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Coronavirus Outbreak; Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Fall into Correction Territory; Interview with Pierpaolo Sileri, Italian Deputy Health Minister, on COVID-19's Impact on His Country; Locusts Plague East Africa; U.N. Raises "Gravest Alarm" over Manmade Idlib Humanitarian Catastrophe; Making Food from Thin Air; Israel Votes. Aired 11a-12:00p ET
Aired February 27, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
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ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: There's a major development in the spread of the coronavirus in the United States.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An exceptional measure for exceptional times as Italy hunkers down for what is the first major outbreak of
coronavirus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two percent of the people who get this coronavirus, according to a large study out of China, will die, compared to 0.1 percent
for the flu.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think there's a chance that it could get worse, there's a chance it could get fairly substantially
worse but nothing's inevitable.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Travel bans, face masks and fear. We connect you through the latest as the novel coronavirus spreads to
nearly a quarter of the world.
The number of new cases reported outside of mainland China is now greater than inside. The World Health Organization today warning this virus still
has the potential to erupt into a global pandemic. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: What's happening in the rest of the world that's now our greatest concern. We are
at a decisive point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's get you the latest numbers. More than 82,000 cases and 2,800 deaths. Some of the most troubling news today coming from South
Korea. More than 500 new cases there reported over the past day.
And there is growing concern about two other major hot spots for this virus, Iran and Italy. Iranian media today reporting the vice president of
women and family affairs has tested positive. She was seen sitting close to Iran's president just yesterday during a cabinet meeting.
And in Italy, the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe, the number of reported cases jumped by more than 30 percent in a day, now topping 500.
The health minister defending the country's handling of the virus. We're going to hear from Italy's deputy health minister in a moment.
Let's bring in the CNN team on this. Jomana Karadsheh tracking developments out of Iran, Ivan Watson in Seoul for you and Clare Sebastian in New York,
watching the stock market, Wall Street enduring its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
I'll come to you in a moment, Clare.
Jomana, first, we have seen a huge jump in the number of cases in Iran. The death toll now at 26 with the number of infections nearly doubling,
including another cabinet minister.
How concerned should people be?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Becky, I think people should be concerned and one issue here is that we don't really know the
extent of the outbreak in Iran. You know, we just don't know how bad the situation really is.
And the reason for that is that the information we are getting, the figures, are coming from the government. This is a country where
information is very tightly controlled. And if you look at the figures, if you look at the mortality rate from coronavirus at this point,, it's
somewhere around 10 percent.
That is significantly higher than any other country in the world, than the global average mortality rate. And there's lots of questions about that and
why that is. It is inconsistent with what we are seeing, the trend globally. And one theory here is that possibly there is underreporting in
the number of confirmed cases.
Is it an issue with screening, medical capabilities in the country?
Are people not going to hospitals and reporting this?
Is this a case of seeing the Iranian government basically controlling the information and not being very transparent about what is going on?
We have heard from people in Iran, some, you know, taking the risk of speaking out on social media. And CNN has also been able to speak to some
people inside the country anonymously to share their concerns of what is going on.
And some say that the government doesn't seem to be taking the situation seriously, that it's not doing enough.
But the Iranian government is saying the situation is under control; they say they've put measures in place and even the extraordinary move of, you
know, not holding Friday prayers in the cities where there's been a confirmed outbreak.
But still, some are questioning their decision not to quarantine any of the cities where there's been an outbreak -- Becky.
ANDERSON: That's the story in Iran. Of course, the concerns across the Middle East and Gulf region is that this thing could spread significantly.
We are seeing incidents of those who have traveled through Iran now getting into other places.
[11:05:00]
ANDERSON: Ivan, the number of cases in South Korea increasing significantly, announcing 500 new cases today.
What are authorities doing and saying there?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one dramatic move is that the military alliance here, Becky, that's the U.S. and South
Korea, commanders have announced they're postponing joint military exercises indefinitely.
And that is probably due to the fact that the Korean defense ministry said there's nearly 10,000 Korean military personnel in quarantine and found
some 25 cases of coronavirus across all four branches of the South Korean military.
The U.S. military here in Korea -- and recall there's around 30,000 troops stationed here -- have confirmed a third case linked to one of the U.S.
bases here. In this case, a South Korean employee attached to Camp Carroll.
That is a base near the southern city of Daegu where roughly half of South Korea's coronavirus cases have been diagnosed, the third case on yesterday.
There was a 23-year-old American soldier attached to that same base who tested positive for coronavirus and then was put into isolation for
treatment.
So clearly a big concern for both militaries and clearly concerned that if they conduct joint military exercises it could let the virus spread
further.
Meanwhile, as you mentioned, more than 500 new cases in a period of about 24 hours. And, unfortunately, about 13 people have lost their lives here in
South Korea as a result of coronavirus.
That city, Daegu, kind of the epicenter of South Korea's outbreak, we haven't seen any signs of panic there. However, we have been talking to
some residents there, including this English teacher from the U.S., who is determined to stay in that city and weather out this public health crisis.
Take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's just here people out on the streets. Everyone's for the most part taking the self quarantine advice seriously. I
went out myself today because I had to pay a bill at the bank but I was wearing gloves. Everyone's wearing masks.
It's just -- life is normal except the streets are sparsely populated. I live near a cold market and those are still open. The convenience stores
are still open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Now the authorities say that they're moving some of the patients from Daegu to hospitals here in Seoul to help accommodate just the sheer
rush of people who are seeking treatment now -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ivan Watson is in Seoul for you.
Clare, another day of wild swings on the big boards. Stocks are now off their lows but if the U.S. president's message last night was an effort to
calm fears, quite frankly, he seems to have failed.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. The markets have not been listening to the president but to the likes of the Centers for Disease
Control, which warns just on Tuesday that the community spread in the U.S. is a matter of when, not if.
We saw that realized with a case reported in the U.S. yesterday. This is what has really brought fear and uncertainty to the forefront and in this
market. People finding very little reason to go out and buy, moving into defensive stocks, utilities and consumer staples.
This is manifesting itself with companies in a couple ways. Forecasts set very recently and now there are companies saying they won't meet them.
Microsoft a case in point. It will not meet its forecast set at the end of January.
That by the way, the second trillion-dollar company to issue that kind of warning after Apple did so last week. This is not just about forecast but
actual cost, the makers of Budweiser saying this has cost them $285 million in revenue, lost in the first two months of the year.
So that is actual cost to companies. And we have Goldman Sachs today, saying that there will be no earnings growth with S&P 500 companies this
year, down from a previous estimate of 6 percent earnings growth. They say that the model includes the factor of the virus becoming widespread --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Clare Sebastian on the story out of the U.S.
And I'm looking at the Dow Jones industrial average now, down about 420 odd points and change. About 1.5 percent. We were down as much as 900 points at
one point. Look. You know, investors are a funny old crew, aren't they?
They will be -- buy on the rumor, sell on the fact, sell on the rumor, buy on the fact. There's some electronic trading, as well.
[11:10:00]
ANDERSON: So don't be surprised if this market is flicking around a little bit. But the overarching story for the sixth straight day is we are seeing
a slump on this U.S. market.
Northern Italy is the epicenter of the biggest outbreak outside of Asia. More than a dozen countries in Europe have now reported cases and many have
been linked to Italy. Joining me now is Italy's deputy minister of health, Pierpaolo Sileri.
Sir, thank you for joining us. It is my understanding Italy still hasn't located patient zero.
How close are you to tracking him or her down, sir?
PIERPAOLO SILERI, ITALIAN DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER: Thank you for kind invitation. Right now in Italy, we have 430 cases. The majority are
asymptomatic and 159 have been admitted in the hospital. And of those, 37 are in the intensive care unit and 42 recovered completely. And we have 14
deaths.
ANDERSON: Patient zero?
SILERI: Patient zero has not been identified. The reason why we did a lot of swabs into areas of our -- of Italy. The northeast of Italy are a very,
very tiny area. Very small, less than 4,000 people. While there it is an area of 50,000 people, it's been surrounded and now is -- all these people
are in quarantine.
This is the reason why we did more than 10,000 swabs, just to identify much better what happened and how many people have been infected by this virus.
We found the patient called patient one, it was admitted in the hospital. He had a very active life before he was admitted in the hospital and in a
few days he had an intensive life and he did a lot of infection all around him.
ANDERSON: Right. So the borders remain open. The Schengen area that you are a member of, is open.
At which point do you think it would be potentially sensible to close the borders?
Does it worry you that this thing could spread and continue to spread far and wide?
SILERI: I don't think right now there's any reason to close the border. Especially because the areas are confined and we know the two major
outbreaks and all the people we found around Italy that are just few are all coming from the area.
So until we are able to track these people and to check all the people that are in contact with this, I believe there is no reason to, you know, to
close borders or do other things. Obviously, if you have more outbreaks all over Italy, things will be a lot of different but this is not the case
right now.
The area are very, very little. People are in quarantine. We did a lot of swabs. I believe that things are really under control. Additionally, what
we are trying to do is to be transparent with our data and we believe to be transparent with data will help all countries around us.
We have been lucky with the case. But I think we can learn with our data and with our procedures and our -- in our job, we can learn and teach to
other because this thing will happen also to other. It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when.
ANDERSON: Sir, I spoke with the Spanish health minister, Salvador Illa, who told me that Spain is not taking measures against certain people but it
is against the virus. Have a listen.
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SALVADOR ILLA, SPANISH HEALTH MINISTER: We are against any kind of discrimination. We are fighting a virus, we're not fighting not any kind of
group of people. Nor Chinese nor Italian nor German nor French. So we are dealing with a virus. We are dealing with a disease. And we should focus on
this.
And misinformation is not the best deal to way with this new disease, the coronavirus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: How do you ensure that measures being introduced by Italy don't inflame tensions and agitate people against one another?
[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: Nobody wants to see xenophobia in any one country or across the continent of Europe.
How do you ensure that people aren't discriminating against each other, sir?
SILERI: Are you asking to me?
I cannot hear very well.
ANDERSON: Yes, sorry. Yes, that is the question to you, sir.
SILERI: Oh, sorry. Thank you. Thank you.
I think paranoia and anxiety and panic will run much, much more than the virus and we had this problem in the last weeks. I believe that we should
teach the people what coronavirus is, transmission and help people to understand much better the situation.
You know, two months ago we just start with this virus and it was called the virus an didn't know anything about there was information coming from
China with a lot of death. And people have been scared.
Additionally, this is the first epidemic event in the era of the social media and this doesn't help, absolutely doesn't help. So I think the best
is communicate, say, be transparent sharing data and explain exactly what coronavirus is.
There's one more thing: coronavirus has some family members that have been very aggressive. We know -- you remember the SARS and the MERS. They are
the part of the same family. So these create, you know, a fear in the population. I can understand this.
But this coronavirus is less aggressive and mortality is low. If you have 2 percent mortality, it is always 2 percent but this happens more likely to
very fragile patients as happen in our country.
ANDERSON: Italy's deputy finance minister has said the four regions most affected by the coronavirus outbreak make up half of the country's economy.
He says it's too soon to say whether the situation will push Italy into a recession.
Sir, how long do you see this outbreak lasting?
SILERI: I want to be clear with you and clarify this point. There are not four regions that are interested by coronavirus in total. There are only
two small areas, one in Lombardi and the other in Veneto, where there are two outbreaks.
The other cases have been cases that moved. So there is now outbreaks in the other regions, just two small parts. This area is a very productive
area. So you can understand, if the issue stops things there, the economic drop is expected.
ANDERSON: With that, we will leave it there. We thank you very much, indeed, for joining us. I know you are extremely busy at this point but it
is very valuable to have you on to provide us some insight and perspective on the story in Italy. Thank you, sir.
We are looking at some headlines here, describing -- some of them at least describing a country under siege. Some worry that right-wing politicians
are stoking fear in Italy for their own political gain.
Well, a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes. Coming up, we take a look at what's fact and fiction
when it comes to the coronavirus.
Plus, the U.N. warns a humanitarian catastrophe is looming over East Africa, as billions of locusts eat their way through the region. The very
latest on that is up next.
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ANDERSON: A massive invasion of locusts is threatening the food security of millions of people in parts of Eastern Africa. This is where it all
began. Back in 2018, a cyclone created these little lakes in the empty quarter as it's known, that's a huge swath of barren desert that reaches
across Saudi Arabia and into the UAE.
Locusts use these lakes to breed. Well, the army of pests then made the way to East Africa, where swarms of biblical proportions have eaten their way
through the region. Climate change led to unusual and intensified weather patterns, creating ideal conditions for insect number to swells.
Farmlands are now decimated and livelihoods ofttimes ruined. U.N. officials say the locust invasion is unprecedented in modern times and while the
window to combat the insect surge is closing. CNN's Farai Sevenzo joining me from Nairobi.
Farai, the U.N. said if funding is not secured now, a humanitarian catastrophe is likely.
What have you witnessed?
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely right, Becky. It was a total surprise to see just how many of them there were, billions of tiny little,
as yet wingless insects, these locusts. And that means that the adults, who usually lay the eggs and immediately die, that means it's going to take
such a long time to get rid of what is essentially a massive crisis across East Africa.
We are up in northeast Kenya and we witnessed breeders and farmers really worried and at the same time the government appealing for more fund. U.N.
agencies appealing for more funds because this is the scale of the problem. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEVENZO (voice-over): For three months now, swarms of desert locusts have been eating their way through East Africa. Here, people bang utensils to
try and ward off an increasing menace to their livelihoods, all to no avail. The locusts keep coming.
A voracious appetite means they eat the equivalent of their own body weight in a single day. And they move with speed on the changing winds, as far as
150 kilometers, almost 100 miles a day.
Beans, maize, pasture for animals, nothing stands a chance, raising fears of a food security as the farmlands are decimated.
And they keep breeding, laying their eggs in the earth in pastoral and agricultural lands. Across East Africa locust swarms of biblical
proportions have been threatening life and grazing land and eating all the people's crops.
Here you can see these hoppers are the new generation that will pose a bigger threat to agriculture in Kenya.
The war against the locusts is now in full swing. If the swarms aren't stopped, the U.N. says they can multiply as much as 500 times by June. So
the Kenyan government and U.N. agencies are fighting back with pesticides. In northeastern Kenya, villagers tell us they're seeing billions of newly
hatched locusts.
[11:25:00]
SEVENZO (voice-over): How did this happen?
After years of drought, two cyclones hit East Africa in as many years. These climate change influence phenomena replenished pastureland and filled
the rivers. But the heavy rains made the wet earth ideal breeding ground for locusts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gestation is really -- it is (INAUDIBLE) but not hopeless. We intend to control it, maybe in two, three months.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Despite the challenges, they have killed as many as 17 swarms in a day. A medium-size swarm being 30 million to 40 million
insects. But for those on the front line of the locust invasion, like this 47-year-old herder, the future is full of doubt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A big swarm. Big locusts. They were just covering the whole sky such that there was a kind of a cloud.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Having lost all his 25 cows in the devastating drought last year, he is worried about what these locusts and pesticides
will do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will even complicate our livelihood in the future if they're going to stay and multiply here or they make your home their home.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Caught between the climate crisis and the locust invasion, herders like Chris (ph) hope to beat the odds they're facing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SEVENZO: Becky, those odds are pretty high at the moment. As I'm speaking to you, last night, it rained for about three hours which means those
conditions that are so conducive to reproduction for the locusts are still there.
And, of course, at the U.N.'s appeal for more coordinated effort it's not just Kenya. Uganda, Ethiopia, the whole of East Africa is being affected by
the menace of very a modern-day plague.
ANDERSON: Good to get that report, Farai. Thank you very much, indeed.
Here in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, officials are making sure they are prepared should an invasion cross its borders. The agriculture and food safety
authorities said they have increased their readiness to the maximum level to confront any of the swarms of locusts.
Authorities say they have already received complaints of some small locusts near the island of Douma.
Coming up --
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ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "When the kids sleep, we women take turns looking over them to make sure there are no
snakes or scorpions," Ibrahim (ph) said. "They're scared, it's miserable. But where else to go?"
ANDERSON: The humanitarian situation in Syria is forcing people from their homes and for some 3 million in Idlib, they have nowhere to run. That story
is up next.
And in Israel, being a military general carries prestige.
Is that, though, enough to lead the country?
We'll take a look at the political battlefield coming up.
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ANDERSON: Top story now, the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus, World Health Organization does say it's focusing on the rest of the world as the
number of new cases outside of China in one day surpasses the number of new cases within it.
The amount of red on this map is growing every day. Countries in Europe such as Denmark, Estonia, Romania, Georgia, North Macedonia have reported
the first cases linked to the spread in Italy and Iran.
Beijing is placing people arriving from countries with, quote, "severe epidemic situations" under a 14-day self quarantine to prevent further
spread in China, they say. There's a lot we know and a lot we don't know about the virus. Let's break it down with Elizabeth Cohen for you, laying
out the facts and debunking the fictions in what I hope will be short and snappy digestible bites.
And I rely on you, I know, Elizabeth, to do that. Facts first as ever on this network.
What is it like if you get the disease?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, people have a wide variety of responses. One thing that we have heard from the World
Health Organization is that 90 percent of people get a fever.
So even having said that, that doesn't mean they're desperately ill. You have had a fever. I have had a fever. We have all had fevers. The responses
range from people completely asymptomatic to those that get pneumonia and die. But most people get a fever. But again, people get fevers and get over
them.
ANDERSON: Well, there's no sense of race coming to the disease, to who the disease can make sick, correct?
COHEN: Correct. It just doesn't matter, who you are. You could get sick from the coronavirus. Race plays no role here.
ANDERSON: So is it worth wearing a face mask?
COHEN: Some people might decide to do that and they may help you but they're not going to protect you completely.
Make sure that you go on, for example, the WHO website. They have an excellent demonstration how to put it on and right and wrong ways to put on
and wear a mask. If you do it wrong, masks can make it worse because if it gets dirty it could be worse for you or infected with something and
important that you do it the right way.
ANDERSON: Got it. Sifting facts from fiction for us, let's bust some of the myths out there, Elizabeth. First the suggestion that the virus was
developed as a weapon. Obviously, fiction.
Correct?
COHEN: Completely fiction. But unfortunately, some pretty presumably smart people, even a U.S. senator, have sort of been spreading this around. No,
it was not weaponized. Right now they believe that it started at an animal market in Wuhan, China.
ANDERSON: Secondly, there are wild theories out there you can get the virus from cell signals.
COHEN: Yes, no. That's definitely -- sorry. I don't mean to giggle but that's definitely not true. You get this from droplets. Becky, if we were
sitting next to each other, like at a table next to each other and I had coronavirus, I could just inadvertently through coughs or sneezes or if I'm
a person that lets the spit out when I talk, it could happen. It is directly from droplets person to person.
ANDERSON: The world is on social media, actively looking for what is printed and published online and there are theories online that you can
catch this through the eyes.
Thoughts?
[11:35:00]
COHEN: Yes. It sounds like what they're saying is by looking at someone you could give someone coronavirus. That is absolutely not true. I can't
even imagine where anybody came up with that. Again, it is droplets.
If you were within about a meter of someone and they have coronavirus, they could give it to you from their coughs or sneezes or talking. That's how it
is spread, not looking at someone.
ANDERSON: Facts first on CNN.
COHEN: Oh yes.
ANDERSON: Elizabeth Cohen, with the information for you. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
ANDERSON: Right.
We want to turn to Syria now. The other big story for us this hour is a fast approaching deadline surrounding what is this brutal offensive in
Idlib in the north. The Assad government could be on a collision course with the Turkish military.
The U.N. says the military escalation in southwestern Syria is having a catastrophic humanitarian affect. Nothing, nothing it seems is off limits.
The United Nations Children's Agency this week says that schools were attacked in Idlib. Several more children becoming casualties of war. Let's
bring in our senior correspondent Arwa Damon, live in Istanbul and has been recently reporting on this disaster in northwestern Syria -- Arwa.
DAMON: You know, Becky, that space, that safe space that people are trying to flee to, it's shrinking. We are talking about almost a million people
displaced since the beginning of December.
But the problem is, as this report will show you, even when they think they're safe, they're not. We should warn our viewers that some of the
images they're about to see they may find disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice-over): Moments earlier, the children were playing in this schoolyard. It was around 4:00 pm when the strike came in. But they weren't
there because classes had just let out.
But because that school like many others had been converted into a shelter.
The man walks around the corner and speaks to a woman, saying she has shrapnel in the foot. Not all survive that strike or the nine others that
same day. Many that had been housing those fleeing the violence elsewhere.
An activist walks through the school. The classrooms converted into living spaces.
"We think we are safe but then the warplanes come and take everything from us," she says.
Russia has rejected calls for a cease-fire, stating that would be a capitulation to terrorists and yet the Russian and Syrian regime
bombardment has hardly been confined to the front lines or the armed groups. But rather, systematically targeting the civilian population,
forcing more people to flee and now intensifying attacks on Idlib city itself.
On the edge of a small cluster of tents not far from Turkey's closed border, one extended family moved underground into a man-made cave, dug out
to shelter cows and goats. They do not have enough money to buy a tent. There are around 45 of them living here like this.
After spending days, shoveling out feces and filth.
"When the kids sleep, we women take turns looking over them to make sure there are no snakes or scorpions," she said. "They're scared. It's
miserable. But where else to go?"
Half the children are sick, barely able to get medicine. There's no heat inside the cave. Food is cooked outdoors where the children warm
themselves. All they yearn for is their home, days without fear. A concept that seems so foreign, a distant dream for the millions trapped in Idlib,
in a war that from the onset had no rules, no real front lines and where safety is little more than a shattered illusion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: And, Becky, when we were in Idlib about 10 days, two weeks ago, a lot of the civilians we were talking to were saying Erdogan needs to come
and save us because that right now is the only hope.
Because Turkey at the moment is the only country that's to a certain degree standing up to this onslaught, that's trying to not only on the one hand
negotiate a cease-fire with the Russians.
[11:40:00]
DAMON: They're saying that they reject at this stage and also, you know, inside Syria now changing its military posture. It used to have observation
posts. Now it is undertaking a much more offensive role militarily, backing some of the more moderate rebel groups and sending in convoys of military
hardware and forces on the ground.
But Turkey is pretty much in this on its own. Other countries, like the United States, European nations, others around the world, who are
condemning what's happening in Idlib, are only providing support through rhetoric and not through any sort of other support that Turkey has been
asking for and not through humanitarian support, either.
There is not enough humanitarian aid to meet the scale of the crisis. You have these ongoing meetings of the Russians and the Turks but it doesn't
seem as if they're leading anywhere concrete. You have Turkey's looming deadline of this weekend that they had issued a few weeks prior, saying
that the Syrian regime had to withdraw from areas it had recently gained control of, gained control of over the last two months.
And Turkey wants to see the regime pushed back to the previously negotiated border of what was meant to be a de-escalation zone in Idlib province. But
it was in name only. But this scale of violence that we are seeing right now is unprecedented, even by Syria's standards.
But with the talks between the Russians and the Turks not seeming to be going anywhere, it's not surprising that people inside, when you talk to
them, many of them say they're just sitting and waiting to die.
ANDERSON: It is remarkable that we are where we are.
We spoke with the spokesman for the Turkish president at the beginning of the week, saying Turkey doesn't want a fight with Russia here. But he says,
as you rightly point out, that if Syria doesn't pull back or these Russian- backed Syrian forces, that this deadline of the end of the month is a hard deadline. It is not clear what the military action will be after that.
But what we do know it will be with heavy machinery, heavy artillery and it will be deadly. Arwa, thank you for that.
The political chaos that has plagued Israel could finally come to an end with Monday's vote. Or it could even lead to more uncertainty. The details
on that are just ahead.
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[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: Time for our call to Earth. The mission to drive awareness and inspire change for a sustainable future.
In this week's report, electricity, water and oxygen could make their way onto a food ingredient list in a few years' time. How scientists hope it
could change how our food is produced. Have a look at this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): It's not often that scientists gather around multimillion dollar machinery to eat pancakes. But today is that
day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are doing that test for fun every now and then.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The team, however, is not just in it for the fun. They say they're making a new ingredient out of thin air using
this. It could revolutionize how food is made.
Whether it's the crops that grow from it or the cattle that live on it, the ground is crucial in creating what we eat. But agriculture is one of the
world's largest sources of greenhouse gases, that's why in Helsinki, the company is trying to remove land from the equation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In order to save the planet from climate change, we need to disconnect food production from agriculture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): This man is the CEO of Solar Foods, a startup saying it's developing new natural source of protein. Like other
protein supplements, it has no taste and can be added to almost any snack or meal but unlike competitors, the production process has almost no carbon
footprint.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't use plants and animals. So we are bringing a new kind of harvest that is produced through fermentation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Making solein isn't all that different from making beer but first the team needs to gather ingredients. The process starts
here with a direct air capture system designed to harness carbon dioxide.
Regular air is pulled from a vent into a drum, heated to release water and CO2. Simultaneously this produces hydrogen with electricity to split water.
But this is where the magic happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the main step, basically a fermentation tank.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Here gases are mixed with microbes and other elements continuously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's a bit like a treadmill. The cells need to be running but they're not getting anywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Even though this 200 liter tank looks complicated, most of the valves and pipes are just there to monitor the
machine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of complexity comes to the structure because of the utilization so we have to be sure what we are growing is just the
organisms we want to grow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): This drum drier is the last piece of the puzzle. Liquid gas heated to about 140 degrees Celsius leaving just this
powder behind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we disconnect the food production from agriculture, which means land use and the climate and weather, it means
that we can go to produce food everywhere. We can go to the desert or to the Arctic or even into space.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Solar Foods is working with the European Space Agency for astronauts to use solein while in orbit. But before
leaving this planet, the team plans on making 50 million meals by 2021. But until then, you might just occasionally find them perfecting their
pancakes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At least we like them. Let's see if the first product on the shelf would be pancake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And we'll continue showcasing inspirational stories like that one. And let us know what you are doing to answer the call to Earth with
the #CallToEarth. I want to take a very short break. Back after this.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Bibi is like a Mercedes. Once you get used to riding in a Mercedes, it's difficult to downgrade to a Subaru.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Whatever car Israeli voters drive, they will likely be taking it to the polls on Monday. That is when they will pick their leaders for the
third time in a year. They hope it will put the brakes on the political chaos that has gripped the country for many months now.
In each of the last two elections, the winning party couldn't muster enough votes to start a coalition government. So voters headed back to the polls
and then back again. And Monday, well, they're back at it again. Unlike in April and September, this time Mr. Netanyahu, the prime minister, has been
indicted on corruption charges.
Despite that, though, recent polling shows he is ahead of his main challenger, Benny Gantz from the Blue and White Party, here on the right
side of your screens. Oren Liebermann is joining live from Jerusalem with the details of Israeli elections, iteration 3.0 -- Oren.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hopefully it'll be the end with 3.0 but already there are jokes that sound all too real of the possibility of
another election.
Why is that?
Because although all of the recent election polls have shown prime minister Netanyahu's Likud Party with a one-seat lead, they also suggest that there
is ongoing political gridlock and that it may be once again difficult to form a government.
So how is it that rival Benny Gantz, the former IDF chief of staff, has been the first major challenge to Netanyahu in 10 years of governance?
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The leaders of Blue and White have fought many battles but none quite like this, a party top heavy with former generals in
a political dogfight. It is the most serious challenge to prime minister Netanyahu in a decade.
Blue and White tied Netanyahu's Likud in April then eked out a one seat lead in September. The race remains incredibly close at this late stage.
"We believe that Israel is the story of its people, of our parents who dream, who came here and made their dreams come true. They made a country
and we have protected it. We want to see a Jewish Democratic secure country and that is what we came to fight for, exactly that."
Because so many Israelis serve in the military, the status of an officer, his rank, carries a tremendous amount of prestige, especially for a
general. It is that prestige that's allowed a relative political rookie to challenge Netanyahu, arguably the most successful politician in the
country's history.
Israel's top generals have often found a home in politics after their service. Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, prime ministers who once
served in the highest echelons of the military. There's a confidence voters have in those in charge of the country's defense.
BENNY GANTZ, BLUE AND WHITE PARTY: This is a country where you don't make national experiments in terms of security. so having someone who
understands security is very important. I think that we bring along hundreds of years of experience.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Ironically perhaps, Palestinians have viewed Israeli generals in much the same way, practical strategists willing to
seek a negotiated peace. With the presentation of the White House's deal of the century, peace is an issue that no one can avoid.
GANTZ: Netanyahu was in his position, had the ability to move forward and at least to try to move forward in the last decade. And nothing really
happened.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): A famous military strategist once said war is nothing but a continuation of politics by other means. The Blue and White,
it is politics that's a continuation of war, one they have yet to win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIEBERMANN: Given how close the polls are and the suggestion of ongoing political deadlock, one key question will be voter turnout, especially with
a third election in 11 months. Voter apathy could be a big issue as are fears over the coronavirus.
Does that keep people at home and if so where does it keep people at home?
That will be one of the questions we are looking at on Election Day as Netanyahu and Gantz go head to head once again.
How's it that Netanyahu has maintained this lead?
The longest serving prime minister in Israel's history and the first to be indicted as a sitting prime minister, that question we will answer
tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Right. And we'll continue to discuss these questions.
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: And we'll be with you Monday because, of course, we weren't there for rounds one and two and it only seems fair that we go back for
number three. CONNECT THE WORLD will bring you two special coverage shows live from Jerusalem. Tune in Sunday and Monday, 7:00 pm Abu Dhabi time.
Right next door, Jordan, of course, plays a unique and essential role in regional politics and I'll sit down with the country's prime minister in
Oman.
That's it from us. End of our working week. See you in Jerusalem on Sunday.
END
