Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Yemen Descending into Fullscale War Again; Boko Haram Releases New Video of Chibok Girls; Cannes Passes Controverial Ban on Burkinis; Remembering the Munich Games Massacre; NYPD Investigates Murder of Imam. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired August 14, 2016 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:13] NICK PARKER, HOST: New hope for distraught families: a video surfaces said to show kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls more than two years

after they were taken by militants.

We'll be live in Lagos in just a moment.

Also coming up...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This conflict has been raging for more than a year and a half, and it

appears that there's now been a return to full-scale hostilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: An almost forgotten war. More child victims in Yemen as civilians continue to suffer. We hear from UNICEF in the capital Sanaa.

Also, cover up controversy: why the so called burqini is making waves on the French Riviera.

Thanks for joining us. We begin this hour with that new video from Nigeria's Boko Haram. The terror group claims it shows many of the

kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls and offers to exchange them for jailed Boko Haram fighters. CNN cannot confirm the videos authenticity.

As you may recall, more than 270 girls were taken from Chibok in 2014. The militants say some have been married off and some were killed in a

government air strike.

Our Stephanie Busari we are joined with more live from Lagos. Stephanie, good to have you with us. So, you have seen the full video. What exactly

does it show? And what is being said?

STEPHANI BUSARI, CNN PRODUCER: So, this new video is around 11 minutes long. And in it, there's a masked man holding a rifle, surrounded by what

he claims are the missing Chibok schoolgirls. And this video does have all the hallmarks of previous Boko Haram videos. Certainly, the one that CNN

obtained in April has a similar style where the girls are sitting down. Some of them are staring at a camera. Some of them look terrified,

frankly. And this man is making demands.

Interestingly, one of the girls is then asked to address the camera directly. And she gives her name as Maida Yaoubu (ph).

Now, I have been able to speak to the father of this girl and he tells me said he has seen the video and he confirms that that it is his daughter

inthe video and he tells me he is very happy to know his daughter is alive.

So, in one sense you could say that this video can be confirmed to be the Chibok schoolgirls. He told me he recognized some of the other girls in

this video.

PARKER: Certainly, an important development. You were just reporting to us right now, Stephanie, thank you for that. You know, significant indeed.

I wanted to ask you about the timing of the video and its release. We understand there has been

something of a leadership struggle in Boko Haram.

BUSARI: Yes. You'll recall that earlier this month ISIS -- Boko Haram pledged allegiance to in the past claimed Boko Haram now has a new leader.

His name is Abu Mousab al-Banawi (ph) who, incidentally we're told, is the son of the founder of Boko Haram.

And what sources are telling me on the ground is that this video, the timing of this video, is no coincidence, because Abu Shekau, who has been

the longtime leader of Boko Haram was responsible for kidnapping these schoolgirls wants to show he is still in charge and he's still the one to

be reckoned.

So the timing, I'm told, is no coincidence, that this is exactly what Abu Shekau want is the world talking about him and seeing him and not this new

leader that has been named as -- from ISIS as the leader.

PARKER: Certainly, just crossing right now on the wires, we are getting reports that the Nigerian government says it is in contact with Boko Haram.

What is your response to that?

BUSARI: Yes. So, I've spoken to a number of government officials. I've spoken to a senator in Nigeria called Sher Hussani (ph), who tells me that

it is hard for them to make contact and negotiate with Boko Haram because there's mistrust on both sides. But what local media are reporting is that

the culture ministry has been in contact and they are trying to establish lines of communication to get these girls out.

But again, they are saying because of the new leadership crisis, and it's hard for them to know

really who to trust and who to negotiate with it when it comes to Boko Haram and the missing Chibok girls.

PARKER: Stephanie Busari live for us in Lagos. Stephanie, thank you very much for that. Appreciate it.

Another top story that we are following, we turn now to the latest action in Rio de Janeiro. 22 gold medals are up for grabs across 12 sports on the

day nine of the games. The day also features showdowns in track and field, gymnastics and tennis.

But people are still buzzing about two spectacular Saturday wins. Olympic legend Michael Phelps closed out his storied career with a 23rd -- that's

right -- 23rd gold medal. And British runner Mo Farah recovered from a fall to take the take the gold in the men's 10,000 meter race.

Our Christina Macfarlane has more on all of those wins, plus what to expect from today's competitions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[11:05:43] CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Nick, it was not so much super Saturday, Mo "fantastic" Farah. Surely, only Mo Farah -- is the only

athlete who can fall during a face and still go on to defend his title in the 10,000 meters.

Mid-race, he was clipped by one of the runners and went down. In fact, it was his teammate I think, Gailin Rupp, who clipped him, but he powered

clear of the rest of the field in the final 100 meters to win it in a time of 27:05.

And he was up against some of the greats in long distance racing. The Kenyans, the Ethiopians, who always try and run as a pack to intimidate

Farah, but it was water off a duck's back.

And it's all about where you placed yourself, of course, in the field when you move, when you challenge. And Mo Farah is a master of that.

And remember, he'll be back on Wednesday to defend his 5,000 meter title. If he wins that, he'll become the first man since the Flying Finn, Lasse

Viern, in 1976 to retain his two Olympic distance titles.

Well, speaking of titles, after winning the 100 meter butterfly on Friday, Michael Phelps said he was absolutely not carrying on in the swimming

world. And he followed that up with confirmation on Facebook Live on Saturday morning saying Tokyo 2020 is not for him.

He'll hold an official press conference later today. And we'll find out once and for all if this is the end for Michael Phelps.

But no one doubted it would be gold number 23 for Phelps. It's his 28th in total after winning the 4x100 meter medley relay on Saturday, cemented his

legacy surely as the greatest ever.

But you know, we shouldn't have been surprised that the U.S. would take this race because they never failed to win this particular event in Olympic

history. Phelps, the Baltimore Bullet crucial in securing the lead through that, handing it over to his teammate Nathan Adrian who never looked back.

I'll tell you, this Olympic Games is proving to be such an intense competition in the swimming pool and one the U.S. are dominating.

Well, on Sunday, it's all about one man: Usain Bolt looking to do the triple-triple for the first time in history, that's the 100, the 200 and

the 4x100 meter relay.

And today is the first leg of that. We will have both the semi final and the final being run this evening as is customary. And earlier on Saturday,

I had the chance to see him run in the heats, and it was like Elvis was in the building. The crowd went wild and Bolt had his fourth fastest time in

that heat while Justin Gatlin, his big rival from the United States, posted the

fastest time.

And this, of course, is the showdown everyone is waiting for. Gatlin has been painted as something of a bad boy after two doping offenses, while

Bolt is far and away the main attraction here. But Gatlin has run the fastest time this year, let's not forget, while Bolt has had a season of

injuries.

But when it comes down the straight, who is it going to be, one and two, Bolt or Gatlin, that is the big question, and the one we are all looking

forward to later this Sunday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: Well, let's talk a little bit more now about Mmichael Phelps. For almost two decades the sport of swimming has really revolved around its

greatest star. And now he is saying good-bye after five Olympics and a career really unlike any other. Our Andy Scholes looks back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Phelps entered the global swimming stage at the age of 15, qualifying for his first Olympic games.

Since that time, he has been the most dominating force the world of swimming has ever seen, competing long enough to inspire a new generation

of swimmers.

Look no further than American gold medalist Katie Ledecky. Here, she posed with Phelps as a 9-year-old, 10 years later they're winning gold together

in Rio.

MICHAEL PHELPS, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: It's pretty incredible to have helped kids go after their dreams and their goals.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see him in a different capacity -- one as an athlete, a fierce competitor, but also Michael Phelps the mentor.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: He has just become a role model to so many people and taken swimming to a sport that used to be just -- well,

that's an Olympic sport, well now at school.

SCHOLES: Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and then his first retirement. Phelps did not just come back for a farewell tour at these Rio games, he

crushed it, winning five gold medals and he is now stood at the top of an Olympic podium 23 times.

BRENNAN: This is a young person's sport. This is a sport where teenagers are winning gold medals. He's 31. In baseball years that's probably 55.

And the thought that he can still be at the top of the world at this point is extraordinary.

[11:10:04] SCHOLES: On top of the world in the water, Phelps sometimes struggled out of the pool -- controversy, two DUI arrests, rehab in 2014.

But after all of it, he emerged with a new commitment to compete in his fifth and final Olympic Games. If this is it for Phelps, he couldn't have

written a better ending. He's now a father, his fiancee Nichol Johnson and his 3-month-old son Boomer watching and cheering him on at every race.

DEBBIE PHELPS, MICHAEL PHELPS' MOTHER: They have adjusted themselves so well. And I just think they had to have a very special loving bond between

the three of them. I just think Michael is in a really good place right now.

SCHOLES: What's next for Phelps? He says he is looking forward to spending time with his family. But he won't have to look far to find him

pitching a number of products around the world. He will continue his work with the Michael Phelps Foundation, which helps kids learn to swim and be

safe around water. Perhaps Phelps also uses his free time in retirement to encourage change in the sport of swimming.

BRENNAN: If Michael Phelps speaks out about doping, the IOC will listen in a way they're not going to listen to anyone else. And maybe at the end of

the day that's Michael's legacy, a combination of bringing children to the sport of swimming and then trying to clean up the sport of swimming in

terms of doping and all the bad things that have happened over the years.

ALLISON SCHMITT, AMERICAN SWIMMER: And he has changed the sport and he will continue to change it even past his retirement.

PHELPS: It is finally setting in more and more that some of the things that I have been able to

accomplish throughout my career, it's -- and wanting to change the sport, I'm seeing it firsthand. And I think that's something that is really

rewarding.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: People in the Syrian city of Manbij took to the streets this weekend to mark their liberation from ISIS. People danced in the streets

after an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forced backed by the United States forced the terror group out of the city. Some residents celebrated by

cutting their beards and having a cigarette: things that were banned under ISIS's occupation.

CNN's senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has been following the developments in Syria from Istanbul. And he joins us now.

Ben, good to have you with us.

So, who exactly were these residents in Manbij, and what had they been subjected to leading up to this point of celebration?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, originally there were around 100,000 people living in Manbij, many of them had fled. Those who

remained behind, it's believed, were essentially being used as human shields by ISIS, and

certainly you can see from these people with burning their niqabs and other women having a smoke for the first time in public in a very long time,

clearly very relieved to be out from underneath the dark draconian rule of ISIS.

Now, if you look at the big picture, however, Nick, this is a significant development. Manbij sat on one of the two last remaining supply routes

between Raqqa, ISIS's de facto capital, and the Turkish border. There's only one route left out of Raqqa. And clearly the Syrian democratic

forces, this coalition of Kurdish and Arab troops, trained and supplied by the United States, are going to be turning their eyes on Raqqa itself.

And of course, this comes at a time when the United States backing up the Kurds and the Iraqi army in Iraq are also gearing up for an offensive to

retake Mosul, as well. And if you look further afield to the west, the anti-ISIS forces have also more or less been able to crush ISIS in the

central Libyan coastal town of Sirte as well.

Plus, of course, the United States is saying that they -- one of their drones was able to kill a senior ISIS leader in Afghanistan. So, it's been

a bad couple of weeks for ISIS -- Nick.

PARKER: And Ben, to what extent do you think that is now a vindication for Washington of the strategy that they are pursuing in Syria? And to what

extent do you think is Raqqa, the self-styled capital for ISIS, a realistic target at this stage?

WEDEMAN: Well, certainly it is a realistic target. But obviously, it is going to be a much harder nut to crack than Manbij, which is relatively

much smaller. But certainly for the United States, they can finally -- I remember two years ago being in Iraq. The situation looked grim. You had

the defensive in the north, you had ISIS firmly in control of large areas of Syria. Manbij is the largest town in Syria that ISIS has lost to its

opponent.

So certainly the tide has turned significantly. And the American officials, who were being criticized from all corners at the beginning of

its campaign against ISIS can now at least they have some boasting, some bragging rights, so to speak. But this is a long war and ISIS is not

defeated. They still control Mosul, which in better times had a population of more than 2 million people. That's the second largest city in Iraq, and

of course Raqqa itself. So there's still quite a ways to go, but certainly looking back over the progress made in the fight against ISIS over the last

two years, what we are seeing now is significant -- Nick.

PARKER: Indeed. Ben Wedeman reporting live for us from Istanbul. Ben, thank you. Appreciate it.

Now to other stories on our radar.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to honor former dictator Ferdinand Marcos is being met with protests. Hundreds gathered in Manila

to show their disapproval of moving Marcos' body to the national cemetery.

The new burial plan is angering many people who were victims of brutal crackdowns on dissent

during Marcos' time in office. He died in 1989.

The American city of Milwaukee is on edge following a night of unrest and violence. The violence erupted following the fatal shooting on Saturday of

an armed suspect by police. Three protesters were arrested. One officer was hurt by a brick thrown at his patrol car.

And Sad news for Star Wars fans, British actor Kenny Baker has died. Just over one meter tall, Baker was best known for playing the lovable droid R2-

D2 in the Star Wars movies. He also appeared in the films Time Bandits and Flash Gordon. Kenny Baker was 81 years old.

We now turn to some major flooding in the U.S. state of Louisiana. There, more than 1,000 people have been rescued in the rising waters.

You are looking at the dramatic rescue of a woman trapped in her car. The deadly floods have stranded residents with widespread power outages and

shut down some major roadways. At least three people have died.

Well, our Boris Sanchez joins us live now from Galvez-Lake in Louisiana. Boris, what is the scene where you are?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Nick, we are seeing a lot of those rescues you were talking about. The governor, yesterday, John Bel Edwards,

told us that more than 1,000 rescues have been conducted in the state, people that were trapped in their homes, trapped in cars. Some people

clinging to trees as a result of this flooding. And right now, under way, just off to our left over there, several people independent of law

enforcement have brought their own boats, some of them volunteers going out and going into the area behind me which is completely flooded.

There's a lake and a river, an area behind where we are. And it's just submersed an entire neighborhood.

I actually spoke to one woman who told me she lost contact with her sister who lives in this area. Her and her husband brought out an airboat in

order to get in to that neighborhood. She told me the last time she talked to her sister, she said that her house was on fire. Fortunately, though,

she says she was okay. She was able to make it on a boat.

So, the search and rescue effort is still continuing even though the rain has finally let up, least in this area.

To the west of us, heading toward Baton Rouge, which is about an hour west of New Orleans, the rain is still coming down.

In the neighborhood behind me and the homes behind me, I should say, you can still see people right now getting their belongings out of these

buildings. They say that the water is actually not receding at all. They tell me this water has gone up dramatically in just the past hour. And as

we continue to deal with this water that is moving southward, we are going to continue seeing scenes like this.

I'm told just further south there's a sandbagging operation where people are preparing for

this water to head that direction. Obviously, though the rain is gone, it is still a very precarious situation, Nick.

PARKER: Boris Sanchez, live for us from the flooding in Louisiana. Boris, thanks for that. appreciate it.

And still to come, an imam and his assistant are fatally shot in New York. We will have the details as police search for suspects.

But first a war the world sometimes forgets is violently tearing its way back in the headlines. A look at Yemen and my interview with UNICEF there

next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:21:29] JENS LAERKE, SPOKESMAN, UN HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE: This conflict has been raging for more than a year-and-a-half. And it appears

that there has now been a return to full-scale hostilities that drives humanitarian needs further up.

Just days after a UN peace talks on ending Yemen's civil war came to nothing, that spokesman

described its quick dissent back to all out war.

Now, at least 14 children have been killed after Yemeni officials say two separate air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition hit schools in the

country's northern Saada region on Saturday. Dozens of other people were reported wounded as well.

Fighting has raged in Yemen for well over a year now. But it is in some ways a forgotten war, often missing from our screens.

Now, we should point out, Saudi Arabia is rejecting reports that it hit those schools. A spokesman for the coalition told CNN this, quote, "the

aircraft has bombed a training camp for the coup militias in Saada and there is no school in this area." Then saying that the only reports show

that Houthi, quote, recruit children and use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters.

Well, I spoke to Julian Harneis. He's a representative for UNICEF in Yemen a short while ago. And I began by asking him about those Saudi claims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIAN HARNEIS, REPRECENTATIVE, UNICEF: We have had a verification team that went to the site and was there on the day. We have been to the

hospital and we've spoken to parents. And many of these children were 6 years old, 8 years old. There's just no way that those were fighters.

PARKER: The conflict in Yemen is not one that is often in the headlines. And we wanted to discuss it in a broader sense at the moment. From your

point of view, how does it compare in terms of a humanitarian crisis to the conflict in Syria? What are your greatest concerns on the ground in Yemen?

HARNEIS: Well, the immediate concern is in the last 10 days, since the end of the talks in Kuwait, we have seen a massive increase in violence across

the country. Children are being killed in air strikes in the north in Taiz, and in the south, children are dying from land mines and street

fighting.

And then beyond the direct impact of the conflict, we are seeing a country which is being cut off from the rest of the world -- banking systems under

pressure, economic livelihoods cut off, bridges in to the capital cut off, the airport, the air space into the airport has been closed for the last

six days, most of it, you know, humanitarian flights have been able to get in or out. And then the health system is on the verge of collapse.

So, I mean, all across the board we have a terrible situation in Yemen, the worst I've seen.

PARKER: You mentioned the collapse of peace talks. What is the direct impact that you

have seen of the collapse of these peace talks in terms of the fighting?

HARNEIS: Well, immediately after the peace talks collapsed, we saw air strikes in the north of the country, air strikes here in Sanaa, in Taiz.

The fighting, which had always gone on got far worse. We got fighting now 80 kilometers away from Sanaa in (inaudible).

So, all across the country we are seeing a spike in the violence and civilians are getting killed

in it.

APRKER: And looking at children, focusing on children, what is your greatest concern of the threats facing children right now?

HARNEIS: The biggest threat to children today is the health system. Today, the money for health centers to run across the country is no longer

available. When we try and give money to our partners across the country, they can't take money out from the bank. That means that health services

for vaccination, for measles, for polio, routine vaccination for treatment, things like malnutrition, is beginning to unravel across the country.

That means that we estimate at the very least, a further 10,000 children will die of completely preventable diseases, deaths that would not have

happened if it wasn't for this conflict.

PARKER: That is an appalling statistic. What can be done to address this in the short to medium term?

HARNEIS: Well, we'd like to see, in terms of the conflict, all parties need to make a distinction between civilian and military targets. In terms

of the day to day life in Yemen, people need to be able to have a livelihood, they need to be able to make some money so that they can pay

for things like health services and education.

And then the health system needs its support. We need more money coming in to provide vaccination, nutrition services and other services all the way

across the country.

PARKER: And finally, your prognosis for the long term such as the situation is today?

HARNEIS: There's an immediate impact of this crisis on children today. My big worry for the future is if this war continues, national systems,

national health systems, national education systems, social systems will collapse, which means even after the war for years afterwards we will be in

a country which will be at risk of epidemics of things like measles, increasing drop in education. This will be a country that will be left

damaged for many years to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: Live from New York, this is Connect the World.

Coming up, White House hopeful Donald Trump lashes out at what he called the crooked media and rigged election. Find out why.

Also, the iconic French city of Cannes imposes a controversial ban on some fullbody swimwear worn by some Muslim women. We will explain why they did

it.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[11:30:41] PARKER: Police here in New York are searching for the man suspected of gunning down an Islamic leader and his assistant. Both men

were shot in the head on Saturday as they walked home from their mosque in Queens.

CNN correspondent Sara GANIM joins us from New York with the very latest.

So, Sara, news just breaking in the the last hour that the U.S. task force on hate crimes is

investigating this.

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, as they do in every case where

religious leader is the victim and the NYPD hate crimes unite is now involved in the investigation. And this morning, NYPD released a sketch of

the man who is now wanted in connection with this crime.

On this street corner, just behind me here in Queens, two men, a local imam and his assistant, both wearing religious attire, were gunned down, both

shot in the head as they were walking home. The two men were neighbors. They were locally known here as being very nice men, very well-known in the

community. And the community is in significant amount of shock over this. They want answers. At this point there simply are not that many answers to

some of their questions.

We do know that the NYPD is taking the extra step of precaution today with surveillance -- I'm sorry, looking at safety precautions at local New York

City mosques to make sure that people feel safe when they are going to these religious facilities throughout the day today in light of this.

There was a significant presence of the community here gathered last night, calling for justice, also holding a prayer ceremony, calling for justice

and speaking about these men, hoping to get some answers as the NYPD continues to investigate, Nick.

PARKER: And, indeed, on that note, what exactly do we know about the suspect?

GANIM: Well, we know that he had come -- he was caught on surveillance tape. And after the shooting was seen fleeing down the street with a

handgun. And that's what police are going off at this point. They are going off of a surveillance tape from local businesses and also they say a

few witness accounts of what happened.

But at the moment, there are no arrests. You saw the sketch that they released this morning, that's the latest development. We know that they

are working on it. They are still on the scene this morning. We know that they have been talking to people, looking at the video and they will continue to

investigate as they always do -- Nick.

PARKER: Sara GANIM, reporting live for us from the streets of New York. Sara, thank you.

In the race for the White House, Republican nominee Donald Trump is pointing new fingers of blame as his ratings against Democrat Hillary

Clinton continue to slide. Trump now claims it's all the media's fault for putting, quote, false meaning in to what he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDTAE: I'm not running against crooked Hillary Clinton, I'm running against the crooked media, that's what I'm

running against.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: Trump says voters can be crooked as well, and that the election could be rigged especially in one state where polls show Hillary Clinton

has a 10-point lead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don't come in and vote five

times. Because if you do that -- and I know you are all voting. Is everybody here voting? If you do that, if you do that, we're not going to

lose.

Only way we can lose, in my opinion -- I really mean this, Pennsylvania -- is if cheating goes on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: Well, for more on Trump's fascination with the media and his sometimes open hostility toward reporters, our Brian Stelter reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's campaign is all about getting attention: media attention.

TRUMP: Look at all of those cameras. Look at all of the red lights. You are here for the ratings, but it is a little bit ridiculous.

STELTER: But Trump likes to have it both ways. His favorite show is "Beat the Press."

TRUMP: These people are the lowest form of life, I'm telling you. This sleazy guy over here from ABC. He's a sleaze.

The Washington Post, one of the most dishonest papers in the world.

[11:35:12] STELTER: When the going gets tough, Trump gets tough on the people covering his campaign, right now especially CNN.

TRUMP: Fox has been fair, but CNN has been catastrophic. It's so dishonest.

STELTER: Lately, he doesn't seem to want the attention at all.

TRUMP: They cover things that are -- that should not be covered.

STELTER: Hillary Clinton does face daily scrutiny, especially about her email server, but Clinton usually keeps her media critiques private.

Trump tweets his on an hourly basis. CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, he has objected to a dozen things just this week alone.

On Friday, he called CNN ratings challenged. But odds are he is watching this program right now. Watching cable news and then reacting to it is a

defining feature of his campaign.

TRUMP: You ought to see these news organizations yesterday. When I said, Obama, right? Did you see that? Obama is the founder of ISIS.

STELTER: Time and time again he says the media is rigged against him.

TRUMP: The media is rigged. It's rigged. It's crooked as hell.

STELTER: He is far from the first candidate to blame the media.

SARAH PALIN, FRM. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDDIATE: See, here's a little news flash for those reporters and commentators, I'm not going to Washington to

seek their good opinion.

TRUMP: Sometimes when campaigns are down in the polls, the anti-press talk gets even louder.

The difference with Trump is the intensity. He is not just running against Clinton, he is running against us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: Meanwhile, Donald Trump's campaign chief is of course defending his boss. Paul Manafort spoke to CNN a short time ago to explain how he

sees the media undermining Trump and siding with Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MANAFORT, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANGER: The point he was making is this week was a substantive week. He talked about an economic plan, and

Hillary Clinton presented her economic plan. They were two different plans. Our plan very clearly

laid out how he was going to cut taxes, lower tax rates for small businesses, how that would create more jobs. He talked about his trade

policy, he talked about his energy policy and making America energy independent.

And she laid out a program, which frankly is exactly what this administration is doing: raising taxes, raising spending, increasing the

national debt and there was a debate that could have been had there.

Instead, the media chose to take her -- the Clinton campaign narrative and go on attack on Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PARKER: That was Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort speaking on CNN earlier.

You are watching Connect the World." Still to come, desperate Venezuelans cross into Colombia to buy food. As the border between the countries

reopens for the first time in nearly a year.

Also ahead, a French city bans a certain type of swimwear worn by Muslim women. We will have more on this controversy. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:18] PARKER: You're watching CNN. And this is Connect the World. I'm Nick Parker. Welcome back.

The iconic French city of Cannes on the French Riviera has imposed a temporary ban on full body swimwear known as the burkini. The suit is

typically worn by Muslim women to maintain the modesty dictated by their faith.

The ban is set to expire at the end of the month. The mayor said the ban was intended to decrease religious tensions, but critics say it risks

having the opposite affect.

Let's get some perspective on this controversy with a French civil rights activist Yasser Louati.

Yasser, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate your time today.

YASSER LOUATI, FRENCH CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Thank you for having me.

PARKER: So, my first question is clearly this is a fairly localized level. We are talking about two resorts on the Riveria that have done this. But

how much of this is a concern, do you think, in terms of the trend that it is pointing towards?

LOUATI: Well, if these laws, as long as they are being passed according to racial lines and to target specific minorities are definitely going to

increase racial (inaudible) in France. We don't see the use of this law if it isn't to specifically target Muslims in the wake of the two latest

attacks in Nice and Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in which Father Jacques Hamel was killed.

The question is why this law?

PARKER: And what has been the reaction as far as you can tell to it?

LOUATI: Yeah, Muslims are feeling a sense of outrage again, because they're constantly being targeted. Numerous laws have been targeting

Muslims women in public schools, at work. They try to exclude them from universities, now they are excluding them from being able to work as self-

employed nannies and now excluding them from French beaches.

The question is how come nobody spoke up when, for example, a Saudi billionaire privatized a whole beach in the very same city of Cannes that

we just mentioned.

We (inaudible) targeting the weak minority of Muslims in France and again we haven't heard the government to raise -- to ring the alarm bell and say

enough is enough, stop targeting Muslims and using the law to further exclude them.

PARKER: Oroponents of the law will say that it is actually set to expire in about a month's time. Do you think that perhaps this can just be

localized and isolated until that time?

LOUATI: No, sir. This again set a precedent. The city of Cannes passed this law. A second city that did the same thing. And unfortunately the

justice department just gave the reason to mayor, even though the mayor did not say it was illegal, but used a quote, French identity, good morality

and (inaudible) which means that the mayor himself knew that there are no legal basis to exclude these

Muslim women from the beaches.

And again we don't see any good outcome from this. We are deeply worried on top of being outraged because France is definitely back with the slope

of the Vichy (ph) era when Jews were stripped of their rights before going -- where, you know.

PARKER: And France, obviously, was also the first country in Europe to ban the burqa in 2011. What has been the reaction to that in the Islamic

community in France? And to what extent would that be a gauge to how things might progress after this ban?

LOUATI: First, France is home to the biggest Muslim minority in Europe, yet it is a country with the highest number -- or the highest number of

laws specifically targeting Muslims. First, targeting Muslim girls in schools wearing the head scarf, and then the law targeting the full face

veil, which is different from the burqa. The burqa is only used in Afghanistan.

But when you have a minority constantly under the spotlight of the government and which is being victim of various laws specifically targeting

it and denying it its own -- its individual rights to practice their religion, the Muslim minority right now feel that it is targeted as the

public enemy. And of course in a front attack that is still being under shock of the various terrorist attacks, Muslims are denied the right first

to grieve the dead and to also be considered as fully-fledged citizens because laws are not used to protect them but to target them as the enemy

within.

PARKER: Yasser Louati joining us live from Paris. Sir, thank you. Appreciate your time today.

Now to the economic crisis in Venezuela. Thousands of people have been crossing into Colombia, desperate to buy food and basic items they can't

afford at home. Saturday marked the first time the border between the two countries opened in nearly a year. Rafael Romo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[11:44:59] RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hours before sunrise people were already standing in line at the border, tens of

thousands of Venezuelans desperate to cross into Colombia for the first time in almost a year.

"Colombia and Venezuela have always been sister nations," this woman says, "the border should always be open."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the 2,200-kilometer border closed last August after a clash between Colombian paramilitary forces and

Venezuelan troops.

He met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Thursday in Venezuela to announce a reopening of the border.

"We will open the boarder in an orderly, controlled, and gradual way," President Santos said.

(on camera): Which means this is not yet a permanent reopening. For now the border will be open for up to 15 hours a day and only for pedestrians.

According to Colombian officials, about 28,000 Venezuelans cross into their country on Saturday alone.

(voice-over): Authorities briefly opened portions of the border several times in the last few weeks. But this is the first time it reopens as part

of the bi-national agreement.

For the Venezuelans it was mainly an opportunity to buy basic products and toiletries that had been scarce in Venezuela for years. Later in the day,

they returned home carrying bags, packages and boxes full of food and other items.

Others flocked to pharmacies to get medicines that are nowhere to be found in Venezuela. Some even carried tires.

This woman said she felt like taking pictures of this Colombian supermarket where we found her. All she sees back home, she said, are empty shelves.

After almost after a year of suffering shortages, the abundance of essential grocery store items in Colombia was overwhelming.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: The darkest hours in Olympic history came 44 years ago when terrorist kidnapped and killed 11 Israeli athletes and officials. Oren

Liebermann we look back at a man who will never forget the massacre in Munich.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN: These are the moment Gad Tzuberi wants to remember: the opening ceremonies of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Tzuberi recalls the pride he felt competing, recalls every moment of those games, even the moments he wishes he could forget.

The Munich massacre, on September 5, a Palestinian terror group called Black September took part of the Israeli team hostage in the Olympic

village, Tzuberi, a wrestler, was the only one to escape.

GAD TZUBERI, MUNICH MASSACRE SURVIVOR (through translator): I saw an opening. The AK rifle was here. I pushed it out of the way of my stomach

and ran away. He never chased me, he only shot. I never looked left, or right or behind, I just ran.

LIEBERMANN: The memory haunts him to this day.

Now for the first time, the International Olympic Committee has created a memorial site in the Olympic Village to remember Olympians who have died

during the games including 11 Israelis murdered in Munich. They will always be

Tzuberi's teammates.

TZUBERI: I will remember every second until I die. It's not a dream, it's like I feel every second until this moment. Something like that is

impossible to forget.

LIEBERMANN: Despite the painful memories, Tzuberi still reveres the Olympic

games for what he says they are: a chance to unite the world.

TZUBERI (through translator): They once asked me if they should have continued the games and I said, yes. It's for the whole world, and it

continued. It's a festival that gives a good feeling to the whole world.

LIEBERMANN: Before leaving for Rio, the Israeli Olympic team paid their respects at the Munich memorial in Israel. This man laid a wreath at the

site. His name is Shaka Tzuberi (ph), Gad Tzuberi's nephew.

He will compete in wind surfing for the second time after winning a bronze medal in Beijing. Perhaps that's the strongest way of remembering what

happened, by carrying the name of survivor to another Olympic games.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: And we will have more on the Olympics coming up. We'll meet the Rio ball boys and see the impact tennis is having on their lives.

Plus, in tonight's Parting Shots, scientists developed a live version of Pacman. We will take look at the microscopic maze they have created. Stay

with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:51:47]

KIRANI JAMES, OLYMPIC SPRINTER: My name is Kirani James and I'm aiming for gold.

Just having that confidence of me from Granada, small island, competing against the larger Caribbean countries and winning races and doing well. I

think that really set in that, you know, I could compete, you know, and do it really, really well in track.

We're very proud people. And anytime we have something positive that we can be proud of, you know, we go the extra mile to let people know how

proud we are of something. So, just winning the first medal, I think home, you know, everyone at home erupted. It was an historic moment and it's

something I will cherish every day of my life.

I called my mother. And she was out in the streets along with everybody else. She couldn't hear me, I couldn't hear her, because there was so much

noise. And I guess she just kept handing the phone to various people, random people. Either that, or they were grabbing the phone from her. I'm

not sure.

But, you know, just to hear people's voice and how proud they were, and how excited of winning first -- Granada's first Olympic gold medal, I think

that's when it really hit me that I did something very extraordinary for my country.

Training has been going great, you know, injury free. And I've competed this year. I haven't lost a race yet. So, I would say it's been very

positive. Just try to do well. As long as I do that then I'm happy.

They won the games for a reason because the Olympic committee saw something special in them. And so, I'm going in with a mindset that it's going to be

a great games. And only when we get there we will see. So, hopefully they

get everything sorted out by then. And it will be a memorable games.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: Hello, you are watching CNN and this is Connect the World. I'm Nick Parker, welcome back.

Growing up in Rio's poor favela district is not easy, but a few boys are getting the opportunity of an absolute lifetime through tennis. Here is

their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think ours is the only favela with a tennis court. It gives me more discipline, and it keeps me off the

streets.

[11:55:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I thought I was going to (inaudible) and then I would get out. (inaudible). Then they started

to like the way I play, and now I've gotten opportunities to train outside of Rocinha.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was really angry before and got into trouble and (inaudible) change that (inaudible).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: And in today's Parting Shots, scientists at University College of Southeastern Norway are literally bringing Pacman to life. While live action versions of video games are really nothing new, Professor Erik

Johannsson (ph) has teamed up with filmmaker Adam Bartley (ph) and created one like nothing you have seen before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIK ANDREW JOHANSSON, UNIVERISTY COLLEGE OF SOUTHEAST NORTHWAY: What we're looking at is a small micro (inaudible) channel, kind of maze

structure that we made.

But in this particular project, we designed our maze as a Pacman maze, which is something that we could use to tell the public about the science

that we are doing.

In order to see it you use a standard microscope and we use magnification that is 200 times.

Well, the grill is approximately one millimeter squares, so roughly one by one millimeters.

We have some select species. This is kind our Pacman.

The second model that we're testing out was (inaudible) species.

Now the ghosts (inaudible) multicelluar organism that are kind of more actively hunting and preying on the smaller unicellular organisms.

And the main scientific aim here was to see if we could observe any behavioral changes, differences, once the organisms were put into more

similar real life environment and what it would do in an open petri dish.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PARKER: A one millimeters square maze. Amazing stuff.

And you can always follow the stories that the team is working on throughout the day by going to our Facebook page, Facebook.com/CNNconnect.

You can also get in touch with me on Twitter. Tweet me @nickparkercnn.

And I am Nick Parker. That was Connect the World. Thank you for watching.

END