Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Zelenskyy Calls Counteroffensive "Difficult"; Members Of Military Junta Hit With New Sanctions; Thousands of Protesters March In Haiti Against Gang Violence; Wildfire Rages For Fourth Day In Southern Portugal, 1400 People Evacuated. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 09, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:25]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead on CNN Newsroom, Ukraine slow grind. President Zelenskyy admitting that his military's counteroffensive is not moving as fast as some would like. Plus, kidnappings in Haiti and your report finds the number of women and children abducted in the country is rapidly rising. And the global temperature record that could offer a troubling glimpse into our future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live From CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: The Ukrainian president is acknowledging that the highly anticipated counteroffensive against Russia is difficult conceding that it's probably happening slower than hoped. President Zelenskyy's comments come as Western officials describe to CNN an increasingly sobering assessment about Ukraine's ability to retake significant territory.
Those officials tell us one of the biggest challenges is breaking through Russia's defensive lines in the south and in the east.
In the Donetsk region, Mr. Zelenskyy says the death toll has now climbed to nine after a Russia missile attack on the city of Pokrovsk. 82 other people were injured. And in just the last few hours, the mayor of Moscow says to combat drones have been shot down in the city of suburbs comes as the Ukrainian president warns that Russia -- that warns Russia that it will respond to attacks on its ports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If Russia continues to dominate the Black Sea outside its territory, blockading or firing at us again launching missiles at our ports, Ukraine will do the same. This is just defense of our opportunities of any corridor.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KINKADE: Well residents in the city of Pokrovsk are recounting the harrowing moments they experienced when two Russian missiles slammed into their building. One woman also voicing her frustration saying quote, enough of all this enough. CNN's Clare Sebastian has more on the deadly attack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Even for a town that spent most of the last decade on the edge of conflict, these are startling images, daylight revealing a wide area of destruction in Pokrovsk as rescue efforts resumed. The head of the town some 30 miles from the Eastern Front says to Skanda ballistic missiles struck 37 minutes apart Monday evening.
SERHII DOBRIAK, HEAD OF POKROVSK CITY MILITARY ADMINISTRATION (through translator): This is a standard Russo fascist scenario, 30 to 40 minutes between missiles. When n the State Emergency Service and rescuers arrived to save people, the second missile hits and so the number of victims increases.
SEBASTIAN: Here is the moment of that second hit captured on a paramedic's body camera.
Not surprising then that dozens of police officers and rescuers were among the injured as well as children. The deputy head of the State Emergency Service in the Donetsk region killed. Having witnessed the first strike, this 75-year-old woman fell victim to the second in her own apartment.
LIDLA, POKROVSK RESIDENT (through translator): There was a first impact we were not hit or was OK here. I was talking on the phone setting and then suddenly this flew out and it fell around me. Then the window fell on me. My back has cuts.
SEBASTIAN: A hotel now closed and Italian restaurant once frequented by foreign journalists also hit. Russia has denied targeting civilian areas saying Tuesday in his Ukrainian military command post in Pokrovsk.
But nearly 18 months into this war attacks like this a common place and Ukraine says Russia is not letting up on the frontlines either. Footage released this weekend showing Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu apparently visiting rear positions inside Ukraine, capping a week in which Ukraine says Russia fired almost half a million munitions in the east.
This is Western officials tell CNN two months in briefings on the state of Ukraine's counteroffensive are growing more and more pessimistic, as Ukrainian troops still face layers of Russian defenses in the south with mountain casualties.
One chink of light, the first batch of U.S. Abrams battle tanks is now ready for shipment and set to arrive by early fall. Likely not soon enough to turn the tide in the counteroffensive, but it boosts for Ukrainian morale again under attack. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London. (END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:05:06]
Well, joining me now is CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Good to have you on the program.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good to be with you, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, as we've been hearing, Ukraine's counteroffensive has been underway for several weeks, but they are finding it difficult to retake significant territory that's according to senior Western officials briefed on the latest intelligence. Why are we seeing such little progress?
LEIGHTON: Well, there's several factors. I think, Lynda, one of them, of course, is that the Russians were able to dig in during this period, the defensive lines that the Russians have produced, the tank traps, trenches, all of these things come together. And the really the depth of the Russian defenses has made it very, very difficult.
Plus, we have to also remember that in terms of numbers, the Russians continue to have a numerical superiority over the Ukrainian forces just in terms of numbers that has nothing to do with the quality. But quantity, as they say, has a quality all except in these situations.
KINKADE: Yes, it does. And of course, we heard last month that the Aspen Security Forum, the Ukrainian president, discussing the slow arrival of advanced weapons systems from the West, what does Ukraine need right now? What would make a meaningful difference?
LEIGHTON: Well, certainly the longer range missiles such ATACMS, the Army Tactical Missile System, that would be a very big add on to the Ukrainian capabilities. And I think it would give them a longer range and would allow them to hit Russian targets a bit further back from the front lines, and they're currently able to do.
Now, if we had planned this correctly at about this time, we could potentially have had F-16 flying with Ukrainian pilots. That, of course, is something that is not happening at the moment, it will happen in the future. But it won't be ready for this particular phase of the offensive operations that the Ukrainians are conducting right now. But this is the kind of thing that they would need.
Plus, the other thing I would say Lynda is that we need some more unconventional weapons for the Ukrainians, some of them, they're producing themselves, such as the seaborne drones that they have been able to manufacture and use to great effect today and the Black Sea, but also, you know, some of the other rockets and missiles that they've been able to develop. So, part of that is something that the Ukrainians can develop. Other things, of course, are from the west.
And the last thing I would say is that a continued supply of munitions, especially artillery shells of the 155 millimeter variety, those are going to be critically important for the Ukrainians, and they must be part of a any plan to help them during this period.
KINKADE: And Colonel, speaking of drones, the Ukrainians are bringing the war to Russia's doorstep, essentially using drones. We've seen the damage in buildings in Moscow, the attacks on Russian warships and other vessels in a major Russian port.
What does that mean for this conflict? And psychologically, what impact could it have on Russians?
LEIGHTON: Well, I think the drone has been kind of the asymmetric force multiplier of this war, and in particular, the Ukrainian use of these drones. So from a military standpoint, the drones have been incredibly useful. They aren't going to knock Russia out of the war, but on a psychological aspect they are definitely having an impact on the local population, especially in Moscow, and other areas where they've actually seen these drones in action.
So it has a significant psychological impact on the Russian civilian population. Plus, it also shows that the Ukrainians can use unconventional type weapons such as drones in order to achieve some of their goals. So in essence, what they are able to do is they're helping to create a bit of a stalemate between the Ukrainian and the Russian forces.
But for Ukraine, the very fact that they are in existence that allows the Ukrainians to maintain their independence and allows them to at least continue in the current state of affairs for a bit longer. And that's something that would not have been predicted by many people at the beginning of this war.
KINKADE: Yes, certainly that that is certainly the case. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, as always, we appreciate your time. Thank you.
LEIGHTON: Thank you so much, Lynda.
KINKADE: We're now to the coup in Niger and pressure on military leaders to restore the democratically elected government. ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States has approved fresh sanctions against entities and individuals linked to the coup. A spokesperson for Nigeria's president who currently leads ECOWAS says diplomacy is the best path forward, but he's not ruled out military intervention.
[01:10:02]
The U.S. State Department says it remains hopeful despite a disappointing visit to Niger's capital by a top official.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT MILLER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Acting Deputy Secretary Nuland presented options for a diplomatic path forward and a negotiated process going forward, and they were not willing to take that path at this time. We're going to keep trying, again, fully recognizing how difficult that path is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Niger's military leaders have also brought out a meeting with representatives from the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS. CNN's Larry Madowo reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): If there will be any diplomatic breakthrough in the crisis in Niger, it will not come from ECOWAS because the Niger's military junta is refusing to meet with the Economic Community of West African States until it removes the sanctions that apply to the country and removes that threat of military intervention. That could all come down on Thursday when the extraordinary summit of ECOWAS meets.
But in the meantime, the Niger military junta rejecting a joint delegation of the African Union ECOWAS and the U.N. that was expected in Niamey on Tuesday. A bit of this letter says the current context of anger and revolt of the populations following the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS does not allow to welcome the set of delegation that required serenity and security.
The postponement of the mission in the Niamey is necessary, as is the revision of certain aspects of the program, including meetings with certain personalities, which cannot take place for obvious security reasons, in this atmosphere of threatened aggression against Niger.
General Abdourahamane Tiani, who's declared himself president of Nigeria has time to meet with other people. He met with a delegation from Burkina Faso and Mali who came in to Niamey to declare their solidarity with Niger. But he refused a meeting with the Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in Niamey who met with a junior officer not with the general who's declared himself president and also, the military junta denied her request to meet with President Mohamed Bazoum for remains detained at the presidential palace, his prime minister saying without water without electricity.
This crisis just drags on. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: The ongoing violence in Haiti is threatening the well-being of children women. Already this year hundreds have been kidnapped. Ahead why this alarming trend is on the rise.
Plus, in the trenches a rare view at what some Ukrainian soldiers face on the front lines, as they dodge Russian strikes to recover comrades killed in the fighting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti restricted its personnel to the compound on Tuesday amid violent protests in the area.
[01:15:02] Demonstrators set government vehicles on fire in the capitol Monday and thousands took to the streets to speak out against rampant gang violence and demanded protection and aid from the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm in the streets today because as a youngster who lives in Carrefour, we can't live like this anymore. The other neighborhoods are gangsterized. But we are standing and we will not give up on our neighborhood. The government has to say something before it gets worse. People are abandoning their homes. If this worsens, we, the unfortunate ones are going to be the victims. We have nobody. We are fighting alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The violence in Haiti has escalated this year. According to a new UNICEF report, nearly 300 women and children were kidnapped in the first six months of 2023. That's almost as many kidnappings in all of 2022 and three times more than in 2021.
U.N. leaders warned that women and children are not bargaining chips. The report said in most instances, children and women are forcibly taken by armed groups and used for financial or tactical gains. The victims who managed to return home grapple with deep physical and psychological scars, possibly for many years.
Joining me now is Garry Conille, UNICEF's Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. He served as Haiti's Prime Minister in 2011 and 2012. Good to have you with us.
GARRY CONILLE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN, UNICEF: Thank you so much for inviting me.
KINKADE: I want to start with the abductions because nearly 300 people have been abducted so far in the first six months of this year. That's nearly last year's total. And that's three times the number of people that were abducted in 2021. How would you describe the situation the lack of lawlessness and who is most at risk?
CONILLE: You're completely right, it is a very serious situation. And we also have to mention the fact that a lot of cases go on reporting. Now, let me say that armed groups are now exploiting an environment of insecurity and lawlessness, as well as power dynamics and existing vulnerabilities to weaponize things like kidnapping and gender based violence, and regularly perpetrate acts of rape and sexual assault.
So this is really this incredible increase is coming from armed groups that control 60 to 70 percent of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince.
KINAKDE: So just explain for us if you can, Mr. Conille, why gang violence is on the rise is it largely because of the power vacuum since the assassination of the president two years ago?
CONILLE: It's certainly a combination of things, one of which being of course, the power vacuum, the second being the fact that we have a police force that's seriously understaffed. And if you compare Haiti has about a little over one police officer for every 1,000 population. You compare that to any country in the Caribbean, it's closer to three. The police force, of course, is understaffed, but also underequipped, the issue of corruption. And even the number of serious committed police officers that do play their role effectively are hampered and are able to fulfill their task.
But it's also about the weakness of the security system. It's about the social situation, the extreme poverty that plagues the country, and it has plagued the country for years. It's the history of corruption. It's the different shots that have weakened different institutions, including the justice system.
So it's really an environment where the state is unable to fulfill its duties and requirements. And that left an open space for individuals who are ready to take to guns and to, you know, rule in accordance with their interests to take over.
KINKADE: And of course, we have been reporting on the fact that an American nurse and her daughter were abducted near the Capitol just days ago, Alix Dorsainvil was working for a humanitarian aid group with her husband. What more do you know about her case? And what will it take to secure their reliefs?
CONILLE: Unfortunately, UNICEF is not at all involved in any type of negotiation. They don't have any insight into our case is being handled to her circumstances. I do, of course, pray for her safe return. And of course, the safe return of air for all other people that are right now in the hands of these gang members.
KINKADE: And of course, we know last month, the U.S. government ordered non-emergency government personnel to leave the country and also issue travel advisories. And this comes more than six months after the acting prime minister of Haiti called for an international armed force to help tackle this violence. Can you explain for us why that hasn't happened?
[01:20:06]
CONILLE: Well, obviously, the decision to deploy an international force is for member states and the U.N. Security General has already proposed an option in the deployment of one several member states have a rapid action force. And the negotiations, as far as I understand for this international force has been going on for months now.
And my guess is that they're the international community is not yet able to find a consensus into what type of solution would actually work for Haiti. What I will say is why we don't really have an opinion on what type of force who should come, when should when they should come up.
We can say for sure as UNICEF is that it's extremely urgent that the security situation be resolved. And it needs to be resolved in a way that first does no harm does not affect further populations. And then that -- does not lead to more suffering, or armed violence. As to the format the timing, you know, the arrangements, this is
something that's being discussed and approved by member states, and the Security Council. And we'll just have to wait and see what happens. But I was in Haiti just a few weeks ago with the executive director. And I can tell you were extremely concerned with what we saw. We went to a center that's right between some of them to dangerous neighborhoods, highly controlled by gangs, by armed groups. We met an 11 year old girl that had been raped by three men, and that saw her sister burned in front of her.
The nurse that was taking care of this young lady had also been kidnapped. What we saw was a certain level of desperation, what we saw was an urgent need for support. We have about 5.2 million people in need. That compares to more than what we saw after the earthquake.
The difference is being, of course, now we have much less resources, much less international engagement, the situation is much more complex, our capacity to respond is much more difficult. And you have about 2.5 million people that are doing they're not in need. They're living with less than $2 a day and their situation is highly vulnerable.
KINKADE: Garry Conille, we wish you, UNICEF and the people of Haiti all the very best. We appreciate your time and perspective. Thanks very much.
CONILLE: Thank you so much.
KINKADE: Well, as fighting grinds on in Sudan, the U.K. based humanitarian organization Save the Children is wondering of health risks in the country. In a statement Tuesday, it said thousands of dead bodies are decomposing in the streets of the capital Khartoum as morgues have reached a breaking point due to prolonged power outages and no medical staff.
It says the horrifying combination of these factors could lead to a cholera outbreak, Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary rapid support forces have been fighting for nearly four months now.
Well as the war in Ukraine continues, CNN is getting a rare look inside the trenches in the cells where some forces are tasked with a pretty grim job recovering the bodies of those killed in battle. Nick Paton Walsh has the story, but we need to warn you some images in his report a graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Even saving the dead can be lethal work. It is dawn in freshly overrun Russian positions on the southern front where the assault is on trench networks spread out in the open.
This is rare footage letting us see the point of view of a Ukrainian soldier and body collector, The Yaroslav (ph). His unit tasked with bringing back the fallen their own, but also Russian. This Ukrainian body seeming to have almost melted into the ground, the
heat speeding up decay. Another factor in this grim grueling work, where they are often guided to their targets by the smell from which the masks aren't protection enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a drone. It's not a plane. it's clearly not ours.
WALSH: The Russian drone see them and they watch them back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch it. There it is.
WALSH: Anti-drone rifles a modern twist in trench warfare from the last century. It is exhausting work. While troops here focus on survival and taking cover, Yaroslav (ph) and his team must carry these heavy but vital burdens all the way back to the road where they can then bring closure to the grieving the chance of burial and a goodbye.
A week earlier in another part of the trenches where the fight has clearly been ferocious, they pass Western supplied armor that has been torn apart.
[01:25:08]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whose uniform is that? So it's our boy.
WALSH: Ukrainian remains found but the shelling is constant.
UNIDENTIFIE DMALE: That was quite close. There were seven incoming in total. And precise. Somebody has to be here. There's a smell.
WALSH: The search however in these captured Russian positions is cautious probing each spot for mines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I pulled out half the body from the dirt. The other half we don't know where it is.
WALSH: For the men holding the position day and night, body collected a welcome relief taking away the reminders of how close the death is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We move fast and stay put. Whose drone is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who knows?
UNIDETIFIED MALE: Shoot it down.
WALSH: The Russians still looking at a targets here among the men rescuing Russian corpses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't understand why the Russians don't let us just carry out their bodies. They know it's mostly their bodies.
WALSH: It is the work nobody ever wanted to do out exposed in the open as Ukraine praise for a breakthrough. Now we finally see Yaroslav's (ph) face the moment when they know they've survived another day.
UNIDETIFIED MALE: Coming back home is the best thing possible.
WALSH: The relief they feel here nothing compared to the families who may feel some less agony and closure from the cargo they returned home. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINAKDE: The numbers are in and it is official July was our planet's hottest month on record by far. Today, I'll stick with a climate expert about the data and what's contributing to the extreme weather events right around the world.
Plus, South Korea evacuate thousands of scouts from a global gathering as a potential typhoon heads to the region.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. You're watching CNN Newsroom. More than 1,000 firefighters are working to knock down three wildfires in three different areas of Portugal. Most of them are battling the largest blaze in the southern Odemira region. As it ignited over the weekend and remains the biggest threat.
[01:30:03]
Some 1,400 people had to be temporarily evacuated. Local authorities say nearly two dozen people, including firefighters, were treated for minor injuries.
Well, the numbers are in and it is official. July was the hottest month ever recorded on the planet. European scientists confirm the data in the Copernicus Climate Change Report which came out Tuesday. It found July's average global temperature was around 1.5 degrees Celsius, higher than pre-industrial levels.
Charting global temperatures, we can see here starting in the 1940s on the left, the major upswing in July temperatures all the way up to 2023. Scientists say we have met a crucial warming threshold that could serve as a global tipping point, ushering in more extreme weather now and into the future.
We're happy to have Bob Ward joining us to break down some of what is in this report. Bob is an expert on climate change at the London School of Economics, Grantham Research Institute and joins us now from London. Good to have you with us.
BOB WARD, GRANTHAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Hello.
KINKADE: Good morning. So even before July was over, we knew it was going to be the planet's hottest month on record. That is how hot it was. The temperatures were off the charts. Take us through what the report found.
WARD: Well, it was the hottest day on record earlier in July, the 6th of July so we knew it was going to be warmer and indeed this confirms that July was not just slightly warmer this year, it beat the previous warmest months on record, which was July 2019, by 0.3 degrees. That's an enormous margin, and absolutely smashed the record.
And it is a further sign that the world is warming and it is warming possibly faster than scientists expected.
There is probably a contribution from the El Nino that has developed in the South Pacific, which tends to lead to warmer global temperatures, but to have smashed it by 0.3 degrees is really a worrying sign it means that we have now passed, as you mentioned, that threshold of 1.5 degrees.
And if we get to a long term trend where every year is more than 1.5 degrees, that is the limit that many scientists warn is beyond which we go, we experience really, really very risky kinds of impacts that will be very difficult for us to cope with.
KINKADE: And Bob, the heat waves we've been experiencing have been in multiple regions on the planet. The northern hemisphere, southern Europe, and even in places where it was the middle of winter like Australia, they too experienced their warmest July on record.
As some people there described what it felt like, spring or summer days, they're at the beach swimming. But we are also seeing these extreme rainfall events. What are the contributing factors?
WARD: Well, it is a slight -- seems like a slight paradox that we have these extreme heat events, and that of course, you would expect because the average temperature around the world it means the extremes are getting higher as well. But a warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, which means that when it rains, it rains harder. And so that is why we have been seeing in some parts of the world, flooding like China has just experienced and other parts of the world.
So these are two impacts that we see very strongly linked to climate change and the fact that we are getting a warmer world. These kinds of extremes are also increasing in in intensity and frequency.
KINKADE: And Bob, you mentioned the El Nino effect a short time ago. Just explain more how that plays into the results we're seeing and what it means for what we can expect in the coming months?
WARD: Yes, so normally you have the trade winds pushing west across the equator and it tends to push warm waters away from the coast of South America towards Asia.
But during an El Nino, those trade winds weakened and it means that the warm waters stay and gather off the coast of (INAUDIBLE). Usually that triggers a lot of other changes in the atmospheric circulation. The jet stream tends to be pulled further south, creating drier conditions and parts of South America. But it also usually ends up creating the warmest -- warm weather around the world.
[01:34:47] WARD: And so we have got this El Nino now on top of the warming trend caused by climate change, and that's why you often see that when you have El Nino, you have the warmest years occurring and it means that it is very likely now that 2023 will turn out to be the warmest year on record as well.
KINKADE: Yes. I was going to ask you about that. If you can put this year into context when it comes to extreme weather events?
WARD: Yes, I mean the El Nino has only just developed and it was only confirmed in July by the World Meteorological Organization that the El Nino had started.
And it's the first time in 70 years that we've had El Nino conditions occurring. Seven years ago we had an El Nino, we also have the warmest year on record in 2016. And so that combination, we know -- it does not look like it will be a particularly strong El Nino, it might just give moderate (INAUDIBLE).
But the warming that we are experiencing from climate change means that these records are going to be broken with great regularity and, as I mentioned, breaking the monthly temperature record by quite a few degrees is quite warm -- it's quite a worrying development because it's shown that we've perhaps seeing warming much faster than we have expected and therefore the impacts are coming in much harder, much more frequently than we might have expected just from the climate change trend anyways.
KINKADE: Yes. Bob Ward, it's good to get some perspective. Thanks so much for helping us break down that data. Much appreciated.
WARD: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, a key summit in Brazil aimed at protecting the Amazon rainforest has produced some mixed results. In the first meeting in over a decade, leaders from eight Amazon nations agreed to bolster regional cooperation but they failed to agree on a clear, common goal to protect the world's largest rainforest.
The joint declaration left each country to pursue its own conservation goals. Brazil's president has been pushing for the reason to unite behind a common policy of ending deforestation by 2030.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIZ INACIO DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will leave a legacy of well-being, prosperity, and social justice for our descendants. The Amazon will be what we wanted to be, an Amazon with greener cities, cleaner air, and mercury free rivers and without deforestation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the final joint statement also strongly asserted indigenous lives and cooperation on several other issues. Hundreds of indigenous people protested near where the summit was
held, demanding protection for their land. They also called for an end to mining and oil drilling in the critical rainforest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because if there is no consent, we are not going to authorize public policies and every government to carry out extractivist, mining, or oil projects in the forest, in nature. We indigenous people say no to that. We, the indigenous people, say yes to life because the Amazon is where everything is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, South Korea is preparing for the arrival of a powerful storm Thursday. Tropical storm Khanun, which could strengthen back to a typhoon on its approach, forced a world scouting event to evacuate 37,000 participants from the campsite.
But the storm is not the first problem they encountered as CNN's Ivan Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A mass evacuation of tens of thousands of scouts. The South Korean government packing teenagers from more than 150 countries around the world by more than a thousand buses to flee an approaching typhoon. An escape from the sprawling site at the 25th World Scout Jamboree.
HERMAN LIND, SWEDISH SCOUT: It's been pretty bad. Like, really bad. I don't really know what else to say.
WATSON: Speaking to CNN from one of the evacuation buses, these 18- year-old scouts from Sweden say that they were disappointed by conditions at the camp.
LIND: Why couldn't they just plan this better? We have been a bit angry because they knew that they didn't have the resources and they still decided to keep going with the camp.
WATSON: What was supposed to be a 12-day event has been troubled from the beginning.
MATT HYDE, CEO, U.K. SCOUTS: We were particularly concerned about sanitation and the cleanliness of toilets that were causing severe concern from mostly the health and safety point of view.
WATSON: The leader of the British contingent pulled some 4,500 U.K. scouts and volunteers out this weekend, relocating them to hotels in the Korean capital.
HYDE: It is a punishingly hot here in Korea. It is an unprecedented heat wave but we were concerned about the heat relief measures that were being put in place.
WATSON: Meanwhile, scouts from the U.S. also pulled out, relocating to Camp Humphreys, a large U.S. military base.
The August heat wave a particularly punishing, given the location of the jamboree, a reclaimed tidal flat, apparently devoid of natural shade.
[01:39:55]
LIND: It is so hot, a lot of people are passing out and we have been forced to drink about one liter of water per hour.
WATSON: In the first week, hundreds of teenagers got sick from the heat, prompting the Korean government to rush air conditioned buses to help, along with fire and medical services and extra water.
With a potentially dangerous typhoon approaching, Korean organizers finally pulled the plug on Monday, telling scouts to strike camp.
AXEL SCHOLL, SCOUT VOLUNTEER FROM GERMANY: I feel very, very sorry for the Korean nation and the Korean nation and the Korean people because I think that they would have loved to present their country, their culture, their community in a more positive way.
WATSON: Despite the setbacks, some teenagers apparently applying the Cub Scout motto "Do Your Best".
LIND: We are just happy to be in the shade, in the AC getting to cool down. And I mean, the scout motto is to meet every problem with a smile and that is what I feel like everyone is doing.
WATSON: Ivan Watson, CNN -- Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, Japan is marking 78 years since an atomic bomb devastated Nagasaki just before the end of World War II. But the ceremony has been moved to the local convention center because of the threat from Typhoon Khanun.
The memorial is typically held at the city's Peace Park. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing more than 200,000 people.
Sunday's memorial in Hiroshima Prime Minister Kishida said Japan will keep efforting a nuclear free world.
Well, Iran is doubling down on its strict conservative dress code and considering harsher punishment for those who violate the law. See how women are fighting back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been disqualified from running for office for five years, according to Pakistan's Election Commission.
It comes after he was found guilty last weekend of corruption trial and sentenced to three years in prison for apparently unlawfully selling state gifts while prime minister. His lawyers have filed a plea in Islamabad high court, challenging his conviction. The two member bench will hear the petition in the coming hours.
The top U.S. General in the Middle East completed the transit of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as a show of force to deter further aggression from Iran. The Pentagon says the head of the U.S. Central Command made the trip on a destroyer, setting off for the Gulf of Oman Sunday.
The transit comes as more than 3,000 U.S. troops arrive in the region to counter recent attempts by Iran to seize commercial shipping vessels. Iran threatened to seize U.S. ships if any of its own vessels are confiscated.
[01:44:57]
KINKADE: Well, it has been nearly a year since the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran's so-called Morality Police for allegedly violating the country's strict conservative dress code. Her death sparked massive nationwide protests. Now many months later, women are still defying the veiling laws, even as Iran doubles down on punishment.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iran's brave women are fighting for their freedom with everyday acts of defiance like this, out on the streets without the mandatory hijab.
This recent video appeared to show a woman harassed and called a criminal for refusing to cover up.
"The days of being afraid of you are over," she says.
Nearly a year after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Geena Amini (ph) in the custody of the so-called morality police, the uprising sparked by her death may have been crushed by a bloody crackdown, but not the will of those standing up for the most basic of rights.
Countless women have been defying the clerical establishment, choosing not to wear the compulsory hijab. And now the regime is lashing out with a campaign of renewed repression, announcing the return of Morality Police patrols.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: being a woman in Iran is now harder than ever because of all the attention. Our privacy and safety is a wish. You should always be worried and careful about police.
KARADSHEH: This young woman we are not identifying for her safety spoke to us from inside Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Morality Police are mostly in metro stations, and sometimes on the streets. They warn you, if you disobey, they take video or photos, and normal people, who are still on the government side, work like paparazzi.
KARADSHEH: And that's not all, authorities are considering a draconian new bill that would make failure to abide by the strict Islamic dress code a more severe offense with unprecedently harsh penalties including 5 to 10 year jail sentences and fines of more than $1,000.
This may be just a warning to intimidate those who dare to dissent, but an intensified crackdown has been well underway.
This chilling video released by a group affiliated with the security apparatus captures some of their terrifying tactics.
Facial recognition technology purportedly being used to identify and threaten unveiled women. Cameras are everywhere. Thousands have had their cars confiscated, according to Amnesty International, and women without a veil are being denied access to education and public services.
Perhaps, even more disturbing, is courts have been imposing degrading punishments on women, including counseling sessions for, quote, "antisocial behavior," cleaning government buildings and washing corpses in morgues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I couldn't believe the mortuary punishment until I saw some judgment papers with my own eyes, which was washing corpses for a month.
KARADSHEH: Are you and other women around you scared when you are out in public?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first days were scary, but with time, the courage inside everyone grows and now no one is scared. People were just waiting for a spark, and that happened last year. We keep going for the kids who were murdered during the protests.
KARADSHEH: Many like her say this is not just about the hijab. This is about standing up to tyranny, and they are not backing down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most people believe in freedom now because they've tasted it. We know about the punishments, but we know everything has a cost, and if this is the cost of freedom, we are ready to pay for that. I am sure we will see Iran breathing again, one day.
KARADSHEH: Jomana Karadsheh, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Hundreds of mourners sang along to the music of the late Sinead O'Connor as they lined the streets to pay their final respects.
(MUSIC)
KINKADE: O'Connor's coffin, covered in blue, white and pink flowers was driven past her old house and through the town of Brae Island (ph), south of Dublin. While her funeral procession was public, the burial was private.
O'Connor, known for her pure voice and political activism, died last month at the age of 56.
We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back
[01:49:26]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
The quarterfinal matchups are now in place for the Women's World Cup after the round of 16 ended in dramatic fashion.
CNN's Don Riddell has the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: We are all set for the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup and the exciting young Colombian team continues to blaze a trail. They are in for last stage for the first time at the expense of Jamaica, whose defense was finally breached for the first time in this tournament.
Colombia's brilliant young striker, Linda Caicedo, has announced herself onto the world stage during the last couple of weeks, but it was another of their young prodigies who helped win this game. 18- year-old Ana Maria Guzman, waking her first World Cup start, and it was her brilliant ball that unlocked the Jamaican defense, picking out Catalina Usme -- who scored the winner early in the second half.
That was the first goal Jamaica has conceded in 321 minutes, and it was enough for Colombia, although they could've had another goal when Leicy Santos hit the post later on.
Colombia will now play England in the quarterfinals on Saturday and they are feeling confident enough to go all the way.
NELSON ABADIA, MANAGER, COLOMBIA WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM (through translator): Well, this has a very special meaning when we qualified for the World Cup, the first thing that I said to my team was we're not here just to spend some time. No, we want to write history. We want to make history and it is better to write history than to tell history. This is an immense pride. this is a home pride, a regional pride, because we know that we are worthy representatives of Colombia South America.
Now we are representing America because we are the national team representing the whole continent.
RIDDELL: Colombia are the first South American team to get this far since Brazil in 2011, and this was the reaction back home.
The watch party at the home of Captain Catalina Usme and she made it a day to remember with that historic goal. Meanwhile, keep an eye on France who has surged into the quarterfinals
with a formula win against Morocco. The blur were rampant here, killing of Morocco's dreams of further progress with a devastating eight-minute spell in the first half. The French scored three times in that period signaling the end of Morocco's historic run for the knockout stage, a feat that they have achieved in their very first world cup appearance.
The game was basically over by halftime. Eugenie Le Sommer adding two goals from Kadidiatou Diani and Kenza Dali and France made absolutely sure of the win when Le Sommer struck again for a fourth goal 20 minutes from time.
You may recall France hosted the last World Cup, going out in the quarterfinals. Their last clash this time will be against the hosts, Australia on Saturday.
The first quarter final features Spain against the Netherlands on Friday before Japan take on Sweden as I mentioned, it is going to be then France against Australia, while Colombia play the European champions, England.
Back to you
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Thanks to Don. And go Australia.
Well, the mayor of Tampa, Florida says that she reeled in a whopper of catch while fishing last month. It wasn't a shark. And not a swordfish. It was a 70 pound or 32 kilogram bundle of cocaine, estimated street value of the 25 bricks is just over $1 million.
Mary Jane Castor was fishing in the Florida Keys with family at the time and turned the drugs over to U.S. Border Patrol.
Castor is no stranger to fighting crime, having served 31 years with the Tampa Police Department before entering politics.
[01:54:45]
KINKADE: Well nothing is lost in translation at a busy Tokyo train station. That is thanks to new technology that helps passengers and ticket agents understand one another in real-time.
CNN's Marc Stewart has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Tokyo's busy Seibu Shinjuku station, it is a steady surge of trains, travelers, and at times, the need for translation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was actually really nervous coming, but I heard people here don't speak English.
STEWART: Now, a potential solution in this nondescript window, using voice translation technology.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I want to go to Matsumoto (ph) station.
STEWART: Users simply ask the question in their native language, it appears on the screen, and then immediately translated into Japanese for the staff to read.
The response is then translated back to the user's original language. The system is now on a test run. We asked travelers, including Fatima Horcher (ph) to try it out.
And you felt the translation was pretty spot on?
FATIMA HORCHER, TOURIST: Spot on. It's exactly what I said was on the screen.
STEWASRT: How many languages can this system translate?
It supports 12 languages.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're told the number of foreign visitors to Japan's growing. The screen was introduced so staff and customers can communicate smoothly, face to face.
STEWART: There are certainly apps for your phone, which can translate, but this system is simultaneous and it is face to face.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fact that it was at the same time, the fact that it really understood what I was saying.
STEWART: While the system is not always perfect, this technology is quickly improving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Research in the field of natural language processing and artificial intelligence is progressing very rapidly. So these systems are getting better and better. And I hope that they will be used, not only stations, but also in other places in the future.
STEWART: The manufacturer of the board hopes that could include airports, sporting events, and hospitals. Part of an effort to make sure everyone is understood, no matter what language they speak.
Marc Stewart, CNN -- Tokyo
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Thanks so much for watching.
I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have your company.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and fellow Aussie, Rosemary Church in just a moment.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN.
[01:57:22] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
