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New Zealand Attack Wounded Six People; Terrorist Attacker Under Surveillance; Eastern U.S. Battered by Severe Flooding; Afghan Refugees Beg for Assistance; Prime Minister Suga Stepping Down; Six People Wounded In New Zealand Terrorist Attack; People Shaken By Ida's Ferocious Impact On Northeast; Calls To Prepare Infrastructure For Future Natural Disaster; Afghan Economy In Chaos After Taliban Takeover; How Will The Taliban Really Rule; China Suppresses Delta Variant; ABBA, Mama Mia, Here We Go Again. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired September 03, 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)
UNKNOWN: This is CNN breaking news.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello and welcome everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. I appreciate your company.
We begin with the breaking news this hour in New Zealand where there has been a terrorist attack at a shopping center, this in a residential neighborhood of Auckland. Six people are wounded and some in critical condition. The attacker was shot and killed by police.
Now during a news conference earlier, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern said the attacker was a Sri Lankan national who had been under surveillance. And she commended the quick work of police officers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: The attack began at 2.40 p.m. and was undertaken by an individual who was a known threat to New Zealand. The individual was under constant monitoring, and it was the police surveillance team and special tactics group who were part of that monitoring and surveillance that shot and killed him within, I'm told, the space of roughly 60 seconds of the attack starting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES (on camera): Let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson now. And I guess, Ivan, the striking thing about this man is that he was known not just to police but to the prime minister herself. But it seems nobody could do much more than surveil him?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is true. And we heard in the last hour from the mayor of Auckland who said, you know, that this individual could not be jailed or apprehended for his thoughts, but according to New Zealand law, would've had to be apprehended for his actions. And that's part of why this individual is being monitored and it took the deadly attack for that to tip law enforcement to actually have to shoot the suspect dead.
As we pointed out, this happened very recently within the last five hours in an Auckland suburb in a supermarket. The individual who has been identified by the prime minister as a Sri Lanka national who moved to New Zealand in 2011 and was inspired by ISIS ideology went into the supermarket, and we are told took a knife and then began attacking people in that supermarket.
And the monitoring, the surveillance team then swept in and killed the attacker. But you currently have at least three people in critical condition in hospitals and three more wounded as a result of this.
The prime minister was sounding a little bit defensive, insisting that law enforcement move quickly but there was nothing more that the judicial system or that law enforcement could do until the attack was carried out against this individual. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARDERN: What I can say is that we have utilized every legal and surveillance power available to us to try and keep people safe from this individual. Many agencies and people were involved and all -- all were motivated by the same thing. Trying to keep people safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON (on camera): Now she went on and other officials, the Auckland mayor, for example, have gone on to say that this was a lone wolf act of violence, of senseless violence. It does not reflect a nationality or religion, clearly taking pains to avoid any kind of linkage with the small Muslim minority in New Zealand which are of course targeted in those terrible Christchurch shootings of 2017.
Nonetheless, a kind of stunning moment for a country that has compared to many other countries in the world relatively low levels of violent crime. Michael?
HOLMES: Yes. And Christchurch attack carried out by a white nationalist against Muslims as you point out. Ivan, I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Ivan Watson there.
I want to go now to terrorism expert Rodger Shanahan. He is a research fellow at the West Asia program of the Lowy Institute. He joins me now from Sydney, Australia.
And thanks for joining. So, the authorities knew this man. He's on a terror watch list but they couldn't keep him in jail or do more than just surveil him. Is that just how it goes in the absence of a specific act?
RODGER SHANAHAN, TERRORISM EXPERT: Yes, it's I think one of the -- one of the shortfalls of New Zealand counter-terrorism legislation is that there's no law against preparatory acts before an act of terrorism. In Australia, that's what the majority of domestic terrorists have been charged under preparatory charges.
[03:05:04]
It doesn't exist in New Zealand. And that's been one of the problems, I think of the New Zealand authorities why he couldn't be charge on that. He was charged on some minor charges but those are the ones that carry hefty charges.
HOLMES: So, in your experience, I mean, how common is it to have people described as ISIS inspired and obvious security concern out on the street?
SHANAHAN: Well, it's a fine line I think in this field from what we're aware from media reporting the times that he had been detained and his residence was searched. They found Islamic state material and videos and he was charged for possessing those. But that didn't get him much jail time at all once you take out his time on demand. So, you really need those stronger laws to put people like this behind bars for extended periods of time.
HOLMES: Yes. They're obviously worried about him as the prime minister knew the man. How many New Zealanders had or have connections to ISIS, what's the history of that?
SHANAHAN: Well, it's a very small number from what we're aware of. There's one kind of infamous New Zealander who is detained in Syria, Mike Tyler. There has been fewer than a dozen women of New Zealand citizenship who have gone to Syria. A large number of them had been astray before they went.
And very recently there's been a quite well-known case here where a Jewish Australian New Zealand citizen who joined the Islamic state, she had two children, she was detained in Turkey. Australia had taken her citizenship even though she had been in Australia since she was six and now, she has returned and she's been taken in by New Zealand where she hasn't lived for nearly 15 years.
HOLMES: It's interesting context. I mean, it is just horrible that people were injured, a couple seriously by all accounts. But it does make you think that, you know, how much worse it could've been if he had access to a firearm.
SHANAHAN: Yes, absolutely. And I think that's what we've seen certainly in Australia as well where you've got strong gun laws. People have the intent to carry out mass casualty attacks but if the best that they can do is get a hold of the knife then you're still going to injure people. But as we've seen here the casualty rates lower -- lower and the kind of wounds they received hopefully not life-threatening.
But as we also say, it gives the police much greater time to try to stop these attacks. And what we saw in New Zealand from what the prime minister said that he was being surveilled and the arm of police were there within 60 seconds to stop what could have been a much greater list of casualties than actually occurred. HOLMES: Yes. Yes, they seem to have been a bit hamstrung there.
Rodger Shanahan with the Lowy Institute, I really appreciate your time and your expertise.
SHANAHAN: My pleasure, Mike.
HOLMES: Well, at least 46 people have died now as a result of the historic flooding in the northeast U.S. About half of those fatalities were in New Jersey, thousands of people rescued by first responders.
New York Police, for instance, carried out at least 69 high water rescues in the city. More than 700 people were evacuated from stranded and flooded subways, hundreds more from flooded roads and buildings.
Now those rescues continued into Thursday as communities from Virginia to New England now grapple with brown floodwaters at their doorsteps and inside their homes. Eight tornadoes were reported across the northeast including one that destroyed or damaged about two dozen homes in southern New Jersey.
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to visit Louisiana on Friday where Ida made landfall less than a week ago. What damage it has done since then? Nearly a million homes and businesses still without power in that part of the country.
CNN's Miguel Marquez with the latest from hard hit New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Raging floodwaters flowing across parts of the northeast tonight where active rescues continues in the wake of Ida. In Pennsylvania, officials estimate they've received calls in the thousands from people needing to be rescued from extreme flooding.
ELLIOT PALMER, RESIDENT, BRIDGEPORT, PENNSYLVANIA: The water was raised so high I couldn't go to the street I had to run the fire escape, I wound up on a roof where they had to get a boat to rescue me.
MARQUEZ: In New Jersey, rescue crews using boat to help people to safety. In the northern part of the state floodwaters left train in Bound Brook submerged in a nearby stadium filled with water. Nearly 30 miles west of there in Elizabeth, at least four people drowned in an apartment complex. Officials say the victims all lived in garden level apartments next to the Elizabeth River which rose more than eight feet at its peak last night.
[03:10:06]
Meanwhile, more than 90 miles away in Mullica Hill, at least 25 homes were destroyed or badly damaged by a tornado. This was the scene in many New York City subway stations last night caused by gushing floodwaters.
DONOVAN RICHARDS, RESIDENT, QUEENS BOROUGH: Unprecedented is almost an understatement. This is the first time ever we've had a flash flood emergency declared.
MARQUEZ: Across the northeast, the death toll continues to rise, among the victims, a 2-year-old.
RICHARDS: This has been a biblical storm by every means.
MARQUEZ: In Queens, the New York Police Department commissioner says at least eight people died in the basements of homes inundated with water.
JAMES WEST, RESIDENT, NEW YORK CITY: The roads everywhere I saw coming out of the airport and beyond flooded, dozens and dozens and dozens of cars marooned, stranded.
MARQUEZ: Across the big apple, first responders rescued hundreds from submerged cars including commuters stuck in stop subway trains.
JANNO LIEBER, ACTING CHAIR AND CEO, MTA: Roughly, between, somewhere between 15 and 20 trains did get stranded and folks needed to get rescued.
MARQUEZ: In Central Park, 5.2 inches of water fell in just three hours, a one in 500-year rainfall event.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: My message to everyone affected is we're all in this together, the nation is here to help.
MARQUEZ: And help is something that will be needed with officials warning things will only get worse because of climate change.
MAYOR BILL DEBLASIO (D-NY): We are in a whole new world now in this is a reality we have to face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ (on camera): What you're looking at here is route 18 or the Memorial Parkway in New Brunswick, it's just across a roadway from the Raritan River, obviously, that river still very high. That water level is coming down very slowly, but, my God, the power of this storm and the punch that impact all the way from Louisiana to here in the northeast.
And you know, and searchers, rescuers still looking for people who in need of help here in New Jersey and across a very wide swath of the northeast.
HOLMES: Miguel Marquez reporting there. Now before leaving the northeast underwater Hurricane Ida of course originally hit the U.S. in Louisiana. Decimating that states power grid. Four days later, there are still almost a million homes of businesses without electricity.
Many of them in the states most populous city New Orleans where a few gas stations that are open are seeing long lines of people just trying to find a couple of gallons of gas to power electric generators. It now seems we've moved from predictions and warnings to the reality
of the impact of climate change. Let's bring in meteorologist Derek van Dam. You know, we used to sort of say, you know, we got to be careful about our children's future. Well, it's kind of ours as well now.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's no longer for future generations, isn't it? It is unfolding right before our eyes on our shores and on other shores as well. From the flash flooding that took place in Europe in July to the Pacific northwest heat wave last month.
Now we've got this. We've got the remnants of Ida causing catastrophic flooding across parts of northeastern U.S., and then on the western part of the country we have ongoing drought leading to extreme fire behavior including the Caldor fire in southern Lake Tahoe.
So, what's happening here? Well we've got this increase in heavy rainfall events, the frequency and the intensity of this. That's because our earth has warmed one degree since pre-industrial averages.
So, basically, more atmospheric water vapor means the potential to unleash heavier rain events is there, up to 7 percent more likely. You can see on this latest rainfall the remnants of Ida that produced over 20 daily record rainfall totals across the northeast.
And unfortunately, that coincided in an overlapped with some of the most populated parts of our country. New York City, for instance, saw 80 millimeters of rainfall in a one-hour period that set a record for Central Park. Guess what? The last time that record was broken was just two weeks ago, so we're seeing this trend continue.
The oceans of course, as our temperatures warm across the earth retain all of this heat. in fact, about 90 percent of that heat, excess heat is retained within our oceans and that provides the fuel necessary for strengthening hurricanes.
Take it for me. I rode out the powerful cat four hurricane in southern Louisiana, Ida, it was intense at that storm pivoted around our location. And as we go forward into the future, we will only see the intensity of storms increase. Now, its impacts with climate change on the wildfire situation over the western U.S. is also measured as well.
You can see that the area burned is increasing. So, acreage and hectarage actually increasing but the wildfire season is also lengthening on either side. It's starting earlier and it's lasting longer, so some concerns there.
[03:14:57]
Here are some trends that you can see just through the past decades of the average large wildfires that are burning over the western U.S. Right now, put it into context, we have 84 large active wildfires. I already mentioned what's happening in southern Lake Tahoe, so we are seeing this unfold across the planet. Michael?
HOLMES: All right. I really appreciate it. Thanks, Derek. Derek van Dam there.
We are going to take a quick break. When we come back, more than 100,000 people have flown out of Afghanistan to begin new lives. We'll hear from some of them and from those who weren't fortunate enough to make those flights.
We'll also take you to Tokyo where the man whose led Japan through the pandemic won't be seeking a new term as prime minister. Those stories and more when we come back.
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HOLMES (on camera): Taliban leaders are expected to announce a new government in Afghanistan soon. The group's fighters, meanwhile, are manning checkpoints all around the capital city and a lot of people are concerned about its leaders and how they will keep their promises or not to be more moderate, especially in their treatment of women.
Meanwhile, heavy clashes reported north of Kabul between Taliban fighters and a group called the National Resistance Front. Panjshir province is the last holdout against Taliban rule. And at least one person was killed in a crush at a border crossing with Pakistan. Afghanistan's neighbors had said it won't accept any more refugees. But thousands have tried to cross over following the Taliban takeover.
CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is live this hour in Islamabad, Pakistan. Good to see you, Nic.
You got this nascent resistance movement in the Panjshir and those chaotic scenes on the Pakistan border. Bring us up to date.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary is going to be in Islamabad today, is in Islamabad today meeting with the foreign minister here, he is going to meet with the prime minister. And it does appear as if he will take a trip to the border crossing with Afghanistan to get a firsthand look at what the situation is, how many people are trying to flee.
Afghanistan, of course, we know more than 115,000 got out on planes but there are many other people living in Afghanistan today who are very concerned about Taliban rule and are trying to get out. We've been able to talk to some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (voice over): As they set foot on new soil after countless hours of travel many of the more than 115,000 evacuated Afghan refugees relieved to be free from fear of life under Taliban control, this 40-year-old former translator now in South Korea.
UNKNOWN: People do not believe them. We do not believe their promise. They are the opposite of humanity, especially for the women and for the girls. They are not happy that the girls go to school.
[03:20:05] ROBERTSON: Whether it's in South Korea, the U.S., Spain, Mexico, France, Qatar or many of the other 100 plus countries that have vowed to take them in their new lives and dreams begin now.
UNKNOWN: We came here and we want to live for a long time in peace. Our children should have a good education here and a peaceful situation.
ROBERTSON: At Afghanistan's border with Pakistan those not lucky enough to make the evac flight struggle to leave. One man crushed to death on Thursday as the crowd pushed to cross. Some here though, not fleeing fighting or fearing the Taliban but just looking for survival.
UNKNOWN (through translator): Previously during such change a lot of looting. So, for that reason people were scared. People were running away. Myself, I've come here with a patient for medical treatment.
ROBERTSON: And some coming for that most basic need economic uncertainty, escaping drought and unemployment.
UNKNOWN (through translator): We are 150 families. It was tough for us to cross the border. We were very oppressed and many families are stranded there. We were unemployed and hungry. We migrated here because of poverty. And we need help because we don't have tents and food. We have nothing. Have mercy on us.
UNKNOWN (through translator): There was no work here, no jobs. We fled to Pakistan in disarray. We are requesting the Pakistani government to help us because we are refugees. Look at these kids. They have nowhere to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (on camera): So, the British foreign secretary is likely to get a flavor of that today and Pakistan's message to those sort of, would-be refugees economic migrants is, don't come to the border if you don't have the right papers. Pakistan has supported millions of Afghan refugees in the past and they feel that their financial capacity to be so generous is at its limit.
And their message for the international community, the Pakistani government's message for the international community and this is something Dominic Raab is definitely going to her here today, is engage with the Taliban economically, do it quickly.
Because if you don't, these sorts of trickles of desperate people to get out of Afghanistan that we're seeing now, that will turn to floods. And that's the message that Dominic Raab is probably going to go away from here but back here to London understanding loud and clear. Michael?
HOLMES: Sort of, to the point of engaging with them when it comes to this expected announcement of a Taliban government. I mean, what might we expect from that in terms of inclusion, and frankly, the ability to actually govern in a bureaucratic sense? ROBERTSON: You know, in a bureaucratic sense I think the overall
assessment is that they are going to struggle because they haven't run a country for 20 odd years. When they did, they didn't do it very successfully. This -- the country is struggling under drought, is struggling in a tough economy.
The U.N. estimates, you know, more than half the population need humanitarian aid. So, they're inheriting a very difficult situation. And their leadership or lack of ability to lead the country is going to exacerbate that.
And I think in terms of the government and what to expect the Taliban has promised to include non-Taliban members to be inclusive. And this is really going to be the first time the Taliban shows their true intent to the international community.
Now, where you stand in which capital around the world you read that message, are they inclusive to the point that they include much less conservative political elements in that government? That seems to be unlikely.
Would they include people like the former prime minister in the 90s, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who is very conservative and is more akin to their views? That seems to be a greater possibility than a figure like Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Michael?
HOLMES: Yes, indeed. Great analysis as always. Nic Robertson there in Islamabad. I appreciate it.
Now after just after one year on the job the Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga has apparently had enough. Mr. Suga says he does not plan to run in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race later this month which will effectively end his time as prime minister. He says that he wants to focus instead on dealing with the COVID outbreak in Japan.
CNN's Blake Essig following the story for us from Tokyo. So, what impact will this have on Japanese politics, Blake?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, Michael, the big impact is that Japan will soon have a new leader. Now earlier today in a board meeting at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that he would not be running for the LPD's leadership, effectively giving up the premiership.
[03:24:59]
Now he addressed the media a few hours ago to explain why he decided to run for reelection. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOSHIHIDE SUGA, PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN (through translator): Well, I had the schedule to run thinking about COVID measures and election activities needed an enormous amount of energy. In that situation, I could not do both. I needed to choose one. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG (on camera): Now Suga went on to say that his mission as a prime minister is to protect the life and livelihood of people. And that's what he is going to be concentrating on in the days and weeks to come.
Now in the past two months of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and across the country have skyrocketed. As a result, public support for the prime minister has fallen dramatically, at one point, multiple polls had Suga's approval rating near 70 percent. But today, it's been consistently below 30 percent.
Now the two biggest factors for the sharp decline in popularity have been his government's handling of COVID-19 pandemic which critics have called slow and indecisive. And of course, there is a decision to hold the Olympics against the will of the people. And despite warnings from health officials that said that COVID cases could surge as a result.
Now Suga had recently attempted to regain support within the party but political experts say that he found himself increasingly isolated in the leadership, in the run up to the leadership election set to be held at the end this month, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Blake Essig joining me there live from Tokyo. I appreciate it. Blake, thanks.
And we will take a quick break. When we come back, the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Ida putting renewed focus on America's infrastructure needs.
Coming up, we'll discuss how the U.S. can become better prepared for future disasters because they will come.
Also, petrol prices along with nearly everything else soaring in Afghanistan and money hard to come by. How the Taliban takeover has pushed the country to the brink of economic collapse.
You're watching CNN Newsroom. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARDERN: This was a violent attack. It was senseless. And I am so sorry it happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES (on camera): That was New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern commenting on a terrorist attack earlier in the suburb, in a suburb of Auckland. Six people are wounded, some in critical condition and police killed the knife wielding attacker shooting him dead.
Now the prime minister added that the man was a Sri Lankan national who as a known threat and under surveillance by police. She said that he was also a supporter of ISIS ideology and called him a terrorist.
[03:29:57]
We are also getting in terrifying new video of the panic that gripped shoppers as the attack was happening, the video taken inside the shopping center posted online, partially blurred and censored for your viewing. Take a moment and have a listen to the chaos as the attack played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Somebody in there with a knife partner? (BEEP).
(BEEP)
Somebody got stabbed and --
(BEEP)
Oh, bro. Oh no. (Inaudible) (BEEP).
(GUN SHOTS HEARD)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now earlier I spoke with Auckland's Mayor, Phil Goff, about the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHIL GOFF, MAYOR OF AUCKLAND (on the phone): The individual in this case seems to have been a lone wolf, inspired by ISIS ideology. He was under police surveillance because of the views that he held. But in our democracy as in yours, you don't get imprisoned for your views, you get imprisoned for your actions.
But the police said that he constitute a sufficient risk to have him under 24/7 surveillance. There had only been a tiny handful of people in that category. He went into the supermarket maybe when he would normally do to go shopping, but he then took up a knife from one of the rows in the supermarket and then began randomly attacking people.
There were six people in hospital, three in critical condition, one in serious condition. And as I understand, two and a more moderate condition. There is a court suppression order surrounding the individual so the Prime Minister's in her announcement this afternoon was somewhat constrained in what she was able to tell us about the individual that we inspect more information to be forthcoming, once we can sort the court order out.
HOLMES: Yes, and he was recently released from jail. And the Prime Minister couldn't say why other than he hadn't done enough to stay in jail or they couldn't keep him in jail. She did seem to want to give a lot more detail but was restricted by the court order. One thing, Mr. Mayor that I did notice and it is worth saying is that she also went out of her way as I heard her do before to say that the blame belongs with the individual not a nationality or ethnicity or a religion.
GOFF: Yes, and I think that is absolutely true. We don't want people turning on Sri Lankan citizens in our country. Overwhelmingly they are decent people, hardworking, honest and cooperative. And likewise we don't want people turning on the Muslim community because most of our Muslim community comes into the same category. Decent people who make a real contribution to our country.
But we have these individuals, the man that attacked the mosque a few years ago, he had an ideology, he was Australian as it happened, he had an ideology that was white supremacist but we didn't blame Australians for that. And he was a Christian but we didn't blame Christians for that. And we are not blaming Sri Lankans and we are not blaming Muslims for the actions of this particular individual.
His views were despicable, his actions were horrendous. He is now dead, so, I guess justice was forthcoming in that sense quite quickly. And not many people are shot by the police in this country. But the police were there as part of their surveillance. They intervened within 60 seconds but that did not stop this man actually actively stabbing about a half dozen people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: No matter what superlative you want to apply to Wednesday night's epic storm across the northeast, it just won't do it justice. There has never been such a severe and sustained rain event over such a large heavily populated area. The amount of water, Ida dumped on the region is frankly mind-boggling. At least 46 people died in the deluge. It could had been much worse if not for the thousands of successful rescues that were carried out. And some of the survivors of this nightmare are struggling to wrap their heads around it. Take a listen to this badly shaken woman in Queens, two of her neighbors died in the flooding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMRITA BHAGWANDIN, FLOOD VICTIM: I cannot comprehend, no one. The emotions here. I can speak for everyone. There is only sadness and it is just overwhelming. So where we are is that we have to start from scratch as we are mourning.
[03:35:00]
We have to see how we can move on in a more graceful way here. Because this is -- if you see the situation here, it is very unsafe, very unlivable. It is -- death is upon us. This is how I see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Joining me now is Sauleh Siddiqui, an associate professor of Environmental Science in American University. Great to have you here professor. These and other events in the U.S. really do show infrastructure isn't ready for what is happening now, let alone, what's coming. And it is not like to have been warnings for literally decades on what climate change would bring. Have we as a nation been too focused on repair and symptoms, rather than solutions, especially ones with a long term view?
SAULEH SIDDIQUI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (on camera): Yes, exactly, Michael. And I think the last thing you said is key to understand here that climate change hasn't created some of these problems. It is just exacerbated the ones that we see I society today. Especially pertaining in infrastructure and the underlying symptoms is what we need to not focus on but really understand what the problems are that are causing these. And in terms of infrastructure, I see that there is three of them.
One, our infrastructure is several decades old. Two, our infrastructure is more interconnected than it used to be. It used to be that landlines were completely separate from our electricity infrastructure. And you can use them even in disasters. Now our telecommunication infrastructure depends on our electricity infrastructure which is even more dependent on other infrastructure such as natural gas.
And then finally to really address the underlying issues, we have to really think about the social infrastructure. The people that are at the heart of this. And for that when we think about solving problems for infrastructure, we need to put the most vulnerable of us at the forefront which includes people who are homeless, people who are incarcerated and the elderly.
HOLMES: So, OK. In the medium to -- in a short to medium term, what needs to be done going forward to prepare and mitigate
SIDDIQUI: So, even in the short term I would say, the focus should be along with the other things that we're doing in terms of de- carbonization to really think about what type of infrastructure we need to keep the people that are the most important safe.
And so, unless we address the underlying social issues that really played our society and really are impacted by the infrastructure, climate change will just keep magnifying them again and again and again. Se, despite, you know, we all want quick solutions right away, but really the bold long term problem solving our infrastructures are critically important.
HOLMES: Yes, because people are infrastructure. Now, of course, these events are no longer rare, they will not stop. Can you see through example low lying coastal areas, which are at the moment spending billions to repair every couple of years or a few years, well eventually this have to face the reality that many of those communities are just going to have to move, that staying put as the weather changes is not sustainable nor sensible.
SIDDIQUI: You are absolutely right. And again, even with that issue, we can think about what might happen to people who live in those areas and we can think about people who are being impacted by the forest fires. But unless we solve the problems that we see today pertaining to our infrastructure, we can't just think about short term solutions and what might short term symptoms might look like and how to cure those symptoms. Unless we address the deeper problem, something new is going to come up again and again and again.
HOLMES: Yes. This seems an awful waste of money to spend billions and billions every couple of years to repair things rather than truly mitigate. I mean, the Biden administration has made climate change a priority issue, so they say. But do you see enough urgency there and the willingness to make what a hard decisions?
SIDDIQUI: And the hard decisions will come from thinking about those deeper problems. So for example we can think a lot about de- carbonization and de-carbonization of our transportation sector for example. A policy that might promote solar energy. But unless those are coupled with infrastructure development and industrial policy, oftentimes we see they might not be enough to solve the problems that we face.
HOLMES: And just finally, I mean, when it comes to something like coal, and you know, John Kerry is over talking with the Chinese and the Japanese about coal generation, it just strikes me as being fairly mind-blowing that you know, coal is still a thing when clean energy like solar wind and so on, employs far more people. So, clean energy is an economic benefit not just an environment one.
SIDDIQUI: Right. And I think from that point there, Michael one of the things we need to do is think deeper than that. Right? So, we can't just think of climate change as a physical infrastructure issue or an energy technology issue or even just an economy issue. A number of problems we face today are climate change and infrastructure issues.
[03:40:05]
Homelessness is a climate change and an infrastructure issue. Road safety is a climate change and infrastructure issue. Food insecurity is a climate change and infrastructure issue. So, unless we realize how intertwined these problems are and how deep problems within our society are as a result of our infrastructure, we are not going to get far enough to solve it.
HOLMES: It does require a broad based approach, quite right. Sauleh Siddiqui, thank you so much professor, I appreciate it.
SIDDIQUI: Thank you so much, Michael.
HOLMES: Western Union is resuming money transfer services to Afghanistan. Now that means people across the world can in theory wire funds there and not be charged a transfer fee. It is a rare bit of good news for a country that has been pushed to the brink of economic collapse. Anna Stewart with more.
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ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER (voice over): Banks are open again in Afghanistan but it takes hours, even a whole day to reach the front of the line. And then withdrawals are limited to 20,000 Afghanis, around $200 which has to last a week. A journalist in Kabul working with CNN, has scene prices for basic necessities skyrocket. In just two weeks, petrol prices are 140 percent higher, cooking oil is up 63 percent. And basic food items like rice, flour and sugar are also significantly more expensive. It is adding pressure on people after weeks of upheaval.
UNKNOWN (through translator): I have been unemployed and sitting at home for 17 or 18 days. And this isn't easy because we have rent, electricity bills and other expenses.
UNKNOWN (through translator): I do not feel well. Everyone fled. There are no work opportunities in Afghanistan at all.
STEWART: Afghanistan was already one of the poorest countries in the world. Facing rampant corruption and dependent on foreign aid. Around 75 percent of the previous government's budget came from overseas grants, according to the World Bank. Now the U.S. has block the Taliban from accessing Afghanistan's foreign reserves and the IMF, the E.U. and the World Bank have suspended payments.
ABDUL FITRAT, FORMER GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF AFGHANISTAN: Now the Taliban has only access to roughly $100 million in cash inside the country.
STEWART: Only $100 million? But Afghanistan's reserves are a little under $10 billion. But as all of that overseas?
FITRAT: Correct. And majority of them are in U.S. and less than half in Europe.
STEWART: Should the international community unblock the reserves? Should they give financial aid to the Taliban to help the people?
FITRAT: No. If they have access to Afghanistan's reserves, they will not spend that for the benefit of the population. They will transfer some of those money to be an international terrorist colleagues in the country to the terrorist groups. We saw that, examples of that in the past.
STEWART: Aid organizations are already warning of a health care system facing collapse and food shortages. Without recognition from the international community it seems the Taliban could struggle to govern a country they fought so long to control. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
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HOLMES: Well, just how will that new Taliban government rule? How will it treat women? The Taliban spokesman has hinted that they moderated their views since the last time they were in power but that very much remains to be seen. CNN's Sam Kiley looks at the questions swirling around Taliban 2.0.
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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Promises --
SUHAL SHAHEEN, TALIBAN SPOKESMAN: We would harbor a new government and an Afghan inclusive Islamic government.
KILEY: Promises --
SHAHEEN: Women can continue their education from primary to the higher education.
KILEY: Promises --
SHAHEEN: We do not monopoly of power.
KILEY: Taliban 2.0 more moderate, inclusive, power sharing? From 1996 to 2001 the ultraconservative Islamist imposed a form of Islam that stoned homosexual and shot female schools as it took over much of Afghanistan. Women bore the brunt of this medieval ideology. The movement was toppled by NATO and Afghan allies' intent on ending Taliban rule and the safe haven that it gave to al-Qaeda's plot against America on 9/11.
Al-Qaeda was routed, fleeing NATO into scattered exile. For the next 20 years the Taliban fought back taking territory slowly and refining its public relations. Less effort on oppressing women more on building trust and local administrations. But millions of Afghans, especially in the cities we're encouraged to believe in the freedoms and democracy that was stamped out by the Taliban. So when they swept back into the capital, fear took hold.
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PASHTANA DURRANI, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEARN: So if we have (inaudible), why are they stopping women from going to work? Why are they murdering artists?
FARZANA KOCHAI, AFGHAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Do I have a space here to work for my people in my country or not? So, we are risking our lives just for this answer.
KILEY: At the Taliban press conference in Kabul, it spokesman insisted that the movement had matured. But he insisted that all human rights freedoms and especially the role of women would still be determined by Sharia law. To succeed in the government the Taliban may have little choice in the face of real politics.
They will also need help from the international community. It's been (inaudible) its diplomatic credentials, here the leader (inaudible) sealing a deal with the U.S. it's now widely derided for shepherding the Taliban to victory. But the movement has clearly signaled that it needs to govern rather than rule by force. The question is whether that is something the Taliban can or even wants to do. Sam Kiley, CNN, London.
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HOLMES: Well, China's COVID case numbers remained pretty low. After the break, we'll talk about the strict policies Beijing implemented to fight new infections and whether they were worth it. We will be right back.
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HOLMES: Welcome back. U.S. vaccination numbers are slowly creeping up and some of the states hit recently hardest by COVID are showing the biggest increases in new vaccinations. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia among the states that had the best vaccination rates last week.
This coming as more U.S. health officials warned to the idea of booster shots as data shows they do work. But others cautioned against the rush to give additional vaccine doses since some countries are still struggling to give the first. The European Medicines Agency said Thursday, there is no urgent need for boosters among the fully vaccinated general population.
Now in China life is returning to normal for the most part, after a sudden surge of new cases triggered harsh lockdown measures in July. Beijing's zero tolerance approach to new cases has been criticized as extreme, but it's also effective. Here is David Culver.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): China's worst surge in cases since the initial outbreak in Wuhan? Now under control, according to the government.
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Residents in some cities celebrating the end of quarantine. Health officials says the Delta link variant of COVID-19 was first detected in China in July. They traced it to an air China flight from Moscow. Officials say it first infected several airport workers in Nanjing and rapidly spread to other parts of the country including major cities like Chengdu and Beijing.
Though the overall number of cases was relatively small, just under 1300 since July 20th, it led to a returned of mass testing. Some city screening their entire population. Millions of people often tested multiple times, smart phone contract tracing strictly reinforced and tightened travel restrictions.
For millions, it was back into lockdown. In early August, we drove past one of the elevated risk communities in Beijing. Residents essentially sealed off due to a single positive case being detected here.
Behind these barriers, you have folks who are abiding by the stay-at- home orders and who are once again having to undergo mass testing. But that was a few weeks ago. Now you can see this is no longer an elevated risk area. You have got folks who live in the community, out and about, the gates are open, things returning to normal.
Though some still a bit sensitive with people from outside of the community like us walking in. In other parts of the country the lockdowns were brutal, folks in one central Chinese city, even shouting for help from their windows at one point.
The threat of more stay-at-home orders sparked panic buying in some cities. Shelves emptying out of basic goods. But even before official policies changed most began wearing face masks again voluntarily. Most people here share it seems a collective understanding. The inconveniences while extreme are effective.
But they seem to accept for the most part that is going to last just a couple weeks. Then they can get back to life as it was.
Officials use this most recent surge in cases to push or in some cases require more people to get vaccinated. In late August, China reported that they had given out more than two billion doses of vaccines domestically. Within 60 percent of the population now fully vaccinated. In an effort to reach herd immunity some Chinese city started blocking unvaccinated residents from entering public venues or even from riding the subway.
With daily new COVID case counts back to single digits and sometimes zero ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympics in February, many remains skeptical, is this zero tolerance toward any cases approach sustainable. For now, China is sticking to it. David Culver, CNN, Beijing.
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HOLMES (voice over): Mama Mia, here they come again.
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The legendary pop group ABBA has a surprise for its fans. Details when we come back.
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HOLMES (on camera): Well, one of music's best-selling group is releasing its first new album in four decades and even a series of digital concerts.
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Of course the Swedish super group ABBA is known for such smash hits as Mama Mia, or Dancing Queen, you know them. Their new album named "Voyage" drops November 5th. Benny and Bjorn describing how they got (inaudible) to take a course from retirement to sing along.
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BENNY ANDERSSON, ABBA BAND MEMBER: First there was just two songs. And then we said well maybe we should do -- I don't know, a few others. What do you say, girls? They said yes. Then I asked them well, why don't we just do a whole album?
BJORN ULVAEUS, ABBA BAND MEMBER: The first song "I still have faith in you." I knew when Benny played the melody I just knew. It had to be about us. It is about realizing that it is inconceivable to be what we are. No imagination could dream up that, to release a new album after 40 years. And still to be the best of friends and still be enjoying each other's company and have total loyalty.
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HOLMES: Along with the album, virtual concert starting in May at London's Olympic Park six nights a week. The popstars won't be there in person though, but they're young looking avatars created by George Lucas Industrial Light and Magic will perform with a live band. It is enough to make ABBA fans sing, "Thank you for the music."
Thank you for watching, I'm Michael Holmes. I appreciate you spending part of your day with me. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @HolmesCNN. Stick around though, Kim Brunhuber coming your way next.
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