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UK PM Announces $66M Aid Package during Visit to Kyiv; Russia Sanctions Force France to seek new Energy Sources; Migrant Border Crossings Increasingly Becoming Deadly; Thursday Marks Five Years since Myanmar's Campaign Began; Coral Gardening in the Caribbean; U.S. Open Event Raises $1.2 Million for Ukraine Relief. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 25, 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]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNNI HOST: Hello, and welcome back to the show. I'm Becky Anderson live from London for you and the time is four in the afternoon.
And we start with reports of a total but temporary disconnection of the last working power lines at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in
Ukraine. Ukraine's state nuclear regulator saying the total disconnection happened amid hostilities in the area, but it blames on Russia calling it a
first in the history of the plant.
Russia giving a different version of events claiming there was a short circuit at the plant caused by forest fires started by Ukrainian shelling.
Well, within the hour, a Russian backed official in the region said all power has been restored, whatever the exact circumstances, and whatever the
actual danger.
Today's incident serves as a stark reminder of the warnings coming from international officials of a potential nuclear catastrophe at the plant.
This is Europe's biggest and it is controlled by Russia at present and has been since the early days of the war. David McKenzie's following what are
some fairly fast moving developments for us, David; you're out of Kyiv today. What more do we know about the grid being disconnected and how big a
risk is this?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, in broad terms, it's always a very big risk if there's no power going to a
nuclear power plant, because that in and of itself could lead to a meltdown or a leak because of the need to constantly even years after a nuclear
power plant is shut down cool those reactors and that fuel.
What we do know is that for once both sides are agreeing on one issue, that that there was a temporary disconnect to at least one of the reactors,
which is really a very dangerous situation, there appears to have been a blackout in that region, and lack of power to Zaporizhzhia greater area for
some time until, how much time exactly?
Both sides blaming each other as we have come to expect with this issue at this nuclear power plant, but very dangerous situation, potentially, with
the main line, the final line that is undamaged, according to Ukrainians being cut off for at least some period of time.
They would be backup systems, but how effective they are so many months after Russia overtaking that plant is unclear. There is one glimmer of hope
here the IAEA, the Atomic Energy Agency; the Head was speaking on French television saying that they may be getting inspectors there relatively
soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: We have to determine exactly the terms of the mission, what we are going to be doing there with my experts
when we get there. This is what is taking a little bit of time. What's important and you said it as well, I think now there is a general
recognition that we need to be there. We need to be there soon. Kyiv accepts it, Moscow accepts it. We need to go and we are going to be there
hopefully very, very soon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very soon, days or weeks?
GROSSI: Days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Well, there is one major stumbling block we've been talking about, which is the Ukrainians want the Russian forces out of that area.
They have yet to negotiate that and would be highly unlikely for the Russians to vacate the very important front line in its entirety. So I'm
not sure exactly how the IAEA - how they have negotiate this - and how it can be days, but perhaps there's something going on behind the scenes that
will become public, Becky?
ANDERSON: David McKenzie's on the story for you, David, thank you for joining us. Well, the US Secretary of State calls an attack in Eastern
Ukraine the latest in a pattern of Russian atrocities during this now six month long war.
Ukraine reports at least 25 people killed in a Russian missile strike on a train station and nearby residential area in Eastern Ukraine happening on
Ukraine's Independence Day. Among the dead six year old girl and an 11 year old boy found under the rubble of his family's home.
Russia is giving a different version of events claiming the strike killed 200 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed military equipment. Well, with all of
this happening Ukraine is in need of more support. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to speak with President Zelenskyy later today.
On Wednesday, Mr. Biden announced one of the largest packages since the war began nearly $3 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine. Well, during
an unannounced visit to Kyiv for Ukraine's Independence Day Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised another $66 million in aid
including hundreds of drones.
[11:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER: Here today Ukraine, I believe that history is a turning point after decades in which democracy
has been on the defensive on the back foot. We have an opportunity to join you in saying no to tyranny, saying no to those who would stifle Ukrainian
liberty and independence, and we will, and that is why Ukraine will win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And Spain announcing it will send an anti aircraft battery and missiles to Ukraine for the first time since Russia's invasion. My next
guest has spent the last 22 years as an Investigative Journalist in Russia, focusing on Russia as security services.
He describes what he calls Putin's new police state writing this in Foreign Affairs Magazine "As Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine
enters its sixth month a dramatic shift has occurred in the Kremlin's security bureaucracy and it is centered on the agency closest to Putin
himself the Federal Security Service or FSB as those plans faltered. However, Putin crafted a different far more comprehensive mission for the
FSB it will be at the forefront of Russia's total war effort at home as well as its intelligence operations in Ukraine".
Andrei Soldatov joins me now. He's living in London after fleeing Russia. We often hear about the situation on the ground in Ukraine and the fallout
in the West, of course. But insight into what is happening in Russia, the mood, the impact this war is having on the people of Russia is more
difficult to get.
So I want to talk about the evolution of the FSB in just a moment, but firstly, you had to flee the country back in 2020 - I know at least your
mother is still there, and your friends are still there. And what's going on back home?
ANDREI SOLDATOV, RUSSIAN SECURITY SERVICES INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, it's quite dark. And we see that people are getting more used to this new
reality. We are trying to adjust, which is human nature. They understand that to resist, and sometimes even to talk openly about the war.
It might be dangerous. Today, the last prominent Russian politician who stood against the war got arrested for spreading fake news about the war.
So we all understand that people in Russia all understand that it's might be extremely risky for them to talk against the war.
ANDERSON: What's happening outside of the main urban areas? Well, as so many people in Russia live outside of these, these main urban areas, and
the impact as I understand it on people in the more rural areas is swingy at this point?
SOLDATOV: Yes, absolutely. First of all, you can see that economic crisis is getting bigger. It's about - it's not only about money, it's not only
about the shops you have, it's about your drops, and lots of people are fearful that come September, they can lose their jobs completely.
And at some regions, you have enterprises, which give the majority of jobs for the entire regions. And nobody knows what to do next. But the problem
is that now you have the army, offering an opportunity for young men, if they want to help the families, financially, they can join the army. And
lots of people think it's quite acceptable.
ANDERSON: There's been a lot of coverage about how effective or not the sanctions have been over the past six months? The government has worked
very hard to ensure that the impact isn't clear. And certainly, you know, this sort of falls in the Euro in the Ruble that we saw at the beginning,
are over. But you're suggesting the impact really is you know, in certain areas of the country is very clear. Let's talk about the |FSB. How has this
organization changed since the war began? And what do you believe the strategy is here?
SOLDATOV: To be honest, FSB was always quite ugly. We all know the history of this agency, it's been quite active at prosecuting and attacking
troublemakers, but now it's not only about political troublemakers. It's about targeting almost every strata of the Russian society.
We have the FSB, now investigating Russian doctors for prescribing foreign made medicine, because the idea is to introduce this import substitution,
and its part of your patriotic duty to prescribe a Russian made medicine, which sometimes is basically not pretty good.
It's also about being very openly brutal, like we had a scientist who was at his final stage of cancer and everybody knew that nevertheless FSB threw
him into jail and he died immediately.
[11:10:00]
SOLDATOV: Nobody got punished because the FSB was given these new powers that you can do whatever you want. And not only in Russia, but also in
occupied territories ever given this mandate to build filtration camps, and it's a huge thing for the FSB.
ANDERSON: They've been in the news again, the death or the assassination as it seems, of Daria Dugina, of late, there was a lot of conflicting claim or
counterclaim over who was responsible for that death
I want to bring up a tweet from Ukraine's National Security Adviser regarding the attack the daughter of course of the Russian Nationalist
Ideologue. He claimed the FSB is expected to organize a series of terrorist attacks in Russian cities with mass civilian casualties Dugina is the first
in a row.
Now look, the Russians blame Ukrainian Secret Service, Ukrainians are saying they have absolutely nothing to do with it. She wasn't a Ukrainian
civilian. She wasn't on Ukrainian territory. Realistically, do you believe that this is something the FSB was or could have been behind?
SOLDATOV: Well, it's a big problem here. First of all, we need to remember that the Ukrainian services, they're also quite good at conducting
liquidations, if you look at the list of military commanders of the separatist regions almost all of them get killed during the last six, seven
years.
So the Ukrainians now have to do that. The problem is would it be possible for the FSB to pull up something like that? Unfortunately, of course, we
know that we can do.
ANDERSON: Why would they do that?
SOLDATOV: That's a big question. Because we already see that the society is in this state of mobilization, like we are surrounded by enemies. We are
under attack of the West. The war was inevitable.
ANDERSON: This is what people say, this is the narrative.
SOLDATOV: This is a narrative. And lots of people accept this narrative. And in the first months of the war I remember my context and service FSB
told me look, maybe the moment was not appropriate.
Maybe we were not completely raised here. But now it's changed. Everybody accepted that this war was inevitable, and they are again, adjusting to
this new reality. So the society is already mobilized and hysterical.
ANDERSON: How long does this war? For one, what's the perspective in Russia?
SOLDATOV: Lots of people now think that we are facing a very, very long war. And it might last for years unfortunately. It's about two big
countries - human resources were far better and rare. They're far before will to fight. And to be honest, I just don't see Putin to accept any kind
of I don't see an elegant strategy for him.
What kind of victory he needs. The problem also that we have the military now, the Russian military demands for more war no less. Actually, they
think that all this huge casualties fit suffered, should be justified by a big price.
So we are talking about the occupation of the entire Ukraine or far taken Kyiv or going to Poland all, crazy stuff. And this is also public opinion
inside of the military and Putin needs to find a way how to talk to them?
ANDERSON: Frightening stuff.
SOLDATOV: Yes.
ANDERSON: Thank you for coming. Well, the war in Ukraine has sent France's President to one of his country's former colonies. Just moments ago,
Emmanuel Macron landed in Algiers to meet with Algeria's President.
The trip has two goals first; open the door to North African gas and oil to replace Russian oil stifled by sanctions.
Mr. Macrons' mission is also to mend fences he angered many Algerians last year when he suggested Algeria is rewriting its colonial history based on
hatred of France.
Melissa Bell following the story from Paris, and she joins we live in France like the rest of Europe having to face the fact that it does need
energy. Does this trip entail or is the expectation that Mr. Macron will come back with the deal?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, French - sources who've been dampening whose expectations Becky, because you're quite right. This comes
in the context of the desperate scramble from European leaders to try and cushion the blow of those natural gas supply shortages.
I mean, the prices are about 10 times what they were - what they should be at this time of year the average of this time of year. And as European
governments tried to fill their storage tanks ahead of the winter months, that scramble is of the utmost importance. Now Emmanuel Macron faces a
harder challenge perhaps.
[11:15:00]
BELL: Perhaps, than other European leaders, who have headed towards Algeria, looking for natural gas supplies might do simply because of the
very fraught history between the two countries.
This is a very difficult trip for any French president to make, historically, because of colonialism in Algeria, very brutal war that
lasted between 1954 and 1962, and led ultimately to Algerian independence.
And the fact that both countries have had a lot of trouble getting to the bottom of exactly what happened, the figures of who died on what side and
coming to any sort of agreement, and specifically from the Algerian point of view, Becky.
At French Presidents who make this trip to Algeria, there is hope, as there was with past out in 2012 that someone will apologize at some point. And
there had been hoped that Emmanuel Macron might do just that, since as a candidate. He'd come to Algiers, saying that it was time to look at
colonialism for what it was, except that it involved crimes against humanity. And it was time for France to apologize.
Things didn't go as Algeria had hoped or Emmanuel Macron might have imagined, because of that very fraught question on the Algerian side but
also here in France, Emmanuel Macron, causing that controversy last year by suggesting in front of a group of Algerian students that in fact, the very
nationhood of Algeria was born during colonial times.
And speaking of the hatred of Algerians for France that caused a huge diplomatic repair recently, the Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and
Emmanuel Macron have been speaking again trying to repair those rent that relationship but clearly.
Now Emmanuel Macron going in the context of his looking for extra gas supplies puts a whole new spin on what is a difficult relationship for them
to pin down and has been particularly fraught for this President Becky.
ANDERSON: Melissa Bell is on the story out of Paris few today, Melissa, it was a pleasure. Well escalating tensions in Syria U.S. forces launching
more airstrikes after a rocket attack. Injured three American service members will get the latest from the Pentagon.
Today marks five years, Myanmar's brutal crackdown drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from their homes. I want to speak to one
humanitarian leader who says these refugees may be close to the point of no return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right let's get you up to speed on some of the stories that are on our radar right now and supporters of Imran surrounded a courthouse in
Islamabad earlier the court extended his pre arrest bail for one week that effectively prevents him from being arrested.
Former Prime Minister and cricket star is accused of breaking anti terror laws in speech last weekend. Protesters have taken to the streets some
recent days in the western Iranian city of Hamadan they started demonstrating after water supplies were cut off more than a week ago during
a drought.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Local news agency says residents there want government officials to resign. The U.S. Justice Department has less than an hour to submit its
recommended redactions from the affidavit for the search of former President Donald Trump's home.
The Affidavit details why investigators sought a crime involving classified documents could have been committed. A government official says the U.S.
has launched more airstrikes in Syria that is coming after three American Military service members were injured in a rocket attack on coalition
basis.
The official said U.S. forces destroyed equipment used in the attack and killed at least two people involved. The additional attacks are the latest
and a back and forth exchange between the U.S. and Iran backed groups operating in the region. CNN's Oren Lieberman following the story from the
Pentagon, and are and how serious is this back and forth that we are seeing just too just detail what we know at this point?
OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN PENTOGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it appears to be both quite serious and escalating very quickly in a period of just about 24 to
48 hours. So let's take a look at that and step into bit more detail here.
It starts at least in his most recent window with a U.S. strike on nine bunkers in northeast Syria, targeting them say bunkers used for ammo
storage and logistics by Iranian backed militants within 24 hours, not even that long.
There were rocket attacks on two bases used by U.S. troops, Conoco and Green Village in that same area of northeast Syria. That's the attack in
which the Military says three U.S. service members suffered minor injuries.
One has already been returned to duty, while two more remain under evaluation. In response to that the U.S. carried out attacks quite quickly,
essentially an exchange of fire with those launching those rockets.
The U.S. says in that they use Apache attack helicopters destroyed for vehicles or a number of vehicles, I should say, as well as rocket launchers
used in that attack and killed two or three militants.
But a short time after that, as this continues to play out, the U.S. carried out more attacks, more severe attacks as well, using AC 130
gunships more Apache attack helicopters, as well as how it serves to target what they say are running back militants.
The military says they destroyed a number of vehicles and killed four militants in that the question now, Becky, where does this go from here? We
haven't seen this sort of back and forth between the U.S. and Iranian backed groups in Syria in quite some time.
And it appears to be moving very quickly. Is there a way out? Does it end here? Or do these groups in some way launch another attack? And that's what
we're all eager to see right now.
And let's not forget, of course, Becky, in the background to all this, even though the U.S. insists they're not connected are of course, the nuclear
negotiations with Iran. And that's something that everyone has in mind here, as they watch what unfolds in Syria.
ANDERSON: You're absolutely right, briefly the significance of the Ultimo face and why this activity now? Lieberman: Well, that base is one of the
main places where there are US troops in Syria housing a number a few hundred U.S. troops. So that in and of itself is significant. If that base
comes under attack, the U.S. has vowed to respond.
There aren't many places in Syria where there are U.S. troops and sort of a tight concentration like that. So for that not only is it important to the
U.S. and the defeat ISIS Coalition, which is why U.S. troops are there, but the U.S. now making clear that any attack on that base will see your
response.
ANDERSON: Oren Lieberman at the Pentagon. Thank you sir and the latest news and analysis on the situation in Syria and the rest of the Middle East are
on the website log on cnn.com/newsletter where you can also subscribe to our email.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, a good digests of news for you there will the search for a better life in the U.S. is becoming increasingly deadly
for migrants illegally crossing the border with Mexico.
Officials say at least 218 Migrants have died trying to come to the U.S. so far this year. That is one of the deadliest in recent memory. Rosa Flores
has a story we warn you. Her report does contain some graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPODENT (voice over): This 22 year old Mexican construction worker crossed into Texas with his brother last week.
Authorities say.
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: They'd been walking for three days without any food.
FLORES (voice over): The patches on his body?
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Did he get medical attention if he did signs paramedics tried to save his life. Migrants have tried entering the U.S. southern
border a record breaking nearly 2 million times since October. And this man's tragic story is far from unique. Webb County Medical examiner Dr.
Corinne Stern says this year is on pace to be the deadliest year for migrants crossing into this region of Texas in recent memory.
DR. CORINNE STERN, WEBB COUNTRY MEDICAL EXAMINER: I'm seeing an extreme increase in the number of border crossing deaths compared to other years.
FLORES (voice over): So much so stern recently did something she says she has never done in her 20 year career she told officials in the 11 border
county she serves that her office is that capacity.
[11:25:00]
DR. STERN: And so we're asking them to store them at their funeral homes until we have a space available.
FLORES (voice over): And in Maverick County, one of the deadliest counties says Stern, a funeral home there tell CNN they're at capacity to and with
the medical examiner not taking the deceased. They are now burying unidentified migrants.
In the back of the county cemetery there are 16 fresh graves. There were no funerals, no family, no flowers; all the graves are marked with partial
crosses made out of PVC piping.
All of these are migrant Jane and John Doe's except for one. There's a baby John Doe. Stern says she has 260 deceased migrants in her custody. The
majority died this year from drowning or hyperthermia and our pending identification.
FLORES (voice over): Despite the dangers, Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber says the arrival of migrants is not stopping and neither are the
deaths. He shows us post mortem photos some to graphic not to completely blur including of a child of just some of the migrant deaths in the past
seven months.
TOM SCHMERBER, MAVERICK COUNTY SHERIFF: This is across an area.
FLORES (on camera): And it's every day that you're finding bodies.
SCHMERBER: Every day.
SCHMERBER (voice over): And then shows us.
FLORES (on camera): A three year old in this area?
SCHMERBER: This area.
FLORES (voice over): Where a three year old drowned Monday.
SCHMERBER: And I was informed that he was taken out gave him CPR. But he died.
FLORES (voice over): Tuesday, our cameras were there as another body was recovered from the Rio Grande, this time a man. Yards away, dozens of
migrants were just crossed the river waited for Border Patrol, including two Cuban women in their 20s who did not want to be identified for fear it
could impact their immigration cases.
FLORES (on camera): How deep was the water for your daughter?
FLORES (voice over): She shows us it was about waist deep and then got emotional. When asked about children dying on the very river, she had just
crossed. She says it was a tough decision for her daughter's future.
Most likely the same hopes and dreams this man had. His cut short, but Stern says he was fortunate not to die alone.
DR. STERN: His brother stayed behind and was with him at the time border patrol found him.
FLORES (voice over): Which means unlike the hundreds of other unidentified migrants in her custody, he will reunite with his family soon says Stern.
And has this message for anyone thinking about crossing the border.
DR. STERN: Politics aside, all these deaths are ruled an accident; an accident by definition is preventable. 100 percent stay home.
FLORES (voice over): Rosa Flores, CNN along the U.S. Mexico border.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: CNN has been hearing from the UN's Human Rights Chief. She tells us she is and I quote her here, really concerned by what's happening to
Britain's former Ambassador to Myanmar, Vicky Bowman.
And Myanmar's Military rulers say Bowman is charged with immigration offenses, and that could mean up to five years behind bars. While at the
same time the juntas made no reference to a fresh round of sanctions announced by the United Kingdom.
All of this happening on the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya genocide carried out by Myanmar's military in the country's Rakhine state. CNN's
Paula Hancocks on the story for us. What do we know about the former ambassador at this point, and what the charges are leveled against her?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we know is that Vicky Bowman and her husband, who's a Burmese former political prisoner, were
arrested on Wednesday night. We understand that the official charge against them from the military is that of breaking immigration rules.
Effectively, the address on her visa did not match the address where she was living. Now, of course, that is not expected to be the whole story.
What is going on behind that, as you mentioned, is the fact that the UK has also issued further sanctions on Myanmar and on specifically military
backed industries and businesses after that five year anniversary of the genocide of the Rohingya minority.
So what we're seeing here is that the former ambassador, she was ambassador from 2002 to 2006. And her husband has been arrested. They are we
understand in the notorious insane prison. This is where many political prisoners are being held.
It's also somewhere we have heard many tales of torture and of beatings. Now, I've been speaking to some experts about this, in particular, Phil
Robertson from Human Rights Watch.
He said they are very concerned about the status in particular of her husband given he is a Burmese national, believing that a foreign former
dignitary would be treated better.
But also saying that it just shows the lengths that this military junta will go to if they are now even targeting former ambassadors showing that
they want foreigners out of the country so that they can control the Myanmar people even better.
This military junta taking could power by force in a bloody military coup in February of last year. Now we've heard from the UK Foreign Office at
this point, they say without naming Bowman herself say that they are in touch with local authorities, they are trying to give consular help. But at
this point, Vicky Bowman and her husband have been charged by this military junta, Becky.
ANDERSON: Paula Hancocks reporting for you. Well, thank you. Today marks five years since Myanmar launched its brutal military campaign against
Rohingya Muslims forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to neighboring countries, now the majority live in Bangladesh, often in crowded makeshift
camps surviving only off the support of foreign aid.
Aid organizations say nearly a million Rohingya refugees remain completely a dependent there with no prospects of ever returning home. CNN's Alex
Field visited one of those camps back in 2017. In the wake of the government's crackdown, as you can see the circumstances were and I'm
afraid still are dire.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thousands of people wait in line for hours for basics. Hundreds of thousands still have nothing at
all, and they're getting desperate.
FIELD (on camera): These are locals here who are handing out whatever they have. And you can see the children the families running to collect.
International aid organizations are trying to take a more organized approach. They're worried about the kind of chaos that this creates.
But the people who live here, they want to provide help to so many who are in such need.
FIELD (voice over): An estimated 800,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees are living on Bangladesh's border, nearly half of them arriving in the last
three weeks, fleeing a violent military campaign in nearby Myanmar. Juhno remembers bullets were flying round like rain.
FIELD (on camera): This is what they've escaped to an overcrowded camp with tens of thousands of people in it. We're seeing children that are running
around without any clothes, the clothing is soiled.
[11:35:00]
FIELD (on camera): There are piles of feces almost everywhere you step. This is one makeshift kind of washroom that we've seen.
FIELD (voice over): Aid organizations are building toilets working to provide the water and vaccinating children to try to stop the spread of
disease.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can only describe it as wall to wall human suffering.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: --is in Bangladesh this week visiting the camps where and let's just be quite clear here, a million raging of refugees are living. Jan
Egeland is the Secretary General for the Norwegian Refugee Council. And he joins me now.
That was a report that my colleague filed five years ago. Describe for our viewers, what five years on into this brutal crisis looks like.
JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: There is improvement, big improvements in terms of humanitarian aid. I was just with
the Rohingyas over these last two days in Cox's Bazar. And they do get basic humanitarian relief, we keep them alive. But the hopelessness is in
many ways, worse now.
At that point, they had good hopes of returning. All world leaders said we will not rest until there is justice for the Rohingya, and they have safe
and dignified return. Five years on what are really the opportunities for return, which is the way out of this, you know, being locked in, in limbo?
And that's why we're feeling on this day, the five year anniversary day for another political initiative from the ASEAN countries which is the
neighboring countries, from China and from the UN, to start a process to get agreement on safe and voluntary return because that's the only way out
for the Rohingyas.
ANDERSON: That's the appeal how realistic do you think a solution is at this point.
EGELAND: Well, it is will be incredibly hard because the situation in --is very dire. The situation in Myanmar is very dire. There's a lot of
fighting, there is a lot of minorities now being persecuted.
However, if we give up, we will have a million soon, many more Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar, where they cannot leave where they cannot work where they have
no future, forever, we cannot allow that.
So I really hope that the ASEAN countries understand this is on their watch. This is in the neighborhood. This is their responsibility to find a
way where two members Myanmar and Bangladesh need to have an agreement for safe return. We're ready as humanitarian organizations to observe to
facilitate to aid this return well on both sides of the border.
The children, the youth that I met yesterday, want to be teachers and doctors and nurses at the moment, we can only give them primary education.
ANDERSON: And their lives, of course, as you will be well aware, because you see this all the time, their lives will end up being normalized
otherwise, in these camps. We've just heard that the United States would support a UN Security Council referral of the situation in Myanmar, to the
International Criminal Court, your response to that, your assessment of the effectiveness of that channel?
EGELAND: When I hope for justice for the civilian Rohingyas, but I urge that the number one priority is to give them a future. Again, these youth
were crying yesterday. They talked about their ancestral home, where their parents, their grandparents, their great grandparents lived.
They know of the land, they know of the culture that they had to live and they expect the world to not leave them behind in this total limbo. We're
getting less and less funding for each year per person in need.
It's totally overshadowed by Ukraine. I'm glad you Becky of giving it attention now. There is too little attention. It's a festering wound. What
we can do as humanitarians is putting a plaster, a band aid on the wound. It's the diplomats.
It's the politicians that have to heal this wound by a political solution and pressure on all of those who need pressure to understand that they need
to allow people back to their homes.
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: And finally, you've talked about the most urgent need being the political will to really provide some improvement here. When you lay that
aside, having spent the time that you have now with the Rohingya there, and we've been looking at images of, of what you will have seen, and what are
their most urgent needs?
EGELAND: But their most urgent need, I would say at the moment would be education, and livelihoods. And as seen with - the council just did a
survey 94 percent of Rohingya youth beyond school age are unemployed, virtually all of them are unemployed.
And they are not getting the vocational training needed. There is also needed that they hopefully will return to rebuild, and they're not allowed
to work. In Bangladesh, they are not going to be integrated there that Bangladeshis tell us this is responsibility for Myanmar. So ASEAN countries
need to facilitate that return, but it has to be safe at the moment.
It's not safe enough for them to return. Other Rohingyas are now sitting in camps within Rakhine in, in Myanmar without freedom of movement. So there
are a lot of things that needs to be fixed, but it can't be fixed. It was man made this disaster, man can't fix it.
ANDERSON: Jan, it's good to have you on. It's an extremely important story, as you say, overshadowed as, as so much of the attention these days is in
and on Ukraine.
Again, the attention there for all the right reasons, and I know you'll agree with me on that, but it's so important that we have you on today from
Cox's Bazar there to remind us of the story that is there, thank you sir.
Is the Coronavirus pandemic over? Well, one Australian Airlines says it is as far as its flights go that is their good fortune a sign of things to
come, that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, all the weight of bad news can often feel overwhelming contact; you don't have to tell me that isn't better news. As ocean
temperatures continue to rise more and more tropical waves are being threatened by mass bleaching events leaving much of the sea life that
inhabit them critically endangered.
But today on Call to Earth, we visit one of the healthiest reef ecosystems in the Caribbean - conservationists are and can protect and restore marine
habitats, have a look at this.
[11:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): In the southern Caribbean, just 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela, lies the Dutch island of Bonaire beneath the
surface of its turquoise water. Coral reefs clean to the coastline and are home to over 350 species of fish.
But a recent four year study here concluded in 2020, has shown annual coral bleaching as high as 61 percent, a phenomenon that reveals signs of stress,
potentially deadly to the organisms.
ROXANNE-LIANA FRANCISCA, MARINE BIOLOGIST, STINAPA BONAIRE: One of the big impacts of climate change is of course, the oceans getting warmer. What
we've seen in Bonaire over the last couple of years is a lot of bleaching that happens, but luckily not a lot of corals that died.
But of course, if we keep having these really big intense bleaching events, and the corals do not get the time to recover, that can really change what
your reef looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): In 1979, the waters around the island were given special protection as one of the planet's first marine reserves.
Since then, the ban on fishing in the reserve plus the prohibition of anchoring and any removal of coral is monitored and regulated by the
STINAPA Park Foundation.
Today, the reef maintains its status as one of the healthiest in the Caribbean.
FRANCISCA: Today, we are doing checks on some light and temperature sensors we have located in the park. So with these sensors, we can get an idea of
how the temperature is changing through the years is this temperature change.
The same in the entire marine park is it the same on all depths. And this can really help us in the future if we're planning on doing restoration by
targeting which coral species survive best in which temperature ranges, which areas would do best for restorations and the better we understand
that the better we can protect and conserve what we have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): For the past 10 years local organization reef renewal Bonaire has been using that valuable information to implement
a process of natural coral recovery called fragmentation.
FRANCESCA VIRDIS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, REEF RENEWAL BONAIRE: We propagate thousands and thousands of corals in our nursery just cutting
them like sort of gardening on the water. So let's say you have a call and we call it the parent colony.
You can cut a portion of it and this fragment is able to heal first the sky and then start growing. So the new corals grow will be a clone of the
parent colony. In this way cutting were able to produce an oil plant back to the reef, almost 10,000 corals per year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Most of the restoration is focused on two species of branching coral, stag horn and Elkhorn both critically
endangered and both crucial a shelter for the marine life in the reef.
VIRDIS: When the project started, we sampled all around the island, almost 50 different strains of these two species, we need to find corals, they are
more resistant, they are more resilient.
To see the spawning, of course they you grow, since they were little fragments and you spend a couple of years you know first in the nursery and
then on planting them and monitoring them over the years and see them spawning.
It's very rewarding. It means that what you're doing is really making the difference.
FRANCISCA: I'm still very optimistic about the future of Bonaire trees--. We need to decide what we want the future to look like and then we need to
take the steps to make sure that we can safeguard that future.
VIRDIS: I think we are at the point where we can make those decisions that will make sure that in 20 years, Bonaire is maybe one of the only places
that can stay well we still have a very nice beautiful reef left.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let us know what you're doing to answer the call that is #calltoearth. Well, you're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky
Anderson. A couple of minutes left, so stay with us. This is a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: California is set to ban the sale of all new gasoline cars by 2013, with regulators expected to approve new rules which create increasing
quotas for the number of zero emission vehicles sold in the state, reaching 100 percent in just 13 years.
Now a proposed ban would come after similar moves in Europe and could have far reaching impact on the entire U.S. auto industry. Qantas Airways says
the worst is over, the Australian - as passenger demand has helped Qantas return to pre pandemic levels.
The company declared the existential crisis as over. But the airline along with other carriers is suffering flight cancellations, staffing shortages
and luggage problems. And that is not over yet. Pete Muntean has the details on the impact for travelers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Another week of air travel pain across the country is turning up the pressure on airlines to
perform with the Labor Day rush fast approaching.
This past Monday alone, more than 1400 flights were canceled nationwide, the fourth highest of the summer, both Southwest and American Airlines
delayed more than 40 percent of all their flights.
SYLVIA IBARRA, PASSENGER: --my flight was canceled?
MUNTEAN (on camera): Yesterday.
IBARRA: Yesterday. Now we're back again today. It was canceled this morning. And now we're back again.
MUNTEAN (voice over): United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says hiring - Training Center in Denver has made its pandemic recovery quicker than
others. Since the start of this year, United has hired 1500 new pilots in hopes of alleviating staffing shortages and canceled flights. In total U.S.
airlines have canceled more than 44,000 flights since June.
SCOTT KIRBY, CEO, UNITED AIRLINES: All airlines are not created equal.
MUNTEAN (voice over): In an exclusive interview, Kirby put some of the blame back on the federal government. Last week, the Federal Aviation
Administration said a shortage of air traffic controllers delayed flights into Newark, JFK and LaGuardia by up to two hours.
KIRBY: Frankly, the bigger challenges are not the airline's they. They're the entire support infrastructure around aviation that hasn't caught up as
quickly.
MUNTEAN (on camera): Let me push back on that just a tiny bit because United has had 5000 cancellations this summer. What do you say to somebody
who does see this as an airline issue rather than some other cause?
KIRBY: Well, first, I would say we're doing everything we can to get the airline running reliably. We know that's the most important thing for
customers. It's our number one priority. When the FAA says you can't land airplanes at the airport, you're going to have delays and cancellations.
MUNTEAN (voice over): Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg insists air traffic control issues do not account for many cancellations this summer.
In a letter to airline executives Buttigieg says the level of disruption Americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable and is telling
airlines to review their customer service commitments to passengers.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. TRANSPORT SECRETARY: I'm calling on the airlines to step up their game before we have to do even more.
MUNTEAN (voice over): For United that starts with training that focuses on quality. Something I got to try in a Boeing 737 simulator.
MUNTEAN (on camera): It felt like that was a little hard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, that was good.
CAPTAIN, MIKE BONNER, UNITED AIRLINES PILOT: Our growth plan the most aggressive growth plan of any airline in the history of aviation is really
the driver behind the need for our pilots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MUNTEAN: With a Labor Day travel rush around the corner United Airlines is expecting big numbers, 2.6 million passengers on United Airlines alone. Two
big tips if you are traveling one, ditch the check bag and carry on that leaves you more flexibility and two, ditch the connections from your
itinerary and fly nonstop.
More connections only open you up to more opportunities for delays and cancellations, Pete Muntean, CNN Denver International Airport.
ANDERSON: Right. In tonight's parting shots some of the worlds top tennis stars hit the court in New York to raise more than $1 million for Ukraine
relief. It was all part of the U.S. opens Tennis Plays for Peace Event, ahead of the start of this year's final Grand Slam tournament. Among those
participating Rafael Nadal and John McEnroe. As well as Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, who spoke about the importance of the memory?
[11:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COCO GAUFF, TENNIS PLAYER: For me to speak out is something that I always cherish always said you can change the world with your racket. So being
here today on Armstrong and playing for such an amazing cause is something that I won't take for granted? And I'm grateful to do it; I am amongst
legends of the sport.
IGA SWIATEK, TENNIS PLAYER: Especially because Ukraine is right next to my country and because we our schools are really united and helping and I want
to use every opportunity to show people that we all can be united and we all have something--
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, terrific. The U.S. Tennis Association says ticket revenue went to Global Givings Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund which supports
humanitarian assistance. That's it from us. CNN there of course continues from the team working with me here and those working with us around the
world. It's very good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
