Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
President Obama Looks to Legacy With New Climate Change Plan; U.S. Secretary of State Visits with Gulf Nations over Iran Nuclear Deal; French Investigators Examining Flaperon Found on Reunion Island. Aired 11:00a- 12:00a ET
Aired August 03, 2015 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:13] MAX FOSTER, HOST: A wider net: the search for possible wreckage from Malaysian Airlines flight 370 expands to other islands.
We'll have reports from Reunion Island where one Boeing 777 part was found, and from France where it will be analyzed.
Also ahead, drowning in debt, Puerto Rico and Greece are struggling to pay back billions of dollars each owes. We'll have the latest on the dual
economic crises.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am determined to make the most of every moment I have left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Legacy building at the White House. We'll look at Barack Obama's efforts to leave behind more than just a presidential library when
his tenure ends.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is Connect the World.
FOSTER: Well, investigators in France will soon start looking for answers in the greatest aviation mystery of recent times. They'll try to
determine whether aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is from Malaysia Airlines flight 370. It's already been confirmed the object is from a
Boeing 777. That's the same type of plane that went missing some 17 months ago.
But, what more will the investigation in Toulouse be able to tell us? Let's bring in CNN's Jim Bittermann who is following all of those events
for us from France.
I mean, it is just a small part of this plane. What can they get from it, do you think, Jim?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It probably won't give all the answers anybody wants.
The fact is that some of these debris from these aircraft have in the past at least suggested what has been the cause of the crash. One of the
more well known ones is that mystery around flight 447, the Air France flight that went down on its way from Rio to Paris. And they discovered --
one of the first things they plucked out of the water was a food service cart. And the shelves inside the food service cart had flopped down on top
of each other, indicating that the impact was almost straight down and in fact that was then confirmed years later when they found the black boxes
and in fact they discovered that the plane pancaked into the ocean.
So, it might give some kind of indication of how the plane went down. For instance, there could be the way the flaperon, this object that's
fallen off that came apart from the plane, how it sheered away from the plane, what forces were involved, what forward motion was involved, that
kind of thing. And that's the kind of thing that the experts will be analyzing over the next few days and probably weeks -- Max.
FOSTER: And they will be living in fear, won't they, about making any mistakes, because of the high profile nature of this, also the importance
of any sort of news for the families involved.
And there are so many agencies involved as well, aren't there. Do you think there's some concern there could be some clashes or some system
clashes there?
BITTERMANN: I don't know about clashes, but I think there could be maybe confusions, ambiguity. One of the things the families have been
complaining about from the beginning is that Malaysian authorities haven't been transparent enough on this. We've seen this today. I mean, we have
the -- Malaysians out here today in France and meeting with the French judges. There's the civil aviation authority from Malaysia is represented
here as well as civil aviation authority of France, investigating judge from Malaysia, investigating judge from France.
I think they're trying to get their act together here in a way that they're all on the same page. And we understand that they're going to
travel from here down to Toulouse tomorrow and take a look at this bit of the airplane that they think they've found and see what the investors and
investigators and experts down there can tell them so far -- Max.
FOSTER: Jim in Paris, thank you.
Well, following last week's discovery both local and international investigators have been searching for more debris on and near Reunion
Island. That might be linked to MH370.
CNN's Erin McLaughlin filed this report a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the search is on not just here at Reunion Island but other islands as well, nearby Maritius, as well
as Seychelles, which is over 1,200 miles away. he coast guard combing the water for clues. Now, this morning we heard from Malaysian's transportation
minister tweeting out saying that this area is consistent with drift pattern analysis conducted by experts. So they're appealing to authorities
for help in identifying any potential debris.
Over the weekend here on Reunion Island, volunteers working the beaches, trying to find any clues of MH-370, but it's difficult,
painstaking work, especially when you consider that the ocean is vast and there's plenty of garbage, plenty of room for false alarm. In a nearby town
of San Andre where they located that original flaperon, locals brought forward some 10 to 12 items. City officials there though discounting them
as having nothing to do with the plane. But, you know, people here aren't discouraged; they're dedicated to helping to solve this mystery.
Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Reunion Island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:05: 18] FOSTER: Well, it's being described as America's Greece, I'm talking about the tiny U.S. territory of Puerto Rico that's expected to
miss a $58 million dollar debt payment due by the end of today, sending it into its first ever formal default. It's part of a much bigger problem for
the island, which is facing a total debt bill of some $70 billion.
For more, CNN business correspondent Samuel Burke joins us from New York.
Samuel, as I mentioned, many people have said this is similar to the situation in Greece. Comparable in your opinion?
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, on the surface it looks similar to Greece, because they spent more money than they had, but if you look
just beneath there you see that the factors that have led them to this place are really quite different from Greece.
Number one, starting out with a 2004 real estate crash long before we had the real estate crash here in the mainland United States. Then in
2006, Puero Rico lost a tax break it has on goods that it shipped to the United States. And a lot of people believe that this is at the heart of
their problems. This had a devastating affect on commerce on the island.
All along, Puerto Rico has been required to U.S. ships to send goods from the island to the mainland, and that puts them at a severe
disadvantage to places like Mexico, which don't have to cross water and don't have to use U.S. transport to do this.
On top of all of that, Puerto Rico has always enjoyed what's called triple tax free bonds. You can avoid taxes on three different levels,
legally, and that makes it very attractive to investors. And that has just poured more and more money in.
At the end of the day, what Puerto Rico wants is chapter 9 bankruptcy status, and that's what every other state in the United States has, but of
course Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, so they don't enjoy that, and that's going to become a major issue on the campaign trail here in the United
States for Democrats and Republicans as they vie for that all-important Latino vote in swing states, especially like Florida, which has a major
Puerto Rican population, Max.
FOSTER: Chapter 11 often helps prevent contagion, doesn't it, but what sort of threat is Puerto Rico, would you say, to the wider U.S.
economy?
BURKE: Well, all along throughout the Greek debt crisis as we spoke to financial experts, they would say, listen, of course Greece is a
problem, but you need to know the bigger problem here in the United States at least is this exposure to Puerto Rican debt.
A lot of regular Americans have Puerto Rican debt and may not even realize it. Some 20 percent of bond mutual funds own Puerto Rican debt.
In fact, its $11 billion they own of the $70 billion Puerto Rican debt.
On top of that hedge fund, own another $15 billion. So, there's major exposure here.
You have to realize, Puerto Ricans have American passports. So they can come here. And that ads a whole other level of exposure to the crisis,
a very human level. It's known as El Exito (ph) on the island, the exodus.
So these waves of people coming here to New York, especially to Miami, and America has to absorb those migrants and then Puerto Rico can't tax
those people anymore continuing this very vicious cycle for the island.
FOSTER: Samuel, in New York, thank you. In Greece, meanwhile, the stock market fell by more than 20 percent after reopening on Monday morning for the first time in five weeks. Greeks
four biggest banks -- Greece's four biggest banks were amongst the hardest hit. Their shares all plummeting by nearly a third.
Authorities closed down the Athens stock exchange back in June to help stop a meltdown during the ongoing financial crisis. Nina Dos Santos is
with me.
Felt like a meltdown this morning when the markets opened, though, didn't it?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It did. And now it's looking as though it's abating a little bit. Last time I looked, the
Greek stock markets are down something like 16 percent. They actually opened down about 23 percent.
But as you said, the biggest losses here are in the banking sector.
Now why is the banking sector important? It makes up 20 percent of the stock market. And a number of the biggest banks are actually down by
the limit that they can be down by. We're talking 30 percent, according to the Greek market rules?
Why is everybody so worried about the banking system/ Well, on the one hand, it's because these banks really, really are in dire straits
financially. They need recapitalization on a very urgent basis. And the more those stocks fall, the less the equity is worth and of course the more
bad debt they have to potential write off without extra money coming through the coffers.
And remember that again Greece is still in a situation where capital controls are still in place, people could still only take cash around about
60 euros a day. And this is one of the reasons why people are worried.
I might point out that just as those capital controls are in place, people taking money out of the banks, we do also have restrictions on Greek
stocks for people who are Greek residents who want to trade those stocks as well. No Greek restrictions in place, though, for foreign investors who
want to put their money in to this market.
So what they're effectively trying to do is prevent people from taking money out of the Greek stock market and out of the Greek banking system to
attract money back into it.
[11:10:09] FOSTER: Well, they might have success in a couple of ways. Market is down by more than 20 percent when it opened, now it sort of
bounce back up, so some people are looking for bargains, aren't they? And it didn't have any contagion over the rest of Europe either.
DOS SANTOS: Right. Well, remember this is a market that is down 90 percent since its peak a few years ago. So, many hedge fund, many investor
with let's say a thick skin would be interested in a trade like that.
But the problem is is that we have so many unknowns here. Politically, on the one hand, we don't know whether there are going to snap
elections that are going to have to be called because of course of the precarious situation that Mr. Tsipras, Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister,
finds himself in.
Remember, he's now relying on the support of the opposition parties to try and get this third bailout package through. And indeed, that bailout
package hasn't been forthcoming as of yet.
Greece is going to have to repay the ECB another chunk of money in less than 20 days from now. And as you said, why the European markets
managing to shrug this off? Well, this is largely because Mario Draghi said he'll do what it takes. He'll pump more money into the system. And
also people like Angela Merkel probably say, well, we've done a lot to try and ring fence problems like Greece and this is exactly why it seems to be
working. The markets are up apart from the markets in Greece.
FOSTER: Interesting, isn't it? Thank you very much indeed -- Nina.
Still ahead, the U.S. president gets ready to lay out a major climate change plan. But why is that happening now?
Also, America's top diplomat faces another group skeptical of the Iran nuclear deal. We'll look at what sort of assurances the Gulf Cooperation
Council may want from John Kerry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Max Foster. Welcome back to you.
Now getting a nuclear deal with Iran was hard enough, but the work is far from over for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. He's in Qatar today
trying to convince wary members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that the deal will be a good thing for the region.
And this just crossed a short time ago on Reuters: Qatar's foreign minister reportedly saying Gulf Arab states are confident that the Iran
nuclear deal makes the region safer.
Let's take a closer look at what sort of assurances the Gulf states are looking for from U.S. Secretary of State. Fawaz Gerges is with me now,
professor of Middle East studies at the London School of Economics, author of the new middle east protest and revolution in the Arab World.
Thank you for joining us.
It's kind of baffling some of the language coming out from the Gulf, because you would have thought they'd be vehemently against the Iran deal
on any level.
FAWAZ GERGES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: Yeah, and they have been.
FOSTER: So why are they saying it's going to make the region safer?
GERGES: Because first of all Qatar does not really speak for the entire I mean Gulf region, does not speak for Saudi Arabia or the United
Arab Emirates. And also, I think, the Gulf states have decided to accept the assurances by President Obama and his advisers that the United States
will ensure their security, that the United States will make sure that Iran does not really aggress against their own interests.
So, all in all, I think unlike Israel which basically still opposes the agreement, the Gulf states while publicly say they welcome the
agreement, they basically press the American officials to provide security guarantees.
And what do I mean by that? Huge, massive arms deals, qualitative deals. Last week, Max, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed an arms
deal, $5 billion, which includes qualitative strategic weapons that the United States will provide Saudi Arabia. Egypt just received a huge
military contracts, including jet fighters, and of course the United Arab Emirates will be getting also arms from the United States.
[11:15:56] FOSTER: Just quickly, if we look at a statement from the foreign minister before the meeting with Kerry saying, "we look forward
with hopes at the nuclear agreement leading to the preservation of security and stability in the region, and we emphasize the importance of cooperation
with Iran based on principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs and solving disputes peacefully."
So it does feel as if Kerry is moving around this region and almost negotiating with each country as he goes along.
GERGES: I think this is what -- this is absolutely correct. Kerry is reiterating the American message that the United States will not basically
allow Iran to dominate the region, that the United States will ensure security for its allies in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar
and Saudi Arabia. And the Americans are really basically reiterating this message and also providing weapons, massive weapons, and in addition to
public -- I mean, pronouncement as well.
FOSTER: This is getting a lot of the headlines, but you pointed out that there's actually this side meeting as well with the Russian foreign
minister. And do you think there's something going on there?
GERGES: Max, forget everything. There is nothing new on the Iranian nuclear agreement, there's nothing new on the war against ISIS, the most
important meeting will take place today between Kerry, the American foreign secretary, the Russian foreign secretary and the Saudi foreign secretary.
The topic is Syria.
A few weeks ago we learned that President Barack Obama received a call from the Russian president. The Russian president said he was concerned
about the security of the Syrian regime. And obviously the Americans and Russians are trying to find ways and means to deal with the presidency of
Assad. Obviously, the beginning of a breakthrough on Syria.
And the trio meeting between the Saudis, who are a major player in Syria, the Russians, the major supporters of Syria, and the Americans it's
about finding ways and means to see whether somehow they can bridge the differences vis-a-vis Assad.
FOSTER: The Americans and the Saudis obviously work very closely together and cooperate very closely on all manner of international affairs.
What's interesting, presumably is that the Russians are getting involved. And there's some common ground between the three of them.
GERGES: Absolutely. And this is...
FOSTER: Which could be a breakthrough.
GERGES: Absolutely. Not only the Russians, the Americans are also, Max, are saying, or hoping that since the -- an agreement has been
concluded between Iran and the United States, that the Iranians also will change their minds about what's happening in Syria.
So, the Americans in particular this Barack Obama is working with the Saudis and the Russians...
FOSTER: But where's the common ground between the three -- what specifically do you think...
GERGES: I think political transition, a, and a finding...
FOSTER: Assad?
GERGES: Assad. So really trying to convince -- I mean, if Russia plays I mean by the American you know whatever -- I mean, this could really
represent -- and this is the beginning. But the Russians, this is the big point, the Russians are concerned that basically the opposition, the
militant Islamist oppositions, have made some major breakthrough, major gains against Assad, the Syrian army is under tremendous duress, as we well
know, in the last few months. So they're trying to basically find ways and means with the Americans to find a political solution.
It's all about Assad.
FOSTER: So, if he's on the way out, would they -- who -- are they going to be able to agree on who do they think should replace him?
GERGES: The agreement, everyone agrees on the need for a transitional -- a transitional political executive authority and will be made of
elements of the regime and also some of the opposition.
This is really what's going to happen. You're not going to have one person. There is no one person. It's a -- basically a transitional
executive authority that will include members of the opposition, most of the opposition, the acceptable opposition to the international community
and elements of the Assad regime.
Final point, everyone is trying to maintain Syrian institutions, because you don't need security vacuum. The Russians are concerned. A
security vacuum will be filled by whom? By militant Islamist elements. And that's why the meeting today in Qatar, we should keep our eyes on this
meeting.
I mean, Kerry, the Russian foreign minister and the Saudi foreign minister, could really represent the beginning of a process that leads to a
political settlement still early to really say definitely.
[11:20:03] FOSTER: But it could be historic. Thank you very much indeed Fawaz.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, grief and outrage over the stabbing to death of a 16-year-old girl. We'll go live to
Israel where mourners are gathering for her funeral.
Plus, did some Olympic athletes win by doping? We look at the latest allegations to hit athletics next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: You're watching Connect the World from London. I'm Max Foster. Welcome back to you.
Now a potential doping scandal is threatening to sweep through athletics. A leaked blood test database is casting suspicion on the
winners of several Olympic events. German and British media have been reporting that athletes with suspicious doping test results won a third of
all medals awarded in endurance events at major competitions between 2001 and 2012. That number jumps to 80 percent for Russian athletes in the
same period.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has said it is, quote, very alarmed by the developments. CNN World Sport's Amanda Davies joins us here in the
studio with more.
It's not just one allegation, that's the point isn't it? There's such a huge amount of athletes involved in the allegation.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: There's such a huge amount of athletes, of blood samples and over such a number of years. This is an
11 year period from 2001 to 2012 that we're talking about.
12,000 blood samples that were obtained by the German broadcaster ARD and the Sunday Times newspaper here in Britain.
We understand it was leaked information that was originally held by the IAAF, the head governing body of international athletics, and that is
why this is such a serious issue. People are saying if they had this information why did they not do anything about it? Was it a case of lack
of resources? Or were they trying to sweep something under the carpet.
The key thing to remember here is this is -- of the 12,000 blood samples, there are some 800 athletes who produced abnormal tests. Now
abnormal test does not necessarily mean that they were doping, but the two scientists who were involved looking at this data, well, one of them Robin
Parisotto has said never have I before seen such an alarmingly abnormal set of blood values.
So, the question is how do we get to these abnormal blood values? It could be a simple case of an athlete who has been training at altitude.
They've come down from altitude. That is why their reading is different now. Or it could be something more sinister along the lines of having
taken EPO, which is something that a lot of endurance athletes have been found guilty of taking in the past, which helps them to develop more blood
cells, more oxygen in their red blood cells, which makes them train harder and then go faster.
It could be something to do with blood spinning, which again has the same affect.
But lots of questions are being asked not just about the athletes, but also about the governing body. And Lamine Diack, who is the president of
the governing body, said it's absolutely not a case of his body not taking this issue seriously.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAMINE DIACK, IAAF PRESIDENT (through translator): There are allegations made, but no evidence. We want to look into them seriously,
because to say that in athletics between 2001 and 2012 that we did not do a serious job with tests is laughable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: So, the World Anti-Doping Authority are investigating these claims, that is what the IOC, the IAAF, has said that they're going to wait
for before they take any further action.
It's a serious issue, this, because of the number, as we spoke about, the number of samples, the timing of this issue. It's just two weeks ahead
of really the flagship event on the calendar, the World Athletics Championships which take place in Beijing of course a year out from Rio.
You have to say the one saving grace for the athletics governing bodies here is that it has been made clear that their star man, their
biggest name, Usain Bolt, is absolutely in no way implicated in any of these findings, any of these allegations.
He, of course, hasn't been in form in recent months. But he says he's not only going to Beijing in a couple of weeks, set to make his mark on
athletics...
FOSTER: Wouldn't be the same without him, would it?
DAVIES: It wouldn't be the same without him.
And of course it's a year out from Rio from the next Olympic games. And he is going for a triple-triple of medals. And he said he's set to
blaze a trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[08:25:47] DAVIES: He might have only broken the 10-second barrier once this year, but athletics' ultimate showman hasn't lost any of his
trademark swagger.
Rio is expected to be his final Olympics. And Usain Bolt told me he's ready to take center stage.
If you could put into percentage terms your chances of doing the triple-triple, what do you think?
USAIN BOLT, RUNNER: 100 percent. As long as I'm fit, I have no doubt, I have no doubt in my mind that I will lose at any point. For me, I
know my capability. I know what it takes. And that's the key thing.
DAVIES: Bolt is unquestionably track and field's top grossing star. But his biggest rival, Justin Gatlin has captured all the headlines this
year. The 33-year-old American has fired warning shots at Bolt, posting the fastest times of the season.
BOLT: I'm never worried. I know Gatlin is running fast. He's doing great. But I know when I get to the championships I'll be ready.
DAVIES: Have you still got it?
BOLT: Oh, I never lost it.
DAVIES: Is it getting harder, though?
BOLT: Yeah, definitely. It's definitely getting harder. It's more demanding now.
DAVIES: He wants to start laying the foundation for his legacy. He joined forces with the IAAF's social responsibility program Athletics for a
Better World to use the sport as a vehicle for change.
BOLT: That will be it for me. I think there would -- there's nothing else for me to either accomplish after those next two season, so why stay
in the game.
DAVIES: Do you think you'll run just for fun?
BOLT: No. I won't be running. For now, I'll be at the track. I think I'll definitely enjoy my coach's company.
DAVIES: In five year's time, are we going to have a fat Usain Bolt?
BOLT: Hell, no. That's one thing I'm determined not to have.
I've met a few people. Everybody says I'm really lazy. So, in like two years after I retire I'm going to have a big gut. So, I have a bet.
So, I can't have that.
DAVIES: And you've got your work with your foundation. That will be how you maintain the link with athletics?
BOLT: I'll definitely use also my foundation to help kids, to encourage them, to get into sports and just to run overall, just to
exercise, because it's good.
DAVIES: The showman's (inaudible) for the limelight is showing no signs of dimming. It's clear he's not allowing the fact he's approaching
30 to dictate his pace.
Are you capable of more world records/
BOLT: Yes, without a doubt.
If I just could get a season where I just go through the season with no problems, then I'll be breaking world records easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Usain Bolt with a big gut. It's the future.
DAVIES: You can't imagine it, can you?
FOSTER: No, never.
Amanda, thank you very much indeed.
The latest world news headlines are just ahead, plus renewed calls for Israel to crack down on Jewish extremists after a teenager stabbed at a gay
rights parade dies of her wounds. We'll go live for you to Israel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:31:33] FOSTER: This is Connect the World. The top stories this hour.
Analysis on plane debris found on Reunion Island is to begin in France on Wednesday to see if it has any link to missing Malaysia Airlines flight
370. Malaysia has asked nearby territories in the Indian Ocean to be on the lookout for other pieces of debris.
Puerto Rico could be just hours away from default. It is expected to miss a $58 million debt payment due today. In total, the island has around
$70 billion in outstanding debt.
A Syrian fighter jet has crashed in the northwest of the country, killing and wounding civilians. It happened in the rebel held city of
Ariha in Idlib Province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reportedly during an air force attack on the city.
We are following natural disasters on two different ends of the spectrum for you. Heavy monsoon rains in Myanmar have left almost 50
people dead and displaced more than 200,000. The country's president has declared disaster zones in four areas.
Meanwhile, in the United States, drought is contributing to almost two dozen wildfires. More than 9,000 firefighters are battling them, 540
square kilometers have been burned.
In Australia, firefighters are battling a huge bush fire in New South Wales just west of Sydney. Rain is helped crews get the upper hand, but
rought terrain and gusty winds could keep the fire burning for days.
Christian Gobset (ph) has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIAN GOBSET (ph), JOURNALIST: As night fell, the blue mountains turned orange and a fire that had been slowing burning through Wentworth
Falls for much of the weekend had become an emergency.
Residents packed their belongings and got out as the front raced towards them. They had feared this would happen. Earlier in the day when
firefighters still had the upper hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the moment, it's all quite exciting, but as long as the wind doesn't change direction, and then now it gets pretty
serious, you know, really quick.
GOBSET (ph): At sunset, as the weather bombing helicopters retired, that's exactly what it did.
Fanned by gusty winds and blazing a path towards homes, the fire swelled in size, 10 times bigger than the day before. And just like that,
emergency crews found themselves in the middle of a firestorm.
Fatigued after two days of wrestling with the blaze, crews gave it everything they had.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just that hairy moment where you're not quite sure how it's going to end, but all in all the boys did a great job.
GOBSET (ph): Then just as quickly as it began, it started to rain. The downpour proving to be the changing fortune firefighters had been
waiting for.
With luck finally on their side, it wasn't long before they had the inferno back under control.
Christian Gobset (ph), Seven News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Later in the show, President Obama is getting to unveil his plan to tackle climate change. We'll be live from Washington with the
latest on that for you in just about 10 minutes time.
Now, though, we're going to go to Israel where mourners are gathering to bury a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed during a gay pride parade in
Jerusalem.
Shira Banki is being laid to rest this hour in a private service at Kibbutz Mashon (ph).
Now the high schooler died of her wounds over the weekend. And police say an ultra-orthodox Jew stabbed Banki and five others at last week's gay
pride March.
Israel's prime minister says, quote, "we will not allow this despicable killer to undermine Israel's core values."
Let's get the very latest now from Nic Robertson live in Jerusalem.
It's a private moment for the family.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Max. And they're having a civil service, if you will, at the funeral rather than a
religious one. This family, coincidentally and perhaps insightfully really into the way that they raised their children, were interviewed by a
newspaper here three years ago. And they were asked about raising their children. And they talked about raising them to be happy and to do good.
This very much is the way that they described their daughter in her life, but as a statement after her death saying that she was charming, that
she was happy, that she was lively, that she was beloved that her life have been ended by evilness with no good reason. They've called for more
tolerance and less hate in the country at this time.
And the prime minister has said that he -- that the full force of justice should be used in this particular case.
But it shocked a lot of people, because this ultra-orthodox Jew who is responsible for her killing and for the stabbing of five others had only
just been released from jail, had been int here for 10 years serving a sentence for an attack exactly the same. So many people have asked, you
know, how was he able to get so close to get so close to this young girl and all the other people in that gay pride parade.
She was there, her families say and her friends have said to support her friends. They did come out to support her at a memorial last night in
the center of Jerusalem.
But obviously a very sad day for her parents. And no parent in this country at the moment can sort of, if you will, be inoculated or be
insulated from the pain that they are suffering, Max.
FOSTER: And, Nic, we want to remind you this as well that Israel is under pressure to combat a rise in Jewish extremism targeting Palestinians.
Because just a few days ago, as you've been reporting, Palestinian baby killed when his home in the West Bank was firebombed by suspected radical
settlers. The attackers left behind graffiti that read revenge in Hebrew.
Israel calls is, Max, terror. President Reuben Rivlin has been scathing, really, in his condemnation writing in a Facebook post, "more
than shame, I feel pain, the pain over the murder of a little baby, the pain over my people choosing the path of terrorism and losing their
humanity. Their path is not the path of the state of Israel."
Nic, those comments drew assassination threats, didn't they, against the president. And we understand the Israeli police taking that very
seriously as well.
ROBERTSON: He used -- the president used very, very strong language here. He said that there are flames engulfing the country, flames of
hatred, flames of violence, and that unless something is done to extinguish those flames, then the very state of Israel is -- can potentially be
destroyed in those flames.
He has received death threats. And of course those in Israel are taken very, very seriously. That's exceptional that the president would be
threatened in that way.
Of course, there was the very well known assassination here of President Rabin several years ago, more than a decade now. And that is
remembered. And of course so the police here are taking these threats against the president very, very seriously.
But it absolutely shows, or appears to show at least -- because we don't who has issued these death threats -- that this is a very, very
sensitive issue. And the soul searching that some people are going through about the nature of extremism and the lengths that the extremists are
willing to go to in the country is a very, very incendiary topic -- Max.
FOSTER: OK. Nic, we'll be back with you as events unfold today.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Coming up, torrential rain has caused severe deadly flooding in both Myanmar and India. We'll
get the latest forecast for you.
Also ahead, the U.S. president gets ready to outline new rules to tackle climate change. But not everyone is so keen on his plane. Find out
why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:42:25] FOSTER: You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Max Foster, welcome back to you.
Now in a few hours, U.S. President Barack Obama will lay out what he calls the most important step to combat climate change that the U.S. has
ever seen.
Put simply, the so-called clean power plan aims to cut the amount of greenhouse gases produced by some power plants with targets of reducing
them by about a third by 2030.
But critics say the nationwide plan is unfairly targeting the coal industry and will mean Americans will have to pay more for energy.
Let's get more on the plan and how it's likely to be received, let's cross to CNN White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski.
And people are certainly split on this one where you are.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. I mean, this is a debate that has been going on for a long time. It's kind of reached a
head.
And we've been hearing more of the debate lately, and in this election cycle, for a number of reasons. I mean, for one thing, President Obama has
been taking action. And now this big announcement today.
Also, we've been seeing, you know, natural disasters, droughts that are extremely severe and fires in the U.S. lately, which tends to each time
that happens reignite the debate.
And, you know, on either side the arguments have been pretty unyielding.
So, now we're going to hear from President Obama just within the next couple of hours. And what we're hearing from the White House he's going to
first put this plan into context, historically and globally, and then he's going to make his case for it environmentally, morally, economically and as
a public health issue.
And in fact we've heard the president already talk about this as a national security issue. So he's going to make the strongest statement
there.
And we've been seeing the White House put out the information on this and really trying to cover all their bases, laying it out there with some
pretty big numbers, too. I mean, saying that this is going to reduce carbon emissions specifically in power plants by 32 percent over 2005
levels by the year 2030.
Also, getting into the medical aspect of this, saying that it's going to reduce premature deaths due to emissions by 90 percent over 2005, and
childhood asthma attacks by some 90,000 cases.
Economically, the White House says that it's going to lower energy costs and boost jobs because there's going to be this greater focus on
clean energy, but that of course is exactly the opposite of what critics are going to say it's going to do economically.
But here is the president in a video that was released by the White House to social media yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Climate change is not a problem for another generation, not anymore, it's why on Monday my
administration will release the final version of America's clean power plan, the biggest, most important step we've ever taken to combat climate
change.
Power plants are the single biggest source of the harmful carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. But until now, there have
been no federal limits to the amount of that pollution those plants can dump into the air.
Think about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: So, are we going to hear pushback on this? Absolutely. And it's coming from Republicans, from candidates, from climate change doubters
and deniers, from the mining industry, obviously.
And, you know, some states are even threatening to sue the federal government over the implementation about this.
The White House is ready for these arguments, though. I mean, they tend to have an answer for all of them. And they're saying that look at
the time frame for implementing this. They're giving states until the end of next year even to come up with a plan for reducing these specific
emissions. And then they're going to have years and years to slowly put them into effect.
So they say that they're giving states plenty of time to make this happen, Max.
FOSTER: OK, Michelle, thank you very much indeed.
Well, if success of Barack Obama's clean power plane could be a major step in cutting long-term global emissions. But for the short-term it also
secures the president's legacy on climate change. And legacy is a key focus for Mr. Obama as he counts down the 535 days he's got left at the
White House.
On the domestic front, the Obama administration might point to a growing economy and significantly lower unemployment rates from when he
first came to office back in January 2009. They might also point to recent Supreme Court rulings that were in their favor, upholding the Affordable
Care Act and legalizing same-sex marriage as well.
And there's also reason to gloat on the foreign policy front breaking over five decades of diplomatic freeze with Cuba.
Also the Iran nuclear deal that once approved and implemented, if it is, could transform U.S. relations with one of its biggest foes.
Critics on the other hand will say President Obama hasn't stopped the rise of ISIS, nor has he resolved the civil war in Syria or faced up to
Russian moves in Ukraine. They will also point out the lack of gun control despite a series of deadly shooting.
Well, we could take a closer look at how these policy successes and failures will shape Barack Obama's legacy. CNN political analyst Josh
Rogin joins us from Washington.
Josh, it's interesting, because when you go through that list actually if he succeeds on climate change, which is one of the defining issues of
our times, that could be his big legacy if we look back in two decades, couldn't it?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It sure could. But as with most of the last term Obama initiatives, the major initiatives -- we look at the
Iran deal, as you mentioned, we look at the opening with Cuba, these are things that the president has decided to apply his executive authority to,
in this the twilight of his administration, but they're long-term projects.
As Michelle pointed out, the climate change plans won't even be submitted until well after Barack Obama has left the White House.
So what we see here is a shift in strategy from the first term where the president is willing to more forcefully use his executive authority to
change facts on the ground in advance of the next administration. At the same time with each of these items, it remains to be seen whether or not
the White House and the administration will be able to change facts on the ground significantly enough to outlast the president.
The legacy will be judged in the long-term, not the short-term. And with the climate change initiative, in particular, it will depend heavily
on who succeeds him as president. He knows that. That's why he's trying to move to change facts on the ground now.
But in terms of his legacy, it's a gamble. And the election will have a big say in whether or not he's able to succeed.
FOSTER: OK, Josh. Well, the fate of Mr. Obama's legacy depending a lot on what the news cycle is at the moment. Some weeks he seems to be
winning on all fronts whilst others even his Democratic allies abandon him.
This is what the New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote shortly after a recent congressional defeat for Obama. "At this pivotal moment for
his legacy at home and abroad, his future reputation is mortgaged to past neglect."
How much do you think his handling of congress will shape the worldview of President Obama?
ROGIN: Well, she's right in the sense that the first term was marked by what most on Capitol Hill will call disastrous relations between the
White House and even allies on Capitol Hill. This was scene most prominently during the Obamacare debate, but also during other big moments
such as the president's request to use force in Libya and then subsequently in Syria.
Now the Obama administration is taking a markedly different approach there especially with regard to the Iran nuclear deal. They've done a
robust engagement of congress on both sides of the aisle.
The question is, is it little too late? And as we get closer to the end of the term, what we see is a divergence between the equities of
Democrats in congress and an outgoing president who is focused on legacy versus congressional Democrats who have to focus on reelection.
The president does have a lot of influence still within his party. That will last largely towards the end of his presidency. The question is
what can he give congressional Democrats and how can he protect them? And what can he really do to work with them to help them do what they want to
do, which is to support his drive to create a legacy, and a legacy that can be sustained past this administration for the benefit of those issues that
all Democrats can agree are important?
[11:50:33] FOSTER: Josh Rogin, Washington, thank you very much indeed.
Now, as you heard, U.S. President Barack Obama will present his plan on climate change in about two-and-a-half hours. And we'll bring that to
you live -- or plan to at least.
What do you think of his legacy, though? Tell us your views and let us know what angles we should be covering by going to our Facebook page,
Facebook.com/CNNConnect. You can tweet me as well @MaxFosterCNN.
Live from London, this is Connect the World. Parts of Myanmar in India have been devastated by flooding with dozens killed and hundreds of
thousands displaced now. We'll get a report and the forecast for that region from the CNN weather center.
And we turn to Tehran to see why art like this is blossoming all over this ancient city.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Well, this was the scene in Myanmar over the weekend. 47 people have been killed in flooding brought on by heavy monsoon rains in
recent weeks. 200,000 people have been forced from their homes, many of them in the hard hit Rakine State.
The death toll from severe flooding in India stands at nearly 50, meanwhile. In all, some 4 million people have been affected by the heavy
rain in West Bengal State. More than 400,000 people have been moved to relief camps.
Unbelievable images and unbelievable trauma, Chad, for all those people in those regions.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, absolutely. You can't get your mind around 1.2 meters of rainfall in a week. I mean, literally, this
much rain in one spot in a week. And that should be a monthly number, or even that's double what a monthly number should be.
But 1,212 millimeters of rainfall coming down just in the past about really -- totally about less than 240 hours. So just raining, raining,
raining, never really stopping, never giving the ground a chance to either soak in or run off.
And at this point now there is so much water on the ground, there is no more soaking in. It's completely saturated. Any more rainfall that
comes down will run off the past 48 hours here almost, you know, 2 centimeters worth of rain about every hour for hours on end, and just keeps
going and going.
So here's what we have now, heavy rain here in parts of Myanmar, up in here in the northern sections here, it's moved a little bit into India,
into central India, but you push that up into the higher elevations into the mountains next, what's going to happen? You put that much rainfall
into the mountains and it's going to run off, it's going to run downhill and that's exactly what's been going on.
Eventually, yes, getting down into the water, getting into the salt water and washing some other things away and slowing down.
But if you still see here, this is still -- in the next couple of days, still another 500 millimeters of rainfall, that's a half a meter of
rain just in the next few days coming down, next 48 hours. And this is a tremendous problem with the amount of rain that's already on the ground
there's no place for this to go.
Back to you.
[11:55:12] FOSTER: That's unbelievable.
Keep it across it, Chad. Thank you very much indeed.
In tonight's Parting Shots, we want to take you to Tehran. There, a young artist working with others is transforming many of the city's gray,
empty walls with huge pieces of public art, all in brilliant colors. And his goal is to push people to think beyond cultural barriers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the last 40 years, many walls have been painted in Tehran. I've pained more than 100 walls during the past 10
years. The purpose of that was to make Tehran more a beautiful place.
My motivation was the gray walls of Tehran. My work brings lots of color to Tehran, most of them are short stories without beginning and
without ending. And the people can make their own story about these single frames.
I have invitation from many countries. I think that the positive point of my works is that they are international. I think they have all
(inaudible) subject that it's not related to Middle East only.
I recently painted five wall paintings in London, but they are a little difference from my paintings in Tehran, because they are the
continuation of my exhibition in London and they are a little bit darker than my works in Tehran.
I am Mehdi Tadyandu (ph) and these are my Parting Shots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: And they're very welcome on the program.
Stunning images coming to us from Tehran.
I'm Max Foster. That was Connect the World. Thanks for watching.
END
