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Trump Says Negotiations With Iran To Resume In Coming Hours; Russia: Ukrainian Drones Struck Wildberries Warehouse Sunday; Washington State Battling Worst Fire Season In 30 Plus Years; Winemakers Forced To Tweak Vintage During Hot, Dry Weather; Nepalese Climber Nirmal Purja's Body Recovered In Pakistan; Most Australian Children Still On Social Media Despite Ban. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 03, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:39]

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello wherever you are in the world, join now in the "CNN Newsroom" with me Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, Donald Trump says negotiations with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will begin later today. We'll look at how Tehran is responding.

Plus, massive fires force thousands to flee their homes in the American northwest. We will get the latest on the ground in Spokane, Washington.

And we'll tell you the story of how a LinkedIn message led to a man facing off against the world's best football players at the World Cup.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte."

HUNTE: Welcome. President Donald Trump says the U.S. and Iran will resume negotiations on Monday after he cooled off a planned attack on Iran over the weekend. Here is what he told reporters on Air Force One earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, now what we're doing is we're talking to them in a form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon. And was (INAUDIBLE). I'd love to do that and save a lot of lives. Save a lot of -- a lot of unnecessary power, to be honest with you.

It'll take many, many years to have it build it back. If it -- I don't think it would be even build it whole back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HUNTE: President Trump also claims there is a deal on the Strait of Hormuz and that there will be a deal on the denuclearization of Iran as he puts it. Tehran, for its part, is not backing down on its claim to supervise that critical waterway.

State media reports, Iran's foreign minister held several high-level phone calls with senior Saudi and Pakistani officials on Sunday.

Our Julia Benbrook has the latest for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump said the talks with Iran will resume on Monday after calling off what he referred to as a massive attack.

Officials had told our team leading up to this that the president was considering planning for new strikes against Iran and that that included an option of going after Iran's energy sites.

Now, Trump took to social media over the weekend to say that he was canceling that planned attack, but that that decision was contingent on Tehran rapidly making a deal.

I want to pull up that post for you now. In it, he said that the United States remains, quote, "locked and loaded." But added, "Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off any attack in that the parameters of a deal has been agreed to."

This move comes after Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince. And according to people familiar with that conversation, there was a push for de-escalation and concerns were expressed about these potential strikes.

Trump said that allies pushing for him not to go through with this did play a role in that decision.

Now, he says that parts, parameters of a deal are now in place. It's not clear exactly what that means, as we have heard him use similar language throughout this now more than five-month long conflict.

As he traveled back to Washington from here in New Jersey where he spent most of his weekend, he was asked specifically if there was a deadline to come to an agreement. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: To see how it is. We're ready to go anytime we want. Would I rather make a deal? I'm not looking to kill people, because people die. A lot of people die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: And it's important to note that throughout this conflict, we have seen Trump go back and forth between expressing hope for a diplomatic solution, a diplomatic breakthrough and threatening further escalation.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Joining me now is Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University in Doha. It's good to see you, sir.

President Trump says, he called off planned strikes because a deal may be within reach. And he says, talks are expected to begin today .

What do you actually expect those talks to look like? And how far apart are Washington and Tehran today?

MEHRAN KAMRAVA, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IN DOHA: Well, the goalposts have changed considerably since the beginning of the conflict.

First, they were -- there was talking about regime change then surrender. Now, what seems to be the discussion is opening the Strait of Hormuz.

[00:05:05]

And, of course, the Iranians want to retain some sort of administrative influence over the Strait in conjunction with the Omanis. And at the same time for Tehran, what's really important is sanctions relief, something that the United States can only partially do. At least the president can do. It takes an act of Congress.

So, the negotiations, if they were to take place, are extremely complex and complicated, not something similar to what the president would like them to be. Because from the Iranian perspective, it's the economy that's really important. Whereas, for the United States, it's simply the Strait of Hormuz at this point.

HUNTE: Trump also says that Gulf leaders helped persuade him to give diplomacy another chance.

How influential have countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar actually become in preventing a wider war?

KAMRAVA: The costs of this war for countries like Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait are extremely high. It's not just in terms of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the costs of everyday business.

So far, there's no shortage of foodstuffs, but you can imagine heavy construction equipment, household appliances, all of those kinds of goods that transit through the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to dwindle here in the Persian Gulf region.

And so, the costs are beginning to mount for countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the rest. And so, they are determined to ensure that diplomacy has a chance and that this conflict ends as soon as possible.

HUNTE: Of course, one of the key issues does remain with the Strait of Hormuz. Is there any realistic compromise that could satisfy both Iran and the U.S.?

KAMRAVA: Well, diplomacy is the art of the possible. And there's always possibilities for win-win scenarios.

Certainly, what we're seeing is that Iran is not backing down on its demand to retain some sort of administrative control over the Strait of Hormuz, but it cannot do so unilaterally. It has to do so in conjunction certainly with Oman and indirectly with the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

And so, I think it's quite possible for Iran and the rest to reach some sort of win-win scenario whereby there's no toll, for example, or any kind of a fee, but something similar to what we see in, for example, in the Strait of Bosphorus or in the South China Sea. So, those are definite possibilities.

HUNTE: Iran has repeatedly warned it could target regional energy infrastructure if attacked. How credible do you think that is?

KAMRAVA: Well, that's a very credible threat. In the past, Iranians have attacked the Ras Laffan gas facility here in Qatar. They have -- you know, these are facilities that are not militarily protected anywhere in the region. They're relatively easy to attack or at least to sabotage. Don't take sophisticated weaponry to attack these facilities.

And so that's why there is considerable and realistic worry here in the region that this conflict could certainly escalate.

If the Americans do go ahead and fit -- and hit Iranian oil facilities, the Iranians are certain to retaliate in places like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and even the United Arab Emirates.

HUNTE: OK. We'll leave it there for now.

Mehran Kamrava, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

KAMRAVA: Thank you.

HUNTE: Israel has expanded strikes across Gaza for a second straight day. The IDF says it targeted two elite Hamas commanders in Deir al- Balah, as well as military operatives in Gaza City and Jabalia.

The escalation comes despite President Trump announcing fresh progress towards an Israel-Hamas ceasefire on Thursday. Hamas has said, it is committed to disarming, but only after Israel stops its attacks.

Palestinians also gathered in Gaza City on Sunday to mourn a man, his pregnant wife, and their seven-year-old son, who were reportedly killed in an Israeli attack on a residential building. Officials' estimate more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the initial ceasefire plan was outlined in October.

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Russian officials say Ukrainian drone struck several targets inside the country, including another Wildberries warehouse. Wildberries is the country's largest online marketplace, and it has been the target of Ukrainian strikes in the past few weeks.

CNN's Clare Sebastian explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're losing our business in front of our eyes, says this woman.

Another, through tears, says she's lost 12,000 items of children's clothing. "I hope I have enough strength and courage to get through this," she says.

Over the past two weeks Ukraine's deep strike campaign, usually focused on oil refineries or military facilities, has taken a sharp turn into e-commerce, hitting multiple warehouses belonging to one company, Wildberries, Russia's equivalent of Amazon with around a 50 percent share of the country's online retail market.

ALEXANDER KOLYANDR, EUROPE DIRECTOR, EURASIA CENTER: It provided thousands upon thousands of individual sellers with income and it created the whole universe of online retail.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): A universe that Ukraine says now also includes sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment. We found drones and drone parts, helmets and bullet-proof vests all available.

One reviewer of this best writing, I sent it to my son in the special military operation, Russia's official euphemism for the war. He's very pleased.

Before the attacks, Wildberries founder, Tatyana Kim, was Russia's richest woman worth over $8 billion. A self-made entrepreneur now well connected in Kremlin circles and deeply intertwined with the banking sector. One of Russia's biggest banks, VTB, recently took a stake in Wildberries' financial arm and threw its mounting debt burden.

A fact Ukraine is fully aware of, says the co-owner of one of Ukraine's leading long-range weapons producers.

DENYS SHTILERMAN, CO-OWNER, FIRE POINT (through translator): If we take it down, it will inevitably lead to the collapse of a huge number of banks, including at least VTB.

KOLYANDR: Wildberries is still big to fail. And the state will definitely support Wildberries in this for that form. SEBASTIAN (voice-over): It's still burning after three days, says the seller, who drove to survey the damage at a Wildberries warehouse just outside Moscow. She says she lost around $100,000 worth of goods.

Lives at risk, livelihoods, up in smoke. A Russian success story, the latest casualty of Putin's war.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Authorities in Spain's North African territory of Ceuta are transporting more migrants back to Morocco. Most of the 60,000 people who crossed the border last week have already returned. And life in the tiny community has mostly gone back to normal.

But far-right leaders in Spain and elsewhere in Europe are using the deadly border rush to stoke public fear and anger.

The Vox Party leader is blaming Spain's pro-immigration prime minister, that's Pedro Sanchez.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO ABASCAL, LEADER OF SPAIN'S FAR-RIGHT VOX PARTY (through translator): We are facing an invasion, and it must be called that. I think that at this point, no one can deny that the arrival of 65,000 people, according to what is being said at the moment, is an invasion. And we are facing an act of war promoted by Morocco and tolerated and allowed by Pedro Sanchez in different ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: And immigration protesters gathered outside the Moroccan embassy in Madrid. They echoed the far-right description of immigration as a, quote, invasion.

E.U. foreign ministers will join an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address that growing backlash, and the threats by some E.U. leaders to now close their borders.

The state of Washington is battling some of its worst wildfires in decades. Coming up, residents return to their neighborhoods in Spokane County, only to find their homes completely destroyed. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: Welcome back.

In the coming hours, favorable weather conditions could help firefighters strengthen containment lines as Washington State battles its worst fire season in decades. Explosive wind-driven wildfires erupted across the state over the weekend, destroying hundreds of structures.

At least 60,000 residents have now been evacuated as three major fires burn in Spokane County. Officials say one of them, the Autumn Lane Fire, is now the highest priority blaze in the country. It remains very active, but crews have a relatively decent control of its boundaries.

More than 100 members of the National Guard have now been deployed there. Firefighters are also receiving support from more than a dozen states and Australia too. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.

Residents described leaving their homes with whatever they could carry and little else. While some are waiting on when they can return home, others have returned to complete destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIC FRANK, SPOKANE RESIDENT: I don't think I'm going to rebuild here because I don't ever want to have to relive a fire coming up this hill again.

And I've been in Spokane my entire 64 years because my little brother died in an accident when he was six. And that's why I stayed close to my family. I think it's time for me to leave Spokane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:20:01]

HUNTE: Joining us now is Josh Kerns, the County Commissioner for District III in Spokane, Washington. It's good to see you, sir, even under these times.

What is the situation on the ground right now? What are you dealing with in this current phase?

JOSH KERNS, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT III, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON: So just first off, thank you for -- for -- for having me on today. The -- the situation report that we just received from our Department of Emergency Management just a few -- few hours ago laid out that we -- we are now estimating 700 homes that have been lost due to these fires. We are just under 8,000 acres that have been burned and 21,000 homes are under some form of an evacuation order, whether that be levels one two or three when it -- when it comes to evacuations. And all three fires still are zero percent contained.

Forward progress has been stopped on the Fairview Fire, but is still listed at zero percent containment.

HUNTE: It was absolutely awful. We're just seeing some pictures while you're speaking there. Some awful, awful stuff.

This region sees wildfires every single year. What made this fire so much more destructive than what your community normally experiences? KERNS: So, what -- what was really a new thing for -- for this region that we haven't seen in over 135 years is that this was such an urban area that -- that -- that saw the devastation of these fires.

A few years ago, we had some of our -- our biggest fires ever in the Gray's road and Oregon road fires, but those were primarily in -- in rural settings.

What we saw yesterday and -- and the -- and this morning was, we were seeing a suburban type setting, urban and suburban settings. I mean, homes -- homes with sidewalks, with paved streets in front of them, homes that are on, you know, quarter acre to a third of an acre size parcels that were just devastated by this fire. And that -- that is just something that in -- in our region really is not heard of.

HUNTE: These pictures are just absolutely extraordinary is really, really awful stuff. And thank you to your team for working on them.

How has the firefighter response been so far? Are team starting to gain any ground? They said it's zero percent contained, but what kind of things are they working on right now?

KERNS: Yes. They -- they have been able -- they've had success in -- in creating fire lines and stopping the forward progress in many of these -- many of these fires. They -- they have been able to save homes.

I mean, the -- there's some of these neighborhoods where there are homes that have been -- that are burnt down, the house right next door is still standing. They -- they have had success at that.

We have over individuals from multiple agencies that are fighting this fire. Right now, we have support from air units, from fixed wing and helicopter units. Some of them are dropping water on the fire. Others are dropping fire retardant to create a barrier.

We have dozers out there trying to create those fire lines. We have -- we have fire engines. We have -- we have hand crews out there that are digging fire lines.

So, it is just -- it's been a tremendous amount of cooperation through mutual aid agreements that we have with area fire districts and with other states.

As you mentioned in the lead-in, we have -- we have assets whether that be personnel or equipment from over a dozen other states. Some as far away as Florida and Alaska that are here helping us fight these fires.

HUNTE: Kind of on that point, you have seen an enormous community response. What stood out to you so far in terms of what people have been willing to do to help?

KERNS: You know, one of the things that -- that I think just -- just -- just really shows how it's such a horrible event can bring out the best in -- in our community is, you know, first off, we've seen from our -- from our -- our local school districts.

Spokane public schools. They're opening up a day camp for individuals to drop off children, ages four and up, to -- to a place for them to be safe. They'll be provided lunch free of charge. The mead school district here locally, Mt. Spokane High School, which is my alma mater is the staging area and housing for many of these firefighters That are -- that they're battling these blazes.

We have -- we have restaurants, business owners that are donating food to not only the survivors, but also the firefighters themselves. Our public facilities district, which runs our -- our Spokane Convention Center. They -- they are -- they have a space that they can flex up to 120,000 square feet. And that is operating as our evacuation shelter and the Red Cross is running the operations out of that.

[00:25:19]

Our county fairgrounds is -- has been opened up to allow folks that have livestock if they need a place to -- to take their animals that is safe to get away from the fires.

The City of Deer Park, which is a tremendous city that is several miles north of the fire, they've opened up their parks for R.V.s to locate there, for folks that are evacuating and open up the bathroom, so they have access to those facilities.

We -- and just the number of folks that -- that I've seen on social media, just putting out blanket posts to the community that if you need help, they have a room. They have a safe home for you to come to if anything you need to reach out.

So, I mean, it's -- I've had folks that -- that have texted me. I was lucky enough. I -- I was about two miles outside of the evacuation zone, but I've had multiple people text me and say, hey, I know you live up that way. Is there anything you need? Do you need help? Any assistance?

So, it's just -- just tremendous. I -- I can't say it enough. I live in one of the most amazing communities in the country. And it's -- it's -- it's unfortunate that it takes a -- a devastating situation like this to -- to really show just how caring folks are for each other here.

HUNTE: Well, like you say, it's absolutely devastating, but I'm glad to end on a tiny bit of good news there. And my team and I all wish you the best with dealing with this.

Thank you, Josh Kerns.

KERNS: Absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity.

HUNTE: Thanks.

Well, we are also following efforts to contain fires in Europe too. Greek investigators are looking into what caused two helicopters to collide on Sunday while aiding firefighting efforts. The country's fire service reports, the two crew members from one chopper died in the accident. Greece is one of the latest countries to experience summer wildfires due to record breaking heat waves.

Meanwhile, new fires continue to ignite in France, causing new evacuations as a precaution. Just days earlier, the French prime minister said that those fires were under control.

The French interior minister says more than 119,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of the year. That is more than 11 times the size of Paris.

In addition to the fires, unseasonably hot weather is forcing winemakers to adapt. Some have been lucky enough to avoid these massive wildfires, but hot weather has been enough to change the taste of this year's vintage.

CNN's Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not very far from the edge of the Gironde wildfire, some of the Bordeaux region's finest grapes are ripening.

The owner of Chateau Smith Haute Lafitte says they were lucky. The flames were 18 kilometers away and the smoke never made it here.

BELL: And looking at these grapes, it isn't simply that the -- the smell came to you for a couple of times, a couple of hours. You didn't get the smoke.

FLORENCE CATHIARD, OWNERM, SMITH HAUT LAFITTE WINERY: No.

BELL: We're far from the fires and the grapes are such that they are impermeable at this point anyway.

CATHIARD: Totally, because you see, if you touch them, it's very hard. And we didn't -- we have maybe two hours of bad smell, not -- not -- not ashes, nothing. So, it's perfect.

BELL (voice-over): The vineyard here go back to the 14th century.

From the vantage point of the Chateau's tower, Florence Cathiard, explains that the real challenge this year has been protecting her organically grown grapes from the summer's extreme heat.

BELL: Wow, it's beautiful from up here.

BELL (voice-over): Under the Chateau's floorboards, you get a glimpse of what's at stake. They call this paradise, where the property's most ancient and expensive wines are kept.

YANN LAUDEHO, WINEMAKER, SMITH HAUT LAFITTE WINERY: This is a very special place. And in fact, you can have -- you -- you can see here all the bottle, the -- all this we have here. It is 1878.

BELL (voice-over): As we taste 2016, Jan Lodeo says this year's vintage will be unharmed by the fires, but redrawn by the heat.

LAUDEHO: I try to make the best wine we can make for each vintage.

BELL: So it's a reinvention?

LAUDEHO: Yes, exactly.

BELL: Unlike recent vintages affected by wildfires in Napa, those of the Bordeaux region appear to have emerged relatively unscathed.

ROBERT JOSEPH, WINE WXPERT AND INDUSTRY ANALYST: It looks as though the problems of smoked taint, which is the biggest fear, there may be some, but they won't be very much by the sound of it. But it certainly won't be anything like what we saw in California in 2020, for example.

BELL (voice-over): Leaving now just the question of what sort of vintage such a hot and dry summer will yield, even now that the fires appear to have been tamed.

Melissa Bell, CNN, in the Bordeaux region.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:30:00]

HUNTE: The body of one of the world's most renowned mountain climbers has been recovered following an avalanche in Pakistan.

Still to come, we discuss the impact of a Nirmal Purja had on the climbing community and the latest on search efforts for the other missing mountaineers. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: Welcome back. I'm Ben Hunte. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

[00:35:05]

U.S. President Donald Trump says, negotiations with Tehran will resume on Monday after he said over the weekend that he had cooled off plan strikes on Iran. President Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday that, quote, there is a deal on the straight on the Strait of Hormuz. And then there will be a deal on what he calls the denuclearization of Iran.

Firefighters in Spokane, Washington will see some of their most favorable weather conditions in days on Monday. As the state battles its worst fire season in more than 30 years, hundreds of structures have been destroyed since a series of wildfires broke out over the weekend. At least 60,000 people have not been evacuated.

Peru has temporarily suspended operations for a sightseeing airline, Aerodiana, as it investigates a deadly plane crash. Eleven European tourists and two crew members were killed on Saturday after the crew reported mechanical problems near the Nazca Lines site. The official cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed.

The body of world-renowned mountain climber, Nirmal Purja, has been recovered in Pakistan. Purja died following an avalanche in a Karakoram range in Pakistan's northeast. The Nepalese mountaineer set records by quickly traversing some of the world's tallest peaks. Purja was one of 10 climbers who went missing following the avalanche on Broad Peak.

Let's bring in CNN's Mike Valerio who's following the story for us from Beijing. Mr. Valerio, always good to see you.

But even in these terrible times, this is absolutely tragic news. What have you been hearing?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think to answer that question of what we've been hearing, it's how people, Benny, around the world have been so moved by this tragedy. It's not just Nims Purja who we've lost and who have accomplished incredible feats, but also the nine other climbers who were part of this expedition, inspiring people around the world.

Let's just get to the list of names that we have so far. The identification process, very complex and slow-moving. And the gravity of it, of course, is astounding because of the conditions that first responders and rescuers are working in right now.

So we have, of course, Nims Purja, who's from the United Kingdom, a U.K. citizen, born in Nepal. Nadhira Al Harthy from Oman, inspiring millions of people, especially seen on social media over the weekend. Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal. And then we have Sarah Mallory Geis from the United States.

We're still working on reportable biographical details of so many of these people. I think it is interesting, though, that Al Harthy from Oman spoke with CNN back in 2021. And she used her profile to empower other Muslim women and girls, including her 32 nieces, Benny, to take on endurance sports.

Of course, Nims, if you're just joining this storyline, he rose to prominence back in 2019 when he scaled all 14 of the world's tallest peaks above 8,000 meters or 26, 300 feet for all the Americans watching. And that previous record had taken about seven years. And in 2019, he did it in under seven months.

So, one of the reasons why this has left so many people forlorn and disconsolate around the world is because Nims and his team members said, we're going to do this for all these mountains, including in the Karakoram, Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world that you're seeing in Pakistan and the border of China right there. If we can do this, you can scale your own mountains, be it a health challenge, personal growth, or other challenges that you have in your life. So, we see that resonating on social media with the loss of these climbers.

So, what we're following today is very much the recovery efforts and the identification efforts. Our reporting led by Sophia Saifi, our super senior producer in Islamabad, Pakistan, she had reported over the weekend that even though there were clear conditions, the hazards of a high-risk of avalanche has made this process incredibly slow and complex.

And we certainly tip our hats to the first responders who are carrying out this work. So, that is the latest that we have right now. The list of those identified is expected to grow.

Nims Foundation, for what it's worth, posting on Instagram over the weekend, quote, today we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy, including his trusted climbing partners and guides. His legacy will live on and the countless lives he changed and the people he inspired to climb their own mountains.

Nims Foundation is also saying that everybody did not survive this avalanche, Benny, but that is not confirmed by authorities. So still a very slow process and global mourning of this tragedy, Benny.

[00:40:05]

HUNTE: It's awful stuff. Mr. Valerio, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Australia made the unprecedented decision to ban social media for children under 16. However, a new report shows that the ban isn't proving to be much of a deterrent. We will have more on that story after this quick break. See you in a moment.

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[00:45:02]

HUNTE: Welcome back.

Australia's attempt to keep kids off social media doesn't seem to be working. The country kicked off a ban back in December.

But a new study reveals that three months later, more than 80 percent of kids, aged 10 to 15, are still using social media there, with most reporting daily use. Australia's internet regulator says, the social media platforms themselves are to blame by failing to implement effective HX and barriers too.

Let's talk about it. I want to bring in Sabrina Caldwell. She's a senior lecturer in ethics, in technology, at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. It's good to see you.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for under 16. So, in your opinion, has this actually worked?

SABRINA CALDWELL, SENIOR LECTURER, ETHICS IN TECHNOLOGY, UNSW CANBERRA: Well, I'm very proud of Australia for taking this measure. I think that it's -- it was never going to work perfectly. It was always going to start out working imperfectly. And it's a really difficult thing to do. But I'm very excited about what's happened so far. I realize that children always find a way to get back on to social media, one way or another.

But the disruption effect and the positive outcomes that have already occurred are really encouraging. So, I think that we can be looking forward to a future which is going to be safer for children online.

HUNTE: Let's talk a bit more about that though, because the new government back report suggesting more than 80 percent of Australian teens are still using social media, despite the ban. Surely that means that the ban has failed. Surely.

CALDWELL: Oh, no. Absolutely not. It has not failed. It just started. It's a very complex nonlinear system, as I think they actually said in the report, which I was very -- I really liked that description.

Of course, it's not working that well, so far. This is -- one of the big problems that we have is the platforms aren't actually cooperating of the 10. But keep in mind that in Australia, we banned 10 of them. Not all -- not all of -- all social media platforms that exist. The 10 major ones, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube.

We've already had Roblox starting to put in new brand-new age restrictions voluntarily to help children. And five of the ones that I described just a moment ago are actually under investigation for not complying with the age restriction rules.

So, one of the big problems is that the platforms aren't working. But I -- I also would love to talk more about the things that are, in fact, working because there's a lot of countries in the world that are watching us and we should still feel positive about what's happening.

HUNTE: And I like that. I'm team positivity. So, let's get into it.

You have argued that ban was never going to be perfect. A lot of experts have also talked about that.

So, tell us, what is the strongest evidence that has made a positive difference for children and families?

CALDWELL: Well, there's been a couple of surveys that have taken place already that have shown that for starters, parents have a much stronger position when they have a conversation with their children.

It isn't just a case of saying, I don't want you on social media platform. It's a case of saying society says it's not good for you. It's not good for your mental health. It's not good for your physical health to be on social media all the time.

I believe that there are definitely places and approaches for children to be on social media, but not the way it's currently set up. So, we're already seeing parents having a stronger position when they're having a conversation with their children about why social media engagement is not a great idea. There has been lots of anec -- anec -- excuse me, anecdotal stories here that have happened where people are saying, my children are having better conversations with me. They're more engaged with the family. They're more engaged with their friends. They're getting out and doing more physical exercise. And don't forget that there are plenty of children that are now no longer on social media that used to be there as well.

So, even though it's the case that it's a really slow-going process, we are definitely seeing that there are fewer children on -- on social media than there were. So, there's more protected children.

There's a -- there's a number of other things. One of the things that I think is really key is that we have let children know that there's a line. It's not OK to just say, society says it's fine. Go investigate everything you can possibly find online.

Society here in Australia is saying, this is a dangerous place for you to be. You can be subjected to cyberbullying, to radicalization, to exploitation, to blackmail. And these things are not okay with us for you.

So, when a child decides to cross that line, they're doing it with the knowledge that they're doing something that society says is not any good for them.

HUNTE: And just really quickly, other countries are very closely watching Australia, including my home nation of the U.K. Would you still recommend a ban?

[00:50:02]

CALDWELL: Absolutely. I think that one of the thing -- for two reasons. The first one is that it really needs to be the case that there's more time for children to get their files offline to -- to make copies of things.

And the other thing is, is that if -- there's been a lot of talk about parents being completely responsible for this. And I think that we really do need to shift that over to the suppliers of the content and get them to come to the party more.

HUNTE: OK. Let's talk about this again very soon. Sabrina Caldwell, thank you.

CALDWELL: Thank you.

HUNTE: World Cup fans are still buzzing about Cape Verde's world-class performance at this year's tournament.

Still ahead, we'll hear from one of the team's defenders as he reflects on their time in the spotlight. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: There were so many memorable moments from this year's World Cup, but perhaps none as electric as the meteoric rise of Cape Verde.

In their first-ever appearance in the tournament, the small West African island nation held their own against top ranked teams, winning the hearts of fans all around the globe.

Earlier, World Sport's Patrick Snell spoke with center back, Pico Lopes, about his unexpected roots to the Blue Sharks' roster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Pico Lopes, how do you go from getting a random LinkedIn message to playing against Lionel Messi at the World Cup?

PICO LOPES, DEFENDER, 2026 CAPE VERDE WORLD CUP TEAM: Yes. It's a -- it's a crazy story, a crazy journey from -- from where it's been. Like I didn't become a professional footballer until I was 24. Before, I had to rely on like planning power time and on the education and trimming education in college.

I had to set up a LinkedIn profile. And never did I think I'd like set up that profile would lead me to international football. But it just got out to show you, you leave now song untorn, then you continue to work hard every day and believe and dream. Anything is possible.

SNELL: Is it true you initially ignored the message on LinkedIn inviting you to join the national team with Cape Verde?

LOPES: Yes, I did. So the manager at the time, Rui Aguas, he -- he wrote to me in Portuguese. And I didn't speak it like in just sort of thought it was maybe a welcome message or a spam message, and if there's anything serious in this, maybe they -- they come back or get in contact with my club.

So, I ignored it. But probably nine months later, he wrote back me in English and -- and asked if I considered the -- the original message to the opportunity there. Like I did (INAUDIBLE) fourth place and Google translated it. And it turns out he was asking me to -- to represent Cape Verde on the -- on the international stage.

SNELL: And I wonder if you had to pick one, what would be the one standout moment or memory from the World Cup you'll simply never forget?

LOPES: Just finding out that we -- we qualified out of the group was -- was amazing for us. As I say, like we -- before the ball was kicked, we were given one percent chance. And to show that it was possible what one percent can do like in a group where you have Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

It was so sort of feeling of, yes, we -- we belong here, like, we deserve to be here. It was -- it was just really, really, really nice.

We wanted to show that we deserve to be there with -- with the biggest nations and compete. I think, yes, again, like it's cemented that way, by getting out of a group that had two previous World Cup winners in it, like, that -- that really showed that we're here to be taken seriously. And -- and I think that was the goal of our team overall.

SNELL: The smallest ever nation to get to the knockout stages of a World Cup, Pico, the only team to stop Spain from winning a match at the tournament that they went on to win.

I mean, how did you do it? What are the special qualities of this group of players?

[00:55:00]

LOPES: A lot of things happened. Spain were a phenomenal team. And I think if they play the way they did against us, nine out of 10 times, they win the game, so you do need that bit of luck.

And I thought we defended well as a team. And you need your goalkeeper to have probably the best game on his life, and Vozinha did that. Everything seemed to go our way in that -- on that game.

But it was one where we got a point against them and we grew in confidence for the next game. So, it was huge for us. And, yes, I suppose to -- to look back now when the tournament's doing those. The -- the winners of the competition didn't score again. So they managed to take a point for them. And it's a great sort of (INAUDIBLE).

SNELL: And when the squad returned to -- to Cape Verde after the tournament, the reception there that the -- the players got, that you all got richly deserved must have been amazing. How special was that to be a part of, Pico?

LOPES: It was super special. And, you know, it was -- it was -- it was needed like for us as players. We were going to go out. And now that probably sounds mad that we -- we lost to Argentina before.

I think we -- we came so close to pushing them nearly all the way like maybe cause an upset. Like we probably would have loved (INAUDIBLE) and just roll the dice and see how that worked out. And I wasn't going to go back. It was a few members speaking (INAUDIBLE) just go, like, you're never going to get this opportunity to go again.

And it was the perfect way to sort of close off the tournament for us because (INAUDIBLE) was disappointed that we -- we didn't knock out Argentina in the tournament. And then you go back to -- to Cape Verde and you realize just how much it meant for the people just to see the name Cape Verde amongst them nations and how well we represented them. Like it was just what we needed and just finish the tournament on -- on the high for us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: It was a good weekend to be Spider-Man. The web crawling superheroe's latest film, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," brought in an estimated $355 million in the U.S. That's according to Media Research Company Rentrak.

Globally, the film brought in about $927 million, making it the second biggest opening weekend ever. It is extending a cinematic hot streak for the year. Massive films like "The Odyssey," shattered expectations just a few weeks ago.

Experts believe the summer blockbusters could make for a $4 billion movie season and maybe even a $10 billion overall box office this year. That's a lot of money.

That's what I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. I'll be right back with more "CNN Newsroom" after this quick break. See you in a moment.

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