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Omicron Variant Spreads To More Countries As World On Alert; Taiwan Sends Jets After 27 Chinese Planes Enter Buffer Zone. Aired 1- 2a ET
Aired November 29, 2021 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
Coming up here on CNN Newsroom. A new COVID variant raising concern and travel restrictions around the globe, but scientists are still evaluating whether it causes more severe disease.
China sending dozens of warplanes into the skies around Taiwan just days after U.S. lawmakers met with Taiwan's president.
And talk set to resume on Iran's nuclear program, we'll look at the demands of Tehran's new negotiating team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: U.S. ban on most travelers from South Africa and nearby countries is now in effect as the world races to contain the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The U.S. joining a growing list of countries launching travel restrictions, the U.S. starting it's an hour ago, and G7 health ministers are set to hold talks on the variant in the coming hours. The President of the European Commission had this morning about Omicron on Sunday.
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URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We are now in a race against time. Why that? Because we know not all about this variant, but it is a variant of concern. And the scientists and manufacturer need two to three weeks to have a full picture about the quality of the mutations of this Omicron variant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Omicron has been found in more than a dozen countries and territories now. Canada on Sunday becoming the first in the Americas to confirm infections. And the variant also spreading in Europe. On top of the countries highlighted here, France says it's detected at least eight possible Omicron cases. CNN has this story covered all over the world. CNN's Will Ripley is in Hong Kong for us. But first let's go to Larry Madowo in Paris for more on how Europe is responding. And, Larry, first of all, yes, how widespread is the variant across Europe right now.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So that is what is not clear. That is why you see all these travel restrictions, because in France, the Health Minister says this these eight possible cases, but it's only a matter of time until some of them are confirmed. And you've seen recent additions in Germany, in the UK, in the Czech Republic and all- around Europe. So, it's already in more than half a dozen countries. And the fear is that it's growing, there's still a whole lot more that health authorities across the region need to understand.
You saw in us, for instance, in the Netherlands where out of 61 positive cases. 13 of those were for the Omicron variant. And health authorities in the Netherlands say they expect that there will probably be more when they analyze more of those samples. That is why you see this kind of panic that's been criticized by the World Health Organization by South Africa, that it's unnecessary, and it's maybe an overreaction, so that they're just not sure how many actual Omicron virus cases are across Europe.
One of the anecdotal evidences, for instance, we've seen is from Italy, where the first case you might call this patient, patient zero, was in Italy for two weeks before he eventually turned positive for Omicron. Initially, he did test negative and went about his business, and before doing another test where this came out positive. So that is why this is a great concern across the region. And I guess around the world, that there might be a lot more of these already in the community than is known at this stage.
HOLMES: And to that point, and you mentioned this to South Africa, the World Health Organization criticizing these travelling bans imposed on the South African nation. What then how will European countries justifying the restrictions given what you've just outlined?
MADOWO: So one of the important points that the South African president made when he addressed the nation last night, Cyril Ramaphosa, he said the travel bans have no scientific basis. And the chair of the Southern African Development Community went even further, the president of Malawi said this is based on Afrophobia, this discrimination and racism that affects people of African, the black diaspora. But from the European perspective and I guess in Canada or in Israel, in other parts of the world, even some African countries are banning travel from Southern Africa. It's a precaution.
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The European Union called it a handbrake mechanism until they know more about this virus. That's why you saw Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president say it's a race against time. And then we'll need two to three weeks to just better understand this new variant and how does it react. Or how can it be managed? How does it work with the vaccine? Will they need booster shots for this and stuff like that. So the Africans feel a little betrayed because at the G20 meeting recently, they agreed collectively that the only way to reopen international travel is to avoid these sorts of restrictions. And just a few weeks later, more restrictions.
HOLMES: Yes, yes, exactly. Larry Madowo in Paris. Thanks so much. Good to see you. Let's go now to CNN's Will Ripley live for us in Hong Kong. And Will, the number of travel bans growing despite South Africa's push back on them, right?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just within the last hour or so, Michael, Japan announcing that they're going to suspend the entry of all foreign nationals, even people with work visas, people with education visas, all foreign nationals starting on Tuesday, which is tomorrow here in this part of the world banned for now. And that is one of the more strict, you know, additions to this growing list of southern Africa travel bans.
You heard Larry talking about the EU, Japan, also Australia, the U.S., Canada, Rwanda, and many others banning country banning travelers from eight specific Southern African countries. Here in Hong Kong, non-Hong Kong residents who had visited any of those southern African countries in the last 21 days will not be allowed to enter this territory.
Now for Hong Kong residents with a travel history there, they're going to have to go right into a government quarantine facility, not a quarantine hotel, like the one I'm in the Regal airport hotel, but a government facility, where will be tested every day for seven days for COVID monitored by health, medical personnel.
If after those seven days, they continue to test negative then they can move into a compulsory quarantine hotel. This hotel here at the Hong Kong International Airport actually were the first two known cases of Omicron were detected here in Hong Kong, two floors down from me. On the fifth floor, a man from South Africa tested positive. And within a week, a man in the room across the hall from him also tested positive.
So of course, here in the hotel, they've been asking people to rent air purifiers if they want to exercise in in the room to, you know, potentially, you know, mate raising questions about how do they think this thing's being spread. Apparently, the virus was actually detected in the hallway between those two rooms. Is it more contagious? Is that why? Was the -- one of the men not wearing a proper type of mask, that's another thing that health authorities have been looking into.
But these airports like the Hong Kong Airport, and like others around the world, these really are the first line of defense, Michael, for detecting this virus when it comes into the country. And when you have some of these large clusters of passengers on specific flights testing positive, it raises questions. Were they seated near each other? Is that how they became -- as that how they got infected with the virus? Are they part of family units that were seated together? Or is there something else going on here? And those are the questions that we just don't have the answers to right now.
HOLMES: Yes, no, of course, the Beijing Olympics coming up. I mean how concerned is Beijing or not concerned? What's your read?
RIPLEY: Well, state media certainly is trying to downplay concerns. I think, like many scientists have been saying it's still too soon to know whether this is something that we should be alarmed about or something that we should just be alert about. And in China, more than 75 percent of their population is vaccinated. Although there are some questions about the efficacy of certain Chinese made vaccines, Chinese vaccine manufacturers Sinovac, which does have a vaccine that is on par with some of the other vaccines around the world so that they're now going to be launching a study looking into whether they need to do to upgrade their vaccine to somehow be more effective against this Omicron variant. That same is true for other vaccine makers like Pfizer, like Johnson and Johnson.
But China already has extremely strict quarantine and epidemic control protocols in place. They had a handful of locally transmitted cases and were locking down, you know, tens of millions of people in mainland China when they're trying to get this outbreak back down to zero COVID.
Some incoming travelers have to quarantine for up to seven weeks when they enter Mainland China and for Beijing, winter -- the Winter Games, they have a very strictly enforced Olympic bubble that they have in the works, where the media will be in one bubble. Athletes will be in another bubble. And anybody going to a venue will have to actually be in government provided transportation, they're really going to have those bubbles about as hermetically sealed as you possibly can do certainly more so than the Olympic bubble in Tokyo over the summer, which for the most part, did hold up despite an outbreak of the Delta variant at that time in and around Tokyo.
HOLMES: Yes, Will, thanks for the reporting. Will Ripley they're in quarantine himself in Hong Kong. Appreciate it.
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Officials and experts in southern Africa, as we've been saying, are furious about the new travel bans that they're facing. They say the restrictions are not based on good science and could end up doing more harm than good. CNN's David McKenzie reports for us now from Johannesburg.
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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is usually pretty diplomatic. But he took the unusual step to name and shame the governance and regions that have locked out citizens from South Africa and neighboring countries because of the troubling new COVID-19 variant.
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA: Now these restrictions are completely unjustified and unfairly discriminate against our country and our Southern African sister countries. The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant. The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine the ability to respond to and also to recover from the pandemic.
MCKENZIE: The South African president didn't Institute any tougher restrictions in the country, but he said that they are considering vaccine mandates as at least in this province, there is a spike of cases most likely driven by this new variant. Ramaphosa said that it would be better for countries to cooperate to try and end the pandemic.
He's backed up by officials from the WHO, on Sunday, the director of the WHO in the Africa region said that only minimal impact can be made by these kinds of bans given the nature of COVID-19. In the coming days and possibly weeks, scientists here in South Africa and around the world will be trying to figure out what this means, what this variant means for the fight against COVID-19. So far, there are very few answers and many questions. David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
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HOLMES: Shabir Madhi is a professor of vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He joins me now live. And thanks for your time, Professor. We want to take a look at South Africa. First of all, how different is this variant from others? Does it seem to be causing more serious illness? Or too early to tell? What are your concerns about the characteristics?
DR. SHABIR MADHI, PROFESSOR OF VACCINOLOGY: So at this stage, most of the concerns are theoretical concerns and that there are mutations which indicate that the variant might be relatively resistant to antibody that's been induced by vaccines, as well as by past infection and there is a possibility that the variant could be as transmissible as a Delta variant.
These are currently theoretical concerns. The laboratory work is currently underway, and probably in a week or two, we won't know whether antibody part of it is true. But in addition to that, what we also need to understand when it comes to vaccines is that vaccines work more than just about -- it's more than just about antibodies about T cell immunity as well.
And experience in the past it's an example of a beta variant is that also the antibody activity was diminished against a beta variant. Vaccines, including the AstraZeneca vaccine as an example still protected against severe disease due to repeatable variant because a T cell immunity is probably the main mediator protection against severe disease.
HOMLES: Right.
MADHI: So much needs to be still uncovered about this particular variant, including where they in fact result in more severe disease than previous reactions, which is going to be unlikely to be the case.
HOLMES: Let's talk about South Africa, which has fully vaccinated less than 25 percent of total population, 35 percent of adults, yet vaccines are readily available in South Africa. The government, in fact, delayed deliveries because so much is in stock. You know, South African officials have spoken of apathy and hesitancy why the slow take up? Why haven't more people taken the shots there?
MADHI: Yes, that's really unfortunate currents are not unique to South Africa. It's being experienced in many other African countries as well, where the ease apathy and the ease hesitancy. Misinformation is obviously one of the drivers behind that sort of vaccine hesitancy. But in addition to that, I don't think people have truly got to understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on the continent.
In South Africa as an example, the official numbers is that we've had about 90,000 people that have died of COVID 19. For the excess mortality data indicates that that number -- the number of people that have probably died of COVID-19 is probably closer to 250,000.
HOLMES: Wow.
MADHI: So unfortunately, African countries have really not been able to adequately quantify the impact that COVID-19 has had in the countries and consequently, communities' populations are becoming complacent about the relevance of this virus.
HOLMES: Which is a great concern. I mean, just seems crazy that, you know, there's thousands of doses sitting in warehouses in storage in South Africa and yet, you know, we're seeing this variant come from there.
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But there's another point there, and that is that wealthy nations are so far way behind on their pledges in terms of doses promised to poorer unvaccinated nations. What needs to change to correct vaccine inequities, particularly when it comes to the African continent where less than 7 percent of people are fully vaccinated?
MADHI: Certainly, we need to make vaccines more available either through the COVID facility or through direct donations. And I think the United States probably leading on that front in terms of its generosity in providing these vaccines. But at the same time, even the United States can do much more in terms of releasing doses of vaccines to save lives, rather than trying to boost children as an example, to try to prevent infection.
These vaccines are not going to stand up when it comes to trying to prevent infections. The main goal behind these vaccines is not the elimination of the virus. It's about preventing severe disease and death. So the doses of vaccine that have been used as booster doses for non-high risk populations in high income countries at this point in time, it comes at a cost and the cost, it comes as depriving access to those same life-saving vaccines in low income countries which are completely under immunized.
HOLMES: As we said, continent wide in Africa are only 7 percent of people are fully vaccinated. Only 25 percent of healthcare workers with the rest of the continent at such a low vaccination rate and South Africans not taking up the vaccines that are available. What are your concerns about more variants emerging which could further challenge vaccine efficacy? MADHI: I don't think it's just about under immunization that results in variants evolving. Variants can also evolve in settings where there's high coverage with vaccines, it depends on whether you're actually successful in almost getting rid of the virus, which is extremely unlikely. So we will continue seeing variants evolve, even in settings where there is high penetration of vaccines.
But that being said, the more people that are unvaccinated, the more virus that's going to circulate and the greater opportunity for there to be invitations that result in this sort of variance. So, this is not the loss of the variants that's going -- that we're going to experience. We're still going to continue experiencing variants even beyond the time when say 50 percent of Africans are vaccinated.
HOLMES: Professor Shabir Madhi in Johannesburg. Appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
MADHI: Pleasure. Thanks.
HOLMES: Global markets are looking to recover this week after being rattled by news of the Omicron variant. So far, markets in Asia and Australia have been trading down. You can see red arrows across the board there. The Nikkei down more than one and a half percent. And in Seoul down nearly 1 percent.
Things looking up for U.S. futures the markets closed early Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday. This after the Dow tumbled more than 900 points. It's worst day in a year. But some good news there red arrows across all indices in the U.S. futures.
Quick break when we come back on CNN Newsroom, days after U.S. lawmakers meet with government officials in Taiwan. China forces Taiwan's Air Force to scramble. We'll be right back.
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HOLMES: Welcome back. China's sent 27 warplanes into the skies around Taiwan on Sunday. Taiwan's Defense Ministry says 18 fighter jets five nuclear capable H-6 bombers and a Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong with the latest joins me now. So what more do you know about this latest incident? Because it's not the first?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it definitely isn't the first. Taiwan has yet again scrambled its jets to warn away China's air force. This is what we know about this incident happened on Sunday according to Taiwan's defense ministry. They said about 27 Chinese military planes entered its air defense zone.
Now this is not its territorial airspace. And it's important to make this distinction. You know, the air defense zone is a much broader area, but it's an area that Taiwan also patrols and monitors. We also learned at the same time on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping was wrapping up a very high-profile three-day meeting with top military brass in Beijing.
Look, since October around the time of China's National Day holiday, China has been really ratcheting up these expressions of its military dominance aimed at Taiwan through these air incursions. Taiwan calls this grey zone warfare on the objective by China to exhaust Taiwan's forces and to test its responses as well. It was in October, when according to Taiwan, China had about 150 Chinese military aircraft enter its air defense zone. And then on Sunday, 27 Chinese military aircraft entered the air defense zone, including five nuclear capable bombers, as well as a new aerial refueling craft. That's called the Y- 20, which was a craft that made its debut on Sunday, according to Chinese state-run media.
Now, there was no immediate official comment from China about this reported incident. But China in the past has said that it does these drills in order to protect its sovereignty. Chinese state-run media they've been busy reporting on the big meeting that took place, a three-day meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and these top military generals.
I want to bring up one quote from Xi Jinping, according to China's state run Xinhua News Agency, in which Xi Jinping says this quote, it is necessary to make great efforts to strengthen scientific and technological literacy and improve the actual ability to win modern wars, he goes on to say, is necessary to strengthen practical experience in encourage and guide officers and soldiers to experience the wind and rain to see the world to strengthen their muscles and bones and develop their talents in fiery military practice, unquote.
So there you have, Michael. You know, a strong message that accompany get another pretty strong display of Chinese military might on Sunday, back to you.
HOLMES: Yes. Tell us a little bit more about this, this other factor that that led up to the incident that visit by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan.
LU STOUT: That's right. It was on Friday, when this unannounced surprise visit by U.S. lawmakers took place visiting Taiwan. But this is the second such visit by U.S. lawmakers to the island in a month and China responded to that. In fact, it was on Friday, trying to carry out what it calls combat readiness patrols in the area facing the Taiwan Strait. So, here you have a very complicated flashpoint and increasingly dangerous situation involving these three players, Taiwan, China, and the United States, Michael.
HOLMES: And real quick, what more do we know about the new aircraft that China was flying?
LU STOUT: Yes, this is very interesting, because we couldn't find yet. We're still waiting for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing. Any official reaction to this air incursion, the latest one that happened on Sunday, but there was a mention in the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, about one of the pieces of military hardware that made its big debut on Sunday. Global Time says this about the craft, this is the Y-20 refueling aerial aircraft saying that the aerial tanker is one of the most important power amplifiers and modern warfare. Another expert told The Global Times on Sunday, requesting anonymity interestingly, it goes on to say such aircraft can give other airplanes much longer range and endurance and an aerial refueling is also faster, more efficient, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So, this bottom line is a new military that's made its big debut being deployed for the very first time by China on Sunday.
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We have reports of another air incursion. But we do need additional, you know, objective analysis about what it's truly capable of, and also how China plans to use it. Back to you.
HOLMES: Yes, pretty delicate situation continuing there. Kristie, good to see you. Kristie Lu Stout there in Hong Kong.
LU STOUT: Got it.
HOLMES: Appreciate it. Yes. Quick break here. When we come back on the program, the world races to contain the Omicron variant, Israel taking measures that remind some of the early days of the pandemic.
Also, why many in Portugal worry that one party's attempt to shake up the political landscape could completely change the face of their country. That's when we come back.
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HOLMES: Welcome back, I'm Michael Holmes and this is CNN Newsroom. We have more details on our top story this hour. Governments around the world racing to contain the newly discovered Omicron variant as more cases are identified globally. More than a dozen countries have already confirmed infection since the WHO designated Omicron, a variant of interest.
On Sunday, Canada became the latest confirming at least two cases, and many countries are restricting or banning travel from South Africa and its neighbors where the variant was first discovered.
Israel taking drastic measures in response to Omicron fears. It was the first country to close its borders to all foreigners in an attempt to contain the new variant. CNN's Hadas Gold with more from Jerusalem.
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HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are now at least seven suspected and one confirmed case of the new variant in Israel. Four of the suspected cases are for people who recently travelled abroad. Health authorities say making it possible that the other three suspected cases may have been local transmissions.
In response to fears over the new variants possible dangers, the Israeli government is taking drastic new measures which are some of the strictest in the world. The country is shutting its borders to foreigners for two weeks and this is not even a month after opening up to vaccinated tourist.
Additionally, all Israelis returning from abroad no matter where they're coming from will be required to quarantine for at least three days and produce two negative PCR tests before they can be released and that's for vaccinated or recovered people. If they're unvaccinated, Israelis will need to quarantine for at least seven days with two negative tests before they can be released.
And Israelis were returning from what the government considers red countries which is essentially most of Africa apart from the continents, northern countries, will be sent directly to designated quarantine hotels.
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HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If they're unvaccinated, Israelis will need to quarantine for at least seven days with two negative tests before they can be released.
And Israelis who are returning from what the government considers red countries, which is essentially most of Africa apart from the continent's northern countries, will be sent directly to designated quarantine hotels.
And anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of the new variant will be tracked via their cellphones by the Israeli security service, the Shin Bet. But Israeli authorities say that they are not imposing new restrictions on gatherings as the country begins to celebrate Hanukkah which is set to begin Sunday night.
And then there is the Miss Universe Pageant which is supposed to take place in two weeks in the southern city of Eilat. Authorities and organizers say that as of now, they expect the competition to go on as planned.
Hadas Gold, CNN -- Jerusalem.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Now, the omicron variant couldn't have come at a worse time for Europe. The continent already struggling with the latest wave of delta infections and now this new variant could present a whole new threat to the pandemic-weary continent.
CNN's Nada Bashir with more on how Europe is responding.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, concerns are certainly mounting here in the United Kingdom and across the European Union as further cases of the new omicron coronavirus variant are confirmed; the U.K., Denmark, Germany and Italy, amongst those nations now confirming cases.
But, perhaps most worrying in these developments, the Netherlands confirming that more than a dozen passengers on board a flight from South Africa which landed on Friday have now tested positive for this new variant. A total of 61 passengers who landed on Friday tested positive for coronavirus.
So, there were serious concerns over the spread of this new variant, in Europe. But we have heard from European officials telling us that there are still serious questions which needs to be answered in terms of the risks posed by this new variant.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We, are now, in a race against time. Why that? Because we know not all about this variant. But it is a variant of concern. And the scientists and manufacturers need two to three weeks to have a full picture about the quality of the mutations of this omicron variant.
BASHIR: So clearly, several significant questions remain in terms of the risks posed by this new variant. But we are seeing European leaders take an urgent approach.
Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have introduced new travel restrictions for several Southern African countries. The U.K. for example adding ten nations so far in Africa to its travel red list. So, this means that those traveling from this country to the U.K. will be required to isolate for at least 10 days in a government approved hotel at their own expense.
But, there has been some backlash for these measures. The WHO, the World Health Organization has warned against hasty travel restrictions and most recently South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has said he was deeply disappointed by these restrictions.
But other countries are taking national measures too and the U.K. has widened its travel restrictions. Now from Tuesday all travelers coming into the U.K. will be required to take a PCR test by Day 2 of their arrival and will be required to isolate until they receive that negative test result.
So we're seeing many measures coming into force across the European continent, all part of efforts to really stem the spread of this variant. We have seen in the past the alpha variant and the delta variant, both putting immense pressure on health care sectors and that will really be a point of focus and concern as we move into the winter months to really control the spread of this variant and to not put pressure on the health care sector as we move into winter.
So right now there are efforts now to control this variant and stop the spread but we are seeing more cases being confirmed across Europe.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- London.
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HOLMES: While no cases of the omicron variant have been detected in the U.S. yet, experts warn it could be a matter of time and the U.S. does not do genomic sequencing at a level that other countries do. So it is hard to know how much it is in the country.
Speaking with CNN, the director of the U.S. National institutes of Health says the best defense for people is to get fully vaccinated, and/or obtain their COVID booster shots.
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DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: So the question is will the antibodies generated by the vaccines that we have all had or should have had, will that enable us to be protected against this virus?
I think there is good reasons to think it will probably be ok. But we need to know the real answers to that and that's going to take two or three weeks.
People are listening who haven't yet gotten boosted but did get their original vaccine and who are eligible now, this is another reason to do that now because the booster, it basically enlarges the capacity of your immune system to recognize all kinds of different spike proteins it's never seen. This is a great day to go and get boosted.
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HOLMES: Now he added that data from South Africa should give us a good idea in the next few weeks about how effective the vaccines are against this new variant.
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HOLMES: Turning now to the migrant crisis in Europe and images there from a beach in England where a vigil was held for the 27 migrants who lost their lives trying to cross the English Channel in an inflatable boat last week.
The majority of the victims -- Iraqi citizens. People gathered near a message in the sand that read, "safe routes now for asylum seekers".
Thousands of migrants flee countries in the Middle East and Africa each year in search of a better life in Europe and elsewhere.
And top European officials held emergency talks in France to address concerns over the migrant crisis triggered by these recent deaths.
France is pledging a more intense fight, as they put, against human smugglers and is expected to announce major steps to combat the crisis in the coming weeks. They also plan to step up airplane patrols along the European side of the English channel.
And France excluded the U.K. from Sunday's meeting after a diplomatic spat between the leaders of the two countries over a tweet on the migrant issue. But top French official insists his country wants to work with the U.K. moving forward.
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GERALD DARMANIN, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER: This meeting was not anti British, it was pro-European. And we must work with our British friends and tell them certain things.
First, to help us collectively to better fight against people smugglers. We've said it before, we are lacking some intelligence. The response is not always to the level of the French police's expectations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: In an op-ed published on Sunday, Britain's home secretary said she and the prime minister are ready to discuss proposals with their French counterparts at anytime.
Meantime, the migrant crisis is also on top of Pope Francis' mind. He says hat he is pained by these recent deaths as well as other migrant deaths along the Poland-Belarus border and in the Mediterranean as well.
Pope Francis is calling on civilian and military leaders to use their power to resolve the crisis and to respect the humanity of migrants.
And now to a stunning story about an airplane stowaway. Authorities say a man hid inside the landing gear of a commercial flight from Guatemala City to Miami on Saturday and survived. Video posted on social media showed the 26-year-old appearing dazed as he emerged from the plane. This is about a two-hour or so flight. He was sent to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation.
And have a look at the area of the plane, where he managed to hide for those two hours of that international flight. You can see how cramped it is in there. Still unclear how he got on the plane undetected. People have died doing that in the past.
Now with a struggling economy, a shortage of good jobs and a minority population blamed for many of the country's problems, you might think we were talking about the United States under Donald Trump. But the same situation is playing out in Portugal where the growing popularity of one far-right political party has some people worried.
Isa Soares reports.
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ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's olive- picking season in Alentejo, Portugal -- an arduous job, that in a town facing an exodus of young people, weighs heavily on the locals.
JOSE COSTA AGULHA, FARMER: This is how the poor get by.
SOARES: I meet 73-year-old farmer, Jose Costa Agulha, who today has 296 kilos of olives to process.
AGULHA: If people have work and a quiet life, it's what people want here and everywhere. They want work and enough money.
SOARES: This is a land ripe for political picking. And Portugal's rising populist party, Chega whose name literally means "enough" is plucking away at their worries and anxieties.
Despite this Agulha tells me the party leader Andre Ventura won't get his vote in the upcoming snap election in January.
AGULHA: Chega is an individual who says whatever comes to his mind. He opens his mouth and says whatever and people still haven't realized the danger behind it.
SOARES: While he turned his back on Portugal's largest far-right party since the end of the dictatorship, in the local cafe in town --
MARIO CARRASCO, FARMER: So many people living off the state, not wanting to do anything.
SOARES: Mario Carrasco tells me, he and his entire family are voting for Chega. They've had enough of people receiving benefits.
CARRASCO: To keep winning the other parties go to these people. Here is some money. Here is some money. They support the corruption.
SOARES: Down the road, Jose Francisco Agostinho, a baker for 25 years says he hasn't made up his mind whether he will vote for the party.
JOSE FRANCISCO AGOSTINHO, BAKER: Chega has been strong here, they could change things a bit.
[01:39:53]
SOARES: The economy struggling with very few jobs, in this largely agricultural area. Agostinho says the Roma (ph) community is taking advantage of the system.
AGOSTINHO: There's more of them than there are of us. Then they do whatever they want.
SOARES: While he and others believe the Chega Party can improve their quality of life, many in Portugal fearful about the growing support for a party they see as xenophobic for its stance on immigration and the Roma community.
Maria, a local Roma tells me they're being exploited for votes by Ventura.
MARIA CARDAS, ROMA RESIDENT OF POVOA DE SAO MIGUEL: He's very mean against the Roma, there's a lot of racism and he speaks very badly against us.
SOARES: A Roma mother, who does not want to appear on camera goes further.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to work. We want to work. But who gives work to a Roma? SOARES: Away from the dusty and sleepy Alentejo, these concerns are being echoed. Some silently in various corners of Portugal all the way to Lisbon.
(on camera): The Chega Party is expected to shake up the political landscape of parliament here behind me. Potentially acting as king makers in the upcoming election.
(voice over): Ventura tells me the party is here to stay. I pressed him about the accusations of racism.
(on camera): So you don't consider it racist?
ANDRE VENTURA, LEADER, CHEGA PARTY: I don't consider myself racist for wanting to solve a problem with a community. What we say is there's something particular here, there's a dominant section within the community which lives in this pattern and we have to fix this issue.
SOARES (voice over): Ventura's language during our interview is moderate, more conciliatory. But his policies aren't so.
I asked him whether he compares himself with other populist leaders around the world.
VENTURA: I am close relatively and we've had contacts with Bolsonaro in Brazil but I don't feel close in terms of style or of substance.
I don't feel close to Donald Trump's style but in terms of substance, some policies, in some ideas we agree with them.
SOARES: Whether some in Portugal like it or not, Chega is joining a new normal across Europe -- one of declining, traditional parties, complex coalitions and extremes.
Isa Soares, CNN -- Lisbon, Portugal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, in several hours, the U.S. and its allies will resume talks on Iran's nuclear program. This comes after a nearly six-month break in discussions and the election of a new president in Iran.
Nic Robertson now with more on why expectations for this seventh round of talks are low.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): Iran's uranium enrichment, a possible path to making a nuclear bomb, is way beyond internationally-agreed levels.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Iran has been using this time to advance its nuclear program.
ROBERTSON: Talks to head this off stalled late June with the election of a new, hardline president in Iran but will finally restart Monday. The outcome is uncertain, the stakes high, the U.S., insisting Iran must move forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This window of opportunity will not be open forever.
ROBERTSON: The 2015 Iran nuclear deal called the JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, was a signature achievement of the Obama/Biden leadership.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Cut off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon.
ROBERTSON: Years of fraught negotiations, cut Iran's pathway to a bomb by limiting uranium enrichment and committing them to international inspections.
It wasn't perfect, but U.N. monitors confirmed it worked until 2018 when President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the JCPOA.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will be instituting the highest level of economic sanction.
ROBERTSON: Iran's response? Up its uranium enrichment, stymie some inspections.
Tensions rose. The U.S. killed Iran's top general. Tehran strikes back at U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran's top nuclear scientist mysteriously shot dead. Tehran blames Israel, confirmed by the U.S.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.
ROBERTSON: Since getting into office, Biden has been trying to get back into the agreement and limit Iran's missile program. Iran has been playing hardball -- six rounds of negotiations stalling even as they ramp up enrichment.
ALI BAGHERI KANI, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): The main issue, an upcoming negotiations is actually removing all the illegal sanctions against Iran.
ROBERTSON: And since the last round of talks, an added uncertainty. Iran has a new U.S.-skeptic government with new negotiators.
[01:44:52]
ROBERTSON (on camera): At the recent G20 summit in Rome, President Biden met with European partners to firm up a plan if the talks stall again. And for sure Iran will exploit any differences.
The clock is ticking and so far, Iran's calculation appears to be the talks or lack of them are going in their favor.
Nic Robertson, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: Josephine Baker has always been beloved in France. Now the U.S.-born cabaret celebrity is receiving unprecedented honor in Paris. We'll have details, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back.
France is preparing to give one of its highest honors to Josephine Baker. The U.S.-born cabaret dancer, World War II spy and civil rights activist will be inducted into the Pantheon, the final resting place for France's most notable dignitaries.
CNN's Jim Bittermann reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the American Center for Arts and Culture in Paris, expats from the United States gather to celebrate one of their own. A dancer and singer, famous in France for her scanty stage outfits, and signature dance moves, but equally known here for the uniform she wore after serving as a French spy in World War II.
It was all part of the extraordinarily rich life of Josephine Baker, a young, African-American girl, who fled the discrimination of the slums of St. Louis, Missouri to become at age 19, a star of French music halls with her flamboyant dancer routines and lyrical songs.
A biographer says that after the ugliness of World War I, the wild and footloose American provided a welcome distraction.
EMMANUEL BONINI, AUTHOR, "LA VERITABLE JOSEPHINE BAKER": She was pretty. She was a little crazy. In the United States, she was not allowed to do what she wanted to because of segregation. Here, she found liberty and freedom.
BITTERMANN: In France, too she found a more serious purpose. After the country was invaded in the Second World War, she used her stage performances and travels to secretly provide the French Resistance and intelligence services with information about the Nazi occupiers.
After the war, Baker, who couldn't have children used her fame and fortune to begin adopting kids from around the world, a dozen of them. She called them her "Rainbow Tribe". One was a refugee from the French-Algerian war, who today, can easily pick himself out in the old videos. In the theater where his mother once performed he explained why she wanted to take on the burden of so many children.
BRIAN BOUILLON-BAKER, RANDOW TRIBE MEMBER: She wanted a big family with a lot of kids. And on the other hand, she wanted to have an example of the world, an example of universal brotherhood.
[01:49:57]
BITTERMANN: In both Europe and the U.S., Baker began a campaign against racism and for human rights.
JAKE LAMAR, NOVELIST AND PLAYWRIGHT: She gained more and more recognition throughout her life. And she is, I think, the only, or certainly one of the few, if not the only woman to speak at the March on Washington in 1963 with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
BITTERMANN: Lamar will be among the invited guests here at the Pantheon in Paris where preparations are underway for President Macron to immortalize Josephine Baker with the most prestigious tribute France can offer.
(on camera): The French call it pantheonization, the process by which a person is honored and made eternal by being buried in the crypt below the 18th century Pantheon of the Paris-Latin Quarter.
(voice over): Over the last 230 years, only 80 people have been so revered, and only a handful of them have been women. And never before has there been an African-American woman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: France, in particular, they looked to African- American culture, African-American people who succeeded against whatever racial obstacles that were in society and they are inspired by that.
BITTERMANN: In what was her signature song, Josephine Baker seemed to sum up her life. "I have two love," the song goes, "my country and Paris". At least one of her loves is returning the affection.
Jim Bittermann, CNN -- Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Influential fashion designer, Virgil Abloh has died after a long and private battle with cancer. Abloh founded the luxury street wear brand Off-White, and in 2018 became the first African American artist to be director at Louis Vuitton, overseeing menswear for the French fashion house.
You may recognize Abloh as the designer of Serena Williams French Open attire in 2019. He also designed the wedding dress for model Haley Beaver. Virgil Abloh was just 41 years old.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Now, if you have ever wondered how to dispose of your used cooking oil correctly, a company in Egypt is making it easier to have it recycled, using simple technology.
Here is CNN's Anna Stewart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A common found in kitchens around the world -- hot, sizzling cooking oil. Throughout the year, the average human consumes around 20 kilograms of vegetable oil.
In Egypt, that number is even higher. And once used most of it discarded, but not always.
NOUR EL ASSAL, CEO, TAGADDOD: I have this waste produced, now I have to figure out what to do with this oil.
STEWART: Back in 2013, Nour El Assal created Tagaddod, a Cairo-based start up that recycles used cooking oil to produce biofuel, a low carbon alternative source of energy.
This year, Nour decided to look into more ways of simplifying the collection at home.
[01:54:54]
EL ASSAL: We are enabling waste collection through technology, through creating an Uber-like platform that connects collectors with households.
STEWART: When the frying is done, it takes a few clicks on the app to get a collector to come and pick up the used oil. The customer also gets something in return, such as bottles of new cooking oil ready for their next meal, making the system more profitable and eco friendly as well.
EL ASSAL: So we process thousands of requests on daily basis. And these are mainly happening across different parts of Egypt. So we think that there is a huge impact that is done on the environmental level.
STEWART: Biofuels can be used as an alternative to petrol in cars and other transportation. With over 10 million vehicles on the road in Egypt, an efficient waste oil collection, could lead to a greater adoption of biofuels.
EL ASSAL: I think biofuels can be used here in Egypt in the very near future, mainly to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and to be able to be part of the climate change movement.
STEWART: For now, Nour plans to expand his business across the Middle East and North Africa, with the hope that less people will pour his idea of a greener future down the drain.
Anna Stewart, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Australia is tackling Internet trolling head on. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing plans for new legislation to protect social media users from defamatory comments posted by anonymous sources.
It would require social media platforms to unmask the so-called trolls by providing the email address or phone number associated with the user if a complaint is lodged. This coming after Australia's highest court ruled the publishers can be held liable for public comments on online forums.
And finally, when a pregnant New Zealand politician realized she was about to give birth, she didn't call an ambulance or even get into a car. Julie Anne Genter hopped on her bicycle, and pedaled her way to hospital while in labor.
In a Facebook post, Genter said her contractions weren't all that close together when she first started. But they were about three minutes apart by the time she and her husband got the hospital 10 minutes later.
She gave birth to a healthy baby girl about an hour later. And amazingly this isn't even the first time Genter has done this. She cycled to hospital for her first child too.
They breed them tough in New Zealand.
Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.
Don't go anywhere, CNN NEWSROOM continues with Rosemary Church after a quick break.
I know that because she is right over there.
[01:57:41]
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