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Russians Call for new Strikes over Dugina Killing; Iran Drops "Red Line" Demand Amid Progress on Nuclear Deal; Taiwan Touts "Democracy Chips" During U.S. Governor's Visit; 21 Killed, 117 Wounded in Al-Shabaab Attack on Hotel; Extreme Drought Grants Access to "Spanish Stonehenge"; Finnish PM Under Fire after being Filmed Drinking, Dancing. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 22, 2022 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: This hour a vile, true crime. That is how Vladimir Putin the man who launched an unprovoked invasion into Ukraine is
describing the murder of Darya Dugina, the daughter of a man known as Putin's brain. And I am Becky Anderson, Hello and welcome back to "Connect
the World".
We begin this hour with Russia now saying it knows who murdered Darya Dugina. As we've been reporting, she was the daughter of a prominent
supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin killed in a car bombing this weekend near Moscow.
Keep in mind you've got the Russian security service created by the country's state news agency task claiming Ukrainian agent is behind her
murder. Ukrainians have been saying it wasn't them. I should say it rattles CNN's Fred Pleitgen back with us live from Moscow. For our viewer's sake,
Fred just who are the students and what do we know about them?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Becky, I would say that Darya Dugina in her own right was definitely a very
prominent commentator here on Russian state media. And also someone who, of course, very much was in favor for what Russia is currently doing in
Ukraine with the Russians call their special military operation, that war that's been going on for almost six months now.
But she was definitely someone who was very much in line with her father, and he is obviously the one who is really extremely prominent here in
Russia. Someone who's known very much as an hard-line ideologue, as a philosopher, as they say, and someone who said to have at least partially
possibly influenced Vladimir Putin's own thinking especially as far as Russian expansionism is concerned.
There are some who have labeled Alexander Dugan as Putin is brain and someone who's very, very extremely or who is extremely influential on
Vladimir Putin. I think that might bring things a little bit too far.
However, definitely Alexander Dugin, someone who is very prominent, very outspoken, and very hard-line in his view towards Russian imperialism
Russian expansionism and certainly someone who's very influential, especially in the Donbas region, which of course, right now is one of the
center points where the war in Ukraine is going on, Becky.
ANDERSON: We know the Russians are pointing the finger of blame for her murder at Ukraine. What do we know at this point?
PLEITGEN: Yes, you know what, this is something that's been extremely fast moving since this happened late on Saturday night. The Russians are now
coming out and saying that they've identified the person who they believe killed Darya Dugina and they're blaming Ukraine.
They're blaming Ukraine Special Services, as they say, and seeing that a Ukrainian woman entered Russia, moved into an apartment complex where Darya
Dugina was living, shadowed her and then also attended the same festival that Darya Dugina and her father were at on Saturday, and then obviously
was responsible for that murder.
And after the murderer managed to escape to Estonia and apparently did all this while traveling with her 12-year-old daughter. That's as far as the
Russians are concerned. That's what the FSB has put out.
The Ukrainians continue to deny that. They say that all of these shows that Russia is living in a fictional world, and they have been denying it since
this incident took place. But of course, this is something that can seriously further inflame the situation in Ukraine. Of course, which is so
violent anyway, there are already people very high up in the upper echelons of Russian state media, but also of politics were calling for an escalation
against Ukraine.
And Alexander Dugin himself has come out and called for victory over Ukraine because of the fact that his daughter was murdered Becky.
ANDERSON: Frederik Pleitgen is on the ground in Moscow, Fred, thanks you. Well, the killing has put Ukraine into a heightened state of alert even
within the context of this war. Russian media personalities demanding strikes on Kyiv as Fred suggested there as the Russian security service,
claimed a Ukrainian agent was behind Dugina'a death.
Ukraine's President has also warned that Russia may escalate tax in the run up to the country's Independence Day on Wednesday Ukraine's Independence
Day. Elsewhere, the Ukrainian military is resuming attacks on Russian targets in Kherson with Kyiv saying Russian forces have had partial success
in their advance. David McKenzie is on the ground in the Ukrainian Capital of Kyiv with the very latest.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, the very senior levels of the government, both military and civilian have hit
back at Russian accusations that this car blast had anything to do with Ukraine calling a fictional staged event.
[11:05:00]
MCKENZIE: They have been very quick; I have to say from multiple avenues of the government to strike back at those accusations. There is a heightened
sense of unease, I would say here in the Capital even before this blast near Moscow, the President Zelenskyy was saying that the aim of Russia this
week would potentially be to sow fear and despair amongst Ukrainian citizens.
You've had a cascade of cities starting here in the capital, putting in further restrictions of movement of the size of gatherings on any potential
Independence Day celebrations that would normally happen this Wednesday.
And even in this case of Kyiv, they are limiting the amount of officials who will come into the city to help the city run. You know, this war has
been stretching on for almost six months now.
Even in the places where Russians have left, there is a devastating impact that people are trying to solve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN MONTY MONTGOMERY, FSD TEAM LEADER: That's where the vast majority of the contamination has gone.
MCKENZIE (voice over): For each devastating strike there's a deadly chain reaction.
MONTGOMERY: An item of hornets struck this building any ammunition which didn't detonate on that initial blast has been kicked out - has been from
here, and it can travel up to several hundred meters.
MCKENZIE (voice over): Ammunition like this live round can kill civilians often children long after the fighting has stopped.
MONTGOMERY: So you see before is the sort of carnage that's been left by the ammunition trucks which are privileges great detonating
MCKENZIE (voice over): In March, Ukrainian forces struck this farm warehouse housing tons of Russian shells and rockets.
MONTGOMERY: I can only imagine the fireball and the sound that was produced when it happened.
MCKENZIE (voice over): For this explosive ordinance disposal team in Chernihiv.
MONTGOMERY: We don't go in aggressive. Obviously, there's a threat out there,
MCKENZIE (voice over): The threat is very real.
MONTGOMERY: We will continue with the search straightforward. If I say stop at any time you stop immediately advance.
MCKENZIE (on camera): We have to be all the way back here for our own sake; it shows how dangerous this work is. And it's painstaking, this small area
has taken several days and you're not even finished.
MONTGOMERY: Now we've merely scratched the surface.
MCKENZIE (on camera): And you've got an entire country potentially.
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
MCKENZIE (on camera): How would you possibly do that job?
MONTGOMERY: If me doing this job, and being here in Ukraine, removing one item, however small however longer saves one life, then for me personally,
that's a goal that I have reached.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So when they spotted suspected shell, everyone come back.
MCKENZIE (voice over): Team Leader John Aldridge must go it alone. Using only his fingertips John works very, very carefully. These shells are
designed to destroy defensive positions, if armed; even the slightest nudge could set it off.
MCKENIZE (on camera): What is it like when you they're scrambling through? Not knowing what exactly you're going to find?
JOHN ALDRIDGE, FSD TEAM LEADER: Yes, it's an interesting one. I think it's something that you get used to after time, but there's still that element
of you know, sort of adrenaline kicking in a little bit yes and if you'd be the sweat.
MCKENZIE (on camera): This shell can be moved safely. Soon, they'll have Ukrainian team leaders clearing their own land.
MCKENZIE (voice over): This will be an enormous task since Natalia. Since all this must be done carefully. You just can't rush this job.
MCKENZIE (on camera): Nice and steady.
MCKENZIE (voice over): Even if this was stopped today it could take years for our country to be safe.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKENZIE: Just that small area will take many days to clear to make safe for the farmers and others who use that area Becky. You can try now
extrapolate that out to the entire war. If this continues, as it has been in vast sections of this country, those munitions, those mines are
massively dangerous long after the fighting has stuck, Becky.
ANDERSON: Absolutely remarkable work going on there David, thank you for that. Well, Ukraine claims dozens of shells landed near the Zaporizhzhia
Nuclear Plant again on Sunday.
It's just adding to what are urgent demands of Western leaders and others they want independent inspectors allowed into the Russian health facility
as soon as possible.
Russia's Parliament says it will hold a special meeting on Thursday on the issue and the French government has said Vladimir Putin is agreeable to
letting the International Atomic Energy Agency into the facility. Well, last hour I spoke to the IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi. He told me negotiations
are ongoing to facilitate a trip to the plant. Here's part of what he told me about the risks present there have a listen.
[11:10:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: The risk is very big of course. We have said it, it's known, you have said it,
and international media has confirmed this biggest nuclear power plant in Europe with six reactors so tens of thousands of nuclear material there.
And the near fact that there is active conflict that is shelling taking place there, potentially affecting not only the installations themselves,
but also a number of servicing activities including the supply of energy and electricity, to service the plant and thereby cool the reactors, and
provide a number of indispensable functions that are dependent on the whole system working normally and there is nothing normal in the middle of a war.
So the danger, that something may go astray, or something unexpected may happen is, of course, unsustainable. And we have to provide a degree a
modicum of stability, at least, insofar as the plant is concerned, the rest of the war, of course, is beyond my authority.
ANDERSON: You will be aware that the Turkish President was in Ukraine last week, and he warned of concerns of a Chernobyl style disaster, do you share
those concerns?
GROSSI: Well, I would say I share the concern about a nuclear accident. When it comes to making comparisons, sorry, given the technical nature of
my job, I have to separate a little bit the figures of speech with their reality. This is an active nuclear power plant.
So in many respects, things could happen, that would be more serious than would happen in Chernobyl. Same time, it is from a design point of view,
from a safety point of view is a much is a more robust installation.
So I guess that when people I'm not talking about President Erdogan, maybe that was his idea. But when people make these kinds of comparisons, there
is a risk that we mislead people, the risk of a nuclear accident exists. We cannot say what magnitude it could have, but potentially it could be very,
very big, so we need to prevent it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I also spoke to Rafael Grossi about the Iran Nuclear Deal and the progress on that does appear to be moving forward a European Union official
saying that Iran's response to a proposal on the agreement is reasonable. It comes off Teheran dropped to keep red line demand that had been a
sticking point and efforts to revive that deal.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand has more details where she's live in Washington. Let's as be quite clear, there are no direct negotiations between the U.S.
and Iran at present. But ultimately, if this deal is to get back on the table and agreed upon it is between Tehran and Washington at present, what
do you know at this point?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Becky. And the U.S. to be clear is still weighing that Iranian response to the EU proposal
to kind of end this once and for all to get to a deal. The U.S. has not responded yet to the Iranian response.
So we're still waiting on that. But what we are told is something quite significant, which is that Iran did drop officially that key red line
demand that had been making for months and months that the U.S. must drop the terrorist designation for the IRGC.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps before Iran will even consider reentering that nuclear deal that, according to U.S. officials, was not in
the text that Iran submitted to the EU and to the U.S. last week. And of course, that is something that the EU considers to be pretty much final in
terms of a response from Iran.
So the U.S. sees that as a very positive development. The senior administration officials that we spoke to here say that if the U.S., Iran
and Europe are closer to reentering a deal, it is because that demand has been dropped. They saw that as a significant impediment to progress.
But of course, there are still key sticking points and the officials we spoke to say, look, this could still drag on because there are a number of
issues that still have to be worked out.
And key among them, of course, is this Iranian demands that the IAEA drop its probe into these nuclear materials that were found in Iran in 2019. Of
course, another aspect of this is that Iran wants guarantees that a future U.S. President a future administration is not simply going to pull out of a
deal that is renegotiated by the U.S. and Europe here.
So there are a number of gaps that remain that is the word that the officials here are using with us gaps that need to be filled and it remains
to be seen how quickly that is going to happen, Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, on the issue one of those as points I interviewed Russia's lead negotiator in Vienna for the nuclear talks last week. And he told me
that the IAEA's investigation into Uranium traces found on undeclared sites in Iran seems to be settled.
[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: Well, I just in the past hour asked Rafael Grossi about that. And he didn't seem to quite agree with what we had heard from the Russian
Ambassador to Vienna have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GROSSI: Dropping probes is not something that the IAEA does or will ever do without a proper process before that would allow us to do that. This is
very simple. People say, are you prepared to drop it? Well, the key to this lies on a very simple thing.
Will Iran cooperate with us, give us the necessary answers, information, access to people and places so that we can clarify the many things that are
still in need for clarification. When that happens, I wouldn't say we will drop anything, we will provide a report clarifying what happened. And then
these things will be put to rest.
So this idea that we are politically going to stop doing our job is unacceptable for us. People may have opinions about that and we respect
these opinions, we have an obligation or legal obligation, which is to clarify many things that Iran has still to clarify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, I think that's important to note, at this point. I also just wonder, Natasha, what is the appetite on the Hill in Congress, for any
deal? Should the U.S. and Teheran get to a text that, in principle is agreeable to both?
BERTRAND: There is still a lot of opposition, but particularly, of course, among the Republicans on the Hill who say that if this deal does go
through, it is going to be a windfall for Iran, it is going to provide them with billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
And they say that will make the entire region less stable and more dangerous. And so they continue to be very opposed to this and of course,
recent events having to do with of course, the attack on the Author Salman Rushdie the plots by an Iranian in the United States to try to murder
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
None of this has done Iran any favors here when it comes to getting back into the nuclear deal when it comes to reviving popular opinion for trying
to get back into that deal. So Republicans remain opposed to this.
And in particular, Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas here he has been among the most vocal people who are opposed to this deal, saying that he is
going to fight it every step of the way. The key here being that they do not want Iran to get that sanctions relief, and they say will block any
efforts by the administration to do that, Becky.
ANDERSON: Natasha Bertrand is on the story thank you, Natasha! Well, the United Arab Emirates, where I'm usually based says it is reinstating its
Ambassador to Iran. The UAE adding that its envoys to resume duties "In the coming days now" you may remember the UAE downgraded its diplomatic ties
with Iran in 2016 after a mob attack Saudi Arabia's Embassy in Tehran.
But you can read a lot more about what is going on in region specifically with regard this Iran deal in our newsletter "Meanwhile in the Middle East"
just head to cnn.com/middies newsletter. Be sure to describe there - to subscribe to that there. You can do that at the top to have a look at that
it's a terrific read.
Coming up, another U.S. Delegation is in Taiwan today to show it support and strengthen ties but not everyone in the island is happy about it. I'm
picking up the pieces after a deadly terror attack a popular hotel in Mogadishu. We'll tell you what the country's leaders are promising to the
people of Somalia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Yet another American delegation is visiting Taiwan today. This time led by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb comes just weeks after U.S. House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governing Island and the show of support that enraged China.
Well, Taiwan's president is urging allies to continue building reliable supply chains for semiconductors are what are known as democracy chips as
she called them in order to counter China.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TSAI ING-WEN, TAIWANESE PRESIDENT: Presently we are facing the continued expansion of global authoritarianism. In the midst of it Taiwan has been
confronted by military threats from China in and around the Taiwan Strait. At this moment, Democratic allies must stand together and boost cooperation
across all areas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Blake Essig has just returned from a reporting trip in Taiwan. He joins me now live from his base in Tokyo. Just how bad is the
economic fallout been Blake?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, look, after spending the last couple of weeks in Taipei and visiting other parts of the island there's no
question. The impact is being felt you can hear it and you can see it.
The threat of forceful reunification with China in the economic impact of import and export bans seems to weigh on everyone, at least a little bit.
That being said, there's a resiliency to the people of Taiwan that continue to live their lives, despite the economic pressure and constant threat from
China militarily, a threat that has existed for decades honestly is admirable.
And while Beijing continues to lash out at Taiwan for welcoming U.S. lawmakers, officials in Taipei I spoke with told me that these visits are
incredibly important towards generating international support, support that they know would be needed if China did ever try to reunify Taiwan by force
while those previous visits by U.S. lawmakers are focused on reaffirming U.S. support for Taiwan.
This current visit led by Indiana governor Eric Holcomb is all about state based economic cooperation between Indiana and Taiwan, with a specific
focus on semiconductors after arriving on Sunday.
Today was Holcomb's first full day on the Democratic Island. And he met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen, who addressed the media following
their meeting to talk about the importance of building sustainable supply chains for semiconductors to counter threats from China. Here's what she
had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ING-WEN: Economic security is an important pillar of national and regional security. Taiwan is willing and able to strengthen cooperation with
Democratic partners in building sustainable supply chains for democracy chips.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: Just in case you missed that, the president referred to the semiconductors as democracy chips, perhaps a subtle reminder to the
international community in terms of exactly what's at stake as cross strait tensions between Beijing and Taiwan worsen.
And while we are still waiting on an official response from Beijing regarding this most recent visit by U.S. officials, you have to imagine
that a response is coming especially after the roughly a week's worth of live fire military drills surrounding Taiwan that were held previously, but
Beijing's retaliation didn't stop there.
They also sanctioned Taiwanese agricultural products in an effort to further tighten the economic screws on Taiwan as well.
[11:25:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ESSIG (voice over): In a small township in the south of Taiwan, farmers like Li Meng-Han are battling more than Mother Nature to make a living. But
geopolitics, that's something is hard work can't change.
LI MENG-HAN, OWNER, CHINGCHUAN ORCHARD: It's some kind of political issue between Taiwan and China. We simply want to grow fruits and sell them at a
good price.
ESSIG (voice over): A reasonable request, but one that just got a whole lot more difficult, following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent stop in
Taiwan.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (R-CA): We will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.
ESSIG (voice over): China reacted by flexing its military muscle, executing at least six days of live fire drills, while at the same time exerting its
economic power over this democratic Island this time going after what some consider low hanging fruit.
ESSIG (voice over): Citrus fruit like this pomelo was included on the most recent list of Taiwanese items banned from entering China. Beijing says the
reason is because of excess pesticides, accusations that farmers here deny. It's a move that experts say less about healthcare or the economy and all
about politics and Sudan.
MENG-HAN: I didn't see the band coming so fast. We were caught off guard.
CHIAO CHUN, AUTHOR, FRUITS AND POLITICS: We all know that politics is behind the bands. This is a politically motivated economic sanction on
Taiwan to exert economic pressure on Taiwan.
ESSIG (voice over): The latest sanctions on fruit and fish went into effect on the same day Speaker Pelosi met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen,
sanctions that will cost farmers like Li a lot of money. And if things don't change could force him and other farmers to let employees go.
PELOSI: It's been hard for farmers, a southern bank can put everything on hold. The pomelo trees can live for decades, and their fruits get sweeter
as the trees get older, so it's impossible for farmers to abandon them.
ESSIG (voice over): Each year roughly 72,000 tons of pomelo is produced here in Taiwan, only about 7 percent are exported to China, a vast majority
of being sold and processed here locally in places like this.
ESSIG (voice over): A small number on paper, but one that will have a big impact on farmers financially and mentally.
CHUN: I think psychology is a bigger factor here. And they can say that they have banned a large number of food items from Taiwan in one go.
ESSIG (voice over): Well, Pelosi has now gone the impact of her visit still being felt, with farmers forced to get creative by transforming the pomelo
into something different to make up for that lost revenue.
MENG-HAN: Taiwanese people shouldn't suffer from the tension between the U.S. and China. They always come and then they leave the next day. But the
impact is felt here by Taiwanese farmers.
ESSIG (voice over): It's the collateral damage of world powers going toe to toe. Whereas is usually the case. It's not the politicians that suffer but
everyday people just looking to pick some fruit and feed their family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ESSIG: Taiwan's agricultural minister estimates that this most recent import ban will result in a loss of 10s of millions of dollars to the
island previously, over roughly the past year, China had banned about a dozen other Taiwanese agricultural items that had an even bigger impact on
Taiwan like Taiwanese pineapple, sugar, apples, wax apples.
And grouper fish one item that Beijing hasn't banned can't produce domestically is semiconductors Taiwan's most valuable export to China, and
something that China relies on in its technology race against the United States.
So while China hasn't responded to this latest visit by Governor Holcomb, the fact that Governor Holcomb's visit is focused on improving the
partnership between the United States and Taiwan around semiconductors means that it probably won't sit well with Beijing and we can expect a
response which we will make sure to stay on top of, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, a good deep dive by Blake Essig there, thank you, Blake. Well, still to come. The man who lost Kenya's presidential election this
month wants the vote overturned. The major move Raila Odinga is making to challenge the results.
Plus, the Pakistani government clamps down on a vocal critic, why former Prime Minister Imran Khan is now being investigated.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: In Kenya, the Supreme Court has 14 days to decide whether or not the country's presidential election results are valid. Candidate Raila
Odinga has filed a formal petition challenging the results of the August 9 election which declared a win for his opposition, his opponent, Deputy
President William Ruto, let's get you more on this controversy.
CNN's Larry Madowo is in Nairobi. What does this mean? What happens next? And, and are we likely to see instability on the ground, Larry?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, I'll start with the last, it's unlikely that there will be any instability of violence. Kenyans have been
really proud that in this election the period before, during and after the election has been largely peaceful.
And they think that is part of the democratic progress that this country has undergone and should be something that's emulated by other African
countries. What this means is that President Uhuru Kenyatta remains president and that William Ruto will not be sworn in until this election
petition is heard and determined over the next 14 days.
The crux of the case that Raila Odinga and his coalition have put together is that they accused Kenya's electoral commission of criminal misconduct.
They say that the chairperson of that commission did not announce William Ruto as the winner in the proper legal constitutional way.
They're claiming that the numbers if properly tallied, show that Raila Odinga won this election, not William Ruto. And they want the court to
therefore invalidate that election and either sends Kenyans back to another election or declare that Raila Odinga is the rightful winner of the
election and order the Electoral Commission to give them the certificate.
It's a very unlikely situation. It's a high bar to clear but there's some precedent here Becky, in 2017, Raila Odinga got the Supreme Court just to
do just that to another election, even though he boycotted the repeat.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. I want to turn to another story that you've been covering from your patch. It's a busy patch at present, and that's the
hotel siege over the weekend in Mogadishu. Get us up to speed on that, if you will.
MADOWO: This was a gripping tale of terror, a horrific 30 hour ordeal where Al-Shabaab gunmen entered a busy hotel in the capital Mogadishu that
blasted their way into it. They started shooting our staff and guests. They were shooting civilians they were trying to escape.
They blew up some parts of the hotel and it went on for hours and hours and hours reminding people why the Al-Shabaab is considered by one senior U.S.
official, the largest affiliate of al Qaeda and still poses a serious threat in Somalia and Around the Horn of Africa, watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO (voice over): It lasted more than 30 hours, an attack by Al-Shabaab, that's been described as one of the longest hotel sieges, but the al Qaeda
linked terror group in Somalia in over a decade.
And there are signs all around the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu of just how intense and prolonged the battle was. Police say it began on Friday night
when militants blasted their way into the building, shooting civilians as they tried to escape. Witnesses say the attack has barricaded them inside
and blew up the stairs in order to trap some people on upper floors.
[11:35:00]
MADOWO (voice over): Hour by hour, fierce gun battles erupted between the insurgents and elite armed forces, who eventually regained control of the
hotel. Authorities say more than 100 people were rescued. But one Somali Police commander says it was hard fighting.
He says it's shocking that innocent people lost their lives here and adds security forces were engaged in rescuing people one by one and in groups.
Police say the hotel is badly damaged, and they are sweeping the debris for explosives that were left around the hotel.
And they say they're still counting the dead, or some relatives may have buried their loved ones instead of taking them to hospitals. But the attack
in the heart of the country's capital just months after Somalia's new president was elected, shows just how dangerous Al-Shabaab is and how
difficult it will be to defeat them, as the Somali government has promised to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: Over the weekend, police told CNN that an elite counterterrorism force was inside the hotel battling these terrorists. The Somali prime
minister has been visiting with some of the wounded and as promised accountability in case the government officials that neglected the duties
that led to this horrific 30 hour ordeal.
One of the complaints in Somalia is that there seem to be several security units there without a central command. And that's why it went on for so
long. But the U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes targeting the Al- Shabaab.
Back in May President Biden authorized a redeployment of U.S. troops in the country to battle Al-Shabaab and support the Somali military. Because there
remain a serious threat that carries out attacks all around Somalia here in Kenya and more recently has been carrying out some attacks in the Somalia
Ethiopia border, Becky.
ANDERSON: A worrying escalation by Al-Shabaab. Thank you. Well to a deeply troubling incident involving Ethiopian Airlines, two pilots are believed to
have fallen asleep and miss their landing during a flight from Sudan to Ethiopia.
Their plane was cruising on autopilot when it failed to make its planned descent at Addis Ababa International Airport on Monday. Air traffic control
was unable to reach the crew, despite several attempts the plane did safely land later on.
One expert says it's a reminder of how pilot fatigue remains a major threat to air safety around the world. Well, speeches by former Prime Minister
Imran Khan have been banned from live TV as Pakistani authorities investigate whether he violated anti-terror laws.
At a rally over the weekend, Khan vowed to take action against a police chief and a judge over the arrest of a former aide. Pakistani regulators
called that hate speech. Supporters now say they'll take them to the Capitol or even take the Capitol if Khan were to be arrested.
CNN Producer Sophia Saifi joins us now live from Islamabad. Clearly there is still an enormous amount of glass root support for Imran Khan, now the
former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Just whine back and take us through exactly what happened over the weekend and what the state of this investigation is now into the former prime
minister.
SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Right Becky, so on Saturday night Imran Khan held a spontaneous rally in the capital city of Islamabad where he was
holding a giant rally in this park in the city in support of his aide Shahbaz Gill, who's been in police custody since the ninth of August.
Now Khan and his party have claimed that Gill is being tortured while in police custody. The government has denied that we've not been able to
independently verify that ourselves.
But at the same time on Sunday, there was also a very important by election taking place for a vacant seat in the city of Karachi and Khan's party won
that by a huge margin.
They'd won previously stay in 2018 as well, but at the time, the critics had said that he'd won it because of the support of military. Now that
support of the military doesn't seem to be anywhere near Khan at the moment, he has been making accusations and most of his rallies, he'd
announced that he was going to be holding rallies across the country starting from this week in protest against the fact that he is being
censored the channels that are pro Khan are being taken off air.
He said that while he was making a speech on Saturday, YouTube was blocked in the country, we haven't been able to either independently verify that we
reached out to YouTube.
The government has not responded to those claims by Khan while independent watchdogs of the internet have said that that did in fact take place. Now
with regards to this case, Khan's lawyers went ahead and filed protective bail in the Islamabad High Court which means there can be no attempt to
arrest Khan until at least Thursday.
[11:40:00]
SAIFI: So we'll just have to wait and see Khan's protesters have said that any arrest of Khan is a red line. They've come out in huge numbers and are
continuing to do so. So we'll have to see how this shapes up into Thursday and then ahead. Becky?
ANDERSON: Sophia is in Islam for you, Sophia, thank you. Well next up, giving the term political party a new meaning. Why women in Finland are
getting into the groove in support of their prime minister, plus droughts across the globe revealing long hidden secrets. We'll show you what they
are after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Sudan's government declared a state of emergency this weekend due to flooding across six states, have a look at this. At least 79 people have
been killed this year in flood disasters and hundreds of people have been left stranded after their homes collapsed.
When Pakistan more than 700 have been killed in flash floods since mid- June, this is the scene in Quetta in the southwestern part of Pakistan just yesterday, the country experiencing the worst monsoon season in three
decades.
Across the border in eastern Afghanistan state media say at least 20 people have been killed. These pictures showing the destruction after floods rip
through homes forcing residents to dig through the rubble to search for any personal items still intact.
At least seven people are dead, I'm afraid after a landslide hit a sheer shrine in Iraq. Well, authorities said earlier rescue teams were
communicating with people trapped under the rubble through small holes.
In some parts of the world, extreme drought conditions are having an unexpected impact revealing long hidden pieces of history. In Eastern
Serbia, more than 20 warships had been exposed along the Danube.
Experts say the ships were scuttled by Nazi forces during World War Two and still contain ammunition and explosives. And in southwestern China, a small
island containing three Buddha statues is now visible above the water there.
The statues are thought to be at least 600 years old. And in Spain, the extreme drought there has uncovered a prehistoric site containing dozens of
upright stones arranged in circles. Sound familiar?
Well, that's giving researchers the perfect opportunity to take a closer look. My colleague, Isa Soares has more on the Spanish Stonehenge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Emerging from the receding waters of a reservoir in west central Spain, a prehistoric stone circle.
Now it's fully exposed as the region battles one of its worst droughts in decades.
[11:45:00]
ENRIQUE CEDILLO, ARCHAEOLOGIST, COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY OF MADRID: The current situation with the heat waves and drought is very sad for all of
us. But in this case, it does offer archaeologists a unique chance to be able to study again, a site that had not been thoroughly studied before.
SOARES (voice over): Since it was first discovered by German archaeologist in 1926, the Dolmen of Guadalperal, as it's officially known, has become
fully visible only four times.
Believe today back to 5000 BC, it is one of several domains of vertically arranged stone formations that exists across Western Europe. How such heavy
boulders were moved and erected thousands of years ago, it's still largely a mystery.
CEDILLO: We believe the Dolmen of Guadalperal is a collective tool, burials took place in it for more than 2000 years. So everything that was found
there when that was first discovered are remains of items that accompanied the dead.
SOARES (voice over): The emergence of what's been dubbed the Spanish Stonehenge is the rare benefit of little rain and blistering temperatures,
while many suffer in the extreme heat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not had enough rain since spring. So the ponds run out of water, and there isn't enough for the livestock, and we have to
go get water and bring it here. But this is just unsustainable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most orchards have not grown this year. All the peppers have dried up. Crops have been devastated because of the heat, and the
cattle have hardly any water to drink.
SOARES (voice over): A study published in the Nature Geoscience Journal last month found that due to climate change, parts of Spain and Portugal
are the dryers they have been in more than thousand years. Conditions are revealing a pre historic landmark as they wreak havoc on a region in an
increasingly warming world, Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the effects of climate change, similarly being felt halfway across the world. Mexico is experiencing its worst drought in decades,
which is impacting the country's access to water my colleague, Rafael Romo, with more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It had the feel of an outdoor festival or county fair. But this public gathering in northern Mexico is a
citizen's group response to a crisis, a severe drought that has caused extensive water shortages in Coahuila state.
During a recent daylong event, they called water ton. They were collecting bottled water for distribution in neighborhoods where taps have run dry. It
is urgent to send truck loads to those communities, this organizer says, I think that their goal was to collect 10 metric tons of bottled water for
people in need.
ROMO (on camera): While - is not the only Mexican state facing a severe drought, it's so dry in Nuevo Leon which borders with Texas, that Mexican
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an emergency they're late last month, as most of the country suffers rain shortages since 2020 and
2021.
ROMO (voice over): In an emergency situation, people's needs should be the priority, the president said, his decree means that the government can tap
into industrial and agricultural water allotments to quench people's thirst.
The leader of the largest Industrial Association in Monterey rejected any suggestion that companies are taking more than their fair share of water.
GUILLERMO DILLON, DIRECTOR, NUEVO LEON INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER: There are companies that are not using all their water but on paper, they
have the right to use that much water. Well those permits can be transferred so the water utility company can legally take more water from
the subsoil to inject it into the drinking water network of the Monterey metropolitan area.
ROMO (voice over): Monterey, one of Mexico's most important cities is Nuevo Leon's Capitol States. The industrial hub of nearly 6 million depends
mainly on two reservoirs, including Cerro Prieto. But as these NASA satellite images show, its water levels dropped to 0.5 percent of its
capacity of 393 million cubic meters in the last seven years.
For residents like Ruths Gonzalez, the situation means spending several hours every day in a desperate effort to find enough water for her family's
daily needs. She says there was no water in her neighborhood and was afraid she wouldn't be able to find any at the vending machine, which proved to be
true for a third day in a row.
Earlier this month, drought conditions and low levels that are reservoir in central Mexico prompted rationing measures in Mexico City, the capital and
the adjoining Mexico state.
At more than 26 million together they formed the most populated metropolitan area in the entire country and one of the largest in the
world. Rafael Romo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, next up, dancing, drinking and defending their prime minister. Women in Finland call out sexism and double standards in support
of Sanna Marin that is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Even decision makers dancing and go to parties Sanna is a 36 year old leader of Finland. Hundreds of women there have been posting social
media videos of themselves partying in a show of support for Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
She is facing a political backlash over a video that emerged of her dancing at a private party in Helsinki. There she is on the left. Melissa Bell is
on the story. And she joins us now.
Look, her supporters say the extreme criticism is frankly sexist. Just remind us of what happened and what the prime minister herself is saying,
Melissa?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a private party. The video was not meant to be shared. In fact, when Sanna Marin reacted first
on Friday, she pointed out that she resented that these videos had been made public that was never the plan.
Pointing out also that nothing illegal had happened. These were not parties held under lockdown. She took a drug tests to prove that she had not
consumed drugs saying that she had never consumed drugs. We'll get the results next week. Have a listen to what she had to say to her press
conference on Friday, Becky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANNA MARIN, FINNISH PRIME MINISTER: I didn't have any work meetings planned for that weekend. They are confirmed usually beforehand. And I
didn't have any meetings, for example, Saturday or Sunday. I had work meetings on Monday that I of course, handled but we didn't have any
government meetings.
During that weekend I had time off and spend with my friends and did nothing illegal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: And as you suggest, Becky, the question is whether a man would have had to defend himself as vigorously for after all doing what any 36 year
old would do in their spare time, dancing as Sanna Marin called it boisterously and little else.
And one of the points about this as she was 34 when she was first elected back in 2019, the youngest PM in the world, Becky.
And even then she'd always stood out in family photos much was made at her overlooks. How much of this route --and the outrage expressed by the
politicians on the opposition side and the demands for drugs tests were the result of to the fact that we're talking about a 36 year old woman.
ANDERSON: Melissa, she says that was a private event and she is clearly very upset about the fact that this video was leaked. Do we know how it got
out into the public domain?
BELL: We don't for the time being, we understand that it may have been found on social media was then picked up by the Norwegian press and became
this route back home.
And it's not the first time Becky that this kind of controversy has surrounded her. You'll remember that last year she posed for a magazine
cover and wrote an article about managing work life balance.
She's after all the young mother of one balancing the premiership. And she wore a jacket with nothing underneath, the fashion of the day. She came
under extreme criticism for that. And again women and men came out with a hash tag in support of her saying solidarity with Sanna, I stand with Sanna
to point out that there was nothing unusual about this.
[11:55:00]
BELL: And there is simply no need that she should be pilloried for this, or indeed that it should be the subject of conversation. So you can understand
her annoyance at this. This was a private party, the images were never meant to come out and she'd done nothing illegal.
One thing is, of course of other parties that have caused other prime ministers causing political damage. Boris Johnson, we were talking then
about COVID lock down parties. They were illegal.
It took many revelations for that to do political damage to him. It's taken a couple of videos of Sanna Marin dancing energetically and rather well,
I'd suggest to cause a political storm in her country, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yep, I agree, pretty good dancer. We'll leave it at that. Thank you very much indeed. Melissa Bell, it's always a pleasure. Melissa Bell is
in Paris for you.
We have been out of London, normally based of course in Abu Dhabi, from the team working with me here in London, those who are working with me today in
Abu Dhabi and my team, it's a very good evening. Thank you for joining us. CNN continues after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
