Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
President Biden Prepares for a Speech at the UNGA; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Remains in His Post; Evergrande Made Monday's Dow Plummet; Molten Lava and Ashes Expected for More Days in Canary Islands; Haitians Flock to U.S.-Mexico Border; Brazilian President Defies U.N. COVID Rules. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired September 21, 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]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Just ahead on CNN Newsroom, after five weeks of uncertainty, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, gets to keep his job. But, did his political gamble payoff?
We are just hours away from one of the biggest speeches of Joe Biden's presidency, why it matters so much and what he is expected to save.
And BTS headlines the U.N. General Assembly, the popstar message of the most powerful leaders in the world.
Good to have you with us.
Well, the coronavirus, climate change, and a new conflict between old allies are expected to dominate this week's U.N. General Assembly. The world's biggest diplomatic gathering gets underway in just a matter of hours from now with more than 100 heads of state or government representatives expected to attend.
That's fewer than normal, of course, due to the pandemic. Some leaders like the Chinese president will deliver pre-recorded messages. Xi Jinping and the U.S. president are among the heavy hitters scheduled to address the world body today. And this will be Joe Biden's first speech to the general assembly since taking office. He is expected to lay out his foreign policy mission and tout the importance of global ties.
He'll also defend the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and push for more action to fight climate change. And he is set to urge world leaders to support more COVID vaccinations, and tackle cybersecurity threats and terrorism. But the president's growing political crises at home could overshadow his general assembly debut.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tonight, President Biden's domestic agenda hanging in the balance as he arrives in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly for first time as president. Lawmakers are racing to finish work this week on a $3.5 trillion package to implement Biden's economic agenda.
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): If there's not enough clarity, then you need to hear clarity.
DIAMOND: But Democratic divisions threaten to torpedo that measure in a separate $1 trillion infrastructure bill. And as Biden prepares to tout the end of the war in Afghanistan and reaffirm his commitment to U.S. alliances and diplomacy --
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'm sending a clear message to the world. America is back.
DIAMOND: -- he must also contend with the roughest stretch of his presidency on the world stage from the messy U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan to a drone strike that killed civilians, and a diplomatic rift with the U.S.'s oldest ally.
Some of the criticisms that he's faced in many of the capitals of the allies whose partnerships he plans to, you know, and vow to reinvigorate. Does he believe there is work to be done to restore that credibility?
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it's different to note that criticism of a decision is different from criticism of the credibility and leadership of the United States, broadly speaking. But the larger point here, and what you hear the president talk about tomorrow, is that we are committed to those alliances and that always requires work.
DIAMOND: Friday, France ordered its ambassador in Washington back to Paris after the U.S. announced plans to help Australia develop nuclear-powered submarines, quashing a multibillion-dollar French deal with Australia. Biden has asked to speak with France's president, but a call isn't yet on the books.
PSAKI: We're still working on the scheduling of it.
DIAMOND: And while officials said Biden will look to close the book on 20 years of war, his administration still facing questions about the last known U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan which killed 10 civilians.
PSAKI: This was done an error as a human being, as a president, as somebody who has overseen loss in a variety of scenarios both as a leader and personally. It is -- his reaction is it's a tragedy, and every loss is a tragedy.
DIAMOND: Meanwhile, another crisis bubbling on the U.S. southern border we're about 12,000 migrants, many of them fleeing disaster and unrest in Haiti, crowded into makeshift camps in Del Rio, Texas. Hundreds are being deported back to Haiti.
PSAKI: And it's a challenging situation. It's devastating to watch this footage. I think it's important though for people to also know that what we're trying to do is also protect people. Our message continues to be as you've heard Secretary Mayorkas convey, now is not the time to come for a range of reasons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND (on camera): And on top of all of that, another major showdown is brewing in Washington, this time over raising the debt ceiling and funding the government. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have just 10 days to pass a critical government funding bill to avert a government shutdown in just weeks before the U.S. could potentially default on its debt obligations.
[03:05:02]
Democrats have formed -- formulated a plan to tie those two measures together to try and get Republicans to support raising the debt ceiling but Republicans including the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, they are steadfast so far, they are not going to go along with these measures. They don't want to raise the debt ceiling as Democrats try and push through this $3.5 trillion spending bill on their own.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.
CHURCH: The fallout with France over that scrapped submarine deal is not helping Mr. Biden rebuild global alliances. The French foreign minister calls the new defense deal a breach of trust. And now, the European Union is demanding answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. So, we want to know what happened and why, and therefore, you first of all clarify that before you keep on going with business as usual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And CNN's Cyril Vanier is covering this for us. He joins us live from Paris. Good to see you, Cyril.
So, President Biden has managed to upset France and all his European allies by this scrapping French submarine contract. So, what will Biden need to do and say to calm the waters here?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, if the measure of a good question is one to which there is no easy answer, then yours is an excellent question. It's not clear that President Biden can say really much of anything that would assuage President Macron because, after all, he is not going to suddenly cut France into this new submarine deal.
He is not about to espouse the French abdicated third way of dealing with China which is sold here as something slightly different from the U.S. antagonism towards Beijing.
So, what can he do? You would think that there should be room for some cooperation. After all, France has economic interests in the Indo- Pacific. France is one of the few global naval powers. So, you would think that the U.S. and France can work together and they have shared values. But at this stage, the French have been very clear that there has been a breach of trust, and that they have been lied to.
This is at the heart of the story, Rosemary. The French saying that they were lied to and that when they asked their oldest ally, the U.S., what was going on with the Australia submarine deal, they say they did not get an honest answer.
Now, of course, the U.S. disagrees with this characterization. Mr. Macron is going to use all of this. France is going to use all of this to paint a pattern, that you cannot rely on the U.S. when it comes to their strategic interest the U.S. will leave you out in the cold, you being especially European countries.
They are already doing that, Rosemary, by saying, look at what happened just less than two months ago in Afghanistan? The U.S. just turning their back, not only on some of their own Afghan allies in the country but also on those who have been their NATO allies when they unilaterally decided to pull out and impose the date for the pull out.
So, France is now talking to Europe, saying we need to be stronger together, we need to put some hard power, a European defense force, to back up our soft power.
CHURCH: All right. Cyril Vanier joining us live from Paris with the latest on that. I appreciate it.
Well, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will remain in power following Monday's snap election. And though his liberal party will form the next government, Mr. Trudeau is falling short of his goal of a majority in parliament.
CNN's Paula Newton has the latest details now from Montreal.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After five weeks of one of the most acrimonious political campaigns in recent memory, Justin Trudeau is headed back to his job as prime minister of Canada. Now, he had gambled that given a high poll rating, that he would be able to convert his minority position to a majority in parliament, that just didn't happen.
And more than that, this really was a campaign that Canadians felt was far too divisive, and in fact, got nasty at times. And something that the prime minister says he disagrees with, but at the same time tells Canadians he hears them. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: I hear you when you say that you just want to get back to the things you love, not worry about this pandemic, or about an election, that you just want to know that your members of parliament of all stripes, we'll have your back through this crisis and beyond.
The moment we face demands real important change and you have given this parliament and this government clear direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:09:59]
NEWTON (on camera): Trudeau did make it clear, though, that in his opinion, Canadians elected a progressive government. Now, what will the mean? It means carrying through on those promises, on climate, and also things like $10 dollar a day daycare.
Having said that, Erin O'Toole, his chief conservative rival -- and keep in mind, Erin O'Toole will likely, win the popular vote in Canada, even though he will not become prime minister. He acted more like this was day one of the next election campaign. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN O'TOOLE, LEADER, CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA: Five weeks ago, Mr. Trudeau asked for a majority. He said, the minority parliament was, quote, "unworkable." But tonight, Canadians did not give Mr. Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON (on camera): And the pandemic is still very clearly an issue here in Canada, especially in the western provinces. The fourth wave has been punishing, and that is something that still will continue to preoccupy Canadians as they usher in the same government essentially that they had just a few weeks ago.
Paula Newton, CNN, Montreal.
CHURCH: Well, the closing bell couldn't come quickly enough on Wall Street. Concerns over the debt crisis that Chinese real estate giant, Evergrande, sent stocks into a downward spiral. The Dow lost more than 600 points on Monday for its worst day since July.
More now from CNN's Clare Sebastian in New York.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, fear to call on Wall Street on Monday, the Dow is down close to 1,000 points at its worst before regaining quite a lot of ground in the last hour. The trigger for all of this a company called Evergrande. One of China's biggest property groups is now facing potential default on its massive $300 billion debt pile.
The company was supposed to pay interest on several bank loans Monday according to Bloomberg. We don't know whether this happened. And data from Refinitiv shows that it's also facing interest payments on bonds worth more than $100 million later this week. And the company has been warning it's running out of options to raise cash.
This is why Wall Street cares. If Evergrande faults, it would hit banks in China and beyond that own Evergrande's debt. It can also dent confidence in China's property sector which accounts for about 14 percent of GDP, according to Fitch Ratings. Well, the focus now is on what Beijing does next, whether it will step in to avoid a disorderly default. Now, that wasn't the only fear on Wall Street Monday. Investors are also looking ahead to Wednesday's fed statement. It could announce a potential timeline for pulling back on its pandemic era bond purchases.
And they're watching the jockeying in Washington over the debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Sunday that failure to raise it would lead to, quote, "widespread economic catastrophe." And there is a context to this move. It's now been around 11 months since the pullback of 5 percent or more on the S&P 500 were not there yet. But there are those in the markets who believe that it's long overdue.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: And CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following developments for us live from Hong Kong. She joins us now. Good to see you, Kristie. So, what's the company, Evergrande, saying to help calm investor nerves here? And how likely is it that Beijing will step in and provide some guidance?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in a statement posted today by the chairman of Evergrande he said that the company will, quote, "walk out of darkness," but still concerns are deepening over the fate of the heavily indebted Chinese property giant and the spillover risk it poses to the greater economy.
You know, what we saw on Monday with world markets skidding on the back of concerns over Evergrande and its fate. You saw S7P and the NASDAQ posting its worst performance since May, the Dow posting its worst performance since July. And it prompted the White House to step in and issue a statement saying that we're monitoring the markets and insisting that Evergrande's business is, quote, "overwhelmingly centered in China."
Now, about that statement that was posted earlier today by Evergrande, it was in the form of a mid-autumn festival letter to employees of the company. And let's bring up a portion of the letter for you. It's written by the company's chairman, Xu Jiayin.
And in it he says this, quote, "At president, the company has encountered unprecedented difficulties. I firmly believe that through joint efforts and hard work of all managers and staff, Evergrande will definitely walk out of darkness and fully resume operation as soon as possible," unquote.
And Rosemary, we have been monitoring the markets here in Asia this day, and that statement, which has been making the rounds on social media, really has done little to pacify investor concerns. So, Evergrande is China's most heavily indebted property developer. It owes that has about $3 billion in debt and it's been struggling to pay it by.
We've seen those scenes from Xinjian company headquarters of Evergrande of scores of disgruntled and desperate investors protesting about the company in the way it's handled itself.
[03:15:06]
The company last week issued yet another warning that it would default. And if a default would happen that would send shockwaves throughout the Chinese economy, and perhaps even beyond. But unless that we have been speaking to, based on the regency that they believe that Beijing will intervene, will step in, not for a bailout but to help work out some sort of way to soften the blow. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMMY WU, CHINA ECONOMIST, OXFORD ECONOMICS: I still anticipate Beijing to step in even though without a direct intervention or bail out, but at least they will engineer some sort of restructuring so that it will look like more like a soft landing for the Evergrande saga.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Now, Chinese authorities have yet to issue any sort of public assurances about a plan to resolve the Evergrande debt issue. And that of course is spooking investors around the world. Back to you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to our Kristie Lu Stout bringing us the very latest live from Hong Kong. I appreciate it.
Well, an active volcano on one of Spain's Canary Islands is expected to keep spewing molten lava and ash for the next few days. And we will look at how people in the area have been impacted by this.
Plus, the U.S. will soon start easing COVID restrictions for many foreign visitors. What that could mean for the troubled travel industry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH (on camera): Stunning new drone video shows lava flowing into neighborhoods and destroying homes on one of Spain's Canary Islands. A volcano erupted Sunday in La Palma and the island's president says it will keep spewing molten lava and ash for the next few days.
Thousands of people had to be evacuated including 400 tourists staying at a hotel. Thankfully, there are no reports of injuries or deaths.
So, let's bring in CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. Incredible images there, Pedram. What do you think?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, Rosemary, this is on the southern side of La Palma. And if you're not familiar with this area, is t's at its closest point, about 100 kilometers from Morocco there, off the coast of Western Africa. And you can kind of take a look at the perspective very close to the shore.
But here's what's going on. When you go in for a closer look, the eight islands that makeup the Canary Islands archipelago, it is the westernmost island, Cumbre Vieja volcano right there is the one that erupted. In fact, last time this happened, you had to go back to October 26th of 1971, the numbers we're talking 50 years since this last occurred, and of course, nearly 50 years.
When you take a look at what's happening here 22,000 earthquakes observed in the past seven days in the buildup that led to the eruption that took place on Sunday. And the numbers are incredible, as far as the flow rate of the volcano and the lava that's concerned.
[03:19:58]
Seven hundred meters per second is what it's being measured at the rate of movement, that is the length of a seven football pitches per hour, that is how fast this lava is moving. It is moving southward towards the coast.
But again, with the 85,000 people that live on this island, about 5,000 have been evacuated. Officials say maybe we increase that to 10,000 evacuations. It says quite a bit here in a farming community. And of course, again, it's been a long time since this eruption last took place on the island. It was back in 1971. That eruption, Rosemary, lasted three weeks, this one again just a few days old. But officials do expect conditions here to remain rather active at least for the next week or two.
CHURCH: All right. I'm glad you're keeping an eye on it for us. Pedram Javaheri, many thanks.
Well, right now, more than 10,000 migrants are at the U.S.-Mexico border, many of them from Haiti fleeing poverty and natural disasters. And at times, the situation has been tensed.
New video appears to show U.S. agents on horseback aggressively confronting some of those migrants. The U.S. Homeland Security Department class the footage extremely troubling. And says the incident will be investigated.
Meanwhile, officials say around 3,000 migrants were moved from Del Rio, Texas to other processing locations on Monday. And up to three repatriation flights back to Haiti will be organized daily. But that's not deterring Haitians from attempting the long and difficult journey to seek asylum at the U.S. border.
CNN's Matt Rivers has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A packed street in southern Mexico resembling something out of Port-Au-Prince. Hundreds of Haitian migrants fill the sidewalk of Tapachula. The city is often a stop for those traveling north to the U.S., but the amount of Haitians making that journey right now, both government officials and activist say is unprecedented.
We've seen lots of migration before says Ruben Figueroa but we have never seen this many people from Haiti. It's unbelievable. Nearly 19,000 Haitians and counting have applied for asylum in Mexico this year, already three times higher than all of 2020. But for many, asylum claims won't keep them here. They will head north, arriving by any and all means.
Here, a few days ago, dozens of migrants, many of them Haitian, take a ferry to cross a river, the only way to get across. Most will then pay a few dollars to a motorcycle taxi to take them along the next leg of the journey.
UNKNOWN: (SPOKEN IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
RIVERS: So, he's basically saying that he has never seen this amount of Haitian migrants come through here before.
The goal for many is to make it to a place like here, seven hours away in the town of Malpaso where there is fierce competition to get on the buses headed north.
Tensions boiling over at times arguments erupting outside of ticketing stations. These buses will eventually take them to the U.S., which is how recent scenes of thousands of Haitians trying to get into the U.S. came to be. The U.S. says it will deport these people by the thousands, but there are more coming.
So, this is base in southern Mexico, up until just a few days ago. It was actually a place where hundreds of Haitian migrants were staying on a temporary basis every single day. This community actually set up the shelter because of this recent influx. As you can see now though, it's empty. All the Haitians that were here left. They're headed north to the United States.
And in this surge in migration has every chance to continue after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti six weeks ago. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and immigration activists say many could leave the island soon and eventually end up right back here in southern Mexico, U.S. bound.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH (on camera): Well, as the migrant crisis unfolds, President Biden is following through on a campaign promise to take in more refugees. His administration plans to raise the U.S. refugee cap to 125,000, next year. After conceding, the goal to do so this year will still be hard to hit. The cap had been cut to an historic low under the Trump administration.
Well coming up next, no mask, no vaccine, and no regard for the rules of the United Nations. Brazil's president defies the world body as he arrives for the opening of the general assembly.
plus, it's the news millions of parents have been waiting for. Pfizer says its COVID vaccine is safe for kids as young as five. We will look just how soon they could be eligible for the shot.
[03:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH (on camera): Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. And you are watching CNN Newsroom.
Well we are just a few hours away from the first activity of the day, the United Nations General Assembly. The climate crisis and coronavirus pandemic are two issues topping in the agenda for the week. Joe Biden will be there for the first time as U.S. president, and he is set to tell the world America is back.
CNN's Richard Roth has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The South Korean boy band BTS created the most action on day one of the big week, singing for a better tomorrow for a future generation.
The grown-ups are fighting, though. President Joe Biden landed in New York City with aides promising an appeal in his general assembly speech for a collective solution to world problems.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: America is back and we believe in the United Nations and its values.
ROTH: Delegates are likely to give Biden a warm reception. The U.N. secretary general is appreciative of the tone of the U.S. leaders international outlook. But submarines and resentments have surfaced. The French foreign minister in a New York press conference said certain things must be done now by Washington. A Biden and President Macron phone call may start to thaw. Paris has withdrawn its U.S. ambassador over a submarine deal that sailed to Australia.
Every U.S. week seems to have a leader who challenges the world. This time it's the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. Unmasked and unvaccinated, he is in Manhattan vowing to enter the assembly hall, defying the United Nations honor system of getting vaccinated before entering the building.
He says he had COVID last year and the resulting antibodies protect others. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to convince the Brazilian leader to go for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: AstraZeneca, it's a great vaccine. I have actually had it.
JAIR BOLSONARO, PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL (through translator): No, not yet.
ROTH: The U.S. ambassador took a COVID test at a mobile vaccination station set up outside the U.N. Encouraging the world to take the shot. Linda Thomas-Greenfield has urge U.N. countries to not attend this year's session to avoid a super spreader event.
Meanwhile, the secretary general says he was encouraging that signs of improved commitment by some countries in the fight against climate change. He needs to be as lucky on other issues ranging from Iran's nuclear program to raising money to help Yemen and Somalia and fight poverty.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:30:00]
CHURCH: Well, Brazil's president is scheduled to deliver the traditional opening speech at the U.N. in just a few hours from now. And as we've reported, he's already drawing criticism.
[03:30:00]
And as we've reported, he's already drawing criticism.
Jair Bolsonaro was met by protesters on Monday, as he arrived for a reception at the Brazilian ambassador to the U.N. home. Mr. Bolsonaro, has been attacked as undemocratic, by many of his critics. And the unmasked, unvaccinated president is also stoking controversy for his defiance towards COVID vaccine requirements.
Here is New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: We need to send a message to all the world leaders, including the most notably, Bolsonaro from Brazil, that if you intend to come here, you need to be vaccinated. If you don't want to be vaccinated, don't bother coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: He came anyway. And CNN's Shasta Darlington, has more on Mr. Bolsonaro's trip from Sau Paulo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An unvaccinated President Jair Bolsonaro, arrived with this delegation in New York, on Sunday. On Monday, he met with Boris Johnson to discussed bilateral trade, the environment and travel restrictions what the U.K. is still imposing on Brazil.
On Tuesday, he'll deliver the opening speech at the United Nations, this despite rules requiring participants to be vaccinated in order to be in the assembly hall. Now remember, Bolsonaro came down with COVID- 19 last year, and he nonetheless has repeatedly criticized the use of masks and downplayed the need, at least for himself, to even get a vaccine.
Last week, he made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't be vaccinated before attending the assembly. During a live broadcast on his social media, he said, quote, "Why do you take a vaccine? To have antibodies, right? My antibodies rate is really high, I can show you the document."
The U.N. says, it respects leaders to respect an honor system, but won't bar anyone from entering the assembly hall. Bolsonaro told CNN affiliate, CNN Brazil, that his speech on Tuesday will last about 20 minutes, and then he will focus on the environment, tourism, agribusiness, and Brazil's handling of the pandemic, something that is already raising eyebrows considering his self-proclaimed unvaccinated status.
But in fact, after months of delaying in the rollout of vaccine with the death toll that already top 590,000, Brazil, has now managed to get the virus relatively under control, lowering both the number of new cases and new deaths.
At this point, 38 percent of the total population is vaccinated, and more than 66 percent of the population has received at least one shot of vaccine. That's actually higher than many other countries.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sau Paulo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: After more than a year, the U.S. says it will lift tough travel restrictions for many foreign visitors. Starting in November, fully vaccinated travelers from nearly three dozen countries will again be allowed to fly to the United States.
For a closer look, we're joined now by CNN's Anna Stewart from London. Good to see you, Anna. So, how will is this going to work exactly? And what's been the reaction so far to this in the United Kingdom?
ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Well, the reactions so far is it's a big thumbs up from people like me desperate to travel to states stay and also, of course, for all those airlines which will get on to.
And from the guidance, it seems pretty simple. You can travel to the U.S., from November, with proof of a negative COVID test three days before travel. You have to take another one three to five days on arrival as well. But the good news is, it doesn't necessarily have to be an expensive PCR test and it looks like the U.S. will be accepting natural flow test.
In terms of the vaccination, there was concerns when this news first came out yesterday, that with the U.S. recognized some of the vaccines that are already here in the U.K. and also in Europe. For instance, the AstraZeneca vaccine, it's not authorized in the United States.
But the good news is, they are going to accept anything that WHO has authorized. So that will include that, and other than that, really, to travel, you're just being told, wear a mask, self-isolated, of course, if you get symptoms on arrival, and so on.
This is a huge relief, the holiday makers, the business travelers, for all those people who haven't been able to visit family and friends, and frankly, there is some way to healing a bit of a rift across the Atlantic. It has felt louder and logical that for many months now, Americans can
travel to Europe, if they were fully vaccinated, mix, had a great time, get back on the plane and not quarantined on arrival. But the door hasn't been open both ways. So this has been hailed as a great celebration for people both sides of the pond.
CHURCH: Yeah, well, let's look a little closer at that. The impact that this will likely have on traveler and tourism going forward.
STEWART: Yeah, we can certainly see some celebrations on the markets yesterday. Airlines, stocks, particularly, investors snapping up lots of those. IAG, a British listed company, which owns British Airways, Iberia, Vueling (ph), that was up over 10 percent on the closed yesterday.
[03:35:11]
We also had high rises from Lufthansa, over 5 percent, Air France, Careline, as well. And you could really feel the good news here. This is an incredibly important route.
For some airlines, like Virgin Atlantic, that transatlantic route accounts for more than 80 percent of business. For British Airways, it's over 30 percent. Without these routes really being fully open, these airlines will always going to struggle to get back to profitability.
And also, Rosemary, travelers insurance was just such a big slice of the overall economic pie. This will be a boost for economies, both sides of the Atlantic.
We were speaking to the World Travel and Tourism Council yesterday, they said, that this is restrictions on the transatlantic route for the U.S. alone was costing that economy, $200 million a day. So this should herald a much jollier Christmas season, of course, COVID allowing.
CHURCH: And we are all about having some jollier news too, right? Anna Stewart, always a pleasure to have you on, joining us live from London. I appreciate it.
Well, on Monday, Pfizer announced its COVID vaccine is safe and effective for children as young as five. The company plans to submit data to U.S. and European officials for authorization as soon as possible. And it comes at a crucial time, COVID cases had been rising among U.S. children and they now account for around a quarter of new cases in the country.
CNN's Jason Carroll, has more on the state of the pandemic in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CAROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Its information parents of younger children have been waiting for, Pfizer sharing data that shows its vaccine is safe for five to 11-year-old and elicits a robust antibody response. TANYA ALTMANN, PEDIATRICIAN: This is going to make a huge difference
in the fight against COVID-19, and parents, pediatricians and teachers are waiting for this.
CAROLL: Pfizer plans to submit its data to the FDA for emergency use authorization as soon as possible. Medical experts say, if all goes well, the shot could be available for five to 11-year-olds by Halloween.
SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER TRUMP FDA COMMISSIONER: Depending on how long the FDA takes to review the application, whether it's a four-week review or a six-week review, you could have a vaccine available to children as early as probably by the end of October.
ADM. BRETT GIROIR, HHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY: We know there are lots of cases in children, but the risk of dying is still very, very low.
CAROLL: While parents wait for the FDA to look at the new Pfizer data, school districts around the country are focusing on slowing the spread of COVID in the classroom.
New York City's mayor says, starting September 27th, students attending school in the city, will be tested weekly for COVID-19, as opposed to bi-weekly.
And in the nation's capital, the mayor getting rid of the testing option, and mandating all teachers, staff, and child care workers, must be vaccinated.
MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D-WASHINGTON D.C.): This applies to D.C. public schools, public charter schools, private schools, parochial schools and childcare facilities.
CAROLL: San Francisco's Mayor, London Breed now in the center of a firestorm over her own mask mandates. Mayor Breed defiant after she was caught on camera, not wearing a mask inside a night club.
LONDON BREED, MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO: And I was sitting with my friends and everyone who came in there was vaccinated. So, the fact that we had turned this into a story about being maskless, no, I'm not going to sit and put my mask on. Sit and put my mask on. Sit, and put my mask on. Eat and put my mask on. While I am eating, and I'm drinking, I'm going to keep my mask off. So the fact that this is even a story is sad.
CAROLL: Some signs of improvement in the hardest hit parts of the country. Cases in the south appeared to be stabilizing, but states such as Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina now seeing surges in cases.
And late Monday, another development on the Pfizer front. It turns out, that the Pfizer vaccine is the most administered since the FDA fully approved it in about a month ago. It now accounts for some 70 percent of all dose administered.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: So let's talk more about this with Dr. Darragh O'Carroll. He is an emergency medicine physician joining me from Honolulu, Hawaii. Thank you Doctor for talking with us and for all that you do.
DARRAGH O'CARROLL, EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST (on camera): Thank you, Rosemary. A pleasure to be here.
CHURCH: So the big news Monday, Pfizer announcing its vaccine is safe and effective for children five to 11 years of age. And this couldn't come fast enough, of course, with U.S. pediatric COVID cases at nearly 226,000 last week.
Now, of course, this needs to pass a tough FDA review, before it's approve for emergency use. How long will that process likely take? And how much could this potentially boost the overall vaccination rate across the country?
[03:40:08]
O'CARROLL: Yeah. I mean, it's really good news. We haven't seen the data yet and I'm sure that's going to be presented to the FDA very shortly. But for their press release, it's showing to be safe. And this is really good news in the sense that new pediatric cases are making up to 26 percent to 27 percent of the total cases in the U.S. currently.
So that's huge proportion. Especially as our kids are back in schools, having a vaccine and protection for them is never more important as long as it's proven to be safe. And I'm sure the FDA is going to do a rigorous review of all the data that's available.
And so, if you can imagine how many kids are aged five to 11, I don't know the data offhand, but it's a significant portion of the yet to be vaccinated population in the United States.
CHURCH: Again, of course, the big question, how many of those parents will get their kids vaccinated? Because some parents won't trust this, one-third adult though for their kids, just as some adults haven't trusted to take the vaccine themselves. So, what would you say to convince parents that this is exactly what they need to do?
O'CARROLL: Yeah, it's a discussion I have regularly and how I approached the topic, and there's no right way. But everybody has a little bit more of a personal way to do it is, what's the alternative of getting infected? And if you look at that, and many parents choose to do -- say natural infections to gain immunity.
But if I was to tell you that if I gave you a medicine, say natural immunity, and it had a 1 percent chance of landing your child in the hospital or one in 100. That's pretty high.
Also, it has a one in maybe 3,200 chance of having something as serious as MISC, which is that very severe post inflammatory syndrome that occurs around a month or a bit more after a natural infection. And so, I like to talk about the consequences of not getting it and then, relay in the safety of it.
CHURCH: And Doctor, the Biden administration plans to lift travel restrictions on visitors from 33 countries in November. If those travelers are vaccinated and have a negative COVID tests on arrival. So, they have to have both those. How significant is this move and what might it signal perhaps for future domestic air travel?
O'CARROLL: Sure, it's better than nothing. But I think we could do more. A one test system is about -- it's going to catch around 30 to 40 percent infections in a population.
And so, I think we could definitely -- if we wanted to have more of a cohesive and maybe even a global strategy is that -- one of the reason why there's variants whipping around the globe so quickly is that we got a lot of travel. And that just gives us up -- this virus a lot of opportunity to transfer.
And then when we have a large proportion of people who are vaccinated, around a significant amount of people that are also unvaccinated as we do in United States, that's the breeding ground for new variants that could potentially -- the existing (inaudible) just vaccinated and you will have natural immunity that we have.
CHURCH: And Doctor, the U.N. General Assembly this week in New York has been labeled a COVID superspreader event by some critics, particularly with the president of -- Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro, who views it as a badge of honor not to be vaccinated.
How big of a threat do you consider the UNGA to be with a number of those in attendance not vaccinated, and what advice would you give everyone?
O'CARROLL: When we have a large gathering of people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated as I mentioned earlier, that's when you have a chance. While it may not happen at this relatively small gathering, but it is a huge potentially, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
There could be something that was in a country in Africa or in Europe that is now making its way to United States or from South America, there is a variant, Lambda variant as they called it down there. What happens when a Lambda variant gets together with a Delta variant?
You know, we haven't seen that happening quite yet, but there is precedence of it happening in a common cold coronavirus. And so, that is what worries me about this type of event.
CHURCH: Dr. Darragh O'Carroll, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.
O'CARROLL: You're welcome. Thanks, Rosemary.
CHURCH: A Taliban commander takes a stroll through his district. Coming up, the militants challenge of transitioning from an insurgency to governing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How does it feel to be policing the streets, rather than fighting to take control of the country?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:45:00]
CHURCH: At least six people had been killed and 24 others wounded after a shooting at a University in Russia. It's believed a student opened fire Monday at Perm State University, which is about 1,300 kilometers east of Moscow. Some jumped through classroom windows and ran to safety. Others, locked themselves inside. The suspect was wounded and arrested. There are still no word on a motive. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, condemned the attack and offered support to the victim's families.
The U.N.'s Humanitarian chief says Taliban leaders are admitting they don't know to govern Afghanistan. It is yet another troubling sign for the future of the country, already mired in humanitarian crisis.
Nic Robertson, reports from Kabul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice over): Taliban commander, Mansour Haqqani (ph) is on a public relations offensive, winning, he hopes, hearts and minds, in the Kabul police district he now runs. He doesn't carry a weapon, but his backup does, Taliban fighters fresh from the front lines toting American weapons, wearing U.S. combat gear.
This is one of the most important neighborhoods in the center of Kabul, the financial district. Its security is a priority for the Taliban. With the Taliban's well justified reputation for brutality, it should be an easy job for the 17 year veteran Haqqani to get control. But, it's not.
How does it feel to be policing the streets, rather than fighting to take control of the country?
He says he is happy to serve the nation just as before to bring Sharia religious law to the city. But there are lots of people, a lot of corruption, and a lot of thieving to get rid of, he says.
Haqqani's posting, he used to be the city's plum police job. Lots of money, lost of shakedowns.
You get the feeling walking along here that people are still being a little bit cautious about the Taliban. But at the same time, they're out on the streets, they are trading, they are doing business. So, it feels like it's settling down. But it's that kind of uneasy feeling, which way it's going to go.
We are happy this gold trader tells me, no corruptions so far. I can leave work after dark. It's safer.
So, how is the situation here now?
UNKNOWN: Institutions are very good. You know, if you see like one year ago, two years ago, we see thieves and robbery here and no safety here. Now, with Taliban, I hope God willing, life is very good.
ROBERTSON: With the Taliban within earshot, it's hard to know for sure how people really feel. But despite their presence, several brave women approaches.
[03:50:07]
This woman, close to tears, tells me she is a widow with six children. The Taliban fired her from a government job, sent to home without pay. As we talked, another woman comes forward. Also out of work, she says, because the Taliban stop girls she taught from going to school. She's been paid for next month, but has no idea what happens after that.
It is up to Haqqani to choose whether he will be firm and respected or forceful and feared by the Taliban before. He says for now, no plans to cut thieves hands off like before, which way he'll tip a bell weather for the country.
Nic Robinson, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Those brave women there.
And Anna Coren is following developments from Hong Kong. She joins us now. Anna, it is of course, one thing to be fighters, a very different thing to be in government and the Taliban are learning that top lesson but apparently at the expense of the education, careers and freedom are women and girls there.
So, what is the latest on this disturbing part of the story?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, the Taliban's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid is holding a press conference as we speak. He has been naming the remaining cabinet ministers, acting cabinet ministers for this Taliban government. No mentioned, whatsoever, of other women's ministry. It looks like that has been completely disbanded.
But we were hoping to hear some news about certainly women returning to the workforce, and perhaps the curriculum that the girls will have at school, if they're allowed in fact to return to school.
We heard over the weekend that boys were allowed to return to secondary school but not girls. They're looking after the transportation issues, trying to secure their safety. But certainly, things are very up in the air.
Rosemary, we've been speaking to a teacher, a female teacher in Kabul. She is the mother of five children. She is a widow. Her husband fought with the Afghan military and died on the battlefield. And she said, she no longer has a job. She is no longer receiving a salary because she can't teach girls. She can't teach girls.
This is what she said to me a little while ago. Let me read it to you. She said, "We still have hope that Taliban will allow us back to work and I will be happy to serve as a teacher on their government. We are not about politics, we were never against them. Why have they stop this from going to work? If the curriculum changes, we have no problem, as long as we teach the kids and I get a salary to feed my kids."
I mean, this is a problem, Rosemary, not just facing this woman, Hamida, we just used her first name, as teacher. But so many other Afghans, salaries have stopped. People can only get 200 U.S. dollars from the bank a week.
We know a humanitarian crisis is facing Afghanistan. We are seeing all these internally displace people, all these refugees who had come to Kabul in this makeshift tents. You know, it is a huge problem facing the Taliban which had been cutoff from the $9 billion of reserves because they are not playing ball with the international community.
And, you know, we heard earlier, from one of the U.N. chief, who looks after humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, and he said, that the Taliban doesn't know how to govern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN GRIFFITHS, U.N. UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: Now the Taliban leadership, the Haqqani leadership were very frank in saying that they have yet through understand the responsibilities of governing this country. Nick has made this point very vividly, those report to you on the program.
They became the unexpected rulers about Afghanistan. They have no great record of ruling, I know that from the last time they tried. And we see each other performance. So we see in perfect performance of compliance with those promises.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Griffiths speaking there, Rosemary. And really, as he says and as you have said, the Taliban, they spent 20 years fighting on the battlefield. They do not know how to run a government and that is proof of what we are seeing on the ground.
CHURCH: Exactly right. And such a concern, because the consequences of that are just simply enormous.
Anna Coren joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.
Well, boyband, BTS have danced their way into the U.N. general Assembly and they may be the biggest draw at the annual meeting of global leaders.
Ahead, the message they want to send to their millions of fans.
[03:55:02] We're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: If you think the U.N. General Assembly is all boring and speeches, and political posturing, think again. South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, brought seven special guests with him on Monday, boy band, BTS. The k-pop stars, talked about the importance of addressing the climate crisis and their generation's response to the COVID pandemic. Then, they thrilled fans, watching online. Their pre- recorded version of their hit song, Permission To Dance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUSIC PLAYING
CHURCH (voice over): The group was recently named U.N. Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture. You will be seeing that all afternoon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH (on camera): Thanks for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more news in just a moment. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
