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Civilian Myanmar Ambassador to U.N. Pleads For Urgent Help; China Fires Back After W.H.O. Says Beijing Limited Access; New Oil Benchmark for the Middle East; Pfizer: COVID Vaccine 100 Percent Effective in Children Aged 12-15. Aired 11:20-11:40a ET
Aired March 31, 2021 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. We will get you back to the trial of Derek Chauvin shortly. But
first a check of your international headlines this hour and in just a few hours from now the UN Security Council will gather for an emergency meeting
on Myanmar.
Britain called the meeting after a weekend of extreme deadly force against crowds protesting the military coup at the same time. We're hearing an
urgent plea from the Ambassador who represents the country's ousted government at the UN he says the world must intervene and quickly to save
innocent lives.
The ousted civilian leader Aung San Sui Shi remains locked up although she's just had an important first meeting with her lawyer. That's the first
meeting since this coup began. Will Ripley has more from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For the first time in this nearly two month long military coup, Myanmar's detained civilian leader
Aung San Sui Shi was finally able to meet with her lawyer virtually. The first time she's been able to do so since she was detained on February 1st,
and kept in isolation.
Her lawyer says that she is in good health but a lot of people along the border with Thailand. Well, they're really uncertain what's going to happen
with them right now, because Thailand is saying that it is providing assistance to people who tried to flee across the border into their
country.
But activist groups are telling a very different story. They say that thousands of people are internally displaced hiding out of the jungle
because they were refused entry to Thailand, pushed back into Myanmar, but they're too afraid to go home.
CNN can't independently verify these claims. But we did see a photo that was submitted to us showing refugees reportedly being denied entry to
Thailand, boarding a boat his soldiers watched to go back to an uncertain and potentially dangerous future. Military jets have been carrying out the
first bombing raids in Myanmar in 20 years.
They reportedly killed six people on Tuesday and a five year old child over the weekend. A growing number of children have died since this coup began.
And a lot of the protesters being killed are young people who grew up before the military dictatorship before the fear of the violence that they
are now seeing and sharing on social media.
Thailand's Prime Minister is saying that people were not exactly pushed back. He says they were asked if there was a problem, some sort of conflict
in their home village and if the answer was no then they were asked to go back home. But human rights groups accused Thailand of forcing people back
into a conflict zone.
Myanmar sadly, is no stranger to this entire armed rebel groups have been fighting the military on and off for the past seven years, and Thailand has
the capacity to host a lot of refugees. They've hosted tens of thousands and nine main border camps because of the ongoing violence in Myanmar. Will
Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, China says investigators should look at other countries to find out how the Coronavirus started? Beijing taking issue with the World
Health Organization and more than a dozen nations who claim that China did not give investigators all the information they needed.
Well, the W.H.O. released its report on the virus' origins on Tuesday but didn't come up with any concrete answers. Meanwhile, in Brazil, the country
reporting its most COVID-19 deaths in a single day on Tuesday more than 3700 Brazil now outpacing the us in terms of new infections and deaths and
hospitals there being pushed to the limit.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Pfizer and BioNTech say their COVID vaccine is 100 percent effective in 12 to 15 year olds and well tolerated to they say. Pfizer says
it plans to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as possible for expanded emergency use authorization.
Now the shorts already got the OK in the U.S. for emergency use in people aged 16 and older. Pfizer also says it will have a ready to use COVID-19
vaccine by the second half of the year. The current formulation is concentrated and requires the addition of saline before being given this
new vaccine will eliminate this step.
In Germany, there are new restrictions over the AstraZeneca vaccine. The government says it's limiting the COVID shot to people aged 60 and above.
Let's see advice of its vaccination committee following reports of rare blood clots. Germany's Health Minister is appealing to people over 60 to go
ahead and get the AstraZeneca shot.
Meanwhile, Serbia outpacing richer EU neighboring countries by mile foreigners flocking from all over the region to get COVID vaccines and the
Serbs not turning anyone away. Here is Fred Pleitgen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An abundance of vaccine doses and a lightning fast rollout. Serbia a non EU
state is setting the pace in Europe fully vaccinating people with two doses quicker than any other country on the continent. Zoran Cakic just got his
second shot.
ZORAN CAKIC, BELGRADE RESIDENT: About 10, 15 minutes.
PLEITGEN: That was very easy.
CAKIC: Very easy, very, very smooth, very fast.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Serbia has so much vaccine they're even offering free shots to foreigners like Tomas Cupr from the Czech Republic who came
here on a work trip and decided to get inoculated as well.
TOMAS CUPR, VACCINE RECIPIENT: Freedom, I guess, freedom to behave normally again.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Serbia's secret, they ordered vaccines early, they ordered a lot and they ordered from various manufacturers Chinese, Russian
and Western companies. The country's biggest Vaccine Center at the Belgrade fair alone administered around 8000 doses per day the center's Head says.
ZORAN BEKIC, HEAD OF VACCINATION CENTER AT BELGRADE FAIR: Thanks to authorities in our country, we have I think much more vaccines than in
other parts in Europe.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Another key to the fast rollout, an easy to use registration site that cuts down on unnecessary bureaucracy Serbia's Head
of Governing explains.
MIHAILO JOVANOVIC, SERBIAN DIRECTOR OF IT AND E-GOVERNING: Your ID number, name surname, and it's very important email address, mobile phone or fixed
phone because we are going to invite you via SMS and email.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Unlike the EU, which is facing severe vaccine shortages, Serbia is donating vaccines to neighboring countries and
allowing their citizens to get vaccinated in Serbia, making the country a regional vaccination hub. Also out of self interest, the Prime Minister
tells me.
ANA BRNABIC, SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are also trying to support mostly the region. So our neighboring countries North Macedonia, Montenegro,
Boston Capsugel Vina because if I mean we are - we are a small region and if they are not safe, even when we get the collective immunity we are now
going to be safe.
PLEITGEN (voice over): But like many countries, Serbia is facing rising numbers of new Coronavirus infections and has had to put new restrictions
in place. The only way out of the pandemic the government believes is to keep vaccinating as fast as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Fred Pleitgen reporting for you. Suez Canal officials are set to begin their investigation into the blocked water way
by boarding the ship that blocked it. They want to know if indeed it was a dust storm and wind that ran this massive container ship aground.
Now one of the investigators says if the crew doesn't get access to the ship's black box and data, a lawsuit will be filed and all of its cargo
will be seized. That could be as many as 20,000 containers.
Well, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is announcing a $3 trillion stimulus program. Some of the money will come from the private
sector to major fuel companies, Aramco and SABIC already on board this is part of a larger plan to diversify the Saudi economy.
Well, Abu Dhabi taking on the big players of the global oil market. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC has launched a new benchmark intended
to rival Brent and West Texas Intermediate or WTI as it is know. This new one is being called a new era for global energy markets. John Defterios
connects us to the details.
[11:30:00]
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR (on camera): Deep in the heart of the Arabian Desert you'll find Abu Dhabi's most prolific oilfield making
up half of the UAE's daily production capacity of nearly 4 million barrels. Oil was discovered here back in 1953 with the first exports coming a decade
later.
The UAE is now OPEC's third largest producer. This is the oil more bond light crude with 60 customers in 30 countries with heavy demand coming from
China, Japan and South Korea. From this day forward, it's out to make a bigger name for itself.
Sultan Al Jaber, the Group Chief Executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC has led the drive to take it to the global futures market
where over a billion barrels of contracts are traded daily.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULTAN AL JABER, GROUP CEO, ADNOC: This new contract represents a great value proposition and a win, win for everyone involved. Customers will be
able to better manage market risks, while more value will be created for producers.
DEFTERIOS (voice over): This means that Murban Crude out of the UAE will take a seat alongside two global benchmarks, North Sea Brent and West Texas
Intermediate. The first major shakeup in the oil futures market and over three decades in a region that provides about a fifth of daily supplies and
half of the proven oil reserves strategists say it's high time to recognize the energy links between the Middle East and Asia.
ROBIN MILLS, CEO, QAMAR ENERGY: That always has been an anomaly that the Middle East is the world's major oil exporting region. Asia is the world's
major oil importing region and yet that crude has been priced off benchmarks traded in Europe. And this launcher should address anomaly if
it's widely adopted.
DEFTERIOS (voice over): The Murban Crude is shipped via pipeline to the UAE's Fujairah Port in the East, which sits just south of the Strait of
Hormuz, bypassing security risk at the choke point. Futures contracts such as Murban cannot be large scale overnight strategists say but ADNOC is
coming to the fore with nine international oil companies and traders, which it hopes will build momentum.
The international exchange known as ICE is partnering with the UAE for trading on ICE Futures Abu Dhabi breaking with regional tradition like in
Saudi Arabia, which sets a fixed price each month as the world's number one exporter. Murban will trade on the open market with the global benchmark
Brent.
STUART WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT, ICE FUTURES EUROPE: The strategic move that ADNOC is now spearheading to have barrels freely traded and really form
part of that kind of free flow of crude around the world is been - has been a key inflection point.
AL JABER: This represents a significant milestone for ADNOC, for ICE for our customers and of course, for all our partners.
DEFTERIOS (voice over): Meaning the name Murban coming from this field is out to become a brand far beyond those who import it today. John Defterios,
CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, families in Mozambique are desperately waiting for word on their loved ones after the deadly siege in the northern town of Parma. ISIS
fighters have claimed responsibility for the terror attack the left dozens of people dead with many still missing. Listen to what one survivor had to
say about the terrifying attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The attacks that's when we visit came me being in coma. And it just said like three o'clock or four o'clock in the afternoon. So we
went away to - Company - those people started to shout that stood around the place. So we stayed two days in a hotel. We lived in hotel no one was
allowed to go outside. So this is the last day which we ran away. There was a mobster to shoot in Amarillo--
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's David McKenzie following the story from Johannesburg for us David?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, that's right. This has been a real escalation of the fighting and has taken really given the world
notice of this insurgency in northern Mozambique though it has been a problem for some years now.
I spoke to Lionel Dyck, the Head of a Mercenary Group that is lauded for rescuing scores of civilians both Mozambican and expats in the aftermath of
that attack. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL DYCK, FOUNDER & CEO, DYCK ADVISORY GROUP: The situation on the ground was awful when - got there. The first thing they saw was two food
trucks on the road and where the drivers had obviously been pulled out and their assistance and being beheaded. They were lying next to their cars.
And then there were more people around that had been buried and then we came under fire from these people. And obviously we do what we do best we
engage them.
MCKENZIE: What is the situation now in Parma?
DYCK: It's not much different. And these people are still all in their houses, they live in houses, they live amongst the people and they cannot
shoot you and run to the houses. It's a standard ISIS type tactic to hide amongst the people. I think the operation Northern Mozambique is like a
cancer, it will insidiously grow because there is quite a good growing ground for them.
[11:35:00]
DYCK: And as they grow and there's no real control of this, or they could lose that province. And losing their province would be a huge political
benefit to the terrorists. And of course the government would battle. So right now, I see no ships only hardships.
MCKENZIE: What do you feel about that reputation that private military contractors have in this region?
DYCK: We have that reputation to good or bad. I don't understand. You know, we're doing something and right now today we doing something that nobody
else can do or wanted to do. So use what you got, and ever look if it's not efficient, fire us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE (on camera): Well, Amnesty International has accused that group of indiscriminate attacks but Dyck calls those accusations unfair. They say
they just want to do the job that they've been hired for. Becky.
ANDERSON: David McKenzie, here is in Johannesburg watching the story. And that is a wrap of your latest headlines around the world. I'm Becky
Anderson in Abu Dhabi, taking you back now to our coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial in the murder of George Floyd. Omar Jimenez is our reporter
on that story, have a listen.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: --or perhaps ill she appeared to be fanning herself. So that's when a break was called. And the judge said it
was five minutes, but clearly something else seems to be going on where there needs to take a little bit more time.
But again, just to add, it does seem that something is happening with one of the jurors that they want to check in on. It's unclear what that is at
the moment. Now when trying - when the testimony was going on and prior to that we do have a representative from the George Floyd family who's in the
courtroom, as a lot of they have one spot for the George Floyd family and one for the Chauvin family.
But at least for the Floyd family Shareeduh Tate is her name. She's a cousin of George Floyd, a registered nurse from Houston. And before court
got going today she was asked by again, the court reporter who's inside about how yesterday's testimony from the bystanders affected her because of
course, she's a family member watching this.
And she said the whole day yesterday was emotional, watching that bystander testimony, I could almost feel like I was living in that moment with them
countless times, I myself have wished I would have been able to intervene. And obviously with her as a registered nurse background, there are things
that maybe she would have liked to do even watching from a distance.
But that is really the - what is happening from inside the courtroom right now. Again, we're in this break, trying to figure out what's happening with
this with this juror, as we understand when we get back we will continue testimony from Christopher Martin.
Of course, who's the cashier at Cup Foods who is laying out all of the context about what led up to the call to police over a counterfeit $20 bill
about when George Boyd handed him this money who is examining it, he laid out the store policy of if you take counterfeit money, you then have to pay
it back from your personal paycheck.
He considered doing that. He then reconsidered it got a manager - the manager told him to go out to the car to speak with Floyd they did that
twice. And that is where things were left. Of course, he's the ninth witness that's been called so far in this trial.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Yes, Christopher Martin just doing his job not knowing of course that his world and the country would change in the
subsequent minutes and hours. As you noted, there appears to be a juror who is a bit ill right now. So we are going to wait for that juror to come
back.
But if that doesn't happen if this juror does fall ill one of the 12 jurors, we know that there are alternate jurors as well. So Omar Jimenez,
you are going to be following this for us and we will bring you back to the courtroom as soon as that resumes.
But of course, there's other news developing throughout the day and we want to talk about COVID in particular. Some Governors are ignoring President
Biden's pleas for states to re impose mask mandates to slow the spread of COVID.
Here's what Mississippi's Republican Governor Tate Reeves tweeted, "Let me get this straight POTUS' Biden wants Mississippi to reverse course, and
reinstate a mask mandate because cases are going up in New York and New Jersey. No thank you, Mr. President".
Well, right now 26 states are seeing a spike in Coronavirus cases. This all comes as drug maker Pfizer releases the first results from his Coronavirus
vaccine trial on 12 to 15 year olds and the findings well, it couldn't be better. I'm going to bring in CNN's Kristen Holmes to break it down for us.
Kristen you can't get better than 100 percent, which is what these results appear to be, walk us through the data and its significance.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right Bianna. I mean, this is some really positive stuff when we talk about results. We're already
hearing from members of the medical community who are saying that this is likely going to serve as a green light to begin that process to get younger
people vaccinated.
So let's take a look at the data. This was a trial that was conducted among 12 to 15 year olds, and they found it was awesome.
END
