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Ukraine Says It Struck Wagner Base In Luhansk Region; Fears Grow Over Safety At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; William Ruto Defeats Raila Odinga To Win Kenya Presidency; Tehran: Closer To Agreement Than We've Been Before; China Adds Seven Taiwanese Officials To Sanction List; Wildfires In Spain Force Evacuation As Danger Persists; U.K. Approves Booster Targeting Two COVID-19 Strains. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 16, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM.

And in the hour ahead, struggling supply, thousands of Russian troops may soon be totally cut off and left isolated by Ukrainian counter offensive in the south, touting key bridges and crossings.

Let's make a deal! Iran outlines what it wants to revive the nuclear deal and bring an end to punishing economic sanctions.

And more bang with one shot. The next generation of COVID boosters approved for adults in the U.K., totaling both the original and current variant.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: With new long range missile systems from the West, the Ukrainian military claims to be able to hit all southern supply lines at will.

According to the British military intelligence, a Ukrainian counter offensive has led to thousands of Russian troops effectively cut off and dependent on current stockpiles of ammunition and other supplies.

All of this making Russia's hold on territory around the Kherson region increasingly tenuous. Ukrainian missile strikes have destroyed key bridges and road crossings as well as ammunition stockpiles.

To the northeast, a surge in artillery fired by Russian troops believed to be protecting supply routes into the eastern Donbas region.

And a Russian missile strike on Kharkiv killed at least one person, that's according to Ukrainian officials.

Meantime, Ukraine claims to have hit a Russian base used by the Wagner (PH) paramilitary group in eastern Ukraine. Video posted to social media appears to show the aftermath of the attack.

And pro-Russian accounts linked to the Wagner group say there were casualties.

And shelling has increased around Europe's largest nuclear power plant in the south of Ukraine. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the incoming fire is Russian. He's accusing the Kremlin of nuclear blackmail in what's toughest sanctions on Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russia does not stop its blackmail actions at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and around it. Provocative shelling of the nuclear power plant territory continues.

Under cover of the station, the occupiers are shelling nearby towns and communities. The Russian military hides ammunition and equipment right in the station's facilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: These attacks on the plant have raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe, prompting grave warnings from around the world.

CNN's Nina dos Santos has more.

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NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): European Union and 42 countries have issued a statement urgently demanding that Russia withdraw its forces from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. This is the largest such nuclear facility anywhere in Europe. It is located in Ukraine and it very early on was seized by the Russians in the start of the occupation of Ukraine.

And the Ukrainians have said that Russia has repeatedly used it as a sensitive location for which to bombard parts of its western sovereign territory cities like Nikopol and Manganets that have been facing days and days, if not weeks of escalating bombardments.

The concern that this plant might get caught up in the crossfire between Ukraine and Russia is something that the IAEA has become increasingly vocal about. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has been demanding access to the facility saying that it wants to see a demilitarized zone created around there so that its inspectors can get in and make sure that there's no risk that the reactors could overheat, that there could be any leakage of radioactive material and namely that this plant can operate safely and effectively.

Nina dos Santos, CNN in London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow stands ready to supply its allies with modern weapons. Mr. Putin made the comments during his speech at a military exposition in Russia's capital.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russia sincerely cherishes historically strong, friendly, truly trusting ties with the countries of Latin America, Asia and Africa. We are ready to offer our allies the most modern types of weapons from small arms to armored vehicles and artillery to combat aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The Russian leader also invited allies to conduct joint military exercises, stressing the advantages of training foreign soldiers in Russia.

[00:05:01]

Well, Kenya's new president elect is ruling out, forming a government with his main rival, but William Ruto says there are some areas where he and opposition leader Raila Odinga can actually agree.

Ruto narrowly won last Tuesday's election, but it took almost a week to tally the votes. Some of Odinga's supporters rejected the result that threw the race into chaos. The latest now from CNN's Larry Madowo.

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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Angry scenes inside Kenya's vote tallying center. Soldiers forced to use batons to bring fighting under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hereby declares that Ruto William Samoei has been duly elected as the president.

MADOWO: Moments later, Deputy President William Ruto was declared the country's next leader, succeeding term limited, Uhuru Kenyatta.

A nervous six-day wait for Kenya's election winner finally over, but a narrow lead contested by candidate, Raila Odinga's coalition, before it was even announced.

SAITABAO OLE KANCHORY, RAILA ODINGA'S CHIEF AGENT: Once we see them, we would want to verify them. Once we verify them, we will be able to know and to tell the Kenyan people because a result that is not verifiable is not a result.

MADOWO: Four election commissioners also disowned the anticipated results moments before the chaos descended at the national tallying center.

Kenyans went to the polls at a critical time for East Africa's largest economy, soaring food and fuel prices, high unemployment and post- pandemic stagnation. It was a bitter battle between the friends and foes and friends and foes again, ending in this. Odinga's supporters violently rejecting Ruto's win.

Both campaigns accused the other of corruption, but Ruto now promising to work with his rival.

WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT-ELECT: I will run a transparent, open, democratic government, and I will work with the opposition to the extent that they provide oversight over my administration.

MADOWO: Cheers of jubilation in his hometown, but a fierce contest of the results could come next.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Kisumu, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Iran says it's close to resuming its nuclear deal with U.S. and other world powers. According to Iranian state run media, negotiators have delivered a response to the latest E.U. proposal.

Iran's foreign minister says an agreement could happen but only if the U.S. is realistic and flexible. The original 2015 deal was meant to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons for 10 years.

But then president elect -- then President Donald Trump I should say ruled out or pull the U.S. out of the agreement and hit Iran with new sanctions in 2018.

More now on the future of the Iran nuclear deal, we head to Washington and Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Welcome back. Good to see you.

KARIM SADJADPOUR, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Thank you so much.

VAUSE: OK, so on Friday Tehran said the text of the proposal from the E.U. could be the basis for acceptable deal by Monday, it seems Tehran had a few reservations, wanted to make a few tweaks. But the real problem, according to Tehran, was the U.S., listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): If America shows that it is willing to be flexible and realistic, then in the next few days, we can reach an agreement. But if it doesn't, then it's not the end of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Is Iran actually really want to deal here? Or do they want to look like they actually do and just play along for a while, avoid sanctions and then, you know, when it doesn't happen, put the blame on the United States.

SADJADPOUR: You know, John, ultimately, Iran won't be able to reverse its economic decline absent a removal of the very onerous economic sanctions against it. And you know, at the moment it's able to muddle along because oil

prices are high, it's able to sell some oil to China. But that's not a long term sustainable solution for the Iranians.

Now, the question is, has Iran changed its endgame? For many years, the United States has assessed -- CIA has assessed that Iran isn't actually intending to weaponize its program and essentially wants to have a nuclear weapons capability.

The question is, you know, has that changed as Iran's endgame now to actually have a nuclear bomb like North Korea? We still don't see hard evidence of that.

So, I think that this kind of ambiguous period in which Iran doesn't, you know, doesn't have a bomb, but there's no deal. I don't think that's an ideal endgame for Iran.

I think at the moment, they're simply standing atop because they feel like they can probably extract more concessions from the United States.

VAUSE: Well, the U.S. seems to be, I guess, reluctantly you know, compared to historically, to rushing back into an agreement with Iran. Listen to advice here from the State Department.

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NED PRICE, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Iran has not consistently demonstrated the seriousness of purpose. Iran has not consistently demonstrated that as are we, that it is steadfastly and sincerely -- and sincerely committed to a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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VAUSE: So again, are these real concerns specifically about compliance? Or is the United States taking a hardline before a nuclear deal is finalized?

SADJADPOUR: No, I think the U.S. has legitimate concerns. And you know, frankly, Iran, given the fact that the United States, the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. You know, Iran is right to be mistrustful.

I think what's happening at the moment is that the United States has shown such a commitment to diplomacy and to reviving the deal that Iran feels like it essentially can have the deal whenever it wants to. But the deal of -- the nuclear deal that was signed in 2015 is always on the table for them. And what they're trying to do now is extract more concessions, because they feel that they were wronged by the United States.

And I think it puts the United States and the Europeans in a dilemma because nobody wants conflict with Iran. President Biden certainly doesn't want another war in the Middle East.

But you know, oftentimes, the 43-year history of the Iranian regime has shown that it usually only tends to compromise on a pretty significant pressure. And at the moment, it perhaps doesn't feel that that significant pressure.

VAUSE: But with that in mind, in an op-ed for the New York Times you wrote this, the United States has sought to engage a regime that clearly doesn't want to be engaged and isolate a ruling regime that thrives in isolation. The coercive policies needed to counter the Islamic Republic's nuclear and regional ambitions, i.e. sanctions, may inadvertently serve to strengthen, not weaken the regime's grip on power.

So with that, even if there is a nuclear agreement is revived. Would you expect Iran to continue to abide by that deal? And looking at what the -- you know, the way the United States is conducting these negotiations, are they on the right track?

SADJADPOUR: Well, what I say, John, is that if there is a nuclear deal, if the deal is revived with Iran, we should have almost no expectations that Iran is going to change its long standing policies when it comes to the United States. And when it comes to regional issues, like opposition to Israel, and support for proxy groups.

Now, last time around Iran did by and large, abide by the terms of the nuclear deal, it was the United States which withdrew, but I think the concern that a lot of folks have is that if this deal is revived with Iran, Iran is going to get a significant cash windfall, many billions of dollars, and they're going to spend a lot of that money supporting groups that are opposed to the United States, oppose to Israel, and, you know, that are destabilizing forces in the Middle East. And that's something we have to be very mindful of and address.

VAUSE: Thank you for being with us, we really appreciate your insights.

SADJADPOUR: Thank you so much for having me.

VAUSE: China's state run media reporting seven officials in Taiwan have been sanctioned for supporting independence. A statement says pro-independence activities became more egregious of the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan earlier this month.

These officials and their family will reportedly be banned from entering the mainland and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. This move is in addition to the leaders China had previously sanctioned.

On Sunday, another five person U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taipei, also upsetting Beijing.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following the story for us from Hong Kong.

It seems like Taipei is the place to be if you're a member of Congress in the U.S. these days, especially for the summer. What do we know about this latest visit?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, well, the latest U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan led this time by the U.S. Senator Ed Markey has visited TSMC, the Taiwan chip making giant in addition to meeting with the Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and other top officials on the agenda, of course, finding ways to expand economic cooperation including investment in semiconductors, as it was finding ways to improve the supply chain for the semiconductor industry.

I want to bring up a tweet that was sent out a couple hours ago from Senator Ed Markey, in which he described the visit, he says this "I'm honored to have met with Taiwanese officials like President Tsai and Foreign Minister Wu as well as the Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company. The United States must continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the international community."

Now, it is very significant that Senator Markey met with TSMC. TSMC is the world's largest contract chip maker. It produces some 90 percent of the world's most advanced computer processors and the timing is significant.

In fact, it was earlier this month when the U.S. President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which is out to boost America's competitiveness in the semiconductor industry. And Taiwan is playing a role in this.

In fact, TSMC has already pledged some $12 billion to build a chip fab in the U.S. state of Arizona. So, it'll be interesting to see if there are any additional announcements that will come out of this latest congressional meeting, especially coming out of their meetings with TSMC.

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STOUT: Now meanwhile, Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has issued a new statement today in which she underscores the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait and the need for stability for the semiconductor and high tech supply chain.

This was issued by her office on Tuesday, we'll bring it up for you. In this, Tsai Ing-wen says the Taiwan Strait is the main route connecting the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

"Therefore, the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the stability of the global high tech product supply chain."

China has reacted strongly to this latest congressional visit on Monday. There were new military drills in the airspace and waters around Taiwan. According to the Taiwan Defense Ministry, they detected 30 war planes, five vessels. And as you reported at the top, John, that announcement of seven Taiwan officials have been sanctioned by the Chinese government, including Taiwan's representative to the United States. We just got a response to those sanctions from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They said "We cannot accept threats." John. VAUSE: Is there a direct link in any way between the military drills which are underway by China and a threat possibly to Taiwan's chipmaker? Especially to TSMC?

STOUT: Well, it's interesting in the perspective of TSMC, they would say that there would be no need to continue to threaten Taiwan, because of the value it poses for the international economy as well as hectic supply chain and the question was posed to the chairman of TSMC recently by CNN. He said if there was any sort of escalation that would lead to an invasion or an attack, it would render TSMC inoperable.

He also said that that would be mean, economic turmoil in his words, for not just Taiwan, but also China, the United States and the West. I want you to listen to this sound bite from the chairman of TSMC.

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MARK LIU, CHAIRMAN, TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY: Nobody can control TSMC by force. If you take a military force or invasion, you will render TSMC factory non operable because this is such a sophisticated manufacturing facilities. It depends on the real time connection with outside world with Europe, with Japan, with U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: That was TSMC Chairman Mark Liu who spoke to CNN earlier this month, he added that any sort of war would bring no winners, back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you, he is right. Kristie Lu Stout live for us there in Hong Kong, appreciate it. Thank you.

We'll take a short break. When we come back, Europe's brutally hot summer may be winding down but the danger of wildfires and extreme heat remains, that story in a moment.

Also, a booster with a one two punch. U.K. is the first country to approve the next generation of COVID boosters, we'll have more than that and what it means in a moment.

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VAUSE: Three wildfires in Spain's Valencia Region have forced at least 1200 people from their homes. Many fled during the night with just the clothes on their backs. More than 7000 hectares have burned so far, rough terrain and strong winds have made the fires difficult to contain. And Spain's weather agency says the fire risk remains very high in areas near the Mediterranean.

Let's go to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with more details on this. So, a bit of relief in sight possibly.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): It is for parts of Western Europe. But that's really something important to note, John because I want to show you how quickly things go right back up again towards above average conditions but fire activity, you notice the recent hotspots, John, mentioned the areas across the Mediterranean and very close to the coast there. Significant coverage when it comes to the thermal signature fires currently in place across portions of Europe and very hard pressed to find areas that don't have active fires within just a few 100 kilometers of them.

But notice just the past 24 hours, temps running across Germany or whether it be Potsdam or areas around Hamburg or even in Berlin 32, 31, 32 degrees that is 10 degrees above seasonal averages.

So, still, in during that excessive heat that's been in place nearly the entire summer, here comes the front (PH) across the western area of Europe, with it much cooler temperatures for now.

But I want to show you areas towards the east not being impacted by here. Staying above average over the next several days. Berlin climbs up and stays at around 33 degrees and Warsaw temperatures generally into the upper 20s and lower 30s before maybe, just maybe a hint of autumn like temperatures in store.

But when you look at the global perspective of temperatures on the increase, you certainly see where the dramatic spike has occurred. We're over a degree now above the pre-industrial average there. But really since 2010 to 2020, the most significant increase has taken place. And you don't have to look back too far places like the U.K. had never seen a temperature into the 40s. Last month, about exactly a month ago, eight different locations experienced the 40 degree day including London, Heathrow. So, certainly records all over the place had been in place.

John, I mentioned how it's cooling off across parts of Western Europe. Notice this dropping down into the 20s. But notice what happens within a few days, the average again, mind you is 32 for Madrid, we climb up above there and stay above that for say, potentially into the early part of portions of next week, so kind of speaks to how quickly even when it cools off, it goes back up above where it should be.

VAUSE: Yes, it's incredible. It's going to stay that way for a long time, I guess. Thanks, Pedram.

British regulators have given the world's first approval to a next generation of COVID boosters for use in adults. Moderna's bivalent targets the original strain as well as the now dominant Omicron variant may only be needed once a year. Side effects are typically similar or milder compared to Moderna's original booster.

Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is a board certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher and he is with us now from Los Angeles. Dr. Rodriguez, it's good to see you. It's been a while.

DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST AND VIRAL RESEARCHER: Thank you, John. Good to be here.

VAUSE: OK, so this new booster essentially delivers more bang with just one shot in each dose of the booster vaccine. Half of the vaccine 25 micrograms targets the original virus strain from 2020. The other half, the 25 micrograms targets Omicron.

Are we now at that point, we're very close to it, when it'll be one and done. One vaccine shot a year just like it is for influenza, which is adjusted according to the particular strain in circulation, just kind of like this is.

RODRIGUEZ: Yes, I think we are there or very close to there. I want people to stop and realize what it is that science has been -- science has been able to accomplish. They have been able to map this virus that has only been around as far as we know for a couple of years has been able to design vaccines that actually fight it and every year fight it more effectively.

So yes, hopefully, one year, every year we get a new vaccine just like happens with the flu.

VAUSE: Here's the U.K. deputy chief medical officer with more on expectations for this COVID combo booster, here he is.

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THOMAS WAITE, DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR ENGLAND: British regulators have given the world's first approval to a next generation of COVID boosters for use in adults. vaccines by giving protection against more than one type of COVID give a broader type of immunity and should therefore give a stronger immune response making sure that people are better protected in winter 2020.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It's pretty good timing when you think about it just before -- coming before winter, especially considering the original boosters are proven to be less effective against the new variants, right?

RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely. And from what I read this new vaccine, which is bivalent, because it protects you against the original COVID virus and then the Omicron and some of our -- if not most of its variants is almost two times as effective in creating antibodies.

[00:25:06]

So, it is a boosting booster if you will. It's more potent than the original.

VAUSE: So not bivalent, bivalent, OK. The other point on timing because the you know, the boosters -- the constant booster shots, that just seemed unsustainable for a whole lot of reasons. So, this is also a good timing.

RODRIGUEZ: Yes, it is good timing. And people, you know, I get all this feedback. Oh, my God, how many vaccines can we take? You know, the body is vaccinating itself all the time, every time it comes into contact with a different virus or a different antigen of some sort. So, it is the body's natural response to make antibody. So, we are

vaccinating ourselves holistically, if you will, and vaccines are just accelerating that.

VAUSE: Just getting that needle over and over and over again, I think this is getting kind of dry run for a lot of people. This will hopefully relieve that.

This new COVID double COVID combo, it produced potent neutralizing antibody responses against the Omicron sub variants BA. 4 and BA. 5 NBA compared to the currently authorized booster, regardless of prior infection status or age. How significant is that last part about you know, infection status in age?

RODRIGUEZ: I think that's very, very significant because I think we have been a little bit too slow in vaccinating the whole general population.

Obviously in the beginning, John, we didn't have enough vaccine to go around. So, we vaccinated that part of the population that was most susceptible.

But now, especially in the U.S. where so many people don't want to get vaccinated and we have extra vaccines. I say that we vaccinate everybody from 50 to five or older, let's just get as much of the population vaccinated as possible. And this vaccine seems to show that it will be effective regardless of the age.

VAUSE: It is good news and it's a welcome news, it's about time. Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, thank you so much.

RODRIGUEZ: Thank you, sir.

VAUSE: Well, chaos at IKEA in Shanghai as China's hotline pandemic restrictions forced the giant furniture retailer into lockdown, close contact with the COVID case was traced to the store. And when health officials ordered the closure, panic shoppers went racing for the exits on Saturday.

Video on social media show customers yelling and pushing each other as they tried to leave. IKEA reopened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Well, CNN was in Kabul the day it was captured by the Taliban and we're there now one year after the takeover with a look at how life has changed. There's so many especially women, and millions there now desperate for food.

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VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. You're walking CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:30:10]

One year on since the Afghan national army folded like a cheap suit and the Taliban claimed the capital, Afghanistan is reeling from rapid poverty, widespread hunger, and the erosion of women's rights. One year on since the western-backed Afghan government collapsed amid

a chaotic U.S. withdrawal, and today, Taliban leaders want international recognition and foreign aid. But they're not likely to get either any time soon. Foreign governments like the U.S. fear any future funding will be devoted to terror groups, and the global community is demanding major reforms in the realm of human, and especially women's, rights.

CNN's chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, has this report now from Kabul.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a three-hour journey from Shakila's (ph) home to the center of Kabul. But each morning, she and other women make this walk, driven by hunger and the need to feed their children.

Their destination is this bakery, one of many across the capital where crowds of women now sit patiently every day, quietly hoping for handouts.

WARD: So, all the women have been pressing pieces of paper with their phone numbers into our hands. They're desperately hoping that maybe we can help them.

WARD (voice-over): Shakila (ph) tells us on a good day, they might get two or three pieces of bread. Every morsel counts.

WARD: Were you doing this a year ago, or has the situation become worse in the last year?

"There's no work this year," she says. "My husband has a cart, but now he only earns 30 to 40 cents a day."

One year after the Taliban took power, Afghanistan is isolated and increasingly impoverished, largely cut off from the global banking system and the foreign aid that once funded almost 80 percent of this country's budget.

It is also unmistakably safer. One thing the Taliban has been able to improve is security.

Outside Kabul's airport, shops are open, and the streets are calm.

WARD: Excuse me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WARD: Cover my face?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cover.

WARD (voice-over): A far cry from the chaotic scenes we witnessed last summer.

WARD: He told me to cover my face. But he doesn't want to comment on that truncheon he's carrying.

WARD (voice-over): Tens of thousands risked life and limb to try to flee the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay behind him. Stay behind him.

WARD (voice-over): Many feared for their lives. Others that the Taliban would take the country back to the Middle Ages.

For these girls, that fear has come true. They were just a year out from graduating when the Taliban announced a de facto ban on girls' secondary education after sixth grade.

Now they have improvised ways to defy the ban, setting up unofficial schools where they continue their studies. Naheed Saddad's (ph) dreams of a diploma may have vanished, but her drive has not.

NAHEED SADDAD (PH), STUDENT: I always say to myself that I am so powerful. I am strong. And these things can't break my wants (ph) and my dreams and what I want to do.

WARD: Do you ever feel scared?

SADDAD (ph): Yes. It's so risky for us that we don't cover our face and we study our lessons.

WARD: You're very brave.

SADDAD (ph): Yes, I know.

WARD (voice-over): Girls' education is one of the main reasons no country in the world has yet recognized the Taliban government, a point we put to foreign ministry spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

WARD: When will the Taliban allow teenage girls to go back to school?

ABDUL QAHAR BALKHI, SPOKESPERSON, AFGHAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: From the perspective of the government, there's a range of a mix of issues that has led to the temporary suspension of secondary schools. The -- the most important and significant part of this is that the policy of the government of Afghanistan is education for all citizens of Afghanistan.

WARD: And yet all citizens of Afghanistan are not currently able to get an education. What is the holdup?

BALKHI: It seems that international actors are unfortunately weaponizing the issue of education. Instead of coming forward and interacting positively, they are trying to find moral justifications for some of the inhumane policies of sanctions, which is leading to the collective punishment of the entire people of Afghanistan.

[00:35:08]

WARD: Do you want to see girls going to school again?

BALKHI: The policy of the government of Afghanistan is very clear. And that is education for all citizens of Afghanistan.

WARD (voice-over): The Taliban says it wants to see peaceful and positive relations with all countries, including the U.S. But those prospects were dramatically diminished. The head of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in a villa in downtown Kabul just over two weeks ago.

BALKHI: We've made it very clear that the government of Afghanistan was unaware of the arrival or presence of Mr. Zawahiri in Kabul. So far, we have been unable to establish -- as a fact, as a matter of fact, that Mr. Zawahiri was indeed present in Kabul.

WARD: Isn't that almost more frightening, though, the idea that you're claiming, potentially, the leader of al-Qaeda was here in the center of the city, and you didn't even know about it?

BALKHI: We contend that notion that he was even present here. But even if he was, these types of incidents happen everywhere in the world.

WARD: But they really don't. I mean, how can the U.S. possibly trust the Taliban leadership to stay true to its promise that it will not allow sanctuary to be granted to terrorist groups?

BALKHI: If we look at the Doha agreement, the articles that are -- that define the commitments of the government of Afghanistan, all of them have been fulfilled. And if we look at the commitments that the United States of America has made, sadly, they have not fulfilled a single article. But we're hopeful and we continue to urge the United States to adhere to that agreement.

WARD (voice-over): It's a brazen position that complicates efforts to unfreeze funding, to help the Afghan people, millions of whom remain hungry and reliant on the kindness of strangers.

Clarissa Ward, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Still to come, desperate times and desperate measures. Amid severe drought, the Swiss army airlifting water to farm animals in the Alpine meadows.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: The Russians don't have a space station just yet. But they have an idea of what it will look like. It's dubbed ROSS, as in Roscosmos. in the cosmos.

This model went on display Monday at a military industrial exhibition. Russia announced earlier this year it's quitting the International Space Station in 2024. Actually, after 2024, they said -- that's key. Because of deteriorating relations with the West over the war in Ukraine.

It's one thing to build a little model, another thing to actually build a space station. Roscosmos says the station will launch in two phases at unspecified dates. Hmm.

[00:40:08]

Farm animals in Switzerland are sweltering with high temperatures and a drought as Europe reels under a heat wave. Now, Swiss Army helicopters are airlifting water to the Alpine meadows to give animals there some much-needed relief.

CNN's Paula Newton has details.

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a Super Puma helicopter, Switzerland's air force swoops in with precious cargo, water dropped into a reservoir running critically low.

JACQUES RUFFIEUX, FARMER (through translator): We were a day and a half from not having any water at all for the animals. It was very close. Last week I was hoping we'd get more rain, because they were forecasting a storm. But we only got six liters. For the 130 animals on the farm, we estimated we need 10,000 liters a day.

NEWTON (voice-over): In Switzerland's Alpine meadows, a summer of blistering temperatures and historically low rainfall has left thousands of thirsty farm animals desperate for water.

Now, after calls for help from farmers, the Swiss army has begun a two-week operation to refill near-empty reservoirs.

FREDERIC MENETREY, DIRECTOR, CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE OF FRIBOURG CANTON (through translator): This year, there is a very substantial shortage of water in some places. It's very unusual, and it has a huge impact on the summer pastures. But also on low-land agriculture.

NEWTON (voice-over): Emergency water supplies not only stave off dehydration for cows, goats, pigs and other food-producing animals, they also prevent a feed shortage later in the year. Without enough water, the animals would have to graze in lowland areas where the winter haze normally produced during summer months, an agricultural crisis averted this year with an operation that could become increasingly critical.

MATHIAS TUSCHER, SWISS TERRITORIAL ARMY COMMANDER (through translator): We carried out this kind of operation in 2015 and 2018 for the free walk (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And indeed, with global warming, and it's probable that this kind of mission will meet more frequent in the future.

NEWTON (voice-over): As the global climate crisis appears to worsen and repeated heat waves cause chaos right across Europe, local officials say the need for a longer-term solution is increasingly obvious.

MENETREY (through translator): The use of helicopters to bring water to the pasture should not become the norm in the future. It should be the exception to the rule in unusual years. Now, we need to make the necessary investments, in cooperation with the government, the private sector, and the farmers, to be able to keep the water in the mountains.

NEWTON: For now, some refreshment for the thirsty animals in Switzerland's alpine pastures as they and their farmers endure an increasingly warming world.

Paula Newton, CNN.

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VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. WORLD SPORT starts after the break, and I hope to see you again at the top of the hour.

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