Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

NATO Wraps up Historic Summit after Bolstering Forces; Knesset Votes to Dissovle, Yair Lapid Named Caretaker PM; Ketanji Brown Jackson to be Sworn in; Biden: Won't Specifically Press Saudis on Oil Production; Family of Jailed Egyptian Activist Fear for his Safety; SpaceX Launches Broadcast TV Satellite into Orbit. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 30, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, Abu Dhabi. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: The world is more dangerous and unpredictable and it can get worse. That message from NATO Chief Jens

Stoltenberg, he was referring, of course to the specter of an escalation in the war being waged by Russia, which NATO calls its most direct threat on

Ukraine.

Stoltenberg spoke at the end of what has been a landmark NATO Summit and what a difference those two days have made. The alliance responding to the

invasion by getting bigger and adding muscle along its eastern flank before heading back home, the U.S. President Joe Biden reassured Kyiv that its

allies are in it for the long haul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to stick with Ukraine and all of the allies who stick with Ukraine as long as it

takes to in fact make sure that they are not defeated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, this as Ukraine claims a win; Russian forces left Snake Island in the Black Sea after Ukrainian strikes. Russia had captured that

island early in the war. Well, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz tracking developments in the war on the ground in Ukraine. CNN's Clarissa Ward has been following

developments in Madrid.

Let's start with you, Clarissa, this has been described by those in attendance as hugely consequential as you reflect on what has been

achieved, what's your assessment?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's fair to say, Becky, that it's been a pretty extraordinary few days,

particularly when you think back to President Macron, just a few years ago, talking about NATO essentially being brain dead. And there was this feeling

that the alliance was really struggling to kind of find its footing and find its purpose.

But now what we see is a NATO that is more robust, more well funded, more sophisticated weaponry more united than ever before. So all these leaders

have come together here in lockstep and made very precise declarations about how they intend to continue to support Ukraine?

You heard President Biden earlier on saying, as long as it takes, that's how long the U.S. will continue to try to support President Zelenskyy. And

that means, you know, whatever it takes as well, essentially, in terms of weaponry, and we know that all of these leaders do have issues sometimes

trying to take that rhetoric and turn it into reality back home, where they are confronted with, you know, convoluted domestic agendas with voters who

are feeling the pain at the pump, who are feeling the pain of soaring inflation and rising food prices.

And so the key now, I think going forward, will be to see how successfully these leaders are able to ensure that their own voters and constituents are

as committed to this path as they are, again, President Biden, not only did he say we'd stay in it as long as it takes, but when he was asked about how

the war should end, or would end he said, listen, it's not for me to say that.

But we want to ensure that it does not end with a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin. And whether he meant that intentionally or not,

the association that comes with it or the sort of the implementation of it, is that you are going to be committed potentially for a very long time to

ensuring that this battle continues successfully and that Russia is not able to claim a victory and that potentially has significant ramifications.

So it does feel like a historic day. However, significant challenges remain Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Not least when we consider what is going on, on the ground, of course, thank you as the NATO Summit then winds up with

commitments to stay focused Salma on support for Ukraine. What is the picture on the ground at this point?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, Becky on the ground Ukrainian forces say, of course, that President Putin is using quite brutal strategies to

put them on the back foot. They say that his army is intentionally targeting some civilians that are why Ukrainian forces often have to pull

back from some areas.

[11:05:00]

ABDELAZIZ: One of those key accusations came after the mall attack in Kremenchuk. Of course we saw on Monday this massive missile strike on a

civilian area and just two hours after that attack, Becky, investigators prosecutors were on the ground preparing to they say to prove that Russia

was committing yet another war crime. Take a look at what we found at the scene. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): This surveillance footage shows Russian anti-ship cruise missiles capable of carrying a 2200 pound warhead, hitting the Mall

in Kremenchuk, and this is the devastating aftermath the complex completely obliterated in a city far from the battlefield.

The Kremlin says it is not to blame for what happened here. It claims Russian warplanes struck a hanger packed with U.S. and European supplied

weapons and that those Western weapons detonated afterwards causing this fire.

The Chief Prosecutor of this region Anton says he's collecting evidence to prove Moscow is lying, and that it intentionally targeted innocence. We're

investigating the site of the blast he says we have removed fragments of the rocket and we will examine its trajectory.

Only two hours after the strike - and his team started their work. We created a group of investigators that includes the police and the security

service, he says and we as prosecutors coordinate their activities.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): There are two operations happening simultaneously here emergency workers clearing the rubble and trying to find the bodies of

the missing at the same time Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors collecting evidence for what they say are Russian war crimes.

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): He took us to the site of the second missile strike the plant where the Kremlin claims Western weapons were stored. But Ukraine

says this is a road machinery factory civilian infrastructure. There are no bullet holes from other shells in the walls around us, which would indicate

that no and munitions exploded he tells me.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Is there any military infrastructure anywhere in this area?

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Another claim from Russia's Defense Ministry is that the shopping center was non-functioning. But President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy says about 1000 people were inside that day among them was this survivor. I live near the mall and I come here almost every day she says

it's always packed with people. And I remember all those faces.

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): When you look at that mall now and I know this is your first time back. What do you think about what happens? I feel dread

and fear she says no Ukrainian is safe now. We're in the crossfire at any moment any of us can die.

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Ukraine hopes to one day take its case to The Hague, but bringing alleged Russian perpetrators before the court is a tall

order.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Now what happened at that mall in Kremenchuk that horrific attack is really a continuation of a tactic that we've witnessed over the

last few days, Becky, which is that as President Putin was - as U.S. President Biden rather was attending these two major summits, the G7 and

NATO as world leaders were gathering to discuss what to do about Ukraine Moscow was escalating its attacks on this country firing dozens of rockets

by air land in sea among them of course, they are on that mall.

So you get this clear sense this clear message as you heard from that survivor there, that nowhere in Ukraine is safe, Becky.

ANDERSON: Salma Abdelaziz is in Kyiv in Ukraine thank you. Well, China hitting back after being called out by NATO. The alliance warned of the

challenge posed by Beijing's "Ambitions and coercive policies". Beijing says the comments are completely futile this as Chinese President Xi

Jinping in Hong Kong earlier. A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said NATO is the real challenge to world peace and the Chinese diplomat called

the alliance a Cold War remnant.

We're watching a political shakeup in Israel. Excuse me, and it means the country is facing its fifth election in less than four years. Israel's

Parliament dissolved itself earlier today ending the slow motion government collapse that has taken weeks.

In the coming hours Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will take over as Caretaker Prime Minister. CNN's Hadas Gold takes a look at what drives the former TV

host who is about to step into his country's top job?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Yair Lapid knows what it's like to be in the spotlight. Born into a prominent Israeli family he's dabbled

in it acting and screenwriting even amateur boxing and music.

[11:10:00]

GOLD (voice over): Before becoming best known as a journalist a regular presence in Israelis living rooms for nearly 20 years. In 2012, he made the

jump to politics founding a party called Yesh Atid there is a future. Staking himself out as the leader of Israel's secular center left promising

to lower housing costs and military draft exemption for the ultra-orthodox a supporter of gay rights. He also supports an independent Palestinian

state, but doesn't go as far as his left wing colleagues?

YAIR LAPID, INCOMING ISRAELI CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER: The Palestinians will understand that if they want to fulfill the dream of a sovereign

state, Jerusalem is the price they will have to pay.

GOLD (voice over): In 2013 he shocked the political establishment in his first election on the ballot, picking up 19 seats second only to then Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party.

ANSHEL PFEFFER, JOURNALIST: Yair Lapid is the quintessential product of Tel Aviv Israel's main secular city. Its main business and culture center,

center of nightlife and so on. Yair Lapid was for many years, really a pillar of the Israeli media community of Israeli entertainment and

television business.

GOLD (voice over): After a stint as Finance Minister, it was Lapid who ultimately cobbled together the coalition that would finally oust Netanyahu

after 12 years in power, but it came at a price. Naftali Bennett would serve as Prime Minister first and Lapid became Foreign Minister. In the

end, the diverse coalition made up of right leaning and left leaning parties, and the first era party to sit in a coalition only managed to last

a year.

LAPID: What we need to do today is go back to the concept of Israeli unity, not to let dark forces tear us apart from within, to remind ourselves that

we love one another love our country and that only together will we prevail.

GOLD (voice over): Now appointed Caretaker Prime Minister Lapid will have four months until Election Day to convince the Israeli public he should

keep the job Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the dissolution of the Knesset brings to an end a political experiment in which eight parties from across the Israeli spectrum tried to

find common ground after a period of what has been prolonged gridlock in the country.

Well, I'm joined now by Tzachi Hanegbi who's an Israeli Knesset Member, representing the Likud Party, he's live from Jerusalem. It's good to have

you, sir. Do you believe that that experiment has failed?

TZACHI HANEGBI, ISRAELI KENESSET MEMBER, LIKUD PARTY: Well, as you can tell, after a year, where the government loses the credibility, loses the

majority within the parliament practically loses the confidence of the people. It definitely failed. But we will have to see the results in the

new elections coming up.

ANDERSON: What does Israel need right now to move towards stability? This is five elections in four years, you will be well aware of that you'll have

been for them? I've been through them too. What is it that that needs to change at this point?

HANEGBI: Well, Bennett's government was a problematic one to begin with. It was made of eight parties and you've mentioned there was not real harmony

between them. Really the only vision of this government was to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out when the public didn't like it, because the

public want leaders that have a direction to lead the people.

So I think what we need is a new leadership that will have some kind of stability. And this is our hope that for the first time in four years, we

will have majority that will be able to unite the majority of the people in the parliament.

ANDERSON: Right. It's a public of wanted Netanyahu, your party would have been running the country this past period, but they didn't and therefore

your party couldn't form a majority. Do you anticipate a return of Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the fold? You're a member of the party

he leads, does he does he have a chance? Do you want him back?

HANEGBI: Prime Minister Netanyahu enjoys over powering the majority is going to win any primaries within the party in a landslide if somebody will

try to challenge him. And every poll shows in the last year that he's the most popular leader within the country and it's not peculiar. He is the

most senior elder statesman in the country. He led Israel for 15 years. I think he's one of the most admired leader was in the world so he's going to

have a chance now to build a new government very soon.

[11:15:00]

ANDERSON: That wasn't my question. I did ask you whether you personally thought that it was a good idea. You know, we are talking about how to get

Israel out of this cycle of instability with regard these governments in these elections. So can you just address that specific question - you've

said go on.

HANEGBI: Of course, you know, Israel is a democracy and the constituency of the liquor of my party support Netanyahu with no hesitation. And there was

an attempt by the left and by our rivals to dictate to us that if we will replace Netanyahu, maybe we will be in power.

And we said, no, we are not accepting your dictation. We have a party that elects its own leaders, the people feel that the Prime Minister Netanyahu,

the previous Prime Minister, maybe the future one is the most skillful, experienced leader, and we are not going to answer it.

Your demonstrations are eternal, your dictations. So this is democracy in its pure way. And in format, we will know whether the majority of the

people still feel that Prime Minister Netanyahu is the most relevant leader in our challenging times.

ANDERSON: The outgoing government coalition made history by being the first to include an Arab party, Israel's Arab minority, as you will know, makes

up some 20 percent of the population.

Do you envisage a new government seeing this type of reputation representation? Or was this part of what you've described as a failed

experiment?

HANEGBI: As I said before, the experience didn't succeed not because of the Arabs participation in the government, but mainly because of the fact that

it was very difficult for these government to find the common denominator to find its way because the right wing, the left wing, the secular, the

religious, all had their own agenda, all had their own future for Israel in their eyes, and it wasn't working.

And in the year, it collapsed. The Arabs are part of Israel 20 percent of our citizens are Arabs, they're part of the parliament, they must be

represented in the parliament.

But our future government will probably include only parties that share the right wing vision. And obviously, most of the Irish populations in Israel

do not really see eye to eye with us about where Israel should go.

Vis-a-vis the Palestinian issues, Iran, nuclear ambitions, and all those sorts of things are probably problematic for the majority of the Arab

constituency.

ANDERSON: U.S. President Joe Biden expected in Israel and the West Bank in a couple of weeks, he will of course, meet the caretaker Prime Minister,

Yair Lipid. How important is this visit at this time for Israel and the West Bank? And what do you believe Washington wants out of this visit?

HANEGBI: It's a very important visit, the President is coming to Israel, not a specific political party or political leader, I'm sure he's going to

meet with the Prime Minister.

Now Yair Lipid for the last five hours is the prime minister. Hopefully, he will also meet with the head of the opposition, maybe the future Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But altogether, the alliance of Israel and the United States is exceptional.

And we will deal probably with a major threat of the Iran nuclear ambitions nuclear program. This is the most problematic threat to the world and to

Israel. We are trying also to bring in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, all the Gulf states that share the same fears that we have from such

a scenario of Iran being nuclear.

And I think the leadership of President Biden in this sense, is very, very important, especially now when we don't know whether there's going to be a

new JCPOA new agreement about the future agreement with Iran's nuclear abilities.

ANDERSON: Thank you for joining us. It's good to get your perspective on this. We'll be tracking the lead up to the next election here on this show.

Thank you, sir. As well as in our meanwhile, in the Middle East newsletter and we encourage you to follow along with us by signing up to that it's

cnn.com/middle east. It's a good read, really insightful analysis on that.

It's new. We're only eight weeks into this newsletter. It's so well supported and we'd love you to do get an opportunity to see that on a

regular basis. So when "Connect the World" continues, the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on the debate about climate change with a ruling that will

limit the government's ability to fight carbon emissions.

[11:20:00]

ANDERSON: The U.S. president did score a win on immigration. We'll have more on how the Supreme Court rulings will affect the U.S. Mexico border

crisis coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: American history will be made less than an hour from now when Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first African American woman to

become a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer he is retiring after almost 28 years on the court, he will be administer the judicial oath before a small gathering of

Jackson's family. She joins the High Court after one of the most tumultuous terms in recent memory with the overturning of Roe vs. Wade amongst its

most recent rulings.

And just last hour, the court made two other significant rulings, conservative justices severely limited the Environmental Protection

Agency's power to regulate power plants.

A six to three decision will have a major impact on the Biden administration's ability to control carbon emissions and fight climate

change. The court said that unless congress specifically says that the EPA should fight climate change, the agency is not allowed to do it.

While Government Regulation Correspondent Rene Marsh has been studying this decision, one of two extremely important ones handed down today just how

severely will or could this affect Mr. Biden's climate agenda.

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Becky it will not only affect his agenda, but it will affect people's everyday

lives. I mean, this Supreme Court ruling in favor of coal power plants, it was a proverbial grenade it blows up Biden's climate agenda.

And his agenda and goals include cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by the end of the decade. But this really makes it extremely

difficult, at least impossible at most for him to achieve those goals.

Now, power plants we know are the second largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. We know that emissions, they are warming the planet they're

causing climate change.

And today the Supreme Court took away one of the agency's most effective tools in drastically curbing those carbon emissions. And the court is

saying today that that authority belongs to congress.

But the reality is Becky handing that sort of authority to a congress that we have seen is broken where Biden's climate agenda which is quite

aggressive remain stalled.

[11:25:00]

MARSH: It really is the equivalent of saying; we're going to deregulate this power sector, because we have seen in real time that there is no

political consensus to act aggressively when it comes to curbing these global warming emissions.

I will say this is a good day for coal producing states. Good news and welcome news for them. The industry has been on the decline, but this

ruling certainly is a win for those states.

And of course, Becky, this is all happening in the context of heat waves, mega droughts, and wildfires and flooding not just here in the U.S., but

worldwide.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. Thank you. Well, in the other ruling the U.S. Supreme Court allowing President Joe Biden to end the controversial Trump era

remain in Mexico immigration policy.

Now this ruling comes just days after dozens of migrants are found in the back of an abandoned tractor trailer in Texas. 53 of them died, a horrific

tragedy shining light on the real impact of what is that U.S. Mexico border crisis.

The remaining Mexico policy allowed the U.S. to send certain non-Mexican citizens to Mexico. After entering the U.S. under the policy thousands of

migrants are forced to wait in Mexico while their asylum claims got processed in U.S. courts.

Well, CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is live in Hidalgo in Texas on the border with Mexico. How will what will the effect of this ruling be? How will it

affect those who are seeking a better life?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, it's not immediately clear how quickly this decision will go into effect because there still are

additional proceedings that have to play out. But the bottom line here is that the administration has the green light to end this policy, which means

potentially a return to the way it was before 2019 migrants who are seeking asylum can seek asylum at the U.S. Mexico border.

And either is released into the United States as they go through their immigration court proceedings or be detained. But all that's still in the

U.S. this policy under the Trump Administration had been in unprecedented approach by sending migrants back to Mexico until their U.S. immigration

court date.

I have received multiple messages from immigration attorneys and advocates just within the last hour celebrating this decision and saying that it will

now give asylum seekers the opportunity that these attorneys say they deserve from the beginning.

ANDERSON: Thank you. Well, ahead on the show, the family of one of Egypt's leading activists jailed in Cairo fears for his safety, why Alaa Abd El-

Fattah was as been waging a hunger strike for over three months and the international calls for his release. That's after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ANDERSON: NATO leaders are wrapping up what's been an historic summit in Madrid that seeing the alliance expand and refocus to meet threat posed by

Russia. They've also addressed efforts to end reliance on Russian energy.

U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to visit Saudi Arabia in a couple of weeks today. He was asked if he'll push the Saudis to ramp up oil

production. This was his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: No, I'm not going to ask him. And I ask there are all the Gulf States - I've indicated to them that I thought they should be increasing

oil production generically not to the Saudis, particularly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Meantime, NATO Secretary General spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour; he explained why he considers the summit a success.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: It is a victory for NATO that we once again have demonstrated our unity and our ability to change, adapt

when the world is changing. Now we live in a more dangerous world, and therefore we need a stronger and more even more united NATO. And that's

exactly what this summit has delivered.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Do you believe because you know, up until now, it's been a threat and a promise that if one square

inch of NATO territory was challenged by Putin or anybody else, that there would be a swift reaction. Do you believe that NATO countries are much

safer now than they were before this summit?

STOLTENBERG: They are safer in the more dangerous world. Because we live in a world where we see brutal use of force against closer neighbor or NATO, a

close partner of NATO Ukraine and that's reason why we have significantly stepped up and further will step up our presence in the eastern part of the

alliance to remove any room for miscalculation, or misunderstanding in Moscow, about our readiness to protect and defend all allies.

This is deterrence and the purpose of deterrence is to prevent conflict. And that's exactly what NATO has done for more than seven years, prevent

conflict and preserve peace.

(END VIDEOTAPAE)

ANDERSON: And you can see Christiane's full interview with the Secretary General later today 1 pm, New York time that is 9 pm if you're watching

here in Abu Dhabi, or that the times that you'll work out locally, wherever you are watching.

Well, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And more than 7 million people need shelter, and

emergency relief after weeks of floods in Bangladesh.

Hundreds of thousands of homes are underwater near the Indian border in the worst hit areas, entire neighborhoods are submerged. More than 200 people

have died in Bangladesh and in India since those floods began in April.

Indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Doha ended yesterday with no progress made according to a senior Biden Administration official.

Discussions mediated by the EU sought to resolve differences between Iran and the U.S. over rejoining the 2015 nuclear deal.

11 years after the Egyptian uprising, some are still paying a steeper price. Alaa Abd El-Fattah is one of the country's best known activists. But

he has spent years behind bars and has since drawn attention to the country's brutal prison conditions. In protests, he's been on hunger strike

for more than three months and his family is deeply concerned about him. Yesterday his sister tweeted, we did not get our weekly letter from Allah

today. We did not get a letter.

His letters are the only proof of life we get as a family while dealing with a regime that has been breaking the law and spreading lays about us

and Allah every step of the way for years. Well, CNN's Nada Bashir has more on the dire struggle he and his family are facing all these years later.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice over): Almost eight years behind bars, and now nearly 100 days on hunger strike, British Egyptian activists Alaa Abd

El-Fattah is still languishing in a Cairo prison. The pro-democracy blogger became a leading opposition voice during protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square

in 2011.

His sister Mona tells me his detention is part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Egypt.

MONA SEIF, EGYPTIAN ACTIVIST AND SISTER OF ALAA ABD EL-FATTAH: Ever since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power, he has been very keen on setting an

example of a few profiles of activists and journalists and certain lawyers and human rights defenders.

BASHIR (voice over): Since President al-Sisi came to power in 2014; Alaa has spent most of his days in prison. And in 2019 he was re-arrested and

later sentenced to a further five years behind bars for allegedly spreading false news after he shared a Facebook post highlighting human rights abuses

in Egypt's jails.

[11:35:00]

BASHIR (voice over): It's a charge laid against many political prisoners in Egypt, and one which would see Alaa placed in Cairo's notorious tour prison

for two and a half years.

SEIF: They stripped him off his clothes. They left him in his underwear, they were blindfolded him, and he was beaten up as he entered the prison

several times, and he was told that he never make it out of here.

BASHIR (voice over): According to Human Rights Watch, Egypt is facing one of its worst human rights crises in many decades, with tens of thousands of

government critics currently in detention.

In a recent appeal to EU leaders, the organization warned that torture and extrajudicial killings and custody have become endemic, with detainees

allegedly facing routine beatings, electric shocks, and even rape.

BASHIR (on camera): Despite well documented human rights abuses, the British government has continued to strengthen its ties with Egypt for a

multibillion dollar trade deal to cooperation on defense and security.

But after weeks of campaigning ballots, family and supporters, Britain's Foreign Secretary says she will finally raise Alaa's case with her Egyptian

counterpart.

LIZ TRUSS, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We are working very hard to secure his release. Lord Ahmed has met with the family and I am seeking a meeting

with the Egyptian foreign minister.

BASHIR (voice over): But Alaa's sister who was also now on hunger strike, fears that government action may come too late.

SEIF: The Egyptian authorities have managed to push Alaa to a dark place that he's never been to before. Last visit, he was kind of shouting at us

that we should snap out of the notion that we'll be able to save him. And what we can do is make the political price of his death higher.

BASHIR (voice over): As weeks go by there is a growing sense of despair. One that is all too familiar to Richard Ratcliffe. He campaigned for the

freedom of his wife Nazanin for nearly six years before the British government was finally able to negotiate her release from detention in Iran

earlier this year.

RICHARD RATCLIFFE, CAMPAIGNER: There's a kind of desperation. It's not as if there's a clear plan of what you want the government to do. You just

want the government to use its powers and to get your loved one home.

BASHIR (voice over): CNN has reached out to Egypt Foreign Ministry for comment on our last case, but has yet to receive a response. Alaa's hunger

strike, meanwhile, edges closer and closer into life threatening territory.

And pressure is mounting on the British government not only to secure his freedom, but to take tougher action against President al Sisi's regime.

Nada Bashir, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, joining me now is one of the many people calling for Western governments to use their powers to pressure Egypt over this case;

professor of modern Arab Studies at Cambridge University is one of them Khaled Fahmy thank you for joining us.

You've met Alaa twice, once socially and once politically as I understand it. A couple of months ago, the Egyptian government released some political

detainees but not Alaa. What do you believe the government's intentions are? And why is it that he languishes in now, obviously a very, very, very

frightening position.

KHALED FAHMY, PROFESSOR OF MODERN ARAB STUDIES, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY: Well, the situation Egypt is very tense, Alaa is one of thousands and thousands

of political prisoners, and the government, I think, is feeling or anticipating some serious economic pressures.

As a result of the war in the Ukraine, there will be a serious shortage of food in Egypt. And they expect the hike in prices, big, big inflation, and

as a result, they want to ease the tension a bit.

So they want to, they started releasing some political prisoners. But we're talking about tens of thousands of other political prisoners and the most

prominent of Alaa Fattah.

So it was a safety while they're trying to get some steam off in anticipation of serious economic problems ahead.

ANDERSON: What do you think it will take to secure his release?

FAHMY: I think right now, the only hope we have is Western governments because the regional governments that could put pressure on the Egyptian

Government is not forthcoming, or Egypt has very strong relations with Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.

And as far as domestic pressure is concerned, cc has all but quelled all sources of local opposition. So it remains to Western governments to put

pressure on the Egyptian government not only because of Alaa - but because we've seen with someone like Putin what happens when the West turns a blind

eye to these dictators who have no belief in the rule of law in democracy.

[11:40:00]

FAHMY: And when these governments privilege security and stability, it becomes disasters. This has privileging security and stability on the short

run, when on the long run, what we're seeing are festering wounds that and problems that are bound to erupt. And this is not good for Egypt, but it's

also not good for the West.

ANDERSON: The circumstances that you describe the high inflation high, you know, the impact of the war in Ukraine on the price of bread, I mean, these

things are, you know, are familiar to many, you know, this region, back in 2010, of course, it was, you know, some of the same sparks that really

fueled the, the uprisings across the regions. You do know, Alaa, as a person, what's he like?

FAHMY: He's very charismatic. He's very original, his call. And he speaks with a deep sense of conviction and self-confidence. I think he's one of

the most original thinkers of his generation, not only in Egypt, but in the Arab world.

He's someone with very, very strong, deep convictions of believes in human rights and human dignity, but also in human value, and in the capacity of

Egyptians, Egyptian citizens to actually own their own country and rule it.

His ideas about the problems that Egypt are passing through, and the whole region, and the way out of it, are, in my mind, honestly, far, far ahead of

anything we see, by any ruler, and definitely by anyone in the Egyptian government.

And I think therein lies really the danger that the government feels about him because he's charismatic, he is original. He has a way of touching what

really people feel, and articulating it in a very convincing manner.

ANDERSON: He is a jaw British Egyptian citizen and the British Foreign Minister Liz Truss has promised to pursue his case. Do you believe that

pressure from the British government will be successful?

FAHMY: I think it can be Egyptian government pays a lot of attention to the west, to Europe, to the United States and maybe the strongest economic

links are not with the UK, but the UK counts a lot.

And if it's precious - from the British Prime Minister from the British Foreign Minister, that goes a long way, and I hope that the British will be

joined by other European governments who are sadly in cahoots with this criminal regime.

They sell weapons, they sell money and basically they lend Egypt enormous amounts of money that do not go for the benefit of the Egyptian Government,

the Egyptian people. So I think if the British are joined by the U.S. and also by other European powers, then this can go a long way to releasing

Alaa soon because time is obvious.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. Thank you, sir. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

ANDERSON: Well, throughout this week our series "Call to Earth" is looking to how to sustain nature's highways these ancient pathways and animals use

to get around. Well today, we take a look at the Mesoamerican reef corridor that's the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, which marine

animals like sharks use natural GPS consider it that way. Sharks may be terrified, but it will see only protection as they migrate along the coast

of Belize. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL GRAHAM, FOUNDER, MARALLIANCE: Sharks really do have a bad rap, I have to say and this is one of the things that we absolutely love to

dispel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rachel Graham loves sharks; she spent her life defending these ferocious predators.

GRAHAM: What we're seeing is a highly threatened set of species that takes so long to mature. They don't usually have many young, and they're so

critical to the health of our oceans, primarily because they help regulate a range of other species that they feed on, so they keep their populations

in check.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Researchers estimate that while sharks killed 10 or fewer humans a year worldwide, humans are killing 100 million sharks in the

same time, primarily for consumption in shark fin soup, a dish popular in China and Southeast Asia.

GRAHAM: The primary threat to sharks is unquestionably overfishing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the lighthouse at all 50 miles east of the coast of Belize, Graham is conducting a shark population census. But rather than

acting in opposition with the local fishing community, she likes to bring them on board.

GRAHAM: They are the ones who are on the sea every single day. They have PHDs of the sea, and they are also the ones who are going to decide the

long term fate of sharks. So if you do not engage, you would not be on the same page.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Graham is working with fishers to tag sharks as a method of gauging population levels and the Mesoamerican reef, an important

corridor for migrating animals.

GRAHAM: The reef itself almost creates a barrier which creates a highway for animals to guide and navigate by.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But when they're traveling species are at their most vulnerable.

GRAHAM: Because they're predictable in their migratory nature and they get intercepted as they move from site one to site two.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Together they've learned that more sharks in the ocean means there's more varieties of all fish available, which benefits the

daily catch, and also brings opportunities for eco-tourism to the region.

IVAN TORRES, FISHER ASSOCIATE: To all my fellow fishermen, I want to give you this message. Conserve sharks because in the future sharks can provide

us with an income not being dead, or by fishing them, but being alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The adaptations made by fishing communities have paid off, along with a breakthrough piece of legislation.

GRAHAM: It's the first nation that has entirely van net in its marine waters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Belize outlawed gillnets of fishing gear that kills many large marine animals. GRAHAM: What we're seeing now is nothing less than

miraculous. We are seeing a comeback of shark's lighthouse; we've seen a 300 percent increase in sharks. My vision for this reef is that every time

I roll over backwards from a boat, in order to dive or snorkel, I'm going to at least see one shark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While this doesn't sound like everyone's idea of a good time, Graham promises it will be worth it.

GRAHAM: If we reverse the decline in sharks, I can tell you that mean we'll be reversing the decline in a range of other species that tend to be

associated with sharks and their critical habitats. So it's a win, win strategy for everybody across the board.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:50:00]

ANDERSON: What you're doing to answer the call with the #calltoearth. You're watching "Connect the World", I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, once an R&B music superstar disgraced singer R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. His accusers are praising the judge's

sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOVANTE CUNNINGHAM, R. KELLY ACCUSER: I started this journey 30 years ago; I was 14 years old when I encountered Robert Sylvester Kelly. There wasn't

a day in my life. Up until this moment that I actually believed that the judicial system will come through for black and brown girls. 30 years did

he do this and 30 years is what he got.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, last year, the singer was convicted of multiple charges including federal racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child violating

sexual trafficking laws and more. CNN's Jean Casarez breaks down what happened at that sentencing.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: R. Kelly was emotionless in that courtroom right before the judge announced the sentence. Survivors actually held

hands at that moment before it was announced.

The judge said that what R. Kelly had gone through during his childhood, she had taken that into consideration. But she said it is not an excuse for

what he did. She sentenced him then to 30 years.

And she said this is about violence, cruelty and control. Now R. Kelly could have addressed the court but he didn't and his attorney said because

we have other litigations in federal court, he's not going to be saying anything. And the judge said finally, you left in your wake a trail of

broken lives. Now victims gave victim impact statements seven altogether. One of them said I was victimized 23 years ago.

And as these years went on, I kept saying why is nothing being done? And then she turned to R. Kelly and said; now you will know what it's like to

not have your freedom. The defense says that they will be appealing this verdict. And as far as where R. Kelly goes from here, it is all up to the

Bureau of Prisons. But there is another federal prosecution involving many things including child pornography, set for August in the Chicago area so

the Bureau of Prisons may send him to a prison in that vicinity. Jean Casarez CNN, New York.

ANDERSON: Well, in tonight's parting shots, a stellar mission for SpaceX and broadcast TV, have a look at this. Well, Elon Musk's spacecraft company

enjoyed a successful launch on Wednesday as it sent a broadcast TV satellite into orbit. Telecoms Company SCS owns a satellite and says it

will help deliver TV and radio to millions of American homes and China's miles probe also delivering the goods sharing world its pictures after

photographing the entire Red Planet.

[11:55:00]

ANDERSON: Beijing says its Tianwen-1 spacecraft, which means "Quest for Heavenly Truth" has spent more than a year gathering these pictures of the

dusty red dunes impact craters and one of the largest canyons in our solar system. How about that? This is China's first homegrown Mars mission. Well,

thank you for joining us. "One World" with Zain Asher is up next. Have a good night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END