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Your World Today

Storm Lashes Oman, Heads Towards Iran; GOP Debate; Power Shortages Continue to Be Widespread Across Iraq

Aired June 06, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: An anti-globalization message. Protesters clash again with police as they try to block roads to the G8 summit in northern Germany.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Colleen Mcedwards, in Manchester, where the Republican field tries to put some green space between the candidates and the president.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The wrath of Gonu. The cyclone loses some of its punch but still pummels Oman with heavy rain and high winds.

FRAZIER: And controversy surrounds her, still, almost 10 years after her death. A British television channel is going to air a new documentary on Diana, the princess of Wales. Her sons are not pleased.

CHURCH: It's 6:00 p.m. in Heiligendamm, in Germany, and noon in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast all around the globe.

I'm Rosemary Church.

FRAZIER: I'm Stephen Frazier.

From Moscow to London, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

And we will bring you the very latest from the G8 summit in just a moment, where a lot has been happening. But first, news of the tropical cyclone which is getting more and more dangerous.

Cyclones in the Arabian Peninsula are very rare, but they do occur. And this latest storm, Cyclone Gonu, lashed Oman on Wednesday. The storm barreling towards Iran, sparking fears that world oil prices could skyrocket if there's any damage to rigs there.

Michael Holmes has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Pounding waves, uprooted trees, flood warnings and evacuations, the wrath of Cyclone Gonu in the Gulf region, one of the strongest ever recorded in the area. The damage done and what could still happen affects more than trees and buildings, though. The region is, of course, a major shipping and oil supply center. Already, oil prices have gone up because of the disruption caused and the disruption that may still occur as Gonu heads towards Iran.

In Oman, tens of thousands of people were evacuated. Electricity was cut. And the major port of Soha was closed down, as were airports. Oil refineries remained operational, but at reduced output, as winds in the capital, Muscat, topped 104 meters an hour, about 62 miles an hour.

To the northeast, at the world's third largest shipping fuel center, the UAE port of Fujara (ph), all refueling and supply operations were halted. At one point on Tuesday, Gonu was listed as Category 5 cyclone, the highest level. It was later downgraded, but still packs a punch as it heads towards the Strait of Hormuz, the world's major transport artery for Persian Gulf oil.

Oil prices spiked on fears that the cyclone could disrupt oil supply from Iran, although weather forecasters say Gonu should weaken before arriving there. Still, there are reports Iranian authorities evacuated several hundred people from coastal areas as a precaution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: Michael Holmes with that report.

CHURCH: Well, right now, there are 10 Republicans who would love a seat in the Oval Office once President Bush's term comes to an end in 2009. They came to the U.S. state of New Hampshire Tuesday in an attempt to convince voters that they're qualified for the job.

So how did they do? Our own Colleen McEdwards join us now from where the debate took place -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: Hey, Rosemary. Thanks.

I'll tell you, one thing really stood out. These candidates seem to be doing a little bit more now to try to distance themselves from President Bush and the White House. This was pretty evident all through the debate last night, as the candidates dealt with issues ranging from Iraq, to immigration, even evolution.

John King has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They stood 10 across, and from the start it was clear the Republican debate would be very different from the Democrats on Iraq...

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I supported the president's decision based on what we knew at that time.

RUDY GIULIANI (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Absolutely the right thing to do.

KING: ... and in tone.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: What do you say so Senator McCain?

ROMNEY: Well, he's my friend.

KING: Politely, though, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney did take issue with the immigration reform plan crafted by his Republican rival.

ROMNEY: The point is, every illegal alien, almost everyone under this bill, gets to stay here. That's not fair to the millions and millions of people around the world that would love to come here.

KING: Senator John McCain said the bill was far from perfect, but that compromise is a part of leadership.

JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For us to do nothing is silent and de facto amnesty.

KING: Much of the positioning was familiar -- the Republicans casting Democrats as soft on terrorism and too reliant on big government when it comes to making health care more affordable and accessible.

ROMNEY: Every Democrat up there is talking about a form of socialized medicine.

KING: What was new was bigger steps away from the current Republican president.

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've lost credibility the way we've bungled Katrina.

KING: Especially after a New Hampshire voter named Erin Flannigan (ph) asked about a brother killed in Iraq and pressed the candidates for ideas to end the war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My family has been devastated by the loss.

MCCAIN: This war was very badly mismanaged for a long time. I believe we have a strategy which can succeed, so that the sacrifice of your brother would not be in vain.

KING: Hanging over all of this is the likelihood of an 11th entry soon. Actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson plans to enter the GOP race in early July. A GOP long shot with the same last name couldn't resist.

TOMMY THOMPSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And if you're talking about a reliable conservative, it is this Thompson, Tommy Thompson, not the actor. That's the conservative.

BLITZER: Thank you, Governor.

KING (on camera): Another big difference came on the question of whether gay Americans should be allowed to serve openly in the military. At their debate this week, the consensus among the Democrats was yes, but when asked if they supported such a change, not one of the Republican candidates raised his hand.

John King, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: So, with such a crowded field of candidates, we thought we'd take a minute and just give you a bit of a snapshot of the top four, at least, so you can see exactly where they're at. So let's go ahead and do that now. And we'll start with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.

Now, Giuliani is considered a moderate Republican. That's actually caused some problems for him in this race. But he is number two in fund-raising, so he's got lots of support, in terms of the money anyway, which is what matters right now.

Giuliani is the only Republican candidate to openly support abortion rights. Again, a thorny issue for him.

Now, John McCain, four-term senator from Arizona. He ran for president back in 2000. McCain is more conservative than some of the others now in the race. And he's consistently backed President Bush on Iraq. But in this debate, tried to point out as many times as he could that he thinks the war was, in his words, mismanaged.

Now, let's go on to the next few candidates on profile.

We've got Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. As we know, he is a Mormon. Now, last night in the debate, he said that he believes in God and that he has no plan to distance himself from his religion in order to win support. He's raised more money than any of the other Republican candidates, by the way.

Fred Thompson, as well. You heard John King mention him, the former U.S. senator. Perhaps, though, he is more well known for his acting roles in movies and on television.

He's a conservative. He appeals to many in the party's right wing. He's expected to sort of shake up this candidate field when he formally gets in the running, which is expected to happen in July.

He formed an exploratory committee just last week. Already, though, he's among the top candidates in the polls.

Now, it's easy to look good in a race like this when you're not formally in it before you get under scrutiny, the same kind of scrutiny that the other candidates are in. And that's sort of the position that Fred Thompson is in right now.

You would think with a field of 10 candidates that the Republicans could find someone to get excited about. But the fact is, all of the front-runners are vulnerable on something. And it's just not clear yet whether Republican voters have really found what they're looking for. Back to you.

CHURCH: All right. Thanks.

Colleen McEdwards in Manchester, New Hampshire.

FRAZIER: Now to Germany, where it's a day for greetings and informal meetings. A lot of food, a lot of entertainment, at the opening the G8 summit in Germany.

CHURCH: That's right. But the leaders though also laying important groundwork for the ambitious agenda they'll soon tackle in earnest.

FRAZIER: In fact, they're still making that agenda.

U.S. President George W. Bush had lunch with the host of the summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, discussing her biggest concern, climate change. She said they had a pretty strong debate over lunch.

A reception for all G8 leaders will take place in about two hours' time.

CHURCH: Now, outside the gates, police struggled to keep protesters from storming the summit grounds. And we will, of course, have more on the G8 summit a little later.

FRAZIER: Now, though, we're going to turn to Baghdad, where life is already hard enough, aside from all the daily violence. A lot of the problem for people on a daily basis comes down to supply and demand.

Take electricity, for example. The government has simply not been able to follow through on its promise to restore dependable power to the capital.

As Hala Gorani shows us now, it has forced a lot of people to take matters into their own hands.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This may look like a random tangle of multicolored wires, but to dozens of families in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Tachi (ph), it is their only connection to basic electrical power.

Follow one of these cables, and you will end up in the home of the Obadi (ph) family. In the baking summer heat, there is only one hour of power a day from the national grid. Six with the generator they share with other neighboring homes. In this cramped living room, there is sweat, there is no air- conditioning, and there is frustration.

"We share with a private generator and pay $80 for six hours of electricity only," says Isma Younis. "But we can't even turn on the refrigerate or freezer or other electrical machines."

In a country where power cuts sometimes affect even the parliament, legislators fan themselves in the sweltering heat. Everyone is affected.

Take this medical testing laboratory. Attia Mohammed Homod says that without electricity his work comes to a standstill. "It all depends on electricity," he says. "When the electricity is cut, then we have to delay all test results."

It may be less vital, but power shortages are putting added pressure on businesses that would go broke in a few days without generators. An ice cream shop in Sadr City, a nearby carpenter and his power tools. He needs two machines, and the cost of fuel to operate them is rising.

(on camera): There are estimates that a third of power supply in Iraq comes from those private generators. And some say the proportion in Baghdad is much higher. Continued insurgent attacks and failed policies to restore electricity means supply in Iraq is still much lower than before the war.

(voice over): And that means big generator owners, like Mohammed Jassem, are more in demand than ever. "We operate nine hours a day, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.," he says. "And from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m."

Back at the Obadi (ph) home, it's time for bed. The heat so intense indoors, that they've relocated bedrooms on the rooftop. Mortar attacks and other violence make this dangerous. But in a city where death, destruction and despair are the norm, many here say they will take any short-lived comfort they can find.

Hala Gorani, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: Well, there's much more to come here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CHURCH: There certainly is.

We'll tell you about a security scare for the Vatican as a man tried to leap into the popemobile in St. Peter's Square.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Max Foster, outside Buckingham Palace in London.

A royal row has broken out of the plans by a British broadcaster to show graphic pictures of the crash that killed Princess Diana.

More details when YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after this break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FRAZIER: Welcome back to CNN International and YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CHURCH: Where we are seen live in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe, including the United States.

Well, what began as a routine day for Pope Benedict XVI quickly turned into something altogether out of the ordinary. Just a few hours ago, the pontiff was traveling in his open-air popemobile when a man from the crowd suddenly jumped over a barricade and lunged for the pope's vehicle.

Now, papal security agents quickly swarmed over the man and wrestled him to the ground, as you see there. It was so quick, in fact, it appears as though the pope wasn't even aware of the disturbance himself.

Well, Vatican officials say the man in question is a 27-year-old, a native of Germany, and has a history of mental illness. Right now, he's being held at a psychiatric facility in Rome.

FRAZIER: A little bit of a different situation in Britain, where there is a disturbance, and everybody is aware of it at this hour. Britain's Channel 4 says it will not back down over its plans to show a graphic documentary film about Diana, Princess of Wales.

Princes William and Harry appealed to the network not to show photographs of their mother after her fatal car crash. But Channel 4 says this documentary is in the public interest. It's due to air about five hours from now.

Max Foster joins us from London on more of this huge royal row -- Max.

FOSTER: Yes, the princes say it's wholly inappropriate that any images of the scene where Princess Diana was dying would ever be shown to the public, but they will be shown tonight. But Channel 4 insists you won't see Diana or any other victims featured in those photographs and the documentary, but they insist they will go ahead with it. They say it is in the public interest, although they are saddened to hear that the princes are upset about it.

With me is Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator who follows these things closely.

And we'll find out tonight what these pictures show, but some people are suggesting that the princes are overly concerned and, had they seen the documentary, not their private secretary seen the documentary, they would have allowed it.

RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL WATCHER: I think that they feel very strongly that showing these images dishonors the memory of their mother, and they want to try and protect her memory as she protected them.

FOSTER: So it's the principle?

FITZWILLIAMS: The principle is these photographs have been in the public domain but not actually published. The press have a sort of unwritten law that they won't publish them.

One report was published in the British newspaper "The Sun". The facts are, however, Channel 4 claim it is legitimate public interest. It's certainly interesting to see what part paparazzi played in the tragic car crash. The (INAUDIBLE) reports differ here. But on the other hand, it does seem to me tasteless that these images are being used.

FOSTER: And Channel 4 arguing that the paparazzi weren't as involved in the death of Princess Diana as many people think. So many say this is an interesting addition to the long-running debate about what happened at that crash scene. It's in the public interest.

FITZWILLIAMS: They have every right to argue it. It may well be a riveting program. Showing these images adds an extra dimension which has involved Clarence House, the conservative party, the liberal democrat party, and, as Channel 4 well intended, a vast audience tonight.

FOSTER: And (INAUDIBLE) added to this, because the prince's private secretary did a very rare on-camera interview on this matter. So they've added fuel to the fire, you could argue, but it was their last hope, as Channel 4 weren't responding.

FITZWILLIAMS: You're quite right. The regulator won't stop it and made comment afterwards. The intervention of the princes' private secretary is totally unprecedented.

We will see what this program contains. But there's no doubt there's been a lot of media manipulation by Channel 4 to get the maximum coverage. And it's worked brilliantly.

FOSTER: The public view probably is some sympathy for the princes, but it hasn't really grasped the public's interest all that much, has it?

FITZWILLIAMS: Well, I think it has certainly grasped the media's interest, and there's a feeding frenzy about it. The number of people who watch it will remain to be seen.

FOSTER: Many commentators also suggesting that perhaps this does set a dangerous precedent if it is allowed to be blocked by the princes, because any major tragedy, therefore, would have to bear in mind the feelings of all the families of the victims in any national incident.

FITZWILLIAMS: Well, I think we must remember that, for example, if the battlefield is shown, you can see bodies at a distance. There are the 9/11 and 7/7 tragedies, and there were certain very long- distance shots.

Here, if someone's face is covered, we know whose face that is. That is one of the reasons for the princes' grief. I haven't seen it, of course, but I, along with many others, will be tuning in, but more so because of this vast and rather tasteless publicity.

FOSTER: OK. Richard Fitzwilliams, thanks very much for joining us.

And that is the concern of those who don't want these pictures to be shown today. They're worried. But the fact that such a big hullabaloo is being made about this, many more people will see these pictures now than would have seen them without all this publicity.

FRAZIER: Max, thanks very much for that report from outside Buckingham Palace there.

Well, do William and Harry have a point over this? Should the British broadcaster pay attention to their concerns and remove those photographs of Diana's final moments?

Let us know, please. Send us an e-mail, yourviews@cnn.com.

CHURCH: Well, the U.S. Congress wants to know how an Atlanta man infected with tuberculosis made it to Europe and back with very few people knowing about it. The Senate and the House of Representatives have been holding hearings to evaluate how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies handled the situation.

Now, Andrew Speaker took several international flights after learning he'd been diagnosed with a dangerous strain of TB. And once again, Speaker insisted he didn't know he was contagious, while health officials say they had warned him he was.

And Speaker and members of his family will talk to CNN's Larry King about the whole ordeal Thursday at 09:00 GMT.

FRAZIER: Well, we'll be taking a look at the world's business news when we come back.

CHURCH: We shall do that.

We'll also have a live report from the G8 summit in Germany, where the U.S. is getting static from the current Russian president over a proposed missile defense system.

FRAZIER: And the former Soviet president is also weighing in. He says U.S. arrogance is threatening to touch off a new Cold War.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, FMR. SOVIET PRESIDENT (through translator): The United States is driving itself in a corner. At this stage, already, they have lost credibility in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(NEWSBREAK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FRAZIER: Welcome back to our viewers, joining us from more than 200 countries and territories around the globe, including the United States.

CHURCH: This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Rosemary Church.

FRAZIER: I'm Stephen Frazier.

Here are some of the top stories we've been tracking at this hour. Cyclone Gonu lashed Oman Wednesday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Gonu's top winds have weakened considerably now but it's still a very heavy rainmaker. And oil prices have risen on fears that this storm could disrupt oil production as it heads north toward Iran.

CHURCH: Thousands of protesters swarmed a perimeter fence surrounding the site of the G-8 summit in Germany. Others blocked roads leading from the airport to the seaside resort. German police in riot gear clashed with protesters and at times, used water cannon to disperse the crowds.

FRAZIER: Well, the summit is actually under way now in Germany, with the topics ranging from hot to cold. The warm end of the spectrum will be dominated by a discussion of climate change. The cool: a dispute between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush that's reminiscent of the Cold War.

Our European Political Editor Robin Oakley joins us from Germany with a political weather report. And Robin, I guess there's change in the wind if we're talking weather metaphors here. This was to have been global warming. But, is that being overshadowed now by this dispute over this missile shield?

ROBIN OAKLEY, EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: There's certainly been that danger, Stephen. But, absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder. And it seems that presence makes the words get softer because they're certainly winding down the rhetoric a little bit now.

President Bush met reporters this morning. And he said, look, Russia is not an enemy, Russia is not going to attack Europe. And when I spoke to Dmitry Peskov, President Putin's spokesman this morning, he was echoing the kind of words Mr. Bush had been using yesterday, about the Cold War being well and truly over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMITRY SERGEYEVICH PESKOV, RUSSIAN FIRST DEP. PRESS SECRETARY: This is extremely sensitive issue. Strategic security and strategic balance on European continent is so sensitive that you have to use very strong language in order to convey your disappointments and -- but, I just want to repeat that it doesn't show that we are very close to a Cold War. I don't think that there is a slightest possibility or slightest danger that we enter another period of Cold War.

(END VIDEO CLIP) OAKLEY: As for climate change, the key meeting there was a lunchtime meeting between Angela Merkel, the summit host, and President Bush. They've been fairly far apart on global warming. But Mr. Bush came out of the meeting, saying that he had a strong desire to help Angela Merkel get a resolution on the global warming question, cutting carbon emissions.

So, the body language was fairly comfortable between the two. But, they didn't really want to dwell on the detail and there's still a gap to be closed there, Stephen.

FRAZIER: And he said I look forward to working with you on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. In other words, Kyoto is dead in his mind.

OAKLEY: Well, he's -- yes, Kyoto runs out anyway in 2012. The question is, who's going to organize the replacement to it? Mr. Bush has come up with his scheme for 15 countries to get together under U.S. leadership. Most of the other leaders at the G-8 here want it to be settled under U.N. auspices, Stephen.

FRAZIER: All right, Robin Oakley, thank you very much, Robin.

CHURCH: Well, Former Soviet Leader Mikael Gorbachev says U.S. plans to build that missile defense system are arrogant, adding Europe is not a guinea pig.

He spoke to our Monita Rajpal from Moscow as the G-8 summit got under way, and here's part one of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MONITA RAJPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Gorbachev, thank you very much for being with us here on CNN. We appreciate your time. I'd like to begin with this U.S. proposed anti-missile defense shield that President Bush is proposing. The U.S. says the system is -- does not have any offensive capabilities. Why, then, is Russia so against it?

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, FORMER SOVIET PRESIDENT (through translator): Over some 70 or 70 plus-percent of citizens of Czech Republic are opposed to this. There is a possibility that self-confidence, arrogance, lack of attention to the will of the peoples, will lead to a situation similar to that at the beginning of the war with Iraq, and now we see what the outcome is, and all those in the Security Council, millions of peoples the world over, who protested against the war in Iraq on the basis of international law were ignored and now this repeats itself.

This brings back my recent lecture in London. I spoke at a conference devoted to Churchill. And one -- there was a statement. Somebody said, you may be sure that the Americans will make a correct decision, but only after they have tried everything else. But, we shouldn't experiment with such things. It is similar to experimenting with new pharmaceuticals. Europe is not a guinea pig.

I do not understand what is going on. I do hope that the process is not over, the process of negotiations is not over. The negotiations are in the early stages. All this has been done, bypassing NATO and Russia, of course. Everybody is being ignored. So, this self-assurance will lead to the same old result. This only divides -- has a divisive effect.

Putin was right in saying that -- seeing it as an attempt to put -- to set Europe against Russia. Our relation with NATO and the European Union is a key issue of international politics. Everything should be clear here. We must cooperate, respecting our mutual interests and if we do that, we'll build a solid bridge head to protect peace and promote progress of the international community.

What is being done with these new missile sites is only splitting Europe.

RAJPAL: How do you believe President Putin will respond?

GORBACHEV (through translator): I think that my view will differ from that of others, including representatives of Russia. I have an independent view. The United States is driving itself in a corner. At this stage, already, they have lost credibility in the world. The U.S. administration should be thinking about how to wrap up its period in office on a peaceful note, rather than intimidating, buying over.

This is a -- small-time politics. This is not the sort of politics we had after the end of Cold War. That has been overturned. Look what happened to Yugoslavia. We had to come back to the U.N. Security Council to renew the process of negotiations and to pull out -- the U.S. out of this European war.

Now, take Iraq. The U.S. has, once again, driven itself in a corner. This is an error, another error. The U.S. is driving itself in a corner. We shouldn't be surprised. Well, what can I say on that score? There is an answer, there is a possibility of an answer, or a solution. And President Putin has said that we'll have to develop systems that would ensure Russian's security and Europe against any surprises. This means that there will be review of military doctrines. This means that we are being drawn into another arms race.

I have a question. I asked it a few years ago. I have an impression that the U.S. administration does not see any other possibilities of solving international and domestic problems, including that of economic growth. The -- what the U.S. profess is -- has exhausted itself.

Now, the administration hopes that -- sees militarization as a rescue, that it will create jobs and all that. This is another delusion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRAZIER: A lot of interesting thoughts there. We're not done. When we come back, the rest of the Monita Rajpal's interview with Mikhail Gorbachev.

CHURCH: The former Soviet leader sounds off on everything from global warming to the proposed U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe. Do stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: A warm welcome back to you all. Well, let's continue our conversation now with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

FRAZIER: A lot of frankness now that he's retired. Part two of his talk with Monita Rajpal begins about the state of Russia's democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAJPAL: President Bush has accused Russia, under President Putin, of derailing democracy in the country. Now there are fears that journalists cannot question the Kremlin, for fear of recriminations. There are unsolved murders of journalists who have questioned the Kremlin's policies. Now the Kremlin has not been directly linked to any of these murder yet. These crimes go unsolved, and there is a climate of fear, and the Kremlin hasn't done anything yet to solve this problem. What do you believe -- what are your thoughts on that?

GORBACHEV (through translator): Well, witnessing struggles. The process is essentially is that we are moving away from totalitarian regime to democracy. We're only halfway through. But there is a good deal of work ahead of us. Of course Democratic institutions are in place. Their legal system and their legislative system are in place. There are also codes. But these things do not work. The courts do not work, and they're not functional. And additional efforts need to be done to get them working.

That is why I want to say that things are changing, and there is a relatively free press in Russia, as some people say; and others say, that the press is not sufficiently free. All this is true. I criticized the as letter of law and the fact that the main TV channels are overloaded with soap operas, and there are few debates and talk shows, in spite of the fact that Russia is facing many problems.

But the country is moving ahead. Democracy is growing. It is a difficult process. But Russia is on this road, and that is important for others to understand this.

Well, I'm replying to President Bush now. President Bush wants that Russia should be like the USA. Well, this is impossible. There will always be a difference, of course. There may be similarities of principle. We should work to remove the confrontation. But there will be some remaining contradictions.

RAJPAL: Sir, the goal the G-8 summit this year is to try to resolve fundamental differences between the industrialized country when it comes to combating global warming. Not many people are optimistic that such an agreement will take place. What do you think it will take for all industrialized nations to come to an agreement on combating and fighting global warming? GORBACHEV (through translator): What we must be concerned with is the global warming. I am with the International Green Cross, and I know what the situation is like. I welcome that the G-8 will discuss this issue. But it seems odd to me that the host, Chancellor Merkel, put forward a proposal on this item, calling for new additional efforts by the United Nations and the Security Council. And suddenly the other day, as if opposing it, the U.S. president put forward an American proposal, planning to invite 15 or so states, the most responsible ones, which must assume the burden of responsibility for reducing the negative effects of climate change.

I think I see this as blow at the collective effort. Mr. Bush created a problem for the G-8. But it's up to them. They are our leaders. They must reach a mutual understanding and discuss the problem in depth. It seems to me that we must proceed from the proposals of the Federal Republic of Germany.

RAJPAL: Mr. Gorbachev, thank you so much for your time, sir.

GORBACHEV (through translator): In conclusion -- is there possibility to say a few words by way of concluding?

RAJPAL: Sure, please.

GORBACHEV (through translator): A lot of things are happening, and that is why in our relations and in the international politics, what we succeeded to do in the mid and late '80s was a result of the mutual understanding and mutual confidence in the face of global challenges. We are witnessing this capital of trust being destroyed.

If we follow along this road, we won't be able to solve problems. No individual country can solve on its own, be it the E.U., China or the U.S. We must pool our efforts, join forces.

On this note, I would like to conclude this interview. Thank you for your attention and your invitation.

RAJPAL: Thank you, sir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Again, that was former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev speaking from Moscow to our Monita Rajpal.

FRAZIER: Well, tonight's the night when a British television network is planning to show shots of Princess Diana's last moments.

CHURCH: That's right, it's controversial to say the least. When we come back, we'll find out what you have to say on the subject. Do stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: We want to take you to some pictures that came into us from Global Vision, from Caracas, in Venezuela. This are anti-Hugo Chavez protests, the president of Venezuela. These are people, a large number of people, large number of people, out on the streets, marching against his efforts to fail to renew a license for RCTV, a crackdown on that broadcaster because it doesn't support his views. It is an opponent.

Now These picture coming from Global Vision. He has directed his dislike of this sort of freedom of the press to Global Vision, but these pictures coming to us from them. These anti-Hugo Chavez protests marching past the attorney general's office there in Caracas, Venezuela.

Now it was on May 27th, in fact, that President Chavez refused to renew the license of RCTV. They've since been off air, but have found various ways to get their pictures out to the public. So there are large numbers of people out on the streets in Caracas, Venezuela, marching against President Hugo Chavez.

FRAZIER: Protesters there have been using technology like text messaging to try to get around that ban on a television station. And now here's another example of that. Amnesty International is going high tech in its bid to alleviate the crisis in Darfur. It is unveiling a new Web site that posts satellite pictures of that troubled region. Visitors can monitor 12 villages which Amnesty International says are vulnerable to attack. The technology will permit viewers to see before and after pictures. You can actually see a difference there. Villages and vegetation that have been destroyed in some attacks. The Web site is www.eyesondarfur.org. It should be available for viewing in a little more than an hour's time.

CHURCH: All right. We do want to go now to our question of the day. We've been getting a lot of e-mails from you on this, haven't we?

FRAZIER: We certainly have. The question was -- if British broadcaster shows pay attention to concerns of the princes and not air photographs of Diana's final moments. Here's what some you had to say to us.

Michael from Nigeria writes, "The wishes of her children should be respected. Honestly there is no need for this video to be shown."

CHURCH: And Kim from Spain says, "Diana was never one for overexposure." She writes, "Airing this footage of her death is disrespectful to her and to the wishes of her dear sons."

FRAZIER: Tim from the United States says, "The dispute about showing the images of Diana pales in the face of Channel 4 trying to exonerate the paparazzi, who are complicit in her death."

CHURCH: Certainly not seeing any support there for the broadcaster. And we do want to thank you for writing. We do like to hear from our viewers. And if you want to share your thought, just e- mail us at yourviews@CNN.com, and remember to include your name and where you're writing from.

FRAZIER: And keep them coming, please, those messages. But that's it for this hour. I'm Stephen Frazier. CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN.

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