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Connect the World
Russia's War in Ukraine Looms Over NATO Meeting; Rheinmetall to Build and Repair Tanks in Ukraine; Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar Assaulted; Biden: U.S. Making Diplomatic Progress in Middle East; Report: 2022 European Heat Waves Killed more than 61,000; Johannesburg Wakes up to Rare Snowfall. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 10, 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)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: This hour Turkey ups the ante for Sweden's NATO membership as leaders head to the Summit in Lithuania.
We'll have team coverage across Europe.
But first, your headlines; the Kremlin say Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Yevgeny Prigozhin. The meeting took place just five days after
the mercenary leaders failed mutiny against Moscow.
The United Nations is warning of an all-out civil war in Sudan. That message follows an airstrike this weekend had killed at least 22 people.
Plus, in an exclusive interview President Joe Biden calls out Israel, its closest ally in the Middle East for having extremist elements in its
government.
Welcome to the second hour of "Connect the World". I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. Now we begin with the U.S. President on his way to a key NATO
Summit. Joe Biden left the UK last hour after meeting the country's Prime Minister as well as King Charles and saying the relationship between both
countries is rock solid.
Leaders from around the world will gather in Lithuania Tuesday with Russia's war in Ukraine looming over the event. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for a united response to his country's NATO membership.
But President Biden told CNN's Fareed Zakaria it's premature for Ukraine to join the alliance right now. Meantime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is continuing his standoff against Sweden joining NATO saying his country should have a path to EU membership first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT: First, let's clear Turkey's way in the European Union. Then let's clear the way for Sweden just as we paved
the way for Finland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. We are following this all for use in CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin our Nic Robertson is outside Downing Street in London. And we
have Melissa Bell on the ground in the Lithuanian Capital, great to have you all.
Melissa, I want to start with you. We're going into this NATO Summit with many demands from Turkey, Ukraine intensifying its push to join NATO and
members have a lot to get through take me through what we can expect.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is so much at stake Eleni at what should be a summit all about unity on the question of Ukraine all about
celebrating the newfound unity of the last 18 months, just 20 miles from the Belarusian border hill here in Vilnius.
And yet, with so many divisive questions ahead, first of all, of course, as you mentioned, the question of Turkey, upping the ante really when it comes
to whether or not it will allow this Swedish accession to NATO to happen.
It was meant to be celebrated at this Summit. Remember that it was last year that Finland and Sweden had apply for membership, Finland was able to
join earlier this year Sweden was meant to do this weekend. But Turkey has a number of objections.
First of all, of course, the question of the anti-terror laws in Sweden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking to that again yesterday the objection on the
part of the Turks is that members of for instance, the Turkish opposition groups that are labeled as terrorist organizations by Ankara are able to
demonstrate and operate in Sweden.
But perhaps most importantly, and most controversially, there has been the burning of the Quran that of course, unacceptable to Turkey. And it is
really using that position to try and extract everything that it can.
Now what we heard from Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, which really threw a spanner into the works, was for the first time he's linking the question of
Swedish accession to NATO with Turkish accession to the European Union, two completely different subjects.
Of course, Turkey has been trying for years to join that has nothing to do with NATO. Now we've been hearing from Jen Stoltenberg, the Secretary
General of NATO held a press conference earlier Eleni, with the Lithuanian President saying that he believes that there is still room for a deal to be
struck when it comes to Sweden this week, but clearly, the position of the Turks doesn't seem to be softening, at least for the time being.
GIOKOS: Look, in the meantime, the Zelenskyy saying he's not just going to go to the Summit just for fun. He wants to join the alliance. We know the
rules prohibit this from happening. I want you to take a listen to what President Joe Biden says about Ukraine membership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO
family now, at this moment in the middle of a war for example, if you did that.
Then you know we -- I mean what I say we're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory is a commitment that we've all made no
matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in war you know, we're at war with Russia, if that were the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:05:00]
GIOKOS: Simply put, Ukraine joins NATO and NATO would then de facto be at war with Russia, Melissa?
BELL: That's right. That is the principal objection of those who are lukewarm about the idea of making a Ukrainian accession relatively simple.
The United States you heard from Joe Biden there. But of course, the Germans are also fairly moderate on the idea of making this harder or
faster or easier than it would naturally be.
One of the questions, of course, and what the critics point to is the fear of escalation. It is on the other side though, say it's happened before
1955 NATO allowed in West Germany, which was at the time divided from East Germany, there has been precedent. And these countries Lithuania, all of
the Baltic states have been fervent proponents of showing Ukraine that it can join and quickly.
Now clearly, you've heard from you mentioned President Zelenskyy over the weekend, he doesn't want to come here for fun. The hope is that some kind
of message will be found that can unite everyone around a message for the future that goes sufficiently far for the Ukrainians, without ruffling the
feathers of those who want to be very cautious about Ukrainian accession.
One of the possibilities Jen Stoltenberg has been speaking about is a plan he's proposed where, for instance, the MAP, which is the Membership Action
Plan, which is normally required of nations who want to join might be scrapped in the case of Ukraine to at least ensure that the process was
quicker.
There are many in NATO that will be extremely reluctant to see that happen. So you'll have to pay a lot of attention to the wording. That's what's
being debated. And I think right up until the very last minute.
The wording of the communique on what they are able to come up with here in Vilnius, again, 20 miles from the Belarusian border, after a year and a
half for this for this problem, so for me together, will be crucial and very difficult to find Eleni.
GIOKOS: And we will be looking very closely at the messaging here. It is absolutely vital, as you say, Melissa, thank you so much for that. We've
got Fred Pleitgen standing by for us another important developments and what we've been seeing in the region, of course, is Vladimir Putin, Fred
met with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Leader of the Wagner Group, a few days after the armed rebellion, which is quite important.
Firstly, it signals just how important Yevgeny Prigozhin is and of course, the question of his fate and the relationship between Putin and Prigozhin
right now?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're absolutely right. This was something that is definitely quite
surprising to a lot of people and certainly something that seems extremely significant as well, of course, all the talk that we've been hearing from
the Kremlin over the days after that mutiny took place.
In fact, on the day of the mutiny when Yevgeny Prigozhin decided to call his forces back that apparently were marching on the Russian Capital that
were marching on the Russian Capital, the Russian said that he was going to go to Belarus.
And it seemed pretty clear that he was not going to retain control of Wagner, or at least that the Wagner mercenaries were not going to stay in
Russia. In fact, the Leader of Belarus at the time said that they could come to Belarus.
Then last week, he told our own Matthew Chance, the Leader of Belarus that the Wagner Chief of Yevgeny Prigozhin was in fact, in St. Petersburg, and
now we're learning that he had that meeting that you were talking about on June 29th just five days after the mutiny with Vladimir Putin inside the
Kremlin.
And it's so interesting to read out from the Kremlin to hear what Dmitry Peskov the Spokesman for the Kremlin had to say there. He said that there
were 35 people commanders in attendance, unclear if they were all from Wagner, or if some of them might have been from the defense ministry as
well.
But one of the things that we picked out Eleni which we think is absolutely key in all that is that Vladimir Putin apparently talked about the way that
the special operation as the Russians call it, their war in Ukraine is going talked about the mutiny as well.
The commanders the Wagner commanders -- commanders in the room, saying that they pledged allegiance to Vladimir Putin, but Vladimir Putin apparently
also talked about possible future combat roles for Wagner fighters. Now that could indicate that there might be a return to the battlefield for
Wagner coming up.
Again unclear if that would be with Yevgeny Prigozhin at the helm, what sort of role he would have? But clearly he is still capable of going in and
out of the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin apparently still is willing to see him Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right. Fred, thank you so much for that. Of course all of these issues matter as we're heading into the NATO Summit. We have Nic Robertson
standing by for us. EU membership or no Sweden in NATO, that is Erdogan's position right now Nic, which is quite interesting because it's a tough
decision for the EU to separate topics clearly. But Erdogan is saying look we've been trying to join the EU for 50 years this is now the time
[11:10:00]
Clearly, but Erdogan is saying look, we've been trying to join the EU for 50 years. This is now the time clearly showing some leverage here. Take us
through how important the statement is leading up to the Summits.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, on one hand, it's a complete turnaround from what President Erdogan had said earlier, the
reason that had said that Turkey was going to block Sweden's membership of NATO was because the Turkish, the Kurdish rather separatists in Turkey.
That Turkey regards as terrorists, he said that Sweden wasn't doing enough to send someone of those who were living in Sweden, back to Turkey, that
Turkey was being soft on these members of the Kurdish opposition party, the PKK.
So this was the initial thing. Now, other NATO members, all of them, it seems, feel that Sweden has met what Turkey originally said. So now
President Erdogan is coming in with a wholly different and that will seem too many NATO members un-connect something that are completely
disconnected.
Again, you know, he's sort of having two bites of the cherry, if you will. What we've heard from Jens Stoltenberg is saying, look, he thinks there can
still be a positive outcome the Vilnius Summit about Sweden. We've heard from the German Chancellor saying that he is very much pushing for swift,
Swedish membership.
And it's interesting as well, because just yesterday, President Biden on his flight over to the UK had spoken at length the President Erdogan on the
phone about Sweden, joining NATO, and also that F-16 fighter aircraft that Turkey wants the United States that upgrade.
It seems to be that everything was moving in the right direction. This does throw a huge spanner in the works. And what's it going to look like, at the
NATO summit? This is a potential moment of disunity.
Let's not put this past President Erdogan to be trying to sort of maneuver some bargaining that he will soften when he gets to Vilnius. But his track
record over recent years is not to soften his position. It's to harden it.
GIOKOS: Really good point, Nic. And I think the next day or so is going to be absolutely vital. Fred, we still have you with us. Look, we've seen the
news coming out about cluster munitions that will be supplied to Ukraine from the U.S. a lot of controversy there.
But the wider issue here is that you've got NATO members and allies drawing down their inventory to support Ukraine, and it brings the question on
supply demand dynamics. You've been talking to a large weapons manufacturer, what did you discover in terms of creating more inventory and
increasing stockpiles and their ability to do this quickly?
PLEITGEN: Yes, and I think one of the things that is key right now and that many of these European countries are finding out and then to certain
extent, the U.S. as well is that they probably hadn't stockpiled enough ammo for themselves to be able to supply Ukraine and also keep their own
inventories at levels that they find acceptable.
And, of course, one of the reasons why President Biden said that he was giving cluster munitions to the Ukrainians is because the Ukrainians don't
have enough regular artillery ammunition, and the U.S. doesn't have enough to give them anymore. And you're absolutely right, I sat down with the CEO
of a Rheinmetall, a big German Defense Company, and they said, they're ready to step up. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMIN PAPPERGER, CEO, RHEINMETALL: I think it's very important, that we help the Ukrainian that they are independent. They have to help them self if
they always have to wait that Europeans or Americans help them over the next 10 or 20 years.
I think that's not possible. So what we have to do is we have to give them technology on NATO basis. And over the next two to three months, we will
open the first workshop in Ukraine, in the western part of Ukraine, and then they can maintenance their vehicles by them self.
PLEITGEN: So workshop means maintaining Western vehicles. What sort of production do you think could be possible? Thinking of tanks for instance,
armored personnel carriers and the like?
PAPPERGER: The first idea is really APCs. On APCs side as you know, we have Fox technology 100 percent under control and this six-by-six vehicle would
be a very good vehicle for the Ukrainian army.
So at the moment, 10 models per month we deliver we are able to deliver and we deliver a lot of Leopard II A force. Over the 12 months we will deliver
250 vehicles, which is a lot. But there is more need for ammunition because the lack of ammunition is much more important than the lack of vehicles.
PLEITGEN: The ammunition is a huge deficit right now for the Ukrainians. They talk about it a lot. Where can you help?
PAPPERGER: We help them and the capacity we have is huge. Rheinmetall has the biggest capacity for Tank Ammunition. We produced this year 150,000
rounds we are able to produce 240,000 rounds by far the biggest capacity worldwide.
[11:15:00]
We will deliver and we deliver also now, the Ukrainian forces. The second point is, and this is the biggest need of artillery ammunition. On the
artillery ammunition, we produce hundreds to thousands of rounds and the capacity of next year will be 600,000. So if you see that the need is 1
million Rheinmetall could deliver if we deliver only the Ukrainian 60 percent of the need.
PLEITGEN: So you can -- you ramp that up quickly.
PAPPERGER: We ramped it up. We invest --
PLEITGEN: You've already been in that process. Shall we know that for artillery ammunition, or generally for ammunition, gunpowder has to go
through a certain process before it can be turned into shells.
PAPPERGER: We are the biggest producer of gun powders. And this is also a point. If we are able to produce 600,000 rounds I think that's a huge help
for the Ukrainians.
PLEITGEN: What are the some of the things where you've maybe found weak point's stuff that you might need to change stuff that might need to be
improved? Are there lessons learned?
PAPPERGER: The Ukrainians now need land system stuff. They need ammunition, conventional ammunition, because all people and all governments thought it
is impossible to have conventional war, we have a conventional war in Europe.
The second point is if you have boots on ground, you need highly protected equipment highly protected means you have must be protected against your
risk against drones. So on the tank side, its quality on the ammunition this is a very important thing gold, so is the quantity.
PLEITGEN: Do you think that European nations because you were talking about things like ammunition stocks, generally, militaries in Europe, do you
think that they've understood how much the security in Europe have changed? Are they prepared in case something like this escalates in case they are
attacked?
PAPPERGER: At the moment they are not. They have to invest more, and we need some years to fill the stocks.
PLEITGEN: Are you surprised at how far the German government has come in such a short period of time?
PAPPERGER: The decision of the Chancellor is was a game changer. And it was also a game changer. And the new Minister of Defense is a game changer in
that. He's pushing through with this organization now, these contracts. And we negotiate billions and billions at the moment, usually two years ago we
need two or three years to do that. Now we need maybe four to five months.
PLEITGEN: What about your business in America? I know that you are one of two companies left bidding for the new infantry fighting vehicle for the
U.S. military. How confident are you that you can win?
PAPPERGER: We won the prototype contract. It's a good contract. It's a $800 million. But at the end of the day, both companies want to win the big deal
and we will see what happens? We will fight hard and we try to give our customer the best solution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: So there is Amin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, obviously a company where there is a lot that is currently going on saying that they
are we ready to ramp up production specifically of ammunition quickly. Of course, a lot of things are going to depend on some of the decisions that
are made at that NATO Summit in Vilnius in the next two days, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. There's going to be vital a Fred Pleitgen and thank you so very much for that insight and to our team, bringing us from around
Europe. Thank you so much. Well, in an interview with CNN, U.S. President Biden says Washington is trying to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We're talking with him regularly, trying to tamp down what's going on and hopefully, Bibi will continue to move toward moderation and change
the counter court.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well ahead on CNN, why President Biden partly blames the rise in tensions in the West Bank on the lost credibility of the Palestinian
Authority and Israel. Plus, why do you insist Sudan is getting closer to a full scale Civil War?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GIOKOS: A new warning today from the United Nations that Sudan is on the brink of a full scale Civil War. This comes after a weekend airstrike that
Sudan's Ministry of Health says killed at least 22 people. The paramilitary group rapid support forces released this video. It says this is the
aftermath of that strike and that more than 31 people were killed dozens of civilians injured.
CNN Senior Editor for Africa, Stephanie Busari joins us now live with more, a very worrying strike. And we've actually seen the violence of the cycle
of violence continue here. So much so that the UN is warning that we are seeing signs of being at the brink of a civil war here. Tell me what we've
seen over the past few weeks that are creating this concern, Stephanie?
STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA: Sure, Eleni, this incident over the weekend is the latest in a series of incidents in this seemingly
never ending war that has provoked outrage. Over the weekend, the health ministry showed a very graphic video with bodies, bloodied bodies wrapped
in blankets and which they said were victims of the latest attack in the city of Omdurman, which is the sister city of Khartoum.
And they're saying that 22 people have died in this in this attack. And now the UN is increasingly worried that there was no end in sight to this war,
which has resisted all attempts to have a resolution. This war is being carried out in urban areas, residential areas, and they're concerned about
the attacks on civilians and as the war plays out, as people are trying to live their daily lives.
They released a statement let me read some of what that statement says, which the UN says that it is appalled by reports of large scale violence
and casualties across Darfur. And there was an utter disregard for humanitarian and human rights law that's dangerous and disturbing. Now the
UN is concerned as are other institutions, agencies, the EU has called for peaceful resolution to this.
And all attempts are ceasefires. You'll remember Eleni since this war started nearly three months ago, both sides agreed to ceasefire, they say
they will stop and within the same breath that the fighting continues leaving the Sudanese people to bear the brunt. Humanitarian aid can't be
easily accessed or taken into the country simply because the fighting hasn't stopped, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, really good point there, Stephanie. And as you say, that the intervention ceasefires have been ineffective, diplomatic channels are
important at this point, Stephanie Busari, thank you so much. A developing story is now out of the U.S. State of Florida.
Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar was reportedly assaulted at the federal prison where his house. Local officials say Nassar was stabbed 10
times in the incident, as you may recall. Nassar was the disgraced sports doctor who was convicted of sexual abuse. More than 150 women and girls
said in court that he sexually abused them.
CNN's Carlos Suarez joins me now live from Miami, Florida with more. What do we know about this attack?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, as you said Nassar is recovering in a hospital in Northwest Orlando here in Florida, after he was
assaulted and stabbed 10 times Sunday afternoon. We're told he was stabbed in the neck, in the back and in the chest. That is according to a local
Corrections Officer Union. Again all of this happened in a federal prison northwest of Orlando, Florida.
[11:25:00]
Nassar is spending the rest of his life in prison after more than 150 women and girls testified in his court case back in 2017, 2018 that Nassar
sexually abused them over the past two decades. Now some of that testimony came from members of the USA gymnastics team. Nasser himself he admitted to
sexually assaulting these athletes when he worked at Michigan State University.
And while he was at USA Gymnastics, which trains U.S. Olympic athletes, he also pleaded guilty to child pornography charges. Again, Nassar is at this
hour, we're told that recovering in a hospital after a violent encounter with another inmate in federal prison. We're told he was stabbed 10 times
all across his upper body after some sort of altercation took place on Sunday, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right, thank you so very much for that update. You're watching "Connect the World" and there's more news ahead. You can stay with us,
we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back to "Connect the World". I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, your headlines this hour. Just hours before high stakes NATO summits in
Lithuania, Turkey's president is linking Sweden's NATO bid with Ankara's EU recession. Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey has been waiting at the EU door
for 50 years.
Observers say this is a fresh blow to stock homes attempt to join the military alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin held post mutiny talks
with the Wagner mercenary boss that's according to the Kremlin, which says the meeting was just days after the group's failed rebellion.
That mutiny was widely seen as the most serious challenge to Putin since he came to power more than two decades ago. After a weekend air strike the
United Nations says Sudan is on the brink of a full scale Civil War. Sudan's Ministry of Health says the attack killed at least 22 people.
The paramilitary group rapid support forces says this video shows the aftermath of the strike they blame the regular military and say at least 31
people were killed.
[11:30:00]
Israel's legislature in the coming hours is set to hold the first of three votes on essential parts of the government's controversial judicial
measures. This one would reduce the courts ability to use what's called the reasonableness standard. It enables courts to throw out edicts that they
say are unreasonable and violate Israel's rights even if they don't violate any specific law.
And that is facing massive opposition in the streets. Organizers say if the vote is approved, they'll demonstrate Tuesday in a day of resistance. It
comes after tens of thousands of protesters rallied against the measure on Saturday for the 27th consecutive week. Now police clashed with
demonstrators in some areas and fired water cannon to clear a major highway in Tel Aviv.
Meantime, U.S. President Joe Biden says the Palestinian Authority and Israel are both parts of the problem that's behind the escalating violence
in the West Bank. His comments are part of a wide ranging interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. Fareed asked Mr. Biden, if he'll invite Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, as other U.S. leaders have done, listen to how the President responded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIDEN: First of all, the Israeli President is going to be coming. We have other contacts. I've been as I think it's fair to say an unyielding
supportive Israel for over. I've only been around a couple of years, but for as long as I've been around. And Bibi, I think he's trying to work
through how we can work through his existing problems in terms of his coalition.
He has, I'm one of those who believes that Israel's ultimate security rest in the two state solutions. I think it's a mistake to think that some
members of his cabinet, and this one most extreme members of cabinets that I've seen, I go all our back to gold in the air and all you know, and not
that she was extreme. But I go back to that era.
I think that the fact that the Palestinian authority has lost its credibility, not necessarily because what Israel has done just because it's
just lost its credibility, number one. And number two, created a vacuum for extremism in among the Palestinians, the PLA, there are some very extreme
elements.
So it's not all Israel now in the West Bank, all Israel's problem, but they are a part of the problem. It particularly those individuals in the Cabinet
who say, they have no right that we can settle anywhere we want. They have no right to be here, et cetera.
And I think we were talking with them regularly, trying to tamp down what's going on, and hopefully, Bibi will continue to move toward moderation and
change that kind of court.
FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: You've had tough words about Saudi Arabia, from the start about the Khashoggi killing and things like
that. You talked about needing a kind of new relationship. They've been pretty unyielding, when you've asked them to pump more oil, they slashed
oil recently.
Now Saudi Arabia wants a defense treaty from the United States, promising that you will protect them and they want civilian nuclear capacity, which
again, the U.S. would have to provide, and in return, they would recognize Israel. Are you going to do it?
BIDEN: We're a long way from there. We got a lot to talk about. For example, that trip I went which was criticized for my going, a number of
things have happened actually. On that trip was able to negotiate over flights of Israelis canal and really aircraft and now overfly Saudi Arabia,
number one, number two, the price of oil is actually down, not up.
And it's not because they have done one thing or the other, but the world is changing our policies relative to renewables or real. Number three, we
found ourselves in a circumstance where the war in Yemen is essentially for a year now. Then this ended. The peace is being kept. So we're making
progress in the region.
And it depends upon the conduct and what is asked of us for them to recognize Israel. Quite frankly, I don't think they have much of a problem
with Israel quite frankly.
[11:35:00]
And whether or not we would provide a means by which they can have civilian nuclear power and or be a guarantor of their security. That's I think
that's a little way off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Brilliant interview there by Fareed Zakaria with President Joe Biden. And still ahead a new report is coming out that last summer's heat
across Europe set records for both temperature and the deaths it caused; we'll have a live report for you just after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Millions of people in the Northeastern U.S. are under flash flood alerts. I want you to take a look here. This is upstate New
York, parts of it so a once in 1000 years rainfall event on Sunday. And in New England, Vermont's Governor declaring a state of emergency as they are
dealing with rare excessive rainfall.
CNN Meteorologist Jennifer Gray joins us now. From what we understand it's probably going to get worse, take us through the forecast.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You're right we're going to see rain continuing today, tonight and even into tomorrow morning. So while we
already have a flooding situation ongoing on our hands, you're right it's only going to get worse. Here's a photo from Ontario County. And you can
see kayak are even in the middle of the road.
50 percent of all flooding deaths occur from people in their vehicles, people are urged to not get in their cars, do not get into flooded water
and it's even unsafe, even if you are in say a kayak or whatever else, so high risk of excessive rainfall for today. You can see these areas shaded
in hot pink; this is a level four out of four.
Very rare for the Weather Prediction Center to issue these, but we have had ongoing rain pretty much for the last two weeks, we have very saturated
soils in this region across the U.S. And so any additional rainfall is not going to absorb into the soil, it's going to run out, rivers are already
running high, it's only going to force them even higher.
And we also have some hilly and mountainous terrain in this area as well which also adds more of a flash flooding risk because that water just
funnels down the higher terrain into rivers and they can quickly, quickly rise. So that's where we're going to see this flash flood warning in effect
for much of the state of Vermont.
We also have flood watches in effect from New York State all the way to Maine. And so a pretty dire situation ongoing, this is all from a very slow
moving cold front, so incredible amounts of rain falling basically on the same areas over and over for hours on end.
And so, as this front is not going to advance much throughout the day, the rains really not going to go anywhere, we're going to continue to see the
rainfall over the same areas.
[11:40:00]
Here's the radar estimated rainfall, you can see these areas shaded in red and bright orange, that's about 200 millimeters of rain in just a short
amount of time. Some of the heaviest rainfall amounts fell in about six hours' time. So we have seen just incredible amounts.
This is as we go through tonight, seven o'clock, you can see still raining across the northern sections of Vermont, northern New England tries to
clear out by Tuesday, the wee morning hours, but we could still have some showers leftover by mid-morning before it all leaves that region.
So we're going to continue to see this flood threat. West Point New York, this is a one in 1000 year event, they had more than seven inches of rain,
that's more than 200 millimeters of rain. And just about six hours, which if you look at it climatologically, it's only about a 0.1 percent chance of
this happening in any given year.
And we know due to climate change, this is happening more and more often, these major flooding events that we've seen many of those across the U.S.
in the last year or so.
GIOKOS: All right, Jennifer Gray, thank you so much for that. Well, I'm going to stay with climates. And a new report says that nearly 62,000 get
that around your head, 62,000 people in Europe died from heat related causes last summer. That is enough to full New York's Madison Square Garden
three times.
The summer of 2022 was the hottest on record in Europe. And the journal Nature Medicine says that heat deaths are actually underreported, this
after days of record setting global heat just last week. I want to bring in Joan Ballester, a Professor at the Barcelona Institute of Global Public
Health and the European Research Council, great to have you with us.
I have to say, you know even just covering the news from a global perspective that we saw us hitting record numbers four times last week, and
I'm seeing this report coming through from what we've seen in Europe for 2022. It seems that Europe is heating up much faster than the rest of the
world. I want you to take me through these numbers, because they are absolutely hair-raising.
JOAN BALLESTER, PROFESSOR, BARCELONA INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH: Thank you Eleni for having me here. Yes, indeed, the summer of 2022 was the
hottest season on record in Europe. It was a season with records in temperature, drought and fire activity.
And these numbers are might be, might sound surprising for the general population, but they were already registered in 2003. And so it's not a
news story. It's something that it happens and that to which we must adapt in order to reduce this -- .
GIOKOS: Yes, absolutely, added adaptation is going to be vital. I want you to take me through what you learned from 2022 versus the previous years, as
you say we've seen extreme temperatures before. But it seems like we're going on an upward trajectory, which makes you know, the question about
what we'll see in 2023, that much more concerning.
BALLESTER: Well, we are I mean; we are experiencing, especially in Europe, much faster warming than the global average. We have already warmed more
than one degree Celsius than the global average in Europe. And it's warming much faster than any other continent.
And so we expect that this is, this kind of summers, they generate these kinds of numbers unless we add that. In 2003, it was a different story,
because it was an extremely exceptional summer that created awareness in the continent. But in summer 2022, we are actually not much warmer than the
preceding summer.
So it means that this kind of summers are the new normal and will become cooler compared to the ones that are expected to come in, in coming decades
unless we will reduce the burden.
GIOKOS: Could you give me a sense of the demographics here? Who's most at risk? Who are the vulnerable that are at risk of falling victim to these
extreme temperatures and then the question of adaptation and how to prepare?
BALLESTER: So I think we think about the heatstroke as the prototypical kind of heat related mortality. But in reality, what we are thinking is
about mostly women, elderly people and people with chronic or pre-existing diseases. So in a way the heat stress, it's an extra factor that adds a
strain to the physiology of the body. And so, these extra stress is the one that determines whether somebody can survive throughout the season or not.
[11:45:00]
And so as much as we are able to cope, to increase the general wellbeing and the general health of the population, we will at the same time, we will
be reducing the heat related mortality burden.
GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, look, we're hosting, you know, COP28, later this year here in the UAE. The big question on a warming planet keeps coming up
adaptation mitigation going to be absolutely vital, because we're not going to see an immediate reversal. What are the immediate interventions that we
should be looking at here by governments?
BALLESTER: So first of all, we can learn from the adaptation that has been taken place, for example, France was, was really effective in reducing the
vulnerability to heat after the record breaking summer of 2003. And so we can learn from these kinds of experiences, there is a range of actions that
we can take.
First of all, is to increase the awareness of the problem and how the, how heat interplays with the physiology of human body. But also there are
strategies like increasing general care and public health care and the social services to protect the most vulnerable people, especially people
living alone, and people with low mobility.
And there are other type of measures that are more fought about the long term like for example, a better a more intelligent, urban planning,
increasing the amount of urban spaces in cities, and also a better design of how we leave in the cities, for example, by improving the quality of the
houses, the ventilation, and also reducing the inequality and the poverty, especially the full problem, poverty.
GIOKOS: Yes, a lot to do. Professor, thank you very much for sharing your insights with us. Thank you. Well, Northern India was slammed with heavy
rains over the weekend as the country's capitals saw the wettest day in July in more than 40 years; the heavy rains spurred landslides, and flash
floods killing at least 22 people.
Rescue efforts are still underway. A main river in Delhi has breached the danger mark, the chief minister there saying more than 40,000 people in low
lying areas could be affected. Forecasters say heavy rainfall is expected for the next five days. CNN's Michael Holmes has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Water logged in New Delhi, umbrellas offering little protection from days of heavy rain. Over the
weekend, meteorologist said Delhi received the highest amount of rain in a single day in July in more than 40 years. And a lot of it still pulling on
the ground, flooding streets, snarling traffic and bringing many parts of the city to a standstill.
This man says he's stranded because his scooter won't start. And he's not sure how to get his bike and belongings out of the water. Some residents
are complaining on social media that the floods are a chronic problem in the capital, especially in monsoon season, and that the government should
do more to fix the city's drainage problems.
SARITA GUPTA, NEW DELHI RESIDENT: We just came out to have lunch over here, but look at the state of the water logging. I don't know what government is
doing about this. And it's not a matter of only one year. This happens every year.
HOLMES (voice over): Delhi's chief minister on Sunday canceled leave for municipal workers, and said the city's ministers and mayor would also be on
the job, inspecting problem areas caused by the rains. Pumps have been installed in some areas to try to divert the water. The deluge is causing
similar misery in cities across northern India, with rivers bursting their banks triggering landslides and flash floods.
The monsoon rains are a vital part of life in India necessary for replenishing reservoirs and watering crops. That too much rain with nowhere
to go at times doing more harm than good. Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, you're watching "Connect the World". There's more news ahead, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:50:00]
GIOKOS: More than 500 days after the start of Russia's war on Ukraine, the amount of human suffering is staggering. The UN says more than 6 million
civilians have become refugees, and untold number of Ukrainian soldiers have died. And some of the badly wounded fighters are healing their broken
bodies far from home. Rafael Romo reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice over): Far from home in a world away from the horrors of war, they take a moment to
reflect. Now recovering in Mexico these fellow Ukrainians have more than their country of origin in common. Their lives will never be the same. They
each lost the leg in combat, trying to keep Ukraine a free nation.
Pavel says he spent two months in the hospital after suffering seven different injuries during combat. He told us he was a businessman in a city
in western Ukraine. But when the Russians invaded he says he knew he had to fight for freedom.
PAVEL, UKRAINIAN FIGHTER: I have three children. I went to defend my country for the future of my children. I want my children to live in a
beautiful, prosperous country and not under the Russian occupiers.
ROMO (voice over): Danilo, a career soldier also got a prosthesis in Mexico after losing his right leg in battle with the Russians. He says he will
never forget the atrocities he witnessed in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
DANILO, UKRAINIAN FIGHTER: It is difficult for soldiers to see civilians dying, when grandmothers and grandfathers and children are dying, it is
difficult.
ROMO (voice over): Both Pavel and Danilo have asked us to hide their identities. They still have family in the combat zone in Ukraine. And the
last thing they want they say is for Russians to target their loved ones if they learned they're related to someone who fought to drive them out of
their country.
The non-profit Ukrainian diaspora in Mexico is providing funding to help these and other soldiers to literally get back on their feet.
ILONA DLUZHYNSKA, UKRAINIAN LIVING IN MEXICO: Right now we have five cases, three successful and two more we're working on. Our goal this year is to be
able to provide 21 prosthesis. We provide these prosthesis that are made here in the country. We bring these injured fighters to Mexico, and in
Mexico we give them physical, emotional and psychological rehabilitation.
ROMO (voice over): As for Pavel and Danilo, one thing remains clear they want to go back to the front line.
PAVEL: But I think that everything should be fine with my leg. I feel fine already. I feel better and better every day. And I think that when I
returned to Ukraine, I will spend a little time with my family and then go back to the war.
DANILO: It's tough, but the Ukrainian people resist and I think that in the near future there will be victory over the Russian occupation.
ROMO (voice over): As they continue to recover in Mexico, they say they look forward to the day they will be able to return to their motherland to
finish the job of expelling the Russians out of their beloved Ukraine, Rafael Romo CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right, so we've been talking a lot about the weather today. And in tonight's parting shots, a captivating, but rare Winter Wonderland
residence of Johannesburg, my home city woke up to heavy snowfall this morning. This is so peculiar, I have to tell you. It is absolutely unusual;
it's absolutely unusual in South Africa. Fluffy white snow falling from the sky the first time it's happened at this magnitude and over a decade. And
let me tell you, people were absolutely thrilled.
[11:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMOS CHAPOTO, JOHANNESBURG RESIDENT: As you can see the snow, something that doesn't happen like each and every time, it's just amazing. The way
that looks beautiful you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And taking it all in these kids and even adults wasted no time with us once in a decade occurrence running around making snowballs as well as
snow angels. You've got to do the snow angels as fun as it is to plan the snow. It can be also very cold if you're not used to it.
The South African Weather Center issuing warnings because of the cold, if you're in Johannesburg right now, I want you to have some fun, I want you
to stay warm. I have to say that the first time I personally saw snow was when I went to the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2013 and I was doing
this as an adult, so I missed this in Johannesburg.
It is 36 degrees Celsius here in Abu Dhabi in Johannesburg, it is six degrees Celsius. I'm missing everyone back home. Thank you so much for
joining us. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, "One World" up next with Zain Asher.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
