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Isa Soares Tonight
President Biden And Israeli Prime Minister Lapid United In Their Aim But Divided On How To Take On Iran's Nuclear Ambitions; Sri Lankan President Formally Resigns; Fierce Wildfires Scorch Portugal And Spain; Biden Says Diplomacy Is Still Best With Iran; Former Chancellor Of The Exchequer Rishi Sunak Leads Race To Become British Prime Minister; Emirates Slams Heathrow's Passenger Cap; Heat Wave And Wildfires In Portugal And Spain. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 14, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show everyone, I'm ISA SOARES TONIGHT. The U.S. President and the Israeli Prime
Minister are united in their aim, but divided on how to take on Iran's nuclear ambitions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(DRUMMING)
(SINGING)
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SOARES: Street celebrations break out in Colombo after Sri Lanka's president formally resigns. And the heat waves scorching parts of Europe
sparks fierce wildfires. We are live in Portugal at this hour. The first divisions over how to handle Iran and its nuclear program were on clear
display in Jerusalem, on the second day of U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Israel.
Mr. Biden and Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid inked a new security agreement, you can see it there. And both vowed never to let Iran
get a nuclear weapon. But how to do that emerged really as a major disagreement. Biden saying that diplomacy and reviving the Iran nuclear
deal is the best way, while Lapid insisted that only a credible military threat would make Iran back down. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not -- let me say it again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
YAIR LAPID, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran
is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, on Friday, Mr. Biden will confront another volatile issue. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He's set to meet with Palestinian leaders
who initially had high hopes for his administration, but now skeptical that he will deliver for them. CNN's Hadas Gold is covering the president's trip
from Jerusalem, joins me now live.
And Hadas, let's talk about first, about this joint declaration that was signed. In particular, the Iran part of the declaration. Because both, as
we just played it out there are united in their goal. But there's still a disagreement on the best approach. Walk us through what was said today.
HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we heard from President Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid was the clear dividing line
between the two of them on Iran. President Biden once again reiterating that they prefer -- the Americans prefer the diplomatic way to keep Iran
from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
But Prime Minister Yair Lapid standing right next to him saying right on stage to the president, diplomacy will not change anything, words will not
change anything, they are trying to convince -- they have been trying to convince the Americans that the only way they believe to stop Iran from
obtaining a nuclear weapon is from having that military option very clearly on the table.
Now, part of this declaration they signed today, the Jerusalem Declaration, in it, is the American commitment to maintain Israel's military qualitative
edge over its enemies, and also a declaration that Iran will not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon. And also a recognition from the Americans that
Israel will always defend itself, potentially even by itself if necessary.
This, you can read that this is a possible way for Israel to say, look, we'll take strikes out on our own if necessary, but for the Israelis, they
really want the Americans to present a coherent strategy. A plan B on if diplomacy fails, if diplomacy fails to keep Iran from obtaining this
nuclear weapon.
And also the Israelis are against the return to Iranian Nuclear Agreement on other issues as well, because they're worried that once the agreement if
it is signed, if it's signed that it might unfreeze all of these assets. That could only help further push Iranians to push their regional allies
here like Hezbollah that Israel sees as a major threat to them.
This was probably the main dividing line, otherwise for Israel, they liked a lot of what they heard today, especially President Biden declaring that
he was in the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. This was of course something that President Trump did, former President Trump declaring that Jerusalem
was the capital of Israel, and President Biden reaffirming that today. Isa.
SOARES: And Hadas, we did hear, of course, President Biden in the last 24 hours reaffirming of course the importance of the Jewish state and a two-
state solution.
[14:05:00]
But we also know that this administration is not pursuing kind of high- level shuttle diplomacy to try and reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. So, what are the expectations from the Palestinian side when of course, the
president meets with President Abbas tomorrow?
GOLD: Well, listen, on the tarmac yesterday upon landing, President Biden said it pretty explicitly. He said I still believe in a two-state solution,
but he essentially said, I know that it's not going to come in the near future. And I think that's a recognition of also the internal politics
between both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
They both have sort of these calcified political situation, and Israel has a caretaker prime minister, only to go for less than 2 weeks ago, there's
elections in November. And the Palestinian authority, you have President Abbas, there's questions about for how much longer he will be leading the
Palestinian authority. There doesn't seem to be a lot of momentum internally.
And I think the Americans recognize that. For the Palestinians though, they had a lot of hope when President Biden took over from former President
Trump. But they now have what they're starting to see as a long list of disappointments in this administration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD (voice-over): Five years ago on his last visit to the White House, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made a rate venture into
English.
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PRESIDENT, PALESTINE: Now Mr. President, with you, we have hope.
GOLD: Several months later, that hope proved to have been terribly misplaced.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
GOLD: Under Donald Trump, U.S. policy tilted heavily towards Israel. The Palestinian political office in Washington was closed. The American
Consulate in Jerusalem which symbolized U.S.-Palestinian relations also closed. And almost all economic aid to the Palestinians was switched off.
So when Joe Biden won the election, there was great relief among many in the Palestinian community.
But that relief has little to show in terms of action. The Biden administration highlights renewed financing. About half a billion dollars,
mostly on schools, hospitals and other humanitarian aid projects. Further $100 million is set to be announced on this trip, including some money for
Palestinian hospitals in east Jerusalem.
But politically, the White House seems unwilling to pressure Israel over continued expansion of West Bank settlements and weak in the face of
Israel's resistance over plans to reopen the consulate in Jerusalem. Hussein Sheikh is one of Abbas' closest aides.
HUSSEIN AL-SHEIKH, SECRETARY GENERAL, PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (through translator): The U.S. administration has been talking with us about these
issues for more than a year, but nothing has been achieved. Even so, we continue to hope this visit will produce serious outcomes, that it provides
hope and a political horizon.
GOLD: Biden's visit to the West Bank will take him to Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian authority, but to Bethlehem, just a few
miles south of Jerusalem where the president will find it hard to avoid, stark reminders of the conflict.
(on camera): One issue that will likely be staring President Biden right in the face. the killing of Shereen Abu Aqleh. This giant mural of the
"Aljazeera" journalist is right on the road you take as you enter Bethlehem.
(voice-over): For many here, the U.S. response to the death of the Palestinian-American reporter shot dead while covering an Israeli military
operation, has been inadequate. And indicative they believe of the U.S.' unwillingness to force Israel to get serious about peace and bringing an
end to occupation.
LINA ABU AQLEH, NIECE OF SHEREEN ABU AQLEH: Putting an end to this injustice, putting an end to this impunity is important because it sheds
light, because it continues to shed light on the greater picture of what Palestinians continue to endure on daily basis.
GOLD: From the Palestinian perspective, the overwhelming feeling around the president's visit is one of pessimism.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD: And Isa, while there have been -- Isa, while there have been some small confidence-building measures, some gestures from the Israelis, such
as increasing the number of work permits for Palestinians who can come from Gaza to work in Israel, increasing some of the building permits, opening a
new border-crossing. I think that tomorrow's visit, President Biden's visit in the West Bank and his meeting with President Abbas will be very
important to watch the tone, the body language.
I am going to be looking for things like, do they issue their own sort of joint statement, joint declaration, or will there be separate statements?
And I think that will give us a real sense of what the feeling is like in the Palestinian authority towards the Americans. Isa?
SOARES: Hadas Gold for us tonight live from Jerusalem. Thanks very much, Hadas. Well, after his trip to Israel, President Biden will visit Saudi
Arabia for more diplomatic talks. But he hasn't said if he'll bring up the slaying of Jamal Khashoggi with the country's leadership, even though U.S.
Intelligence has determined that senior Saudi officials were responsible for ordering his death. Here's what Mr. Biden said when he was asked about
it today. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: My views on Khashoggi may have been absolutely, positively clear.
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And I have never been quiet about talking about human rights. The question that I am -- the reason that I'm going to Saudi Arabia though, is much
broader. It's to promote U.S. interests, promote U.S. interests in a way that I think we have an opportunity to reassert what I think we made a
mistake of walking away from, our influence in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, during his trip. it's unlikely Mr. Biden will discuss some of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's controversial projects. Our Nic
Robertson takes a look at some of a few.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): President Joe Biden might see this on his way to meeting Saudis leaders. Whole
neighborhoods of the kingdom's historic second city Jeddah erased for modernization or he may see this, thousands upon thousands of new homes
being built on government orders.
(on camera): What's Biden is unlikely to see are the people we met who told us they're unhappy their homes were demolished, but are afraid to
speak out publicly. The housing changes are a fragment of massive reforms authored by the kingdoms leader in waiting, Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, whom Saudi critics outside the country say is failing to deliver.
YAHYA ASSIRI, FOUNDER, ALOST & CO-FOUNDER, NAAS PARTY: It's very clear if there's a big fail with the -- with the vision. Basically because it is a
one man vision.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Yet stroll Jeddah's old streets as we did, and you'll find plenty of fans of the Crown Prince. Abdul Majid(ph) was one of
them, Nabil Abdallah another.
NABIL ABDALLAH, JEDDAH SHOP OWNER: My dream, our children get a good chance. Now, we see this in new vision, 2030.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision 2030 --
ABDALLAH: Yes, I'm with him, I agree with him.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Where generations of his family lived and worked. The Crown Prince's renovations bringing ancient homes back to life.
(on camera): But what happens if he doesn't deliver? He can't deliver?
ABDALLAH: Why do you think negative? We already now see the positive, something happen.
ROBERTSON: Yes --
ABDALLAH: Why isn't that -- if you see, think about negative we cannot go one step.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): But MBS' dreams are big, and could make or break the country. Neon, a futuristic city yet to be built, it's epicenter, and
if the crown prince has his way, it's economic engine for generations to come. Yet, despite several years in the making, developers videos are all
we have. Government permission to shoot there hasn't yet been facilitated.
Grandiose visions of kings are nothing new here. The last King, Abdullah, had his version. I covered it 15 years ago.
NIDAL JAMJOOM, FORMER CEO, EMAAR KAEC: It is going to be half the size of total Bahrain and three times Manhattan.
ROBERTSON: Three times the size of Manhattan?
JAMJOOM: Three times Manhattan, yes.
ROBERTSON: Reality never caught up with imagination. Hundreds of thousands of proposed jobs never materialized.
(on camera): MBS' vision will be the test of him at every level. If there are jobs and a brighter future for most people, then happy days, but if his
reforms falter, even fail, how will he respond? If it's through repression, then his relationship with President Biden and other western leaders could
crumble.
(voice-over): For now, leverages mostly on MBS' side, a pivotal regional power with vital energy supplies at a time of U.S. need.
LINA AL-HATHLOUL, SAUDI ACTIVIST: He managed to basically make the Biden administration back down on all its promises regarding Saudi Arabia and
MBS.
ROBERTSON: Hathloul's sister, a woman's rights activist was freed from Saudi jail, but not the country. Not long after, Biden called for her
release early last year. She fears MBS will read Biden's visit as approval for more arrests.
HATHLOUL: Threats will never stop as MBS is in power. It's about the person he is. And the only thing that could change things is accountability
from the international community.
ROBERTSON: Biden's time in Jeddah will be a harsh reminder, a real politique at its toughest. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Now, Sri Lanka's president has now officially resigned after several days of course, of uncertainty. He e-mailed his resignation letter
to the speaker of parliament after arriving in Singapore. Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country after protesters took over his home as well as
his office.
[14:15:00]
The parliament set to elect a new president next week. But for now, the prime minister is the acting president. Protesters overrun his office as
well in the last few days and set fire to his private residence. They're blaming the government for shortages of food, fuel, electricity as well as
medicine, as the country deals with its worst economic crisis in decades.
I want to bring in "Foreign Policy's" editor-in-chief and CNN's former New Delhi Bureau chief Ravi Agrawal. Ravi, great to have you on the show. So,
President now resigned, a victory no doubt, Ravi, for the protester. But talk us through what happens next.
RAVI AGRAWAL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FOREIGN POLICY: Well, it is a victory, but it's short-lived, in the sense that, you know, Sri Lanka obviously needs to
now, either keep its current new one, acting President Wickremesinghe or it needs to elect a new one, and that could take several weeks.
And compounding all of this, Isa, is the fact that there is the political crisis, but really underpinning all of this. The reason why we are here
right now is the economic crisis. The fact remains that Sri Lanka has no money, no foreign currency left to be able to import the fuel that it does
apparently need to keep buses and trains running, to keep transport going.
It needs to import food and medicines and other supplies, and it simply doesn't have the cash to do so to get that. What it needs to do is to
appeal to lenders such as the IMF, the World Bank, possibly other countries like India and China. And the problem then, we can discuss this, is that
these are the kinds of organizations that only lend when you have political stability.
So, Sri Lanka, it's sort of a chicken and egg crisis --
SOARES: Yes --
AGRAWAL: In that the economic crisis led to the president being toppled, but now that that's happened, they can't get funds.
SOARES: If they can't get funds, they need the political stability, of course. But do we know whether the protesters will accept the PM in that
interim role? I mean, didn't they want him to leave as well?
AGRAWAL: They do. So one of their demands has been that the prime minister, now acting president, also leaves. He's seen as illegitimate for
several reasons. One of them being that the party that he represents only won a single seat in the last elections. But more than that, I think he's
seen as cozy with the Rajapaksa family, which of course has ruled Sri Lanka in various forms over the last decade.
And he's seen as having enabled them. So I think for those reasons, the fact that it was a Rajapaksa who appointed him prime minister in the first
place, that means that likely the protesters will not take his remaining as president for too much longer.
SOARES: There has been some talk, Ravi, of a new unity government. How likely is this to happen? Importantly, will the public accept what they
come up with here?
AGRAWAL: Well, it depends on what constitutes such a unity government. So, the way politics works in Sri Lanka is that the parliament, which is
composed of elected parliamentarians, they could get together in the coming weeks to try and propose a new president, to elect a new president and also
a new prime minister.
Now, it depends, obviously, who they would like to do the composition of the parliament as such that, it is composed mostly of Rajapaksa's party.
So, this is a problem that goes back years to the last election and several ones before that. All of that said, these parliamentarians must know that
the protesters are angry, they will stop at nothing.
The fact that despite a curfew, they were able to go in and burn the personal residences of the president, of the prime minister, shows that
they're not going to rest, and they've warned that even though they've stepped back for now, it will be fairly easy for them to come together
again. So, I think that hangs over the parliament, and in some senses, we'll keep them honest and will also keep them looking at the interests and
the demands of the protesters.
SOARES: Yes, it is very clear that they want a clean slate. We shall see, of course, how the next few days unfold. Ravi Agrawal, always great to see
you. Thanks, Ravi. Well, from one country in political turmoil to another, Italy's government has now been thrust into uncertainty. Just in the last
hour, in fact, Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced his intention to resign.
But now, the country's president is rejecting that. It all came after Mr. Draghi's government won a confidence vote, that was boycotted by his own
coalition partners in the five-star movement. In a statement, Mr. Draghi said that the national unity that backed his government, quote, "is no
longer there". Barbie Nadeau who frequently reports on Italy for us joins us now on the phone. So Barbie, what happens next?
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (via telephone): Well, you know, it's anything goes at this point. You know, Italian politics are always a little
bit shaky, especially when you're coming up to an election. Italy has an election --
SOARES: Yes --
NADEAU: In May of 2023. So Draghi is supposed to work with the puzzle pieces that were basically determined in the last election, 2018. What he's
got to do is try to find a way to govern going forward.
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You know, Mattarella; the president of Italy did not accept his resignation, and instead, he's asked him to try to find a way to keep this
government going. We've seen these sort of crisis in the heights of Summer. You know, there are lots of factors at play here in Italy right now that
don't reflect the last election. So what you've got is a prime minister, an acting prime minister, a technocrat, if you will, having to work with
really what wasn't the vote of the people, the Italian people.
And certainly now, the situation that was in place in 2018, so what I think we're going to see is a lot of uncertainty coming forward. By Wednesday,
we're supposed to have some sort of a provisional government in place with all the players and what Draghi can try to do going forward. But it remains
to be seen if that is even going to be able to take him into the rest of the Summer, let alone to the election which is going to be held in May,
2023. Isa.
SOARES: And Barbie, clearly, the president Mattarella believes that perhaps Mario Draghi can still patch things up. But talk us -- explain why
they have lost the support of a coalition partner. What kind of a disagreement is at play here?
NADEAU: Well, I think it's most important to understand that it's a five- star movement, which was, you know, very much a protest movement --
SOARES: Yes --
NADEAU: When the party was elected back in 2018 has evolved greatly. And the prime minister who was brought in through the pandemic, Giuseppe Conte
was -- is very much spearheading this revolt, if you want to call it that from Draghi's coalition. So, you've got a lot of factors at play. There's a
lot of internal politics, so easily in Italy, these deals are made in the back room, they're not made in the voters -- you know, the ballot box by
any means.
But what you've got is a lot of anger and uncertainty. You've got an economy spiraling, you've got, you know, war next door, you've got a lot of
people who have just not recovered from the pandemic. You've got numbers of COVID cases driving, people are afraid. The thing that puts Draghi at an
advantage, he's very much a eurocrat. Of course, he was the head of --
SOARES: Right --
NADEAU: The European Central Bank for many years. He's the one who everyone thinks can save Italy. The problem is, of course, he wasn't
elected, has never stood for election in this country. So, it's really hard to understand how he's going to be able to bring this country forward and
bring it to what it needs to be.
No one necessarily thinks anyone else can do it, and there's not even a name being quoted around other than Draghi to take the country forward. So,
it's more of a case of not, you know, not necessarily -- is he the best man for the job or is he the only one who's actually --
SOARES: Yes --
NADEAU: Willing to take it on right now. Isa?
SOARES: Yes, and explains given what we are seeing, you know, an energy crunch of call, fears of recession, high inflation, and also like you
mentioned, war in Ukraine. Stability is of the utmost importance right now. Barbie Nadeau, I know you'll stay on top of. Appreciate it, Barbie. Now,
still to come on the show, a brutal Russian attack on a Ukrainian city far from the front lines. We're live in Kyiv with the very latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls it an act of Russian terror against an ordinary, peaceful city. Cruise missiles slammed into
Vinnytsia today hundreds of kilometers from the front lines. Police say at least 23 people were killed, but that number could rise as many others are
still missing. Our Scott McLean is following the developments for us from Kyiv this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Air raid sirens went off in central Ukraine this morning. They could be heard here in Kyiv as well,
that has not been a common sound as of late. Turns out the target was the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, nowhere near the front lines. Local
officials say that three missiles hit the city and struck an office building, as well as damaging two residential apartment buildings nearby.
Officials say that there are multiple people who have been killed, including a young child. The Ukrainian foreign minister was quick to call
this a war crime. And this comes after a period of relative calm for Ukrainian cities that are far from the front lines in the central and
western parts of the country.
President Zelenskyy has long called on western allies to help his country beef up the air defense systems to prevent this kind of attack from taking
place in the future. Scott McLean, CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, Ukraine says the southern city of Mykolaiv has come under massive attack yet again. This video shows the devastating moment a missile
slammed into a school. Other targets includes a hotel and trolley bus depot. A regional official says at least one person was wounded. In the
Donetsk region, a separatist leader says more than a 100 Azov fighters will be put on trial.
They are among the defenders, if you remember, of the Azovstal Steel plant in Mariupol, the final resistance in that city before the city fell to
Russian forces. And at The Hague today, dozens of countries agreed to coordinate investigations into possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine. And
still to come on the show tonight, a closer look at U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Israel and his hope for a diplomatic deal with Iran that
will prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.
And then later in the hour, ready for Rishi. Conservative lawmakers in the U.K. throw their support behind former Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the race
to become Britain's next prime minister. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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SOARES: Welcome to the show, everyone. If you are just joining us, we will bring you up to date with our top story this hour.
U.S. President, Joe Biden, said in Jerusalem today that diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But Israel's
caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid, said it must know that the world will use force to stop its nuclear program.
CNN White House correspondent, Jeremy Diamond, is live for us in Jerusalem.
And Jeremy, so what we have here, two leaders with very different views of how to approach Iran. President Biden's we laid out, still adamant that
diplomacy is the best avenue; whereas Israel said words will not stop them. So talk us through what was said and what was agreed on today.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, it was interesting because, in some ways, they were on the same page as it relates
to preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.
President Biden, making very clear that he will not allow that to happen and he suggested in an interview yesterday that he would even be willing to
employ military options as a last resort to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
At the same time, President Biden also defended the diplomacy that his administration has been engaged in now for months, to try to get Iran back
into compliance with that 2015 nuclear agreement.
On that end, they are on very different pages. The Israeli prime minister, in fact, during this joint press conference, urged President Biden to adopt
a more muscular approach, saying very clearly that words and diplomacy will not work.
The only thing that will work, he said, was a credible military threat.
But President Biden also made clear that, even as he is willing to continue engaging in the diplomacy, his timeline is not forever. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We mean what we say. To have an opportunity to accept this agreement that has been laid down, if
they don't we made it absolutely clear, we will not, we say it again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: And you hear the president there making clear that there is a deal right now on the table for Iran to accept.
But all of our reporting over recent weeks has indicated that these two parties have not yet come to an agreement. And talks have really stalled.
So it remains to be seen how long the president is willing to wait to allow the diplomacy to try and work.
He would not lay out a clear and direct timetable when pressed today. And again, you have the Israelis here, who have signaled for quite some time
now that they are more willing to employ military options to prevent Iran from acquiring that nuclear weapon.
SOARES: And in the meantime, Jeremy, all eyes no doubt will turn to tomorrow when President Biden is traveling to Saudi Arabia, where he is due
to meet Mohammed bin Salman.
Do we know, Jeremy, whether the president will bring up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi?
DIAMOND: Well, the president was asked a question directly today, specifically whether he would bring up the murder of the journalist Jamal
Khashoggi with the Saudi crown prince, who, of course, the CIA has alleged that he was responsible for ordering that killing.
President Biden did not directly answer the question, saying only that he always raises human rights and he would raise human rights in his meetings
with these top Saudi officials.
He also said that his position on the murder of that journalist is very clear. But he would not go so far as to say or to promise that he would
raise the issue of Jamal Khashoggi murder with the Saudi crown prince.
SOARES: Thanks very much, Jeremy.
Jeremy Diamond there live for us in Jerusalem.
We want to turn now to news from right here in U.K., in fact, in a major update on who could potentially be the next British prime minister. Former
chancellor, Rishi Sunak, meets the race to become the new leader of the Conservative Party on the latest round of voting.
You can see every day, it kind of gets whittled down. He got 101 ballots, almost 20 votes more than his closest rival, trade minister Penny Mordaunt.
Also in the running, foreign secretary, Liz Truss, you can see there in third.
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat. Bianca Nobilo is here with more.
And then there were five, Bianca. This is, you know, we are getting through this very quickly. Look, let's talk about what happened today. We saw
Suella Braverman, she's out. She got 23 votes, right?
Do we know where those votes are going to go next?
Because that could change the picture of what the next voting round, Monday, is expected to imply.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and that's all important now because we are in the tactical voting stage. There's a lot of
skulduggery happening behind the scenes. So Braverman was firmly on the right of the Conservative Party.
She called herself the most and only authentic Brexiteer in this race. So Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch are the two other candidates who are considered
to be on the right of the party in this race.
We would expect her votes to be distributed between the two of them. And that's at an interesting point, because Liz Truss has a lot more
experience. She's an established name and often a favorite amongst Conservative Party members.
But Kemi Badenoch is really surprised. She's been more successful than people would necessarily have expected. And having that momentum and having
that -- not having any expectations about your performance can be a really precious quantity in the leadership ballot.
SOARES: What do they like about her?
What attracts Kemi to the party, what is it?
NOBILO: She's straight talking, she's charismatic, so she was one of the MPs leading Boris Johnson's war on woke that really appeals to the right of
the Conservative Party.
She's said all the right things on the main issues. And because Liz Truss is more of a known quantity and she's had her gaffes in the past, Kemi
Badenoch, even though she's got experience in government, she's starting with less tarnish and more of a clean slate.
SOARES: Penny, if we bring up the card for Penny Mordaunt, Penny has done particularly well and she's an unknown character figure, personality in the
U.K., isn't she?
But what is it about Penny that so many MPs have spoken to when I was in the green outside the houses of Parliament kept mentioning her name?
NOBILO: Yes, she's really crept in from the outside. Actually today with the results we've had, even though Sunak's predictably the established --
(CROSSTALK)
NOBILO: -- mopping up Jeremy Hunt's votes, you know, he's well in the lead. But she's closing the gap. And this was unexpected. So Penny Mordaunt
is somebody, she was the first female Secretary of State for Defence ever in the United Kingdom.
Not for very long because when Boris Johnson took over from Theresa May, he fired her because she didn't support him. She supported Jeremy Hunt, which
is one of the reasons that it's a bit of a blow that Jeremy Hunt chose not to support Penny Mordaunt when he dropped out of his race, because you may
have expected that.
She has a family from a military background. She's had some military experience herself, not on the front lines. You know, she's somebody who's
devoted to politics. She keeps underscoring her commitment to public service.
I think the arguments she makes are less strong than Tom Tugendhat, for example, who has actually served on the front line and, as you said, you,
know he's invaded countries for Britain and putting for himself at risk for the country.
In terms of what people like about her, I, mean I feel often like the Conservative Party's always looking to revive the ghost of Margaret
Thatcher. And that's one of the reasons that Liz Truss is very popular and she certainly encourages those comparisons.
That could be said a little for Penny Mordaunt as well. But it's the idea of, you know, bringing some optimism, a departure from Boris Johnson but
not alienating his supporters, either.
SOARES: And she is, she definitely has momentum, as we've seen with the voters, as you are looking now on the screen. But she's also almost a fresh
start in many ways.
Is she?
To viewers, to the public, she would be.
(CROSSTALK)
NOBILO: Certainly and that is something which often does well with electorates, actually that's Tom Tugendhat's slogan, is a clean start. This
is where candidates have to walk the tightrope, because they need to show that they are going to be something different, that can win elections and
try to move away from all the PR damage that Boris Johnson's government did.
But equally, there a lot of people who still support Boris Johnson, so they have to keep those onside as well. The issue that Penny Mordaunt has now
is, because she is considered to be the one to beat, because she's the candidate that does the best with members, all of the firepower of the, you
know, research, the digging up the dirt, of the criticism, is now being directed at her from all the other camps.
So she's now under fire.
The question is, how is she going to handle that?
Something which would be fascinating to see is the two debates that are going to come up. TV debates on Sunday and Monday with these leadership
candidates.
SOARES: Vicky (ph), let's bring up the graphic for -- just as a final point that I want to make, I mean, it's interesting. Looking at this, we
have, you know, three women, right?
One white man, which is quite something as well. But if you are a betting woman, what would you say would be the final two?
Because Liz Truss could get the points, like you said, in the next round.
But is Penny a threat to Liz here?
Do you see, if it's a Rishi-Liz final, who do you think will get it?
Or do you think it's a Penny-Rishi?
[14:40:00]
NOBILO: So the perceived wisdom is that Rishi Sunak will definitely make the final two. It would be a real shock if he didn't.
(CROSSTALK)
NOBILO: He's the establishment candidate and he has more experience, even though a lot are not happy with the fact they feel like he's backstabbed
Boris Johnson.
Penny Mordaunt is currently the other favorite. And that's also because she's polling the best with the members who will ultimately elect this
person. So MPs piling in behind her because they think, if she gets to the final two, she's going to win when it goes to the membership.
Where we need to keep an eye out for Liz Truss is the fact that she's gained momentum after her campaign launch yesterday. And she's the one most
likely to mop up the votes, if Kemi Badenoch is knocked out because they come from the same wing of the party, which could put her neck and neck
with Penny Mordaunt.
Tom Tugendhat trailing behind. He's an interesting candidate because he comes from that one nation left part of the party and he would've reframed
the debate and what was discussed on the issues in play.
SOARES: Look, it's definitely heating up, that's for sure. And we love a bit of political skulduggery --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: -- it's the best. Thanks very much.
Now police in Ohio have arrested a man accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl, who later had to cross state lines for an abortion.
Gershon Fuentes has confessed and is now charged with felony rape of a minor under 13.
The victim was forced to travel to Indiana to terminate the pregnancy after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Ohio's six-week abortion ban took
effect. CNN's Jean Casarez is standing by in New York for more.
And Jean, this is a horrific story that really needs to be told. Talk us through what we know here.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are so many aspects to this. First of all, let me just tell you what the law is currently in Ohio. Since after
the Supreme Court made its ruling, you can have an abortion in Ohio up to six weeks. And the OB-GYN that helped facilitate the procedure in Indiana
told CNN that she was six weeks and three days pregnant.
So we don't know how that was determined and how it was determined she would go to Indiana. But the facts at this point are that the rape -- and I
will say alleged rape, because, even though he has confessed, he hasn't been convicted -- it was May 12th, according to the complaint.
And following that, on June 22nd, the police get a report that there has been this child rape. They file -- they generate a police report. Then on
June 30th, she travels to Indiana to have that procedure done.
And then on July 6th, so not until July 6th, they actually take the DNA from this young 10 year old and the 10-year old herself confirms that
Fuentes is the perpetrator of it.
So then it was just this Tuesday, so we are talking a couple days ago, they got finally the DNA of Fuentes. And Fuentes went to the police station
after that. He waived his rights and he confessed, according to testimony from the arraignment yesterday, that he did rape her, quote, "on at least
two occasions."
So when you look at that terminology right there on "at least," meaning there could be more, and two occasions meaning different times, so I don't
think we even begin to know the breadth of this.
And also, they said in court yesterday that they were actually testing right now his DNA, forensically, so that there would be a confirmation of
his confession.
SOARES: Just horrific what this 10 year old has gone through. Jean Casarez, thank you so much, appreciate it.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
SOARES: We will have more news after this short break.
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[14:45:00]
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SOARES: Well, as temperatures soar here in Europe, things are getting heated in other ways, too. In a stunning rebuke, Emirates airline is
blasting Heathrow airport for, quote, "incompetence" over its plan to handle the surging holiday makers. The London airport wants to limit daily
passengers to 100,000 until September as it struggles with staff shortages and a fierce new demand for travel.
Anna Stewart is here with more.
And Anna, this is quite embarrassing for Heathrow.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, it's embarrassing for Heathrow but it's essentially a slinging match at this stage between the airport and
airline.
So early this week, Heathrow Airport said, we need to get capacity down, departing passengers, they were hoping the airline would help them cancel
around 4,000 passengers each day. They wanted the airlines to go ahead and do this.
Not only is emirates saying they're absolutely not doing that, that was the last line of an incredibly long statement that was stinging, essentially
calling Heathrow airport incompetent, saying a cavalier attitude toward customers, including airlines and travelers.
And they said this.
"London Heathrow chose not to act, not to plan, not to invest. Now faced with an airmageddon situation due to their incompetence and non action,
they are pushing the entire burden of costs and the scramble to sort out the mess to airlines and travelers."
Heathrow, in response to that today, saying they had absolutely no choice. They say they asked airlines to help them before now and no help was
forthcoming.
SOARES: Can Heathrow enforce this, though?
STEWART: At this stage, they said they weren't going to enforce the capacity part. They said they were going to ask airlines to do it. However,
today in the Emirate statement, they said they are facing a threat of legal action, which certainly suggests that they are having some sort of
(INAUDIBLE).
We have no response from Heathrow on this line. At the end of the day, airports cancel flights if they cannot cope with the burden, if there are
safety issues, if there are not enough people to help planes get away. Then, of course, they can cancel flights.
But I guess at this stage, they would rather do that before time rather that letting people get to the airport and canceling flights --
SOARES: -- because that's what we've been seeing, that's what we've been hearing.
Doesn't Emirates have a point, though?
They had time to prepare.
Where has Heathrow gone wrong here?
STEWART: So in terms of Heathrow, they have said, we, like many airports and airlines, face a shortage in labor. And of course, we do see this
across the world right now, particularly in Europe.
But Heathrow, particularly with ground handling, they say they are at around 70 percent of capacity there. That is actually the responsibility of
airlines as well for ground handling. That's why baggage is such an issue at Heathrow.
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: -- the mountains of baggage there. So they are saying it's a staffing issue but they tried to agree. They said they started in November
last year but airlines clearly think they did not do enough.
SOARES: All right, Anna Stewart, I know you will stay on top of this. Appreciate it, thanks, Anna.
And still to come tonight, a heat wave has large parts of Portugal and Spain worried about wildfires. We have a live report from Lisbon just
ahead.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
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SOARES: Now more than 1,000 firefighters in Portugal are battling blazes right across the country. These fires are burning as the country endures a
heat wave. Eight Portuguese districts have been placed under a red weather warning.
Spain is also trying to cope with fires, as well as the extreme heat. This fire in Western Spain forced hundreds of people from their homes. We will
have a quick look at the forecast, what they're expecting for the region.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SOARES: I want to go now to Lisbon, where CNN producer Vasco Cotovio joins us now.
And Vasco, you've heard what Jennifer was saying, the highest temperature recorded in Portugal was 47.4 degrees Celsius. Talk us through what has
been happening.
[14:55:00]
SOARES: And whether things have gotten any better because there's a red alert in the country.
VASCO COTOVIO, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, as Jennifer was saying, temperatures are slowly coming down. They have come down in the past 24 hours, compared to
what we saw Wednesday and Tuesday.
But officials here actually say these are actually the most dangerous 24 hours for the country. The prime minister, making that announcement today.
And that's because we are going to be seeing low humidity and rising winds from the east.
And that has the potential to spring up additional forest fires. Currently, Portugal battling 24 of these blazes across the country. That's more than
2,400 firefighters stationed across the country, supported by around 700 vehicles and 30 aircraft, just to give you a sense of the scale, of the
magnitude of these fires across the country.
This is a very small country by comparison to others in Europe. So officials here are optimistic that things will become better in the coming
days, as Jennifer was saying.
But the fact that Portugal has had these high temperatures, this dry weather for the past week or so, means that people can't relax. People
can't just let go. They have to stay alert. And the prime minister also announcing that the state of alert is going to continue to Sunday,
tomorrow, for at least five districts of the country on red alert still.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Appreciate it.
COTOVIO: High temperatures expected in the coming days as well.
SOARES: Yes. Vasco Cotovio in Portugal and Lisbon, thanks very much, Vasco.
That does it for me tonight. Please stay right here, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.
END
