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Protests Grow In Belarus As Lukashenko Clings To Power; Bolivia Tops 100,000 COVID-19 Cases; New Zealand Delays Election, Reports Nine New Cases. Aired 10:00-11a ET
Aired August 17, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:37]
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Record protests rock Belarus. The President says he's ready to share power but will not be pressured by the people. Plus, as
the Democratic National Convention gets ready to kick off virtually, and new CNN poll shows a tightening 2020 race to the White House.
And New Zealand's small coronavirus cluster delays its general election. Jacinda Ardern is making the decision in the name she says of voter safety.
Let's begin this hour. I'm Hala Gorani and this is CONNECT THE WORLD. Let's begin this hour in Belarus where the situation there is reaching a boiling
point. A virtual ocean of demonstrators has turned out in the streets of Minsk, the biggest ever protest in the country's history. You can see the
crowds there. It is all over the disputed reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko. They do not want him in power. They believe the election was
rigged.
He is rejecting calls for a new vote. Now says though that he is willing to put sheer power. He says he won't do that, though under pressure from the
streets. Fellow political strong man Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Lukashenko by phone yesterday Sunday, the Belarusian state news agency
is reporting Putin is offering assistance to quash the unrest through an existing military pact.
And Lukashenko meanwhile, well, his main rival is offering to act as a national leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SVETLANA TIKHANOVSKAYA, BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): I am ready to take on the responsibility and become a national leader
during this period. In order for the country to come down and enter a normal rhythm for us to free all of the political prisoners and in the
shorter term to prepare the legislative framework and conditions for the organization of the new presidential election.
Real, honest and transparent election, which will be undoubtedly accepted by the international community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, we have reporters covering this story from Minsk to Moscow. First, let's get more from Fred Pleitgen who's out with the crowds in
Minsk. We've been coming to you for several days now. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger, people want another vote. Lukashenko is saying
right now, he's not going anywhere. What's going to happen next?
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the opposition is going to continue to apply pressure, we can certainly see
that they have already really achieved a lot. I mean, if we look at about a week ago from today, people wouldn't have even been able to gather in
crowds of three on the streets and start clapping. And if you looked at the rally that took place yesterday, which as you mentioned, was probably by
far the largest in this country's history with the opposition bring around 100,000 people out on the streets.
That's something that just would have been unheard of before. So what we're seeing here amongst the folks who support the opposition, but generally
among a lot of people is that a lot of them have simply apparently lost the fear despite the big repression that has been going on. People are going
out in the streets, and they are demanding change. Now the next thing or the next step that they're trying to take today, Hala, is a general strike.
And the building that you see behind me here is state's T.V. here in Belarus, and until about a day ago or so, this building was really a place
that was a place of propaganda for Alexander Lukashenko. There wasn't any dissent aired or voice were seen on that T.V. channel. And now the
journalists here, the camera operators, the T.V. anchors and the reporters and technicians as well are demanding change.
They say they want to report on the demonstrations that have been going on here in this country on the repression, on the beatings and the jailings
that have been going on as well and they're not going to go back to work until that happens. It's part of a larger campaign because you also had
today people walk out in a lot of factories as well. The industrial backbone of this country is walking out on Alexander Lukashenko.
Large parts of this economy are state owned. And even those workers in the state-owned companies are walking out. Alexander Lukashenko went to one of
those factories and tried to speak and he was shouted down by people, where everybody thought it was his supporters there who we're calling on him to
leave as well. And as you've mentioned, he's now claiming that he would be willing to share power.
But certainly if you look at the people around here, none of them really believe that that is going to happen, Hala.
[10:05:07]
GORANI: Well, the Germans are calling Lukashenko a dictator, NATO is saying it's keeping an eye on what's going on. And is there concern among the
crowd that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president will militarily try to prop up the Lukashenko government by sending in troops to quash protests?
PLEITGEN: Well, I would certainly say that concern is here. But I think one of the things that the folks here think and international observers here
thing is they believe that right now that Alexander Lukashenko is essentially trying to drag or draw Vladimir Putin into all this. If you see
some of the statements that have been made, and you mentioned, there have been some phone calls, two phone calls between Lukashenko and Vladimir
Putin were afterwards.
The readout from the Belarusian side and the Belarusian government seemed to make it sound as though Russia was about to intervene here in this
country when the Russians offered a clarification on that and actually the Belarusian news agency had to offer a retraction to one of the things that
was said. And then you had Alexander Lukashenko just yesterday claiming that there was some sort of military buildup on Belurasia's border by NATO.
And then NATO rejected that claim as well. So far, there's not really any indication that the Russians are going to intervene here in this country,
but certainly for many people, there is a fear that obviously could happen but again, right now it seems more as though it is Alexander Lukashenko as
he's trying to save his power trying to drag Russia into this rather than anything that the Russians would be doing themselves, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Thanks very much, Fred Pleitgen live in Minsk. Let's turn now to Matthew Chance. He's in Moscow with the very latest from the
Kremlin and Vladimir Putin, and what's the expectation on what Russia would be willing or not as the case may be willing to do to help Lukashenko?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think -- I think Fred was right there to point out that perhaps, you know, when the
two leaders, Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin have spoken twice over the weekend. There has been slightly different readouts from each side
reflecting, I think the desires of each side. Certainly the Russians have said they're willing to provide assistance to help Belarus resolve the
crisis that it's currently in.
But it's definitely stopped short of saying, look, we're going to send in troops to prop up the, you know, Alexander Lukashenko, has not gone there.
And, of course, you know, the Russians will be looking at the situation unfolding in Belarus, and assessing the massive risks that are associated
with it, the financial risks, of course, if they do move in, and in the military intervention, there's likely to be big sanctions coming into
Russia from United States, from the European Union.
Something the Russian economy which has already been weakened by years of sanctions couldn't particularly tolerate. Then it's the idea of, you know,
taking responsibility for 10 million Belarusians that have a, you know, a GDP approximately half the size of the -- of the average GDP inside Russia.
And so it's a big sort of financial liability. Let alone the fact that remember, these protests in Belarus right now are not anti-Russian
protests.
They're not, you know, protesting for Belarus to move out of Russia's orbit and into the orbit of NATO in the European Union. They're just anti-
Lukashenko protests and, you know, to a very high degree, you know, many people in Russia, including the Kremlin, aren't particular fans of
Lukashenko either. And so, you know, there is a sense in which perhaps the Russians could tolerate, you know, Lukashenko moving aside being replaced
by somebody else that they could work with.
But -- I mean, the truth is, Hala, the Kremlin aren't telling us what their plan is. But undoubtedly these are the scenarios that are going over in
their minds at the moment.
GORANI: And what is this the strategic importance and significance of a country like Belarus when there is unrest like this, both for Russia, and
indeed for NATO countries. Why is it important what happens there?
CHANCE: Well, Hala, you just -- I had a bit of a technical problem there. I couldn't quite get the exact question you're asking me. But I think you
were asking me about the strategic importance of Belarus. Well, certainly from Russia, it's very important because it's basically, you know, during
the Soviet days, that was the western sort of flank of the Soviet Union, all the military defenses, including radar stations and things like that
are in Belarus.
And so from a sort of military point of view, you know, controlling that territory in some form is very important for Moscow. It was during the
Soviet Union, that didn't change with the collapse of the Soviet Union. And it's just as true today and Russia maintains forces inside Belarus, and an
important sort of forward radar station. Let's give it an early warning of sort of imminent sort of missile air attack.
And so it does have that that military function, but I think it's certainly much broader than that for Russia as well. There Belarus is a Russian
speaking country. They describe Belarusian as brothers. They see themselves as part of the same sort of American culture. And the idea of, you know,
kind of, you know, standing by while that country moves into the orbit of the European Union or, you know, moves to join NATO is something that would
be intolerable for many people in in Russia.
Again, that's not what the situation is in Belarus. And that's why I think it's sort of less likely that the Kremlin is going to stage a military
intervention. Having said that, that geopolitical logic has been, you know, you can talk about as much as you like, but the Kremlin may have a
different logic and they may say, you know, whatever the consequences, we're going to take this now, this is our opportunity. So we're all very
much sort of watching carefully what steps the Kremlin takes.
GORANI: All right. Great context. Thanks so much. Matthew Chance live in Moscow. And the latest COVID news. It's not great. Over the weekend, the
World Health Organization reported a global record of new cases in 24 hours. They are grim numbers to be sure and they come amid a wave of new
developments. In the U.S., the coronavirus death toll has now surpassed 170,000 after deaths averaged at more than 1000 per day for the past three
weeks.
According to data from Johns Hopkins. Outside the U.S., Peru has overtaken Mexico as the second worst hit country in Latin America. Meanwhile, New
Zealand is postponing its general election due -- that was due soon following a fresh outbreak. Its neighbor Australia now reporting its
deadliest day since the pandemic began, while South Korea reported its highest number of daily new infections since March.
And Japan continues to top 1000 cases per day, while reporting its worst drop in GDP ever. In India, the COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 50,000,
is five zero thousand dead. And turning to Bolivia who has also postponed its general election due to the coronavirus. Bolivia's health ministry
reported more than 1000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday alone, bringing the country's total to more than 100,000 cases.
The rise in the number of cases comes after mass protests against the interim government's decision to delay the election for a second time. Last
Thursday, Bolivian lawmakers approved a law blocking any further postponement of the vote now scheduled for October. South Korea is seeing
hundreds of new COVID cases. Over the weekend nearly 500 were reported. The country's highest number of infections in five months.
A new cluster has been linked to a church in Seoul and city officials filed a criminal complaint against the church's pastor who's also tested positive
for the disease. Paula Hancocks tells us more.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, South Korea has recorded its highest level of new pieces in five months. This happening
over the weekend. And in response, officials actually raised the social distancing guidelines in the greater Seoul area. And they say that if this
spike continues, they will extend that to the whole country. Another health minister has said that this should be massive if it is not handled
correctly.
Now one area of particular concern here in Seoul is one church which already has 300 members who have tested positive including the reverend
himself. Now that reverend on Saturday attended an anti-government protests in downtown Seoul. It was a protest that was banned by police for fear of
infection spreading, but thousands turned up anyway, including the reverend who actually made a speech to the people without wearing a mask.
Now we know that that Seoul city officials say that they have filed a criminal complaint against the reverend. They believe that he has been
obstructing the investigation and in return, church officials say that there will be legal action against certain South Korea and government
officials as they believe that the church is being defamed. But at this point officials do say that they are still trying to get hold of hundreds
of members of this congregation.
And they are enlisting police help in order to be able to trace them. They want more than 4000 visitors to this church to all be tested, and all be
quarantined. Hala?
GORANI: Well, thank you very much for that, Paula. As we mentioned us Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is delaying her country's general
election. Voters will be now heading to the polls mid-October. That's four weeks later than originally expected. She announced that decision on
Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACINDA ARDERN PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: Ultimately, the 17th of October in approximately nine weeks' time, provides sufficient time for
parties to plan around the range of circumstances we could be campaigning under. For the Electoral Commission to prepare and for voters to feel
assured of a safe, accessible and credible election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:15:02]
GORANI: All right, well, New Zealand of course was seen as a role model for its initial coronavirus response still not doing too badly if you compare
it to other countries. Let's give you some context, of course. So controlling a second outbreak will be a big test for our Germans Ardern's
leadership. CNN's Will Ripley is following this story from Hong Kong. So let's talk about this new cluster of cases in New Zealand.
What's the reaction because does that small number -- relatively small number of new cases justify a four-week delay in the general elections?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has been New Zealand's approach all along in terms of dealing with the pandemic at the
very beginning, a lot of people questioned whether Prime Minister Ardern was taking things too far by essentially locking down the country when
there was a very small number of cases. But the end result was that New Zealand was able to declare itself COVID-19 free and for 102 days they
didn't report a single locally transmitted case in the country.
And the economy bounced back pretty quickly from the initial short-term impact of that lockdown. So now they have Auckland once again, locked down,
they have police checkpoints, the schools are closed, they had already delayed the dissolution of Parliament, which was a key step before the
election would take place. Election which the Prime Minister's party was expected to do very well in large part because of their effective response
to the pandemic.
And so, clearly, Prime Minister Ardern is keeping with that commitment to put even before the economy and even before politics the safety of the
general public. And so you have a relatively small spike in the number of cases and a huge amount of testing happening in New Zealand right now.
You're talking about, you know, tens of thousands of tests being conducted every single day. The country has really been beefing up its ability to
process these tests.
And they are detecting a small number of cases trying to get those clusters identified out of the general population so they can get that number back
down to zero to a point where the country is feel safe to reopen not only its largest city but also to hold those elections.
GORANI: All right. Will Ripley live in Hong Kong. Coming up party conventions to nominate the next U.S. president begin today and they look a
lot different this year. We'll take you to Delaware as the Democratic -- the virtual Democratic convention kicks off. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, it's a very unusual Democratic national convention starting today in the United States because it is starting online. Party conventions
are usually massive rally type events where the presidential candidate is officially nominated. You see these images from 2008 in Denver, Colorado,
it will not be like this this year. COVID-19 has just basically ruined the celebration. It's forced Democrats to meet virtually for the next four
days. The Republican convention will be next month in Charlotte next week.
[10:20:002]
GORANI: I should say in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the headlines today is no -- headliners today is no stranger to democratic conventions.
Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak and report say she views this speech as her major contribution to the campaign. Earlier
she posted her support for V.P pick Kamala Harris on Instagram, saying Harris is a role model to girls around the country.
Now Michelle Obama also recently spoke out about how she and other Americans are facing challenging times in the United States right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER UNITED STATES FIRST LADY: These are not -- they are not fulfilling times spiritually. You know, so I know that I am dealing
with some form of low grade depression, not just because of the quarantine but because of the racial strife.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: The virtual convention will span from New York to Milwaukee even Wilmington, Delaware, Joe Biden's hometown, where he and Kamala Harris will
accept their nominations. Jessica Dean joins us now from there. So talk to us about what to expect today, Jessica.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, as you mentioned, the big headliner today going to be Michelle Obama. And getting in to a
little bit of the logistics about how the Democrats are going to pull off a huge Democratic National Convention remotely. It's going to be spread out
all across the United States. So there is an anchor here in Wilmington, where you mentioned Biden and Harris will be accepting their nominations
later in the week.
There's also state anchors in New York, L.A. and Milwaukee where the convention was originally supposed to take place. But we're told to really
expect speakers to be beaming in from all across the country. Some of them will have historic landmarks behind them. Other people will be just
delegates that would have been in the convention hall and will now be in their living rooms.
And they'll be watching them for reactions they sent them production kits with cash cameras and microphones, they'll be able to take those feeds as
well. So, organizers will be monitoring hundreds of feeds as they go throughout this week. And we are also told there will be M.C.s. We now know
some of the names, Julia Louis Dreyfus, who of course, played Veep on the HBO show will be emceeing Joe Biden's night on Thursday.
Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria just announced as M.C.s. So they'll kind of be tying all of this together. Tonight, again, Monday
night it's going to be about We the People and the Democratic Party really saying that it's about showing unity and projecting unity not just across
their party, Hala, but across the country. Of course, we've heard Joe Biden time and time again, throughout this campaign season, talk about restoring
the soul of the nation.
He really sees a real imperative to bring the country back together. He says that it has been really torn apart by Donald Trump's leadership, hala.
So expect to hear a lot of those storylines in the next few days.
GORANI: All right, Jessica Dean, thanks very much live in Wilmington. Let's take a closer look at the newest CNN poll, because it shows a much tighter
race than polls in the last several weeks. With 78 days until the U.S. presidential election, the race between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican
Donald Trump has significantly tightened at least according to this poll. There are polls that show different figures.
But this one is interesting, because Biden now leads by just four percentage points. And that's within the margin of error, which is plus or
minus four points. As I mentioned, it's just one of many recent polls with CNN latest poll of polls showing a wider gap. But let's talk about this.
Let's talk about what to expect with the convention and also what's going on with the U.S. Postal Service which is a big story in the us with our
senior political analyst, David Gergen live from Massachusetts, always a pleasure.
Thank you so much and advisor to so many presidents. If you look at this poll, and you're advising the Biden campaign. And this is just one of many,
but still showing a much tighter race than others. Should they be concerned?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, yes. They certainly should not be complacent. But if it -- for the real number, and there are those
who, you know, there are other polls showing a much wider lead, but as far as the real number, that's a very competitive race, you know, because of
the way the electoral college is constructed. You know, the Democrats probably have to win this by three percent or more.
So if you get -- when you get down to four percent, you're right on that edge. And it means it did a lot rest on this convention and the weeks that
follow. I must say, Hala, for all my sense I've gone to 12 Republican conventions, and I have never, ever seen one like this. It is so strange.
It really presents challenges to the creativity of each party, helping you take those two hours at night and make it interesting and not boring.
[10:25:03]
GERGEN: That's not easy, you know, with a whole bunch of political speeches just patch to one another. How do you make that work? How do you get
excitement? That's a big challenge.
GORANI: Yes. I was wondering because we're going to see, it's a virtual from one city to the other, and you have big name, speakers like Michelle
Obama and celebrities for the Democrats this week. But you could argue that you had a Conventional -- a Democratic Convention four years ago with huge
celebrity names. And you know, the Obamas and the, you know, other big Democratic names and still it didn't work for Hillary Clinton.
So as you said, how do they overcome this? Especially shouldn't they be getting the Democrats now a bump the week after they nominate their Vice
President and Kamala Harris?
GERGEN: Well, I do think that as much as I respect Michelle Obama, she's one of the most popular revered women that's sitting United States today.
And the intention is pretty good, you're going to shift it for the -- in this convention to Kamala Harris and to Joe Biden. Those last two nights
that are really, really important. And so far, that ticket has had a very successful launch, you know, the two candidates Biden and Kamala Harris.
You know, they have awful performances in there and when the announcement of the good nomination was made, they need to sustain. I don't know, you
know, each one gave a terrific speech. I don't know what they have to say, week later, that's going to be fresh. That's another challenge. How do you
-- how do you make that all work?
GORANI: Yeah. I just wonder if the two of them should be in a bubble to -- in a COVID bubble together. So at the very least they can be, you know,
close to each other without any issues. Let's talk about what's going on with the post office here and what Democrats are saying is basically an
attempt to sabotage vote by mail. The Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is a Trump supporter. He's donated in the past more than $1 million to pro-Trump
political action committees.
What is going on? Is it an attempt to suppress the voting by mail, as Democrats are saying this might be this cutting of the budgets and post
offices around the country?
GERGEN: Well, the issue is taken off like wildfire and the Democrats see very strong possible games by emphasizing us because the post office is one
of the most respected institution has a fabled history. I'm going all the way back to Benjamin Franklin, who was the first Postmaster General. The
Pony Express was not part of the post office, but it has a romanticized integration with the mailman have come through rain, sleet and snow as the
saying goes.
Now, just to give you some sense of how important this is with the number of mail-in ballots available then the number of states that now we'll have
mail in ballots. 77 percent of the electorate can mail -- is eligible to send mail in Dallas 77 percent. And the post office and postal service
(INAUDIBLE) letter to various states in the last few days warning and 46 states, they warned, yes, you're eligible to go vote, but we may not be
able to count your vote because we may be so delayed in counting all the votes.
Because we've had all this -- we've had all this backup now at the postal service. And that backup is being directly attributed to efforts by the --
by the Republicans to slow down the mail service to take out, you know, some of the -- so that the long delays are already starting to build up in
New York City. In New York, they recently had a primary, it took six weeks to count the mail-in ballots, six weeks.
So you can imagine what chaos that would be here in the United States. But we're talking about big ideas. The Republicans are starting to back away,
they realize that they -- I think they realize they've stepped into or stirred up hornets' nest and it was present today, it was a little more --
a little softer on the issue. But there is such a suspicion. You know, the Trump administration does not come to this with clean hands.
People don't automatically give this government trust. And some of the Trump administration said, Oh, we're not telling to do anything, we're just
trying to make it more efficient. People say we don't believe you. We don't trust you anymore. You've told too many lies.
GORANI: All right. David Gergen, thank you very much. Joining us live from Massachusetts. It's always a pleasure speaking to you.
GERGEN: Thanks, Hala.
GORANI: And you keep it on CNN because we have special coverage of the first night of the Democratic National Convention which begins at 8:00 p.m.
Eastern Time. And as David Gergen was saying there, it's going to be a challenge. How do you keep it interesting? This is not a big arena. It's
virtual. That's 1:00 a.m. here in London, 8:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, if you're outside the United States, you didn't tune in.
And coming up. Will more Gulf states take a cue from the UAE and normalize ties with Israel?
[10:30:02]
GORANI: There is a report today about two countries that could be next in that part of the world. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, more Gulf countries could follow the United Arab Emirates lead by normalizing ties with Israel. That's on the heels of last week's
surprise announcement of the deal by U.S. President Donald Trump. Reuters is quoting Israel's intelligence minister who told army radio that he
believes Bahrain and Oman will follow suit. He says some countries in Africa could do the same down the line.
For more, Mina Al-Oraibi joins me now from Abu Dhabi. She's the editor-in- chief of The National. A leading English language newspaper in the UAE. And she's been covering the region and of course what's going on in the UAE for
many years now. So Mina, good to talk to you. How have things changed already? What are you able to observe from your -- from your position in
the UAE?
MINA AL-ORAIBI, EDITOR IN CHIEF, THE NATIONAL: Well, since the announcement on Thursday, there have been several other announcements of cooperation
between the UAE and Israel when it comes to COVID-19 and fighting COVID-19. They had already had private companies working together on fighting COVID-
19. And now you have a testing kit being promoted together.
They also now have phone lines, so you can call Israel directly from the UAE and you can receive phone calls. So these are changes that show that
these peace accords that the two have now agreed to are moving quite quickly. Of course, there's a lot of speculation about other Gulf countries
following suit, and it was important to note that Bahrain's King called (INAUDIBLE) Hamad bin Isa, the Crown Prince (INAUDIBLE) congratulated him
on the move, saying that this was actually a move towards peace in the region and could bring about more stability.
Oman, of course, had received the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October 2018. And there have been some ties between the two on various
levels. Oman always played the role of, let's say, an honest broker in the region and has been able to build bridges. So we're seeing movement on the
ground. But what's really important is also that the UAE has been very firm in saying that these peace accords were critical to stop the annexation of
Palestinian territories, and to really create an environment that could help push a peace deal.
Eventually the Palestinians and the ending of the occupation and that's what ultimately is the big prize in the region.
GORANI: Well, that's not how Palestinians hear it at all. As you know, they see this as a stab in the back. They believe that the suspension of the
annexation which they see as an illegal move anyway is not something Israel should be rewarded for. So the Palestinians don't -- are not reacting
positively to this deal at all.
[10:35:07]
GORANI: What about just ordinary Emiratis? Do they think this is a good idea?
AL-ORAIBI: I think in some ways for ordinary Emiratis, there's a great trust in the leadership here. I mean, generally, you find people, feel that
their government and their country has done very well on a number of issues, including actually battling of COVID-19. People feel secure here
and trust that their leaders will do what's right for the country and what's in the Emirati national interest.
in the UAE, what's interesting also, is that there's a lot of talk about the importance of involving Arabs and technological advances, everything
from the Mars probe being seen as an Arab mission, not just the UAE mission, and other developments like that. When it comes to the
Palestinians. I mean, it's understandable where they come from and one of the things I believe that the Emiratis and other Gulf countries are hoping
for is that the Palestinians can some way or the other use this moment of the halt of the annexation to get somewhere with the negotiations.
I think that clearly when we look at the history of the last 70 years, yes, stopping annexation, if you look at it from 1967 borders, you would say
that's not much of an accomplishment. But if you think about where we were, in May and June thinking that this was a fait accompli, and that the
Israelis would have done it, and there's very little that internationally, anyone would have actually don't stop it, then it is an achievement on that
level.
GORANI: That's an interesting perspective there but Haaretz is as you know, the daily -- the leading daily in Israel is saying that this normalization
will lead to an increase in arm sales from Israel to the UAE but also intelligence cooperation that can be used for surveillance. Is that
something that you're hearing on your end?
AL-ORAIBI: One of the things that's been interesting over here is hearing actually American cooperation and greater military -- let's say cooperation
generally in the region. What's been interesting is that the U.S. rule and this is not just President Trump personal role in this and promoting
greater Arab Israeli ties, or let's say even Israeli interests, but importantly, that American engagement -- military involvement securing the
region is something that's seen that will be more prominent than previous.
Regarding the other points of it. Frankly, I've read reports, we've seen reports, but we haven't seen anything tangible or been, let's say brief to
that effect.
GORANI: All right. Mina Al-Oraibi, thank you very much. The editor-in-chief of The National. Let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are
on our radar right now. The U.S. and South Korea are pushing back their military drills by two days because of coronavirus concerns. This is the --
these are the drills by the way that really angered North Korea. South Korea's top command says the annual drills will now get underway this
Tuesday instead of Sunday.
The South Korean military official says the delay came after one local officer tested positive for COVID. The Japanese oil tanker that ran aground
off the coast of Mauritius has split in two. Completely split in two. Since July the ship has leaked about 1000 metric tons of oil into an Indian Ocean
lagoon. This is a complete disaster for Mauritius. Thousands of more metric tons of fuel are expected to be released there now.
The government has declared the area a forbidden zone and you can see just what an absolute calamity this is, for that pristine part of the world.
Scientists in Brazil says -- say a drier than normal August has increased the number of fires and the world's largest wetlands. They also blame
reduced environmental surveillance by the government. This has led to four times as many fires in the -- in the Pentanal wetlands as the same two-week
period last year.
Let's return now to coronavirus like much of the world, the contentious debate over reopening schools is raging across the United Kingdom. Children
in Scotland are now returning to the classroom after five months of lockdown, but they have to get used to a new normal filled with safety
measures and social distancing. It's going to be weird for these kids. CNN's Max Foster reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: The first day of school is always emotional, but after months of lockdown, the reopening of St. Ninian's
primary in Berwick, Scotland is a new experience for everyone.
LESLEY MCCABE, HEAD TEACHER, ST. NINIAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOL: This is the first time that we put boys and girls in the school for five months.
FOSTER: Inside, a lesson on how to navigate the school's one-way system, just one of the many COVID safety measures children and staff are now
getting to grips with.
So, students arranging bubbles, pretty much confined to classrooms as well, at least compared to before, right? This is one of yours.
[10:40:07]
FOSTER: The seats are all facing one direction. They have to stick to their own stationary packs. And they are eating in here as well at lunch?
MCCABE: Absolutely. Our priority is to keep the children safe. The teachers will be teaching at the front of the classroom. The children will not be
collaborating in groups anymore. They will be working in peers with their shoulder partners.
FOSTER: I can't see anyone with masks. But what's the rule on that?
MCCABE: There is no need for anyone to be wearing mask, but should an adult be supporting a child with the learning or an individual if they are going
to be working beyond 15 minutes, then they should be wearing a mask.
FOSTER: It's not clear what happens if a child or teacher tests positive for the virus. The school says it will take government advice on whether to
send that person home, or the whole bubble, or indeed the whole school. Father of five, Raymond Carroll isn't concerned. He says his boys are
desperate for some routine.
What were your kids get out of coming back to school?
RAYMOND CARROLL, FATHER AT ST. NINIAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOL: Structure. Structure. That's that. Everything they do is around a structure. And over
the past few months it's been very difficult to maintain that structure.
FOSTER: Home schooling, how was that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not good.
FOSTER: No. So, you were quite keen to come back? It's not always children say they are desperate to go to school. Lots of people are now. Aren't
they?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but before they didn't really like school.
FOSTER: Are you guys excited?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
FOSTER: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we are going back to school.
FOSTER: So, you are looking forward to school. Did you ever think you'd say that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I never thought I would say that.
FOSTER: Teachers here say they are also excited about being back, and they feel safe. Though teaching unions say that isn't the case in all schools.
MCCABE: Teachers and staff may need to adapt to this new way of life, and they are ready for the challenges ahead. They're excited by them, but they
will always be very cautious.
FOSTER: Each district, each country has its own system for reopening schools. All eyes on Scotland, though, as one of the first to be tested in
this part of the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, Max Foster joins us now live from London. I mean, obviously, they're going to try this and they're going to see what happens because, as
you know, there are cases in the U.S. where schools reopen, and then a bunch of cases were reported that have to close down. How are they going to
monitor the numbers?
FOSTER: Well, it's interesting because it's actually right in Scotland is quite low. So it will be quite obvious if the school reopening has an
effect there. And every nation has a different rule. And in Scotland, what they're effectively doing is confining them to classrooms, and then they
just wear masks, they have to socially distance. But one of the contradictions is what you're finding around the world is the school buses
on the bubbles can make some school buses way into school, the school can only control what happens once they're there.
So, if there is an infection it's difficult to see how the school can be responsible for containing it. And then there's this other issue, but
actually what they do when they do get the virus in school, the schools haven't been given advice on that. And the government's been called out on
that. I mean, what on earth the schools meant to do if they have someone with a virus, they send everyone home or not?
GORANI: Yes. And the government's been called out on another just complete fiasco, which is this algorithmic evaluation of students. They're very
important sort of, I guess the equivalent would be high school exam results determined by an algorithm rather than teacher appraisals. And that meant
that some schools that had a poor performance over the last few years that -- remarkable students in those schools would be downgraded because the
algorithm would take into account the lower grades over the last several years.
Now, this has really been a scandal in the U.K. And I understand the government is considering changing their approach and you turning on this.
FOSTER: I think that -- so there's obviously -- there are different national systems within the U.K. And we've already seen Scotland do U-turn
on their Scottish hires, which is the level equivalent, and they are ditching the algorithm. The algorithm is a bit of a mystery, but they're
ditching the algorithm and then going for the teacher assessments. That also happened in Northern Ireland stay in Wales.
So we're expecting the same to happen here in England, we're expecting that announcement in the next few minutes. We've seen images of students
descending on London and burning their results. As I say, this algorithm is a mystery because it seems to disadvantage certain institutions, so sick
form colleges. So the colleges where there are lots of students generally just doing a levels, they seem to have suffered as opposed to smaller
schools and a lot of independent private school.
[10:45:00]
FOSTER: So it's caused a complete storm and people can't work out why the government use an algorithm in the first place or indeed why they didn't
exam -- examine students in the first place because other countries did manage to examine the students and have safe environments in large spaces.
So the government is about to do a U-turn. I'm pretty sure that will be the case. And a huge amount of criticism coming in for them because even at the
weekend, they said they wouldn't go back on this.
And Scotland went back on it last week. Why didn't England learn from that lesson? And lots of questions. I'm sure British journalists will be asking
the government today.
GORANI: All right. Thanks very much, Max Foster. As the education secretary he was quoted in the times, Sunday Times saying no U-turn, no change and
we're expecting a U-turn and a change. We'll see what happens. But students saying from more disadvantaged areas, saying they were unfairly downgraded.
Just ahead on the program, coronavirus adds one more risk to the already dangerous lives of sex workers in Mexico.
We'll show you what's happening in Tijuana's a red-light district. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Welcome back. Coronavirus cases in Mexico now are topping half a million and Mexico trails only the U.S. and Brazil and the number of COVID-
19 deaths. For sex workers there the pandemic adds one more threat to lives already fraught with crime, fear and abuse. Matt Rivers reports from the
U.S. border town of Tijuana, where business is booming with American customers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Go out and work, risk your life. Stay at home and go hungry. It's the pandemic's impossible choice for
many in Mexico, and it's tough enough if you're a cabdriver or a store clerk. And it's another if you're a sex worker.
Here in Tijuana, Mexico's famed red-light district, prostitution is legal. Just south of California, Mexicans and Americans both fuel a thriving
industry, normally. But officially, the government forced all sex-related businesses to close back in March.
ROBERTO TORRES, STRIP CLUB OWNER: I don't think we're safe to open yet, so I'm not going to put myself at risk or my employees at risk either, so --
RIVERS: Roberto Torres had to close his strip club, and his female workers left. Where they all went, he's not sure, but he knows some businesses
nearby aren't following the rules.
TORRES: People are opening. Certain places are open. Certain hotels are open.
RIVERS: So in the middle of a pandemic, Americans and Mexicans are still paying to have sex here, with people like Alejandra. She is a sex worker
and told us that fearing for her life is her new way of life.
I don't know if the person I'm with that day has the disease or not, she says. I'm so scared for my health and for my daughter's.
But she says her daughter is the reason she still goes out. Six years old with her mom's income her only way to get a meal.
What will I do tomorrow if I end up getting sick, but I still have to go out, even though I don't want to?
So after she speaks to us, she walks back out into that world, and we followed.
[10:50:06]
RIBERS: That night we arrange a ride-along with state police through the red- light district. This is not an area where cameras are very welcome, so
the cops required us to wear body armor. Driving around, it's obvious there were a lot of working women out and about, but where they're working isn't
immediately clear.
So the streets here are a lot quieter than they normally are, and that's because the government has forced a lot of these businesses to shut down.
But what the police that we're with are telling us is that the business is still going on. It's just happening behind closed doors.
In sex hotels that are still operating near normal with patrons like this American. CNN agreed not to use his name, because he fears losing his job.
And you still see a lot of Americans here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lots of Americans here.
RIVERS: He says he's being safe, except for the part where he has sex with a stranger.
I think a lot of experts would say it's not safe. I mean, but you think it's safe enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe I'm pretty well-educated about all of this, and I feel completely safe.
RIVERS: As the sex trade continues, the lives of everyone involved are at risk, but for the workers, the money earned puts food on the table. It's
two sides of a very dangerous coin.
Matt Rivers, CNN, Tijuana, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right. And after the break, fasten your seat belts. There was some flying and spinning on the track Sunday. We'll show you a near miss.
From that day, that was pretty scary. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, Sunday produce one of the scariest crashes we've seen in motor sports and Don Riddell is here with those details. Hi, Don.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Hala, thanks very much. It was just incredible. If you watch the Austrian MotoGP race on Sunday with your
heart and your mouth, well imagine what it was like to ride in it. The scenes were absolutely horrific. It is remarkable that nobody was seriously
hurt, there could easily have been death. The nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi says that he is lucky to be alive.
The chaos unfolded at about 190 miles an hour when Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco crashed their bikes then hurtled over the bend narrowly
missing the other riders. Rossi was the most fortunate. Two bikes came pretty much right at him and he was incredibly fortunate to avoid both.
Morbidelli was blamed for causing the accident, Zarco said he was "Like a murderer." For some perspective on how it looked to Valentino Rossi, look
at this.
Two pieces of heavy machinery flew right past him. There was no time to react. Remarkably, he regained his composure, and finished fifth. But Rossi
was furious after the race. He told Sky Italia "I was so scared. I'm shaking, resuming the race was tough. I took the biggest risk of my
career." He went on, I saw a shadow I thought it was the helicopter from above. Sometimes it happens during the race that a helicopter passes over
and cast a shadow instead two bullets arrived.
The saint of motorcyclists today did a really great job. It was a very dangerous thing. Now the last season, the finals of both the Champions
League and the Europa League football tournament for both all English affairs, this time, they won't even be one Premier League team involved
after Manchester United was beaten in the semifinals the Europa League. They were eliminated by a team that just loves this competition.
[10:55:04]
RIDDELL: Sevilla have won it five times since 2006. Now United took the lead but Suso level the scores there midway through the first half before
Luuk de Jong scored the winner 12 minutes from time. Sevilla are into another Europa League finals, and they have never lost one. The other
semifinal will be played in the coming hours that's between Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk.
And then on Tuesday, we've got the first of the two Champions League semifinals. The first of which is a fascinating clash between Paris and
German and RB Leipzig. PSG have mega stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Leipziger nothing like is famous, but they do have an American rising star
and this stage of the competition that is pretty unusual.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIDDELL: As a teenager in the New York Red Bulls organization, Tyler Adams was committed. He drove three hours every day just to train with the team.
That dedication has paid off.
Five years later he is the unlikely hero in Europe's Champions League. He's put a last gasp goal for R.B. Leipzig securing a shock win against Atletico
Madrid.
TYLER ADAMS, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL PLAYER, RB LEIPZIG: This is obviously a huge moment for me and my family, especially my parents
because, you know, I wouldn't be in the position I was in without their sacrifices of driving me to practices back and forth in New Jersey, and,
you know, going through that struggle for a long time.
RIDDELL: It was a day of firsts. Adams is the first player from the United States to score a goal in a champions league quarter final stage or beyond.
It was the midfielder's first goal for Leipzig in 28 appearances, and most importantly his goal took the German club into the semifinals of the
tournament for the very first time.
ADAMS: Definitely excited. I am not the type of person to, you know, blow out over, you know, the statistics, the being first to do that, being the
first to do that but for me, I want to be the first American to win the champions league. That is something that I'll be excited about.
RIDDELL: Another big challenge is next. R.B. Leipzig face the free spending Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout semifinal on Tuesday. Adams says it is
no secret why his team which was founded only 11 years ago has come so far so fast.
And they don't expect the game against Paris to be their last game of this extraordinary season.
ADAMS: Most bluntly I would say with our fearless mentality, you know. We go into games thinking that we can win games. And, you know, with that
philosophy, with that game plan, when we execute, we know that we're a dangerous team.
You know, each and every game, we are confident in our abilities. And I think that speaks on the edge of things. Sometimes, when you lack
experience, you are sometimes a bit more naive going into these big games but in a sense that can help you and benefit you in a way.
So, for a lot of these young players and, you know, myself, we'll be going to these games just guns blazing.
RIDDELL: Guns blazing and trail blazing. That's the Leipzig way. The global pandemic means that nothing has been normal this season. So it would hardly
be out of place for a young team with an American star to go all the way in Europe's top competition.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIDDELL: Yes, the way this year and this season is going anything really could happen. Hala, back to you.
GORANI: All right, Don. Thanks very much. I'll be back after a short break. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
END
