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Women in Afghanistan Protest Against Taliban Restrictions; Matching Description of Remains Found in Gabby Petito Case; Humanitarian Crisis at the Southern Border; Booster Shots Uncertain for Many Americans; World Leaders to Attend U.N. General Assembly; Bolsonaro Says He Won't Get Vaccine Before Un Speech; White House: Biden To Speak With Macron In Coming Days; Senior U.S. And UK Lawmakers Speak Exclusively To CNN. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 20, 2021 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:00]

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN HOST: Hi. Welcome to CNN wherever you are in the world. Thanks for joining me, Robyn Curnow. I'm live in Atlanta. So, coming up on the show, Afghan women taking to the streets refusing to stay silent as the Taliban chip away at their freedoms.

And the FBI believe that the remains of Gabby Petito have been found. Now, the search for her fiance is taking on a new urgency.

Plus, under desperation, under a bridge, the U.S. launches a mass expulsion of migrants reiterating that the border is closed.

Thanks for joining me this hour. So, we know that Afghan women are defiant despite growing signs that the Taliban government is sidelining.

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A group of activists protested outside what used to be the women's ministry on Sunday. The Taliban closed that ministry and replaced it with their ministry, which is called the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The protests came after concerns were raised about girls being allowed to attend secondary school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TARANUM SAYEEDI, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST (through translation): You cannot suppress the voice of Afghan women by keeping girls at home and restricting them, as well as by not allowing them to go to school. You cannot suppress the voice of Afghanistan's women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Well, the Taliban have claimed they will not rule as they did during the 90's, but they have done little else to calm fears that women will be denied basic freedoms, will be shut out of jobs and schools. On Sunday, Afghanistan's and Ministry of Education ordered male employees to report on Monday, but no mention of female workers. And Kabul's mayor said women will only be allowed to work in city government jobs that cannot be done by men.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMDULLAH NOMANI, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN ACTING MAYOR (through translation): Initially, we allowed all of them to be present at their duties on time. But then the Islamic emirate decided it was necessary that or some time their work must stop. Then, we only allowed those females whom we needed. I mean, for jobs which males couldn't do or which is not a man's job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: So the future is certainly uncertain for all Afghans under Taliban ruling camps the displaced around -- and camps were displaced around Kabul. Conditions are crowded and unsanitary. And in the rest of the capital, the economic crisis is clear. Nic Robertson reports from Kabul.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): On Kabul's fringes, families displaced by fighting, abandoned by the new Taliban Islamic emirate government.

(On camera): Literally just getting out of the car, coming into the camp, people are surrounding us. They want to know how we can help them. This is how bad the camp is. Human feces along the wall here. It is awful conditions.

(Voice-over): The Taliban have won the war, but their problems running the country are piling up.

(On camera): It's the smell that hits you first. People, literally, forced to get to the toilet right next to the tents where they're cooking.

How many people in this camp here?

(Voice-over): Five hundred families he tells me. No sign here of any aid. No water, no food, no shelter, no toilets.

(On camera): And anyone coming from the Islamic emirate offices to talk to them and ask them what they need?

(Voice-over): His answer needs no translation.

(On camera): You're on your own.

(Voice-over): He shows me the long lists of the displaced.

As he speaks, a man in a hi-viz vest with a stick in his hand, interrupts. It's clear, we have to go. (On camera): We were told that we didn't have permission to film

there that's why we're leaving. Literally, as we're leaving, we've been handed all these numbers, people thrusting phone numbers into us. Literally, banging on the car now, desperate for us to be able to help them in some way and they think giving us their phone numbers is going to help.

(Voice-over): Across town, in the book market, there is calm. Too much of it, books, books, books, but no one to buy them.

No one is spending money, he says. They don't know what's coming. The only books that are selling well are religious ones. They have 300 stores here, only 20 remain open.

Another market -- this secondhand goods trader says everyone is selling up to flee the country. So far, the Taliban is limiting cash withdrawals to $200 a week. But that seems to be only economic policy so far.

[02:05:00]

During Friday prayers, the call from the mosques, America is being blamed for Afghanistan's dire situation.

(On camera): The reality, the economy is hurting. The International Monetary Fund warns of a looming humanitarian crisis. The Taliban won the war, but can they run the country? Right now, they could use international help.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The foreign reserves of Afghanistan are almost, exclusively in banks here in the United States including the Federal Reserve. Other banks, about $9 billion. All of that has been frozen.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Early signs, the pressure is taking its toll. The Taliban this week struggling to quell reports of a rift in their ranks. Triggered when the deputy prime minister, the main negotiator with the U.S., unexpectedly, missing for several days.

This week, the Taliban's most powerful military commander, Sirajuddin Haqqani, told the U.N. frozen money must be released. He has a $10 million FBI bounty on his head for ties to terrorism and Al-Qaeda.

(On camera): The Taliban have got what they want, control of Afghanistan. But running the country and winning the peace, that's their biggest challenge yet. Nic Robertson, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks to Nic for that piece. Anna Coren joins me now. Anna, of course, has also reported extensively from Afghanistan. You're in Hong Kong now. Nic's piece was excellent. He's there on the ground and eh certainly showed and spoke to some of these extraordinarily brave people on the ground. But also women, mothers, who are fighting back by the increasing pushback we've seen from the Taliban in terms of women's rights. ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONENT: Yes, that's right. So, Robyn, I mean,

we saw that protest yesterday. Look, it wasn't a large protest, but still, you know, you have a dozen women out there, if not more, outside what was once the Ministry of Women's Affairs. That is now the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

And their task is to ensure the strict implementation of sharia law. And, you know, what does this mean for women? And this is what these women are protesting against. They want their girls to go to school. They want to be able to return to their jobs and be part of this workforce, which is what had been promised by the Taliban when they came into power over a month ago.

So, you know, these women, taking to the streets, there are other mothers that are taking to social media, saying if our boys can go to school, why can't our girls go to school? And we know that boys return to school on the weekend, to secondary school. Girls are not allowed at this stage.

The Taliban says they are working out transportation, making sure that that is secure. On the job front for women, we know that they are about 3,000 government employees in the capital city and in Kabul. We heard from the acting mayor, and he said that 27 percent of the workforce is made up of women.

But for now, only men are allowed to return unless there are jobs that men can't do like cleaning the women's bathrooms. I mean, it is just beyond demeaning. And the Taliban are saying this is about security, about wanting to get Afghanistan to a place of normality. Things are up in the air at the moment.

But, women are not buying this, Robyn. I mean, I am in touch with women every single day saying how scared they are, saying that they can't go back to university. Saying that they want to leave the country because there is no future for them.

There has been a generation of women educated over the last 20 years. And, now, what is being proposed, you know, the strict interpretation of Islam does not include women. One activist that I spoke to, she said they don't want to hear us, they don't want to see us. They hate us. There is no future for us in this country, and it's just tragic. Absolutely tragic, Robyn.

CURNOW: Yes, it is. It is gut-wrenching. Anna Coren, thanks so much also for reporting on all of this. Appreciate it.

Now to a story that is certainly making headlines here in the U.S. The family of Gabby Petito is asking for privacy as they grieve the loss of their daughter. On Sunday, the FBI investigators said the human remains they found in Wyoming are consistent with the description of a 22-year-old Petito. She was reported missing more than a week ago.

Meanwhile, authorities spent another day searching the Florida wilderness for her fiance whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Leyla Santiago is on the scene with more. LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: North Port police say that they will continue to work with the FBI in order to find more answers when it comes to the disappearance of Gabby Petito as well as the disappearance of Brian Laundrie.

[02:10:07]

Now, they have been searching here in this wildlife reserve where we are right now -- 25,000 acres, by the way. A very lush terrain all day long, after the Laundrie family reached out to police on Friday saying the last time they had seen him was on Tuesday.

The search continues to finding Brian Laundrie. Now, as far as Gabby Petito, FBI held a press conference with some very tragic news. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES JONES, FBI SUPERVISORY SENIOR RESIDENT AGENT: Earlier today, human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle Gabby Petito. Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100 percent that we found Gabby Petito, but her family has been notified of this discovery. The cause of death has not been determined at this time.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: Still lots of questions remain and there are still a lot of investigators as well as a community here that is hoping that if investigators can find Brian Laundrie that perhaps they can get more information to what lead up to the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito. Leyla Santiago, CNN, North Port, Florida.

CURNOW: Thanks Leyla for that. Now the Laundrie family expressed their condolences on Sunday saying through a family attorney, "The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking. The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family."

And you're watching CNN. Still to come, the desperate scene at the U.S.-Mexico border as thousands of migrants camp under a bridge in the heat. What the U.S. government is doing to resolve the crisis, that's next.

Plus, Pfizer booster shots get a green light from the FDA advisers, but only for some Americans. Why Dr. Anthony Fauci says that's not the end of the COVID booster debate in America.

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[02:15:00]

CURNOW: So migrant crisis is unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border. I want to show you the scene at the migrant camp under the Del Rio International Bridge here. It is here were nearly 12,000 migrants awaiting to be processed by U.S. immigration authorities. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has already conducted three

repatriation flights from Del Rio, Texas to Port-au-Prince with more than 300 patients on board. But that is not deterring more migrants from arriving at the border. Now, the head of U.S. Homeland Security plans to travel to the area to assess the situation. Here is what he told Jim Acosta.

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ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We are increasing the frequency and size of the repatriation flights. We have sent a very clear message early on in light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic that the border is not open and people should not take the perilous journey here. We are returning people to other countries.

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CURNOW: Yael Schacher is a senior U.S. advocate for Refugees International. She joins me now from Washington. Yael, thank you very much for being here on CNN. What we're seeing at the border now is one of America's fastest, largest scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades. Am I correct there?

YAEL SCHACHER, SENIOR U.S. ADVOCATE, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL: What we're seeing is about 12,000 to 14,000 migrants have shown -- have come to the border near Del Rio, Texas and what the Biden administration is now doing is using a policy that has been in place since March of 2020, from the Trump administration, but using an expulsion policy to rapidly expel these migrants. The plan is to send several expulsion flights directly to Haiti without screening these migrants.

CURNOW: But the Biden administration is saying clearly what is happening there under that bridge is unacceptable. It is not a humanitarian situation. It can't go on. Something needs to be done. And under COVID laws, under rules within the U.S. right now, there is no legal protection for people coming in and that this is what, unfortunately, is the pathway for these people. It might not be great, it might not feel good, but at least for the Americans, they are saying this is the situation.

SCHACHER: Well, that is what they are saying. The problem is that -- so this is Title 42 COVID policy has been in place, as I said, for many months. Certainly, since the beginning of the Biden administration and for the past 11 months about 30,000 Haitians have tried or have been caught crossing the border without authorization.

I should also mention that you cannot seek asylum at ports of entry because ports of entry are also closed to asylum seekers.

CURNOW: Closed.

SCHACHER: Yes.

CURNOW: Exactly. SCHACHER: So, the only way to get in is to cross between ports of entry. But most of those Haitians who have come for the past 11 months have not actually been expelled -- 87 percent of them have been admitted, most families have been admitted. I visited Del Rio just earlier in August, less than a month ago, and many Haitians, both adults and families were being released at that time, in different ways.

Most families were being released but not expelled. They are given a notice to appear in immigration courts. Some single adults were being sent to detention centers. And so the fact of the matter is, yes, this expulsion policy has been in effect and this this whole time, these COVID rules, as you said, have been in effect the whole time. But they have not actually been used in this way the whole time.

CURNOW: But also, again, just play devil's advocate here, I mean, for the Biden ministration, this is thousands and thousands of people who have turned up illegally in this situation. They are already overstretched with the Afghan situation.

[02:19:58]

Processing people right now into the system within the U.S. is stretched beyond capacity. There are only so many resources particularly after the Afghanistan situation. This, the Biden administration is arguing is the only way that they can cope, is to send them back.

SCHACHER: Right. Well there are a couple of responses to that as well. I mean, the Afghans who have been brought into this country are on military bases right now all over the United States. Have nothing to do with ports of entry. They are coming into two airports, in fact, just one airport on the east coast to be --

CURNOW: It's about processing people.

SCHACHER: Right, it's not occupying the border patrol's time on the U.S. and Mexico border. So that's not really an issue. And the other thing has to do with Haiti in particular. So, Haiti is in the midst of a political crisis. Its president was assassinated. There was just an earthquake two weeks ago.

Haiti has temporary protective status, so if you showed up and you are Haitian and you entered the United States before July 29th, you would definitely not be deportable because the Biden administration has deemed Haiti an unsafe country to send people. So I think the issue really seems like suddenly, now, in order to send a signal, a deterrent signal or the, I mean --

CURNOW: Well I think that's a point here in, many ways, is this is also about politics. This is about a president who is not just president to Democrats, but also president to the whole country. And there is not the political appetite, at least politically ahead of the midterms and after a pretty rough few weeks for the White House, for these images of people massing under a bridge, you know, without there being a plan. So, I mean, under your -- you know, I understand where you're coming

from, but I think from the Biden administration, they're like, you know what, this has to be a deterrent because if we let this group of people under the bridge in, what about -- what message does that send to everybody else who is waiting in line?

SCHACHER: The deterrent message I think, has not come out clearly from the Biden administration. It seems like sometimes they choose it and sometimes they don't. And it's not really clear that that deterrent message will actually deter anybody from coming. It hasn't worked so far. As I said, this expulsion policy has been in place the entire time. And it's not quite clear to me that that's exactly getting through.

What is happening is what the public is seeing, is that this is a disparate treatment of Central Americans and the ones who have been not families, have not been expelled. Afghans are being admitted on mass without, you know, coming to the United States and black people are being sent back to Haiti. That is the optics of this right now, as well, and I think it's just something to keep in mind.

CURNOW: Yael Schacher, thank you very much. The senior U.S. advocate for Refugees International.

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CURNOW: And this was the scene in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday, when hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police there. Ten officers were injured, more than 230 people arrested. Frustrations are certainly rising after weeks of tough COVID restrictions and lockdowns across the state of Victoria and the capital, Melbourne.

Victoria reported more than 560 new COVID cases on Monday, its largest daily rise this year.

And the U.S. is now approaching nearly 2,000 COVID deaths per day. That's the highest level we have seen in more than six months. Now, health experts say the best way to reverse that trend is to get more people vaccinated. But for those who already are, there is confusion over possible booster shots.

The Biden administration had wanted to make them available for all eligible Americans as soon as Monday. But last week, an FDA advisory committee recommended a third Pfizer dose only for older and high risk patients. Well, on Sunday, Dr. Fauci fielded a question on whether the panel had made a mistake.

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ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I don't think they made a mistake. But one thing I think people need to realize that data are coming in literally on the daily and weekly basis. They're going to continue to look at this, literally, in realtime. More data will be coming in on both safety for younger individuals, efficacy, both from Israel, other countries, as well as our substantial cohorts that the CDC is following. So the story is not over yet. I think people need to understand that.

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CURNOW: We're getting a better idea of where most of the COVID deaths are happening. Florida has more deaths linked to the virus than the other state since July 1st when the delta variant began to take hold in the U.S. Since then, around 20 percent of all COVID deaths have been in Florida.

So, coming up on CNN, testing beyond a system. Brazil's president is blatantly violating vaccine requirements as he heads to New York to speak at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly.

[02:24:54]

And the latest in the ongoing fallout over the submarine deal between the U.S., U.K., and Australia, that left out France. That's ahead.

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CURNOW: It is 28 minutes past the hour. Thanks for joining me. I'm Robyn Curnow here live in Atlanta. So, the U.S. president, Joe Biden, on Tuesday will deliver his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly since taking office. It's a critical moment for Mr. Biden because he plans to articulate his foreign policy vision.

A senior official says he'll discuss the pandemic and argue for more aggressive measures to contain the spread of COVID. But before he speaks, Brazil's president is expected to open the assembly and that is causing concern because he refuses to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, as Rafael Romo now reports. Rafael?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: He once said the coronavirus was a gripe suina, a little flu. Last December, he suggested that coronavirus vaccine can turn people into an alligator or a bearded woman. And now, Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, a controversial right-wing former military officer, is attending the U.N. General Assembly even though he hasn't been vaccinated and rules require it.

During an interview that was broadcast online last week, Bolsonaro dismissed vaccines. Why would I get vaccinated he asked, touting that his case, his antibody levels are so high, he doesn't need any vaccine.

Let's remember that the president has tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2020. In a statement released last week, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked Assembly President Abdulla Shahid for requiring proof of vaccination to enter the U.N. General Assembly hall.

[02:30:02]

But in an interview with Reuters the same day, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it's a rule that he cannot enforce.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: Of course, we - we a Secretariat cannot tell a head of state if he's not vaccinated that he cannot enter the United Nations.

ROMO: Bolsonaro was immediately targeted by the opposition after declaring he's not getting vaccinated before going to New York. Erika KOK, a Congresswoman from the Leftist Workers Party blasted the President on Twitter. New York demands proof of vaccination from the UN assembly she wrote, and can you imagine which political leader did not get vaccinated and will bring more international shame to the people of his country.

With more than 21 million cases Brazil ranks third in the world for the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections. More than 590,000 people have died of the disease there since the beginning of the pandemic. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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ROBYN CURNOW, CNN HOST: Well, damage control will be on the agenda when the U.S. president speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron, this week. Both sides say they are seeking a way forward after that security deal between the U.S., the UK and Australia sparked a diplomatic crisis. The deal provides nuclear submarines for Australia but it also means Paris lost a multibillion dollar contract for conventional subs.

Paris recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia amid the row. Now British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging Mr. Macron not to quote worry about the deal. He also says Anglo-French relations are 'ineradicable.' Jeffrey Lewis is the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. He joins me now from Monterey, California. Jeffrey, hi. Wonderful to have you on the show. I really do want to get your take on the fallout from this deal between the U.S. Australia and the UK.

It's certainly going to play out at the UN during this week. What do we know about the practicalities of it? We've heard the political argument. But what do we know about nuclear propelled submarines in Australia and the practicalities of that?

JEFFREY LEWIS, DIR, EAST ASIA NONPROLIFERATION PROGRAM, MIDDLEBURY INST. OF INT STUDIES: Well, one of the things we know is that they haven't made any of the technical decisions yet. This is a purely political announcement at this point in time, and they have given themselves 18 months to figure out the details. And to be honest, I'm quite skeptical that in 18 months, they will be able to figure them out because there are so many questions they have to answer.

CURNOW: Like what?

LEWIS: Starting with what kind of submarines they're going to design.

CURNOW: So they're starting from scratch, this is about creating a design for a submarine that I'm assuming is going to be based at Darwin. Has that even been confirmed?

LEWIS: I don't think it's been confirmed. But I think we all expect it would be based in Darwin. You know, the funny thing is, there's even a report today that since the new submarines might not be ready for at least 20 years, that now they're also talking about maybe having Australia lease some American submarines in the interim.

So they're really making it up as they go along. And I you know, they're promising that they're going to get us answers, but they just don't have them yet.

CURNOW: So it's the hard details, the practicalities that they need to have to sort out this is not just about designing submarines, it's also about figuring out what to do with weapons grade uranium to propel these submarines. Where does that fit into the sort of political conversations right now, because the Australia doesn't have enriched uranium?

LEWIS: It's a major legal issue. You know, the reality is, is that Naval Reactors run on, as you say, weapons grade uranium, and that's not something that the United States can just ship to Australia because it feels like it. So there's an enormous number of legal questions that need to be answered. And I'll give you an example. Canada looked at doing this in the 1980s.

They wanted the United States to provide nuclear fuel for them to be able to develop their own nuclear submarines. And it was a legal and technical nightmare, and it ended up never happening. So you know, there is this really profound question of whether we can or should export weapons grade uranium to another country for use in the submarine.

CURNOW: Would the Australians enrich it themselves? I mean, what does that mean? Does this - does this mean that Australia becomes a nuclear nation?

LEWIS: Yes, so that's the other possibility. I mean, one possibility is the U.S. exports it The other possibility is that the Australians make it themselves. And of course, if Australia goes down that route, and it's doing precisely what Iran has been doing in recent years, which has caused so much anxiety. Now, Australia, of course, isn't Iran, but you can see immediately that, you know, you start to raise these questions about what kind of precedent are we setting here?

And how are we going to feel when the Iranians or the Brazilians or someone else says, you know, we deserve nuclear submarines too.

CURNOW: And what does this mean for the geopolitics in the region? Does this decision contain, deter and expanding ambitious China?

LEWIS: Well, I mean, I think that is clearly the message they're trying to send.

[02:35:00]

You know, my sense is this decision was rushed so they could get ahead on so called quad meeting with Australia, Japan and India. And so they really wanted the statement out there. And I know that's certainly going to be how the Chinese are going to take it. I mean, one of the interesting questions, though, is, you know, do eight submarines over the next 20 years really contribute to that in a meaningful way. Or, you know, is this just a nice diplomatic statement for the moment?

CURNOW: What do you what do you say to the argument that this decision, even though it is a clear, geopolitical strategic decision by the U.S. that they need to contain China, but some people are saying, well, this will then amplify the arms race in Asia in particular.

LEWIS: Well, I think Asia is experiencing an arms race at the moment, China has built an extraordinary number of missiles, China's also deploying its own nuclear powered submarines with missiles. And so this is something that's going on. But what I think is notable is that, you know, we're not looking at this burgeoning arms race and saying we should get a handle on it. We're sort of looking at it and saying, me, too.

So I think my fundamental concern is have we really thought through and gained out all the possibilities, or are we just like a kid playing chess making a move and then figuring out what comes next?

CURNOW: Jeffrey Lewis, always great to get your perspective. Thanks for joining us here on CNN, the Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Thank you.

And a meeting of top G7 lawmakers has wrapped up in the UK. The speakers' conference largely focused on homegrown - homegrown terrorism. After the January 6, U.S. Capitol attack. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and British House Common Speaker Lindsay Hoyle spoke about the threat with our Bianca Nobilo in this CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: The goal of terrorist is not only to tear down a building, a system, it's to instill fear, unto others. We have a responsibility to protect and defend safety, security is the basis for every other good thing that flows from a democracy. So when freedom of expression turns into violence, or an attempt to undermine the constitution for Congress, or our democracy, then we have to have a lively debate about that, to seek the truth as to how this manifestation on January 6, and one taking place right now today in Washington, DC, how this came about.

The underlying causes of it, whether it's white supremacy, anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-LGBTQ, anti-women, whatever that motivation happens to be for them.

LINDSAY HOYLE, BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEAKER: It's about homegrown terrorism. And that's what we face. It's about people who live here and then suddenly change and don't want the values that we've shared and given to them. And it is a worry for us all, it is the lone wolf who may be sat in a bedroom reading, whether it's extreme right wing or terrorism, whatever it is, it's not the international terrorist that's the worry for us. It is the homegrown terrorist with extreme views, who just wants to do harm, who wants to stop this functioning.

And of course, with social media, we saw the whipping up of a mob, to Capitol Hill, via social media. That is why social media is very important, but it's very dangerous. And it's the dangers that that carries. And of course, we have the extreme right wingers such as National Action that was banned in the United Kingdom, who the far right who got links to America, and the fact that they were happy to behead an MP on the streets of the constituency. Again, it didn't happen, but it could happen. So it's extremism that we've got to fight.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now, when we think about the special relationship often in the United Kingdom as the junior partner in that relationship. We can be more emotional about it, and perhaps overstate its importance. Some analysts say that the U.S. views it in more transactional terms. What are both of your views on the special relationship?

PELOSI: First of all, with all due respect, generally accepted that any one person, party is a junior one in the relationship. This is about cooperation, collaboration, not anybody doing anybody a favor. It's about our common interest in democracy and security, climate crisis COVID, whatever the challenge is, and the overarching values that we share. The U.S. considers that special relationship indeed, just that very special.

And if you need to know more about it, you can just ask all the countries who ask how come we don't have the same relationship that you have with the UK, because it's special.

HOYLE: And the fact that we're here together today just shows how special that relationship is. As we say, this isn't the end of our special relationship.

[02:40:00]

This special relationship just grows from here today.

NOBILO: And you're both speakers. But your roles are very different. And, Mr. Speaker, you're an impartial speaker. And we discussed the other day that in some instances, you might lack power as a result of that. Madam Speaker, you are a political speaker. And as a result that that's potentially divisive. Do you think from learning from each other that either of your roles could do with a rebalancing?

PELOSI: I have no interest in rebalancing the role of the Speaker of the House, I knew they would want to rebalance it once a woman became Speaker of the House. Let's diminish the power of this Speaker. No, we're not going there. But I do have responsibility to the Speaker of the House, to try and strive for as much bipartisanship as possible.

HOYLE: Nobody forced me to put my name forward to speak. So I accepted the rules of the house. I accepted that to become impartial. It's, you know, my politics with her, my politics are known. And of course, I now sit independently within that chair, to ensure that the house is running the way that we've always known it to be run.

Now the (inaudible) wish to change the way that we do business in the House. And they want me to come political. Of course, I would rise to that challenge. But in fairness, I follow in the footsteps as the 158th speaker, showing my impartiality, ensuring that debate continues, and making sure the house functions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Russians went to the polls for parliamentary elections this weekend. The final results aren't in yet. But some say they already know what the outcome will be. We'll explain after the break. Matthew Chance is on the ground in Moscow.

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[02:45:00]

CURNOW: Russia's ruling party is on track to keep its majority in the State Duma, with about a third of ballots now tallied, state media reports. United Russia leads about 45 percent of the vote. But the party's success is no surprise since these elections come against the backdrop of an unprecedented assault on democracy. Here's Matthew Chance.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russians have been casting their votes. But the critics, this is Democracy at its worst, accusing the Kremlin of blatant election fraud. Some actually caught on official cameras. Watch the woman in black on the right awkwardly trying to shield the ballot box as a hand appears from behind the Russian flag. You can see it repeatedly stuffing papers inside.

Election officials say they will nore these votes, but critics say 1000s of violations including ballot box stuffing and forced voting are being ignored.

In total we counted 12 cases of ballot stuffing in the whole country in just eight districts, the Chief Election Commissioner brags on Russian state media. This is not -- like from some information sources she added. From self-imposed COVID-19 quarantine near Moscow, the Russian President is shown using a controversial online voting system, which critics say allows even more opportunity to manipulate results. The system needs a mobile phone for verification. And there are questions about how Putin who insists he never uses one was able to cast his vote. Kremlin says he used an assistant's denying this whole scene was staged.

But critics accused the Kremlin of carefully ensuring a win despite flagging opinion polls, not just with the infamous poisoning of prominent critic Alexey Navalny last year, which officials deny, but also the moves since then, branding his supporters extremists, banning them and other opposition figures from standing for office.

One rights group estimates hundreds of 1000s of activists have been affected. To dent the ruling United Russia party, Navalny's team have promoted what they call smart voting using apps and videos like this one to show Russians which candidates, mostly old communists stand the best chance of unseating incumbents.

Controversially, Google and Apple have agreed to block the material in Russia caving in to Russian legal demands. But even Kremlin critics we've been allowed to stand, say they face some extraordinary pressure, like this candidate in St. Petersburg, who found rivals on the local ballot paper had adopted his name and appearance to confuse voters.

Russia's own election officials have called this a disgrace.

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN: It's just across the streets.

CHANCE: We met one veteran anti Kremlin activist himself poisoned twice and now barred from standing at the Moscow polling station. He admits this election may be lost. But Kremlin efforts to cling to power indefinitely, he says will backfire.

KARA-MURZA: We have a situation in Russia, where there's now an entire generation of people that has no other political memories except Vladimir Putin's regime. He has been in power now for 22 years. That is a mind boggling fact. And if the regime is preventing people from changing the government at the ballot box, sooner or later, people will change the government.

CHANCE: Another Russian Revolution.

KARA-MUZA: Unfortunately, again, it gives me no pleasure to say this.

CHANCE: But for now, revolution seems a long way off. Even winning a single seat in this tightly control Russian election would be something of an opposition coup. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

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CURNOW: In just a few hours, Canadians will be lining up to cast their ballots in the nation's federal election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the vote early hoping his handling of the pandemic would win a majority in parliament but polls have shown Mr. Trudeau's once healthy lead quickly shrinking to Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole. Mr. Trudeau has accused O'Toole of weak leadership in fight against COVID and conservatives have slammed the Prime Minister's call for the election as nothing but a power grab.

And still to come here on CNN, a Red Flag Warning across Northern California. What fire crews and residents can expect in the coming hours.

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[02:50:00]

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CURNOW: Extraordinary live images coming into CNN, this moment. Take a look at this. Plumes of smoke streams of lava, spewing from a volcano in La Palma, one of Spain's Canary Islands. This is happening right now. These are live images as this volcano erupts. The island was on alert for a possible eruption of the earthquakes that were felt over the weekend. We know that 1000s of people living nearby were reportedly forced to evacuate. No wonder, when you look at these images coming to us here at CNN. We'll look at this in the coming hours. We'll continue to monitor these dramatic images in the coming hours.

Now in Northern California, the threat of strong wind gusts has prompted a Red Flag Warning meaning conditions are favorable for the spread of wildfires. The warning affects about 6 million people and includes the Dixie fire, which has already burned nearly a million acres. I want to go straight not to Gene Norman.

Gene joins me live to talk through these devastating threats that we're seeing in California. Just what can people expect on the ground? Can you give us a sense of what's coming up in the next few hours for them?

GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, exactly. Well, Robin, what they can expect is windy conditions, dry conditions and the continual spread of some of these fires, we've been watching for a while. I want to first start with the problems in the Sequoia National Forest. Of course those giant towering trees, nearly the size of the Statue of Liberty.

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There are two fires near the forest that are big concern, the Windy fire and the KNP complex. The KNP Complex, not contained at all. Windy fire just got a new report that they're down to 4 percent containment. But these fires are getting close to those giant trees. And for that reason, officials took the dramatic step of wrapping the bases of the trees to try to protect them from possible impact from the fires that are getting closer and closer to this area.

Of course, that Forest is home to over 1000s of trees. And while the trees have been historically hearty, they've been able to withstand and adapt to change, they're probably no match for the high intensity fires that are fueled by climate change. And of course, in 2020, we had a fire cause problems there.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, we've had a cold front come through that's caused the winds to pick up and that's the reason for the red flag and the critical fire alert that is in effect for Northern California. And we're looking at winds, it could be anywhere from 20 to 30, in some cases, 40 miles an hour in this area. And that's the same area as the Dixie and Caldor fires. The reason why we're very concerned.

CURNOW: OK, well, thanks for that update there. Appreciate it. Gene Norman, thank you. And thank you for watching that wraps this hour of CNN. I'm Robyn. Curnow live in Atlanta. I'm going to hand you over to my colleague, Rosemary Church. She picks up things after the break.

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