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Haiti's President Jovenel Moise Assassinated; 18,000 Afghans Apply for U.S. Special Immigration Visas; Suez Canal Authority Reaches Agreement on Stuck Ship; Colombian Police Violence against Protesters; Brazilian President Facing Corruption Probe; Cannes Film Festival Returns with COVID- 19 Rules. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 07, 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): A horrific attack: the White House condemns the assassination of the Haitian president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL RASHID SHIRZAD, FORMER U.S. MILITARY INTERPRETER: If they catch me, they are going to kill me, they're going to kill my kids and they're going

to kill my wife, too. It's a payback time for them, you know.

KINKADE (voice-over): Left behind, as U.S. troops depart, one Afghan translator says working with the Americans is now a death sentence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE (voice-over): And time to sail away. After a four-month delay, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal has been given the all-clear to

move on.

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

Good to have you with us.

Officials in Haiti are appealing for calm after the nation's president was assassinated. The interim prime minister says 53 year old Jovenel Moise was

killed when attackers stormed his home near the capital. His wife was wounded.

Mr. Moise began his controversial tenure in 2017. He stayed in office after the 2018 elections were delayed and it became unclear when his term ended.

The killing could mean more turmoil for an already troubled country. CNN's Melissa Bell is joining us from Paris.

There are reports that those who carried this out were speaking Spanish. We also know his wife, who was with him at the time, was wounded.

What more can you tell us?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We learned from a statement that has been put out by the acting prime minister. He had been replaced a few days ago

by decree by a seventy prime minister to come into office since that controversial presidency began for Moise.

Very controversial from the very start, with a deepening sociopolitical- economic crisis that has been exacerbated over the last couple of months and made parts of the capital no-go zones, with gangs fighting for control.

This is an assassination in the middle of all that lawlessness. Moise was killed about 1:00 am overnight and left his wife critically wounded. We

have been hearing more about the mercenaries carrying out the attack.

I think it is important confirming that the acting prime minister will in fact be taking power. We have been hearing directly from him in the last

few minutes or so, announcing that the country was being placed under a state of siege. That is according to French law, just above a state of

emergency and below a state of war.

It involves the suppression of a fair amount of civil liberties, a handing- over of the policing of the island to military and a removal of some authority from civilian to military rule as well. It is a big step for him

to announce.

And again a measure of the insecurity this allowed the assassination to happen. That's such a part of the story leading up to the assassination

that took place overnight.

KINKADE: Haiti is a nation of 11 million people; gang violence has been on the rise, inflation also rising. Talk to us about the fears that there

could be further violence. This is a country that has long had a history of political violence and coups.

BELL: Its first free elections weren't held until 1919. Before then, it was a story of political instability, economic hardship, social chaos. It

really hasn't improved much these last years.

And there is that question of the economy weighing heavily on this. And as we have seen the demonstrations worsening over the years against the rule

of Moise, who, it was believed, was seeking to extend his power and going beyond what the constitution allowed him to claim and the length of his

stay in power as well.

That was contested by a number of people in Haiti.

[10:05:00]

BELL: If we have seen that worsen, it has been under the weight of the last few years of the soaring cost of living. I think it is important the

realize how poor the nation is; 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line of $2 a day.

This has been making itself heard on the streets the last months and, with it, growing insecurity. Rival gangs looking to establish control over parts

of the capital that have been lost to the forces of law and order. A state of emergency was put in place in some neighborhoods just a few months ago.

KINKADE: Melissa Bell for us on the latest on the assassination of Haiti's president. We will touch base with you again soon.

Just after U.S. troops left Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Iran is hosting peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Iran's foreign minister says, "The United States has failed in Afghanistan" and that its people and leaders must make difficult decisions for the

future of their country.

The meeting coming as the Taliban gained more territory in Afghanistan. There are conflicting reports today about whether Taliban fighters have

taken a provincial capital in the northern province of Badghis.

This video is said to show Taliban fighters riding through the streets of the city. Well, the U.S. withdrawal is more than 90 percent complete now.

With most Americans gone, Afghans who were loyal to them now face extreme danger.

I want to bring in Anna Coren, who is connecting with us from Kabul, where she has been all week.

Explain to us what the people there you have been speaking to, those Afghans who have been helping the U.S. alliance, what sort of risks do

they now face?

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Enormous risks. It is quite frightening. They say they fear for their lives because the Taliban is

launching revenge attacks against Afghan interpreters who helped the American government.

You mentioned the significant gains that the Taliban have made on the battlefield over the last 24 hours, particularly in the north, in that

province, Badghis, where we did see, for a short time, the provincial capital fall to the Taliban. They released several hundred prisoners,

Taliban prisoners.

However, we have seen footage since and heard from the ministry of defense, who said they called in airstrikes and sent in commandos to counter that

attack. All of this adds to the overwhelming sense of fear and insecurity now plaguing this country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): Standing in the Persian valley in Uruzgan province, Abdul Rashid Shirzad had just completed another mission with SEAL Team 10.

The Afghan linguist, working alongside America's military elite, translating for U.S. Special Forces.

But according to Abdul, his five years of service has now amounted to a death sentence after the U.S. government rejected his special immigrant

visa, making him a target for the Taliban.

SHIRZAD: If they catch me, they are going to kill me, they're going to kill my kids and they're going to kill my wife, too. It's a payback time

for them, you know.

COREN (voice-over): The father of three says his contract with the U.S. military was terminated in 2014 after he failed a polygraph test. But his

letters of recommendation from SEAL commanders reflect a translator who went above and beyond duty, describing him as "a valuable and necessary

asset, who braved enemy fire and undoubtedly saved the lives of American and Afghan alike."

SHIRZAD: This is Eli. He was one of our team member.

COREN: These guys were your American brothers?

SHIRZAD: American brothers, yes.

COREN (voice-over): Abdul says he has no idea what he did wrong and never received an explanation. His visa rejection letter from the U.S. embassy

stated " lack of faithful and valuable service."

SHIRZAD: If we had peace in Afghanistan, if I had not served the U.S. military, if the Taliban were not after me, I would never leave my country.

COREN (voice-over): Around 18,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. military have applied for special immigration visas. But CNN has learned only half

are expected to be granted.

The Biden administration is in talks with a number of countries to act as a safe haven while the visas are processed, a clear sign the government is

well aware of the looming threat posed by the Taliban. But for Afghans who have been rejected, the danger is just as real.

[10:10:00]

COREN (voice-over): Sahel Parda, seen here dancing, worked for 16 months as a translator for the U.S. Army before he, too, failed a polygraph test

and was terminated in 2012.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were telling him that you are a spy for the Americans. You are the eyes of the Americans and you are infidel and we

will kill you and your family.

COREN (voice-over): Thirty-two year old Sahel confided in his best friend and fellow translator, Abdulak (ph). Both had joined the Afghans Left

Behind Association, hoping to raise awareness for their cases.

But on the morning of May 12th this year, Sahel left Abdulak (ph) a voice message, saying he was driving from Kabul to Homs province to pick up his

sister for Eid celebrations.

On the way, the Taliban had set up a checkpoint. Sahel sped through but villagers told the Red Crescent the Taliban shot his car before it swerved

and stopped. The militants then dragged him out of the car and beheaded him.

His brother takes us to his grave, on the side of a barren hill. Earth and stones are a reminder of a life violently taken in a country that has been

left to fight this war on its own.

COREN: There are hundreds of other Afghan translators who were terminated from their contracts for what they say was unjust cause. And while the U.S.

government says it won't be reviewing those cases, they fear if they stay in Afghanistan, their fate will be the same as Sahel's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can request that President Biden to save us. We help you and you -- you have to help us.

COREN (voice-over): A desperate plea from a group of Afghans, who once believed America would never desert them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: We have met so many Afghans over the last few days. They all have documents, all have records of their employment with the Americans. They've

got letters of recommendation and commendations and they say that for whatever reason, they can't get that special immigrant visa. They really do

feel like they have been left behind.

KINKADE: Yes, such a tough situation for all of those you have spoken with and many more, no doubt. I want to ask you about the peace talks, which

Iran are hosting between the Afghan government and the Taliban. These are the first high-level talks we have seen in months.

What can Iran achieve here?

COREN: Look, it's interesting; I think it came as a surprise to everyone to learn that Iran was hosting these peace talks less than a week after

U.S. forces left Bagram Air Base, effectively ending America's war here in Afghanistan.

It was a high level meeting, as you say, between Afghan government officials and the Taliban. Yes, those peace talks have stalled for months

now. The Doha peace talks just really at a standstill.

So perhaps this is a way to kickstart the peace talks, which are desperately needed. The alternative is what we are witnessing right now

across the country, the violence unfolding in the countryside. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

So if the Iranians can make a breakthrough -- and they have said that we do need peace -- I mean, this is on Iran's doorstep -- then that certainly

would be an incredible achievement.

It's sort of picking up a space, a vacuum, if you like, from where the Americans left. But the Iranian foreign minister, he said that it's now up

to the Afghan people to decide their future, because America's war here has been a failure.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly interesting that those talks are going on. Anna Coren for us in Kabul. Thanks very much.

We do have much more on Afghanistan on our website. You can go to cnn.com for news and analysis, including information on the thousands of prisoners

at a detention center next to Bagram Air Base, some said to be high-level terrorists and why security officials believe the facility is now

vulnerable. That's at cnn.com.

The giant cargo ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March is finally about to begin its journey out of the area.

Egypt seized the Ever Given after it was freed from the banks of the canal. It had blocked the shipping route for six days, affecting billions of

dollars in commerce which generally flows through one of the world's busiest waterways.

A lawyer for the Suez Canal Authority tells CNN they came to an agreement to release the vessel to its owner after some 40 days of negotiations.

[10:15:00]

KINKADE: They were seeking nearly $1 billion in compensation. Our Ben Wedeman reported on the six-day salvage operation and joins us now.

We spoke many days during that time when the ship blocked the Suez Canal over those six days. Certainly, that headache must continue now for the

owners of the ship, now that they reportedly have to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we don't have the precise details about what sort of agreement was worked out. But that

settlement was signed today at a ceremony in Ismailia and the Ever Given is now steaming north in the Suez Canal.

It's going to stop in Port Said, where its hull will be inspected. Then it is going to make a slow two-week journey from there to Rotterdam and

afterwards to the U.K. As I said, the precise details are unclear.

Originally, the Egyptian government was demanding $916 million in compensation; that includes $300 million for the salvage operation itself,

in addition to $300 million as for reputational damage to the Suez Canal as a result of that six-day blockage.

The Egyptians then lowered their demands to about $550 (sic). The insurance company for the Japanese company that owns the Ever Given counter offered

with $150 million. But at this point, it's not at all clear exactly what they finally settled on.

What matters, however, is the ship is now on its way and, hopefully, according to Egyptian officials, this is never going to happen again.

KINKADE: That certainly is the big hope, given the six-day blockage that it caused.

I'm wondering what the Suez Canal Authority is going to do to ensure it doesn't happen again?

WEDEMAN: Well, there was even thought given to this idea before, keeping in mind that, in 2015, Egypt opened up a second lane in the Suez Canal, in

several tens of kilometers of the canal, which is almost 200 kilometers long.

The problem with the incident involving the Ever Given, when it blocked the canal on the 23rd of March, that's in an area where there is only one lane

of the canal. If there had been two lanes, it might have slowed down navigation through the canal but not stopped it all together.

Now the building of that second lane of the canal that was partial through the Suez Canal cost $8 billion. Egypt spent $8 billion on that. Now if they

are able to raise the money to further -- build further second lanes, that would allow Egypt to avoid a repeat of what happened back in March with the

Ever Given.

KINKADE: Our Ben Wedeman for us across all the developments on this story from Beirut. Thanks very much.

A well-known crime reporter was gunned down in the middle of Amsterdam. The Dutch prime minister is calling it, quote, "an attack on free journalism."

Police say Peter de Vries is fighting for his life. His investigative work is known for exposing the criminal underworld in the Netherlands.

Two suspects are in police custody. A third has been released.

The European Council president is also speaking out, tweeting, "This is a crime against journalism and an attack on our values of democracy and rule

of law."

Still to come, massive protests in Colombia that started over changes in the tax law have morphed into something very different. We will tell what

you is driving the anger in that country in just a minute.

Also we will take you to Brazil, where protesters have hit the streets as the COVID vaccine scandal is only fueling calls to remove the president.

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

A new report released just minutes ago reveals some of the violent tactics used by Colombian police against protesters. The report accuses the police

of a disproportionate and excessive force in dealing with protesters. We get more now from our journalist Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The night of May 1st, everything changed for Marlin Nino (ph) and her family. In the midst of a

violent wave of protests that shook Colombia for two months and left dozens of dead protesters triggered by now recalled text phones (ph) that evolved

into broader movement against income inequality and police brutality.

Her brother, Brayan (ph), was hit by a gas canister shot from a police vehicle. According to preliminary investigations by the Colombia attorney

general's office. Witnesses told CNN they tried to revive Brayan (ph) on the spot and took him to the nearest hospital.

But the 24-year-old protester was pronounced dead soon afterwards.

MARLIN NINO (PH), BRAYAN'S (PH) SISTER: In that moment, I couldn't pull myself together. The only thing I did was call my aunt and I told her, "My

brother, my brother, they killed my brother." And then I was in shock.

POZZEBON (voice-over): More than two months later, a police major is in custody and being investigated for her brother's death. But Marlin (ph)

fears it won't be enough and soon another family will have to mourn a loved one.

Brayan's (ph) case is one of hundreds of accusations against the Colombian police investigated by the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights as

part of a full inquiry into human rights abuses during Colombia's protests.

The inquiry found that the Colombian authorities employed excessive lethal force on several occasions that resulted in serious injuries and, in one

case, the death of a protester.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Colombia's justice minister (INAUDIBLE) zero tolerance for police abuse, has stopped short of supporting structural

reforms.

"First, we need to understand what really happened there and what caused the death. That's what our investigation and justice ministry is for. And I

welcome the investigation from the attorneys to clear the facts in front of the country. As justice minister, I can assure you we will never cover up

the murder."

POZZEBON: The report is calling for full transparency on the issue of police violence. Much of that will depend on the attorney general's office

just here. They are the ones investigating the allegations.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Whether they are able to bring alleged perpetrators to justice will have a lasting impact far beyond the court. Mistrust of

Colombia's institutions dates back to more than 50 years of civil war.

The government now claims left-wing guerrillas have infiltrated occurring marches (ph) to seed (ph) chaos, an accusation the protest movement further

denies. But the time has come for a deeper reckoning, saying Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate, who was kidnapped by rebel

guerrillas and held for over six years.

INGRID BETANCOURT, FORMER COLOMBIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is part of what we could have expected, introducing people from the war to the city

of society. And we needed to adjust our institutions. And now that people don't hear the sound of the gun machines.

[10:25:00]

BETANCOURT: They want to be in the streets protesting for their rights.

POZZEBON (voice-over): In 2016, Colombia embarked on a journey toward peace. But five years after the official resolution of armed conflict, the

peaceful transition is yet to be fully realized -- Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: More now to a shocking crime in northern Spain. Three people have been arrested over the killing of a man suspected of a homophobic attack.

The killing prompted protests across the country.

The 24-year-old was beaten to death outside a nightclub on Saturday. A friend says the attackers used a homophobic slur. Police say they haven't

yet determined a motive and more arrests are possible. Journalist Al Goodman is following the story.

Al, three people arrested over this brutal attack on a 24-year old. Talk us through what happened.

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, the victim, the 24-year old, was Samuel Luiz. He worked as a nursing assistant at a senior citizens' home in

the northwest city of -- way at the northwest tip of Spain. That was early Saturday morning outside the nightclub.

As word spread, according to a witness, that this was a homophobic crime, there were massive protests that have sprung up here in Madrid, in

Barcelona, the second city and in A Coruna (ph) and in most of Spain's regions, especially the LGBT community turning out in force to protest this

killing.

One sign in Barcelona read, "Any one of us could have been Samuel." The Spanish prime minister tweeting out that this was a savage crime and saying

that there would be no stepping back on rights and liberties.

Now a senior Spanish government official said this day on a radio interview that a judge will determine if this was a homophobic crime. But that

certainly has not been ruled out. The three people arrested, two men and women, were considered to be direct participants in the crime, according to

this official.

And an aide to that official told CNN that basically Samuel was beaten to death with people punching and kicking him, despite pleas to call this off.

Now the arraignments for those three and possibly others arrested -- don't rule that out -- would happen here by the end of the week, according to

officials.

But clearly, many people here in Spain say that the country has made great advances in rights and for the LGBT community. Gay marriage is allowed, of

course. But clearly, there are these kinds of homophobic crimes, according to this witness, this witness telling Spanish media more than one, that a

particularly ugly slur against gay men, the so-called Spanish M word was used, not just at the beginning of this attack but repeatedly during this

attack by this group of people who came upon Samuel. This family of course, destroyed and the country really taking a look at what's going on here.

KINKADE: Yes, we are just looking at the protest images, coming in clearly. Thousands of people have taken to the streets over this attack.

Just give us a bit more of a sense of just how big a problem this is.

GOODMAN: Well, according to the ministry of interior, there were just under 300 hate crimes associated with sexual orientation in 2019, which is

the most recent year available. But that number was an 8 percent increase, according to reports from the year earlier. There haven't been figures yet

that we are aware of for last year during the pandemic.

So although the country has made many, many strides and people are openly talking about it and certainly political leaders include people from

various sexual orientations, clearly it is a problem. That's why the prime minister is warning, there is no going back on the rights and liberties. He

said he is going the fight for them.

KINKADE: Exactly. Al Goodman for us, good to have you on the story. Thank you.

Still ahead on this show, Sydney is going to have to stay under lockdown. We'll tell you why the government is extending it.

Plus we will speak with a chef and hear what he thinks about Australia's reported lockdowns and how it is affecting business.

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KINKADE: You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.

A wave of dissent is sweeping over Brazil. Protests there have grown over the Brazilian president's handling of the pandemic. Opposition lawmakers

want Jair Bolsonaro impeached over a vaccine scandal. Our Shasta Darlington has the details from Sao Paulo.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once riding high amid the course of cheering supporters, Brazilian President

Jair Bolsonaro's wave of popularity now crashing hard into the rising tide of discontent, as cries for his impeachment seem to grow louder by the day,

fueled in large part by his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and ignited by allegations of governmental corruptions in vaccine acquisition.

The opponent say, delayed the delivery of high efficacy vaccines, like Pfizer-BioNTech that could have save more lives, in favor of a contract for

Biotech's Covaxin, a less proven vaccine at a much higher cost, a contract of many of those took to the streets in protest this weekend say may have

led not only to delays in vaccines but also unethical financial gain for pro-Bolsonaro lawmakers.

KIM KATAGUIRI, MBL PARTY LAWMAKER: It is a question of principles, it is a question of value, it is a question of morals, it is a question of

repudiating and rejecting the criminal negligence that has lead over 500,000 deaths.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): Bolsonaro is speaking to reporters after a whistleblower testified congressional investigators that he had warned the

president about the alleged contract and proprieties, displaying the dismissive defiance he has become famous for.

JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZIL PRESIDENT: As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with the contract. Not a penny was spent on Covaxin. You

people who want to judge me for corruption, you are going to get it wrong. I'm incorruptible.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): That Covaxin contract is now suspended. And for its part, Bharat Biotech releasing a statement denying any wrongdoing,

saying, as of June 29th, Bharat Biotech has not received any advanced payment nor supplied to emulate Brazil. Bharat Biotech has followed a

similar approach toward contracts, regulatory approvals and supplies in several countries worldwide where Covaxin is being supplied successfully.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers seizing on Bolsonaro's cratering popularity amid allegations of graft by combining some of the more 100 already

insisting impeachment requests against the president into a so-called super request for his ouster. And the Brazilian Supreme Court green-lighting a

criminal inquiry last week into Bolsonaro for his handling of the matter, leading to a palpable sense of anger amongst protesters and opposition

lawmakers.

GABRIEL LUNA, PROTESTER: That's a dollar that Bolsonaro and the Ministry of Health wanted to earn on each vaccine they bought on life of every

Brazilian. We are more than 500,000 COVID-19 deaths in our country and it is the result of genocidal policy, which trivialized the strength of

coronavirus in our country.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): With the protests against Bolsonaro likely to gain steam as the investigation runs its course.

[10:35:00]

DARLINGTON (voice-over): The death toll from COVID-19 still rising, albeit more slowly than before with more people joining the ranks of the grieving

as the pandemic rages silently on -- Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: With the coronavirus lockdowns in Sydney, Australia, has been extended by a week. Hopeful authorities for New South Wales warn that new

cases are expected to rise with 27 detected in a 24-hour period Tuesday.

Stay-at-home orders for Sydney have already been in place for almost two weeks. One of the series of snap lockdowns the country imposed over the

past 1.5 years. Australia has avoided high case counts like other countries like the U.K. and the U.S. are seeing but Australians are wondering how

much longer they can go on with this strategy.

I want to get you up to speed on other stories on our radar right now. Rain bands from the tropical storm Elsa are whipping through the state of

Florida. The storm is expected to make landfall any time now on Florida's western coast. It has already brought fierce wind, heavy rain as well as

power outages to the state. After crossing Florida it is expected to go up the U.S. East Coast.

Britney Spears' court appointed lawyer is quitting the controversial conservatorship which has controlled the pop star's life and career for

nearly 13 years. The resignation comes almost two weeks after the singer's explosive testimony, where she called it abusive. The singer's long-time

manager also quit earlier this week.

Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar has died at the age of 98 after a long illness. The beloved actor is being remembered for his contributions

to Indian cinema. He became one of Bollywood's biggest stars by the 1950s and went on to receive a long list of film awards for his acting.

Up next, Denmark tries to do what no one else has done in the Euro 2020: score a goal on the English defense. A preview of the big semifinal match

is coming up.

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KINKADE: The glitz, the glamor and the stars have all returned to the French Riviera. The Cannes Film Festival is back after the pandemic forced

it to shut in 2020. COVID is still casting a big shadow, making this year's festival unlike any other.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After a year of washout, organizers of the Cannes Film Festival are rolling out the red carpet once

again ahead of its 74th edition. Canceled last year and usually held in May, this year it will run from July 6th to 17. It is back with a stacked

lineup, 24 films from 16 countries will be competing for the grand prize.

[10:40:00]

VANIER (voice-over): Those in the running include "Annette," starring Marion Cotillard (ph) and Adam Driver; actor and director Sean Penn's "Flag

Day" and Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch," starring Timothee Chalamet. "Malcolm X" director Spike Lee will be heading the diverse jury from seven

countries.

SCOTT ROXBOROUGH, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": The whole film industry has been so hard hit by COVID and by the cinema lockdowns that came with the

safety measures that everyone is really hoping that this Cannes will be sort of a kicking-off point, a sort of a reopening, a sort of reentry back

into the world for the whole film industry.

VANIER (voice-over): But festival organizers have made it clear that this year's edition will be unlike any other. Strict safety and health measures

will be in place. That means stars won't be exchanging kisses and hugs on the red carpet steps.

Although France lifted its coronavirus curfew and mask ordinances in June, festival attendees will have to wear masks indoors. Testing centers have

sprung up next to the festival venue. Guests will spit saliva into tubes and those who can't provide negative COVID-19 test results will be turned

away.

The usual glamorous parties will also be scaled down, all in an effort to keep moviegoers and festival attendees safe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Well, there is no situation with zero risk. But objectively speaking, it is safer to go see a film at the

festival than to go shopping in a supermarket.

VANIER (voice-over): Many businesses, such as the restaurants and hotels, are relying on the festival to help recoup their losses from the COVID

lockdown.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We missed it in terms of finances, too. We won't lie. We are thrilled. We remained positive since

the beginning of the crisis. So we are delighted to see tourists again.

VANIER (voice-over): With some international travel restrictions still in place, the number of high-spending tourists will be lower than usual but

still a welcome sight -- Cyril Vanier, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: England and Denmark are hoping to see scenes like this tonight, Italian football fans there, celebrating their team advancing to the finals

of the Euro 2020. Italy will face the winner of today's semifinal between the English and the Danes.

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KINKADE: And we will have much more news at the top of the hour. Stay with us.

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