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China Stocks Rebound; No Nuclear Deal As Deadline Passes; In Morocco, Women Being Trained As Islamic Guides; Deadline Fast Approaching For Greece To Propose New Bailout Terms. Aired 11:00a-12:00p ET
Aired July 09, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:00:15] PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are people without ATM cards, mostly pensioners, lining up for hours yelling,
shoving each other, desperate to get inside a bank.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Desperate for cash as banks remain closed in Greece. The clock is ticking for the country to present its proposals to
European creditors and save the economy from collapsing.
Also ahead, the worst refugee crisis in a generation: that is the latest warning from the UN as the number of Syrian refugees swells to more
than 4 million people. This hour, we speak to the UN high commissioner for refugees on what is this deteriorating situation.
And, women training to become Islamic guides. We'll show you the unconventional way Morocco is fighting extremism at its roots.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
ANDERSON: On what is a very murky day in the UAE, it's one minute past 7:00.
We begin with the debt crisis in Greece, which may very well be entering its most critical phase yet.
The Greek government is just seven hours left to submit a list of economic reforms it will embrace in exchange for a third bailout.
Now EU leaders will hold a summit on Sunday to review the proposal. It could be Greece's last chance to get a deal in time to avoid economic
collapse.
Let's get to Richard Quest who has been monitoring the latest developments from Athens, in fact monitoring the entire story, it seems
over not just the past week or so, but the past, what three, four years.
Now the prime minister's -- it's the prime minister's hour and this time it is not a figure of speech. The line in one Greek newspaper
couldn't put it better myself, can you?
QUEST: No. And when Donald Tusk, the council president, says he doesn't normally do deadlines, but this is a deadline, and Jean-Claude
Juncker basically calls everybody together -- all 28 members, time -- look, the credibility of all is on the line here, Becky, not just the Greeks,
because if they fudge this one then everyone will simply say there's no -- there's never a realistic deadline.
There's seven hours to go before the Greek -- the midnight deadline in Brussels when these proposals. And Donald Tusk, the European council
president speaking today was absolutely clear unequivocally what they have to receive by the close of business.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TUSK, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: There are only three days left to the next summit. Let me use this occasion to again underline that
we stand ready to do whatever necessary to ensure the financial stability of the euro area. We expect Greece to put forward by the end of today
proposals that are both comprehensive and specific.
It will then before the institutions and the euro group to make the first assessment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Do you hear those words? Comprehensive and specific, they are the words that I'm hearing again and again from European officials, that is
the litmus test tonight when those documents arrive is the plan comprehensive and specific, anything less than that and you can turn the
lights off on the way out.
ANDERSON: Yeah, all right -- look, Richard, stay with me, because while European leaders continue those talks, of course, the situation only
getting worse for ordinary Greeks. As you've been reporting, their jobs are gone, their economy is shattered. And what little money they had left
locked up in closed banks.
The reality of that with this report from CNN's Phil Black.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In Greece, even economically depressed, industrial towns are very beautiful.
This is Chalkida, about an hour's drive north of Athens, but the stunning scenery means little here. These are people without ATM cards,
mostly pensioners, lining up for hours yelling, shoving each other, desperate to get inside a bank.
This woman's watch was broken in the crowd.
"Look where we are today," this man says. "We're being humiliated before the world."
But this community's economic pain began long before Greece's recent cash shortage. Chalkida once thrived on local industry. Now factories
surrounding the town lie broken and empty.
They have been scaling back and closing down steadily since the start of the crisis in 2008.
Chalkida's mayor Christos Pagonis says the flow on effect has hit every business, every person.
He tells me unemployment is over 30 percent, among the young it's over 60 percent.
Every day around 300 people now come here for free food. It's not much, but these are the most desperate and their numbers are growing.
We meet Huralambos (ph), laid off six years ago after working 28 years in a local factory.
He doesn't like relying on charity. He says it feels dark. But without it, there'd be no solution but suicide.
This cement factory used to be the pride of Chalkida, but no one builds in Greece anymore. And the plant closed in 2013, more than 300 jobs
lost.
The former workers have a standing protest here in the center of town. They want the factory reopened and Greece to move on any way it can.
You want Greece to stay in the euro?
ELIAS KOUKOURAS, UNEMPLOYED FACTORY WORKER: We prefer to have money, any money. And you can -- we can with this money any name, manage our
lives.
BLACK: People here say to admire Chalkida's beauty is to look through a narrow misleading window. The reality is poverty, unemployment and a
community that dreams of recovering its dignity.
Phil Black, CNN, Chalkida, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:06:56] ANDERSON: Richard is still with us.
No matter what happens, whether Greece stays in the euro, Richard, or crashes out of it, things aren't going to get better for the man, or woman,
on the street for a long time are they?
QUEST: They're going to get a great deal worse in the short-term, everybody has been honest about that, everybody knows it. The people in
Greece know it. They'll tell you to your face that's what's one of the reasons for the 61 percent vote at the weekend.
Becky, this afternoon I just took a walk along one of the main shopping streets here. The shops are closed. They're shuttered, they're
not just shut for a lunch time siesta. They're actually shuttered or empty. Those that are still in business have sales, big sales, 60, 70
percent off. And even then, those you go into are empty.
The reality is this economy is once again firmly in recession. And I would go as far as to say depression.
ANDERSON: Richard, 60 percent of Greeks voted to reject Europe's latest offer of financial aid in support of the prime minister.
And that was last weekend. Nearly a week on, and with banks closed, ATMs running dry, businesses going bankrupt. Does the prime minister still
have the support of the man and woman on the street?
QUEST: Yes, absolutely. That's -- I mean, I haven't canvassed everybody. But those you speak to absolutely.
That vote last week was a vote of anger, resentment, denial, whatever you want to call it, but it was a moment of saying enough. We are sending
our voice that we can't take any more.
But you have to juxtapose that vote with the perpetual 70 to 80 percent that say they don't want to leave the euro.
Now where this could all go horribly wrong for the prime minister is if there is a Graxident. If it somehow Greece's engineered out of the euro
because it doesn't make a payment, or it suddenly becomes impossible, then I think you're going to see a lot of anger on the streets, because they
most definitely did not vote either for Syriza -- when they put the government in power, nor in the referendum, they did not intend to leave
the euro. They want a better deal, but they want to remain in the club.
The only issue is, Becky, is that even feasible let alone possible.
ANDERSON: As Richard said, there are, what, five, six hours to go until that proposal needs to be filed with Europeans Sunday, of course, now
the big day when it will be discussed and a decision made. And Richard, for the time being, thank you. Your reporting has been absolutely
fantastic.
It was another volatile day on the Chinese markets, but for once there was a happy ending. Have a look at this, the Shanghai Composite fell
sharply at the opening bell, but managed to turn around up some 5.8 percent, nearly 6 percent. This followed a series of measures undertaken
by Chinese authorities to stem the tide of selling, but the crisis not over yet. More than 100 companies suspended trading in their own shares on
Thursday morning alone.
Chinese state media say more than half the companies listed in China had already prevented investors from selling stock, leaving those investors
with their money stuck in the market and less than confident about the outlook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:10:31] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It has already fallen by 50 percent. Does it matter if it falls again by another 50
percent? Let's just wait and see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When I bought the stocks, it went as high as $79 dollars per share. Now it's only some $20. Think
about it. Everything has been wiped out. How can I be confident in the market.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I actually made some money from this, although I sold it before the market really started crashing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, it isn't the first time Chinese stocks have had a wobble, but it doesn't make it any easier to stomach if you bought them and
they are in a pallor state.
Let's get some more on this. CNN's Maggie Lake joins us from New York.
Desperate times, Maggie, call for desperate measures. But is pressing the pause button, as it were, the answer in China?
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Probably not, Becky. I mean, listen, everyone looking at this said the speed of the decline -- remember, this
has happened only over the course of three weeks, so it has been stunning.
There's a lot of support for government intervention, but actually suspending trade, a lot of investors not thrilled with that. But they're
pointing out, listen, this just reminds us even though China is the world's second largest economy, in many ways it's still an emerging economy that is
still transitioning to a more open market system, so perhaps not surprising.
If we look at that chart, it's so interesting, and I think you heard that reflected in those people, no one thinks this volatility is over.
Yes, that massive government intervention and I didn't take the big board, maybe the other chart, what's actually happening in China is more useful.
But that massive government intervention seems to have stabilized things today, maybe it will last. Half the market is not trading. And in
fact investment manager I spoke to today said he was actually in there doing some buying, but that no one thinks this volatility is over. There
is still a way to go.
It is very hard to get control of a market that is being driven by psychology.
The government, though, has a lot resources at its disposal, so it's going to keep deploying them until they get some stability. What happens
from there remains to be seen.
So, a better day today, but it's not over yet.
ANDERSON: Maggie, you and I have been covering the markets so long that we get bored of some of the phrases, but I want to bring up one of
them, which is a dead cat bounce. And I've seen a little bit of a sort of talk about that in relation to Chinese stocks at the moment.
Do you want to explain what that is, and whether you think what we're seeing is a dead cat bounce?
LAKE: Yeah, and it sounds a bit grisly, doesn't it? But it's basically, you see a bounce in a market that's going to continue to go
lower. And a lot of people get pulled in and fooled by that.
And one of the other things you're seeing is the inexperience of a lot of the people that are in this stock market. And everybody learns this the
hard way. It's not a casino and that money can evaporate really quickly. So you're seeing that with individual investors thinking the government is
in there, it's up 6 percent. It's OK to get back in. Get lured back in only to see it fall again.
A lot of people, even professionals, are saying that's likely to happen. If you're going to get in, you want to be buying a company you
understand. You know the revenue for. And maybe there are some opportunities there, but overall is this only going to now move back up?
No, there's probably going to be other legs down. So you need to really be careful, you need to really understand what you're doing and not get lured
in by one day's rally, Becky.
ANDERSON: Sure. All right. Listen, wild swings in Chinese stocks, fears of Greek contagion across European markets. They haven't toppled
yet, but they could do. And to top it all off a halt to trade on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. U.S. stocks I know trading higher in the
early session today.
Is it any clearer yet what happened? And there will be viewers wondering whether stocks are a reliable investment these days.
So, two questions. What happened in New York? And should we be concerned about buying stocks going forward?
LAKE: And it's fair. I mean, listen, you saw that yesterday. And you think, can we take something else going on here? Everyone's nerves are
frayed anyway.
They say that it was a computer problem. It was a technical problem, a glitch, that had to do with a software update. And it's probably too
technical for you and I to understand. We'll leave it to the IT people, but it was started in individual stocks and then spread and triggered a
whole system wide shut down.
The New York Stock Exchange shut down, U.S. trading did not. So a lot of people looking at this and saying NYSE not thrilled, but it shows that
the U.S. system has safety valves and the fact that it's fragmented on a lot of electronic trading platforms meant that things did continue. So
people were pretty happy about that. NYSE up and moving again.
Should people be worried about that? Should they not have faith in the market? I don't think so. I mean, this is the world we live in. It
happens all over the place. This is cyber security, hacking, this is technical glitches, this is shutdown.
As long as things can get back up and running orderly, then that shouldn't affect your decision. Where you want to put your money, should
you be buying Chinese stocks, should you be buying U.S. equity stocks, that's a different story. And as much as we're all individuals in the
market, we've got to do our homework. You can't just blindly jump into these things because they're moving up and down and the same way you don't
want to sell on that. You have to understand the fundamentals behind it if you're going to decide where to put your hard earned money.
So, should you have faith in stocks? Yes. Should you know what you're doing and do your homework and make some educated decisions? Yes.
[11:15:36] ANDERSON: I'm going to put my money with you.
(LAUGHTER)
LAKE: Don't do that, Becky. I wouldn't be sitting here.
ANDERSON: You're better at this than I am.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Let's pool it.
Thank you, Maggie. Important stuff.
Still to come tonight, will a deal be done, or are hopes fading? Later this hour, we're going to get the latest on the Iran nuclear deal as
diplomats continue the talks in Vienna.
And a shocking number: the UN says 4 million Syrians have now fled violence in their homeland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Four million men, women and children forced to flee their homes and uproot their lives desperate to escape a deadly war.
The UN says the conflict in Syria has now led to this tragic milestone. One-sixth of the country's population now lives abroad and
there is no end in site to the exodus. The UN calls it the worst refugee crisis in a generation.
You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
The UN high commissioner for refugees says these Syrians desperately need the world's support, but instead their situation is growing more and
more dire.
Antonio Guterres joins us now from Luxembourg.
The travesty is that you and I are even talking tonight, marking a milestone the world should never have allowed to come about. How much worse
can or will things get?
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN HIGH COMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: I think unfortunately they will get much worse before they eventually will get
better. We see no light at the end of the tunnel. We see no way in which this conflict will end in the near future. And the truth is that as
violence increases, as the conflict escalates, more and more people are forced to flee. And if you combined Syria and Iraq and internal and
external displacement, already 50 million people had to flee their homes.
It's indeed a tragedy. And let's not forget that each one of these persons is also a tragic story, a story of suffering and that they need a
solidarity, the international community has not been able to provide to them.
[11:20:05] ANDERSON: Yes. Many people may picture sprawling tent cities when they hear about Syrians taking shelter abroad, but often these
refugees do live in urban areas, of course.
Listen to what Jomana Karadsheh says about the Syrian refugees in Jordan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Only 20 percent of them are living in refugee camps like this one. The vast majority are
urban refugees in Jordanian cities.
On this one commercial street in the capital, there's no shortage of Syrian cafes and restaurants, like one owned by Abu Abdullah. He left
Damascus with his family three years ago determined to survive. Within months of arriving, he opened a restaurant.
(END VIDETOAPE)
ANDERSON: More than 600,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, 1.8 million in Turkey, I could go on, in Lebanon, in Iraq, around the region it is
absolutely awful.
The impact on the infrastructure so big. You say the international community needs to step up. What do you think it's done to date, if
anything?
GUTERRES: Well, first o all, the appeal that was launched by UNHCR together with our 96 partners to support the Syrian refugees and to support
the host communities during 2015 has only been funded by less than one- fourth, by less than 25 percent, which means that the living conditions of the Syrians in the countries -- you gave an example of someone that owns a
restaurant, but the overwhelming majority of the Syrians live below the poverty line.
And worse than that, assistance to that is not increasing, it's decreasing. The World Food Program, for lack of funding, had to cut
drastically the food support of the community.
In Jordan, for instance, we have a program to help the most vulnerable families. We give cash grants regularly to about one-fifth of the Syrian
population there.
But 86 percent are below the Jordanian poverty line. Only one in each two children go to any kind of school. And many of them are just informal
schools without proper education.
So, the living conditions are getting worse and worse. And the pressure over these countries is enormous.
As you mentioned, the water, electricity, education and health centers, everything is under tremendous pressure. These countries are
making a huge sacrifice. And they have received very little solidarity from the international community.
So, also because of that, the environment for Syrians is becoming more difficult in the countries where they live now.
ANDERSON: Commissioner, you are calling on Europe to, and I quote, assume its responsibilities to help. In 2013, two years ago, you said
ensuring adequate standards of treatment for Syrian refugees as they seek safety in Europe should be a priority for every EU member. What has
changed, if anything, since you spoke those words back in 2013?
GUTERRES: Well, I think first of all we have to recognize that there was some progress in relation to rescue at sea. It was dramatic what we
have seen in the beginning of this year with hundreds of people dying in the Mediterranean trying to cross from Libya into Italy. Now the movement
is more from Turkey to Greece and from Greece onward through the Balkans. But rescue at sea has been more effective.
The European Union also is discussing the program of resettlement and relocation within Europe of 20 -- plus 20,000 Syrian refugees, but let's be
clear, these were steps in the right direction, but very little steps.
And the responsibility to care for the Syrians is not only of the neighboring countries, it's a global responsibility. And Europe is a
neighboring area. Europe needs to do more, needs, first of all, to support more the neighboring countries and the Syrian refugees themselves, but also
needs to have more legal avenues for them to come to Europe, more flexible visa policies, more opportunities in resettlement or in the humanitarian
admission, enhanced family reunification programs, private sponsorship mechanisms to bring people either to work or to study.
We need to have European doors open, not only the borders of the neighboring countries into the open. All borders, in Europe, in the Gulf,
everywhere, need to be open for Syrians.
ANDERSON: Listen to those numbers, 20,000, that is some .5 percent of those who have had to leave the country.
Antonio, thank you.
Live form Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World and me Becky Anderson. Coming up, with the deadline for a deal with Iran getting tight, U.S.
President Obama thinks the chances for an agreement may be slipping away. I'm going to cross live to Vienna to find out what still stands in the way
of a deal.
Plus, we continue to travel the Silk Road to see how Kazakhstan is taking inspiration from the ancient route for its futuristic architecture.
That story up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:27:02] ANDERSON: At 26 minutes past 7:00 in the UAE. I'm Becky Anderson for you. You're with CNN.
We're going to continue CNN's journey along the Silk Road now. The 8,000 kilometer route was once a vital link in the ancient world connecting
east and west. Well, nowadays it's mostly forgotten, consigned to ancient history. But Kazakhstan still taking a lot of inspiration from its
heritage.
CNN's Sumnima Udas now reports for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Centuries ago on the old Silk Road, the nomads of Kazakhstan lived in Yurts, small tents known
for their ease of construction, and design strength.
And in the capital city of Astana, this ancient tradition is inspiring new forms of architecture. A shopping mall in a giant modern Yurt.
It's called the Khan Shatyr, or King's Tent.
The building opened in 2010. It was designed by British architect Norman Foster with high tech solutions to the environmental challenges of
life on the steppes.
They aren't (inaudible) worked on construction of the Khan Shatyr. Now, he's in charge of maintaining it, a drop that requires him to scale
heights.
The roof is made out of transparent polymer called ETFE. Aenez is inspecting for holes. That can affect the temperature inside.
ETFE's UV protection shields shoppers from the harsh summer sun. But it also captures heat during Asana's bone chilling winters.
"The ETFE creates a sort of natural environment. When it is minus 40 Celsius outside, inside temperatures can be a comfortable +30 degrees,
which means this landlocked nation even has a tropical beach, complete with sand imported from the Maldives.
The giant Yurt is just one of many futuristic buildings in Asana.
I mean, these things look like they could be from some sort of fantasy land.
There's the dog bowl, the flying saucer, and the lollipop, all nicknamed by local residents.
The capital moved from Almaty in 1997. Before then, there was almost nothing in Asana. Fueled by oil wealth, the new city has gone up in less
than two decades, which is why many call it an architect's playground inspired by the past, but designed for the future.
Sumnima Udas, CNN, Asana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:30:19] ANDERSON: The latest world news headlines are just ahead as you would expect bottom of the hour here on CNN.
Plus, we are following a very big week for Catholics in South America. I'm going to get you to the city where more than a million people have
turned out for a papal mass.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:33:12] ANDERSON: It is just after half past 7:00 in the UAE. These are the top stories on CNN.
The Greek government has until the end of the day to submit its reform plans to the rest of the euro zone. EU leaders will meet on Sunday to
review the plan and decide whether to give Greece a third bailout. Now the head of the European council has also called for Greece's creditors to
review the sustainability of the country's existing debt.
China's stock markets ended Thursday in positive territory up more than 5 percent for the day. A bit of a relief for many after more than $3
trillion of value was lost since mid-June. The Chinese government has been acting to prop up the markets, even giving money to brokers to buy shares.
Lawmakers in the U.S. state of South Carolina have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bill to remove this, the Confederate battle flag from
state grounds. The governor will sign the bill into law in the next few hours. The controversy over the flag was renewed vigorously after a racist
mass shooting at a black church in the city of Charleston last month.
And more than a million people are attending a mass by Pope Francis in Bolivia's most populated city. The pontiff urging better treatment of the
poor and the environment as he tours South America's poorest countries. And estimated 40 percent of the world's Catholics live in South America,
that is according to the Pew Research Center. So no real surprise this is a very excitable crowd.
CNN's Rosa Flores has been in amongst them at the mass and joins us now from Santa Cruz. So, Rosa.
[11:34:55] ROSA FLORES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.
Well, you could probably hear the pope's voice behind me. He is concluding the mass right now that is being celebrated by 1 to 2 million
people. So we are surrounded by faithful here in Bolivia, not just from the country of Bolivia, but from neighboring countries. We've seen flags
from neighboring countries as well.
Now he just delivered his homily moments ago. And the homily was a very impactful message. Now that message was that we all come from
different places. And sometimes we get burdened by the day-to-day. And we forget the blessings that we get from god. And he said and sometimes we
forget to deliver on those blessings and pass them on, and instead of helping the poor, we forget to do that. And so it was a reminder to go
ahead and do that for the poor, help the poor, feed the poor, he said.
And as we look forward to his day to day, he's going to be meeting with priests and seminarians, and also with the non-Catholic popular
movement here in Bolivia. And then of course he moves on to Paraguay -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Rosa at the mass in Santa Cruz in Bolivia, thank you.
Intense talks underway over Iran's nuclear program as negotiators work to remove the last remaining obstacles blocking what would be an historic
deal. Representatives from around the U.S. and five other powers trying to reach an agreement by Friday. You'll be well aware of that.
We've been hearing cautiously optimistic statements all week, but CNN has learned that U.S. President Barack Obama now believes the chances of a
deal are below 50/50. One of the biggest sticking points is Iran's demand that a UN arms embargo be lifted.
Russia' supports that, reminding critics of Iran's role in the fight against ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEI LAVROV, RUSSIAN FINANCE MINISTER: We are advocating for lifting of the arms embargo as soon as possible after the deal is reached.
Even more so, as Iran, as we have all now seen, is a dedicated supporter of the fight against Islamic State and of clearing the region and the rest of
the world of this threat. Lifting of the arms embargo would help Iran to raise its military capabilities in fighting against terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's get the very latest now from Vienna where the talks are taking place.
And Nic Robertson is joining us from there.
And Nic, I want our viewers to hear what you said about the historic opportunity the world has to end this long standoff. You wrote in an
opinion piece for CNN.com, and I quote, your chances don't come often, as we've been told this week by at least one official, history needs
alignment. No, it doesn't, you say, it simply needs good, strong people on all sides.
Are you suggesting you're unimpressed by those around the table. And if so, why?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know what I'm suggesting, Becky, is that there seems to be hesitancy the people are
struggling to understand at the moment.
I mean, look, what we know about this agreement, when there is an agreement, or if there's an agreement, and when there's an agreement, they
will go to the UN security council for a resolution.
So, when the Russian President Vladimir Putin meets the Iranian president as he did today, Rouhani, and we have this on record statement
from the Russians saying that they support lifting the arms embargo, we're all aware that when you create a new resolution around this agreement at
the UN security council, then there's language that can -- can, I say can, be worked into it that would reflect Iran's desire to have that arms
embargo lifted. And Russia would have the power of veto against any resolution.
So, if the Russian president hasn't been able to convince the day, the Iranian president that he has a strong support on this critical issue, what
is it that is holding back the Iranian president and the others who are involved in making this decision.
The point here is that everyone says that a lot has been accomplished, that it would be wrong to throw it all up in the air and walk away. But
you know it takes people to have the courage of their convictions and the step and leap of faith in the other side that what they are talking about,
and their intentions, are all honorable. And that -- and it's that that turns the pages of history rather than an alignment of events. That's what
I was trying to say there, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's a great article. It's on CNN.com. And our viewers can find it. And I'll let them know where they can find it after this.
Listen, in 90 minutes time, Nic, we are expecting to hear John Kerry, the secretary of state for the U.S., speak. CNN, of course, will be
carrying that. I was just reporting that Obama it seems suggesting there was less than a 50/50 chance that this, that these talks are going to get -
- are going to get nailed and sorted.
What are you hearing?
[11:40:02] ROBERTSON: Well, you know, I think when we hear statements at this stage of the talks from somebody as influential on the outcome on
these talks as President Obama, either one takes that at absolute face value, that he's heard everything that's being said and he right now he
fundamentally feels less likely than more likely, or you look at it and say he's really enhancing Secretary of State John Kerry's negotiating position
by making it clear there's not going to be any change on the U.S. side.
You know, there was a sense here for awhile that because -- from the U.S. side they had to get a deal done in time to get this before congress
before the 10 of July, there was a sense that the Iranians knew that and could use that to try to get the Americans to make concessions. But in a
way their bluff has been called. We heard from a senior administration official a couple of nights ago saying, look, the quality of the deal is
more important than the clock here.
So, if that was a negotiating tactic by the Iranian side, the bluff has been called. If this is a negotiating tactic from President Obama,
maybe it's going to do the trick. It's really not clear.
We're just not privy to the details of what happens inside those meetings.
When John Kerry steps out here in an hour or so, or whenever it is expected later today, we're told not -- it's not to expect any kind of deal
announced, but an assessment of how far the P5+1 has come. And what we've seen in the past is you know repeated statements we're making progress, but
critical political decisions have to come.
Is he going to use that same language? Are we going to hear that those critical political decisions still have to be taken?
ANDERSON: Probably.
Nic, thank you, I hear you. And you heard me there, viewers, quoting from an article that Nic wrote on the Iran crisis entitled "Did the moment
for Iran nuclear deal get washed away?"
Well, he's been in Vienna for the past few weeks following the talks closely and has been over the years.
You can read Nic's full article on the web site at CNN.com.
Well, beyond what goes on between world powers negotiating inside five star hotels, Iran's economic and political isolation most affects ordinary
Iranians, of course. No surprise there, is it?
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen went to talk to some of them on the streets of Tehran. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're at a time of some very important public holidays here in Iran as this country mourns the
martyrdom of Imam Ali.
Now this is one of the most important public holidays in Iran, and it's also a time of prayer, a time of reflection, and of course it also
comes right as the nuclear negotiations in Vienna drag on.
And that is really something that's weighing on the mood of many people, because many people thought the negotiations would be over by now,
there would be an agreement by now, and many Iranians say they want the sanctions here to go away as fast as possible so that they can have a
brighter future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope so it happens very soon, because we're waiting for it.
"If they respect our red lines, then the negotiations should go forward," this soldier says. "But if they don't, and they want to enter
our military sites, then that is a problem."
"If the sanctions are removed, then of course it will be better for our economy and our lives," he says.
And his wife adds, "we need jobs for all these young people."
Now of course we know that there are still sticking points that remain in the nuclear negotiations, one of them appears to be an arms embargo that
was levied on Iran as part of these nuclear sanctions by the United Nations. The Iranians want that arms embargo to go away. Of course, this
is something that's a problem for the United States and for other western powers as well.
But, if you ask for the people here on the ground, the mood of the people, many of them will tell you they want an agreement as fast as
possible, they want the sanctions to go away so that they can have more economic development. But one of the things that we also have to keep in
mind is that the Iranians are a very proud people and they do see it as their natural right to be able to use nuclear technology at least for
civilian purposes.
So, right now I would say that there's cautious optimism among the majority of people here in Iran, at least the ones that we've been speaking
to, however, there is still the feeling that everything could fall apart at the last second.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Right. And Federica Mogherini is the European Union's foreign policy chief. And she has said of these talks, and I quote, "the
security of the world is at stake.
Well, our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will have an exclusive interview with her tonight. Find out what she thinks, or
how she thinks the talks are going. That's on Amanpour 7p London, 8:00 pm Central European Time. Only on CNN.
Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. Coming up, we turn to Morocco where the government is trying to give Islam a friendlier face with
female preachers. That is just ahead.
First, though, we are off to the gastronomic capital of France fast becoming just as famous for its avant garde architecture. One Square Meter
is in Lyons this week, and that is up next.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:47:25] JOHN DEFTERIOS, EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: As the gastronomic capital of France, Lyons is known the whet the appetite with
these breathtaking views across 2,000 years of history, it is also a feast for the eyes.
Now it is avant garde architecture that's putting what is known as France's second city on the world map. At the meeting point of the city's
two rivers, La Confluence is Europe's largest regeneration project. Phase 1 has already transformed 400,000 square meters, a former industrial
wasteland, into a new urban district.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before our project one called this district behind the rail station. And nobody go behind the rail station and now that is
one of the most attractive districts, and people love walking along the river.
DEFTERIOS; Boasting eyepopping structures, La Confluence is also referred to as the first fully sustainable neighborhood in France. And its
flagship structures are these Zakari (ph) or light buildings. Their unique design, advanced solar panels, and state of the art cooling system, means
it will produce more energy than it consumes.
As well as its green credentials, it plans to be Lyons' next center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wanted to double our center city. And the idea was to have a continuation with the old city center and the new one.
DEFTERIOS: But in the city famed for its cobble streets and Roman architecture, how will these two centers coexist? Delfin Gotroy (ph) has
been touring people around the old city for over a decade, but she thinks it's possible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it will take times before this really part as part of the center, because it's -- you cannot build it in one day
to have shops and to have this atmosphere.
DEFTERIOS: The project's director says marrying the old with the new was part of the master plan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very important for us to keep the past of the memories. And so as you see in these buildings we kept the custom
headquarters, this was a deposit of sugar, and we mixed with new architecture.
DEFTERIOS: While the regeneration has been widely applauded, the modern style is not to everyone's taste.
UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: It's not for everyone, because some people feel this is very modern architecture, and this is not what I like. I want to
visit old district.
DEFTERIOS: And it doesn't come cheap. The average price per square meter of new build residential apartments in La Confluence is $6,000
compared to just over $5,000 in the city's nearby financial district.
But of the 1,500 apartments in La Confluence, 40 percent are designated for affordable housing.
For those who can get past the break with Lyons historic past, La Confluence is a vision of a Utopian future that's come to life.
John Defterios, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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[11:52:12] ANDERSON: This is CNN and Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. The brutal rise of ISIS brought the fight against Islamic
extremism into intense global attention, didn't it. But before ISIS, back in 2003, Morocco also faced terrorism head on when it was hit by a wave of
suicide bombings. Their response is an unconventional, and for some, very controversial initiative, training women to be religious leaders.
A new documentary, Casablanca calling, tells their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Morocco, a quiet revolution is taking place. The morshida (ph) are a new generation of religious leaders. Like imams, they act as
spiritual guides, but their teachings are far from traditional.
Casablanca Calling is a new documentary on the morshida (ph) by director Rosa Rogers.
ROSA ROGERS, FILMMAKER: The morshida (ph) were introduced as part of a wider raft of reforms in Morocco. There had been in 2003 bombings in
Casablanca. And Morocco at the time was very aware I think about the potential dangers of extremism and terrorism. And so the morshida (ph)
were also part of a, you know, concerted sort of drive to consolidate the sort of training and the centralization of the way which Islam might be
taught in different mosques around the country.
ANDERSON: 50 new morshida graduate in Morocco every year, working in schools, hospitals, mosques and prisons to support communities and
challenge social conventions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My grand-daughter is always upset and we don't know why.
She says she has no luck, even with marriage.
UNIDENTIFEID FEMALE (through translator): You said she's 14?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What, 14 is not a good age to marry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): No, she's too young.
ANDERSON: Women rights and Islam are by some seen as conflicting, but not by the morshida (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
ROGERS: I think often in the west we have a very negative perception of how women are treated in Islam, but actually what the morshida (ph), and
not any of the morshida (ph) and the imams who are working alongside them, is that the Koran teaches completely the opposite, that women have
absolutely equal rights to men.
ANDERSON: As many countries struggle with growing radicalism and the threat of ISIS spreads to North Africa, the morshida (ph) offer an
alternative, a tolerant and inclusive version of Islam.
[11:55:14] ROGERS: The morshida (ph) that spend a lot of time working with young people to support them emotionally, but also to teach them a
version of Islam that's really relevant for their lives and is not incompatible with a sort of more westernized idea of life.
ROGERS: Though the challenges are many in a country struggling with poverty and inequality, the morshida (ph) offer a way forward for a society
and a religion in transition.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, your thoughts on that project: a good idea, or do you believe that military force is the only real answer to extremism? Your
thoughts on our Facebook page, please. Facebook.com/CNNConnect. That's where you can leave your comment, share your thoughts. And you can tweet
me @BeckyCNN. That's @BeckyCNN.
Well, before we close out tonight, as ever your Parting Shots. And tonight, something sweet. It's that time of the year. Millions of Muslims
are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. And indulging their sweet tooth when they finally break their fast at sundown.
Baklava is one of the many deserts that's very popular during this time. One aficionado set out to learn how to make the perfect pastry in
Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was assigned to find the perfect baklava. So I went to Gazientep in southern Turkey where there are over 500 baklava shops
alone. I got behind closed doors in the finest pastry workshops in whose baklava is being considered by the UN for inclusion on UNESCO's world
cultural heritage list.
Essential to the perfect baklava is its nut center. In Gaziantep pistachios are recognized as among the finest in the world. They use only
the finest locally grown early harvest pistachios.
The proper way to eat baklava, I was told, is to hold it with your fingers, turn it upside down to appreciate the delicacy of its layers, and
bit very slowly.
I'm George Azare (ph), and these were my Parting Shots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson. That was Connect the World. It is sundown here. Thank you for watching.
END
