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Link to AstraZeneca Blood Clots Now Confirmed; Health Experts Wants to Erase Doubts on AstraZeneca; Brazil's Healthcare System on the Brink of Collapse; Foreign Aid to Palestinian Group Reinstated; Chauvin's Defense Blame's George Floyd's Death to Drugs; WHO Calls For Action To Address Global Vaccine Inequity; Pandemic Appears To Be Widening Global Health Care Gap; Jordan's King Breaks Silence About Royal Family Fallout; Iraq's War On Crystal Meth; Israel Remembering Six Million Lost; UAE's Nuclear Power Plant Begins Commercial Operations; Meeting Mishap In Turkey. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 08, 2021 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton at the CNN center in Atlanta.

Coming up on CNN Newsroom, health regulators acknowledge a possible link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots but claim it's still safe and effective to use. Plus, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL NICOLELIS, PROFESSOR, DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: It's taking a huge toll on the health professionals down here. And it's escalating to a level that I agree with my friend, it's a battlefield.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON (on camera): I speak to a doctor inside Brazil who tells me the pandemic there is spiraling out of control, taking a huge toll on the country's health care system.

And the United Arab Emirates become the first Arab country to generate light from its own nuclear power.

New concerns and growing setbacks for the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine as the U.K.'s drug regulator confirms a possible link between the shot and rare cases of blood clots. Now health officials say more research must be done, but still believe the benefits outweigh the risk for most people. For now, though, the U.K.'s vaccine committee is advising the AstraZeneca shot not be given to those under 30 years old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEI SHEN LIM, CHAIRMAN, U.K. JOINT COMMITTEE ON VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION: This is an extremely rare adverse event. We do not know for sure that is related to one vaccine or not yet. It may also be relevant to some other vaccine. It may not even be related to the vaccine. It may be related to COVID itself. We are just unsure. And the advice we're giving is really based very much on protecting the population. And working on a principle that safety is our biggest concern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON (on camera): AstraZeneca's vaccine is under pressure as well in the European Union. Regulators there also found a possible link between the jab and the very rare clots, but they too concluded the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk.

Still, several countries are moving to restrict the vaccines use. In Italy, for example, those over 60 years old will be given a so-called preferential route to get the AstraZeneca vaccine since more of the rare adverse events took place in younger people. Belgium has paused its use for those aged 18 to 55.

We are following all the developments on this. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is in London and CNN's Melissa Bell is in Paris. We begin with you, Melissa. There is no doubt that quite a bit of confidence for this vaccine. What's at stake at this point?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a number of things. First of all, the vaccine rollout, AstraZeneca was really a vaccine that the E.U. had betted heavily on it. It was the first contract it signed, Paula. And it was one of its biggest. So, there is this question, even as Europe is dealing with problems of supply, of convincing people that they need to go ahead and take it.

But clearly, this announcement by the European Medicines Agency, although it was couched in those sort of benefit outweighing risk sort of language, will probably only have increased, not only the sense of hesitancy that there might be in the European Union already, but again highlighted that problem of European unity on this question of safety and rollout. Have a listen to what Emer Cooke had to announce first of all yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMER COOKE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY: This vaccine has proven to be highly effective. It prevents severe disease, and hospitalization and it is saving lives. Vaccination is extremely important in helping us in the fight against COVID-19. And we need to use the vaccines we have to protect us from the devastating effects.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL (on camera): Now on those grounds, the European Medicines Agency recommended that people of all ages across the E.U. could go ahead and continue with the AstraZeneca vaccine. But of course, as you mentioned, in the wake of that press conference, Belgium, Italy, Spain all indicating, Paula, that they would go the way that France and Germany had led and restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to older populations because of these fears.

So, it is not just the vaccine rollout that is threatened in terms of mixed messaging and lack of clarity and confusion and contradicting advice, changing advice these last few weeks. It is also once again, European unity.

[03:04:59]

AstraZeneca vaccine of course has to be approved by also the national agencies. And what we've seen over the course of the last few weeks is a number of those agencies really struggle to coordinate themselves, despite the calls by the European health commissioner yesterday, that in the wake of that announcement by the EMA, those national agencies should seek to coordinate their messages and their advice. That is not what happened, Paula.

NEWTON: And that obviously leads to confusion to people who want to try and get this vaccine and wonder if they should. Salma, to you now. For months, the U.K. officials had been categorical, right about the safety of this vaccine.

The new recommendation for under 30's will no doubt be met with confusion. How couldn't it? Is their problem here about this leading perhaps to more vaccine hesitancy?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Absolutely, Paula. I mean, this vaccine as you've heard is a matter of national pride first of all here in the U.K. It was one of the first vaccines obviously developed here at Oxford University. It's something that I saw at vaccinations centers, myself, I saw people re-questioning that vaccine because of that sense that this is homegrown. It's made at home.

The U.K. has relied heavily on the supplies of the Oxford University vaccine. That's why you've seen that conflict break out between the E.U. and the U.K. over that supply. It's been critical, it's been precious, it's been important. That's why you hear the U.K. health officials yesterday in that press conference reconfirming, reaffirming, that this is still safe to use. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUNE RAINE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MEDICINES AND HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS REGULATORY AGENCY: Based on the current evidence the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca against COVID-19 and its associated risks, hospitalization and death continues to outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people. Our review has reinforced that the risk of this rare suspected side effect remains extremely small.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): And there was already a bit of confusion in that press conference, Paula, yesterday. At one point somebody asking a question of what if you're 31, what if you're 32, where does the line get drawn? And how did you decide on the age of 30?

Now we haven't yet had the rollout of vaccines to that age group here. So that will probably be when a lot of this plays out. But you can only imagine hearing from the European health officials that there is no risk factor group, hearing from U.K. officials that they are no longer recommending it to adults under the age of 30 having this conflict over exactly when does 30 cut off and where does that happen. Of course, that is going to cause concern, Paula.

NEWTON (on camera): Yes, you bring up a lot of real issues that people in their homes right now are thinking about what to do when they actually it is their turn to get vaccinated.

Melissa Bell in Paris and Salma Abdelaziz in London, thank you both.

The highly contagious variant first found in the U.K. has now been reported in every state in the United States. In fact, the head of the CDC said it is now the most common type of coronavirus in the country. The World Health Organization says it's been reported in dozens of countries. Some studies show it is more contagious and may even be deadlier than earlier versions.

Now the CDC also protects projects that up to 588,000 Americans will have lost their lives to the coronavirus by May 1st. But it's expecting the death rate thankfully to slow down during the next few weeks.

To Brazil now and it has just marked the deadliest day and the deadliest month of the pandemic. Yet, President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the startling surge in COVID-19 deaths.

CNN's Shasta Darlington has more now from Sau Paulo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The COVID crisis isn't letting up in Brazil. After recording the deadliest months since the pandemic begin in March the numbers continue to rise this week. Tuesday saw a record number of deaths and Wednesday was just behind with more than 3,800 people killed by COVID-19 as well as the second highest number of daily new cases, over 92,000.

ICU occupancy in almost all states are at above 80 percent. Yet, only 8.5 percent of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine. A new and more contagious variant has fueled this latest surge. According to a report by Brazil's Fiocruz Foundation, only a national lockdown with a minimum duration of two weeks could curb the rapid spread of coronavirus cases across the country.

Meanwhile, Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro repeated yet again on Wednesday that he will never implement a nationwide lockdown. He warned that the virus is here to stay, and that staying at home is not a solution.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sau Paulo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON (on camera): Dr. Miguel Nicolelis joins me now from Sau Paulo, Brazil. He's a professor of neurobiology at Duke University.

[03:09:58]

I can't even tell you how staggering the implications of this are. And all I'm doing is reading about this or looking at video from afar. It really is what you call it -- you have called it a biological Fukushima, 100,000 dead possibly this month alone.

What can be done? Is there anything that can be done at this point to try and mitigate what is really a humanitarian disaster at this point?

NICOLELIS: Absolutely. This is the largest and most severe humanitarian disaster in Brazilian history by now already. But we can still mitigate this if we could get the Brazilian government to declare a national lockdown, to impose a national lockdown and restrict the flow of people through the roads, to the air space and get the vaccination rollout to be twice or three times bigger than it is going on right now.

There still time. But I have to tell you, for the second day in a row, we got close to or above 4,000 deaths a day. And this was a months ago, it was unimaginable down here. And we are very likely going to reach 5,000 in the next few days if nothing is done.

NEWTON: In terms of detail and how this is happening, the variants, is that really what is creating the situation in Brazil right now?

NICOLELIS: Well, it's a combination of factors. We've had many super synchronizing events. We have national elections last fall, then the Christmas and carnival, that synchronize all regions of Brazil to get cases growing simultaneously. And when that exploded, we also had the Amazon variant, the P1 variant that spread all over the country. And it's now being responsible for a large percentage of the cases.

So, when you combine now these factors, we got this in the last 40, 45 days, a dramatic exponential growth in deaths in the country that contributed to a situation that the Brazilian health system has never seen. And that's the reason it has collapsed all over the country. So, imagine --

(CROSSTALK)

NEWTON: And talk -- go ahead. I just wanted you to talk to me a little bit about what it's like inside those hospitals right now.

NICOLELIS: Well, I have friends of mine that went to medical school with me, they're in the trenches right now, in the ICUs and in the large private and public hospitals. You have to realize Brazil has more hospitals than the United States. And it has a national health system that is four or five times the British health system.

So, my friends are telling me that it is like being in the battlefield. It's like one of my best friends told me that it's like being in Stalingrad in World War II where you have supplies going down. You're surrounded by the enemy, people dying left and right, and you have to make decisions every minute. Who is going to make it and who is going to get an ICU bed and a respirator, and who cannot do it.

So, it's taking a huge toll on the health professionals down here. And it is escalating to a level that I agree with my friend, it's a battlefield.

NEWTON: When we look at the attitude within Brazil, a lot of it from the top down, right, in terms of we haven't had a lot of leadership there in terms of mitigation strategies. But how are Brazilians feeling about this? If you have illness and death all around you, have their attitudes started to change to the point where they are taking measures to be able to shield themselves from this?

NICOLELIS: Well, it's very similar to what you saw in the United States under the previous president. You know, there was no leadership whatsoever in Brazil since the beginning. And since the beginning, the message was that this was nothing but, you know, a little cold, or, you know, a small flu season.

And a lot of Brazilians believed what the president was saying. And it took a long time for a lot of the people down here to realize that this was much severe, much more severe and graver than the president was saying every day on TV on his live.

And by the time he was denying the relevance of getting vaccines procure and purchasing on the international market, people started realizing they were losing relatives. They were losing the parents, their friends, their colleagues. And that has started to sink down on the Brazilian society. But you still have people denying.

You have you know, 20, 25 percent of the people denying the pandemic is severe despite all the images, all the information and everything that we can see.

NEWTON: Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, we'll continue to keep an eye on this. We really appreciate.

NICOLELIS: Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks.

NEWTON (on camera): Still to come on CNN Newsroom, a big change in U.S. foreign policy as Joe Biden reverses Donald Trump's course on Palestinian aid. We'll go live to Jerusalem for reaction.

[03:15:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON (on camera): Violence is escalating in Northern Ireland. Protesters have set cars alight and attacked police in a pro-British area of Belfast. Dozens of officers have been injured in recent days.

Now it comes amid growing tensions over Northern Ireland's Brexit protocols and frustrations over the decision not to charge members of Sinn Fein for allegedly breaking COVID restrictions. Now the U.K. and Irish prime ministers have both condemned the violence.

The conflict in Myanmar is being felt in London were Myanmar's U.K.'s ambassador says the country's military has taken over the embassy. Now you can see here the ambassador with police knocking at the embassy doors but getting no response. Now he broke ranks with the military last month. He says, he has been trying to check on staff and the military has allowed to leave.

Meantime, shocking new video out of Myanmar shows security forces blindfolding a group of identified men and taking them away. An activist group says almost 600 people have died as part of anti-coup protests in Myanmar in part due to security forces opening fire on homes and clinics.

Still, teachers and students marched in the city of Dawei on Wednesday protesting the military junta. The military's commander-in-chief says the anti-coup protests are seeking to, in his words, destroy the country.

The Biden administration is reversing one of Donald Trump's major foreign policy moves. It's resuming financial aid to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency as part of a package totaling more than $250 million. Now it will go toward the economic development and humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and bolster COVID-19 recovery festers.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken says the move serves U.S. interests. The State Department spokesperson explained the reasoning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: U.S. foreign assistance for the Palestinians serves an important U.S. interests and values including providing critical relief to those in need, fostering economic development and supporting Israeli, Palestinian understanding, as well as security and stability in the region.

It aligns with the values and the interests of the United States, as well as those of our allies and partners. The United States is committed to advancing prosperity, security and freedom for both Israelis and Palestinians in tangible ways in the immediate term.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON (on camera): CNN's Hadas Gold is with us from Jerusalem with reaction from the region. Hadas, good to see you.

The restoration of aid of course was predictable perhaps with the new Biden administration. But how will it change things if not substantively, because that's a big change, but also politically?

[03:19:57]

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, this of course is a reflection of the Biden administration taking a completely different approach to the situation between the Israelis and Palestinians than what the Trump administration was doing.

Because if you recall during the Trump administration the official relations with the Palestinians seized in December 2017 after Palestinians cut off relations with the Trump administration and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

And during the course of the Trump presidency the U.S. slashed aid to the Palestinians, the U.S. consulate that serve Palestinians in Jerusalem was closed, and they shut down the PLO office in Washington. At the time, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli foreign ministry praise these moves. If you recall of course, Prime Minister Netanyahu lavished praise on Trump many times and was always touting his close relationship with him. Now, Paula, the reactions are much more muted from Israel.

NEWTON: Yes. And given when we start to talk about the reaction in Israel, of course, the foreign ministry their reaction was quite circumspect. Now they were very pointed, perhaps not even complaining so much about the decision but really complaining about the U.N. refugee agency. Why is Israel so critical of this U.N. agency?

GOLD: Well, Paula, the Israeli foreign ministry is definitely taking perhaps a more cautious approach in their reaction. Not criticizing the Biden administration directly, and as you noted, focusing their fire on that agency.

I'll read you their statement. They said, Israel's position is that the organization in its current form perpetuates the conflict and does not contribute to its resolution. The renewal of aid should be accompanied by substantial and necessary changes and the nature goals and conduct of the organization.

Now, Paula, why is Israel so critical of UNRWA? Well, UNRWA was created and has to do with the right of return. UNRWA was created in the 1940s to -- for the Palestinians who left their homes or were expelled during the fighting of the 1940s. And Palestinians say that all of those people, including all of their descendants have a right to return to their homes in what is now Israel.

But from the Israeli point of view, this could create a problem because there are now some five million of those people and in a country of less than 10 million having all those people returning would change what Israel says is the Jewish character of Israel.

The Palestinians and UNRWA for their part have welcomed the increase of this funding from the United States. They're welcoming the change in tone from the Biden administration. The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas said that the aid package directed to UNRWA will contribute to providing education and health to hundreds of thousands of students and millions of people who live in refugee camps in Palestine and neighboring countries and the other economic and develop aid to the Gaza strip and the West Bank.

But, Paula, I think what is most notable about this announcement is that is possibly the most significant reversal from the Biden administration to what the Trump administration was doing in the past. It's the most significant reversal, the most significant change in stance, in tone, towards the Palestinian issue. NEWTON (on camera): Yes, and it goes to my question, right, as you're

telling us is both substantive and obviously quite political as well. Hadas Gold in Jerusalem, thanks so much for taking us through that.

Now, crucial testimony in the murder trial of former police Derek Chauvin. use-of-force expert said Chauvin used excessive force against George Floyd. But the defense is trying to put the blame on Floyd's own actions, once again raising questions about his drug use.

CNN's Sara Sidner has the latest from the courthouse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): So far, nine Minneapolis current or former police officers including the chief have testified for the prosecution. On Wednesday, a prosecution expert on the use of force from the Los Angeles Police Department testified.

STEVE SCHLEICHER, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: Sir, do you have an opinion to a degree of reasonable professional certainty whether the force used as shown in exhibit 254, whether that force being applied then for the restraint period which you've defined as 9 minutes and 29 seconds, would constitute deadly force?

JODY STIGER, LOS ANGELES POLICE USE-OF-FORCE CONSULTANT: Yes.

SCHLEICHER: And what is that opinion?

STIGER: That it would.

SIDNER: Sergeant Jody Stiger was also asked about the crowd shouting at police as they restrain Floyd.

SCHLEICHER: Would it be possible for a group, a loud group, to distract a defendant from being attentive to George Floyd? Is that right?

STIGER: Yes.

SCHLEICHER: Do you believe that occurred?

STIGER: No, I do not.

SCHLEICHER: Why is that?

STIGER: Because in the body worn video you can hear Mr. Floyd displaying his discomfort and pain. And you can also hear the defendant responding to him.

GEORGE FLOYD, POLICE BRUTALITY VICTIM: My stomach hurt. My neck hurt. Everything hurts. I need water or something. Please. Please. I can't breathe, officer.

UNKNOWN: Relax.

SIDNER: Stiger testified about the medical complication he learned of as an officer himself when putting pressure on someone's body who is lying on their stomach.

SCHLEICHER: How long had the dangers of positional asphyxia have been known?

STIGER: At least 20 years.

[03:25:00]

SIDNER: He also testified that body camera video showed Chauvin using pain complains even after Floyd stopped resisting.

STIGER: Pain compliance is a technique that officers use to get a subject to comply with their commands.

SIDNER: In cross-examination Chauvin's attorney questions Stiger's expertise.

ERIC NELSON, DEFENSE LAWYER: Have you ever previously testified in any court or in any state or in federal court as an expert on the police use-of-force?

STIGER: No, I have not.

SIDNER: Eric Nelson argued the crowd was distracting Chauvin. He brought in the issue of Floyd's drug use, into making he took drugs during the arrest.

FLOYD: I'm sorry.

UNKNOWN: Let me see your other hand.

NELSON: Does it sound like he said I ate too many drugs? Listen to him.

FLOYD: I did not (Inaudible) to myself.

STIGER: I can't make that out, no.

SIDNER: The next witness special agent James Reyerson who investigated Floyd's death. At first, he agreed with Nelson.

NELSON: Did it appear that Mr. Floyd said I ate too many drugs?

JAMES REYERSON, SPECIAL AGENT, USE OF FORCE DIVISON, MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION: Yes.

SIDNER: But when asked again by prosecutors, disputed Nelson's interpretation.

REYERSON: I believe Mr. Floyd was saying I did not do any drugs?

SIDNER: A BCA forensic scientist testified she tested a pill found in the squad car weeks after Floyd was pulled from it.

MCKENZIE ANDERSON, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: The swab collected from that pill, I obtain a single source male DNA profile that matches George Floyd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER (on camera): We also heard a chemist testified. She testified about those pills that were found inside of the SUV that Floyd was in, and also the squad car as well. And she testified that there were average levels of Fentanyl in some of those pills and low levels of methamphetamine.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Minneapolis.

NEWTON: Now while some countries are nearing their vaccine targets, others haven't even vaccinated the most vulnerable yet or hardly anyone at all. We'll take a closer look at vaccine inequality around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON (on camera): As you can imagine the pandemic is putting the issue of healthcare inequality front and center. Not every country has been able to get their hands on enough coronavirus vaccines or any for that matter. Well, about 5 percent of the world's population has had at least one dose. Half the adults in the U.S. could get their first dose even by the weekend.

So clearly, there is a long way to go here. And here's how the World Health Organization director general puts it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Scaling up production and equitable distribution remains the major barrier to ending the acute stage of this pandemic.

It is a travesty that in some countries, health workers and those at- risk groups remain completely unvaccinated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:30:00]

NEWTON (on camera): Now, ahead of World Health Day yesterday the WHO urge governments to make major changes to fix those global inequities. Their list of recommendations include sharing vaccine doses and technologies, investing in primary health care, and building safe, healthy and inclusive neighborhoods.

Dr. Peter Singer is a special adviser to the WHO Director General and he joins me now live. Really good to see you here on what is an increasingly serious issue. As so many countries continue to vaccinate at rapid pace. And yet, most countries not at all.

You know, World Health Day, is supposed to be about equity and access. And when I think about the collateral damage done to both those principles during this pandemic, it's been significant. So, how do you redeem those principles? PETER SINGER, SPECIAL ADVISER, WHO DIRECTOR GENERAL (on camera): Hi,

Paula. It's good to be with you. And you're absolutely right. Yesterday was WHO's 73rd birthday, World Health Day. But not a very happy birthday because of the inequities around the world. Redeeming those principles, as Dr. Tedros said in your clip, means equitable sharing of vaccines, because none of us is safe until all of us is safe.

NEWTON: When we say that though, and we've heard that now -- you know, we've heard that now for months. And yet, even though there is this facility were richer countries are supposed to be buying and contributing to vaccines for the globe, it seems like, well, OK, we'll do that but not until the rich countries go first. This mechanism is in place, right? And yet it hasn't worked the way it is supposed to.

SINGER: Well, you know, Paula, we've got to work together to solve this. But let's be very specific as you said. And we do have to move from words to actions. There's three things that are scarce here. Dollars, doses and domestic manufacturing. That facility, called the Covax facility, is up, running ready to go, redistributing doses, it's got a shortfall of about 22 billion dollars U.S. Which is actually, sounds like a lot of money, but compared to the tens of trillions governments are spending, it's a great bargain.

Doses. About 600 million doses have been administered around the world. But there 7 billion people. So we need to do better. The Covax facility that you mentioned, has itself distributed in the last few weeks, 36 million doses to more than 86 countries. And about 190 countries have started vaccinating. But we need more. We need countries to start sharing their doses with Covax and re-distributing them.

And then finally, you know, self reliance is important. And so domestic manufacturing, the ability to make vaccines locally, at least in every region of the world, is something critical in the mid term. Because our interdependence depends on to some extent, our self reliance.

NEWTON: Yes. And once we get these vaccines able to be produced, as you said in country, they can be relatively inexpensive. If we have to have boosters or another vaccine, they are able to do it. But I have to say, you know, there are many WHO champion -- and obviously principally the WHO, champion access to health care as an inalienable right. A human right.

Is there still an opportunity here to try and make that happen? In the shadow of such a devastating pandemic? You and I have seen it. You've likely seen it firsthand. That if you do get just to name one virus, COVID-19, in you are in certain countries. You don't have any right to health care. You will not get it unless you pay for it.

SINGER: Well, absolutely there is hope. That is the first thing to say, Paula. Even with COVID. And you see that now in the scale up of vaccination and the ongoing use of public health measures in many countries around the world including in the United States. At the same time, you know, it's absolutely true that health care is unequal around the world.

WHO has always advocated for the right to health. And if there is one lesson from the pandemic, it's equity. And in the recovery, we do have an opportunity to push on primary health care. And to really push towards equity. And that is the number one job for the World Health Organization. And the number one job for national governments.

And all of us, but we can only do it together, and to all of your viewers, to all your listeners especially the young people, what I would say is equity is in our hands. Equity is in your hands. It's not somebody else. We can all work on this together, in exactly the specific ways that we discussed on dollars, doses, domestic manufacturing, and then health care more generally. We can do this. Although we just have to.

NEWTON: Well, we certainly hope to say the leaders of, you know, the OECD countries, let's say -- just as starters, are listening. Dr. Singer, from the WHO, thank you so much. We really appreciated it.

[03:35:03]

SINGER: Paula, it's great to be with you. Thank you so much.

NEWTON: Now Iraq is battling two deadly pandemics and its crystal meth crisis is only worsening as COVID-19 pushes it into the background. Coming up, will meet some of those whose lives have been ruined. And some who are fighting back against the scourge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Jordan's king -- pardon me, Jordan's king, has broken his silence about the royal family drama there following reports of alleged plot to destabilize the country involving King Abdullah's half brother, Prince Hamzah. A claim the prince has denied.

We want to bring in Jomana Karadsheh now, who is in Oman Jordan and Jomana, good to see you here again, with your reaction. It has been interesting to see the king and his response to all of this. I know people in Jordan have been awaiting that response. But how are they interpreting it?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, you know, Paula, as you can imagine this has been incredibly unsettling for Jordanians. There aren't used to seeing these kinds of dramatic events in this country that is known for its stability. So a lot of people did want to hear from the king, did want to be reassured that their country is safe and stable as he did.

To the disappointment of some, it was in the form of a letter to the nation, rather than a televised address. And he sought to reassure them telling them that this sedition, as he called it, has been nipped in the bud. And he said that the challenge that the country has faced over the past few days is not the most dangerous.

It is not the most difficult. But he described it as the most painful for him personally. Saying that the sedition came from within the royal family. From within our own home, as he said it. And from outside. He said that he was angry and he was shocked.

So he was clearly here backing up the government's version of events that we heard on Sunday. That his half brother was involved in whatever this alleged attempt was to try and destabilize the country. Something as you mention, Prince Hamzah has denied.

[03:40:13]

But I don't think, Paula that Jordanians got the kind of answers that they were looking for. They've been presented with two competing narratives here. The government talking about this alleged attempt to destabilize the country. They don't really understand what has been going on. And it doesn't seem like they're going to be getting these answers anytime soon. It is very clear, the message from the leadership here, is they want to put this issue to bed. They want to move on. And they want to try and restore that image of a stable country. A united royal family. But is going to be a very tough task, Paula.

NEWTON (on camera): Yes, and especially that reaction as you said. Without much explanations likely isn't going to do it. Jomana, thanks so much. We rally appreciate the update.

Now two deadly pandemics are plaguing Iraq as the country battles the surge in COVID cases. The virus is pushing the nation's crystal meth crisis into the background. But the elicit trade is still expanding, authorities are struggling to control the flow of drugs from neighboring countries even as drug networks are becoming much more sophisticated.

CNN's Arwa Damon spoke with Iraqis at the Center for the Drug Addiction Crisis. CNN agreed to protect their identities given the stigma that remains.

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ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The tentacles of a different form of warfare are reaching into Iraqi society.

Far too many are susceptible when joy, happiness, a vision for the future is blurred away.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAMON: Officials say the drug networks here have grown more complex over the last few years. And as of late, recruiting more women. Faraiah, her husband and a man she refers to as their friend, smuggled, sold and used crystal meth.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAMON: The friend would get it from the Iranian border, from the big dealers, she says. They used her mostly to smuggle their drugs stash through checkpoints. Because she would just hide underneath her clothes. And women here tend not to get search.

They were all captured in a house they were selling out of. With around $18,000 worth of crystal meth. Iraq's anti drug units, which officials say is undermanned and underfunded, has yet to make what they would consider a significant bust. Their biggest seizures are in the country's south, close to the border with Iran, the main transit point for crystal meth.

The era of COVID-19 has resulted in a surge in demand General Hussein say with the anti-drug unit tell us. More unemployment, more frustrated youth idling in the streets, more targets.

The drug dealers will give someone a hit or two for free, General Hussein explains. Once they are hooked, they often start to deal themselves. To finance their own addiction. The unit has intelligence that dealers are active in this market. They have about five or six watchers people in this neighborhood.

General Hussein chats with people giving them the hotline number for tips. They get hundreds a day. And tries to ease some of the distress that exists between the population and the security forces. He compares the booming drug trade to another phase of terrorism.

The era of traditional warfare with two armies facing each other, is over he says. The enemies of Iraq are also using drugs to destroy the core of our society, our youth.

The anti drug department prison in Baghdad's western district is full. Each cell is meant to hold 30. But there are more than 50 men here, dealers and addicts. Up until 2016, (Inaudible) says, he had steady work as a security contractor. Then it all fell apart. He lost his job, spiraling into depression. Friends pushed him to try crystal meth.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAMON: The love of his life, left him. His cellmate, Mahmoud who agreed to show his face on camera says, he ended up stealing from his elderly mother to fund his crystal meth habit.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

[03:45:09]

DAMON: Each appeal coming through on Ines' Facebook page is one more person she hopes she can help recover. One more drug addict she can keep out of prison.

This is a message from a teenager, (inaudible), writes that he's 15 years old, that he wants treatment, that he wants to get better, but doesn't know what to do.

Ines, a middle school biology teacher who realizes some of her students were using, she's trying to raise awareness about the options that exists for addicts. Many users who want to recover are afraid the authorities will just detain them. But most don't know is that if they willingly go to rehab, there are no legal repercussions under Iraqi law.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

DAMON: The beds on this rehab center are full. The doctors here tell us they have to cycle outpatients faster than they would like to. This young man says, he used to drive a (inaudible). One of his passengers offered him crystal meth and that was it. He was hooked.

His parents found him with a gun to his head, because he was having hallucinations that people were coming at him and ordering him to kill himself. Ahmed was discharged two days ago. But he says, he still has cravings. His mother is too afraid to take him back home to southern Iraq.

She's scared. Scared he will use again. When high, Ahmed at times would beat her, set things on fire. Crystal meth he says, made him feel powerful. Like there was no limit to what he could achieve. A tantalizing state of mind in a country that has repeatedly shackled its own youth. And now risk losing more of it to addiction. Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

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NEWTON (on camera): And we will have more news in a moment.

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[03:50:00]

NEWTON: Israeli stood still a little while ago to commemorate the holocaust. To remember the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis in World War II. The holocaust remember day service included a (inaudible) ceremony at the Yad Vashem holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. And a two-minute siren as you just heard there, heard right across the country.

Now oil and gas production fuel -- oil and gas pardon me, production fuel the Middle East of course. But now there's competition. The first nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates has started commercial operations. It's the only one of its kind in the region. And it's meant to diversify the nation's energy mix.

CNN's John Defterios is live in Abu Dhabi for us, with the details. And this is an important milestone in nuclear development for the UAE. Why?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR (on camera): Well, it's particularly important this year, Paula, because it's the 50th anniversary of the UAE federation. So they want to get the commercial operations up in that same year. And ahead of expo which starts -- the world expo in October 2021. It was supposed to start a year ago. But they want to have sustainability and climate change at the center of the agenda. They think this is part of.

And we cannot overlook the fact that it is the first Arab country which joined this club of atomic nations. And that required a lot of trust internationally. And approval, by the way in this instance by the United States. Let's take a look.

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DEFTERIOS (voice over): A graphic rendering depicting Abu Dhabi by drone at night. The image captures the scale of energy needed to power the capital.

What's unique here is that the UAE is the first Arab country to generate light from its own nuclear power.

In this building, we have the single biggest generator in the Middle East. Mohamed Al Hammadi it has been involved since day one. Taking a working model scene here to the launch of commercial operations.

MOHAMED AL HAMMADI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE EMIRATES NUCLEAR ENERGY CORPORATION: Now we are commercially connected to the grid and we are making revenue and also dispatching clean, reliable, safe (inaudible) grid and these lights as you see right now, there has also some part of that nuclear power plant.

DEFTERIOS: It's all generated here at the Barakah nuclear facility about 300 kilometers southwest from Abu Dhabi, near the borders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This facility has four reactors. Number one is now fully operational. Number two, is loaded with fuel. And three and four will come online over the next few years. When it's all said and done, Barakah will provide about 25 percent of the nation's electricity.

AL HAMMADI: Four units of nuclear power plants will avoid probably around 21 million tons of CO2 emissions. And that would -- to put in perspective for the audience, that's around 3.2 million cars off the road.

DEFTERIOS: The UAE took a big leap into this arena. Setting the policy framework back in 2008. And spending $24 billion to develop the sector. More than 3,000 workers are on site. 60 percent are UAE nationals. Like Elham Al Nuami, who took a degree five years ago in nuclear engineering.

ELHAM AL NUAMI, REACTOR OPERATOR IN TRAINING: It's unique. It's new to the UAE, and I wanted to be part of this new project that is a significant.

MOHAMMAD AL SHEHHI, HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT MANAGER: When I went to University, this plan didn't exist. So once I graduated, this job, offered me big exposure in all aspects of environment.

DEFTERIOS: This is an exclusive look inside the turbine building in a protected area. I was a here in 2017 and it was silent because it was not operational. That clearly has changed. And I can feel the heat with the steam running right into that turbine behind me.

The temperature rose to 47 degrees centigrade or 116 degrees Fahrenheit. As this facility cross threshold into commercial operation. Most people think of the UAE as an oil and gas producer. Heavy on hydrocarbons. Does this change the narrative coming online commercially?

AL HAMMADI: I would agree with you. And the key point here is the UAE is diversifying its economy. And diversifying its resources of energy. The verification will be one of the key pedals for decarburization and also will be a key for the economic growth of the world.

[03:55:03]

DEFTERIOS: As the demand for data and artificial intelligence grows, so too will electrification and the need to meet that growth with fewer fossil fuels driven by splitting the atom.

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DEFTERIOS (on camera): So, it's interesting, it is the first Arab country Paula, to actually have this program that's taking place. But we know that Iran and Israel of course, have a nuclear capabilities. But we are watching to see what's going to transpire here with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egypt has been collaborating with Russia to try to develop that sector. But it's been slowing down as of late.

And Saudi Arabia wants to have multiple reactors as well. But it has focused on solar energy and making major installations. It's also quite fascinating because of the attacks with the Houthi rebels and perhaps Iran's influence in that process. Many are wary about having Saudi Arabia developed the sector at this stage. Paula?

NEWTON: Yes, that's what I was going to say, John, that obviously having those kinds of approval in the region are important when you're dealing with this kind of nuclear energy. John Defterios in Abu Dhabi, thank you again.

Now a meeting between the Turkish president and the two presidents of the E.U. is raising eyebrows after a sitting full pot. Take a look for yourself. The European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen was left, you see their. Standing while her male counterparts were seated into gilded chairs at the head of the room. Now a video shows Von Der Leyen unsure really of where to sit. And eventually, she, as you can see there, sat on a nearby sofa. Now, in previous meetings, the three presidents all sat together.

Interesting. That does it here for us at CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. I'll be back with more news in a moment.

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