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England to Lift COVID-19 Restrictions July 19th; Israeli Government on Effectiveness of Pfizer Vaccine; Australia's Indigenous Communities Beat Odds in COVID-19 Fight; Lebanon's Economic Crisis Fuels Anger; Death Toll in Florida Building Collapse Now at 32; Hong Kong Police Arrest Six Students in "Local Terrorism" Plot; Plane Crash in Russia's Far East. Aired 10-10:45a ET

Aired July 06, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Masks and social distancing not required. England prepares to lift off the last of the coronavirus

restrictions.

Is it too soon?

Plus, fire on the streets. Anger in their hearts. Lebanon's economic crisis has the nation at breaking point.

And?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): I'd like to notify you that we've downloaded 500 gigabytes of your data from your servers.

KINKADE (voice-over): And an ominous message from cyber attackers, who may have reached up to 1,500 businesses.

But who is behind the latest ransomware attack?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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KINKADE: Hello. It's 10:00 am here in Atlanta, 6:00 pm in Abu Dhabi. I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Becky Anderson. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. Great to

have you with us.

Well, getting back to normal. It's what the world has been waiting for after COVID-19 but as normal seems within reach, we are hearing another

message: not so fast.

The World Health Organization says variants are outpacing vaccines in many countries; even in parts of Europe, you can see cases are rising sharply. A

WHO official warns rushing to reopen could lead to a new wall (sic) -- a new wave, rather -- this fall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MICHAEL RYAN, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: I think overall we've made a very premature run, rush back to full normality. And I think we're going to

pay a price for that because we're not there at vaccination. The variants are really there and we haven't protected enough people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: The warning comes as England announces its plans to reopen. Prime minister Boris Johnson laid out tentative plans for lifting restrictions on

July 19th. It comes even as his own health secretary warns the U.K. could see 100,000 new cases a day this summer.

Mr. Johnson acknowledged the country must be reconciled to more COVID deaths. This, of course, is a balancing act, weighing the risks of

reopening with the risks of keeping the measures in place. CNN's Nina dos Santos joins us now from London.

The U.K. government is saying, despite the fact that we are seeing a rise in COVID cases due to this Delta variant, the deaths and hospitalizations

are not rising at the same pace. However, the chief medical officer in England is saying, often, deaths lag behind cases. So he is worried.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNNMONEY EUROPE EDITOR: I think there is a sense that complacency certainly isn't an option for government and scientific

advisers, Lynda. But on the other hand, the government does feel that people have had these restrictions in place for a number of months now.

They're becoming fatigued with them.

Also, they have also, many of them, had two shots of a COVID vaccine that is protecting them from getting the serious type of illness that could then

land people in hospital and, therefore, overwhelm the NHS, the National Health Service, here in this country.

It is for this reason that they feel they can take, yes, a gamble but a calculated gamble during this time in the summer months, when people are

able to spend more time outdoors because the weather is better and, therefore, they won't be transmitting the virus quite as easily from one

person to another; whereas, later on, if they were to lift these restrictions further towards the fall, when the weather is colder, the

virus could start to be transmitted and circulated more.

They are also concerned about variants. Yes, it's true. And you pointed out that this is something that is giving the World Health Organization some

sleepless nights as well. But for the moment, the government seem to feel that they can sort of roll the dice a bit and hope to see how it goes.

Essentially, what they're doing here with the messaging of talking about yesterday evening it was Boris Johnson, the prime minister, talking about

50,000 COVID cases per day in about two weeks' time now his own health secretary talking about double that number is they're pushing the onus onto

individual people in terms of being responsible to not transmit COVID and also isolate if they have symptoms.

They don't want to make it obligatory to wear masks but on the other hand they're saying that people really should think about doing so if they

choose -- Lynda.

Nina, talk to us a little bit more about the mask policy because, as you said, Boris Johnson is saying you can choose whether you want to wear a

mask.

[10:05:00]

KINKADE: What are transport authorities saying?

DOS SANTOS: Yes, this is where things get really, really complicated. Masks is also an issue that is pitting the mayor of London, the biggest

metropolis in this country, that could potentially be right at the heart of any future sort of COVID issues and it's been so affected by the pandemic

against the government.

Remember, of course, the mayor of London, by the way, is from the opposite party, the Labour Party, to the previous mayor of London, Boris Johnson,

who was a Conservative mayor of London before Sadiq Khan. And Sadiq Khan is saying that he doesn't feel particularly comfortable with that last issue

of removing mask wearing as an obligatory COVID restriction thus far.

Why?

Because, of course, he has oversight over transport for London, which is the main body that actually runs all of the subway system in this country.

And they need more people to try and use public transport to continue buying tickets and pay for public transport.

So he could, in theory, mandate masks but he wouldn't quite go that far when I spoke to him earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SADIQ KHAN, MAYOR OF LONDON: So we have seen the vaccines weaken the link between the virus and hospitalization and the virus leading to deaths,

thankfully. But it's still the case that we have the virus amongst us.

And that's why I was keen for there to be a continuation of face masks being mandatory in public transport, where you can't keep your social

distance. But also we know wearing a face mask in public transport gives commuters more confidence.

And so we're in discussions with the government and with the rail delivery (ph) group across the country about what happens post July the 19th because

what we wouldn't want to do is to have people too nervous about using public transport because the requirement to wear face masks has gone.

DOS SANTOS: So will you make masks mandatory in public transport in London?

KHAN: Science tells us wearing a face mask reduces the chances of you passing the virus on, particularly if you're not showing symptoms. And so

to me, wearing a face mask keeps others safe; others wearing a face mask keeps me safe.

So we need to have enough people wearing a face mask for us to make a difference. So I'm hopeful the government will work with us to understand

that actually making it a requirement to wear a face mask on public transport, that just makes people safer but encourages public confidence,

which means people return to the heart of the city, which supports our economy.

DOS SANTOS: What will you personally do?

KHAN: When I leave home now, I leave home not just with my wallet and my keys and a face mask. I suspect for the foreseeable future that's be the

case. If I'm on public transport, I'll wear a face mask. If I'm in a place where I think I can't keep my social distance, I'll wear my face mask. It's

one of the most unselfish things you can do.

DOS SANTOS: Wimbledon, the Euro semifinals are coming up this weekend in London. That is going to bring tens of thousands of people into various

venues at full capacity.

Is that not reckless?

KHAN: In the games we've had up until now, there is no evidence of people coming to the games leading to an increase in the virus. And so we're

confident both semifinals on Tuesday, Wednesday and the final on Sunday as well can be safe.

And hopefully that, from our point of view, is successful with England willing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOS SANTOS: And Lynda, let's just bring up some facts and figures that support the mayor's points on some of those issues. Recent surveys have

shown that 65 percent of Londoners polled would actually that say that they would approve of people continuing to wear those masks in shops and also in

public transport.

One of the things he also talked about in that interview is that two-thirds of Londoners by July the 19th when those COVID restrictions will be lifted

will, in theory, have received two doses of the COVID vaccine. And that is what's giving authorities in London and beyond confidence -- Lynda?

KINKADE: Exactly. Our Nina dos Santos for us in London. Thanks so much.

Well, reopening in London and the rest of England and elsewhere obviously hinges on the success of the vaccines. But the Israeli health ministry says

the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which the government has been using, has recently appeared less effective at preventing mild forms of the virus.

The vaccine is still highly effective against severe illness and hospitalization. The analysis coincides with the spread of the Delta

variant. Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins me now for perspective on all of this.

So Elizabeth, just break it down for us because it seems from this data in Israel that it is less effective at stopping the spread of this Delta

variant. But the good news is it is still effective at preventing any severe illness.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Lynda, that is the bottom line. And before we get into these numbers in particular, I

want to say that the Israeli ministry of health put out these numbers but did not explain them, did not say how they got them, didn't say what it was

based on, nothing.

So it is impossible for us to show their work to experts and say, what do you think?

We're just sort of going on faith here. And so many people would say that's pretty irresponsible. But we are going to show you these numbers and tell

you what they mean.

And the bottom line, Lynda, is basically what you just said. So what the Israelis found is now that the Delta variant is the predominant variant in

Israel, that the vaccine is only 64 percent effective at preventing infection.

[10:10:00]

COHEN: Only 64 percent; with other variants it was, let's say, in the 90s or in other strains of COVID. But -- this is the big but and a happy but --

it is 93 percent effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalizations. It is very possible, with many vaccines, really with

pretty much all vaccines, that you will get the vaccine and you could get infected and maybe even a little bit sick. That's OK.

Dr. Paul Offit, who is an internationally known vaccine researcher, has said a vaccine's purpose is to keep you out of the hospital and out of the

morgue. If you get a little bit sick, if you miss a couple of days of work, it's not the end of the world. You're not putting a strain on the health

care system. It is not a big deal.

So 93 percent effective at keeping you from getting either very sick or from ending up in the hospital, that's amazing and that is why people need

to get vaccinated.

KINKADE: Exactly. And to that point, I just want to look at some of the data here in the U.S., which found, last month, that over 99 percent of

COVID deaths were among people that were unvaccinated. So we're now at that point that, if you don't want to get vaccinated, there is a very clear

risk.

COHEN: Right, absolutely. So people in the U.S. who choose not to get vaccinated -- and I use that word for a reason; in the United States, the

vaccine is plentiful; it is in even some of the most remote areas of the country and it is free.

So people who are choosing not to get vaccinated are choosing to put their lives at risk and they're choosing to put other people at risk because

maybe they'll get infected and then pass it on to someone else, who might get sick or even die.

So the choice is very clear. In the rest of the world, there are issues with availability. In the United States, there are not. But still, about a

third of Americans have chosen not to get a COVID-19 shot.

KINKADE: Yes, it's shocking.

COHEN: It is.

KINKADE: That sort of number exists right now. Elizabeth Cohen, good to have you with us as always. We'll speak to you soon.

COHEN: Thanks.

KINKADE: Thank you.

Australia's prime minister is promoting a complex formula to change the country's mindset and get out of COVID-19. Scott Morrison revealed a full-

phase pathway out of the pandemic. More than 10 million Australians are now under lockdown.

The first phase of his plan would make any lockdown a last resort; instead focusing on prevention of serious illness and hospitalization and fatality.

The plan also further reduces the number of international arrivals.

From mid July, only 3,000 people will be allowed into the country each week, making it very difficult for the hundreds of thousands of Australians

who live overseas and want to see family. Well, this new strategy comes as only 8 percent of the population is now fully vaccinated; 29 percent have

one dose.

Well, while indigenous populations around the world are far more likely to be infected by -- or die -- by COVID-19, Australia has been an inspiring

exception. Indigenous Australians were six times less likely to contract COVID-19. So far, zero deaths in just 148 cases of COVID-19 were reported

for the 800,000 indigenous people across the country.

Well, some of the success comes from the Australian government working collaboratively with these communities. A mouthful avail of this (ph).

A remarkable success is due, in part, to my next guest, Patricia Turner. She has worked to raise awareness about the pandemic in aboriginal

communities and to reduce vaccine hesitation and misinformation. She joins us now from the Australian capital of Canberra.

Good to have you with us.

PATRICIA TURNER, NATIONAL ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY CONTROLLED HEALTH ORGANISATION: Thank you very much. Lovely to be here.

KINKADE: It seems to be very clear that when you look at data from countries like Canada, from Brazil, from here in the U.S., that indigenous

populations are dying from COVID-19 at a much higher rate than the general population. The exception is in Australia.

What do you put that down to?

TURNER: Well, we made very early. So I head an organization, which is a peak organization, a national aboriginal community controlled health

organization. And we represent 143 aboriginal community-controlled health services at the regional or local level right throughout Australia from

remote communities to metropolitan areas in the cities and the country towns.

So we're a very widely distributed network. Our oldest health service is Redfern, which turned 50 this year. So a lot of other health services set

up soon after the Redfern service.

And it's an initiative and it's an act of self-determination by aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia to have their own

comprehensive primary health care services operated at the regional and local levels, giving them the comprehensive primary health care that they

want.

[10:15:00]

TURNER: So they -- our organizations are run by the boards that are elected by community members, aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

peoples. And they employ the staff. The CEO, who then engages all the other staff and we have a great depth of public health expertise within our staff

right across the country.

So we employ over 6,000 people across the country, more than half of those aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. So we also create a lot of

jobs for our people in areas where they live.

And like I said, over the last 50 years, we've gained a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience and we are now a very important part of the health

architecture in Australia.

So from the get-go, as soon as I heard that we had an infected man arrive in Melbourne on the 25th of January last year from Wuhan, I started to call

all of our member services around the country to speak to those who had experienced with the previous SARS pandemic, where I knew that we had a lot

of our people hospitalized and quite a number of deaths.

And while I didn't really understand all that would come with COVID-19, I understood it was serious enough and we needed to act fast. So we started

to do that. We started to order PPE in January as soon as we knew that there was, you know, a pandemic -- well, even before the World Health

Organization declared it.

So we were having these conversations. We set up a national advisory committee in conjunction with the commonwealth government, cochaired by my

deputy in my organization, NACCHO, and a senior official in the Commonwealth Department of Health.

KINKADE: Right.

(CROSSTALK)

TURNER: -- committee --

KINKADE: I just wanted to ask you --

(CROSSTALK)

TURNER: -- go ahead.

KINKADE: -- Pat, that when you look at the overall health outcomes of aboriginal Australians, they are worse in general than the general

population.

TURNER: Yes.

KINKADE: Life expectancy is eight years less than the general population.

TURNER: Yes.

KINKADE: But when it comes to COVID, they're six times less likely to contract it.

What lessons can be --

TURNER: -- more likely. It's more likely because of the comorbidities. So aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a lot of chronic

illnesses.

KINKADE: Yes.

TURNER: And so they would be six times more likely to contract it than other Australians. But to date, we've only had 153 people who have been

affected and no deaths. And that -- we put that down to the actions that we took, in partnership with governments throughout Australia, led by our --

we set up this national advisory committee.

And they met very regularly; weekly, in fact, last year. And they're still meeting. It's been an ongoing process. And all of the information from our

members is fed through that. And we then seek the government's cooperation to ensure that their needs, that are expressed in those meetings, are acted

upon.

(CROSSTALK)

TURNER: But I also wrote to the national cabinet in March last year and asked for the national cabinet to agree to close aboriginal communities,

discrete aboriginal communities, throughout Australia because we could not afford for COVID to get into those communities because of the appalling

living conditions of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that we still endure.

COVID would have spread like wildfire. And it still could.

(CROSSTALK)

KINKADE: Yes, it still could, given that the vaccination rate there is still very, very low. Patrick (sic) -- Patricia Turner, we'll have to

leave it there for now. Appreciate your time. And continue with your efforts there. Thanks so much.

TURNER: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD, live from CNN in Atlanta. Still ahead, an urgent plea for help from the leader of Lebanon's caretaker

government. Why he says his country is on the brink of a social explosion.

Also next hour, a search and rescue expert who says this is one of the most complicated situations he's ever seen. We're going to speak with the head

of the Israeli unit on the site at the south Florida building collapse.

And the latest on tropical storm Elsa. What it did to Cuba, what it's bringing to Florida. We're going to have a live report. Stay with us.

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[10:20:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister is making an urgent appeal to the world, help save our economy. The prime minister warns the country is just days

away from what he calls a social explosion.

Lebanon's currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value and much its population lives in poverty. The plea for help is facing a chilly response

from the European Union, which blames Lebanon's stalemated government for the crisis.

Our correspondent, Ben Wedeman, is connecting us today from Beirut, where he has covered Lebanon for years.

Ben, we've been talking about this, week in, week in (sic). Now the caretaker prime minister is warning that the country is close to a social

collapse, a social explosion. This really is a desperate plea for help.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and Hassan Diab made that desperate plea in a meeting with diplomats here in Beirut today,

warning that Lebanon is on the brink of a catastrophe, which is obvious to anybody who lives here, with the possible exception of the real power

brokers in this country, the former warlords and profiteers and politicians, who appear to be blind to the pain and suffering of so many

Lebanese.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Protesters block a main road into Beirut, angry over Lebanon's deepening economic crisis, angry at a political elite, doing

nothing as the country falls apart.

"It's the breaking point," he says. "We'll go to their homes and palaces and throw them in the trash."

And with anger comes despair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Don Nassar hosts a radio call-in show, a chance for a proud people to pour out their sorrows.

"I can't get medicine. I can't get milk for my son. I can't get anything. We're completely ruined," says caller, Sara (ph), overcome by emotion.

"We're dying day by day."

Nassar initiated the show in early 2020.

DON NASSAR, SAWT EL-GHAD RADIO HOST: We start this because Lebanon is finished. Lebanon, like we said, bye-bye. No Beirut and no Lebanon. No

food, no diapers, no milk, no school and no gas, no petrol, nothing in Lebanon.

[10:25:00]

WEDEMAN (voice-over): For the past two years, the economy has shriveled. The lira, the local currency, has lost more than 90 percent of its value.

Inflation is rampant. According to the United Nations, 77 percent of households don't have enough food. Yet the politicians appear indifferent

to the crisis, paralyzed by infighting.

After the show, Dori (ph) and his staff handout bags of food, donated by listeners to those who called in.

Two years ago Marina Nakashian (ph) earned the equivalent of more than $800 a month. Now it's worth just over $70.

"If I could emigrate, I'd go," she says. "I told my children, if you can go, go."

In October 2019, hundreds of thousands of people joined an uprising against a ruling class, accused of corruption and incompetence. Yet today, apart

from scattered small protests, the streets are calm.

"Survival is now the top priority," says student leader and activist Karim Saheddine.

KARIM SAHEDDINE, STUDENT LEADER AND ACTIVIST: An economic crisis, the vast majority of the people who are on the streets, are now looking for

minimal jobs, a minimum wage, a minimal capacity to feed their children.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): In the southern city of Sidon, butcher Saad Hashoun (ph) says he sells in a week what he once sold in a day.

"They," the rulers, he means, "will rule this country for 100 years. We must be patient."

Patient while the politicians squabble and Lebanon dies little by little, day by day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: And the European Union and other potential donors have warned that they could impose sanctions on the politicians here for really just

not getting their act together.

It's important to keep in mind that it has been 330 days since Hassan Diab, the caretaker prime minister, resigned. In that time, the politicians have

simply failed to come to an agreement to form a proper government, which is the first condition the donor community has for Lebanon if it's going to

get its hands on any money that could perhaps alleviate the suffering that so clearly is spreading to almost every household here in Lebanon -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Really feel for the people there. Ben Wedeman, thanks so much for that report.

Well, you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still ahead, Palestinians are angry at their own government in the wake of an activist's death while in

custody. We're going to have a live report.

Also, four years on and still many questions unanswered, lessons from the horrifying tragedy of Grenville Tower as investigators in Surfside,

Florida, look for answers of their own.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.

In South Florida, rescue crews have recovered more bodies since their controlled demolition of the collapsed tower on Sunday. The demolition was

done as a safety measure for first responders and has allowed them to expand their search area.

The number of confirmed deaths in Surfside is now 32, with 113 people still missing. Rescuers worked in some soggy conditions Monday and are bracing

for the approach of tropical storm Elsa.

Well, that tropical storm is churning through the Gulf of Mexico right now and could reach hurricane strength before crashing into Florida. Elsa swept

across Cuba Monday and continues to dump a lot of rain on the island. Parts of Cuba could see as much as 15 inches, triggering fears of flooding and

mudslides.

Yet another major ransomware attack is rattling the world. A Russian-based cyber criminal group that is also behind the infamous attack on the meat

supplier, JBS, is demanding $70 million in bitcoin after targeting the software vendor, Kaseya.

The breach is affecting direct customers and hundreds of other businesses in a domino effect. Our correspondent Clare Sebastian joins us for more on

all of this.

Clare, this attack has impacted businesses in dozens of countries from the U.K. to Canada to Argentina to New Zealand. Just tell us what you know.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Lynda, the impact of this is still unfolding. This is, of course, the first day back at work after the

July 4th holiday for U.S. businesses. We are still only seeing sort of the beginning of how far this has spread.

I can tell you why this was able to spread. Kaseya is a software company that provides its technology to I.T. companies that manage service

providers. And they use that technology to manage the I.T. operations sort of remotely of small businesses.

This is what's called a supply chain attack. So what happens was the malware was able to hit the software and deploy to those customers and then

to their customers. Kaseya, in its latest update last night, said fewer than 60 of its direct customers were impacted.

And they believe fewer than 1,500, what they call downstream customers, customers of their customers, were impacted. These were small businesses;

the likes of dentist offices, restaurants, a supermarket chain in Sweden, companies that can't afford the mitigation that comes with being impacted

by a ransomware attack like this.

That is why this is such a major incident and why it was able to spread so far.

KINKADE: And, Clare, the FBI is one of a number of agencies looking into this.

Is it likely the hackers will be paid?

SEBASTIAN: This is a really tricky sort of question for anyone who is affected by a ransomware attack. We've seen companies in the past, the

likes of Colonial Pipeline and JBS, have had to pay to have their data restored.

What's interesting in this case is the $70 million demand detected by service security experts is for what's called a universal decryption key.

That, according to experts, suggests the attackers don't want to go to the trouble of negotiating with hundreds, potentially thousands of businesses

affected by this.

They just want to provide that universal decryption key. But $70 million in terms of what we've seen in the past is a huge sum. The JBS payment was

about $11 million. Colonial Pipeline less than that.

The biggest to my knowledge that we've seen in the U.S. was a financial company, an insurance company that paid about $40 million. So if $70

million is paid, that would be huge. But the CEO of Kaseya in an interview with Reuters said he is not going to comment on anything to do with what he

called negotiation with terrorists.

So right now, we don't know, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right. We'll wait and see how this plays out. Clare Sebastian in New York. Thank you.

Let's get you up to speed on some other stories on our radar right now.

Nigerian authorities are said to be in hot pursuit of gunmen who raided a private school and kidnapped scores of people in the northern region of the

country. Police say at least 26 students and a teacher have been rescued. Officials say the attackers captured about 140 students.

Hong Kong police announced they have thwarted a suspected bomb blot and have arrested nine suspects, six of them high school students.

[10:35:00]

KINKADE: Police say they were targeting courts and transportation facilities but had yet to make any explosives.

Officials in Japan say the death toll from Saturday's mudslide has risen to four and 24 remain unaccounted for. Crews are still digging for survivors

even though the critical 72-hour rescue window has passed.

Still to come, a passenger plane crashes in Russia on terrain that's making it difficult for search and rescue teams. We'll have the latest on what we

know.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE (voice-over): And these pictures are Italian fans celebrating a previous victory.

But will there be tears or cheers after clashing with Spain tonight?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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KINKADE: To Russia now, the horrifying crash of a passenger plane carrying 28 people. It came down in the Far Eastern peninsula of Kamchatka after

disappearing from radar. Wreckage was found a few kilometers from the airport.

Russian state media says the plane is believed to have collided into a hill. Our correspondent, Matthew Chance, is joining us now from Moscow.

So 28 people on board, 22 of those passengers, including a child.

What can you tell us, Matthew?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, it's absolutely terrible. It's like every Russian plane passenger's worst

nightmare, of course, particularly when you find yourself flying in those regional airlines with aircraft like this.

Antonov (ph) 26, which I think is 39 years old, but it's still the backbone of much of that provincial Russian sort of air transportation network,

ferrying sort of passengers from one remote place to another remote place.

This time, in the far extremes of the Russian Far East. CNN has learned that the wreckage has now been located. It appears to have crashed -- the

aircraft appears to have crashed into a rock 2 to 4 kilometers away from the airstrip where it was making a landing.

Rescue teams have been deployed to the area. But because of weather conditions, we are told that they have not been actually able to access the

wreckage at this point. It's perhaps large parts of the aircraft slipped into the sea.

And so that makes the recovery effort even more difficult. There's no information about survivors but I think the expectation at this point is

that there won't be any of the 28 people on board.

But again, it underlines just that broader problem with Russian infrastructure, which has been decaying for several decades and

particularly with the air transport infrastructure, which, as I say, it does still -- you know, even though much of the fleet has been modernized,

it does still have these aging aircraft.

[10:40:00]

CHANCE: They aren't very well maintained and have long passed their kind of safe life expectancy, if you like. Having said that, there's not been an

actual determination made yet as to what the cause of the crash was.

Was it bad weather, aircraft maintenance, pilot error?

That's something investigators are still starting to look into -- Lynda.

KINKADE: We'll stay across this story. Matthew Chance for us in Moscow. Thank you very much.

I want to go to a military development in Ukraine that might not be what you expect. Ukraine's army is putting its foot down over the issue of

footwear, defending a decision to make female soldiers march in high heels.

Female officers are training twice a day in these shoes. They're practicing for an upcoming parade to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's

independence from the Soviet Union.

Several lawmakers released a statement, complaining that high heels are incompatible with combat duties and damage the health of soldiers. In

response, the defense ministry posted a series of pictures showing female soldiers from other armies wearing heels as part of a dress uniform.

Well, there is massive excitement for tonight's match. Two football heavyweights are clashing to book their place in the final of the Euro

2020, Italy taking on Spain and the showdown sure to be incredible.

(WORLD SPORTS)

KINKADE: Of course, we'll have much more news at the top of the hour. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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