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Hala Gorani Tonight
End of a Political Era in Israel?; U.S.-Denmark Spying Allegations; Allied Aircraft Fly Over All 30 NATO Nations; Flags Fly At Half-Staff To Honor Children Found Buried Near Former Residential School In Canada; Report: China To Allow Couples To Have Three Children; Osaka Fines $15,000 For Avoiding Media At French Open. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired May 31, 2021 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
HALA GORANI, CNNI HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight, Israel could be close to the end of an era as multiple parties team up trying to end Benjamin Netanyahu's record breaking stint as prime
minister.
Then, new revelations about old friends. How Denmark helped the U.S. spy on Angela Merkel and other allies. And CNN brings you the 30,000 foot view as
NATO takes to the skies in a show of force and takes a very public stand against Belarus.
After more than a decade, Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as Israeli Prime Minister could be -- could be coming to an end.
His rivals say their finalizing a coalition deal that could oust him from power in just a few days. It comes after right wing politician Naftali
Bennett agreed to join the centrist opposition party leader in what he said was an effort to end two years of deadlock.
But Mr. Netanyahu is blasting the move, claiming it could pose a threat to national security, something he said before. And in other context, Hadas
Gold joins me now live in Jerusalem with more.
Talk to us, is this finally potentially the era of Benjamin Netanyahu and who could unseat this Titan of Israeli politics?
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Naftali Bennett last night announced that he would be joining these talks to form a new unity government where
Naftali Bennett would be Prime Minister first followed by Yair Lapid as part of a coalition that would include a wide swath of parties from the far
left to Naftali Bennett's Yamina Party.
And they would likely also need the outside support of a small Islamist Party called the United Arab List. This would be a unique coalition.
They're calling it a unity government and very -- but actually very few issues unite this coalition other than the fact that they do not want
Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD (voice-over): Nearly 10 weeks after Israelis cast their ballots and a decisive prime time move from former defense minister, Naftali Bennett.
NAFTALI BENNETT, ISRAELI YAMINA PARTY LEADER (through translator): It is now clearly proven; there is no right wing government possible with
Netanyahu at its head. It is either a fifth election or a unity government.
GOLD: Once a close aid to the prime minister, now perhaps the man to seek Netanyahu's 12 year unbroken run as Israel's leader.
BENNETT (through translator): I am announcing today that I intend to act with all of my strength to form a national unity government together with
my friend, Yair Lapid, so that God willing, together we will rescue the country from this tail spin and we will get Israel back on track.
GOLD: Minutes later, Netanyahu lashed back.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): He is deceiving the public again; the same lies, the same hollow slogans about
hatred and division. This from a man who is actually contributing to hatred and division, a man who is committing the deception of the century.
GOLD: Apparently no greater crime for Netanyahu than seeking to create a left wing government, an accusation at which Bennett scoffed, given his own
previous support for West Bank annexation.
BENNETT (through translator): The left is making difficult compromises when it bestows upon me, the former leader of the Yesha Council, in
proponent of the land of Israel in role of prime minister.
GOLD: Up to eight political parties would likely take part in any unity government. But sources close to coalition talks say the hard work has
already been done. The position of prime minister is widely expected to rotate with right wing Bennett going first and Centrist Lapid second.
An announcement could come in the next few days. Then parliament has a week to give its approval. Even so, in a country so long use to seeing Netanyahu
in power, few rule out the possibility of a further twist or two before the story finally resolves.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD (on camera): So now the coalition agreements need to be formally signed before Yair Lapid, who is the leader of that Centrist Party and
currently has the mandate to form the government, can go to the president, say that he has a government ready to be formed.
Then the parliament, the Israeli Knesset, needs to vote on this potential government before the government can be sworn in. So we are a few days away
before seeing this potential government sworn in and the way the Israeli politics tends to go, things can change very quickly.
And the numbers here are still pretty narrow. A few defections could case this whole coalition to crumble. As of right now though, it does seem to be
somewhat on the path towards them being sworn in but the Israeli political observers say they won't believe that this new government has actually --
is actually going to happen until this new government is formally sworn in. Hala.
[14:05:00]
All right, we'll continue to follow the story because it has so many implications for Benjamin Netanyahu. Can a government that has members
whose -- whose common interest is getting rid of Netanyahu actually function?
We'll be following story and we'll stay in touch with you, Hadas Gold. France and Germany say they are seeking full clarity on a stunning report
that says the United States spied on several top European politicians from 2012 to 2014 during the Obama administration with the help of Danish
intelligence.
One of those politicians was allegedly German chancellor Angela Merkel. She discussed the report today during a virtual conference with French
President Emmanuel Macron. He said if true, the espionage with the help of the Danes is unacceptable between allies.
Let's bring in CNN intelligence and security analyst Bob Baer. He was a top operative in the CIA. Thanks, Bob, for being with us. The obvious question
is why would the Danes help the Americans spy on their European allies?
ROBERT BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, there's always been a special relationship between the Danes and the United States and
especially the National Security Agency. This goes way back.
The Danes also have been very helpful to Israel, more than the Europeans. So it doesn't much surprise me. Of course the question is why would the
United States spy on Merkel and the other European leaders.
GORANI: And why would they? I mean I was under -- correct me if I'm wrong, I was under the impression that you spy on your enemies, you spy on your
friends, you spy on whoever you can spy on because intelligence is a good thing to have and more intelligence is a better thing to have.
BAER: Exactly. But in this case the United States is very interested in the relations, for instance, between Merkel and Vladimir Putin. With Nord
Stream 2 with this pipeline supplying gas to Europe, we would like to know how serious they were about it, what's going on. The Europeans often do not
share secrets with the United States. So going to the Danes to do a cable tap like this doesn't much surprise me.
GORANI: Well, the current Danish government -- I mean this happened, according to reports now almost eight years ago. This was during the Obama
administration and the current Danish government is saying, you know, if this is true it is unacceptable.
European leaders today are saying it is unacceptable. I wonder, is this something though that the U.S. would still do is it had an opportunity to
do it?
BAER: I think absolutely. I mean, you know, with -- we spend $80 billion a year on intelligence, we got to spy on somebody. We fail -- I mean this
sounds cynical, I realize, but we fail in Moscow and Beijing so the next best thing is to spy on the Europeans.
It's just been a reality forever. And by the way, the French used to spy on the United States actively and in Paris when I was there. The Germans don't
but on the other hand --
GORANI: They don't.
BAER: Well, no. I've never heard of the Germans spying on Washington, running agents or tapping American phones. So this is pretty much one
sided. But again, it doesn't surprise me and I think we'll keep doing it but it's sort of too bad because if the Danes were typing in to fiber optic
cables that could be very useful to Washington and this exposure will probably end that.
GORANI: Well, I was going to -- that was going to be my next question. Practically how does it work because the report details a certain number of
very private communications that might have been hacked into, including texts, calls, which means a wire tap? I don't know how that would work or
would it be just a transcript of a call. How does it work logistically and practically?
BAER: Well, the United States doesn't need the help of Denmark to tap telephones -- cell telephones. But for fiber optics, which go under the
sea, you actually need to get physical access to them and -- and bend the cables so the light spills out and then you can read them.
So Merkel may think she's fine on a landline or -- or a lot of other communications other than a cell phone but not in fiber optics. Well, now
it's clear that the Europeans are vulnerable to this.
It -- it -- Danes are very good. They have a very good intelligence agency and like I said, they've been very cooperative with Israel and the United
States. And unfortunately whether this was a mistake or not on the part of the United States, this was going to be another avenue intelligence, which
I imagine, is going to close down.
GORANI: All right. Bob Baer, thanks very much. Joining us from Colorado with more on this story. And turning now to Belarus and an escalation in
the country's crackdown on journalist.
Yet again, the chief editor of a local news website was detained over the weekend on suspicion according to the authorities there of extremism.
[14:10:00]
It comes more than one week after dissident (ph) journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested after their plane was
diverted.
But with the threat of U.S. sanctions looming, Russia is now running to the rescue, wanting to make sure Belarus stays in its orbit. Moscow is pledging
to help its ally resist growing Western pressure and announced plans to boost up its forces in certain regions.
Well, NATO now is restricting access to its headquarters for a group of Belarus officials in the wake of that diverted flight. Let's get more on
this by CNN's Nic Robertson who joins me now live. And you had an opportunity to fly -- to take part in a fly over -- a NATO fly over.
But first, let me ask you this, what is this NATO decision to restrict access to its headquarters to Bela-Russian officials? Why would they have
had access in the first place?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, they would have had access because of a sort a big neighbor of NATO and being invited to
certain conversations. NATO has always said that it wants to have conversations with its eastern neighbors, with Russia, with Belarus.
Obviously Belarus has an interest in Ukraine's orientation towards NATO, wanting to join NATO. So -- so there has been, you know, this opportunity
for Belarus officials to be in Brussels and to meet with NATO officials.
But it's clearly what we're hearing from Jens Stoltenberg today is now of such a significant concern at NATO headquarters that they're security
assessment now, this is NATO's security assessment is such that it would not be in their safe and best and secure interest to continue -- continue
to allow that access to happen.
What we've seen today over the skies of Europe is what NATO is calling their Operation Allied Sky, which is a huge demonstration of air capability
and capacity. More than 20 NATO nations taking part flying over all 30 NATO nations today in a show of what's being described as enhanced training, as
enhanced -- enhancing compatibility.
But what we saw up in the skies was -- was a super tanker, a U.S. Air Force Stratotanker refueling a U.S. Air Force long range bomber. The bomber was
flown out of Spain. It was heading back to the mission over -- further into Europe and the tanker was one of the -- like one of those sitting behind me
at the airbase here.
This is NATO's visible message to Vladimir Putin, to Belarusian officials as well that NATO stands ready for -- for any threat be it take -- getting
a civilian plane to land or any other threats that are perceived to come from Russia at the moment.
GORANI: All right. And so was this a show of force, was it symbolic, was there any operational value to what NATO did with this fly over?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think it's all of those things. Look, you have to take it as -- as a very big NATO operation. One that sees, you know,
aircraft from 20 different NATO nations flying over all NATO nations in one day.
That's a lot of moving pieces. You know when we were up in the sky today; we could physically see this Strato fortress, this long range bomber
getting refueled, there were two British fighter jets flying alongside it.
So a very big operation that yes, it's a visible message. But what we heard from talking to the piloters, this improves their skill set; this improves
their drills for doing this. This helps enable them to work better with other nations in coordination on big operations like this.
It is -- NATO sees it as the show of common deterrence that NATO can work together, it can dominate the skies and it can refuel its long range
bombers literally almost within sight of Russian territory. Yes it's a visible message, yes, it's also real training.
GORANI: All right, Nic Robertson, thanks very much.
Well, speaking of Belarus, protests were held in several European cities over the weekend to show support for the opposition in Belarus. It was part
of a global day of solidarity. In Lithuania's capital, demonstrators shouted slogans against Belarus' authoritarian president and they waived
red and white flags of the opposition.
In Warsaw, hundreds of protestors called for tougher sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko and his regime.
Quick break. When we come back we'll bring you the latest on COVID. Brits are enjoying the hottest day of the year today but you and worrying data
might put a big damper on people's summer plans, not just in this country but across the region. We'll explain.
[14:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, this just in, tennis star Naomi Osaka has announced that she is withdrawing from (inaudible) the French open. It comes after she was
fined $15,000 for skipping a news conference after a match. Osaka had threatened to do so last week. She was citing mental health concerns.
In a statement she says in part that the move is the best thing for the tournament, the other players and her own wellbeing. We'll talk about this
with sports analyst, Christine Brennan, a bit later in the show whether there's support for this notion that athletes should be able to pull out of
their commitments to speak with journalists based on mental health concerns.
Now to COVID. The spread of the highly contagious Indian variant here in the U.K. has Europe worried. France said today it will restrict entry to
all but EU nationals, French residents and those traveling for essential purposes.
It's all very bad news for U.K. residents who for months have been looking to June 21st as what's being called Freedom Day. The day the government had
hoped to have all restrictions lifted.
Scientists now say that date should change. They're warning of a third wave and say cases are rising rapidly, way too rapidly with the potential to
explode. One of the scientists ringing the alarm is Professor Ravi Gupta. He's a professor of clinical micro biology at the University of Cambridge
and he joins me now from Cambridge, England.
Professor Gupta, first of all you say the U.K. could be even as we speak, in the early stages of a third wave. When we look at the number of
hospitalizations and deaths, it doesn't appear to be the case. So what makes you say that now?
RAVI GUPTA, PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE: Well, thanks for having me on the show. Yes, I mean so -- so
hospitalizations have been going up. So we have had a 15 percent increase, I think, in hospitalizations. And something like a 25 percent increase in
cases.
So -- so we are seeing the knock on effect. Of course it was going to be slower and we predicted that because of course you have a partially
vaccinated population. A population were many people have been infected previously, maybe up to one in two.
So the -- the knock on effect are going to take time. It's not going be like before where things happen very, very quickly.
GORANI: Right.
GUPTA: And that's why I and others are saying that this is the beginning.
[14:20:00]
GORANI: So what should happen then? What should the government do? Not just in the U.K. but in other countries? I'm sure you seen video of
Memorial Day in the United States where people are visiting family. They're traveling cross country. They are congregating in large numbers on beaches,
et cetera, et cetera. What do you think should happen?
GUPTA: I mean this is for each country to decide. And I guess we do need a global kin of view on this. But the problem is that the epidemic is
different in each country and resources and vaccination coverage is different. So without a global plan each country is now left to make its
own decision, which is, you know, not a great position to be in.
What should happen, I mean I can only give my personal opinion, which is for a delay for a few weeks.
GORANI: I want to show our viewers the full vaccination percentage. So in the United States, over 40 percent of people have been fully vaccinated. In
other words, they've had two jabs. The U.K. is one of the most vaccinated countries on the planet. Almost 40 percent at 38.1 percent. France, as an
example country. We're not picking on France but France is at 16.4 percent.
At what percentage would you be -- would we have to see in order for us to be more comfortable opening up fully?
GUPTA: Well, you know, in terms of classical herd -- I don't want to use this term but herd immunity sort of work. You know the estimates were for -
- for -- for the population to be protected in the face of antibody protection or immune protection it was -- you know we're looking at
something above 80 percent usually.
GORANI: OK. Let me just give you my case because it's one I'm A, curious about B, and also I think quite typical of people over the age of 40. I am
51. I've had both jabs. I'm now fully vaccinated. My parents who live in France are in their 70s, they're both fully vaccinated. I am told I cannot
go to France to visit them. Why not?
GUPTA: So this gets into a difficult area, which is that of course when you've had two doses of most vaccines, the majority of individuals will
have high levels of protection and immunity. But of course some people don't respond so well.
And we don't really have a good program for checking who has been -- who has responded and who hasn't. So there's that issue. Of course the other
issue is that we know that being vaccinated doesn't necessarily protect you from infection, especially with certain variants such as the B1.351 or the
-- that it was originally identified in South Africa or even the -- the variant identified in India, the B1.617.2.
So you can get infected and transmit it to others. So this is the -- this is the real issue at the moment.
GORANI: I guess the question then would be, I mean, a virus mutates, obviously I'm not a virologist but we've been following this story for so
long now we've learned the basics of how a virus behaves like this.
It's going to keep mutating. We'll continue to have variants. At what point, despite the fact that new variants will emerge, will we be able to
say OK, we've got to get back to some sort of normal life, despite the fact that vaccinated people can catch the virus that is mutated.
GUPTA: Yes, I mean I think that -- you know there are two -- two scenarios here. One is the scenario where you in a country that has the resources
that it's able to get to, you know, 80 percent and above. In other words, the U.S. and the U.K. at the moment and a couple of other countries.
So if you can get there, then it makes sense to drive infections down and to get vaccination high so that you are in the best position to control
virus longer term. If you have partial vaccination and you allow everything to just open up prematurely, you're -- you're -- you're just -- you're
losing a lot of the benefits of that vaccination program, in my view and others.
Because you will get severe infections, you will get deaths, you will get transmissions, you will get disruption of your health system because once
these variants get into hospitals, people will panic. And of course, you know, there are vulnerable people in those hospitals. We're already having
too spaced out, you know, operations and various procedures.
There are huge -- millions of people waiting for -- for urgent critical medical care in hospitals. If these become a problem in hospitals, you
know, it's going to affect every one of us in some way or the other.
GORANI: Yes.
GUPTA: And I don't think that's being discussed.
GORANI: Yes, absolutely. I mean the backlog just in this country in the U.K. and in the countries as well of routine surgery is so long it might
take years to clear up. And you said hospitalizations because of the -- the mutation of the -- of the virus, the so called Indian variant are up. But
they are a lagging indicator. In other words, we could see that number go up even more in a few weeks.
GUPTA: Inevitability that number will go up because we -- we did a partial opening of society just a couple weeks ago and that will have knock on
effect that's not being -- that's probably isn't in the data yet. It will take a few more weeks just to see that.
[14:25:00]
GORANI: All right. Professor Ravi Gupta of the University of Cambridge, thank you so much for joining us on CNN this evening. We appreciate your
time and expertise.
GUPTA: Thank you.
GORANI: In Brazil, protesters have taken to the streets over President Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic. Tens of thousands marched across the
country of the weekend demanding better access to vaccines. Rafael Romo has more on the protests.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Screaming at the top of their lungs people on the streets say the leader of their country must go.
It was just one of the massive multicity protests held across Brazil this weekend against President Jair Bolsonaro.
It's our duty to fight for democracy this protester says. This government is no use to us. It doesn't serve the people and its political project is
to kill us.
The demonstrations against Bolsonaro in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Brasilia are some of the largest since the beginning of the
pandemic. Demonstrators had two main demands. Calling for the president's impeachment and getting better access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Impeachment, now, Bolsonaro must go, this protester said, adding that more people will die if he stays in power. Early in pandemic, the controversial
right wing former military officer down played COVID-19 as a (foreign language) a little flu.
The president also questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and was often seen greeting crowds of supporters without a mask before contracting the
virus himself.
(on screen): Brazil has been one of the hardest hit countries in the world and is now facing a possible third wave of COVID-19. Vaccination has been
slow. Less than 10 percent of its total population of 210 million is fully inoculated and the South American country currently has the third highest
number of infections after the United States and India.
(voice over): Some protesters say Bolsonaro's lack of action is tantamount to genocide. Cemeteries are full, refrigerators empty; this banner reads.
The Brazilian Senate has opened an investigation into the president's handling of the pandemic.
The protest happen only a week after a mask-less Bolsonaro led a motorcycle rally where he once again questioned the usefulness of measures to prevent
the spread of COVID-19. Rafael Romo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: What they were told was that when children were missing that they were told they ran away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: They did not run away. The truth, far more disturbing. Canada is reeling from an unthinkable discovery on the ground of a former boarding
school for indigenous children. We'll be right back.
[14:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Flags in Canada are flowing at half-staff to honor hundreds of children whose remains were found buried on the grounds of a former school
for indigenous children. The discovery has horrified the nation and it's reopen deeply painful wounds for the indigenous community. Paula Newton is
live in Ottawa with more. How did the children come to be buried on the grounds of that school?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hala, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the abuse, physical, sexual, and really the health care
inequity that existed in the schools. Hala, these children, mainly indigenous children, were taken from their families for decades and decades
separated from them forcibly. When they went to these so-called schools, many of them run by the Catholic Church, they were, as I said, physically,
sexually abused in many cases, and many times they were just neglected.
The issue here, and it is something that has been known for decades, is the fact that their families never knew what happened to them. And so many --
not just at this school, right across the country, were buried in unmarked graves and now we are learning in mass graves. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (voice over): The discovery is astounding and so, too, the anguish, leaving community members and much of Canada reeling the remains of 215
children, some as young as three buried for decades on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian residential school. Their deaths believed to be
undocumented, graves unmarked. The indigenous community in British Columbia calls it an unthinkable discovery and yet former students of the school
like, Harvey McLeod, who was subjected to abuse there, tell us they thought of nothing else for decades.
HARVEY MCLEOD, UPPER NICOLA BAND (through phone): What I realized yesterday how strong I was, as little boy. How strong I was as a little boy to be
here today because I know that a lot of people didn't come home.
NEWTON: It was one of the largest residential schools of its kind in Canada, but there were well over 100 across the country. Many, like the one
in Kamloops, was run by the Catholic Church and later by the federal government. According to Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
indigenous children were forced to attend the schools separated from families and many neglected and worse physically and sexually abused and
many disappeared, their families never knowing what became of them.
ROSANNE CASIMIR, TK'EMLUPS TE SECWEPEMC FIRST NATION: What they were told was that when children were missing, that they were told they ran away.
NEWTON: And new the community here knew that couldn't be true. Survivors and families of the missing children were sure a mass grave would be found,
but they were unprepared for the loss of 215 souls.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was devastating. It was actually quite mindboggling.
NEWTON: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that it is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter of our country's history. The
government's own commission says thousands of children likely died of abuse or neglect in the schools. The legacy now is one of intergenerational
trauma for many of Canada's indigenous communities. While the Archbishop of Vancouver and other individual societies have acknowledged the abuse, the
Catholic Church has never formally apologized. In 2019, Trudeau agreed decades of abuse perpetrated on indigenous peoples amounted to cultural
genocide.
Now, native leaders say it's time the governments step up. Two hundred fifteen pair of shoes are laid on these Vancouver steps. Finally, their
souls symbolically are at rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:35:00]
NEWTON (on camera): Hala, you know, the Prime Minister spoke just a few moments ago saying of course his government would step up, try and do what
they can do, identify. Unfortunately, what he even admits could be other grim discoveries right across the country.
GORANI: I mean it is absolutely shocking. Is someone going to pay for this?
NEWTON: You know, Hala, justice, right? They call it justice.
GORANI: Yes.
NEWTON: And that's what indigenous peoples have been looking for. But it is just so palpable today. Today in Canada, indigenous peoples do not have
justice that they look for, whether it's an equitable housing treatment by the justice system, health care, I could go on and on. And it doesn't
matter how many governments you put this to work, quite frankly, the Catholic Church for what's happened in the past, they do not get the
justice that they deserve. And, Hala, there have been hearings. Commission's going back for decades. It has not changed.
What many people hope is that this discovery will lead to a reawakening for many people, those who are not indigenous to understand what this means,
and that they have to act.
GORANI: And that adult man in your piece who said, ugh, I was such a strong child, that was so touching. Thank you very much. Paula Newton.
Well, we're talking about other children in another part of the world. The Nigerian government is, again, searching for missing students kidnapped by
armed gunmen. And one Nigerian lawmaker tells CNN, the country's security agencies are overwhelmed. This latest in a string of such raids took place
on Sunday at a school in the central part of the country and police say bandits rode in on motorcycles, shooting at random, and that they killed at
least one person.
North Korean state media is claiming that hundreds of orphans are "Voluntarily" working on farms and in coalmines after just graduating from
middle schools. The regime calls it patriotic service to the nation. But as Will Ripley reports, it's actually state-sanctioned abuse on a mass scale.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Answering the call of duty from their Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, North Korea's orphaned children in pressed
uniforms, flowery wreaths, racing to work at coalmines and farms.
COLIN ZWIRKO, SENIOR ANALYTIC CORRESPONDENT, NK NEWS: You can't determine their exact age, but they look quite young, and they look like middle
school students is accurate.
RIPLEY: Have we ever seen students that young doing this kind of work in North Korea?
ZWIRKO: This one is a little bit different because of just how young they appear on camera. We can see it with our own eyes how young these children
are.
North Korean propaganda praises these so-called child volunteers.
RIPLEY: How widespread is this and how young are the children that are volunteering to work?
LINA YOCH, SENIOR RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: I imagine happens to almost all children that do not come from privileged backgrounds or have
money to pay instead of working. Child labor is a very serious problem. But the sad reality for North Korea is that it's quite common.
RIPLEY: North Korea denies allegations of forced child labor. Just last week, its foreign ministry accused developed countries of exploiting
children. State media says these orphans are eager to show their loyalty to fulfill their oath to repay the ruling Workers' Party and the leader they
call father.
ZWIRKO: And that's how they would repay the love of this -- of the party, is to go to the coalmines and repay that debt.
YOCH: The mines house horrible conditions and, you know, there's a constant accident.
RIPLEY: On my trips to North Korea, orphans told me heartbreaking stories. Some lost their parents to industrial accidents, others to starvation
during the North Korean famine of the late 1990s. "My parents died a long time ago. I was so young." Jang Jong Hwa told me in 2015. At the time, she
was barely out of school, working full-time, caring for seven other orphans. Jang said she hopes they would grow up strong to serve the nation.
"Our country is one big family," she said. In North Korea, country always comes first. Even if it means a childhood of hard labor. Will Ripley, CNN,
Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come tonight, dozens of earthquakes, a looming humanitarian crisis, and the threat of yet another eruption. An entire
region is on edge in Central Africa. We're on the ground. We'll bring it over.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:42:17]
GORANI: The Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is on high alert. Dozens of earthquakes were recorded in the Goma area over the weekend, more than
one week after a deadly volcanic eruption. CNN'S Larry Madowo has the latest from the skies above the volcano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where deadly lava flowed in Mount Nyiragongo, now relatively harmless, a week after one of the world's most
dangerous volcanoes erupted. CNN flew around it with scientists, including a volcanologist who has studied the mountain since 1995. They need a few
more days to determine if the danger is gone.
DARIO TEDESCO, VOLCANOLOGIST, LUIGI VANVITELLI UNIVERSITY OF CAMPANIA: I'm not ruling out the possibility of another eruption. I'm thinking and I'm
saying that statistically, there is very few chances that this can happen. We are just --
MADOWO: Tedesco says the last eruption was impossible to predict. Nearby residents remain on edge. The Congolese city of Goma is surrounded by not
one but two active volcanoes, Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. I'm in the crater of the Second. Any of these could erupt at any time, bringing death
and destruction in their wake. The pain of the first eruption still burns. Immaculee Cabreba returns to where her home used to be.
IMMACULATE CABREBA, DRC RESIDENT (through translator): "I don't know how I'm going to get another house. Even my entire business got burnt in the
house.
MADOWO: She's stranded with six children and no income. Immaculee registers her loss with a local official but she doesn't think she will get any help
to start over. West of Goma, this choir in Sake rehearsals for Sunday service as normal, but church is already full with a congregation of
internally displaced people. They are among the 400,000 that fled. Without shelter for those evacuated, they ended up wherever they were welcome. Even
a stranger's front porches.
AGNES MILONGO, DRC RESIDENT (through translator): We know that cholera is in this area, so it's dangerous. There are limited toilet facilities and
they're not hygienic. And then we're also afraid that we might get COVID because we don't even have masks.
MADOWO: A day after CNN spoke to Agnes, she went back home against government advice. Not everyone has a place to return to. Many of the 900
homes that were flattened by the volcanic eruption belonged to some of these communities' poorest people. This was one of them. These were their
neighbors. All that's left now is a mountain of lava.
[14:45:03]
Their homes were made of tin or wood so they were particularly vulnerable and without insurance or government support, they might never rebuild. Even
though the cycle of natural disasters, disease and displacement, joy and faith are never far in the DRC.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: That was Larry Madowo reporting there with a remarkable piece from the skies where you can get a sense of the scale, the scale of the
devastation. China is hoping to avert a demographic and economic crisis by allowing couples to have up to three children now. It's the latest major
shift in the nation's strict family planning policy. Is it too little too late though? CNN's Scott McLean has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China is hoping that three is a lucky number for families in the world's most populous nation. On Monday, the
government announced it will allow couples to have up to three children instead of the current limit of two. The shift in policy comes after census
data showed a sharp decline in births low of 10 million last year, compared to nearly 18 million in 2016. And experts say the population in China is
getting older. With a smaller number of people in the workforce, the country's economic future could be at risk. Some residents say the changes
came too late for them. .
WU XIAO, MOTHER OF ONE CHILD (through translator): I think the country should have published this policy earlier. Couples like us have missed the
time that we could have another child.
MCLEAN: Beijing's one-child policy was in place for decades to slow the growth of China's population and reduce poverty. It was enforced with heavy
fines and even forced abortions. But that strict policy relaxed a little bit. Five years ago. The government allowed married couples to have two
children. But even that failed to boost birth rates. Many couples say it's just too expensive to raise children in cities.
GAN YUYAN, PARENT OF ONE CHILD (through translator): If there are better conditions, then we'd have more kids. Nowadays, young people have to buy a
house. This amount of pressure is already huge. And then you have to consider the cost of the child's education.
MCLEAN: Chinese media says the policy will come with supportive measures. But few details are available for now. Experts say the extra benefits will
be needed to convince people who are under increasing financial strain to make room for one more.
JEAN-PIERRE CABESTAN, PROFESSOR, HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY: Unless the government introduces real incentives, I don't think that Chinese couples
are going to have more kids in the coming years.
MCLEAN: A trend that has Beijing worried and looks unlikely to change. Scott McLean, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come tonight. This is a talker, tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has now pulled out of the French Open, citing her mental
health. We'll discuss coming up next. Stay with us.
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[14:50:25]
GORANI: Let's return to the developing story we're following this hour. Tennis star, Naomi Osaka, has announced she's withdrawing from the French
Open, Roland-Garros in Paris, it comes after she was fined $15,000 for skipping a news conference after a match. In a statement on Twitter, she
says in part that the move is the best thing for the tournament, the other players and her well-being Osaka only played one match in the tournament,
which she won. And when it was over, she avoided speaking with reporters.
Now you'll remember this is only the latest development in the story we've been following last week. She said she wouldn't attend to any press
conferences if the tournament at all, saying people often have no regard for players' mental health, essentially paraphrasing her that she didn't
want to answer questions from people who would bring her down or make her doubt herself. Let's discuss this with CNN Sports Analyst Christine
Brennan, who joins me live from Washington. So Christine, what do you make of this? Osaka is pulling out instead of fighting this, I guess? What do
you make of this latest development?
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: What an unfortunate turn of events, Hala, and something that I think was avoidable. Naomi Osaka is a terrific
tennis player. She's only 23 years old. She's already won four Grand Slam tournaments. She's the reigning Australian Open and U.S. Open champion, and
she is likable. She is excellent. She's an incredible talent. She's also spoken her mind on social justice issues, and war, the mass of various
victims of police brutality at the U.S. So she has made a presence in many ways. And she is beloved by millions of tennis fans and sports fans, also
the highest paid female athlete on the planet, $55 million last year.
And she's got an important message about mental health. I think if she picked up the phone or texted Chris Evert, or Billie Jean King a week or so
ago and said, hey, how would you suggest I handle this, they probably would have said something different. And I think that's where the problem laid,
that it was -- it became something that got out of control for Naomi and the issue of mental health was lost in the fact that contractually, she is
obliged to do interviews, as are all tennis players and most athletes around the world. And that is because they want to promote their sport and
women's tennis always has been in the lead at the vanguard of PR, and accessibility, and working with the media and I think that's why we saw
this explode in this manner.
GORANI: And Christine, you mentioned Billie Jean King, the legendary player, she put out a statement and part of it essentially indicates at
least from this short excerpt that she tweeted that athletes do have a responsibility to make themselves available to the media. "I'm a little bit
torn," she started by saying, "as I try to learn from both sides of this situation." But Osaka didn't get a lot of support from other athletes. You
just said also that it's a contractual obligation. She entered into a deal, speaking to journalists is part of her job. So what should other athletes
do with this? I mean, is it a -- is it now a question of any athlete who feels like this is imposing on their mental health saying I'm just not
going to speak to the press?
BRENNAN: I hope not because there's a -- often and usually a very good relationship between the media and the athletes. And Naomi Osaka said that
in her statement that just came out of a half hour or so ago, Hala, where she said I'm sorry to all of the cool journalists I deal with. Without the
media, without cameras, without reporters, without newspapers, without websites, there would be -- where would any tennis player be or any athlete
be, they be playing tennis or whatever sport with their friends on a Tuesday afternoon.
GORANI: Yes.
BRENNAN: They don't need the media. And I think that's where this went wrong. This mental health is so important and the issue is so important.
What Naomi says in her statement is heartbreaking, talking about the anxiety she's felt after winning the U.S. Open in 2018, why she wears her
headphones to block everything out. These are issues that we need to talk about and thankfully now hopefully we can talk about them and not deal with
this distraction and this explosion of, you know, interest and concern and a lot of controversy that was following the French Open. Now at least we
can talk --
GORANI: But where --
BRENNAN: -- which is more --
GORANI: Where does that leave Naomi Osaka? Because she was fined and it's part of a deal that, you know, she entered into to promote the sport. So
where does that leave her career?
[14:55:03]
BRENNAN: Well, she's got a promising career. As I said, she's only 23. So I think hopefully she'll be fine and hopefully she can get things squared
away. She said she's got issues to deal with. And that's one of the reasons that she withdrew from the French Open. She was fined $15,000. And, again,
it's -- she knows this, and (INAUDIBLE) and I (INAUDIBLE) but anyway, I'm hearing some noise coming through.
But anyway, if you can hear me, she's contractually obliged to do these interviews. And I think that that was the big mistake. And that's what
didn't go over well, and so that was a big part of the problem. But moving forward, we'll be fine if she can get some help and whatever she needs to
move forward in this spectacular career that she's having.
GORANI: OK. We -- sorry, we had a few audio problems. Thanks very much, Christine Brennan, for joining us. This has certainly been a very hot topic
online and there's so much to discuss here, the constant 24/7 social media, so many more engagements with the media, as well for athletes that feel
like, you know, they're just being pulled in so many different directions. Thanks, Christine, for that.
And despite ongoing calls to postpone the Tokyo Olympics this summer, athletes are moving forward with plans to participate in the games. The
Australian women's softball team left Sydney earlier today. They'll be among the first Olympic athletes to arrive in Japan. It is the clearest
sign yet that the games will in fact and indeed be held despite the threat of COVID. Officials insist they are doing all they can to keep everyone
safe. They've been saying that from the beginning of the opposition that they faced to holding the games.
Now, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his partner, Carrie Symonds, are married. The two tied the knot over the weekend in a small
secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in London. The couple announced their engagement early last year, and soon after that Symonds's gave birth
to the couple's first child, Wilfred, four years ago at age 29. Symonds became the youngest ever communications director for Britain's Conservative
Party. She's also credited with helping tidy up her husband's famously disheveled appearance, though it didn't work every day. Thanks very much
for joining us. I'm Hala Gorani. This is HALA GORANI TONIGHT and stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
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