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Isa Soares Tonight
Ukraine Denies Involvement In Darya Dugina's Death; Zelenskyy Warns Of Attacks Ahead Of Independence Day; Texas Sends Record Number Of Migrants To New York City; Pope Expresses Concern Over Tensions & Calls For Dialogue; Beijing Suspends Some Fish & Fruit Imports From Taiwan; Workers Clearing Unexploded Mines And Shells From Ukraine. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 22, 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, let's get straight to our top story.
Ukraine is denying any involvement in a car explosion near Moscow which killed the daughter of an influential Russian ideologue.
Now, it comes after Russia's federal security service said that Saturday's attack on Darya Dugina was prepared by Ukraine's special services, and that
it was carried out by a Ukrainian woman who arrived in Russia last month. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has been following the developments for us. He
joins me now live from Moscow.
So, Fred, give us an idea first of all who Darya Dugina was, and critically what role her father played in kind of Putin's circle here.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Darya Dugina really was a commentator who was up and coming in her own right. I
mean, she was definitely very prominent on Russian television in Russian media circles, and certainly, someone who was gaining in influence.
But definitely, also someone who was tied to her father ideologically also as well. Also calling for Russian expansionism, also very much hailing
Russia's special military operation in Ukraine just like Alexander Dugin still does as well. Alexander Dugin is one of those figures, he's been
around for a very long time.
He's promulgated -- propagated this Russian expansionism, he is someone who is, you know, friends with the folks who -- in the Donetsk People's
Republic, for instance, are running the show there, and are essentially running Russia's special military operation there.
So he's definitely someone who has a lot of influence. One of the things, though, you know, that we hear a lot in -- from international commentary,
is that people believe he has lot lots of influence also over Vladimir Putin. That might be overstating it a little bit, he's certainly someone
who would have been heard by Vladimir Putin, but I would say the influence might be a little less than some people might think.
But definitely, someone who is on Russian media very frequently, who definitely is in the higher circles of the Russian media elite and is also
heard in politics as well.
SOARES: Fred Pleitgen there for us in Moscow this hour, thanks very much, Fred, appreciate it. Well, Ukraine was already on edge as it gets ready to
mark its independence day this week, fearing Russia could use the occasion to escalate attacks. Well, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning that
Moscow could be planning something, quote, "particularly nasty and cruel", his words.
He's urging Ukrainians to resist what he calls enemy provocation. Ukraine has canceled independence day rallies in Kyiv as a precaution. Let's go now
to CNN's David McKenzie who joins me now tonight from Kyiv. So, David, Russia has been quick to point the finger-blame at Ukraine. What is Ukraine
saying about these accusations?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, they've very swiftly denied all accusations, and in fact, in one case, calling it a
work of fiction. You've had the defense Intelligence, the National Guard, senior official also telling CNN very quickly and in a sustained way, that
they had absolutely nothing to do with this car bomb, apparently on the outskirts of Moscow.
So, they are very much denying there was any involvement from Ukraine. But it does play into the overall heightened sense of alert, I think, here in
the capital and in several major cities across the nation as they prepare for this important anniversary.
SOARES: Yes, and then -- and I think the anniversary is on Wednesday, 31 years of course, since Ukraine's independence, we're also marking six
months of this war in Ukraine. How -- what would normally happen on independence day in Ukraine, David?
MCKENZIE: Well, it's a very significant event. As you say, more than three decades after gaining independence from the then Soviet Union, it would be
several days of celebration normally. A public holiday, there's the raising the flag day or a flag day, and then the actual independence day which
would be military parade, civilian parades.
None of that is happening. They did in downtown Kyiv place burnt-out Russian tanks and armored vehicles in a parade formation in an ironic move,
certainly, that has drawn crowds over the last few days to check that out. But in the next few days, they are banning large gatherings,
commemorations, they are suggesting or telling local officials to not go in to their work, except for the very essential workers.
And it's not just in Kyiv, several major city centers have made similar announcements in the northeast in Kharkiv, and they have installed or will
install a 36-hour curfew over the period leading up and following this independence day celebration. So there is a sense of alertness, there has
been specific warnings of missile strikes, even alluding to decision-making centers here in the capital.
[14:05:00]
And this capital, Kyiv, has been pretty free from strikes of Russian forces for many weeks now. But you do get a sense that people are alert, if not
necessarily on edge for any eventuality. Isa?
SOARES: David McKenzie there for us in Kyiv tonight, thanks very much, David, appreciate it. Well, let's get more now about the car bombing near
Moscow that Russia is blaming on Ukraine as you heard David there. We're joined by Max Seddon, a Moscow correspondent for the "Financial Times",
he's currently in Riga, Latvia. Max, great to have you on the show.
Look, let me start with what we heard from the Russians. They've been very quick, it seems, to point the finger at Ukraine. Very quick, in fact, in
wrapping up this whole investigation completed within days. So, what stands out to you?
MAX SEDDON, MOSCOW CORRESPONDENT, FINANCIAL TIMES: Well, honestly, the whole thing really just beggar's belief because if you believe the FSB's
version of events, the FSB themselves, you know, who controlled Russia's borders, they let in the Ukrainian woman they're accusing of this attack,
who is a service woman in Ukraine's National Guard.
They let her into the country, surveilled her and then let her out of the country after she had supposedly carried out this car bombing. So, I think
we are unlikely -- you know, unless you're the sort of person who trusts the sort of things you hear from the FSB to get any kind of a full version
of what happened.
What's significant is tracking the way that Russia is using this attack, and this is certainly, I think a lot of ammunition to the people in the
sort of circles that Alexander and Darya Dugina are in, in Moscow, who are saying that what Russia has been doing to Ukraine isn't enough, and they
should step up their invasion and assault even more than they already have, as if, you know, they haven't done enough.
SOARES: I mean, talk to us about that circle that Dugina operated in, obviously. You know, and the -- what you're hinting at the potential use of
this as propaganda, really.
SEDDON: So where people like the Dugins are useful to the Kremlin. Alexander Dugin, her father, have been saying these imperial, revengous
things, about how Russia needed to destroy Ukraine, rule a greater Eurasia for many decades. And these ideas that came to permeate the mainstream,
they have to see -- they seem to have some sort of indirect influence on Putin.
But today was the first time that Putin ever mentioned Dugin's name. And what's happened is, you're seeing a lot of people like say, Yateda
Rushde(ph) and Margarita Simonyan has been saying, oh, you know, we haven't been going far enough, we need to be hitting downtown Kyiv, we need to be
hitting the decision-making centers which are heavily-populated areas like where the Ukrainian presidential offices, where the Ukrainian Secret
Services are.
And to not -- at the stage where, you know, the war is heading into a stalemate phase, there are you know, supposedly, some people in the elite
circles in Russia who would think that this might be a good time to wind the invasion down. This is very much giving ammunition to a hard-line
constituency who want Putin to go even further than he already has.
And the fact that, he issued this public telegram to Darya Dugina's parents, that he just a few minutes ago, he gave her the order of courage,
one of the highest state orders in Russia. Posthumously, it indicates that Russia is very much going to exploit this in this war against Ukraine.
SOARES: And in fact, her father actually made a statement, I think we can bring it up, he put out a statement earlier today. And what he said was,
"but we are people, cannot be broken even by such unbearable blows. Our hearts yearn for more than just revenge or retribution, it's too small, not
the Russian way."
I mean, this is Alexander Dugin. I mean -- and he goes on, "we only need our victory. My daughter laid her maiden life on her altar. So win,
please." I mean, this is really concerning, isn't it? As we head off of course to the 31 years since Ukraine's independence, six-month mark since
the war in Ukraine. How is Putin likely to escalate this war further, do you think, Max, here, or to retaliate here?
SEDDON: Oh, as I said earlier, you know, there are some people in Russia you might think, you know, it's been six months, we've destroyed this
country enough, you know, we can kind of be done here and cut our losses. There is every indication, and if you look at what Putin has been saying
for the past several months.
And his last public appearance just last week, he said it again, that Russia wants to carry out its goals names in full in Ukraine. Which
essentially amounts to destroying Ukraine as we know and now. And there's absolutely no indication that Putin has any idea of stopping. If anything,
this is ammunition for him to go further, because this is the first real blow-back that there's been for the war in Moscow.
You know, despite the sanctions, the international isolation, life for the pro war elite in Moscow, the sort of circles that Darya Dugina was in, has
largely gone on as normal. There is no more McDonald's, there's no more H&M, that -- by and large, things are pretty -- have been pretty much the
same for them. This has completely shattered that.
[14:10:00]
And it really gives a --
SOARES: Yes --
SEDDON: A lot of fuel to the argument in nationalist circles that Russia has not just to -- you know, be satisfied with the damage it's already
done, but to really -- you know, what Dugin said, it's like his daughter was sacrificed on the altar of wiping Ukraine off the map. And that was a
really chilling statement to be put out.
SOARES: Yes, I mean, the FSB, as we've outlined here has been blaming, of course, the Ukrainians. But really, what does -- what does Ukraine get out
of this? What would be really the motivation for this attack if we just go through that line of thought here, Max?
SEDDON: Well, on the one hand, Ukraine has been, as far as we can tell, making quite a lot of successful attacks behind enemy lines in Kherson,
which is like by Russia in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 into mainland Russia. But this deviates quite a lot of what they've been doing.
Because there's been a pretty consistent pattern of not targeting, you know, anyone with attacks like this. It's either been attacks on military
infrastructure or there have been assassination attempts against occupation officials. You know, this is someone who, by comparison, even if you're
talking about Dugin, the father himself, was he the real target?
He's far less important than the military targets they've been going after. That's not to say that Ukraine would necessarily do it, and that you do
have the sort of odd joker in the mix of this former Russian politician now living in Ukraine, who says that he's in touch with these Russian partisans
who claimed they did the car-bombing even though there's no evidence so far that they actually exist.
But for Ukraine, it's still a bit out of their MO. If they were to do --
SOARES: Yes --
SEDDON: This, and the FSB --
SOARES: Yes --
SEDDON: Said, that this was a remote detonated bomb, this was done by professionals, then that would, you know, show that they have capabilities
that we didn't know they had, to do something that, you know, close to Moscow. And it would show that their objectives have changed quite a lot,
too. And that will be very different from what we've seen before from them.
SOARES: Yes, and I mean, one thing is certain, it has definitely brought the war closer to -- closer to home, obviously, to Russia. But it does beg
the question whether what Ukraine would get out of it. Because it's anything like you clearly stated, Max, it's kind of rallying the support
behind President Putin.
Max, always great to get your insight. Appreciate it. Thanks, Max.
SEDDON: Thank you.
SOARES: Well, Ukraine is accusing Russia of renewed shelling attacks around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Those attacks are adding to the
urgent demands of western leaders who want Independent inspectors allowed into the Russian-occupied facility as soon as possible.
Russia's parliament says it will hold a special meeting on Thursday, that will be on the issue, and the French government had said Vladimir Putin is
agreeable to letting the International Atomic Energy Agency into the facility. The head of the IAEA spoke to CNN just a short time ago. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: The mere fact that there is active conflict, there's shelling taking place
there, potentially affecting not only the installations themselves, but also a number of servicing activities, including the supply of energy,
electricity to service the plant, and thereby cool the reactors and provide a number of indispensable functions that are dependent on the whole system
working normally. And there is nothing normal in the middle of a war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Rafael Grossi there. Well, still to come tonight, the migrant crisis in the U.S. A Texan governor doubles down on sending migrants
entering his state to New York City. And roads turned into rivers. What happens when an area ravaged by drought gets several months worth of
rainfall in just one day. And then, later this hour, royals on the move. William and Kate set to relocate from London to the country to give their
children a normal family life. Max Foster will join me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:15:00]
SOARES: U.S. Immigration officials in the Florida Keys said they took 41 Cuban migrants into custody this weekend. Some of the migrants arrived on
makeshift boats, one man reached the shore with an inflatable kayak. The U.S. coast guard says it stopped more than 4,400 Cubans so far this year.
That is a record ever since the Obama administration ended the Wet Foot, Dry Foot policy back in early 2017. And at least, 140 asylum seekers
arrived in New York City on Sunday from Texas. The mayor's office says it's the largest single-day arrival ever since Texas Governor Greg Abbott,
pledged to send migrants to Democrat-led cities.
CNN's Polo Sandoval is standing by in New York. And Polo, no doubt, these asylum seekers will be caught in a tug of war really between Republicans
and Democrats here over this -- over their immigration policy.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, good to be with you. They really have become the face of this back and forth between Texas' Republican
governor and city leadership in blue cities like in Washington D.C. and in New York. Those 140, they are really just the latest. And those statistics
are expected to continue to rise here, though.
Hundred and forty, added to the close to 1,000 asylum seekers that have been bused here to New York City from Texas in the last 3 weeks or so. That
1,000 added to nearly 6,000 that New York City officials have had to shelter in the city's network of shelter facilities for the last several
months.
And we've also seen in Washington D.C. since Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott announces his plan to bus migrants to blue cities in Washington D.C.
and other 7,000 that have been bused here since April. What's important to -- there's an important distinction here, is to compare to maybe what we've
seen along the southern border, and that a majority of them, according to these nonprofits that I'm in contact with, that are assisting these
migrants as they stepped off the bus.
Majority of them are from South America, mainly, Venezuela. And what's different here is because, for obvious reasons here, they don't have
consular services to rely on while in the United States. And so that's why they really have been leaning on those nonprofit groups, to try to give
them some kind of orientation, and a sense of what may be next as they continue with their fight to secure asylum in the United States.
But again, Isa, these numbers do continue to rise. New York City officials insisting that they will not only continue to find housing for them, but
even an education for the youngest of the asylum seekers as school officials here in New York City promised that, at least, 1,000 of the
expected students, expected to enroll in just a couple of weeks for the first day of school, that they will have a seat come the first day of
school in September. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, I mean, I was going to ask you, Polo, what kind of challenges really this poses for --
SANDOVAL: Yes --
SOARES: New York City services, whether they can cope.
SANDOVAL: Housing alone, that is one of the biggest challenges that we've been following already for several weeks now. Not only because of a
homeless crisis, but also an eviction situation that we've continued to see here in New York City. Now, you have thousands of migrants that are
basically stretching the resources of the city.
SOARES: Yes --
SANDOVAL: And it is why they're calling on the Biden administration to step in and provide assistance. They insist here in New York, at least,
that this is still the city of immigrants, and they will welcome these, but they simply want more support and coordination.
[14:20:00]
And back to the issue of the education bid, again, we heard from New York City education officials on Friday roll out this plan called Open Arms, a
program that is meant to make sure that these migrants and these children feel welcome and safe in the classroom. But in a climate where schools are
under-staffed, it's certainly not -- it's certainly going to be easier said than done.
SOARES: Polo Sandoval there for us in New York, great to see you, Polo, thank you.
SANDOVAL: Thank you, Isa.
SOARES: Thirteen million people in Texas and Louisiana are being threatened by flash floods today. Forecasters say Dallas, Texas, got an
entire Summers worth of rain -- get this, in less than 24 hours. Cars and trucks were swept away by the flash floods, but so far, luckily, no deaths
have been reported.
They are referring to it as a climate whiplash, as the torrential rains come on the back of months, of course of extreme drought. CNN's Ed
Lavandera joins me now from Dallas. And Ed, give us a sense of what you've been seeing, just how treacherous has it been, and it's still raining, I
can see.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that description of whiplash is so dead on, because for months and months, this
is an area of the United States that has been dealing with extreme drought. No significant rainfall in quite some time. And then all of a sudden, in
the last 24 hours, we have seen a downpour unlike any other.
And this is what the city of Dallas, Texas, is dealing with now. There is a little bit of slew of good news at this hour, is that the floodwater seem
to be receding because the torrential downpours have let up. But this is one home here in southeast Dallas, and you can see, might be hard to make
out on the television screen there.
But you can see the high level water mark just up on the brick of the side of that house, probably 3 to 4 feet, about a meter or so. Same thing over
here, this house just across the street on their driveway leading into the house, you can see the water mark there on the brick line as well.
So, this is the kind of thing that so many people here in this city have been dealing with this morning, and in the overnight hours as you
mentioned, the same amount of rainfall that we would normally get in an entire Summer here in this part of Texas, has fallen in less than 24 hours.
It is a staggering amount of rainfall, and as you can imagine, it has wreaked havoc all over the city. Hundreds of car accidents, more than a 100
different water rescues, and water incidents all across the city. First responders urging people to stay off the roadways that they don't have to
be on the roadways at this hour. And it has just continued to rain.
This is the lightest rain that we have seen throughout the morning and the overnight hours. So if it continues to let up, that is going to give the
floodwaters a chance to recede, probably rather quickly. But flood warnings have been in effect throughout the course of the day, and many of the
first responders that we're hearing from today are saying people have simply just been caught by surprise at the rapid -- the rapidness of these
floodwaters and how quickly the waters came up in certain areas of the city in the area here in north Texas.
SOARES: And Ed, we could see that line, I could tell that the water has been -- have been receding. But I mean, the flood warnings, how long are
they expected to last for, Ed?
LAVANDERA: Well, right now, we have probably another couple of hours or so. The problem is that, as soon as we kind of get close to the end of one
of the warnings, they've been extending it and extending it, as more rain showers have developed here throughout the morning hours. But you know,
right now, we're supposed to be getting towards the end of the flash flood warnings and concerns, but the rain continues to fall.
If it falls at this pace, I feel like we're in a much better position here in the hours ahead and going into the late afternoon. But it has been one
for the record books here so far.
SOARES: Ed Lavandera there for us in Dallas, Texas. Thanks very much, Ed, very good to see you. Well, there may be no better way to show the impact
of the floods in Texas, of course, and to share the story of Brittany Taylor. Brittany had just moved into an apartment two days ago, most of her
stuff, as you can see, was still in boxes when the floods overran her building early Monday. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTANY TAYLOR, APARTMENT FLOODED TWO DAYS AFTER MOVING IN: OK, hi internet, I'm freaking out. My apartment is literally flooding. I just woke
up. And I don't -- should I call 9-1-1? What do I do?
(SOBBING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Brittany calmed down and got to work, cleaning up her place. Sadly, she does not have flood insurance. But she still has, it seems, a
sense of humor. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR: Oh good, you guys, look, MacBook can float, oh boy!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Now, that's one way to deal with that, I hope it all turns out OK. And still to come tonight, Nicaragua's church crackdown. Pope Francis
weighs in over the arrest of his bishop and several priests for what police call destabilizing activities. We have the latest for you. And why some of
Taiwan's farmers are feeling the strain, caught in the middle between Beijing and Washington. That story, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back everyone. Pope Francis says he's concerned over the Nicaraguan government's crackdown on Catholic Church officials. Police
arrested a bishop and several priests after a 16-day standoff as part of a probe into what they call destabilizing and provocative activities in the
country.
Joining me now, Stefano Pozzebon. And Stefano, Bishop Alvarez of course, was a leading critic of President Daniel Ortega. So what exactly does the
state accuse him of doing here?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, Isa. We don't exactly know right now what charges the bishop is facing, given that the police did not specify a
reason behind the arrest. However, the vice president of Nicaragua, who is also -- Rosario Murillo, who is also the wife of Daniel Ortega, told
reporters that the arrest was made necessary because, and I quote, "the church had failed to deliver a set of documents that the police required
for an investigation."
We know that Alvarez had been criticizing the government, we know that he had been protesting the closure of a Catholic radio station. However, Isa,
one thing is to close down a radio, another thing is to detain a bishop. Ortega has already jailed political opponents, has already raided
newspapers, harassed the free press.
For weeks, it seemed that detaining the bishop was a red line that he would not dare to cross. And now, it really seems that the regime has lost any
caution over fears of an international outcry, for example, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, but we have seen, Stefano, Pope Francis kind of stepping in, commenting on how worried he is about the situation in Nicaragua. Is there
hope in Nicaragua -- within the circles for those you're speaking to, that Pope Francis can help ease the crackdown by Ortega and his wife, of course,
the Vice President, Rosario Murillo?
POZZEBON: That is the hope, Isa.
[14:30:00]
However, the people that we have spoken with, and these are churchgoers who have, for example, fled Nicaragua and now are living in Costa Rica, in the
United States, here in Colombia where I am, fleeing the repression of the regime of Daniel Ortega. They're saying that the Vatican really needs to
step up to hear their voice loud and clear against and standing up for the church. It's interesting how -- what a vocal position the Episcopal
Conference of Nicaragua and other church organizations and institutions here in the Americas have taken, protesting the detention of Bishop
Alvarez, while on the other side, the Vatican did not name Bishop Alvarez in the Angelus address yesterday, the Pope did not name the bishop's name
in the Address.
Of course, there is concern, there is an issue. The church is not an institution that normally speaks with a very loud voice. They prefer to be
present. And, of course, they also want to be -- still be in Nicaragua, which is now they're really facing the risk of having to leave for good.
Several high figures of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua have already left the country. It could be what happens in the end with Bishop Alvarez, that
he is forced into exile. What the critics of the Ortega regime are saying is that it's not just the Vatican, but everybody who is involved in Central
American, in Latin American Affairs, to step up their voice and to say that these cannot continue. Isa.
SOARES: Yes. Spot on. It's something that we have had very little, but it's a very deteriorating situation in Nicaragua. Stefano Pozzebon, good to see
you, Stefano. Thank you.
Well, Taiwan is hosting a third delegation of U.S. politicians in less than a month. Indiana governor Eric Holcomb is leading the trip. He met with
Taiwan's president on Monday, as you can see there, and spoke about his hopes for mutual economic development. And it comes after U.S. House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had Pelosi of course visited a few weeks ago, increasing tensions with China.
Well after her visit, Beijing suspended some trade with Taiwan, including imports of certain fruit and fish. Our CNN's Blake Essig found out some of
the island's farmers are feeling squeezed, caught really in the middle of the diplomatic friction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a small township in the south of Taiwan, farmers like Li Meng-han are battling more than Mother Nature to make a
living. But geopolitics? That's something his hard work can't change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LI MENG-HAN, OWNER, CHINGCHUAN ORCHARD (through translator): It's some kind of political issue between Taiwan and China. We simply want to grow fruits
and sell them at a good price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: A reasonable request, but one that just got a whole lot more difficult following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent stop in Taiwan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: We will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: China reacted by flexing its military muscle, executing at least six days of live fire drills, while at the same time exerting its economic
power over this democratic Island, this time going after what some consider low-hanging fruit.
Citrus fruit like this pomelo was included on the most recent list of Taiwanese items banned from entering China. Beijing says the reason is
because of excess pesticides, accusations that farmers here deny. It's a move that experts say that's less about health care or the economy and all
about politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MENG-HAN (through translator): I she didn't see the ban coming so fast. We were caught off guard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHIAO CHU, AUTHOR, FRUITS AND POLITICS (through translator): We all know that politics is behind the bans. This is a politically motivated economic
sanction on Taiwan, to exert economic pressure on Taiwan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: The latest sanctions on fruit and fish went into effect on the same day Speaker Pelosi met with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, sanctions
that will cost farmers like Li a lot of money, and if things don't change, could force him and other farmers to let employees go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUN TZU-MIN, GENERAL MANAGER, MADOU FARMERS' ASSOCIATION (through translator): It's been hard for farmers. A sudden ban can put everything on
hold and the pomelo trees can live for decades and their fruits get sweeter as the trees get older, so it's impossible for farmers to abandon them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: Each year, roughly 72,000 tons of pomelo are produced here in Taiwan, only about 7 percent are exported to China. The vast majority being
sold and processed here locally in places like this, a small number on paper, but one that will have a big impact on farmers financially and
mentally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUN (through translator): I think psychology is a bigger factor here. And they can say that they have banned a large number of food items from Taiwan
in one go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: While Pelosi is now gone, the impact of her visit still being felt, with farmers forced to get creative by transforming the pomelo into
something different to make up for that lost revenue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MENG-HAN (through translator) Taiwanese people shouldn't suffer from the tension between the U.S. and China. They always come and then they leave
the next day. But the impact is felt here by Taiwanese farmers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: It's the collateral damage of world powers going toe to toe, whereas it's usually the case, it's not the politicians that suffer but everyday
people just looking to pick some fruit and feed their family. Blake Essig CNN, Madou, Taiwan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:35:04]
SOARES: Well, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to move their family out of London during a school term to give their children "a normal
family life." A royal source has told CNN that they'll move into a four- bedroom home on the grounds of Windsor Castle where the Queen lives. Joining me now is Max Foster, our royal correspondent. So Max, how normal
can their life be? I mean, they are the royals after all.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so it's not normal, is it, to be downshifting to a four-bedroom house with hundreds of acres. But what they
are doing in real terms is moving from a palace, a big grand palace in central London with lots of staff, to this cottage with no live-in staff.
They'll still have access to staff, but what they're looking for, according to our sources, is the most normal life possible for the family. So that
also means bringing the children out of London schools to a school nearby, again, prestigious-fee paying school, but allowing them to be really hands
on with the kids and hands on with the kids at home and, you know, through their school life.
SOARES: And Kate has always been pretty hands-on, hasn't she? This is something that she's always wanted. But also importantly, there'll be
closer to the Queen.
FOSTER: Close to the Queen, also close to the Middletons. I think this is a big shift in how they want to do things. I mean, there's been lots of sort
of mickey-taking of the fact that they feel like they're having a normal life when they're living in a scrounger. But the point I think really is
that they could have lived in grandeur. They could have had a bigger palace even if they wanted to, but they've chosen something else. I don't think
they're necessarily messaging with this. I think they genuinely want their kids to have the most normal upbringing possible, the most protected
upbringing possible.
And that's one of the reasons they went to Windsor. They're going to be within the park. So you've got the security that the kids can run around.
And then later in life, they can deal with all the pressure that comes with being a full-time royal in the limelight, but that you're also seeing them
bring the kids out more and more at engagements. But as you say, I think over the Jubilee, we saw how hands on they were when young Louis was
messing around, and they didn't have lots of staff coming in and taking him away.
SOARES: Yes. And we all remember that video of Kate having to deal with her son as well, making funny faces while being there.
FOSTER: Exactly.
SOARES: But this just shows really how much hands on she has been throughout and this is what clearly she'd --
FOSTER: And also I think that she's very close to a mother and, you know, they don't feel there should be a lot of staff around unless they have to
work. I think, you know, the idea is that Kate and William will be at home, not necessarily cleaning, but certainly cooking and doing the childcare,
which is a bit of a break for an errand --
SOARES: Definitely. Yes, I don't see them cleaning or doing much food and much cooking. But that's just me being cynical. Max, thanks very much. Good
to see you.
Still to come tonight. Tensions in Pakistan. Police investigate whether the former Prime Minister Imran Khan violated anti-terror laws. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:24]
SOARES: For nearly six months, Russia's bombardment of Ukraine has left the country littered with destroyed buildings as well as unexploded landmines
and ammunition that could detonate at any time. The U.S. State Department recently committed almost $90 million to help clear the explosives, calling
it one of the worst demining challenges in decades. CNN's David McKenzie spent time with the team doing this dangerous work. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MONTGOMERY, FSD TEAM LEADER: That's where the vast majority of the contamination has gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For each devastating strike, there's a deadly chain reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: An 18F hornet struck this building and the ammunition which didn't detonate on that initial blast has been kicked out, has been thrown
from here, and it can travel up to several hundred meters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Ammunition, like this live round, can kill civilians, often children, long after the fighting has stopped.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: So you see before is the sort of carnage that's been left by the ammunition trucks, which our (INAUDIBLE) detonating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: In March, Ukrainian forces struck this farm warehouse housing tons of Russian shells and rockets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: I can only imagine the fireball and the sound that was produced when it happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: For this Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team in Chernihiv --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: We don't go in aggressive. Obviously, there's a threat out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: The threat is very real.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: We will continue with the search straightforward. If I say stop at any time, you stop immediately. Advance.
MCKENZIE: We have to be all the way back for our own safety. It shows how dangerous this work is. And it's painstaking. The small area has taken
several days and you're not even finished.
MONTGOMERY: No. We've merely scratched the surface.
MCKENZIE: And you've got an entire country potentially.
MONTGOMERY: Yes.
MCKENZIE: How could you possibly do that job?
MONTGOMERY: If me doing this job, and being here in Ukraine, removing one item, however small or however large it is, saves one life, then for me,
personally, that's a goal that I've reached.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop. Okay. Stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: When they spot a suspected shell --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone come back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give us a second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Team Leader John Eldredge must go it alone. Using only his fingertips, John works very, very carefully. These shells are designed to
destroy defensive positions. If armed, even the slightest nudge could set it off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: What is it like when you're there scrambling through not knowing what exactly you're going to find?
MONTGOMERY: Yes, it's an interesting one. I think it's something that you get used to after time, but there's still that element of, you know, sort
of adrenaline kicking in a little bit. Yes. And a few beads of sweat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: This shell can be moved safely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Soon, they'll have Ukrainian team leaders clearing their own land.
"This will be an enormous task," says Natalia. Since all this must be done carefully. You just can't rush this job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Nice and steady, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Even if this was stopped today, it could take years for her country to be safe. David McKenzie, CNN, Chernihiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: An important work there. Well, tensions are rising in Pakistan as police investigate whether former Prime Minister Imran Khan violated anti-
terror laws. Hundreds of Khan supporters have been gathering outside his home and are vowing to take over the Capitol if he's detained. It comes
after Khan threatened to take action against the police chief and magistrate during his speech on Saturday over the arrest of a former aide,
a government regulator called hate speech and has banned Khan from leaving -- from speaking, pardon me, live on television. We'll stay on top of that
story for you.
Well, the candidate who lost this month's presidential race in Kenya is challenging the results, calling them unconstitutional. Raila Odinga filed
official paperwork on Monday, giving the country's high court 14 days to review the case and make a decision as to whether Deputy President William
Ruto's win is valid.
Now monkeypox is spreading and the White House is trying to get the vaccine out as fast as possible. How it's bringing shots to those who need it most
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:47:24]
SOARES: Well, Mexico is experiencing its worst drought in decades. In some communities, the taps have quite literally run dry. Our Rafael Romo has a
story for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It had the feel of an outdoor festival or county fair. But this public gathering in northern Mexico is a citizens'
group response to a crisis, a severe drought that has caused extensive water shortages in Coahuila state.
During a recent day-long event, they cold Waterton, they were collecting bottled water for distribution in neighborhoods where taps have run dry.
"It is urgent to send truckloads to those communities," this organizer says, adding that their goal was to collect 10 metric tons of bottled water
for people in need. Coahuila is not the only Mexican state facing a severe drought, it's so dry in Nuevo Leon, which borders with Texas that Mexican
president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an emergency they're late last month, as most of the country suffers rain shortages since 2020 and
2021.
"In an emergency situation, people's needs should be the priority," the President said. His decree means that the government can tap into
industrial and agricultural water allotments to quench people's thirst. The leader of the largest industrial Association in Monterrey rejected any
suggestion that companies are taking more than their fair share of water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUILLERMO DILLON, DIRECTOR, NUEVO LEON INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION CHAMBER (through translator): There are companies that are not using all their
water but on paper, they have the right to use that much water. Well, those permits can be transferred so the water utility company can legally take
more water from the subsoil to inject it into the drinking water network of the Monterrey metropolitan area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Monterrey, one of Mexico's most important cities is Nuevo Leon's capital state. The industrial hub of nearly six million depends mainly on
two reservoirs, including Cerro Prieto. But as these NASA satellite images show, its water levels dropped to 0.5 percent of its capacity of 393
million cubic meters in the last seven years.
For residents like Ruth Gonzalez, the situation means spending several hours every day in a desperate effort to find enough water for her family's
daily needs. She says there was no water in her neighborhood and was afraid she wouldn't be able to find any at the vending machine, which proved to be
true for a third day in a row.
[14:50:06]
Earlier this month, drought conditions and low levels at a reservoir in central Mexico prompted rationing measures in Mexico City, the capital, and
the adjoining Mexico state. At more than 26 million, together, they formed the most populated metropolitan area in the entire country, and one of the
largest in the world. Rafael Romo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, in some parts of the world, droughts are having an unexpected effect revealing hidden treasures and pieces of history more than 20
warships have been exposed along Danube in Eastern Serbia, as you can see there. Experts say the ships were scuttled by Nazi forces during World War
II and still contain explosives.
In China, a small island containing three Buddha statues is now visible above the water. The statues are thought to be at least 600 years old. Just
amazing.
And in Spain, dozens of rock bright stones arranged in circles looking a bit like Stonehenge, in fact, are now visible for only the fourth time
since their discovery.
Now Singapore is taking a huge step toward -- forward gay rights. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government will repeal section 377A.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That is the sound of a jovial crowd in Singapore reacting to the news that the country is moving to do decimalize gay sex, removing a part
of the penal code that has been in place since the British rule in 1938.
Well, so far most multiplex cases in the U.S. have been among gay as well as bisexual men. It's why the White House is sending 50,000 doses of the
vaccine to LGBTQ events nationwide. CNN's Dianne Gallagher went to Charlotte North Carolina's Pride festival this past weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: pride in person for the first time in two years, Charlotte showed up, dancing, cheering, marching, and
vaccinating at risk pride participants against monkeypox.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABE GADIKIAN, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: There were a group of women walking around, saying that the shot was available, and me and a friend took a walk
down to the Health Department. Fifteen minutes, filled out some paperwork, in and out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: The North Carolina city's Pride festival is the launch site of a Biden administration pilot program to send 50,000 doses of the monkeypox
vaccine to LGBTQ centered events like pride around the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIR. U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We will now, by pre-positioning a considerable number of doses of
vaccine. We'll be able to handle it and get our arms around this so that we don't see further spread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Though some, like Miguel Fuller, who is vaccinated, feel the administration should have done this sooner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIGUEL FULLER, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: You can't just like put something on social media and say, all right, we've done it. They need to go to the
bars, to the clubs individually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: That's something local outreach organizations like Rain say they've had success in doing and is especially effective, they found, in
reaching disproportionately affected communities of color.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHELSEA GULDEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, RAIN, INC: I know what we've been seeing in non-traditional venues has been primarily people of color. So the first
weekend we did it, we did a day event and an evening event, and we vaccinated 170 individuals, 90 percent of them African American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: For Charlotte's heavily attended Pride weekend, the Biden administration allotted Mecklenburg County Public Health an extra 2,000
doses of the monkeypox vaccine to be administered to people considered high risk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENDA DANCY, ASST. HEALTH DIR. MECKLENBURG COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT: We're excited to be a part of it. There definitely is a need in this county. We
have a high case rate and we definitely want to be to provide vaccinations to individuals who need those vaccines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: The CDC has recorded more than 14,000 cases of monkeypox across the country. State public health data shows that as of August 18th, 198
cases of those were in North Carolina, 93 here in Mecklenburg County, which was operating on a vaccine waitlist. They transitioned last week to an
alternate under the skin injection method in the forearm as a way to increase supply from one to five doses per vial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wasn't expecting the mark. But they -- I mean, they told me it might be sore, it might be itchy, but me personally, I haven't
had any symptoms from it. It's not bothering me at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:04:35] But something that is bothering people at Pride --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNY GUNN, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: We're very aware of not stigmatizing it as just a gay man's disease. Just like HIV was in '80s and '90s.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:04:43] Men who have sex with men and transgender people do make up the majority of monkeypox cases right now, which is why they are being
prioritized with the limited vaccine supply. However, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection and any person can get it from prolonged
close typically skin to skin contact with an infected person.
[14:55:03]
So if the Biden administration wants its outreach to be a success, celebrating while educating without discriminating is the only way to
approach it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUNN: It's good to see the community back. And, yes, it's a great moment for all of us. And that's what should be talked about, and we can protect
people and still not stigmatize them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And that was CNN's Dianne Gallagher reporting for us.
Now, you might think that space is a quiet place, but according to NASA, it's not radio silence. The space agency explained that while most space is
a vacuum with no sound waves, a galaxy cluster has so much gas, they're actually able to pick up actual sound, in this case, a black hole. Have a
listen to this.
That is amazing. Back in May, NASA explained the actual sound is actually way too low for human ears. So what they've done, they've scaled up the
sounds for this tweet. And that does it for me for today. And don't forget, you can catch up with all the interviews and analysis from the show online.
See on my Instagram @IsaSoaresCNN, as well as on my favorite twitter feed, too. That does it for me. Thanks very much for your company. "QUEST MEANS
BUSINESS" with Richard Quest is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
