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Connect the World

Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil Will Return To Normalcy "Very Soon"; Brazil Records Its Highest COVID-19 Daily Death Toll; Prime Minister Morrison: "Significant" Flood Damage In Western Sydney; Families Flee To India In Violent Aftermath Of Coup; NATO Calls Out Russia's "Repressive" & "Aggressive" Behavior; Uyghur Families Desperate To Reunite. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired March 24, 2021 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome to "Connect the World". Good to have you with us. Well, all but

three percent of votes have encountered in Israel and we still don't have a clear idea what the next government will look like, or even if they will be

indeed a new government?

It's deja vu for Israelis. They voted in their fourth election in two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party is in the lead, but

it still is uncertain if his right wing bloc can eke out enough votes to form a majority government.

However, Mr. Netanyahu's attempts to win over Israel's Arab population might be helping. CNN's Hadas Gold is watching all of this for us as it

gets down to those final critical votes? She joins us from Jerusalem.

Hadas certainly from the outset, when these exit polls started coming out, we heard Netanyahu calling this a huge win for the right wing parties. But

these are still very close as we count these final votes.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Lynda, I mean, initially, when those first exit polls came out last night, it seemed like Netanyahu was on the

path for a barely rare majority, but a majority with his right wing bloc.

But as the votes came in officially overnight, and through today, as you noted, we're at 97 percent of votes counted, we seem to be at a complete

stalemate not just for Netanyahu, but also for the other side, because neither side seems to be able to have a very clear path to the 61 seat

majority that they need in order to be in power.

For Netanyahu what he needs right now when we're looking at the breakdown of the numbers is he could potentially, if he keeps his right wing bloc

intact, he could potentially get some breakaway members from one party that is run by actually one of his formerly tenants.

Or interestingly enough, a small Islamist party United Arab List could actually be the kingmakers in this situation, because although they have a

very just a handful of seats, potentially, according to these latest numbers, if they decide to throw their weight behind the pro Netanyahu

bloc, that could make the difference.

But of course, it might be hard to imagine that an Islamist Party would agree to sit with some factions of this pro Netanyahu bloc considering that

they include some very right wing elements that seem to potentially be on the complete opposite side of the ideological spectrum of this Islamist

Party.

But the opposition also has a similar problem. They might have the numbers, if you kind of call it all of them together. But they are also all of these

disparate groups that again, are hard to imagine they could all sit together and form a coalition government. So where does that leave us?

Well, obviously, we're at a stalemate. We don't know who is going to lead the government. We don't know yet who's going to be asked to potentially

form a government. But we could see some maneuvering potentially from the opposition parties.

Perhaps they could try to if they have 61 seats altogether, but not necessarily a coalition government, they could try to pass some laws elect

their own speaker of the parliament passed some laws that could potentially hurt Prime Minister Netanyahu on their own. Or, of course, it's hard to

imagine for a lot of Israelis, we could be headed to a fifth election in just a few months.

KINKADE: It's really crazy to imagine that happening. Certainly when we heard from Benjamin Netanyahu, he did speak about the swift rollout of

vaccinations to address the COVID-19 pandemic, there in Israel and calling Israel the champion of the world. He certainly was hoping that response was

going to give him the boost that he needed to win this election.

GOLD: Yeah, I mean, most -- a lot of Netanyahu his campaign hinged on this vaccination program. It was a much different tone to this campaign than

we've seen in previous years. In previous years the campaign was made about his relationship with the United States and Former President Donald Trump

or the threat of outside groups like Hamas or the threat from Iran.

This campaign was a lot about how Netanyahu was the protector of Israel. Netanyahu was the one who brought the vaccines to Israel. Literally one of

his campaign slogans on his posters was a fact of life and he was hoping that would convince Israelis that they needed him to stay in power to

continue leading Israel through this pandemic and reviving the economy because just like many countries around the world, Israel's economy has

been hard hit by the pandemic.

But although a lot of Israelis are very happy with this vaccination program and it has brought a sense of normalcy back to the streets of Israel,

restaurants are open, and hotels are open. When you walk around the streets other than masks, it feels like Israel is back to normal. That didn't seem

to be enough.

Netanyahu obviously has a lot of baggage for a lot of voters. We still have this ongoing corruption and bribery trial going on. Likud actually lost a

couple of votes in this latest elections and it just doesn't seem to have been enough to convince enough voters that he was the one that they wanted

in charge.

KINKADE: Yeah, not quite enough. Hadas Gold for us in Jerusalem good to have you with us we will speak again soon, no doubt. Thank you.

Well, a sharp changing tone from the man who has long downplayed the Coronavirus pandemic, even calling it the little flu. Brazilian President

Jair Bolsonaro now says his government will make 2021 the year of vaccinations for Brazilians. And he's sympathized with the families of

COVID-19 victims.

[11:05:00]

KINKADE: During an address that aired on national radio and TV Mr. Bolsonaro promised that the country would return to normalcy very soon. And

it came on the same day as Brazil recorded its highest daily death toll since the pandemic began. Well, Brazil as the world's second highest COVID-

19 death toll just after the U.S.

And President Bolsonaro insists that his government has always taken important steps to fight the virus, or while he was speaking protests

erupted across the country. Matt Rivers joins us now from my live from Sao Paulo, to discuss all of this.

Certainly, we are seeing now that tragic record the daily death toll again breaking the last record, the highest we've seen since this pandemic began

in Brazil. And now we're seeing this change of tune from the president there, take us through it.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Lynda, I do want to unpack what you could very easily call the utter hypocrisy of Jair Bolsonaro in that short

address that he gave last night. But let's go over the numbers first, it was Tuesday night, more than 3200 deaths recorded on Tuesday alone

announced by health officials that's roughly 400 deaths higher than the previous single day record, which was set about a week prior to that.

If you put another kind of context on all of this, the total deaths from the Coronavirus recorded across the entire world on Tuesday, Brazil made up

about a third of that number. It gives you an idea of how bad this situation here is compared to other countries around the world.

And I've spoken to several epidemiologists, including two of them this morning, who told me that they're not going to be surprised at that daily

death count continues to get higher one person even throw out a 5000 deaths per day figure because of what we're seeing inside hospitals like the one

behind me.

ICU occupancy rates just have not gone down over the past 10 days or so that you and I have been talking Lynda, they've gone up and that is going

to lead to more death unfortunately. Talking about the president though, he now talks about 2021 being the year of vaccinations. This is a president

who once talked about how if you get the vaccine, it might turn you into a crocodile.

This is a president who has regularly dismissed the efficacy of these vaccines, especially the Chinese vaccine that is now being used in this

country. He talks about having empathy for the families who have lost people here. This is a president who just two weeks ago told people they

needed to "Stop whining" "Stop whining" that's where his exact words.

And so now when things are truly getting out of control here in Brazil, Bolsonaro goes on TV last night speaks for only three minutes and says that

his government has taken substantive steps to try and make this pandemic better. This is the same president who routinely says that lockdowns don't

work and that he's not in favor of restrictive measures.

He also didn't talk about social distancing, or mask wearing last night. So this is very much political speak from the president of this country. I

think we need to look at his actions throughout this entire pandemic.

That is the true Jair Bolsonaro the three minutes that he was on TV last night pretending to show empathy for these families when he has done

everything but that over the past year. I think that that is the political speak and we need to be very clear about that Lynda.

KINKADE: We certainly do it, absolutely head scratching. Matt Rivers as you well and truly know with all you're reporting there on the ground for us.

Thanks so much.

We are going to stay on this story because as Matt mentioned hospitals certainly a collapsing six Brazilian states are running critically low on

medical oxygen. And there are other deficiencies as well. One close to town says it may be forced to take patients off their ventilators due to

shortages in medicines used for intubation.

With Dr. Margareth Dalcolmo, a Respiratory Physician and Researcher for Brazil's Fiocruz Institute joins me now from Rio de Janeiro. A pleasure

having you on the show certainly a terrible topic to discuss we are seeing as I just mentioned with Matt our correspondent that his daily death toll

continues to rise now the highest since the pandemic began.

And at the same time, hospitals are running out of oxygen, as you well know when people are dying waiting for ICU beds. Take us through what you're

seeing.

Not sure. Are you able to hear us, Margaret? I think we're having a few technical issues there. We're going to take a quick break and try to resume

that interview on the other side. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:10:00]

KINKADE: After months of reported atrocities finally a promise of accountability. Ethiopia's Prime Minister is acknowledging for the first

time the grave abuses that have been committed against civilians in the Northern Tigray region. Abiy Ahmed also acknowledges that troops from

neighboring Eritrea have entered the conflict zone, reversing previous denials.

Those Eritrean troops are helping Ethiopia fight to crush a rebel movement and Tigray. But civilians are paying the price. Prime Minister Abiy says

any soldier found guilty of rape or looting will be held accountable. United Nations officials are calling for an independent investigation

saying the attacks against civilians in Tigray must stop now.

All this is coming just days after CNN reported on rate being used as a weapon of war in the region. Our Nima Elbagir visited refugee camp and

talked with one woman who says she was raped by a soldier. And we need to warn you, her story is difficult to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He pushed me and said you Tigrayans have no history. You have no culture. I

can do what I want to you. And no one cares.

What brought you to the clinic here today? I haven't told anyone. But I've been thinking that I'm pregnant from the rape. So I came to check. And I

discovered I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, our Nima Elbagir joins me now live. She's covering the story tonight from Khartoum in Sudan. Nima, you've been doing some really

compelling reporting on how rape is being used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia. And we've heard now from the Prime Minister whose responded

saying any soldier found responsible of rape in the Tigray region will be held accountable. Just how will that be?

ELBAGIR: Well, that is the key question, given that this was a rap -- bearing.

KINKADE: All right, it seems we've got some technical difficulties there with our Nima Elbagir. We're going to try and get her back shortly. For now

though, I want to turn to Brazil, the COVID-19 situation they're absolutely dire.

We have fixed our connection with our guests. I want to bring in Dr. Margareth Dalcolmo, a Respiratory Physician and a Researcher for Brazil's

Fiocruz Institute. She joins us now from Rio de Janeiro. Good to have you with us.

DR. MARGARETH DALCOLMO, CLINICAL RESEARCHER, FIOCRUZ: Yes, it's my pleasure to be speaking with you and CNN.

KINKADE: The death toll now in Brazil is the highest since the pandemic began. Certainly every single day we are seeing that daily death toll break

the last record. And in terms of hospitals, we're seeing a run out in terms of supply of oxygen. Hospitals are running out and people are dying waiting

for ICU beds. Just explain what it looks like for you on the grid?

[11:15:00]

DALCOLMO: Yes, the situation we are live in is the worst moment in Brazil with more than 3000 deaths, as you mentioned, and an overwhelming

occupation of the hospitals. So everything you have mentioned is true. So what we need in Brazil in this very moment is to have good program and the

good base of vaccination.

This is what we need. As we know, as you know, Brazil has very traditional and good problem of immunization included recognize it internationally, but

we don't need enough vaccines to use in our population. This is something that I would pledge that the international negotiation can help Brazil to

have enough vaccines to be used very quickly in our population.

KINKADE: Doctor we know right now, more than 295,000 people in Brazil have died as a result of COVID-19. This is only second to the death toll we're

seeing here in the United States. And throughout this, we've seen the leader there in Brazil dismiss the Pandemic dismiss the virus calling it

the little flu. How difficult is it as a healthcare leader to counter that narrative?

DALCOLMO: Oh, yes. It has been very difficult for all the academic ability to live with a sort of paradoxical rhetoric between what we say everyday

alarming, and informing the population informing that the pandemic getting worse. And some authorities say that it was not important using to even to

use masks, or to keep social distancing.

And things like this that is obviously very important for us. So we did achieve some good results, but very poor, we could save many lives. But in

this very moment, Brazil is lacking would say the good negotiation we have lost the good moments to make the proper negotiations to assure vaccines

for everyone.

And the stack -- administrative measure to keep social distancing in big cities of Brazil provide the ideal conditions for the virus to have

mutations and that provide the conditions for Brazil to have a variant that are highly circulated in the country.

KINKADE: I want to ask you a little bit more about that in just a moment. But I just want to get back to the president and what he was saying in his

most recent press conference, that this will be the year of vaccinations for Brazil 2021. What do you make of that, given that he certainly has

pushed back against any concerns over this virus for the last year?

DALCOLMO: Yes, it's very difficult for us to deal with this. But we hope with the new minister of health, the fourth -- the fourth one in one year,

actually, that we could establish at least a new kind of good conversation. And, you know, understanding between the academic communities, the

Brazilian one, which is very strong, as you know.

And so we need to establish a dialogue that didn't exist while all these years. So if the president is saying that this year, we'll get the

vaccinations to make this a real would say, thing or -- rhetoric. It should be more than rhetoric needs to have the negotiations that were short enough

number of doses of vaccines to start a real -- they could cooperate in the Brazilian population.

KINKADE: Alright, Dr. Margareth Dalcolmo, good to have you on the program despite some of our technical issues. We appreciate your time.

DALCOLMO: Thank you so much.

KINKADE: And all the best to you. Well, at this hour more than a dozen ships are waiting to pass through the Suez Canal. That's one of the world's

busiest trade routes. This comes after a container ship ran aground blocking the canal. We'll be ever given ran into high winds and a dust

storm, which made navigation difficult.

At last check tugboats are making some progress in fraying the boat. Now Emerging Markets Editor John Defterios takes a look at how such an incident

could happen.

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: A traffic jam is one of the most important waterways in the world. The Suez Canal was blocked on

Tuesday when a very large container carrier got stuck preventing other vessels from moving in either direction along the crucial East West trading

route that weighs around 12 percent of world trade.

[11:20:00]

DEFTERIOS: Sailing under the flag of Panama the ever given ran around six nautical miles from the southern end of the estuary, 400 meters long and 59

meters wide, the giant vessel got caught navigating through a sandstorm. The crew reported no injuries and no damage to cargo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCUS BAKER, GLOBAL HEAD OF MARINE & CARGO, MARSH INC: And I want to get, you know, diggers out to just dig out the sand and hopefully, that'll allow

a little bit of room to pull the bowels around and then we can free this ship and hopefully it will be able to proceed on its way along with

everything else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEFTERIOS: Eight tugboats are attempting to refloat the ship according to the Suez Canal Authority. A senior canal pilot tells CNN that the process

could take two days to a week and bounce the ship can sail and will need to be dragged. Nevertheless, the senior pilot believes once floated, there

will be two to three days of ship congestion before things are flowing normally.

Analytics Report Texas said that 10 oil tankers carrying 13 million barrels of crude about 14 percent of daily demand could be affected by the delay.

Nearly 19,000 ships on average more than 50 ships per day pass through the canal last year.

A man made engineering marvel but busy Egyptian shipping lane is the quickest maritime link between Asia and Europe, at least when unobstructed.

John Defterios, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

KINKADE: Well, Richard Meade joins us now for some expert analysis. He's the Managing Editor of Lloyd's List and covers all aspects of the maritime

industry and global trade. Good to have you with us.

RICHARD MEADE, MANAGING EDITOR, LLOYD'S LIST: Thanks for having me.

KINKADE: So in terms of just how busy there's this trading route is it takes fuel, food manufactured goods, about 12 percent of global trade

passes through this, what did you make of it when you saw this tanker massive tanker, that seems completely wedged in the middle of the canal?

MEADE: With an unprecedented, or an unprecedented situation, we have seen a number of rounding -- years 2016 we're approaching this one blocking

transit route. But the difference there is much more. This is a huge box. It was one of the biggest operational Angular ships in the world. If you

imagine the box in view, as you can see on the back of trucks, is what we call the TBO -- Three Foot Elon unit, this ship has $20,000 it is in orange

is one of the largest.

And therefore this is a seismic fitting operation to actually shift out of the really luxury route. The question is going to be how long it takes to

clear this? It takes a couple of days that will be absorbed vary by the industry if it's longer than that within a significant amount of global

trade being rerouted and a significant exposure, that that could be a problem.

KINKADE: Yeah, we certainly already saw that the oil markets are spooked by this at this very early stage. So the ramifications obviously going to be

much bigger if this takes much longer than ours, but certainly it's certainly days.

MEADE: Yes, I mean, the current industry is weighing up -- both ends went on the assumption that it's going to take a couple of days to clear

injection, or do they start rushing around Africa, that will add days a significant amount of money in terms of fuel bills to trade?

It will cause a huge amount of delays to global. And nobody really wants to do that. But at the moment it's a bit of a standoff. Nobody really wants to

make a bet and let's see what's happening. Now you said that there is some movement in the shipping. We have those reports as well. And I've heard

from the manager who says extra monitoring is partially refloated. It's still very much there. So you have to see what happens at the high time and

see -- leadership.

KINKADE: Yeah, hopefully the high tide does indeed help. Richard Meade, we have had some technical issues just trying to hear you but good to have you

with us. Appreciate it.

MEADE: Cheers, thank you.

KINKADE: Well, Australia's Prime Minister cause the flood damage significant after touring the Western Sydney flood zone via helicopter.

Scott Morrison released pictures on his Facebook page. He says the floods are taking a heavy toll on New South Wales, where tens of thousands of

people have had to flee their homes were two men were found drowned in their cars.

[11:25:00]

KINKADE: Certainly there's been a huge effort to try and rescue wildlife and cattle and other livestock in the region. We'll continue to keep you up

to date on that story. Well, you are watching "Connect the World" coming to you live from the CNN Center here in Atlanta.

Still to come, Lebanon's already dire economic crisis is getting worse as its leaders agree -- to agree on -- failed to agree rather on a new

government. We're going to have a live report from Beirut next.

Plus, silence on the streets of Myanmar after weeks of demonstrations against a military coup. Find out why protesters are keeping quiet today

all that much more coming up on "Connect the World".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Lebanon's political leaders are under increasing pressure to end an eight month long government stalemate. The feuding Prime

Minister Designate and President again failed to reach agreement after meeting on Monday and as the country's dire economic situation grows worse.

Ben Wedeman joins me now from Beirut after a visit to Tripoli where Lebanon's rampant poverty is apparent every day. And Ben of course, we have

seen inflation skyrocket over 400 percent in a year. And suddenly there are so many people now that can't afford basic staples.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORERSPONDENT: And basically, the price of bread today went up for the third time in nine months. It's more

than doubled since last May. What is blatantly clear here is that this crisis has still a long, long way to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN (voice over): The faded pictures of politicians from Lebanon's last election three years ago graced the walls of -- one of the poorest

neighborhoods of Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city and it's poorest. Business below in the market for second hand goods is slow poverty here, a

constant.

The richest people in Lebanon are here in Tripoli, says 62 year old -- the leaders, dogs don't care about anyone -- lives with 11 members of his

extended family in two cramped rooms. Years of winter rains have left stained where the water drips into the sitting room, which doubles as a

bedroom at night.

A picture on the wall speaks of better days now long gone. Ahmed has been ill for years. He can't afford basic medicines or much else. I don't eat

meat he says I just smell it from the market. It's two three years we don't know what meat is in my house.

[11:30:00]

WEDEMAN (voice over): Activist -- brought leftover food from restaurants to Ahmed's house to share with the poor and company. She too has lost faith in

Lebanon's politicians. Must we cry and bleed and all of you remain leaders she asks. It's not logical. We're done. We're fed up.

Tripoli has been the scene of violent protests against the political elite. In the last two years, the local currency has lost more than 80 percent of

its value against the dollar. Annual inflation last year was more than 80 percent. Unemployment is rising. Lebanon teeters on the brink of collapse.

And all the while the politicians squabble over the shrinking spoils, unable to form a government since the last one resigned nearly eight months

ago after the Beirut port blast. They're running away from the disaster says the -- shopkeeper. They're running away from the collapse. They're

running away from their theft, there's no government, and we're heading toward the abyss or bullet holes on the walls of the city, a reminder of

what that abyss could bring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: And many people here have concluded that the reason why the politicians simply can't come together and form a new government is that

nobody actually wants to be steering the ship of Lebanon when it sinks Lynda.

KINKADE: And Ben of course, as we say, poverty and extreme poverty rise. The value of salaries paid to police officers and to soldiers certainly has

fallen and it raises a big security issue and concern so over potential civil war.

WEDEMAN: In fact, Lynda, we've heard from both the head of the army and the interior minister who have warned that as a result of the declining

salaries that their men are receiving, that this will have an impact on public security, for instance, because of the declining value of the

Lebanese lira and the ability of people to purchase basic goods.

The equivalent in dollars of a Lebanese army sergeant, which was a year and a half ago $860 salary a month is now just about $90. And therefore there

is a real worry that the people are supposed to maintain law and order simply aren't going to have the wherewithal or the will to do that Lynda.

KINKADE: Dire situation on so many fronts there. Ben Wedeman for us in Beirut thanks so much for being asked that report. All is quiet on the

streets of Myanmar protesters have been holding a silent strike after a seven year old girl was reportedly shot and killed by security forces

inside her own home.

The silent demonstration calls for everyone to stay inside and for businesses to be closed. While the growing number of Myanmar refugees are

fleeing to India in the aftermath of that military coup. Even some police officers who refuse to shoot their own people are now speaking safety and

shelter away from home. CNN's Vedika Sud reports.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right behind me is the Mizoram, Myanmar's international border. Mizoram is one of the four northeastern states in

India that shares a border with neighboring Myanmar. Ever since the military junta took over in Myanmar hundreds of people have been fleeing

the country.

CNN spoke with a 36 year old pregnant woman who crossed into India along with a five year old daughter and her husband who she says served in the

police force. He has the story.

A close call for this woman and a family pregnant with a second child she crossed over from Myanmar into India's Northeastern State of Mizoram, along

with a five year old daughter and husband. We're not giving her name since she fears for her family back home.

She says her husband a police officer refused to shoot at his own people as ordered by Myanmar's military junta. With three bags full of clothes,

little money and the Bible the family fled their hometown in the thick of night, undertaking an almost 200 kilometer long journey on motorbike and on

foot.

[11:35:00]

SUD: This border crossing between India and Myanmar has been close for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However Indian officials say more

than 400 refugees desperate to flee the military junta crackdown have crossed over with the help of local activists.

This man from the ethnic -- community is one such activist. He fears being identified by security forces, so we're not giving his name. A strong

network between activists and relatives of refugees on both sides of the border helps facilitate their escape, but not without risks.

He says the relief refugees feel after escaping the clutches of Myanmar's military junta is short lived. The family is given temporary shelter by a

group of volunteers. She hopes to return with her daughter and unborn child to the country someday.

But the escalating violence and chaos in Myanmar could make testy as refugees in India a long one. We have spoken to two more people who crossed

into India from Myanmar. They claimed the military junta has ordered the police to shoot at protesters.

CNN cannot independently verify these claims or the teams made by the woman or local activists. We did reach out to the Myanmar Embassy for a response

but have not received any so far.

KINKADE: Our Vedika Sud there. Well, we are getting a new look at the devastation left by a fire at Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. You can

see these satellite images the camp in November. And what's left of it now. Well, thousands of Rohingya refugees are now displaced. Rohingya Muslims

that fled Myanmar after a crackdown by the army. Many are calling it ethnic cleansing.

Well, no word yet and what started Monday is thousands of shelters were destroyed. At least 15 people have been killed, hundreds remain missing.

And survivors say all they could do was grab their family and run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I couldn't save any of our belongings. I was busy saving my children from the fire. We simply ran from our house. I don't see

anything left and tucked everything has burned to the ground. I don't see anything remaining that I've got on my machine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband and son were not at home. We couldn't retrieve anything. We were scared and rent on the house. There was an old

relative at home who has been missing since yesterday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: We are watching "Connect the World". Still to come, forget Jefferson in Paris. The U.S. has Anthony Blinken in Brussels; top U.S.

diplomat grew up in Paris and calls Europe a vital partner. But will we be able to reconnect with old allies? We'll have a live report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

KINKADE: I saw a notice of discord in an otherwise extended display of unity with European allies and NATO states. America's top diplomat is in

Brussels to reaffirm the Biden Administration's commitment to its allies. Anthony Blinken also signaling to Russia and China that any aggression will

face a unified front but then came that morning.

Our Nic Robertson is ready to explain all of it joining us now live from London. Good to see you, Nic. So I want to start first, obviously, with the

U.S. Secretary of State, saying he's going to force allies into an U.S. versus them he wants to reset after four years of friction under the Trump

administration. But at the same time, he did warn NATO allies about doing business with China and Russia.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: He did. And he framed it in a way that we're stronger working together. We have common interests

and a common threat here, that our common interests are that we share democracy and value human rights.

And therefore we can work together economically to put pressure on those rising autocracies like China, like Russia, that would try to undermine our

values for their game. So he was making that pitch, but he didn't say it's my way or the highway.

He said we're not going to force you into those positions. And I think it was very interesting as well, you know, just the whole tone that he said,

being so different from the Trump Administration. And on that point that Trump kept banging home with NATO that they had to make their 2 percent GDP

defense spending commitments.

And he said, look, we're working towards this, we're doing it within the framework of what was agreed at NATO in 2014 in Wales, the deadline is

2024. We're working towards it, he said, but we're going to look at this more broadly, more broadly than the Trump Administration.

We're going to look at it that different nations contribute different things, and sometimes what they're contributing, it's not a monetary value,

per se and military spend is what they're doing in terms of sort of softer diplomacy that actually has leverage on the issues that we all want to

leverage on.

And that was sort of, if you will, in some ways, an olive branch to Germany, because, you know, Germany was criticized so much by President

Trump for being so sort of low on that scale of reaching the 2 percent. Germany has said that it would make that target in 2024.

So Blinken putting you know a softer frame on it, particularly applicable to Germany. But on Germany, he was also tough about the Nord Stream II

pipeline, he said, it's a bad idea. President Biden said it's a bad idea. It undermines European security. And he met one on one with the German

Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas. And this is what he said, he told him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We will continue to monitor activity to complete or recertify the pipeline. And if that activity takes

place, we'll make a determination on the applicability of sanctions. And this was, I think, you know, useful as well, for me to have an opportunity

to discuss directly with Foreign Minister Maas just to make clear our position and to make sure that there's no ambiguity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So that's diplomatic speak for, you know, what we're saying. There's a line and we'd rather you didn't cross it.

KINKADE: Know in some terms. All right, Nic Robertson, we'll have to leave it there for now. Certainly a lot to discuss, but we will check in with you

again, soon. Thank you.

Well, as we mentioned, NATO is calling out Russia that might not come as a big surprise. It was set up during the Cold War to push back against the

Soviet Union after all. In just the last few hours we heard from the Secretary General, who spoke to foreign ministers saying that Russia has

quote, repressive behavior at home and aggressive behavior abroad.

Case in point Moscow's alleged activities in the Balkans. And this week, Bulgaria expelled two Russian diplomats after it broke up an alleged spy

ring. CNN's Nina Dos Santos investigates.

[11:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is what a spy ring allegedly looks like a woman leaves the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria's

Capital Sofia with what prosecutors claim is a bag full of cash.

Later an operative appears to swap it for different currencies, while another allegedly snaps classified documents on a specialist you phone.

Last week Bulgaria arrested six of its own citizens in a sting the country is branding it's most significant since the Second World War.

The incident has led to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats and this warning from the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

BOYKO BORISSOV, BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER: I again address the superiors to stop spying in Bulgaria. Friendship is friendship we have always

demonstrated it but euro Atlantic partnerships cannot be jeopardized.

SANTOS (voice over): The woman filmed by undercover cops is a dual Bulgarian and Russian national. She was trusted by the Russian diplomats

accredited in Bulgaria. She was playing the role of a mediator between the resident and employee of the Embassy of the Russian Federation as she was

passing information and money.

Authorities say she's married to the group suspected ringleader, a former head of military intelligence code named the resident. Prosecutors say this

is him discussing cash for intelligence in this wiretap.

Among the evidence put forward this memo supposedly soliciting details of EU policy towards Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, as well as U.S. activities

in Bulgaria and a new NATO Coordination Center on the Black Sea Coast.

The alleged agents also took screenshots of sensitive files, including this one mentioning American F-16 fighter jets that Bulgaria recently began

using.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not hate any foreign country, but we must protect Bulgaria. We were protecting our national interest. We should not sell it

for money.

SANTOS (voice over): Russia responded saying it's being demonized or the UK, the U.S. and neighboring North Macedonia all lent their support to the

criminal investigation. Between 2019 and 2025 Russian diplomats were expelled by Sofia for purported espionage, giving Bulgaria now a NATO

member with historical ties to Russia. A reputation is this soft target says this author was penned several books on spying.

SANTOS (on camera): Why Bulgaria?

EDWARD LUCAS, CENTER FOR EUROPEAN POLICY ANALYSIS: Espionage is bit like globalization. It doesn't really matter what the national borders are. The

question is what can you buy and what can you sell?

I think Bulgaria may have realized that it was the object of a mixture of mistrust and mockery from some of the other NATO countries because of the

close ties to Russia, both in terms of organized crime, espionage, business, energy and other things. And I think they're trying to turn

things around.

SANTOS (voice over): Either way Bulgaria's actions come at a sensitive time, just as the Biden Administration attends its first NATO Summit, and

weeks before the country's general elections. Nina Dos Santos, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, still ahead, Etihad Airways is looking ahead to a post pandemic return to travel. We'll hear from the CEO of Abu Dhabi Flight

Carrier about what safety measures are being taken to get back into the air. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

KINKADE: Well, a Banksy, painting honoring healthcare workers is sold for more than $23 million an auction record for the elusive street artist. The

symbolic painting showing a boy ditching his typical superhero figurines to play with a toy nurse in a superhero cape. Well, Christie's Auction House

which sold the painting says the proceeds will help support Britain's National Health Service.

Well, it's been a year since COVID-19 brought global travel to a virtual standstill. And despite the vaccine rollout, a return to normal still seems

very much up in the air. Etihad Airways was forced to ground its fleet last March. And since then the company has reported a loss of $1.7 billion. So

what would a travel recovery for a gulf carrier airline such as this look like? Well, CNN's John Defterios sat down with a company's CEO to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY DOUGLAS, GROUP CEO, ETIHAD AVIATION: We're assuming that it will be around for the foreseeable future. And we're assuming that the traveling

public will need that level of confidence to the standards of how the cabins are presented. The earth filtration, the elimination of touch

points, the way in which Etihad was the only airline is still is in the world.

Since last August, whereby you need to be 100 percent PCR tested at both points of origin and pointed arrival.

DEFTERIOS: This is a country that has very high vaccination rates, some of the highest in the world. As a matter of fact, what do you do of striking

the balance for those who don't have access to vaccines, even into 2022, and you want them to travel to avoid inequality?

DOUGLAS: You know, a year ago, let's face it, most of us weren't talking about PCR tests. A year ago, we certainly weren't talking much about

vaccines. And now it's pretty much the norm as these things roll out. The little ways is countries that we'll be able to adapt and adopt more

quickly.

And the challenge will be as you rightly say to make sure that inequality doesn't become a handicap in part in getting the world back to normal.

DEFTERIOS: Would one have to have a vaccine or be vaccinated to travel though that's -- is that the bottom line? Or is that the negative PCR that

can still work?

DOUGLAS: For us, we believe that vaccine and or an appropriate test will definitely be part of the future. And there's lots of ways now where people

are looking at how that becomes certified with vaccine certificates, wellness passports.

DEFTERIOS: Its interest interesting, because I ought to has this travel pass; it's developing the European Union, the green certificate. How long

will it take to have a common global standard, six months, perhaps longer because people are eager to get back into the skies?

DOUGLAS: It's our belief that the solution isn't perhaps quite as complicated, as one would imagine. But how it gets globally adopted and

adapted to be worth the time consuming challenge will be. For sure it will start in the coming months. It will probably take upwards of a year to roll

out. But I do believe it will become part of the new norm.

The trick to this now is for global leaders and the political community to align on how this can be rolled out from a solution point of view,

particularly vaccines all around the world?

DEFTERIOS: Is there pent up demand right now? What do you seen in terms of bookings for the summer months? Are people itching to go? Or where does it

tie into the fact they need more security, and that's where your wellness program comes into play for Etihad?

DOUGLAS: It's going to go off like a fire hydrant. Hold that thought in your mind, there is so much pent up demand. Every time a country comes on a

green list, even if it's only for a relatively limited period of time our booking curve goes through the roof.

DEFTERIOS: In that context then when do we get back to pre pandemic levels where we were at the end of 2019? Realistically, it's a four year journey

to get there?

DOUGLAS: So a year ago, many of the analysts the bigger airlines the general observers had a range between mid 2022 to mid 2023 when you would

expect to get back to 2019 numbers. I think it's fair to say over the course of the last year that's moved almost in a linear way to the right.

So our current take is we're probably talking mid 2023.

DEFTERIOS: You have the Abraham Accord with Israel and if I looked at Istanbul, Tel Aviv, the frequency is six, seven flights a day for the UAE

in general; could you get to that scale because of the trade and political ambitions that are here within the UAE?

DOUGLAS: I have absolutely no doubt back to pent up demand, both from Israel coming to the UAE and the UAE going to Israel that will see those

roots becoming very popular indeed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:55:00]

KINKADE: Well, and a programming note we have here at CNN. We'll have an exclusive report on the Uyghur parents desperate to reunite with their

children. Amnesty International says China's policies towards the Muslim minority have split up thousands of families. David Culver travels to

Xinjiang to look for the children who've been left behind. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Followed by a convoy of suspected undercover Chinese police vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tailed is still on us.

CULVER (voice over): Blocking roads that lead to possible internment camps, keeping us from getting too close to so called sensitive sites. CNN

searching for the last Uyghur children of Xinjiang thousands of families have now been ripped apart due to China's actions. We tracked down two of

them. Do you want to be with them? Do you do you miss them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: exclusive report there "The Lost Children of Xinjiang" report debuts on AC 360 Wednesday night here in the United States. And of course

you can see it throughout the day on Thursday right here on CNN.

Well, thanks so much for watching this edition of "Connect the World" with me Lynda Kinkade. You can catch me on twitter @lyndakinkade from all of our

team here at CNN "Connect the World" stay safe, stay well and goodbye.

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END