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Middle East Diplomacy; Biden Meets with GCC, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq Leaders in Jeddah; Wildfires Rage from Portugal to Croatia; U.S. Regions Suffering from Flash Drought; Europe Bakes in its Second Heat Wave; Biden Meets with Palestinian Authority President; Wordle Game to Become a Board Game; Scientist Discover Radio-Wave Bursts That Resemble Heartbeats. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 15, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to touchdown here in about six hours' time. That flight will coincide with Saudi Arabia's new policy to open its airspace to all civilian airlines, including Israeli airlines. Well, right now, he is preparing to meet with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following his visit to a Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem.

On Thursday, Mr. Biden met with the new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Iran's nuclear ambitions were a key topic, both agreed Tehran must never have nuclear weapons.

Well, the White House now confirms that President Biden will meet one- on-one with the Saudi Crown Prince later today. Some U.S. officials have told CNN that the president is likely to bring up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He was the journalist of course who was murdered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. But when asked about it on Thursday, Mr. Biden stopped short of promising to raise the issue during his trip. Have a listen.

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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear. And I have never been quiet about talking about human rights. The question that I'm -- the reason I'm going to Saudi Arabia, though, is much broader, it is to promote U.S. interests. Promote U.S. interest in a way that, I think, that we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we've made a mistake of walking away from, our influence in the Middle East.

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ANDERSON: With his trip to the Middle East, Mr. Biden embracing one of Donald Trump's signature achievements, the Abraham Accords which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries. But he is taking a different path when it comes to the Saudis. Have a look.

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ANDERSON (voiceover): When Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia on Friday, don't expect to see scenes like this. It was then President Donald Trump's first foreign trip back in 2017, underscoring the importance he placed on America's relationship with the kingdom.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: It is a great honor to have the Crown Prince.

ANDERSON (voiceover): But his successor chose to signal a different approach.

BIDEN: I would make it very clear, we were not going to, in fact, sell more weapons to them. We were going to, in fact, make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are.

[04:35:00]

ANDERSON (voiceover): Since taking office, Biden has avoided directly engaging with the kingdom's de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, over human rights violations. MBS has denied he ordered the killing of Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But has said that he bears responsibility.

But geopolitical challenges may have forced President Biden to adapt to a more conciliatory approach than candidate Biden promised. He'll fly into the Red Sea city of Jeddah after wrapping up a visit to Israel, a flight that has never before been taken by a U.S. President, and a clear example of the improving ties between Israel and the Arab States. First initiated by the Trump Administration and the Abraham Accords.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remain seated for the signing of the documents.

ANDERSON (on camera): Behind me is where Joe Biden will meet with leaders from the GCC plus Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq in the coming days. He's keen to provide support for further normalization efforts with Israel. And provide a unified regional front against Iran as talks to revive the nuclear deal continue to stall.

ANDERSON (voiceover): Another key priority, energy security. Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year and subsequent Western sanctions on Moscow have left the world short on supplies. And that means Washington needs Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies to increase oil production to help bring down prices at the pump and curb inflation at home.

While the White House has confirmed Biden's upcoming meeting with Saudi officials will include MBS, it also announced new COVID measures reducing presidential touch. Raising questions about whether the administration is trying to avoid the optics of a Biden/MBS handshake.

ANDERSON (on camera): Well, optics aside, President Biden's visit here to Saudi Arabia will be key in resetting Washington's relationship with its Middle Eastern partners skeptical of America's commitment to them. And may bring about a regional security arrangement in the coming months.

ANDERSON (voiceover): So, while it is unlikely Biden will be received like Trump was, the stakes couldn't be higher, for a U.S. president whose domestic agenda hinges on the success he finds abroad.

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ANDERSON (on camera): Well, joining me now here in Jeddah is CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson. We reported in that piece that energy, obviously, a key driver for Joe Biden, not just domestically but globally, at this point. If he's come to Saudi to get the Saudis, the UAE, and others to start pumping more in the short term, he is going to be sorely disappointed, isn't he?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, he certainly not going to get a public statement saying, that's what we're doing. But I think the quiet message behind the scenes is that OPEC Plus is and has been, over recent months, increasing its output. And that's what's going to continue to happen.

So, in a way, he's going to get his message delivered -- he's going to get his desires delivered upon there. But he's also probably going to hear an analysis of how the Saudis view the -- how the way the international market oil works. And that is, they could pump any amount of extra oil but there isn't the capacity around the world to refine it as quickly and they don't see themselves -- and they don't like to see themselves and push back strongly on this notion that they are a gas pump to sort out the world's problems, particularly, when they take a lot of heat on human rights issues, for example.

ANDERSON: I was interested in an opinion piece entitled, "A New Shape for US/Saudi Relations". This was a piece penned by the Saudi Ambassador to Washington. A lady that you and I know very well. And she wrote that, oil for security is now the past. As my nation develops, we can build a partnership around energy stability and regional growth.

That will be the message that Joe Biden gets here. The Saudis and other regional leaders want to enhance the narrative. They want the narrative to not just be oil for security, although, of course, they want security guarantees at the same time.

ROBERTSON: They want to develop their country. Saudi Arabia, in particular, may be 30 years behind the UAE in terms of development, in terms of attracting and businesses. And this, you know --

ANDERSON: Well, they've much developed in the last six years. It has to be --

ROBERTSON: They've done a huge amount here in the past six years.

ANDERSON: Yes.

ROBERTSON: But the ambition is massive. And some people would say the ambition, you know, outstrips that actual real reach. But the ambition is there. And what they're hoping for is to sort of reset with the -- with President Biden. And to be able to begin to get beyond the issue of Jamal Khashoggi. And beyond the calls for better posture and better reality from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on human rights and release of activists that are in jail here.

[04:40:00]

To get business investment for all those different investments they wanted. Their message from Saudi right now is, you know, we're in the oil business. We don't believe that you can transition out of oil as quickly as the world thinks you can. There should be a better --

ANDERSON: We'll we be seeing that?

ROBERTSON: -- conversation about it. But we are committed to being an energy supplier. But we see that energy supply in the future as being a greener energy. We're trying to develop technologies to do that. We want to work with you on those technologies, we want to work them across regions. Plus, in a host of other areas on cybersecurity, on AI technology, just across a raft because they want that investment. And that's why they want their image, they want to get beyond the negativity of that issue.

ANDERSON: I think the energy transition story is a really interesting one because you do hear quite a lot of confusion here in Saudi. When you and I talked to our sources, they tell us, you know, where we were being encouraged to, you know, announce these net zero goals. I mean, talking about just November back at the COP 27 meeting in Glasgow. So, we are now seeing the rolling back of commitments on clean energy by Europe and the U.S. as they, of course, face this massive energy security issue. Whereas in this region, the energy transition story is being embedded as pillars of growth. I mean, in the UAE and in Saudi, these are technologies. This is a new environment. The -- both the Saudis and the UAE see as building for tomorrow, you know, I've got -- I'm being told I have to let you go. Does it --

ROBERTSON: Basically, you'll create your own extinction --

ANDERSON: Yes.

ROBERTSON: -- if you don't change.

ANDERSON: Fascinating.

ROBERTSON: And that's what they are doing.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Nic, always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed. Nic Robertson is with me here in Jeddah. That does it from us for the time being, at least for this hour. I want to turn it back over to London for our other top stories. Christina's in the seat. Christina.

MACFARLANE: Thanks very much, Becky. Well, parts of Europe are suffering under another record-breaking heat wave sparking several intense wildfires. We'll go to badly hit Portugal for the latest after the break.

And abnormally high temperatures are contributing to the flash drought currently plaguing parts of the U.S. Details from the scene on the weather center when we come back.

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[04:45:00]

Now, a record heat wave is baking parts of Southern Europe. Combine that with tinder-dry vegetation and wildfires are breaking out across several countries including Croatia where firefighting planes and troops were battling three major blazes.

In France, two large forest fires have burned over 9,000 acres. More than 6,500 people in the Southwestern region of the country have been forced to evacuate. Parts of Spain and Portugal are also being scorched. Officials in Portugal say thousands of firefighters were battling 10 active rural fires on Thursday, the hottest day of this heat wave for the country so far.

And, high temperatures like this, 104 degrees Fahrenheit, just one of the reasons why parts of the U.S. are currently dealing with a flash drought. This brought on by abnormally high temperatures, lots of wind, and some with little rainfall. The U.S. drought monitor says Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Massachusetts are currently experiencing the drought which can quickly cause extensive damage to agriculture, economies, and ecosystems.

We'll have more on the European heat wave with CNN's Vasco Cotovio in Lisbon, Portugal soon. But first, let's go to the CNN Weather Center with CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. And, Allison, these heat waves happening now with more regularity, tell us what more we can expect there in the U.S. region if there's going to be any relief from these flash floods.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So, then we take a look at the overall map of the drought monitor. This was just released on Thursday. And again, anywhere you basically see these darker colors, the orange, that beige color, and especially where you see the dark reds, indicating the severity of the drought across the U.S. And, yes, the States that you mentioned, Massachusetts, areas of Missouri, and especially the south-central portion of the U.S.

You not only have long-term drought, especially, in the Western half of the country, but a lot of times, it's the short-term where you can go for several weeks in a row without having any rain, whatsoever. And then having that intense heat on top of it kind of exacerbating the issues that a lot of these States are going through.

We do have some rain that will be moving through the area. But for the most part, it's really going to hit -- and miss, excuse me, a lot of the areas that really need it the most. Where we're going to see it, heat is mainly focused across the Midwest and especially down along the Gulf Coast region. But where it's going to miss would be -- for the summertime. You have heat advisories out for several States here across the Central U.S. because, again, those temperatures are expected to get well above the average. Taking a look here, Dallas is expecting to continue to see triple-digit temperatures over the next several days. Kansas City, St. Louis, maybe perhaps a little bit of a dip once we get to Sunday over the weekend, Christina. But really that becomes from the fact that it's likely going to be some rain showers that keep the temperatures cool before they rebound right back up next week.

MACFARLANE: Yes, a worrying picture, Allison. And similarly, so in Europe as well. I just want to head over to Lisbon where Vasco is currently in. Vasco, we heard Portugal was issued with a red warning yesterday. We're hearing the temperatures there pushing into the high 40s in degree Celsius. What's the situation like there today?

VASCO COTOVIO, CNN PRODUCER: Well, they're pushing into the high 40s in many of the districts across the country. Actually, five districts still with the red weather warning. The country on a high state of alert until Sunday. And that is because of the combination, not just of the temperature as we were mentioning, but also the dry weather. The high winds, they're picking up from the East which, you know, all combined create this explosive cocktail that leads to many of the wildfires that we've been seeing across the country over the past few days.

As you mentioned in the lead-in, there's been a dozen or so of those wildfires in the country over the past week or so. Today, a little bit less of those in the country, but still hundreds of firefighters out there battling these blazes.

MACFARLANE: All right. Vasco, for now, Allison Chinchar there in Atlanta, thank you both very much.

Now, we want to take you live now to Bethlehem in the West Bank where these images have just come into CNN moments ago. U.S. President Joe Biden meeting with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

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[04:50:00]

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You are watching President Joe Biden there meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as part of his trip through the Middle East, following a trip to a hospital in the East of Jerusalem this morning. The pair are due to meet and discuss various issues in the hours to come. And we will be tracking that right here on CNN as the president continues his trip -- three-day trip through the Middle East. We'll be right back.

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[04:55:00] MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Golf fans have reason to celebrate as the 150th edition of the Open Championship teed off on Thursday. But Tiger Woods isn't cheering. The three-time winner of the British Open as major also called, a shot disastrous six over par opening round. Barring a sports miracle. He has little chance of making the cut. Woods is still recovering from his horrendous car crash and leg injury. And said he had his chances but didn't do it. Woods is set to tee off in round two any moment now.

And are you hooked on "Wordle"? It's the addictive vocabulary game often played on phones in which you try to deduce a five-letter word in up to six tries. Now, the game's owner, "The New York Times," is joining with Hasbro to make the board game called "Wordle: The Party Game". It can be played individually or in teams. A Hasbro executive says they're rushing the market to game -- to market the game after they saw how much fun players are having with the online version. The board game will be released in October for about $20.

And before we go, astronomists say they've discovered a mysterious radio signal that sounds a bit like a heartbeat coming from an unknown galaxy roughly a billion light years away. The sound is the first radio burst or FRB, super quick burst of radio waves from unknown origins. They usually last only milliseconds. But the recent discovery signal lasted as long as three seconds, the longest discovery to date. The satellite ray that detected the signal is being upgraded. So, scientists hope to find its point of origin.

All right. That does it for this edition of "CNN Newsroom". I'm Christian Macfarlen in London. "Early Start" with Erica Hill is up next. You're watching CNN.

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