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Tensions Ease on Sunday after Days of Protests; Ukraine: Wagner Mutiny Will Weaken Russia's Battle Power; CIA Director: War Has Created Recruiting Opportunity; Biden to Visit U.K., Lithuania, Finland; French Tourism Sector Suffers Amid Protests; CNN Speaks to Astronaut Aboard Space Station. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 03, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, coming to you live from Studio Four at the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:34]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, tens of thousands of police still deployed across France at this hour. An uneasy calm after days of violent protest following the police killing of a teenager.

Growing disaffection in Russia over the chaotic war in Ukraine. Add-in an armed mutiny, now leading to an opportune moment to recruit spies. We'll take a closer look.

And a chimpanzee's first look at the sky. It's making people smile.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: It is now 60 in the morning in France, where unrest has eased, but tensions linger after days of violent protest. That unrest sparked by Tuesday's fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old who was of Algerian descent.

Some 45,000 security forces remain deployed across the country, as officials brace for any further flare-ups of violence. And in the coming hours, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with the presidents of France's lower and upper houses, after huddling with his top ministers on Sunday and urging them to restore order.

The shooting victim's grandmother also calling for calm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. I'm the grandmother. I blame the policeman who killed my grandson. That's all I want. The police, they are here, fortunately. They are here and the people that are breaking things, they tell them stop, stop. They use Nahel's death as a pretext. Now they must stop. They shouldn't break the windows. They shouldn't break the schools. They shouldn't break the buses the moms take. We take buses. We don't have cars. We don't have anything. Please stop. It's the moms who take the bus; it's the moms who walk outside. We want to calm things down. We don't want them to break. We want them to remain calm, these young people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: CNN's Nic Robertson is following developments and has more now from the streets of the French capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: In the center of Paris, again, another night bracing for possible violence. Police are out in numbers on the Champs-Elysees.

Eight hundred seventy-one fires set Saturday night, compared to Friday night, 2,500 or so; the night before, 3,900 or so. The numbers trending down. If Saturday night was a pivot, Sunday night is going to be a real test if that violence trends down.

The center of Paris is Champs-Elysees. Looking down there, there's still a lot of tourists out. The sun's setting, people still enjoying the evening.

There are riot cops on the streets there, but not the buzz that there was, the activity that there was at the same time on Saturday.

Over here, a few more police officers here. They're getting around the city in these small saloon vehicles. That's how they're racing around to try to stay on top of any potential protests.

And just looking around down here, just as it's falling dark, you can see the police officers with their motorbikes. And those were the high-speed officers. Saturday night, there are police officers riding their motorbikes, riot officers sitting pillion passenger, keeping moving, moving in groups of 20, keeping moving and staying on top of the rioters.

And that's what we're hearing from the government right now. Still keeping the same number of officers on the street, 45,000 police and gendarmes, saying that they will have swift justice for any perpetrators of violence, and try to stay on top and quash any outbreaks of violence.

Meanwhile, Nahel's grandmother, the young boy who was tragically shot and killed on Tuesday, his grandmother appealing for peace and calm.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, says his country is watching the unrest in France with concern. Emmanuel Macron postponed his planned trip to Germany amid the riots. Mr. Scholz saying he's confident the French president will calm the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are good friends with France. We are both a pair when it comes to making sure that the European Union, which is so important to our common future, works well. That is why we are, of course, looking at the riots with concern. And I very much hope, and I'm certainly convinced, that the French president will find ways to ensure that the situation improves quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And joining me now from Los Angeles is CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas. Good to see you, Dominic.

It does seem that the worst has end -- not over, but less tense. But what are the risks of this immediate crisis passing and the root causes, over and above the police shooting remain in place, those systemic issues you and I have talked about these past days?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes, Michael, I mean, I think the situation, of course, remains unpredictable. And even if things were to fizzle out at this particular juncture, the fact remains that there would be a lingering malaise in French society, a continuation of what we saw in 2022 with the high abstention rates in the presidential election.

We know that the opposition to Emmanuel Macron is significant and that he's lost his legislative majority. And we know that moving forward, not so much for him as an outgoing president, but for his party, that the objective remains to capture the votes on the right and to poach - on far-right political agendas.

And I think that to that extent, it means continuing on with this tough law-and-order agenda, which renders the situation, I think, all the more volatile and likely to reignite as we move forward and over the next few months, Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, and what we've also talked about over the recent days is France's race policy, which is meant to be essentially color-blind; everyone is equal.

But you know, has that policy just been made to look a bit ridiculous, you know, masking the reality that, you know, the nation is not color- blind?

THOMAS: Yes, well, there's been so much evidence over the past, simply the past few days, let alone the kind of over the longer history. And if you just listen to the experiences of those who feel impacted, not just by racial profiling, but the ways in which discrimination works its way out, or its way in French society, and how those very principles of the republic are not being applied equitably, it would seem glaringly obvious, at least to outsiders, that there is a problem with the republic.

The issue is that, in order to address these issues beyond simple financial solutions would mean a kind of radical rethinking of the applicability of those ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. And that does not seem like something that the authorities are willing to undertake at this particular juncture.

And I think that therefore, moving forward, there is a real likelihood, Michael, that these kinds of questions will remain unaddressed moving forward.

HOLMES: Yes. And in the purely economic sense, I mean, fashion shows start next week. The Tour de France is underway. France is hosting the Rugby World Cup. Summer Olympics preparations are underway.

How damaging is this to France in terms of tourism? And certainly not the images they want out there.

THOMAS: Yes, well, all of these events are global events, right, whether it's fashion, you know, the Tour de France, you know, other major events, the upcoming 2024 Olympics.

And ironically, they provide not just great visibility to France, but also visibility to individuals, groups, and communities who might feel that they're not being heard adequately domestically. And they know that they can amplify their message on the international stage by drawing attention through protests to their plight --

HOLMES: Yes.

THOMAS: -- and thereby applying pressure to the governments. And I think that, when it comes to tourism, obviously France and the capital, Paris, is one of the most visited destinations in the world.

And that the unpredictability and uncertainty is, of course, going to push tourists to make decisions to visit alternative sites, Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, yes, yes, quite worrying. We heard from the German chancellor Olaf Scholz a little earlier. He also said -- you know, he said, "I don't expect France will become unstable," which in itself is a little bit worrying. He also said it is always true that we must do everything to ensure that solidarity in our society functions well.

How concerned is the broader European Union about the scenes in France, as well as the underlying issues?

THOMAS: Yes, it's a great question, Michael. I think also, you know, the German chancellor's sort of use of words like writing are somewhat questionable, because of course, we're talking about many people here demonstrating and so on, too.

But I think that there's a deep awareness that many European countries, the question of immigration, ethnic relations, migration and so on is an important issue. There are vulnerabilities in some of these places, but also tremendous concern at the ways in which these questions are being instrumentalized by far-right political parties and disrupting the business and operations of -- of the European Union.

So, I think those concerns are real, and they're watching France very closely.

HOLMES: Always great to get your analysis. Dominic, thank you. Dominic Thomas there for us.

THOMAS: Thank you.

HOLMES: Now, Ukrainian military officials are reporting heavy fighting all along the Eastern front. They say Russian forces are attacking in several directions, including Avdiivka and Lyman.

But Ukraine says its forces are having partial success South of Bakhmut. They posted the video you see there, showing what appears to be an airstrike on a Russian tank in the region.

Ukraine says it is gradually advancing along the Southern frontlines of Ambidiansk (ph) and Melitopol.

Meantime, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, went to Odessa, where he visited injured soldiers in a hospital. He's trying to reassure the country that the navy's defense capabilities are effective now and will be after the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The enemy will certainly not dictate the terms in the Black Sea, and the invaders will have to be as afraid of approaching our Ukrainian Crimea and our Azov Sea coast, as Russian ships are already afraid of approaching our Black Sea coast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Although Russian forces are putting up a fight in Ukraine, the effects of the Wagner insurrection in Moscow may soon put them on a weaker footing. Ben Wedeman explains from Eastern Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The short-lived mutiny by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has greatly affected Russian power on the battlefield. That according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At a press conference in Kyiv, he claimed that Russia is losing the war, and that Ukraine should take advantage of this situation to push the Russians out. He cautioned, however, that every meter, every kilometer costs lives. And that Ukraine's counteroffensive will take time.

Now, on the front in Eastern Ukraine, soldiers we've spoken to have said nothing changed on the battlefield during or after Prigozhin's insurrection, that the going is tough and the Russians are still putting up stiff resistance as the counteroffensive continues.

But with the fate of Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenaries still unclear, the reverberations of instability in Russia may yet reach the frontlines in Ukraine.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Eastern Ukraine. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The war in Ukraine has created disillusionment in Russia, and according to CIA Director William Burns, some of those disillusioned people might be willing to talk to U.S. intelligence. The agency has been openly recruiting potential Russian assets on the popular social media platform Telegram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BURNS, CIA DIRECTOR: Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership beneath the steady diet of state propaganda and practice repression.

That disaffection creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us at CIA, at our core, a human intelligence service. We're not letting it go to waste.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Douglas London is a retired senior CIA operations officer. He's also an adjunct associate professor at the Georgetown University Center for Security Studies. He's also the author of "The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence." A perfect person to talk to on this.

Good to see you again, sir.

So, we heard earlier, Director Burns mentioning this Telegram channel and the CIA outreach. And it reminded me, you wrote about this on CNN.com back in May. And it was interesting. You opened the piece by writing, "Happy people don't spy. Angry people do."

So, what are the signs the CIA would be looking for to make outreach to an angry person?

DOUGLAS LONDON, RETIRED SENIOR CIA OPERATIONS OFFICER: Well, the most important thing is their access to information value, Michael. But they're also looking at their motivations.

For these people, that would be willing and interested to speak to a foreign intelligence service, namely, the United States, which has been portrayed as, you know, the great evil by Vladimir Putin.

They're also looking at suitability. Is this somebody that has the wherewithal to conduct a clandestine relationship, who would be reliable in providing secret information?

HOLMES: So -- so, the channel apparently got 2.5 million views in its first week on the platform. So, there was curiosity. But OK, say somebody is interesting, what has to happen to turn a curious view into actual contact? What -- what's the psychology?

LONDON: Well, the onus is on them. And the video, I believe, is really designed to reach beyond the traditional Russian intelligence officer, who probably already knows that, if they've made up their mind and they want to step forward and cooperate with Western intelligence, they know how to do it. They know how to do it securely.

[00:15:12]

But for the many others who have information of great value to the United States and its allies, they don't know, or they might be sitting on the fence.

So, the video, I think, does a good job of appealing to them, appealing to their sense of patriotism, really, and giving them some details on how they could do it securely without getting caught.

HOLMES: Now, it's interesting. When we talk about motivation, the Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said, among other things before his mutiny, he said that the reasons given by Putin to start the war were bogus, they were false pretenses. No NATO threaten, all the rest of it.

Do you think that comment might be the sort of thing that might make someone in Russia say, Well, if the reasons for this war are a lie, I'm going to make a move here and talk to the Americans?

LONDON: We have great precedent if we look back to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. And I was overseas as a hungry spy at the time.

We had a great number of Soviet officials, or former Soviet officials, come forth because they were so disenchanted. They had lived their whole lives, committed their lives to this lie of communism in the Soviet state.

What Prigozhin did most definitely, I think, and most severely for Putin, is show the emperor has no clothes, AND revealing the lies on which he's built his narrative over the years. And I would imagine there's a fair deal of planning and scheming going on right now by many who had been on the fence before.

HOLMES: Yes, right, and perhaps the people who heard that might think, OK, I'm fed up with this.

LONDON: Absolutely, I mean, these are folks that were committed to an institution, because that institution served them.

But, you know, Putin is somebody who had really been popular, because he had provided what the Russian people wanted, stability, restore their pride in Russia as a world power, how the country was more predictable, and they liked his strongman image.

But I think Prigozhin's revolt really took -- took the lies away from that, showed him for what he is.

HOLMES: You also write in your piece on CNN.com about how, in the past, Russians who have spied for the CIA are not, for the most part, doing it for mercenary reasons, financial reasons. What is the most common rationale?

LONDON: They've largely done it for ideological reasons. More often than not, it's been patriotism. These are patriotic Russians, but who see their government as illegitimate and doing their country harm.

So they look for a way to fight back, to rise up, to play a role, and sometimes, just to take revenge against the system that has punish them and their loved ones so severely.

HOLMES: And here's one for you, because you know all about it. Why should that Russia being wooed believe the U.S. and its motives? I mean, surely, he or she doesn't think the U.S. is necessarily being altruistic in its approach.

And yes. How do they know they can trust the Americans?

LONDON: Well, they're already taking a risk by coming forward, which already allows for some degree of trust. And you know, there is this whole choreography of the great dance between the intelligence officer and the prospective agent. And that's done usually over a period of time.

It's not something that's as possible when you have this virtual approach, in which the Russians themselves are stepping forward. But there's still this kind of dating process that's going to go on, where the case officer on the other end of that virtual line is going to try to establish their own bone fides, as they're establishing the bone fides of the person making the approach.

HOLMES: Yes, and just to put a bow on it, and real quick, it goes without saying that the Russians, and the Chinese and others, for that matter, are doing exactly the same sort of outreach to Americans, right?

LONDON: But for different reasons. They're less likely to use patriotism or ideology. In fact, they don't like it. They use this method we call MICE, which is money, ideology, compromise, and ego, to try to find people who are vulnerable.

We're actually looking for people who are patriotic and looking for ideological reasons to be good intelligence partners.

HOLMES: My go-to guy on the intel world, Douglas London. As always, thanks so much.

LONDON: Thanks for having me back, Michael.

HOLMES: Still to come here on the program, Israel launches a new major military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least three people. Just ahead, the fallout from the deadly raid.

And U.S. President Joe Biden announces a three-nation trip to Europe this month. Details on what is a jam-packed itinerary, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:21:54]

HOLMES: Tensions are flaring in the occupied West Bank again, in what Israel is calling a counterterrorism operation overnight in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp.

Unverified video appears to show explosions, and witnesses are reporting gunfire. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says at least three people have been killed, 25 others injured.

The Israeli Defense Forces say it was, quote, "striking terrorist infrastructure," unquote, including a camp command center, where it said militants where they're using it as a base.

Palestinians set fires to tires following the raid. It comes days after an Israeli military raid on Jenin erupted into a massive fire fight, leaving at least five Palestinians dead, dozens wounded, and eight Israeli troops injured.

Meanwhile, Israel also bracing for another round of protests over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms.

In the coming hours, demonstrators are planning to converge on Israel's main airport in Tel Aviv. That coming a day after tens of thousands took to the streets in the city to push back against the bill, which will limit the powers of the Supreme Court.

Although Mr. Netanyahu said last week he had dropped the most controversial part of the bill, protesters have kept up the pressure, with weekly rallies for the past half year, saying the new bill is still anti-democratic.

U.S. President Joe Biden is heading to the U.K. later this month, where he will meet with King Charles III. It will be the president's first official meeting with the monarch since he took the throne in May.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez now reports the stop will come ahead of an important summit in Lithuania.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House announced on Sunday that President Biden will be visiting three countries next week: the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Finland.

And the president will start his trip in the United Kingdom, where he's set to meet King Charles III, who was recently coronated, as well as the British prime minister, who visited the White House here last month.

Now, those high-stakes meetings will later be continued for the president at the NATO summit, where there is going to be a discussion over Ukraine and the war that is ongoing there, particularly after the counteroffensive that has been launched and those internal tensions in Russia, all of that looming over this summit.

Now, President Biden has repeatedly talked about the strength of the NATO alliance, also saying that it has never, quote, "been more united."

But in all these discussions, the ongoing debate will be looming over all of it, over how and when Ukraine may become part of that alliance.

Now, after that summit, President Biden will then go to Finland, where he will conclude his three-country trip.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Police in the U.S. state of Maryland have released the names and ages of the victims from a deadly mass shooting. Two people were killed, 28 injured, at a block party in Baltimore on Saturday.

[00:25:03]

Most of the victims, teenagers, some as young as 13. Police believe there are multiple shooters.

The city's mayor saying it's a cowardly act of violence, and asking for the community to help find those responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT (D), BALTIMORE: We are asking again that anyone who knows anything about this mass shooting, and that's what I want to call this, a mass shooting. We want this shooting to be treated just as it happened in rural America. We want everyone to come forward and say treat this as if it was your daughter, your son, your brother, your cousin that was out here shot at this event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Just over halfway through 2023, and the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. shows no signs of slowing down. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 338 reported mass shootings already this year so far. That's defined as four or more people injured or killed, not including the shooter.

The research group counts more than 21,000 gun violence deaths this year. That also includes suicides. More than 18,000 people wounded.

When we come back on the program, it is peak tourist season in France as violent protests rage across the country. We hear from holiday makers who are there, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And back now to our top story, the streets of France appearing to remain pretty quiet overnight after the country was rocked by days of unrest.

Violent protests first broke out after Tuesday's fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent. About 45,000 security forces remain deployed across the country, as officials brace for any possible further violence.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is set to meet with the leaders of the upper and lower houses of Parliament in the hours ahead, on Sunday, meeting with his top ministers and urging them to help restore order.

The unrest has started to impact the country's vital tourism industry. Hotels have seen cancellations. Retailers, of course, have been vandalized. Even so, some tourists in the heart of Paris aren't letting the turmoil affect their plans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SHOUTING)

(FIREWORKS)

HOLMES (voice-over): Peak tourist season in France. For many visitors, the sights of fiery, and at times, violent protests around the country over the fatal shooting of a teenager by police might make them worry about their itinerary.

[00:30:07]

But protesters have largely left the most famed attractions in Paris alone, although some were dispersed from the Place de la Concord on Friday.

This couple from the U.S. said they knew about the protests but didn't change their plans.

DEROL, AMERICAN TOURIST: It's unfortunate it happened.

MIRIAM, AMERICAN TOURIST: But we decide still to come.

DEROL: We had to continue on.

MIRIAM: We have confidence.

DEROL: We have confidence in my friend, the French countryman, to take care of the situation.

HOLMES: Another tourist from Chicago says her trip is still going as planned, but the anger on the streets here remind her of problems back home.

JACQUELINE BAUGHMEND, AMERICAN TOURIST: So far, we haven't seen, like, the -- the rioting and the cars on fire and such. But we also have that in the United States, back in 2021 with George Floyd. So, we live in Chicago, and there was a lot of that there. So, we've already experienced it.

HOLMES: Many places that cater to tourists say they are worried, not only about security, but about the economic impact of the protests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

HOLMES: One tour bus driver says he feels bad for the tourists who have come for a vacation, but says it's also hard on the people who are just trying to work.

The country's main association for hospitality workers says many of its hotel members have seen an increase in the number of cancellations of reservations.

The French retail federation is also calling for more police to stop stores being vandalized.

But for the most part, central Paris has been unscathed, with some exceptions, like when police say protesters looted stores on the Rue du Reveille (ph), and damaged a shopping mall.

There was also increased security along the Champs-Elysees, with police carrying out spot checks in the area.

In the port city of Marseille, where some of the country's worst violence happened, a bus carrying Chinese tourists was attacked during a protest, causing minor injuries to some passengers.

China's consulate general has lodged an official complaint and called on the French authorities to keep their citizens and property safe.

Back in the French capital, some tourists say they're unfazed by it all and making the best of their trip. It is, after all, still Paris.

CLAIRE, BRITISH TOURIST: We checked out the news. We think it's absolutely fine. There's so many things going on in the world. If you listen to everything, you'd never travel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, chimpanzees are some of closest animal relatives, of course, and like humans, they experience a range of emotions, including pure joy. Wait till you see what happens when a chimp tastes freedom for the first time.

Also still to come, CNN speaks with the first Arab astronaut to walk in space. How he's keeping busy on the International Space Station on his six-month mission. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:35:10]

HOLMES: The Emirati astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi is doing some big things in space. He is the first Arab astronaut ever to perform a spacewalk.

CNN's Becky Anderson was lucky enough to have a long-distance chat with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: International Space Station, this is Becky Anderson at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai. How do you read? SULTAN AL-NEYADI, EMIRATI ASTRONAUT: Becky, this is Sultan al-Neyadi

from the International Space Station. I have you loud and clear.

ANDERSON: Terrific. It is fantastic to be speaking to you today. How are you?

AL-NEYADI: I'm doing great, Becky. It's -- it's the dream becoming true, living aboard the International Space Station. It can't be better.

ANDERSON (voice-over): This is an out-of-this-world interview. Al- Neyadi, dubbed the sultan of space, is the first Arab to be deployed on a long-term mission in the cosmos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, engines full power. And --

ANDERSON (voice-over): He launched to the ISS for a six-month mission, in partnership with NASA and the exploration company SpaceX.

AL-NEYADI: The first time I saw Earth, it was a profound moment. We're flying almost 400 kilometers on top of this planet, and you see everything. You see the mountains and the forests and the desert and everything that you know of. And it's really great to see this magnificent planet.

ANDERSON: So, Sultan, show me around. That looks like a really busy environment that you're in. So, just explain where you are and what this all means as you float upside-down.

AL-NEYADI: So, on the first month here, Becky, we had a cargo mission. It was full of science, so we had a lot of scientific experiments. We tested medication. We tested technologies. We tested a lot of things that we are maybe testing for the first time. And it's a cutting-edge technology.

So, I was sequencing DNA. I was applying some medication to heart tissues.

And on top of that, we are subjects ourselves. So have experiment and sensors just running on our bodies throughout the mission to be able to understand how the microgravity is affecting the human body.

When we think about going back to the moon or further into space to Mars, and so on.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Apart from these scientific experiments, al- Neyadi spends his days making repairs, both inside and outside the space station.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emirati astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi has ingressed (ph) the crew out portion of the quest airlock.

ANDERSON: Tell me about the spacewalk, Sultan. Amazing or terrifying as an experience?

AL-NEYADI: Both, and actually, the name is spacewalk, but we don't walk. We use our hands.

So we need to have very strong forearms to be able to move from one place to another. So, it was amazing. It was seven hours continuous. I didn't feel it, because I was really focusing into the mission.

And it was a really, really great feeling, just to see that you are floating in a space suit. It's just like a small spacecraft. They provide oxygen and CO2 scrubbing and cooling. And what is preventing you from dying is just like a small layer of glass.

ANDERSON: Tell us, how do you exercise, and give us some examples of living in zero gravity.

AL-NEYADI: In zero gravity, we just float. We are literally in, like, free float. We don't move a lot. So, it is important to keep our muscles working.

We have a treadmill. We use bungees to tie ourselves to be able to run. If we run without any bungees, it will be just like floating, like this.

And we have another resistance device, which is simulating weights. And we use vacuum cylinders to simulate the weight and work out, just simulating lifting dumbbells and so on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Houston ACR, and that concludes the event. Thank you.

AL-NEYADI: Thank you, Becky Anderson.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: It's over, just like that.

All right. Let's have a look at an animal's moment of joy during the program. Vanilla the chimpanzee spent 28 years in cages, which is horrific. But now, she has her freedom. And just have a look at that moment there.

She goes outside, and she sees the sky for the first time. And fair to say, she's blown away when it happens.

[00:40:00]

Vanilla spent -- she spent the first part of her life in a medical research laboratory, and then in a shelter with no view of the sky. Well, now, like a lot of retirees, Vanilla is spending her golden years in Florida, living on three acres of open land at the Save the Chimps Sanctuary. Big improvement.

CNN's Boris Sanchez spoke with the CEO of Save the Chimps. She, too, is marveling at the joy caught on camera.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANA PAULA TAVARES, CEO, SAVE THE CHIMPS: It's just a wonderful moment. And we are so grateful to being able to provide her with that opportunity.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Tell us, and we're watching video of her now looking at the sky and embracing one of her champ friends, just her mouth completely open, just staring straight up. Tell us about her life before coming to the sanctuary.

TAVARES: Yes, as you mentioned, she was born in a medical -- in a biomedical lab in New York and endured tremendous hardship in her early years as a study of AIDS and hepatitis medical research.

Then moved into another place (ph), wildlife refuge, with all good intentions, but living in a very small space with four other chimpanzees.

And not until now have been able to really enjoy the opportunity of freedom, having freedom, as they so deserve. And that's what we all witnessed.

And as we celebrate Independence Day, this video, this heartwarming video, like of Vanilla's having a -- her first taste of freedom really shows how chimpanzees, like us, cherish and enjoy independence and freedom.

And you can see them behind me, some of them, and that's the island where now Vanilla enjoys a life as close to what they would've had in the wild as possible.

SANCHEZ: In the wild.

TAVARES: And this is what we do here at Save the Chimps.

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HOLMES: Tavares says chimps can live into their 60s. Right now, there are 227 chimps on the island in Florida. She says they eat 2.5 tons of food every day.

Save the Chimps is a charitable organization which runs on donations, hint, hint.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. Stick around. I'll be back with more news in about 15 minutes or so.

WORLD SPORT until then.

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