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Hong Kong Police Fired Tear Gas at Protesters; Police and Protesters Face Off on the Streets of Hong Kong; U.S. Stocks Tumble on Recession Fears; Russians Train Troops in Central African Republic; Operations Resume After Violence Paralyzes Airport. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired August 14, 2019 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: We're following two breaking news stories this hour. The U.S. Dow tumbling by almost 2 percent. More

protests in Hong Kong.

Hello and welcome. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, live for you this week from London.

Happening now, riot police are facing off with anti-government protesters in Hong Kong just 24 hours after violence broke out at the city's

international airport. Our teams on the ground say police fired tear gas on a group of demonstrators who at the time were holding a religious laser

vigil. Now police were seen holding up signs that say warning, tear smoke.

It comes after chaos of course erupted Tuesday between police and protesters who were barricading the airport's main terminal for the second

straight night.

Today, our big question. We want you to answer for us. Have protesters in Hong Kong gone too far or should they keep going? Tell the world what you

think. The numbers on the screen below me by go to CNN.com/join. That is CNN.com/join. You can vote right there on your smart phone, your tablet or

laptop. We'll keep you updated on the results throughout this hour.

First let's get the view from our correspondents. CNN's Ben Wedeman out in the thick of it, on the streets near the latest protests. CNN's Paula

Hancocks is inside Hong Kong's airport. And CNN business emerging markets editor, John Defterios, here with me in the studio. And let's start off

with you, Ben. Just describe what you're seeing and hearing at this point?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, we are outside Sham Shui Po police station where earlier just about 45 minutes ago

protesters were outside. The police responded relatively quickly. Faster than we've seen in recent weeks, firing tear gas and trying to disperse the

protesters.

Now let me just give you a feeling of what's going on here, if we can turn the camera around. You can see lasers being focused or rather shown onto

the police station itself. Now the Hong Kong police has deemed lasers to be an offensive weapon in these protests and they claim that they've caused

eye damage to some of the police.

Now what's interesting about today is we are on the eve of what's known as the festival of the hungry ghost. That is a festival where according to

local lore the gates of the nether world open and the spirits of ancestors come out. And people take paper money like this and burn it in the streets

to appease the ancestors. Now many people were out this evening doing exactly that, burning this paper money when this fracas began between

police and protesters. And what we've seen is that people have reacted angrily, just local people, not protesters, to use of tear gas in this

very, very crowded working-class neighborhood. So they're angry.

And if you look behind me on this corner, these are not black clad protesters. These are local residents who are angry that on this holy day

so to speak, or holy eve, that this disturbance happens -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman's on the streets where things where Ben is at present, at least calm. But we have seen chaos once again.

Paula, we've never seen anything like scenes that unfolded at the airport just 24 hours ago. How would you describe the mood today?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this is like a completely different airport. It is calm. The departures are going

ahead, people and passengers are milling around. They're actually being able to get on planes. There is a tiny contingent here -- which I'll show

you -- of protesters that are still here. There's maybe two dozen at most.

And what we're also seeing is many of them showing that they feel sorry for what happened yesterday. They are apologizing for what they saw as the

violence that shouldn't have happened. Now course, this is a peaceful contingent of these protesters. There are other elements within this.

But this one, for example, this poster, you can see they're saying to tourists they're deeply sorry about what happened, they're desperate, they

made imperfect decisions, please accept our apologies. So this is really the sense and atmosphere that you have from the airport at this point.

[11:05:00] Now we know that there are officials outside. This is sort of an unofficial checkpoint. They're making sure that people showed them

their passports and their boarding pass before they come in so they know it is just passengers that they're allowing into here.

There's also more of a peace presence potentially to allay any concerns that passengers may have. They're making themselves seen. It's a very

calm situation. But as I was saying earlier, there isn't a sense that this protest has gone away. The momentum is still there. It's moved from the

airport. But as we can see, it's moved to the location -- at least for tonight -- where Ben is -- Becky.

ANDERSON: It certainly seems some of the protesters themselves think they may have gone too far, returning to the airport today of course with these

apology posters. One reading please accept our apology, we were desperate. Another says, sorry for the inconvenience, Hong Kong is sick.

Just step back for a moment and explain to us where once we were talking about a million peaceful protesters as part of this movement who were

looking for the killing of a legislative bill. So now we're talking about who? Who are these protesters at this point? How many, what's their

profile?

HANCOCKS: Well, Becky, there is a myriad of different profiles when you talk about these protesters. There is not just one type of protester or

one type of action that they want to see happen. There are five demands that they have, among which extradition bill as you describe there. They

want that to be completely withdrawn.

But it is more wide ranging than that. That was the beginning -- back in the beginning of June that protesters were calling for. It is much more

widespread. Just on Sunday, there was a protest in the area where Ben is now. And there was a lot of anger amongst protesters. They believe that

police went too far. They believe that there was too much aggression and violence used by some of the police. The police of course deny that. And

so, this is something that many protesters are calling for now.

They want a completely independent inquiry into police tactics. They want some of those that have been arrested throughout this whole process over

the last ten weeks to be released. But of course, there is always a contingent, or usually a contingent in some of these protesters around the

world that want to have a fracas with the police. It is inevitable. There's always going to be that element that just wants to have clashes.

And there are these elements here, incredibly peaceful that want to give an apology. Who believe that some of the ugly scenes we saw last night were

not the message that they wanted to give. And so, they are apologizing to tourists, apologizing to the world. So there's no one protester. There's

no one gripe at this point, although the extradition bill is the core. That is what started this -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Paula's at the airport. Paula, thank you for that. John you're with me here in London. We've been asking viewers whether the protesters

in Hong Kong have gone too far. Remember, viewers, you can vote on your smart phone, on your tablet or on your laptop at CNN.com/join.

So far, John, most of the viewers, about two-thirds, think the protests and the protesters should keep going. How does business feel about all of

this? How are businesses in Hong Kong responding to this poll?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNNMONEY EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes, it's an interesting poll. Because 70 percent suggests you have to go further because they want

to try to protect the independence of Hong Kong and the relationship with mainland China. Not surprisingly we've heard from Hong Kong billionaires,

the property tycoons. Who are saying, look, this is taking us to the abyss. This is taking us to the unknown, we don't like it.

But I've been surprised in the last 48 hours, we've seen global brands like Prada or Swatch, Disney. The CEO Bob Iger saying, this could spread far

and wide and starting to hit our earnings. And we've seen Hong Kong's growth drop to a ten-year low already, Becky.

But here's the headline number. We've had a downgrade by one of the largest banks in Asia, DBS. The projection was to grow 2.5 percent in

2019. That's the target for the Hong Kong government. But DBS is suggesting we're going to have flat lining of growth, and it's not just

about the protests. Look at the protests as almost the icing on the cake. This goes back to the U.S./China trade dispute. Hong Kong's a major port.

It finances trade finance going forward, financial services overall and it's a tourism hub.

This is a reputational risk. One of the largest banks in the world, HSBC, was suggesting, look, if we don't get this solved, this is not just a

question for Hong Kong but mainland China and broader Asia which we're seeing slow down with. Singapore also reporting very poor numbers because

of the U.S./China trade dispute.

[11:10:00] ANDERSON: And this is fascinating as -- and we're going to talk about this. We see the Dow down significantly today, and this in response

to weak markets around the world at present. We both live in Abu Dhabi. We go to Dubai a lot. In many ways Hong Kong the blueprint -- wasn't it --

for the evolution of these major hubs. And certainly that was Dubai.

DEFTERIOS: It is almost the poster child, right. Because it's been doing it for decades. And now with the relationship with mainland China it's a

little bit more complex. But it's built on these three pillars, trade, financial services, tourism. But a very consistent reputational very low

risk place in which to do business. It is the freest economy for the last 25 years in the world. Ranked every year, year in, year out. And it's

extraordinary because tourism often gets overlooked. There is a population of just 7.5 million people, but it pulls in 65 million tourists every year,

many of those from mainland China. It's vital to the economy.

So it raises the question now. If you see the protests -- and these are not widespread protests. I heard the question to Paula. They are more

aggressive protests and they're targeting very high-profile targets like the airport. You can start bypassing Hong Kong as a transit hub as well.

So it's not just the tourists going in but competing against Shanghai and Singapore for transit passengers. That is a danger for Hong Kong going

forward if they don't solve the problem.

ANDERSON: Our question today, have protesters gone too far? The big question out there at present is how Beijing responds to all of this. As

we continue to watch these images coming into us from Hong Kong.

We also on the screens for viewers have the Dow-Jones Industrial average down some 580 points, trucking towards 600. There is a big economic story.

This U.S. stock market is making a major retreat today over fears that a recession is coming. A lot of this to do with what is a somewhat

complicated situation. The bond markets. You might want to explain to viewers, if you can, what that means. I know you can. And then

contextualize this for us if you will. This global economy, it feels like it is teetering at present.

DEFTERIOS: Yes, we have the inverted curve. I don't want to get too technical. But the 10-year bond and 30-year bonds, the yields dropped

below the two-year bond. And that is a red warning sign pointing to recession into the United States. I touched on this briefly for woes for

Hong Kong, with the U.S./China trade dispute. One would argue we're seeing red lights flashing.

We had industrial production coming in from China at a 17-year low in China. We are used to that number being around 7, 8 percent in the last

three or four years. That dropped to 4.8 percent. The retail sales in China are dropping. So this is painful for the United States and China.

We saw the fourth largest economy, Germany, going to contraction the last quarter and 0.1 percent. Expected to do same in the third quarter. Which

means they would be in a recession. We know that it's an economic giant and Germany over the last ten years has tilted towards China and is seeing

a slowdown. Perhaps we have to wait, Becky, to see who blinks. You know, Donald Trump gave it some breathing room towards mid-December on the

tariffs. Xi Jinping has $3 trillion of global reserves. His economy is slowing down, but who calls the game over at the poker table. And right

now we see the financial markets dropping severely as a result.

ANDERSON: Who blinks first is the question. Meantime, folks hold onto those portfolios. Cross your fingers. John, thank you very much indeed

for that.

Still ahead. We're going to speak with one of the most prominent politicians in Hong Kong. She champions human rights. And yet this time

she feels the protesters there have gone too far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the challenges of trying to nailing down exactly what the Russians are doing

here, is that once you get outside the capital, this is still a very dangerous and chaotic country. And just last year, three Russian

journalists were actually ambushed and killed while working on a story about Russian mercenaries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Russia's influence in Africa. CNN's exclusive report is up next.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED SALAH, EGYPTIAN PROFESSIONAL FORWARD FOOTBALLER: I think if you give him a choice to choose which one, he would choose the Champions

League. That's my opinion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Taking a swipe at football and Mo Salah opens up about what it means to win the Champions League. Part one of what is my exclusive

interview coming up a little later in this show.

And we will continue bringing you the very latest on the new unrest in Hong Kong. I will be right back. Stay with us.

[11:15:10] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: Do you think part of the mission of Wagner is to help Russia restore its role to become a major global superpower again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, 100 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Yesterday, CNN took you inside Russia's secret army doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin. Its tentacles spread across the globe. And if

you missed that reporting, you can find it at CNN.com.

Well now in the second part of CNN's exclusive report we head into the Central African Republic where the Russians are arming and training the

national army. A story the Kremlin does not want you to see. On the ground with CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward. She

joins me now. Why the CAR?

WARD: Well, year ago, three Russian journalists traveled to the CAR to have a look at the proliferation of Russian mercenaries there. And they

were actually ambushed and killed while trying to tell that story. So we wanted to go back to get a better sense of what's going on but also to tell

the broader story of Russia's ambitious push into Africa.

And what we found was that initially the Russians were quite receptive. They allowed us to see this training mission which has U.N. approval, I

should add. But the more we started digging and the deeper our reporting got, the more uncomfortable things became, the more harassment, and then we

were followed. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (voice-over): This is boot camp for recruits to a new army in the war-torn Central African Republic. The troops are being taught in Russian.

Weapons are Russian, too.

It's taken months to get access to this camp. Officially, this is a U.N.- approved training mission, but the Russian instructors won't talk to us or even be identified because they're not actually soldiers, they're

mercenaries.

Sponsored by a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin, they are the sharp end of an ambitious drive into Africa, stoking fears in

Washington of Russian expansionism.

Valery Zakharov is the man in charge here. A former military intelligence officer, he is now the security adviser to the Central African Republic's

president.

VALERY ZAKHAROV, SECURITY ADVISER TO CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC PRESIDENT (through translator): Russia is returning to Africa. We were already

present in many countries during the time of the Soviet Union and Russia is coming back to the same position. We still have connections and we are

trying to reestablish them.

WARD: That's not the only reason they're here. The Central African Republic is rich in natural resources -- gold and diamonds -- and the

Russians want them.

[11:20:00] We are on our way to one of seven sites where a Russian company has been given exploration rights.

WARD (on camera): One of the challenges of trying to nail down exactly what the Russians are doing here is that once you get outside the capital,

this is still a very dangerous and chaotic country. And just last year, three Russian journalists were actually ambushed and killed while working

on a story about Russian mercenaries.

(voice-over): The drive is bruising and long, along rutted tracks to a tiny village of straw huts. And then, we have to cross a river on this

hand-pulled ferry.

Local teenager Rodriguez agrees to show us where the Russians have been active. It's another bumpy ride through the bush. The last part of the

journey is on foot.

We asked the workers if they have seen any Russians.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPOKEN)

WARD (on camera): So, he's saying that earlier this year, there were a lot of Russians here looking for diamonds.

(voice-over): Rodriguez says the Russians now employ hundreds of workers on artisanal mines, like this, across the area.

In the pit, a group of teenagers pan through the sand in the search for a precious fragment. Whatever they find, they say, must be handed over to

the Russian's agent.

(on camera): So it's interesting. These guys are saying that the Russians who visited this spot actually came from the training camp at Baringo that

we visited. It's pretty clear they're doing more than just training troops here.

(voice-over): CNN has learned that the mining exploration rights have been given to a company called Lobaye Invest. Lobaye is part of a sprawling

business empire owned by this man, Yevgeny Prigozhin. An oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he has been sanctioned by the U.S. for

meddling in the 2016 election.

And a CNN investigation based on hundreds of documents has established that Prigozhin's companies are also providing the mercenary muscle. He is

believed to be the man behind Wagner, Russia's most notorious private military contractor.

On our return to town from the mines, we notice we are being followed. We try to approach but the car drives off. We catch a glimpse of four white

males. All but one, hide their faces from our camera. There is no license plate. Police later confirmed to us that they are Russians. Near our

hotel, we spot the vehicle again. We try to get closer but the men drive off.

(on camera): So, we're back at our hotel now but a little bit shaken up because that car full of Russians has been following us for quite some

time. We don't know why. We don't know what they want.

(voice-over): Mindful of the murder of the journalists last year, we leave town the next day.

But back in the capital, Bangui, Russia's growing influence is impossible to escape -- on the streets, even on the airwaves. Radio Lengo Songo

features African music and lessons in Russian, which is no surprise perhaps that it is funded by Prigozhin company, Lobaye Invest. The manager tells

us the station wants to deepen cooperation between the two nations. And in a country where education and entertainment are in short supply, it seems

that plenty of people are listening.

American officials say they are greatly concerned by Russia's actions here and that they undermine security. But with the U.S. shrinking its

footprint across Africa and with minimal official Kremlin involvement, Putin has little to lose.

(on camera): For Russia, this is a straightforward bargain. They provide the weapons and the training and in return, they get access to the

country's natural resources. And in the process, hope to reassert themselves as a major player in this region.

(voice-over): It's a campaign for hearts and minds and hard power, and Russia is moving quickly to get a step ahead of its rivals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Now, Becky, we have been able to identify the man in the back of the car whose face was showing. We're not going to say his name. But

suffice to say, he works for a company that is controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin also owns the website that launched that propaganda

video against us. So what we saw clearly here was a coordinated attempt to discredit and intimidate us -- Becky.

[11:25:00] ANDERSON: Clarissa Ward on the story for you. Clarissa, thank you.

Well still ahead. An interview you don't want to miss. We'll return to Hong Kong and speak with a pro-democracy activist and politician who

believes all of the chaos at the airport could actually hurt the protesters' cause. That interview coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: We are following two breaking news stories for you this hour, folks. The latest protests in Hong Kong and the U.S. stock market. I'm

going to get to Hong Kong in a moment. Let's just start with recession fears and a stock selloff. Right now -- have a look at this. The Dow

Industrials is down over 2 percent. Look, this is not a free fall, but it does reflect a worrying fall in stock prices. That index down nearly 600

points.

CNN's Julia Chatterley is live at the New York Stock Exchange. What's the atmosphere? What are traders telling you?

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: Well Becky, I just first point out what you said, this is not free fall. And we are slightly

bouncing off the lows. And that is really important context. Because all we're doing now is taking back some of the gains that we saw in yesterday's

trading session, so that's very important.

But what's going on right now and what conversations are that I'm having here is that stock market investors are watching what's going on in the

bond market. Get used to hearing the term bond market or yield curve inversion. I'm not going into the technicals here, but basically to give

you context.

When we've seen U.S. recessions in the past, we've always seen beforehand an inversion, a yield curve inversion. However, we don't always see a U.S.

recession when you see this move in the bond markets.

But what's going on right now is everyone's nervous. People are looking around the world. They're looking at slowing growth. We had bad Chinese

data overnight. Bad German data this morning. And everyone is looking at the trade war and saying, look, we don't know whether we're going to see a

deal. We don't know whether we're going to see the ongoing battling between the United States and China, but there are spillover effects and

the global economy right now is collateral damage. That's the pressure and nervousness, Becky, that we're seeing today.

Yes, good, all right, Julia, well thank you for that. We're keeping one eye on that index today. Down 2.2 percent as we speak, about 2.25 of one

percent, 580 odd points down. As Julio rightly points out that this is taking some back from the rises that we saw yesterday.

[11:30:02] But the overarching story here is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Our other major story this hour. Protesters in Hong Kong wanted to capture the world's attention by bringing one of Asia's most important hubs to a

halt. Well, it worked. The world is watching. But will the airport chaos and ugly clashes actually help protesters succeed in their demands? Now

after some reflection some of those who have been out protesting in some of this chaos that you've seen are now apologizing. Saying after months of

resistance, quote, we are frightened, angry, and exhausted. Adding some of us overreacted last night.

Well, this hour, we're asking you, the viewers, whether the protest in Hong Kong has gone too far. So far results coming in are overwhelmingly in

favor of the protests and the protesters. Have a look at what's on your screen there. About 90 percent of you saying Hong Kongers should keep

protesting.

Our next guest has some strong feelings on that, saying what happened at the airport was wrong and unacceptable. Emily Lau, is a long-time champion

of human rights freedoms in Hong Kong and has been called the city's iron lady. She's chair of the Democratic Party's foreign affairs committee and

was Hong Kong's first directly elected female legislator. Thank you for joining us. Have these protesters gone too far?

EMILY LAU, CHAIR, HONG KONG DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Yes, Becky, I think so. And you have said that some of them apologized and

I think many people in Hong Kong are unhappy with it. And of course I participated in many peaceful nonviolent protests. We had one million

people marching, two million. And this coming Sunday there will be another big march. I hope to see even more than two million. But doing it in a

peaceful way. We don't want to turn the tourists off, the passengers can get on the planes. This is not Hong Kong. I hope that these young people

they genuinely reflected on this and will not do it again.

ANDERSON: When you hear Carrie Lam say this is now a situation on the brink and we are yet to hear from Beijing as to what it might do next. But

we certainly hear the use of the term terrorism with reference to these protesters. How concerned are you?

LAU: Well, I think they are just talking a lot of gibberish. Well, Becky, you of all people, you have seen a lot of real terrorist acts. Would you

describe what you saw in Hong Kong in the last few weeks terrorism? I mean, they are turning themselves into laughingstock. Of course it was not

good. We gave inconvenience to the tourists. And they fought with the police. But that's not terrorism. And there was no looting. Not one shop

window was broken. No cars were torched. They were just showing their anger and their demand for civil liberties and rule of law.

ANDERSON: But I do think we all agree that some of the behavior that we witnessed live on television was disgraceful at best. The world is

watching and it's watching to see how China responds, especially after this tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump. You'll have seen this. He says,

according to U.S. intelligence, Beijing is moving troops to the border with Hong Kong. Your take on what you've heard from Beijing and if this

continues what you expect to see happen next.

LAU: Now first of all, Becky, we are part of the same country. So it's not borders. It is boundary. Can you please tell President Trump. And

well, OK, they may be moving troops across the boundary, but I think China is not that stupid. As I said earlier, what's happening in Hong Kong is

not terrorist acts. It's just some people who are just very upset with the government. And there's no need for the People's Liberation Army to pour

into the streets of Hong Kong and turn into rivers of blood.

I tell you. This is Hong Kong. One of the most important financial centers in the world. This is not Tiananmen Square. And if China makes a

mistake, we'll have a lot to pay. And China needs Hong Kong. I don't think China wants to smash Hong Kong to smithereens.

[11:35:00] ANDERSON: Emily, very briefly, and this hour, we want to know what our viewers think and have been asking them, and results have been

flowing in. And they have been overwhelming. Our viewers, the folks watching this think the protesters should continue.

If they do, if these protests by the much smaller more aggressive group of youngsters it has to be said continues -- I've heard what you said about

what you hope Beijing's position on this is. But do you expect Beijing to get involved and create as you say rivers of blood if this continues?

LAU: Well, for a start it is not terrorist act as you can see. And I hope the international community, the business community will all speak out.

Because they all have vested interest in Hong Kong. Many of them have companies here. Their citizens are living here.

So I certainly hope everybody will speak out and tell Beijing to calm down and to accede to our demands. Which is set up an independent commission of

inquiry to look at ten weeks of chaos. Why Carrie Lam made such a blunder? And why did the police behave in such way? And why did some of the

protesters throw bricks at the police? I hope these things will happen. But Beijing must be told they have to stay calm and don't destroy Hong

Kong.

ANDERSON: Emily, it's a pleasure to have you on. Emily Lau, longtime champion of human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, chair of the Democratic

Party's foreign affairs committee speaking to you live from Hong Kong. Thank you.

Coming up next. Part of my exclusive interview with the Liverpool star and friend of this show, Mo Salah.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSS, RAPPER, PRODUCER: The water near the beach looks like blue Gatorade. Why you know it's close to Egypt? Because I'm doing a show out here.

First time ever in Egypt.

I'm Russ and I make music.

I love this area of the world. It's about the fans and the fans are just - - I love it. It's insane. It's epic. Because there's a lot of love out here.

I think I have a big fan base in the Middle East is because I reciprocated the love that they showed. Let me show love back and try to plan as many

shows as I can up here.

This is a really, really faraway place and why made the song that got me here. So it's pretty nice.

They say there's a lot of people outside waiting to get in. Will go on as soon as we can.

[11:40:00] I still run all my social media. It's a blessing because that's where I see my fans. That's how I find out that oh, yo, it's popping in

Egypt right now. We got to plan a show.

I looked out in the crowd and I was like how on earth are all these people here. I've never been to Egypt. And it's 8,000 people, first time. I

don't know. It's so insane. It's absolutely insane.

I always thought my music was going to reach the world. Just because I believe in my message and I believe in the song writing.

About making people feel like they're not alone. It's about making people feel like they can do it too. Like my whole message is just self-belief

really. It's that, you know, yes, I did this but so can you.

Who goes to Egypt? I do because I know that that's where the fans are. You know what I'm saying. So yes, I'm definitely coming back to Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: What do you think of the AL?

SALAH: I don't like it.

The Premier League comes first because this is a city dream.

ANDERSON: And your contract.

SALAH: You what my contract.

ANDERSON: Resigning? Resigned?

SALAH: I'm happy with Liverpool. And you know I'm happy in the city. I love the fans. They love me. I am happy at the club.

I'm Mo Salah, take one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And that is a take from my exclusive interview with the Egyptian, Liverpool star, Mo Salah. Which will air for you next week here

on CNN. Champion's League winners, of course. Liverpool take on Chelsea this evening in the Uefa Super Cup. Ahead of that, he asked what he makes

of the Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola's comments. Winning Champions League is well, a bit of a fluke.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Pep Guardiola says that winning the Champions League is like winning a casino, a bit of a fluke. You know, you need a bit of luck on

your side. What do you make of those comments?

SALAH: I do know that he said that, but if you give him a choice which one, he would choose Champions League. That's my opinion. It's the

biggest competition in football. So everyone wants to win it, every coach, every player wants to win it. They dream to win it. So of course, to win

the Premier League also something big. But still the Champions League is the biggest competition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well stay tuned next Monday and Tuesday for more of that interview.

I am Becky Anderson. Before we go, final look at the big question of the day. Do you think Hong Kongers should keep protesting? Well 95 percent of

those of you who took part in the poll think yes. There's more to be done. That is almost everyone.

I am Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for watching.

[11:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

[12:00:00]

END