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Connect the World
Russia: Minor Damage after Drones Fired at Moscow; Iran Resumes Executing Protests; Human Rights Groups: Tehran Resumes Executing Protesters; Darfur Governor calls on Citizens to take up Arms; Saudi Arabia Announces New Special Economic Zones in Hunt for Foreign Direct Investment; China Sends New Crew to Space Station, Including a Civilian. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired May 30, 2023 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this hour Russia's President responding for the first time to drone attacks against Moscow. He
is pointing the finger squarely at Ukraine, calling the strikes, intimidation and terrorism. While Ukraine denies it was directly involved,
all in Washington, complaints coming from both major parties over a debt limit compromise.
But lawmakers are under pressure to approve that in the coming days. All face what could be a catastrophic default. We now know at least 30 NATO
peacekeepers were injured in clashes in Northern Kosovo, Monday at NATO for saying they were attacked by "increasingly aggressive crowds".
And Sudan's warring factions extending the humanitarian ceasefire while UNICEF sounds the alarm more than 13 million children there are in need of
life saving aid. And China sends fresh crude with Space Station calling the mission a complete success.
For Ukraine's capital, it's part of a deadly pattern for Russia's capital. It is unprecedented. Both Kyiv and Moscow targeted by drones earlier today,
and it was the third attacking Kyiv in just 24 hours and the 17th this month, Ukraine says it shot down almost all of the 31 drones, one person
sadly killed by the debris.
Moscow meanwhile, is reporting an attack deep inside the city. Officials say all eight drones were destroyed causing only minor injuries. Russia
blames Ukraine which says it wasn't directly involved. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen his inky with more on both of today's strikes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It was a pretty tough night here for the citizens of the Ukrainian capital
Kyiv for several hours. We had Shahed drones flying overhead, while at the same time, Ukrainian air defenses were frantically trying to shoot them
down. I met one of the places that sustained some pretty heavy damage.
If we look over here, we can see that there's still a lot of debris lying around in front of this house. And if we pan up, you can see that the top
floors of this building have been substantially damaged. And this is also the place where the authorities here in Kyiv say a 33 year old woman was
killed while she was inside her apartments.
Now, at the same time, the authorities here in Ukraine are saying they believe that their air defenses were actually once again, very effective.
They say they managed to shoot down most of the Shahed drones. And also, the hit that happened on this building here was apparently a drone that was
shot down.
And then fragments, obviously including the warhead hit this very building. At the same time, we do have that situation that unfolded in the early
morning hours in the Russian capital of Moscow where the first step for the first time since the war in Ukraine began. They were attacked they say by
drones, they blame the Ukrainians.
The Ukrainians are saying that it wasn't then, however, the Russian Military saying they managed to take down all of those drones eight in
total, they say three by electronic countermeasures, essentially bringing them off course. But they also said that they had to activate their own air
defense systems and use missiles to shoot down five of those drones. Fred Pleitgen CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the Ukrainian parliament approving a sanctions package against Iran. Russian ally accuses of sending weapons to Moscow. This comes
after Russia has been launching attacks using Iran manufactured Shahed drones on that Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, as Fred reported there.
Well, CNN's Military Analyst Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark is also NATO's Former Supreme Allied Commander and the Founder of Renew America
Together. He joins me from Little Rock in Arkansas. Sir, it's good to have you with us. Thank you.
Let's start with these drones five residential areas of Moscow. General this is something we have not seen before in this war, Russia accusing
Ukraine of responsibility and Vladimir Putin says that Kyiv chose the path of intimidation, his words with these attacks. What do you make of that?
And what we have seen in Moscow earlier?
[11:05:00]
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Mr. Putin has been attacking the civilian population of Ukraine For over a year now and
we know that in the Russian psyche, this is a demonstration of Russian power, the power to hurt, the power to punish. And this is what they want
to convey to the people of Ukraine, we can hurt you, we're going to hurt you.
By the Western concepts of workforce will go after military forces. And that's what international law says. But Russia believes that they can win
this war by punishing and hurting people. So now Ukraine is or somebody has developed the ability to bring some of that hurt or risk leads back to
Moscow. That's pretty natural.
ANDERSON: Yes, Ukraine, of course, denying any, and I quote here, "direct involvement". I don't want to call this tit for tat because that, you know,
obviously talking to what you've just been suggesting, I mean, you know, Ukraine being absolutely battered by Russian attack now for, what, 14, 15
months.
But do you see this as a frightening escalation? If indeed, there is any Ukrainian involvement in these attacks on Moscow?
CLARK: I think it is going to increase. If you look at the pattern of warfare in World War Two, for example, a Nazi Germany bombed London. Well,
at the time, the British didn't have the means to attack Berlin, but they soon developed it. And so the war was marked by a lot of attacks against
civilian population centers.
Now, what we've tried to say since then is this is all illegal. It's all against international law. But Russia is doing this, and they can crush the
will of the Ukrainian people to resist. So we know that Putin is protecting the Russian population in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
We know that they're not being drafted. They're being protected from the cost of war. So whether Ukraine admits it or not, it's sort of a normal
thing that they would think about someone would think about bringing their cost of war home to Moscow.
ANDERSON: General, we have seen the ratcheting up of attacks on Ukraine, particularly on the capital of Kyiv. This week with these Iranian Shahed
drones, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he now has a date for starting, what is this widely anticipated counter offensive? What's your take on what you
have heard from the Ukrainian President at this point?
CLARK: Well, I think Ukraine doesn't have to announce the start of the counter offensive. If they're doing that it's for psychological purposes,
maybe to frighten Putin, maybe to reassure the West. But the drone attacks are being escalated because this seems this feels to Mr. Putin, like his
most effective response.
He still believes he can crush the spirit of resistance in Ukraine by attacking people. And secondarily, maybe there's a military purpose and
having the Ukrainians expand their arsenal of anti-drone munitions, so that later on they won't be able to protect themselves or protect the counter
offensive.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you sir, strained time.
CLARK: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Difficult times, to escalating tensions in Kosovo now. Something General will be keeping a keen eye on I know, NATO says 30 of its
peacekeepers were injured on Monday in clashes with Serb protesters in Northern Kosovo. It's now sending in more peacekeeping troops known as KFOR
to ensure that they have the capabilities to maintain security.
The Italian defense ministry says protesters threw Molotov cocktails and other objects at KFOR during the clashes. Serbia's Defense Minister however
has a very different view of events. He says many protesters were injured and accused KFOR of using flash grenades and the peaceful protesters
decided to disperse. CNN's Scott McLean, joining us from London, Scott, what do we know at this point?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Yes, you have to understand the context to all of this. Of course, Kosovo is a part of the world which
declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. That independence has been recognized around the world but obviously not by Serbia itself.
Now, the vast majority of people who live in Kosovo are ethnic Albanians, with the exception of a handful of municipalities mostly in the northern
part of Kosovo, where its majority Serb. 10 years ago, there was an agreement brokered and one that was discussed and agreed upon even earlier
this year, which was supposed to give these municipalities sort of a semi- autonomous status in the region.
[11:10:00]
But it was never actually fully acted on and implemented. And so in April when local elections came around, ethnic Serbs in those municipalities
boycotted the vote, the voter turnout was in single digits. And so what they ended up with was ethnic Albanian Mayors which last week, protesters
tried to prevent from even getting inside the town halls.
Things that escalated yesterday with conflicting reports from the Serbian defense and obviously from NATO and from the Italians as well, which had a
number of their forces as part of the NATO peacekeeping mission, actually injured with trauma wounds, broken bones and burns because of the explosion
of these incendiary devices.
You can see in this video that people are trying to push forward against those riot police, those peacekeeping forces there. I want to show you
another one that one of those explosions actually goes off listen.
Yes, you can hear the sound of those explosions there. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, actually canceled a planned trip today to meet with
Foreign Ambassadors over this, among them, the U.S. Ambassador and a handful of European countries, also the Russian Ambassador and the Chinese
Ambassador as well.
And we've just got to read out from that call, where are we that meeting, I should say where he described concern for the "survival and security of the
Serbs in Kosovo". If you're wondering, by the way, the Chinese Ambassador made clear that his position was fully on the sides of Serbs in protecting
what he describes as the territorial integrity of that country. But here's what President Vucic said yesterday, when describing the need to turn down
the temperature. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEKSANDAR VUCIC, SERBIAN PRESIDENT: I'm urging the Serbs in Kosovo not to get into a conflict with NATO. Not because I'm afraid, or because any of us
are afraid. None of us personally have anything to lose. But because that's what Kosovo's Prime Minister wants most.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: Now, Albin Kurti, the Kosovo Prime Minister called what happened yesterday, fascist violence. He also called on this agreement, which was at
least agreed in principle earlier this year to be implemented, which would have put in some of these autonomous regions, these semi-autonomous
municipalities obviously, that has not happened yet.
And the reality is that there are a lot of pressures for both the Serbian President and also for the Kosovo Prime Minister from their own
constituencies at home. So it's one thing to call for peace on the international stage to another one to convince your own people to actually
go ahead with it because that agreement, while hailed internationally as progress, Becky, is not so popular in Kosovo itself, nor is that all that
popular in Serbia either.
ANDERSON: Yes, Scott, the context for this is really important. Thank you for your reporting. We're coming up next on "Connect the World" with me
Becky Anderson, Iran resumes is brutal practice of executing protesters. I'm going to speak to a prominent Human Rights Researcher to get their take
on what we are seeing at present.
And the Founder of the startup Theranos is set to begin her 11 year prison sentence today for defrauding investors. A live report from outside the
prison is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: This week, Iran is prosecuting two journalists who reported on the death of Mahsa Amini, the young woman who died in police custody back
in September. It was her death that sparked months of massive anti- government protests. Well, Iranian intelligence agents accused the two women journalists of and here colluding with "hostile powers" charges that
could carry the death penalty.
The first trial session for one of the journalists was held on Monday in Tehran behind closed doors the others began on Tuesday, while the protests
in Iran have quieted or authorities not giving an inch to anyone showing dissent. Human rights groups say the government has begun executing
protesters once again. My colleague Salma Abdelaziz has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Outside of jail near Tehran, families of prisoners gathered chant do not hang them. There please come as Iran resumes the
execution of protesters after a month's long hiatus. The brutal practice restarted this month with the hanging of three young men accused of killing
three members of the Security Forces during anti-government protests in November.
The news sparked more demonstrations. But activist and human rights groups say the allegations against the Trio are baseless. Majid Kazemi was forced
to watch video of interrogators torturing his brother, and he was subjected to at least 15 mock executions according to Amnesty International.
And an audio no obtained by the organization he maintained his innocence. CNN cannot independently verify the clip. They kept beating me and ordering
me to say this weapon is mine. He says, I told them, I would say whatever they wanted, just please leave my family alone.
Before his execution, the family of 36 year old Saleh Mirhashemi, a karate coach from Isfahan tried to draw attention to his plight. This picture of
his father spread on social media, my son is innocent, the sign reads. But to no avail. Activists shared this heartbreaking video, they say
Mirhashemi's dad hugging his picture as he lay by his son's grave.
Iran has not responded to CNN's request for common. The total number of demonstrators known to have been executed since last year now stands at
seven according to CNN reporting, and more executions are likely eminent. Over 100 protesters have been sentenced to death or facing charges
punishable by death says this human rights activist.
MAHMOOD AMIRY-MOGHADDAM, DIRECTOR OF IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS NGO: When authorities fear protests or right after protests number of executions go
up. The aim is to create fear in the society to prevent more protests.
ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Do you expect that the number of executions is going to rise even more this year?
AMIRY-MOGHADDAM: It is rising already unless the international community that takes a wrong move against these executions. We might be facing a very
large number of executions in the coming months.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Rights groups say that Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 22 year old protester with a mental health issue could be one of the next
victims of Iran's execution machine. Activists are ringing the alarm they say yet another Iranian faces death just for daring to speak out. Salma
Abdelaziz CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Will we see the summer months approach. Will we see a renewed protest movement or will these executions have a chilling effect -- joined
by -- who is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Middle East and global order? Her writing focuses on freedom of expression in Iran or perhaps lack
thereof is where you are concentrating on.
[11:20:00]
Azadeh, I wonder what do you believe is behind the resumption of these executions?
AZADEH POURZAND, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER: Yes, thank you for having me. Well, as I think the Islamic Republic of Iran
is a regime that has now for over four decades tested the effect of executions on the general public and is by experience of the belief that,
it can effectively use the death penalty executions, as a way to instill fear and as an intimidation technique.
It has quickly used it in particular in, in ethnic minority areas of Iran, for example, in the Kurdish areas, or the Baluch areas that have a
disproportionate share of the executions every year. And I think at this point, whether we are looking at protests related executions, or non-
protest related executions that have also spiked.
In my opinion, they are both serving the purpose, same purpose, which is for the regime, hoping that it would be an effective intimidation
technique, essentially, to prevent and disperse any further protests and uprisings that would be essentially the continuation that we saw in the
past year.
ANDERSON: So what did you make of the international community's response in the immediate aftermath of Mahsa's death and of the original spate of
executions? And what more do you think needs to be done at this point?
POURZAND: Yes, you see, I think it's, you know, the Iran case is a complicated case. Because if you look at the, you know, you look at it day
by day, you know, you'll see that the international community, the West has, you know, done things like joint statements.
You see, you know, Iran's violations of human rights, and in particular, the death penalty coming up at the U.N. You see various mechanisms at play
in peaceful ways in order to push Iran to be a responsible, more responsible player on an international stage. However, at the same time, I
think that this regime is not showing that it is correctable it is re- formable, it's deeply unaccountable.
And the culture of essentially, lack of accountability is what continues. So in my opinion, we basically have to the international community has to
be a much more robust and, and more much more towards holding the Islamic Republic accountable holding the individuals and the entities involved in
basically what is arbitrary deprivation of, of life in this case, I'm gross violations of human rights accountable here.
We are talking about the regime that has over and over that is not going to reform itself, unless it truly faces punitive measures by the International
judiciary means in my opinion.
ANDERSON: Yes. Very, very, very difficult to, to really sort of ring fence what it is that the international community can do at this point. But you,
you made a very good stab at it there. Look, we've seen a wide variety of activism in the Iranian diaspora community.
And we have reported on much of it, from the outset of this back in September. At the Cannes Film Festival, and Iranian model wore a dress with
a noose to bring attention to executions in Iran. She was criticized by some as using this opportunity as a sort of attempt at self-promotion on
the red carpet. I wonder what you made of that, what you make of that sort of activism and whether you believe it genuinely helps.
POURZAND: Yes. Well, you know, I think I also have seen their criticism, I read it. And to some degree, you know, my personal feeling was also that it
was, you know, it was in a bit done in a way that at least I have not used to.
But what I want to hear highlight is the role of the Iranians abroad, the Iranian diaspora, has, in my opinion, done a magnificent job in the past
eight months, really bridging the voice of what's happening inside the country and echoing it on the international scale.
And if you're talking about at least Western democracies, you know, raising awareness among the general public, whether it's in France or in the U.S.
in the UK and so on, hopefully will basically put pressure on these governments in the West to do further and to do more in order to hold the
Islamic Republic accountable.
[11:25:00]
So while the criticisms and some cases stand like this one, in my personal opinion, I still don't want to dismiss the importance of activism. Iranian
diaspora activism and beyond everywhere on every international stage because we are talking about an extremely brutal and violent regime that is
killing children and young people day in and day out.
ANDERSON: Azadeh Pourzand with her perspective, it's very good to have you on. Thank you very much indeed for your time. Coming up this evening,
Sudan's warring factions have extended a ceasefire. But will it make any difference at all, for getting desperately needed aid into the country. I'm
going to explain just how desperate those aid needs are after this. Plus the disgraced CEO of Theranos Elizabeth Holmes starts her 11 year prison
sentence today for defrauding investors, more on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. The time here in Abu Dhabi, it's half past seven and just shove
that your headlines this hour, Russian President Vladimir Putin says that today's drone attack on Moscow is "A clear sign of terrorist activity".
This is something you do not see often smoke over the Russian capital. Eight drones fired at residential areas. Russia says they were all
destroyed with just minor injuries and damage. Well, Moscow blaming Ukraine which says it wasn't directly involved.
In Ukraine today's drone attack on Kyiv was the third in about 24 hours and the 17th this month. Ukraine says most of the drones were shot down; one
person sadly lost her life. Russia stepping up it's a tax on the capitol as Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the decision has been made on the timing of
Ukraine's counter offensive.
Well in Washington the debt limit deal faces a critical hurdle today. The powerful House Rules Committee will hold a make or break vote that could
potentially tank the Biden McCarthy deal before it even reaches the floor. Timeframe to get the bill passed through both chambers of Congress and
signed into law to avert a catastrophic develop is a in a matter of days.
[11:30:00]
Sudan's children are bearing the brunt of the conflict. They're now in its seventh week. These from UNICEF who say more than 13 million children, 13
million children are in need of life saving support right now. Well on Monday, Sudan's army forces and the paramilitary rapid support forces
agreed to extend a ceasefire for five days.
But the U.S. and Saudi mediated the agreement; say the rival factions are significantly impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. CNN Senior
International Correspondent David McKenzie joining us now from Johannesburg. David, none of these ceasefires so far have held and none of
them have stopped the fighting, which has an enormous impact on civilians, not least on children. UNICEF today, saying 30, more than 30 million kids
are affected at this point.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the scale of the loss and the damage to human life and property in Sudan is
breathtaking. And in such a short space of time, a country that was due to have a democratic transition fell apart because of the rapid support force
and the military basically trying to gain ascendancy over each other.
Now, you had the signing in Jeddah on Monday, between representatives of the two sides, promising to extend the ceasefire for another five days. But
as you say, the ceasefire, then multiple ceasefires has not been stopping the fighting in many ways.
According to eyewitnesses, the Sudan doctors Union, and the Americans and Saudis who have been broken those talks who criticized openly the sides for
the chaos in Sudan and that news coming from UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency that so many children are affected and desperately needing
lifesaving support.
They say hundreds of children have been killed in the fighting already, and many more, they believe had been maimed in the fighting as well. But many
of the hospitals in the capital Khartoum, across the country and in Darfur and the West have ceased to operate making a very heavy toll on civilians.
Here's the chief spokesperson of the U.N. agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: More children today in Sudan require lifesaving support than ever before. So we now have a staggering or
sobering 13.6 million children in Sudan who urgently require assistance. That's more than the entire population of Sweden, of Portugal over a
wonder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: But getting that aid in is extremely difficult as you already alluded to Becky. The World Food Program was able to get lifesaving support
to Khartoum, the Capitol over the weekend and half a million people. But the impact of the insecurity and the protracted looting by those forces on
both U.N. agencies, NGOs and just ordinary civilians makes it extremely difficult to get assistance to people who are displaced in Sudan or
sheltering in their homes, Becky.
ANDERSON: This is really catastrophic stuff, isn't it? Meanwhile, while the main fighting is in and around Khartoum, as you have reported on we are
seeing this violence spread. It's now reached off for David, killing dozens and it is just worth taking a step back to remind ourselves of the history
of violence there.
Violence broke out, of course in 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government feeling that Sudan's Arab population have been neglected to
government troops and the Janjaweed moved to crush the rebels and 300,000 people were killed.
The Janjaweed implicated in human rights violations and atrocities now the rapid support forces of today 2023 led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo,
known as Hemedti evolved from that Janjaweed group. What do we know about what's going on in Darfur at this point?
MCKENZIE: I have to be upfront that it's exceedingly difficult to get information out of Darfur, Becky, but we and my colleagues have been trying
substantially over the last few weeks. What we do know is that there's been substantial fighting in cities like El-Geneina, in Al Fashir, north of El-
Geneina, in the western part of Darfur also in parts of the eastern central Darfur. There has been again subsistence looting of hospitals killing of
doctors.
[11:35:00]
And in one case, at least, nearly half a dozen children killed or died because of a lack of electricity to those newborn babies in one hospital in
the eastern part of Darfur. Now that it's appears that there are civilians who have taken up arms against a different, mostly Arab militia, according
to the doctors union and to witnesses on the ground.
And that fighting has displaced many thousands of people, some of which have managed to make the very dangerous journey across the border into
Chad. But you really had the specter of the genocide in the early 2000s raising its head again in Darfur.
And that's really the some of the fears that this could degenerate into a similar situation again, for the long suffering people of that part of
Sudan, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, and that is, that is a horrifying thought. David, thank you, David McKenzie, on the story for you! Well, the Theranos or Theranos
Founder Elizabeth Holmes is set to report to prison today. The disgraced tech entrepreneur is expected to surrender at a federal facility in Texas.
In November, a judge sentenced Holmes to more than 11 years behind bars for defrauding investors. She'd raised $945 million dollars from investors all
the while making false claims about her blood testing startup valued at more than $9 billion at one point before its collapse.
CNN's Rosa Flores is outside the federal prison in Bryan in Texas that is about 160 kilometers from Houston, where as I understand it, Rosa, she grew
up.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right. And according to the court order issued by a federal judge, she has about three and a half
hours to turn herself into the federal facility that you see behind me. Now take a look closely. There is no barbed wire here in the front entrance of
this facility.
This is a minimum security facility and in fact it has been quite quiet today. Birds have been chirping, it's been quite calm, and we have not yet
seen Elizabeth Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH HOLMES, CEO, THERANOS: I believe the individual is the answer to the challenges of healthcare.
FLORES (voice over): Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos is set to trade in her trademark black turtlenecks for a prison jumpsuit after
multiple failed appeals to keep her out of prison. Holmes, now a mother of two is set to report to the federal prison camp in Bryan Texas today. The
minimum security women's prison is approximately 100 miles from Houston, Texas, and houses more than 600 inmates according to the Federal Bureau of
Prisons.
HOLMES: The right to protect the health and well-being of every person of those we love is a basic human right.
FLORES (voice over): Holmes was only 19 years old when she dropped out of Stanford University to pursue her startup Theranos full time. Once valued
at $9 billion at its peak, Theranos attracted an impressive list of investors and retail partners with claims that it had developed technology
to test for a wide range of medical conditions using just a few drops of blood.
HOLMES: So this is a little tubes that we collect the samples in we call them the Nano Taner. They're about this big.
FLORES (voice over): Holmes, appearing on magazine covers and was hailed as the next Steve Jobs.
HOLMES: I've always believed that the purpose of building a business is to make an impact in the world.
FLORES (voice over): The company began to unravel after a Wall Street Journal investigation in 2015 reported that Theranos had only ever
performed roughly a dozen of the hundreds of tests it offered using its proprietary technology and with questionable accuracy.
Investors and retail partners backed out and in June of 2018, Holmes pleaded not guilty. Ultimately, she was indicted for fraud before being
convicted last year. Her rise and fall depicted in the hit Hulu show, "The Dropout".
Despite her conviction, Holmes told The New York Times that she plans to work on healthcare related inventions behind bars. "I still dream about
being able to contribute in that space".
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: So what will happen once Elizabeth Holmes turns herself in? Well, according to an inmate handbook that's 82 pages long and available online.
Once she surrenders to authority, she will go through a social and medical screening. It also says that all inmates have to maintain a job that they
earn up to 40 cents.
[11:40:00]
It's unclear if that's per hour I imagine that that's per hour. It also mentions that usually inmates when they first are initially admitted into
this facility, they start off in the food service area. Now it also goes on to say, Becky, that inmates wake up at 6 a.m. every morning that they have
to make their own bed, they have to mop their own floor, take out their own trash.
This 82 page document really gives us a sense of what her life is going to be like for the next 11 years, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Thank you. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World", that is 22:08 in the evening here in Abu Dhabi. Coming
up --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H.E. KHALID AL-FALIH, SAUDI INVESTMENT MINISTER: Our relationship with China is not in any way at the expense of our relationship with the U.S. or
with EU or vice versa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Saudi Arabia looks to attract more foreign companies and more foreign investment. We sit down with the kingdom's investment minister for
what was a wide ranging conversation on its economic and geopolitical future that is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now regular viewers of this show will know how Saudi Arabia has opened its doors for business in recent years, altering both the economic
and geopolitical landscape of the Middle East in that time. It continued its drive for investments last month by launching four new Special Economic
Zones designed to attract foreign capital in areas such as manufacturing, logistics and mining.
And just yesterday, Saudi Arabia announced a slew of new investments into these zones, totaling $12.6 billion, and that included an enormous $4
billion partnership with China's bow steel, a subsidiary of the world's largest steelmaker. Now this company plans to build a new plate
manufacturing plant in one of these new zones.
It's furnace fueled by natural gas using new technology to reduce carbon emissions significantly. It is yet another big bet on Saudi Arabia from its
biggest trading partner, China. But the picture isn't totally rosy for the Gulf state. The kingdom saw an alarming 60 percent drop in foreign direct
investment in 2022, albeit from a very high level the year previously, that is according to Forbes.
[11:45:00]
Well, I sat down with the country's minister for investment, His Excellency Khalid al Falah at yesterday's event in Riyadh. And we began by discussing
those foreign direct investment numbers, have a listen.
AL-FALIH: FDI is very important for the kingdom, not because we're capital short. Unlike many developing countries, the Kingdom has been and to a
large degree continues till today to be long on capital. And it's well known that the kingdom is a major investor abroad.
But FDI is catalytic. We don't want to measure the FDI necessarily by the percent contribution that it will make in terms of capital flows, but more
about the quality of FDI. And what it's going to do. And we've seen an increased uptake by companies that are owner operator of significant global
franchises in terms of technology, market brands, that are looking at the kingdom as a destination and as a hub as a platform from which to access
markets.
We're seeing new industries, not just to the kingdom, but to the Middle East and indeed to developing economies where the kingdom is becoming a
first mover and a significant first mover.
And think of lucid, a revolutionary Evie manufacturer choosing King Abdullah economic City, one of the special economic zones that have their
first manufacturing plant outside the United States. They had the entire world to choose from and after extensive evaluation; they found the kingdom
to be the most --
ANDERSON: -- significant Saudi investment, of course.
AL-FALIH: Yes, but that did not we, you know, it's a listed company. And the decision had to follow a very thorough and if anything they had to tell
to make sure that there is no favoritism to Saudi Arabia.
ANDERSON: You have also said that the Kingdom will exclude international companies from access to government contracts unless they move their
regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia by sometime in 2024. What's the progress? And what is being done to address concerns from those
international companies who may want to move their regional headquarters about the implications of tax, for example?
AL-FALIH: Well, first of all, the regional headquarter program is not only beneficial to the kingdom, and it is and I think it will complete the
ecosystem. The Kingdom alone cannot provide everything that investors want. Investors want to be with other investors and they want to be with
professional companies like the accounting, the legal, financial advisory, and the beneficiaries are the companies themselves, first and foremost.
The good news is there is a huge uptake. So the program is doing well in terms of taxes, you ask about taxes, they will be no additional tax burden
on any company that chooses to make Saudi Arabia, the regional headquarter that has already set the regulations that have been approved. And we will
provide other incentives that will be significant for companies to make their move.
ANDERSON: That's going to be tough for a city, a neighbor city like Dubai, to hear. This regional headquarters program is being seen as in direct
competition to the likes of Dubai, an intentional effort to encourage international businesses to leave a city like Dubai, who've been on this
journey for more than 30 years. Is it intentional? And what harm to relations with your neighbor?
AL-FALIH: We believe that the GCC, Common Market integration is good for everybody in the GCC. And we believe Saudi Arabia, as the largest economy
within the GCC is beneficial to every member of the GCC, and indeed, the Middle East, the Arab world and other countries around it. As we prosper,
we will pull the rest of us and as we say, rising tide lifts all boats.
ANDERSON: So you would not describe this as having in any way damaged relations with you friends?
AL-FALIH: No, not at all.
ANDERSON: The Chinese see the value in this market in this economy at present. In a summit in December, you signed $50 billion worth of
investment agreements with China. What are your expectations for the kingdom's relationship with China?
AL-FALIH: China is by far our biggest trading partner. They have been growing over time it's been steady growth. The trend lines have been there
for 30 years. Today they import more oil from us by fire than any other country. We are consistently the number one energy supplier.
[11:50:00]
And just to give you a metric to give you an indication of the scale, our trade relationship with China is larger than the combined trade
relationship with the U.S. and the EU combined. So you add them up, our total Import Export with China is, is bigger than the two of them. So it's
a, you know, interdependence. I would say how I describe it. The Chinese see us as the most reliable trading partner in the Middle East.
ANDERSON: Saudi and China are getting closer, should that be a concern for the United States?
AL-FALIH: Absolutely not. Our relationship with China is not in any way at the expense of our relationship with the U.S. or with EU, or vice versa. We
see ourselves as a strong, independent rising middle power, and for us to be that significant economy and in the world, we have to have strong
relationship with strong economic powers in the world.
And nobody denies that China, Japan, Korea, Germany, other EU countries and the U.S. are important economic powers that we need to have strong
relationships with.
ANDERSON: You have described the kingdom as the political leader in the region. And recently we've seen that leadership in action in very visible
ways, particularly regional solutions for regional problems and the repression with for example, Qatar, Syria, Iran, brokered by China, of
course. Is this first and foremost about the kingdom's economic interests?
AL-FALIH: Well, make no mistake about it. We're guided by our own interest, but also in a benevolent way to our region, because we don't want our
interests to be served while hurting any of our brothers and sisters and surrounding countries.
And as was the case with Iran with you mentioned, we are optimistic about restoring diplomatic relationship, we're optimistic about restoring people
to people relationships. We hope we will see more Iranians coming to the kingdom, not just for Hajj and Umrah but for other purposes. And we hope
that Saudis will go to Iran.
ANDERSON: Economic headwind is slowing all market the potential for a global recession and ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Do you worry about those
headwinds over the next couple of years? We've got seven years until you can complete vision 2030 as you have explained; the kingdom is on its way.
AL-FALIH: Political and economic headwinds are part of the landscape we're used to. We've been through economic shocks, global regional, we've been
through oil market shocks. And we've been through unfortunately, a number of security issues here in the region that is well known. And we have the
resilience to absorb them and to navigate our way around them and continue on our trajectories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: China has sent a new crew of astronauts into space including its first civilian astronaut. They launched earlier today and successfully
docked at the Chinese Space Station. The civilian on board is a professor who will operate payloads for space experiments.
This crew will take over for three astronauts who've been at China's newly completed Space Station since November. Well SpaceX is Dragon freedom
spacecraft meantime, heading back home that first took off from Florida last week with one of its passengers making history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Big smiles from Rayyanah Barnawi, she is now the first female Saudi to go to space.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This was a private mission operated by axiom space and using SpaceX's Dragon capsule named Freedom, it's commanded by former NASA
astronaut Peggy Whitson. Other crew members included one paying customer and two Saudi astronauts for conducting more than 20 scientific
experiments.
It really is an international story out there in space. "One World" with Zain Asher is next from New York. From Abu Dhabi and the team working with
me here and around the world, it's a very good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:00]
END
