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A Leadership Change in Zimbabwe; A Terrorist Attack in Egypt; A Defection to South Korea, A Series of Volcanic Eruptions in Indonesia

Aired November 27, 2017 - 04:00   ET

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


CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Fresh from the Thanksgiving holiday, CNN 10 is back. We are world news explained in 10 minutes, and I`m Carl Azuz. It`s

good to be with you this Monday.

There`s been a major change in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe. Its former president, Robert Mugabe, resigned last week. He`d been in

power since 1980, and held on as president despite instituting policies that ruined the nation`s economy. Extended corruption, mismanagement of

industries, food shortages -- they`re all part of Zimbabwe`s struggles.

But after President Mugabe fired his vice president earlier this month, other officials were afraid he was paving the way for his wife, Grace

Mugabe, to take over. She`s also a controversial figure in Zimbabwe.

The military then took control of the nation`s capital and though it denied there was a coup, President Mugabe eventually resigned. His former vice

president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, returned last week and took over as Zimbabwe`s interim leader.

Mnangagwa made it clear he was part of the operation to unseat Mugabe. But he praised Mugabe in the speech, calling him a father, a mentor and a

leader and urging Zimbabweans to let bygones be bygones.

New president, Mnangagwa, promised to protect Zimbabweans` rights and the push for solutions to the nation`s problems. But partly because he`s a long

time ally of Mugabe, some of Mnangagwa`s critics doubt that he`ll be much different than his predecessors. Still, on the streets of the capital,

there are signs of optimism.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FARAI SEVENZO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the night freedom returned, so hope Zimbabweans as they took in Robert Mugabe`s

resignation. They stepped out, embracing a fresh beginning. The men in uniform became the focus of their surging affection. One was even carried

on the shoulders of the ecstatic crowd.

(SINGING)

SEVENZO: The morning after the night before, Wednesday, it was back to a relatively normal life with a nagging question: how different will the

future actually be?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve got a very big hope to the change of Zimbabwe. Everything`s going to change here in Zimbabwe. We are going to get jobs.

We didn`t have jobs, everything, schools -- even our current schools (ph) are very down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s come together and support him. At least let`s give him his time to do whatever he`s going to do.

SEVENZO: And for now, this is the man leading Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa arrived at the ruling party`s headquarters to cheering crowds.

He reassured Zimbabweans he is the man to lead them into that future.

EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, INCOMING PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE: Today, we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding democracy.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MNANGAGWA: We wanted to grow our economy.

CROWD: Yes.

MNANGAGWA: We wanted peace in our country.

CROWD: Yes.

MNANGAGWA: We wanted jobs, jobs, jobs --

(CHEERING)

(SINGING)

SEVENZO: Mnangagwa will be in power until elections are held in 2018. It is the nation`s hope that the freedoms enjoyed as Mugabe left political

life will be valued by the new leader.

Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Harare.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: The president of Egypt is promising to respond to a recent terrorist attack with, quote, "brute force". What happened there in Friday is

believed to be the deadliest terror assault in Egypt`s history.

As many as 30 gunmen wearing military uniforms targeted a mosque in the nation`s Sinai Peninsula. This is an area of eastern Egypt, where the

country`s military is attacked almost daily by people affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group. In Friday`s attack, 305 worshippers were killed and

128 others were wounded.

The mosque that was targeted is known as the birthplace of an important Sufi religious leader. Sufism is a branch of Islam that some Muslim

fundamentalists disagree with. An Egyptian official says at least one of the attackers was carrying an ISIS flag, though the group hasn`t yet said

it was responsible.

A local volunteer says people in the community rushed to donate blood to help the victims. The day after the attack, Egypt warplanes targeted what

the country described as terrorist outposts, placing containing weapons, ammunition and terrorist themselves.

Next today, we`ve told you how the demilitarize zone that separates North and South Korea is actually one of the most heavily militarized borders on

earth. Our knowledge of life on the north side of that border is limited. The communist North Korean government has strict controls over everything

from the media to the military.

But we`re learning more about what it`s like following the defection, the escape of a North Korean soldier across the border. He was shot several

times and lost more than half his blood. He`s undergone several surgeries in South Korea and doctors found dozens of parasites inside his body. That

may indicate bad hygiene and nutrition in North Korea`s military.

Following the soldier`s escape and survival, the North is making changes along the DMZ.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were just a few feet behind him. They fired more than 40 bullets but failed to kill or capture him. And tonight,

the North Korean soldiers who couldn`t keep their comrade from pulling off a dramatic escape last week are facing the fallout.

A South Korean lawmaker tells CNN nearly all the North Korean soldiers present along the border that day have been replaced. Human rights

observers say being replaced could be the least of their worries.

What they`re most likely fate?

GREG SCARLATOIU, COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA: They will be investigated by the military security command, possibly by the state`s

security department as well, which is the North Korean Gestapo. It is very likely that torture will be involved in the pre-trial investigation, if

there is going to be a trial. It`s most likely that they will be charged with treason.

TODD: Analysts say the North Korean soldiers dashed across the border with every compelling sequence captured on closed circuit footage was such a

humiliation for Kim`s regime that the repercussions could be felt among Kim`s top generals as well.

SUE TERRY, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I think the fallout will go higher up to a commanding person who were not able to stop

from this happening because this is very high profile defection, it`s very embarrassing for the Kim regime.

TODD: Experts say the commanders of these units could be sent to labor camps, could be demoted, or sent for reeducation.

Another measure the regime is taking to prevent this from happening again, North Korean workers were seen digging a trench at the spot where the

soldier made a run for it.

Meantime, the South Korean soldiers who risked gunfire to crawl to the North Korean and dragged him to safety had been given medals for their

bravery.

The 24-year-old at the center of all this is now off life support, his doctors say, is out of the ICU, but is still suffering psychological

trauma.

DR. LEE COOK-JONG, DEFECTOR`S SURGEON: Last night, he had a dream that he was kidnapped to North Korea again.

TODD: Dr. Lee Cook-Jong says he`s had to reassure the young man that he`s safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia:

What country has more volcanoes than any other nation on Earth?

Indonesia, Japan, Philippines or Mexico?

According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Indonesia tops the list of nations with the most volcanoes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: More than 24,000 people and dozens of airplanes have been ordered to get out of the way because Mount Agung is blowing its top. The volcano is

located in the Pacific island nation of Indonesia. It erupted three times on Saturday alone and more on Sunday. It sent a thick cloud of ash several

miles into the air. Indonesia`s government advised anyone within about four and a half miles of the volcano`s peak to evacuate. And 24,000 people

did.

As the ash cloud drifted east over the island nation one airport was temporarily closed. And thousands of airline passengers were stranded

after their flights were cancelled.

The ash can melt if it`s sucked into plane engines, so pilots are told not to fly through it. And some areas where ash is falling, residents were

given masks to help them breath.

(MUSIC)

AZUZ: The Christmastime tradition of making ginger bread houses is believed to date back to Germany, in the 15 hundreds. But America`s

national ginger bread house competition dates back to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1992. Today, it`s grown to include 170 entries from the U.S.

and Canada. The sweet creations are judged on how they look, how creative they are and how hard they were to cook up.

How do judges take on such a delicious responsibility? Gingerly.

I`m sure there are moments when they wonder if they can Hansel all the competition and there are probably also moments of re-Gretel. Winning is

the icing on the cake, but losing, that`s just the way the cookie crumbles. At least you still get your just-desserts.

I`m Carl Azuz for CNN 10.

END