday, but didn't explain why it was doing it.

This comes months after France also ended its military operations in the country at the request of the ruling junta.

In Pakistan, cleanup work is underway following a deadly train derailment on Sunday. Officials say that at least 30 people were killed, nearly 70 injured when a passenger train crashed in Southern Sindh province.

Let's go now to CNN's Anna Coren, joining us from Hong Kong with more. So what do -- what more are you learning about this dreadful train crash?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, officials are saying that the death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of the injuries.

And, if we look at the pictures of the mangled wreckage, you know, it's not difficult to understand why.

Yesterday, the Hazara Express left Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, at around 8 a.m. local time with 950 passengers on board. It was heading to Abud Abud (ph).

[00:10:01]

Now, more than five hours into the journey, at roughly 1:18 p.m., the train derailed near the town of Nawabshah in Sindh province. That's about 275 kilometers from Karachi.

It was traveling at a low to moderate speed, 45 kilometers an hour, when it ran off the tracks. Ten passenger cars derailed.

Now, this is a remote farming area, and the first people on the scene were local villagers, who were trying to pull the survivors from the wreckage. Let's have a listen to one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASIF MIR, EYEWITNESS (through translator): We were standing here. As soon as the accident happened, people started screaming. Everyone was running around and panicked. People were totally distraught. Many were injured, many had died.

Local people carried out the rescue operation for almost an hour before the rescue services arrived. We shifted people to local hospitals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, as we heard from that eyewitness, it took some time for those emergency crews to arrive on the scene. And they had to bring heavy machinery to free those who had been trapped in these carriages, these mangled, crushed carriages for hours.

The injured were then taken to local hospitals, where an emergency was declared to deal with the influx of patients.

We also understand that the military got involved in helicoptering these -- these survivors to the hospital.

Footage of dead bodies, you know, covered in plastic were seen outside the hospital.

The cause of the derailment, Michael, is unknown, but the railway minister said it could be a technical fault or an act of sabotage. Now, no terror group has claimed responsibility, but you know, this is Pakistan, after all. It cannot be ruled out. We know that an official investigation is underway.

But let's now have a listen, Michael, to one of the survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZARMINA BIBI, TRAIN CRASH SURVIVOR (through translator): There were five family members with me, of which two died. One son is admitted in the intensive care unit, and two sons are here with me. One of my sons and my husband died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Now, unfortunately, fatal train accidents are quite frequent in Pakistan, and the country's decaying rail network has lacked funding, despite promises from successive governments to upgrade the system, Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Anna, thanks so much. Anna Coren there in Hong Kong for us.

Now, Israel's Supreme Court has instructed the government to explain why it should not delay implementation of a controversial law making it harder to declare the prime minister unfit for office.

The court says it will hear arguments again on September 28 before an expanded panel of 11 judges.

The law limits the ways that the prime minister can be removed from office, transferring the power to do so from the attorney general to the cabinet.

Critics say that it has been amended to benefit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still faces a number of charges, including bribery.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, tens of thousands of Israelis again took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan.

And, meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Force said they thwarted a, quote, "terrorist cell" in the occupied West Bank on Sunday. According to the IDF, three Palestinians who were part of the cell were killed during the operation in Jenin.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health hasn't commented directly on the deaths, but Hamas has condemned the incident.

Quick break here on the program. When we come back, the small European nation of Slovenia facing a huge price tag to repair damage caused by recent flooding. We'll have details on that.

Also, New York City says it needs federal help as it seeks to find shelter for thousands of asylum seekers in the city. We'll have the latest on the migrant crisis, coming up.

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HOLMES: In about an hour from now, officials in the Philippines are set to hold a news conference about an ongoing territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.

They've accused China's Coast Guard of firing water cannons and making dangerous maneuver's at its ships on Saturday.

The Philippine Coast Guard says its vessels were escorting supply ships to troops in the Spratly Islands chain, which is claimed by multiple countries.

China says it has sovereignty over the islands, and in fact, claims almost all of the South China Sea and says the ships illegally intruded into Chinese waters and that its Coast Guard took necessary action.

At least 14 people are dead as a result of flooding in Northeastern China. One of those killed is the vice mayor of Shulan City,

Northwestern China also suffering heavy agricultural losses from all the rain. The area is a major supplier of food to the rest of China.

In addition, 40,000 people have been evacuated from Wuchang (ph) City. They're part of a massive wave of people being forced from their homes because of flooding.

Aid is being trucked in for more than a million people.

State media says it could take a month for the waters to recede in some areas, the flooding coming in the aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri, which slammed into China at the end of July.

And flooding is also swamping parts of Europe. In the small nation of Slovenia, which borders Austria, the cost of repairing flood damage could be more than half a billion dollars. That's after a month's worth of rain fell in just one day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES (voice-over): By floodwaters, this house in Slovenia no match for days of torrential rain. Residents say they watched and waited as a nearby river swelled in the storms, which began last week. But by Saturday they were forced to evacuate after the river burst its banks, leaving nothing to contain the rushing waters.

This man says that eight people lived there, both young and old. He says it's a huge loss, but he's grateful they got out in time.

Slovenia's prime minister says this is the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, affecting two-thirds of the country, with large parts of Central and Northern Slovenia deluged with floods.

Emergency workers are making a public plea for rubber boats, so that they can reach areas no longer reachable by road.

This is what they're up against: dangerously fast waters, which have stranded people in some areas. Volunteers in this Northern town risking their lives to save two tourists stuck in the rapids.

One local mayor says he's just now getting a chance to inspect the damage. He says much of his town has been inundated since Friday, and what isn't covered in water is caked in mud.

He says it's a huge financial loss and estimates the damage in his town alone will run into the millions of dollars.

The prime minister echoing that concern, saying the price tag to clean up and rebuild across the country could top half a billion dollars.

But some residents are already starting that process, and local media says around 600 soldiers have been deployed to hard-hit areas to help with the efforts.

This restaurant owner says it will be hard to bounce back from what she calls an apocalypse, but she says it least this disaster is one that many people are weathering together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And in Italy, firefighters battling wildfires on the island of Sardinia on Sunday. Hundreds of residents had to be evacuated, according to local media.

[00:20:08]

Fire crews also using water-scooping planes to collect seawater and drop it on the burning vegetation, in an effort to put out the flames.

Meanwhile, Italian Coast Guard crews rescued dozens of migrants after two boats sank off the island of Lampedusa. Migrants having to survive in choppy seas, as you can see there, until they can be pulled out.

Authorities recovered the bodies of three people, including a three- year-old child and a pregnant woman. They say one of the survivors gave birth immediately after being rescued.

Italy's Air Force saved dozens of other migrants stranded on rocks. Officials believe the boats set off from Tunisia on Thursday. At least 30 people are still missing. Meanwhile, in the U.S., New York City is racing to help thousands of

migrants who are seeking asylum there. Nearly 100,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake centers since late spring, and nearly 200 sites have been opened to shelter them.

But city officials say that they need federal help.

CNN correspondent Polo Sandoval is in New York with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Still no end in sight for New York City's migrant crisis. as New York City officials struggle to find housing for that increasing number of asylum seekers who have arrived here in the city since last spring.

Close to 100,000 of those; about 56,000 or more, continue to be in the city's care. They have been placed at shelter facilities in and around the city.

In fact, the Roosevelt Hotel that you see behind me here in Manhattan, that not only serves as a shelter but also as a primary intake facility, where many of the newly arrived are directed to so they can best be -- or at least make contact with those resources that they need.

It was as recent as last week that we saw dozens of asylum seekers, mostly men, actually forced to sleep on the sidewalk because of an influx in the numbers.

We should note, that New York City officials were later able to actually place them in temporary shelter facilities, so this weekend no signs of that kind of an issue.

However, in Eric Adams's most recent remarks, the New York City mayor, he's made very clear that that scene is bound to repeat itself if the scene does not receive any further support at the state, or at the federal level.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Pope Francis has wrapped up his visit to Portugal, where he commented on the LGBTQ community and the Catholic church. We'll have details coming up.

Also, a scientific breakthrough. Researchers say they've found a bacteria that can help stop the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans. I'll talk to an expert about the findings.

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[00:25:16]

HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, Pope Francis is back at the Vatican now after his five-day visit to Portugal. He wrapped up the trip with a massive open-air mass, capping off the country's World Youth Day events.

Before leaving, the pope spoke with reporters aboard his plane and reiterated the Catholic Church's openness to the LGBTQ community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): The church is open to everyone. Then there are rules that regulate life within the church, and someone who's inside and follows the rules cannot administer sacraments. This to say it in a simplified way, like you said.

This does not mean it is closed. Everyone meets God in their own way within the church. And the church is mother, and it guides everyone in their own way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Portugal was the pope's first major trip since his abdominal surgery in June, and the turnout for the visit was massive, as CNN's Antonia Mortensen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTONIA MORTENSEN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Pope Francis arrived back at the Vatican Sunday after a jam-packed trip to Portugal for World Youth Day, where he was welcomed by over 1 million young Catholics from 200 countries.

The event definitely felt more like a festival, and some compared it to the Catholic Woodstock. But Pope Francis was most definitely welcomed like a rock star.

Local authorities in Portugal said this was the largest event in the history of the nation. And, during the closing mass, about 1.5 million people on Sunday, the pope announced that the next World Youth Day would, in fact, take place in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027.

The trip took place in the shadow of a clergy abuse scandal in Portugal, when an independent commission found that Catholic clergy members in Portugal had abused more than 4,000 children over a 70-year period.

And on the flight back to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, the pope said that he had a private meeting with some 13 victims of clergy abuse in Portugal and that this meeting was very painful to him.

During that press conference, he also told journalists that he was in good health and feels really great after the trip. It was definitely an intense five days for the octogenarian, but he was in great form, despite recent surgery and mobility issues.

His message to young Catholics on the trip was clear. There is room for everyone in the church. Be careful of the pitfalls of social media and the Internet, and look after your planet.

Next up for the pope, a trip to Mongolia at the end of August and then a trip to Marseille, France, in September.

Antonia Mortensen, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: An Olympic swimming test event was due to take place in Paris over the weekend, but it was canceled due to poor water quality following recent heavy rains.

The decision was made by World Aquatics, in consultation with French public health officials.

Paris plans to make the River Seine the centerpiece of next year's Summer Olympics for swimming events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERRE RABADAN, DEPUTY MAYOR IN CHARGE OF PARIS 2024 ORGANIZATION (through translator): We are faced with an outdoor sport that is subject to impromptu climate weather conditions, and that creates uncertainties that we're going to manage.

Today, all the work wasn't finished in 2023. That's normal, since the games are in 2024. And, so, once the work is finished, we'll be able to regulate even exceptional phenomenal like the one that we're facing today. The guarantee will be made with the contingency days. All the infrastructures that will be delivered and that will enable us to regulate even exceptional episodes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Olympic officials say they will be monitoring water quality carefully over the coming days. Another test event is scheduled for later this month.

Now, a baby walrus is being bottle-fed and cuddled on doctor's orders. The calf was discovered on Alaska's North Slope about a week ago, roughly four miles from the sea.

It's unusual, because this is species is often found in the ocean or along the coastline and with their mothers, of course. No sign of her, unfortunately.

The calf is estimated to be about a month old and is being treated at the Alaska Sea Life Center. Experts there are giving him round-the- clock cuddling, to help imitate the close contact he'd normally receive from his mother.

Now, scientists in Peru may have found the heaviest animal ever to have lived. Paleontologists discovered the bones of an ancient whale that must -- may have weighed as much as 340 metric tons. The aquatic mammal lived nearly 40 million years ago in shallow coastal waters.

[00:30:05]

Scientists have found four ribs, a hip bone, and 13 of the giant whale's vertebrae.

The previous heaviest animal was a blue whale, weighing in at 190 tons.

Still to come, Barbie smashes another record, cementing itself in film history. We'll have the latest on the movie's box office earnings.

Plus, Taylor Swift proving the Eras Tour isn't one to miss. Could the pop singer break a billion dollars before the tour is over? We'll be right back.

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HOLMES: Well, Barbie once again proving she can do anything. This time, the child's doll turned movie superstar really does have something to dance about, earning more than a billion dollars in global box office sales. So far.

Film experts say it's now one of about 50 movies, not adjusted for inflation, to earn that much.

"Barbie" has been the top-performing film in the U.K., Mexico and Australia since its release, according to Box Office Mojo. Of course, it's a Warner Bros. movie, the studio owned by the same parent company as CNN.

Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's World War II thriller, "Oppenheimer," has become the highest grossing period film of its kind. Released on the same day as "Barbie," the film has made more than $500 million at the global box office, making it also the highest-grossing rated "R" movie of the year so far.

"Oppenheimer" has managed to cement itself at No. 3 in both the U.S. and international box offices.

The biopic film about the Manhattan Project physicist is only one of four biopics to cross the 500-million-dollar mark.

And superstar Taylor Swift is set to end the first leg of her record- breaking Eras Tour in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Initial projections from Billboard suggest she could earn close to $600 million in ticket sales.

But a recently-announced international expansion and a second U.S. leg would've eventually put the singer closer to the billion-dollar mark.

CNN's Camila Bernal spoke with fans and experts about the cultural phenomenon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Taylor Swift!

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the words millions, including Julie Barfuss, were waiting to hear. And it was a dream come true.

JULIE BARFUSS, TAYLOR SWIFT FAN: I'm trying to stick these crystals on.

BERNAL (voice-over): But nine months ago, she thought those dreams had been crushed.

BARFUSS: I was crying. I was really upset. Like, you know, because it was just so long. And every time you'd get in, you'd get kicked out or get an error, or something would go wrong. And it was just, like, nonstop drama.

BERNAL (voice-over): Despite multiple tries, she wasn't able to get her tickets through Ticketmaster. She eventually bought them from another fan.

[00:35:04]

Two tickets for $600. Then $100 on parking, almost 400 on gas. She drove from Salt Lake City to Santa Clara, California. About 700 on a hotel.

BARFUSS: Ta-da!

BERNAL (voice-over): More than 300 on meals. And 200 on her outfit and make-up.

SANJAY SHARMA, FINANCE PROFESSOR, USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: The multiplier factor is just enormous, and it's a new phenomenon. It's not -- it's not even comparable. Super Bowl doesn't compare to this.

BERNAL (voice-over): Sanjay Sharma, professor of finance at the University of Southern California, has been studying and estimating the Taylor Swift numbers. He says he could see the Eras Tour being what he called a five billion-dollar GDP type tour.

SHARMA: That includes ticket sales. That includes hotels. That includes all of the small shopkeepers.

BERNAL (voice-over): He says quantifying it is hard. But points out that the money stays in the U.S., boosting local economies.

And it's happening from California to Massachusetts. Pennsylvania to the Plains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We kind of think this is the quintessential welcome.

BERNAL (voice-over): The U.S., and soon the world, benefiting from the Taylor Swift economic. And it's the Swifties, the faithful fans, who often don't hesitate to spend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want to trade bracelets?

BERNAL (voice-over): For Julie, it's not about the money. And it's not just the tour.

BARFUSS: This one is -- has the date, Eras Tour.

BERNAL (voice-over): She's embarked on a long-term mission against Ticketmaster and has sued over her experience when purchasing tickets. That will entail more money on travel, hotels, meals. Money she says is worth it.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now to a significant breakthrough in the fight against malaria. Scientists say they have found a naturally-occurring strain of bacteria that could help stop transmission from mosquitoes to humans.

The discovery was actually made by chance after researchers in Spain noticed that some mosquitoes in their experiments did not develop the malaria parasite.

Well, trials are now being conducted to assess the microbe's safety in the real world. Malaria kills more than half a million people around the world every year, mostly children under the age of 5.

Joining me now is Professor Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena. He is a professor emeritus with the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He comes to us now from Baoding in China.

Professor, thanks for making the time. Incredible discovery, and especially by accident. So how do these microbes work when it comes to mosquitoes and malaria?

MARCELO JACOBS-LORENA, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, JOHN HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Yes, the initial discovery was that any mosquitoes that carry this bacterium is incapable of transmitting the parasite.

And then looking into the mechanisms, we found out that this bacteria secretes something into the supernatant (ph), outside of the cell. So -- and that is -- contains the inhibitor.

And then further research identifies this compound, the inhibitor, as a small molecule called harmane. So that was how it was discovered.

HOLMES: So -- so -- so what is the potential significance of the findings?

JACOBS-LORENA: So this is, I think, an important step forward, because so far, in the last hundred years, malaria has been fought with insecticides that kill the mosquito. And this approach, by introducing bacteria, harmless bacteria, into the mosquito that overcomes the problem of resistance that mosquitoes developed over all those years.

HOLMES: I think in much of the world -- you know, a lot of the world -- people don't even think about malaria. But nearly half the world's population is at risk from it. Give us a sense of just how deadly it is and impactful globally.

JACOBS-LORENA: Yes, malaria is a big problem. There's three major in infectious diseases that kill the most people in the world: AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. But malaria only one that depends on the mosquito.

And if it -- and it kills so many people. If you make the calculation, is one child dies every minute, mostly in Africa.

[00:40:10]

And the situation is that -- that malaria is prevalent in poorer countries that have little infrastructure to combat the disease.

And so in that sense, the input for advanced countries is -- of the first world, is very crucial going forward.

HOLMES: Yes. And of course, in those poorer countries, it uses up a lot of healthcare resources. Keeping people with malaria out of those -- those facilities allows for other diseases to be treated.

You know, it's very heartening. Do you think the threat of malaria can be ended in our lifetimes? Can you see a time when malaria is eradicated?

JACOBS-LORENA: I am an optimist in this sense. And that is because in recent years, new -- important new progress has been made, for instance, in the development of an infective vaccine -- effective vaccine that can prevent massively the spread of disease.

There is research on modifying -- genetically modifying mosquitoes to stop their transmission. So if one combines all of those strategies together, I think that we will get there.

HOLMES: It's remarkable research, remarkable work, and work done by people such as yourself. And it is -- it's a huge, huge problem. A kid dies of malaria every minute or so; it's really worrying.

I've got to leave it there, Professor -- Professor Marcelo Jacobs- Lorena. Thank you so much for your time and the work that you do.

JACOBS-LORENA: My pleasure.

HOLMES: It's really good news, that's for sure.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. Stick around. WORLD SPORT is next. And then my colleague, Laila Harrak, picks up with more CNN NEWSROOM.

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