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CNN NEWSROOM

David Ortiz Shot In Dominican Republic, Said To Be In Stable Condition; ISIS Beatles Apologize For Role In Holding Western Hostages To Ransom As They Await Fate In Syrian Prison; RFA Hopes To Sell One- Million Tournament Tickets; Israeli Hit "Fauda" Reaches Int'l. Audience On Netflix; Trump White House; Koreas Tensions; A Dangerous Precedent; Concerns on Repatriation; Myanmar Violence; Rohingya Crisis Plan. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 10, 2019 - 02:00   ET

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


[02:00:01] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: They packed the streets of Hong Kong, protesters showing their outrage as the city tries to pass a controversial extradition bill. But now, Chinese officials blame the United States for the massive demonstrations. We'll sort it all out for you. Plus, they fought for ISIS and now they're facing the consequences. We hear from two of the so-called ISIS Beatles.

Also ahead this hour, a show on Netflix brings attention to the deep rift between Israelis and Palestinians. We'll hear why it is both popular and controversial. We are live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. And we want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. The CNN Newsroom starts right now.

Two a.m. on the U.S. east coast. China and the United States divided by the tug-of-war on trade. And now, there is a new flashpoint to tell you about, a massive protest that took place in Hong Kong. Chinese state media say the United States is behind it because of the trade dispute. But trade is not the reason so many people took to the streets there.

As evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators you see right there, people who said they came together to protest the bill they fear gives the Chinese government too much power in Hong Kong. The legislation would allow criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China. Emotions have been running high on this issue.

And the protesters there, well, it went straight through Monday morning. For most -- for the most part, things were peaceful. The clashes did break out there in some places. Authorities say at least three police officers were hurt and several arrests were made during that time. The city's chief executive, though, is vowing to push ahead with this bill. But a pro-democracy lawmaker, many of them say it is time to get rid of it. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CLAUDIA MO, HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRATY LAWMAKER: We want this bill to be scrapped altogether, because there is no point to say that we can protect you under this label called rule of law, under -- when it comes to China extradition. This doesn't make sense. This just won't work because there is no fair trial. There is no humane punishment guarantees on the mainland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Our Andrew Stevens is following the story live in Hong Kong this hour. Andrew, by pointing the finger at the United States over the issue of trade, it is completely contrary to the reasons so many people expressed their reasons for protesting. It's really about this extradition bill that critics say gives the Chinese government too much power over Hong Kong.

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It gives China the power to ask the Hong Kong government to extradite people who Beijing accused of undergoing crimes or just someone that they don't like, someone who has been critical of Beijing. So there is this real fear in Hong Kong, if you like, George, that this extradition order, if it goes through, will open up China -- to open up Hong Kong, excuse me, to the judicial system on the mainland of China.

Which as we just heard is not seen as fair, certainly not seen as impartial. So the people are coming out here really to make that point. And they made that point hugely. A million people, according to protest organizers, and I've been in quite a few demonstrations here, covered them over the years, and it was certainly the biggest one I've ever covered, George.

LEMON: Andrew, look. The chief executive, though, is defending this bill, pushing ahead this bill that would allow suspects, as you point out, to be extradited to mainland China. What did she have to say about it, and did she address directly, Andrew, the massive protests that we're seeing with our own eyes? Perhaps, they don't see it in mainland China.

Perhaps, it's blacked out now. But we see it here with our own eyes, hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Hong Kong.

STEVENS: That's right. And to your point, China has been blacking out any coverage of CNN showing the protests. In fact, there have just been editorial comments, as you were referring to earlier. But Carrie Lam, she ostensibly addressed it. She had a press conference. And she told the press here that they were listening to the people of Hong Kong, and they had made changes to the extradition bill.

[02:04:49] They put in new safeguards. They made sure that extradition would only occur on a case by case basis. But these safeguards were all introduced before the Sunday march, the million- strong Sunday march. So as far as her addressing what has happened in Hong Kong in the past 24 hours, she basically didn't. She has stuck to her guns to say that we have put in safeguards.

She is not veering in any way. She's pushing towards having the next reading of this bill, which is the second of three readings on this bill on Wednesday. And at this stage, absolutely no indication of turning, just listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE LAM, HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE: I and my team have not ignored any views expressed on this very important piece of legislation. We have been listening and listening very attentively and very humbly to views expressed by various actors. So we have already made two sets of amendments to our proposals, one before the introduction of the bill, and one after the introduction of the bill.

The reality is after these additional measures have been introduced, and many of them concern human rights safeguards over and above what is now contained in the fugitive offenders' ordinance. We were told we received feedback that these additional measures are effective in addressing the concerns of the stakeholders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: It's very clear, George, on the streets at that protest yesterday, that the Hong Kong people don't want extra safeguards, they want this bill scrapped, pure and simple. And Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive, was asked whether she would scrap that bill. And she actually did not answer that question. But these safeguards, they're just not going down with the people of Hong Kong.

They don't feel that they're going to protect them enough, that human rights still remain an issue. It's not just people of Hong Kong. We saw thousands of lawyers marching on the streets in Hong Kong on Monday. We've had any number of business organizations on Monday, and business usually works hand-in-glove with the Hong Kong government.

Business is up in arms against this extradition order as well. So it's very much across the board. Yet, Carrie Lam has shown, as I said, no indication that she's listening certainly to these latest protests. And that she's going to make any changes at all.

HOWELL: Well, the framework between mainland China and Hong Kong remains one country, two systems. But again, Andrew, many people, many critics fear that this is the further erosion and encroachment of China, Chinese law, mainland law into Hong Kong. We'll continue to follow this story with you, Andrew Stevens, of course, the best person to share the reporting and insight on this story from Hong Kong. Thank you.

And for more on the protests in Hong Kong, you can get the very latest and more background on this very complex story at CNN.com. Breaking news we're following this hour. David Ortiz, the former baseball star with the Boston Red Sox, has been shot and wounded in his home country, the Dominican Republic. We understand that Ortiz is currently in stable condition.

Authorities there say the shooter was on a motorcycle and came right at Ortiz outside of a dance club. The bullet fired went through his stomach. Ortiz's father spoke to reporters outside the hospital. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEO ORTIZ, DAVID ORTIZ'S FATHER: The operation is over, and he is stable. We're just waiting for the doctors to take him out of the surgery room. He's resting right now. No, there are no other damages we know of. He is stable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Authorities say that several people are being detained. And a reporter in the capital tells CNN the shooter was attacked by the crowd and is hospitalized. Now for more on this story, we spoke earlier with Elines Olaverria who offered this from the capital city of Santo Domingo. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELINES OLAVERRIA, SANTO DOMINGO JOURNALIST: People are still in shock about the whole situation. And yes, we do know something about the condition of David Ortiz. He is currently stable. This information was confirmed by his father, Mr. Leo Ortiz, and also by the local police that were there at the hospital. Ortiz was shot by a gunman in a motor motorcycle.

This happened at a very popular street known as Avenida Venezuela, which is very popular for its popular night life. Ortiz was there with a couple of friends spending some time. The men approached him directly and shot him in the stomach. This same bullet had an entry point and an exit point. It ended up wounding a TV presenter who was also there at the spot.

Ortiz was immediately rushed to the hospital, (Inaudible) hospital, where he went to surgery. And thankfully, everything went well. And he is just now recovering from this horrific event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:09:58] HOWELL: Ortiz played with the Boston Red Sox for 14 out of his 20 years in the Major Leagues, and is a three-time World Series champion. Now on to U.S. politics, the U.S. trade situation with Mexico. Once again, President Trump is threatening to impose tariffs if the new trade deal between -- rather the new deal, I should say, between the two nations doesn't work out on migration.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump also is disputing a New York Times report that Mexico had agreed on tougher migration enforcement months before the two countries came together on this deal on Friday. Here are some of the highlights of that deal. Mexico will "take unprecedented steps to curb illegal migration." It will deploy its national guard throughout the country, focusing on its southern border with Guatemala.

And it will take action to dismantle human trafficking networks. In the meantime, the United States will "rapidly return asylum seekers to Mexico while they wait there in Mexico." While they're asylum claims are being processed in the United States. It's something the U.S. had promised to speed up. Our Boris Sanchez has more now on this story from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House has declined to comment on this New York Times story that indicates that certain portions of the agreement between the United States and Mexico on immigration were actually reached long before President Trump threatened tariffs against one of the United States' largest trading partners.

In a barrage of tweets on Sunday morning, though, the president downplayed that New York Times story and insisted that he deserves more credit for this agreement than he's getting. The president also making the case that previous administrations had tried to get some of these agreements on the books with Mexico but couldn't and he could.

He also hinted that there is one portion of this agreement that is yet to be unveiled to the public, and that he's waiting for the right time to do that. The president is being backed up by certain key administration officials on this, including the current Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan.

McAleenan was making the case that President Trump's threat of tariffs against Mexican imports is what brought the Mexican government to the negotiating table. Listen to what he said.

KEVIN MCALEENAN, ACTING U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: The president put a charge in this whole dialogue with Mexico, with the tariffs threat, brought them to the table. The foreign minister of Mexico arrived within hours. He arrived the next day with real proposals on the table. This is the first time we've heard anything like this kind of number of law enforcement being deployed in Mexico to address migration, not just at their southern border but also on the transportation routes to the northern border and in coordinated patrols in key areas along our southwest border.

SANCHEZ: As far those comments from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about tariffs against Mexican imports still potentially being at play, it's not really a surprise, considering that there is a 90-day window for both of these sides to come up with further agreements, more areas where they can cooperate to stem the flow of migrants traveling from Central America through Mexico and into the United States.

And it wouldn't be a surprise to see President Trump revisit this aggressive stance against Mexico. Recall that just a few months ago he threatened to shut down the entire southern border if Mexico didn't do more to stop these migrants. The president ultimately relented, giving into the advice of some of his aides. But the president feels that immigration is an issue that's central to his presidency.

And he wants to appear to his supporters that he's very aggressive on it, something that will be key to his re-election chances going into 2020. Boris Sanchez, CNN, at the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Boris, thank you. A tragedy in the state of Texas after a storm there, and a giant crane comes tumbling down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The crane is falling over. Oh, my god.

HOWELL: Up next, we'll hear from witnesses about exactly what happened in this deadly accident.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god, you guys.

HOWELL: Also ahead, two British ISIS fighters, known as the ISIS Beatles, they apologize as they worry about their future and what's next. We'll hear from them and their story. Stay with us.

[02:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Just look at the scene here in Dallas, Texas. This is after a huge construction crane collapsed and it fell onto an apartment complex. The collapse left at least one person dead and six others injured there. Eyewitnesses say that crane sliced through the building, damaging residential areas and the parking garage. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBEY KEARNEY, WITNESS: We noticed it got really dark really quickly. So we walked outside onto our patio, and the wind picked up incredibly quickly. All the pool furniture went into the pool. And I happened to say what if the cranes fall? Are they going to fall on this building? And almost immediately after that, we saw one fall and it just sliced through the building.

I mean not to be cliche, but like a hot knife through butter. And it went from the fifth floor all the way through to what I can tell at least the third floor. I believe we found out that a second crane had fallen on the parking garage. And so we walked out to the parking garage to check on our vehicles. And we just saw cars everywhere.

I don't even know how to describe it. There were cars that were vertical. There were cars from maybe the eighth floor all the way down onto the third floor where we park and where we see the pictures from. We don't know if they've accounted for everybody. I know they're going in to check for people still and animals still.

So we're watching people come out with animals all the time right now. We don't know yet if a tornado hit or not. Right now, we don't know if it was just wind. We don't know if it was a tornado. We know that there was the thunderstorm that had hit. It was raining like crazy. And so that was the weather that happened. It's lightened up right now. There are no rain and blue skies on one side and clouds on the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Keeping in mind, there were strong winds reported in that area at the time of the collapse. But officials, they aren't ready to say if that was the cause of what happened here. Let's get the very latest now from CNN Meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri, in our weather center. And Pedram, this was a pretty strong storm that came through.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It was, yeah. The National Weather Service actually prompted this severe thunderstorm watch just a couple of hours before the system moved through here. The storm originated out of Oklahoma to the morning hours of Sunday by about 2:15, 2:18 officially into the afternoon hours and moves right over the Dallas metro.

[02:20:03] Unfortunately, it was a severe thunderstorm, meaning gusts exceed 50 to 60 miles per hour. We had an observation come in at 71 miles per hour, which by the way, puts it just shy of a category one hurricane force gust coming right through the Dallas metro area. And, of course, when you go up into a city, densely populated city, you've got tall buildings across the city as such.

You often see the winds want to funnel through the buildings. Pick up additional speed. And another element in all of this is any time you exit the ground level, get up into higher altitudes, less friction aloft, meaning the winds will be higher (Inaudible) observed at the surface. So that 71-mile-per-hour wind gust was a ground observation.

You get up 20, 30 stories up, you expect those winds to be about 20 to 30 percent higher. So in this case, of course, they would be higher if it started at 71. We're talking about potentially being closer to 90 miles per hour once you approach this area of where the crane's height was and, of course, continue to strengthen as you go farther into the atmosphere.

But that was the pattern with this line of thunderstorms. A tornado report was in this region, but certainly not in the Dallas metro. Only one report in the whole country, and that was across the central area of Texas. A really interesting comparison, because, of course, you look at the month of May, just last month, an incredible 500 reports of tornadoes in that month, and we're sitting at about 55 reports so far in the first third of the month of June.

But here's the perspective. High pressure builds. We don't expect much in the way of severe weather over portions of Texas. Really, the only area of concern across the eastern third of the country here with thunderstorms into the afternoon hours over the next 24 or so hours, and then the big story back besides this is what is happening around the southwestern United States.

Major heat wave in the works across that region, we do have heat warnings in place from portions of California into Nevada on into Arizona. Temps in this region climbing up to the one teens out of Palm Springs, average for this time of year. You think it is June. It's almost summer. It should be warm, 100 degrees is what they expect, so 116 certainly a temperature that would get your attention across Palm Strings.

And Phoenix also climbs up to about 10 degrees above seasonal averages here in the latter portions of spring, big time heat out west, guys?

HOWELL: Hot, hot, hot in the valley of the sun. Pedram Javaheri, thank you.

JAVAHERI: Thanks.

HOWELL: More now on the new agreement between the United States and Mexico. The U.S. president once again threatening to impose tariffs if a deal between the two countries doesn't work out. Let's get some context on this now with James Boys, James, a political analyst and author joining us this hour in London. Good to have you with us, James.

JAMES BOYS, POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, George.

HOWELL: So, again, with this word that tariffs are still on the table, still a possibility, James, if this current arrangement doesn't work out, does it come as a surprise to you? And does this keep the pressure on Mexico?

BOYS: Well, I don't think so. Because, of course, this was something that Donald Trump had said when the deal was initially announced. The idea that although he was pleased an agreement had been reached, he reserved the right to re-impose these tariffs, return to them if indeed the deal wasn't carried on and implemented accurately in Mexico.

So the idea that he is still touting tariffs, which appears to be his weapon of choice in many ways, shouldn't, I think, come as a surprise at this point.

HOWELL: Let's talk more about this reporting from the New York Times that parts of the deal, James, that parts of them were hammered out many months ago behind the scenes. In response, we're hearing from the Acting Homeland Security Secretary and from the president on Twitter, all suggesting that tariffs -- that this threat did make a difference.

Do you think it really put pressure on the negotiations, or was this more or less political theater?

BOYS: It's very difficult to tell at this point. Let's be honest. The New York Times has issued a tweet this morning standing by its reporting. You're clearly seeing a disconnect, however, between what it is that The Times is saying and what the White House is saying. And one of the reasons that this is so difficult to get an accurate read on, of course, is that we have a White House that seems very, very happy to almost legislate by tweet.

When you are relying upon the president's tweet by tweet account for what is or isn't going on, it makes it very, very difficult to get an accurate read and give a fair assessment on either side, quite frankly. When you think about how dusty the White House Press Briefing Room has become, it's hardly surprising that both the media and those of us who try to offer some analysis of this are finding it very difficult to get an accurate read of what's going on.

So at this point, we're in a standoff, if you will. And clearly, it seems as though key elements of this deal had been put in place by Secretary Nielsen back in the back end of 2018, and that what may or may not have happened is that there had been some movement with regard to the numbers that Mexico were prepared to move to the southern border, which may have come about rather late in the day.

And which the Trump administration may or may not accurate be able to say was due to the threat of these tariffs, which would, of course, been introduced today.

[02:25:08] HOWELL: All right. And for Mexico's part, one big part of that agreement, as you point out, the enforcement surge. How big of a difference do you think that will make in stemming the flow of migrants, which is what President Trump ultimately wants?

BOYS: Well, of course, this is what the American administration was pushing for. Mexico made the right noises about moving those troops to their southern border to try to prevent the flow of migrants into Mexico and then potentially onto the United States. Certainly, when you see the numbers of some of the individuals who are making that move across the U.S. southern border, the White House must be hoping that this has an impact.

Very clearly, this is an administration which is putting its stock into preventative measures, putting physical borders between people, be they troops or walls, rather than trying to go do (Inaudible) might be to try to address the causes of migration. So this will be a test case, I think, for this administration and its relationship with the Mexican government at this time.

HOWELL: Always offering perspective and analysis today. Live from London. James, we always appreciate your time today. Thank you.

BOYS: Thank you.

HOWELL: Around the world and in the United States, you're watching Newsroom. And still ahead, one year ago, CNN spoke with two British nationals who fought for ISIS, willing members of the so-called ISIS Beatles there. Today, they are trying to send a very different message. We'll hear their words from prison. Plus, 19 Democratic U.S. presidential candidates all came together in Iowa to make the pitch to the party faithful, slam the U.S. president as well. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:12] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour. In Hong Kong, the chief executive there says the city's legislature will push forward with a controversial extradition bill.

This despite hundreds of thousands of protestors filled the streets marching against it on Sunday as you see there. The bill will let suspects be sent to mainland China. The protests were mainly peaceful but officials say at least three police officers were hurt there. American Airlines is keeping its Boeing 737 Max flights out of the air at least until September 3rd. The airline says the extension will mean the cancellation of 115 flights per day.

Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz was shot and injured in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Ortiz is said to be in stable condition. Police say, Ortiz was shot by a motorcyclist who headed directly toward him. Several people are being detained including the alleged gunman, who was beaten by bystanders after that shooting.

The 2020 race for president and the State of Iowa. 19 Democratic candidates for U.S. President were in that key election state and they're making their pitches to voters and donors at the party's annual Hall of Fame dinner. Our Leyla Santiago was there in Cedar Rapids.

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of the voters I talked to said that this didn't necessarily make it any easier for them to narrow down that short list. In fact, it makes it more difficult. So let's talk about what actually happened here. You had 19 of the 23 candidates all in one room making a five-minute pitch to voters here in Iowa. Remember, Iowa, the very first caucus state. That's why there's a lot of focus here.

Among the candidates, you heard them talk about issues that are not so surprising. Abortion, voting rights, healthcare, and every single one of them made sure to sort of flex some muscle in talking about beating President Trump in 2020.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am running for president because we can't take four more years of Donald Trump. I'm running for president to beat Donald Trump, and I'm running for president because beating Donald trump is not enough.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need a president who lives like you live. We need a president who has the grid that you have, and we have a president right now that does not understand the dreams that you have. I will be that president.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: While we are all united in the need to defeat Trump, there are disagreements amongst us as to the best way to do that. In my view, we will not defeat Donald Trump unless we bring excitement and energy into this campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: Now, what you did not see here for the Hall of Fame dinner, you did not see the front runner, Vice President Joe Biden. His campaign says that he had a long-standing family commitment that had been scheduled a while back, that's why he is not and Iowa. But some voters tell me, they took a fence to that. That perhaps it did not see themselves as a priority for the front runner, Vice President Joe Biden.

That said, he will be here on Tuesday on the very same day that President Trump will also be and Iowa. And take note of the timing. We are just a few weeks away from the very first debate for these candidates. That will be in Miami at the end of the month. Leyla Santiago, CNN, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

HOWELL: And now to the race for Britain's top job. It is at a critical point. Who will be there at number 10? 11 conservative lawmakers were hoping to replace Theresa May as party leader, and then at the prime minister of that nation. And the nomination process ends in just a few hours. That means the candidates don't get the support over these eight lawmakers before 5:00 p.m. local time, Monday, they're out of the contest.

A series of votes to whittle down the nominations begins Thursday. The Conservative Party hopes to have a new prime minister announced by the end of July and then it's on to tackle Brexit.

The ISIS vision for a Caliphate, it is ruined, it's over. And now the fate of thousands of ISIS fighters detained by the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces remains uncertain. Our Nick Paton Walsh spoke with two British nationals from the ISIS group referred to as the Beatles.

[02:35:04] They're now in custody and confessing to crimes. CNN sent a camera crew to the prison facility where they were being held so Nick Paton Walsh good interview them via video link about their offenses, their fears, and their uncertain future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Their bravado gone, broken and begging to learn their fate. This as what's become the widely reviled British-ISIS fighters known as the Beatles in captivity in Syria.

EL SHAFEE ELSHEIKH, CAPTURED ISIS MEMBER: I considered my role in this whole scenario, this whole episode as one of my mistakes that I would like to apologize for.

WALSH: Who would you like to apologize to?

ELSHEIKH: Everybody involved, everybody who was affected, directly or indirectly.

WALSH: They're accused of tortures and ISIS' network of prison cells which they deny. But now they do offer a rare confession. They tried to arrange ransoms for some of ISIS' European hostages.

ALEXANDA KOTEY, CAPTURED ISIS MEMBER: I was a fighter, objecting from their e-mail addresses for communications. It was a proof of life question, something that they will only --they would be able to answer.

WALSH: Why did you agree to that role?

KOTEY: It just so happened that way.

ELSHEIKH: Same as what Alexanda just explained. Initially just liaising between the foreign prisoners and the people dealing with the negotiations process.

WALSH: With their families try to extract the ransom?

ELSHEIKH: Yes.

WALSH: Kotey admits too to helping by remote from Syria to get a firearm on foreign ISIS assassination plot that failed in London in 2016.

KOTEY: I was responsible for the acquisition of a firearm. As far as the details of any blood or, what he then went on to do, I had no involvement in that.

WALSH: The grins they had when I met them a year ago in person are long gone.

KOTEY: (INAUDIBLE) fish and chips.

WALSH: Now, ISIS is so-called Caliphate has been defeated, they too are thousands of ISIS prisoners held in Northern Syria who don't know what will happen to them. The U.K. doesn't want them back so they will stay here or face the death penalty in Iraq or more likely in the United States. I don't understand why you're doing this now. Are you trying to avoid being sent to the United States?

KOTEY: If there's anything I think that confession would maybe haste in our extradition or rendition to the United States I don't think this is something that would prevent me from going to the United States at all. I don't see how that could be possible. I don't know where this goes from here on, I just know that I want this period -- this portion to just be over. I know -- I know this is what needs to be done. The truth has to come out.

WALSH: ISIS slowly executed foreign hostages gruesomely, yet the pair insists they had no role in these murders or torture. Several former hostages have, however, said they were tortured by British-accented men matching their appearance. The fate of a dozen French prisoners, some scene here in these old ISIS propaganda videos has been swiftly decided in the past weeks, sent from Northern Syria to Iraq.

There, an Iraqi judge sentenced them to death by hanging often after only 10 minutes of deliberation and representation by lawyers, maybe have not met before the trial. Responding to claims U.S. forces arranged the transfer, a coalition spokesman said, U.S. forces have taken custody of a small number of ISIS fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces for transfer to the government of Iraq. They provided no details.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to eat McDonald's --

WALSH: American ISIS suspects like Samantha El Hassani have been sent back to the U.S. for trial but to those left behind, their fate is unclear or possibly with an Iraqi hang man serve as a deterrence or a sign some nations don't want to finish the task of bringing them to justice. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Nick, thank you. In Sudan, a campaign of civil disobedience is underway. Take a look here at the capital city. The streets of Khartoum mostly desert on Sunday. Many people staying home from work following the military's deadly raid on a protest camp last Monday. Protestors are demanding a civilian government following the app store of Omar al-Bashir back in April.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The people cannot be governed by force, and I'm not saying this, neither as a member of the opposition, nor as someone who supports the government. But the people do not want this government. And as you can see, the streets are empty, shops are closed and I personally want a civilian government.

[02:40:05] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This situation is not normal. Everything is closed. I could not find bread, I couldn't find anything actually except for these vegetables right here. Life is at a standstill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: An opposition medics group says 11 hospitals are shut down and medical services are being disrupted by Sudanese authorities. The group says two people were killed Sunday, bringing the death toll since the crackdown on 118 people killed. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: It was an historic win on Sunday as Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem. The clinch is 12 French Open title in Paris. Nadal is the first player ever to win 12 titles at any grand slam event. Journalist Ravi Ubha has more now from Paris.

RAVI UBHA, CNN TENNIS ANALYST: For years, people have wondered will Rafael Nadal catch Roger Federer on the grand slam latter. He's been closed but now he is closer than ever before. For the first, Nadals pulled to then two grand slams of Federer, thanks to his record 12th crown at the French Open. And with every title, he had Roland-Garros coming seemingly another record. And this year Nadal became the first player ever to win the same major a dozen times.

Nadal said earlier this term that he felt someone would come along one day and better his trophy hall. He was being genuine but he could be wrong on this one. His mastery of Roland-Garros is unmatched by any tennis player on any surface in any era. Dominic Thiem may have lost but he demonstrated why he is one of the fittest players in tennis after beating world number one Novak Djokovic in their semifinal and spending three hours on court Saturday.

He still tested Nadal early before running out of steam. Thiem could still win the French Open one day but that might only happen when Nadal is no longer a contender. But that might not be anytime soon. Ravi Ubha, CNN, Paris.

[02:45:10] HOWELL: Ravi, thank you so much. The Women's World Cup is also underway in France. On Sunday, Italy landed a win in their return to the tournament after a 20-year absence. They beat Australia's Matildas in stoppage time by a score of 2-1.

Brazil got a big start with a 3-0 victory over Jamaica's Reggae Girlz. (INAUDIBLE) Cristiane scored the hat-trick in her 139th cap. And England won the day in their great rivalry with Scotland by a score of 2-1. They are among the favorites in that competition.

This year's Women's World Cup in France has been called by many the biggest to date FIFA's goal. Well, it's too full to sell a total of 1 million tickets and to capture a global T.V. viewership of 1 billion for the tournament.

As our Amanda Davies reports, the excitement level in that host country though, it is not that high, at least, not yet.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: It's Sunday afternoon and here we are in the Paris fan zone, whereas you can see there are a few supporters but it's not really buzzing.

And for all the talk that this is set to be the biggest and best Women's World Cup yet, with T.V. audiences of a record 1 billion people around the world. Was there is some interest? I think it's fair to say there's not exactly overwhelming World Cup fever on the streets of Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIES: How excited are you about the Women's World Cup?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very excited. About the Women's World Cup, especially, Brazil.

DAVIES: Have you got any interest in any of the sport going on at the minute?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the minute? Maybe as like sometimes really watch soccer. But now, although the season is over, so we're not, not into the soccer now.

DAVIES: How about the Women's World Cup?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woman's World Cup is now --

(CROSSTALK)

DAVIES: Going on right here in France.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

DAVIES: Do you know what sports is happening in France, in Paris at the moment?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. I think, its tennis. I think -- no?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, why don't go us?

DAVIES: No. And the football?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

DAVIES: The Women's World Cup?

So, what, what do you know that's going on at the moment?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roland-Garros. So, the tennis tournaments. So --

DAVIES: Anything else? And how about -- how about the Women's World Cup?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh yes. It's also right now.

DAVIES: Have you heard about the Women's World Cup?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. In fact, I'm going to see one of the matches, Argentina against Japan.

DAVIES: Germany won yesterday. Did you not watch?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this true that the World Cup here for women?

DAVIES: Have you met many other people who are here as fans for the tournament as well?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not too many of it. When we came here, and obviously this people for that Australia and Brazil and the USA. So, yes, once you get into this beat, it's good.

DAVIES: You should be watching France are going to win the World Cup. France will win.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I know that. So, I don't know any news of the women's game. I don't know any news.

DAVIES: Maybe that will change over the next few weeks.

Now, you know the World Cup is going on, might you watch some of the Women's World Cup?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it's ridiculous that we didn't even recognize that the World Cup is here in France.

(END VIDEOTAPE) DAVIES: So, there's definitely room for improvement but it is still early days with over three weeks of football left to play. The real hope for the women's game moving forward is that the action on the pitch leaves a more lasting legacy off it. Amanda Davies, CNN, Paris.

HOWELL: Amanda, thank you. A long-running conflict in the Middle East is the focus of a hit show on Netflix. We'll show you how the Israeli drama set in the Palestinian territories is generating a controversy of its own.

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[02:52:54] HOWELL: A hit Israeli television show is heading into its new season on Netflix with a broader audience. It's called, Fauda. It's about a group of Israeli undercover commandos working in Palestinian territories.

But as nearly everything involving this long-running conflict, there's debate over how the show portrays the two sides. Our Oren Liebermann takes us behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE), action.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: In an abandoned power plant under the streets of Tel Aviv, the third season of the hit series, Fauda is unfolding. The show was already a big hit in its native Israel. Netflix turned it into an international sensation.

The show centers around an undercover unit in the Israel military operating in the Palestinian territories, showing two sides of one conflict. The half Hebrew-half Arabic shows title means, chaos in Arabic.

The show is based on the real-life experiences of one of the writers who served in that undercover military unit.

AVI ISSACHAROFF, WRITER, FAUDA: This is not reality. It's fiction. So, it's not really what's going on, on the ground. And what's really going on, on the ground is even more complicated than what we have in the show. But I think that the show does allow you to have a kind of a look, a small window in what's going on over there between Israelis and Palestinians.

LIEBERMANN: Fauda is not a political series, but anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is inherently political.

SHANY LITTMAN, CULTURE WRITER FOR HAARETZ: It doesn't show the context in which this -- the events are happening. It seems as if everything is very personal, you don't see the occupation. You don't understand why is this happening. You know you don't see the context of things.

LIEBERMANN: The gritty often brutal show has been praised and criticized for its portrayal of Palestinians. Even so, main actor Lior Raz, says the show has fans in the Arab world.

LIOR RAZ, ACTOR, FAUDA: I was in Abu Dhabi, I was filming a movie there. Hundreds of people from all over the Arab world, Syrians, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, just came to me and talked with me about the show. How they loved it, how they -- how they understanding now the situation in Israel because it -- because we brought them another point of view that they have and they didn't have.

[02:55:17] LIEBERMANN: With season three in production questions inevitably turn to what's in store for the viewers? The Fauda team is (INAUDIBLE).

YAAKOV ZADA DANIEL, ACTOR, FAUDA: This is the season. A lot of surprise, a lot of action.

LIEBERMANN: There is only one hint to the show's future, they've already started writing season four.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut. (INAUDIBLE) moving on.

LIEBERMANN: Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Oren, thank you. And we end the show this hour with a worker at a Florida theme park being recognized for helping a young boy with autism. 9-year-old Ralph, on the left, was looking forward to riding the Amazing Adventures of Spider-man at Universal Studios.

But when it was finally his turn and the ride broke down, well the child bossed it. He was on the ground screaming and crying when a ride worker laid down next to him and helped to calm him down. The child's mother thanked the magical people who helped make her son feel special in that moment.

Thanks for being with us for NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN center in Atlanta. Let's do it again. More news right after the break. Stay with us.

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