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One World with Zain Asher
Post Tropical Cyclone Hillary Pushes North; Earthquake With 5.1 Magnitude Rattles Southern California; Russian President Vladimir Putin Will Not Attend BRICS Summit In Person; New Report Accuses Saudi Border Guards Of Alleged Crimes Against Humanity; Ecuador's Presidential Election Heads For A Runoff; Noah Lyles Puts On Quite A Show At The World Athletics Championships In Budapest, Hungary; Two-Wheel Vehicles Sell Like Hotcakes In India. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 21, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello everyone, I'm Zain Asher in New York and this is One World. Right now, flood watches are in effect for more
than 25 million people from southern California to northern Idaho as post tropical cyclone Hillary pushes north. Earlier Hillary's torrential rains
triggered catastrophic flooding and record-shattering rainfall in parts of Southern California. Some of the heavy rain caused huge fast-moving
mudslides like this, like what you see here.
This is east of Los Angeles. Leann Coulter shared this dramatic video on social media. This was from Sunday. The images were just as bad in Mexico,
where at least one person was killed. Heavy rain and flooding hit the Baja Peninsula before moving north into the U.S. on Sunday. And amid the record-
breaking storm and chaos, as if they weren't already dealing with enough, then had a 5.1-magnitude earthquake rattling Southern California on Sunday,
as well. The epicenter was in Ojai and it's located north west of Los Angeles. There are no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.
CNN's Stephanie Elam is tracking the storm east of Los Angeles in Cathedral City, California. We've also got journalist David Shortelle in Mexico.
Stephanie, let me start with you. The storm has technically dissipated, but at this point, is there still a risk of life-threatening flooding at this
point? Walk us through that.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zain, not really life-threatening flooding, but the aftermath of the storm is still very much here. As you
can see, it is a muddy, muddy mess. This is a pretty big intersection where I'm standing, where you could get to the interstate highway to get on
Interstate 10. But you can see this looks like it wouldn't be a road, but it is a road and it is muddy and disgusting. And in some places, it's very
deep.
And yet we saw a truck just come make its way through here, which they're not supposed to do because the roads are barricaded and they were very
happy and proud of themselves. And then they made that turn and they hit the police officers there who were blocking the road. Didn't hit them, but
they stopped them. And now, they're impounding their truck.
This is exactly what they don't want people to do, to come out and think that this is some sort of joyriding that they can do here because it takes
up resources for one thing and it's dangerous. And if you turn around and look at this other direction here, these cars have been impacted in this
mud overnight. You can see that they're just docked there. They've been there. That little black car went flying by, spraying up all kinds of mud
around the barricade. And you see how far she got. She got stuck there. Now, she'll be there for hours.
Down the road, you see semi-trucks. There's a police car that is stuck there, as well. I mean, Zain, we're talking about a year's worth of rain in
about a 24-hour period here in the Coachella Valley, in the desert. They are not used to getting this much rain. It was the wettest day, the
rainiest day that they have had here in a hundred years of records in the summertime. So, that just shows you how bad it was.
All the major ways into Palm Springs are cut off right now because they're dealing with this flooding in the aftermath and this mud, which is really,
it's so thick, it feels like quicksand. Like it just like sucks your boots in and it's hard to get out. And that's what's affecting these cars here.
But luckily, we have not heard about any deaths, but we have heard about three water rescues that happened overnight. But it just shows you, even
though the sun is up now, this is why schools are closed because people will not be able to get around, Zain.
ASHER: I'm looking at your hands, actually, Stephanie, which just shows you just what kind of a messy sludge that we've been dealing with. There we go.
ELAM: My boots got stuck in the mud and I went to move it. I fell I fell. So, this is right before I came on the air.
ASHER: Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. So, I hope you're okay.
ELAM: I'm not stuck in a car. I'll be able to get away. So, it's fine. I'm fine.
ASHER: You're lucky. You're good. Okay. David, let me bring you in. You're in Mexico City. Much of the storm actually passed through Baja California.
We know that one person died. I believe the winds were about 70 miles per hour. Just walk us through what happened in that part of the country before
the storm then headed north through California.
DAVID SHORTELL, JOURNALIST: Yeah, Zain, there were some really devastating images coming out of this part of Mexico in the northwest, Baja California,
where Hillary made landfall as a really powerful tropical storm around 11 a.m. on Sunday, battering these coastal communities with winds of 65, 70
miles an hour and just dropping tremendous amounts of rain.
[12:05:00]
There was one death reported, as you said. That was in the coastal town of Santa Rosalia where a man was caught in his car as the roads there were
really turned into rivers about four inches of rain getting dumped on that town in just a few short hours' time. Now, as the weather event has largely
passed and moved into the U.S., the arduous process of digging out and surveying the damage has begun.
We know about 300,000 people around -- across three states in Mexico had lost power during the storm. Only about half of those people have gotten
that power restored. There are also some 2000 federal armed forces now patrolling, walking the streets, serving the damage trying to get to some
of these remote areas. You know, the roads were so damaged.
We saw a lot of images of rushing water on these roads. That's of course going to cause fishers and bring debris that makes these roads impassable.
So, Mexico has activated some 2000 federal armed officers to go and clear the roads and reach these coastal communities. This is a part of Mexico
with some really sensitive infrastructure. We're talking Tijuana, the important border city that's very hilly and has a lot of make-shift
shelters built into the hills there were mud slides are common.
And then, of course, along these coastal communities, folks build their homes with makeshift materials like wood and metal, so there have already
been reports of some of these homes along the northern communities in Baja California, getting destroyed by that powerful storm surge that a tropical
storm will bring as it brushes the water in from the ocean.
And now, those troops are making their way to these remote communities. If history is any indication after 1997 Hurricane Nora, that was the last
major storm to hit the area. It was a Category One that landed in the Baja Peninsula at the time Five hundred people lost their homes. So, that's
gonna be top of mind for authorities as they work their way now to these remote communities and survey the damage scene.
ASHER: David Shortell, live for us there. Thank you so much. I want to bring in CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam in Atlanta. So, Derek, where is
the storm? Obviously, it has dissipated. It's not nearly as powerful as it was, but where is it headed to now?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN Meteorologist: Yeah, so, much of the western U.S. being impacted by the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Hillary. A lot of rain
still to fall from this, but certainly not over the heavily impacted Southern California regions where scenes like this unfolded within the past
24 hours. And I just want you to see how dangerous these mudslides and debris slides can be. It literally picks up anything in its path from
boulders to full trees, even vehicles and houses, and it can rush over 65 kilometers per hour as the water gets literally impacted and funneled
through all these cracks canyons and into the ravines and causes this rapid rise in small creeks and streams.
We get that terrain flooding, but anytime there's leftover burn scars from previous wildfires that changes the landscape of this mountainous terrain
for years to come after the fire and the surface of the earth becomes what is called hydrophobic, meaning that it repels water. So, the water
literally just sheets off the top of it as if it was falling on pavement, for instance, and picks up everything in its path. That's what makes those
so dangerous. Here's the remnants.
Tropical Storm Hillary, this is a post tropical now. What you need to know is that this produced a significant amount of rain and some of the higher
elevations of Southern California and of course that rush down into the valleys below and caused the scenes you saw just a moment ago but kind of
parsing out this information this is just incredible in Palm Springs they did receive or nearly received a full year's worth of rain in just a 24-
hour period. San Diego had one of the five rainiest days in over 100 years during the summer months and Los Angeles had a rainy summer day ever
recorded.
So, yeah, that's impactful, right? Look at the amount of weather alerts still impacting much of the western U.S. This is the latest radar. We still
have one flash flood warning in southern Nevada, but the rain has largely come to an end in and around Los Angeles, and certainly into San Diego as
well, as the storm system kind of just gets caught up in the upper-level winds, starts to move around an area of high pressure, and moves eastward.
And I wanna show you this as well, Zain, because while we have had an active Eastern Pacific storm system so far, year, year -- hurricane year,
but look at the Atlantic, really starting to light up like a Christmas tree. We have several areas of potential tropical activity that we are
monitoring for the days ahead. Zain.
ASHER: All right. Derek Van Dam, live for us there. Thank you so much. In just a few hours, U.S. President Joe Biden is going to be landing in Hawaii
to get a first-hand look at the damage from the deadly wildfires on Maui. Mr. Biden will assign a senior emergency official to oversee long term
recovery efforts during his visit. The search to find and identify victims of the wildfires has been painstakingly slow. A hundred and fourteen people
have died in the worst wildfires in a century. And the mayor of Maui says that eight hundred and fifty people are still missing in Lahaina. And that
is, of course, the worst-hit area. White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond is joining us live now. So, the president has actually come under
criticism, especially from Republicans, who are saying that, look, he should have said more publicly about the wildfires.
[12:10:00]
Walk us through.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right. There was about a five-day stretch early last week where the President even when
asked to comment on the rising death toll in Hawaii did not do so. But, today, Zain, will really be the opportunity for President to correct that
and to show that signature empathy that he has been known for throughout his political life. And that will be a major goal for the President as he
heads to Maui today to survey the damage and also to meet, of course, with first responders, local officials, as well as survivors and victims'
families.
The President will begin his trip to Maui with a helicopter tour, an aerial tour to be able to see the damage from up above. He will then land in
Lahaina, where we expect him to get an on-the-ground tour of that hard-hit area over there. The President will also deliver remarks where he will talk
about the enduring federal response and as part of that he is set to designate the FEMA Administrator for that region -- Bob Fenton, excuse me,
as the chief federal response coordinator for this disaster, a move that is intended to signal that this is gonna be a long-term effort and that the
federal government is indeed in it for the long-haul.
The President will then meet privately along with the First Lady, survivors and victims' families as well as First Responders and volunteers who have
been assisting in the recovery efforts. Now, beyond the President's silence during those days, there have also been criticism from some residents there
who feel like the federal response was too slow.
So, that is also something that the President will have to confront, but his message would be to say that the federal government is there for the
long-term. He will point to the fact that there are more than a thousand federal personnel already on the ground. More than $8 million have already
been dispersed and millions perhaps even billions of dollars more of federal aid expected to be dispersed in the future. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Jeremy Diamond, live for us there. Thank you. All right, you may not have known this, but Hawaii has actually had a long-running
issue over water rights that dates back to when the islands were first colonized. CNN has learned that these disputes may indeed have complicated
efforts to fight the wildfires. CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It is not just the missing souls on the worried minds of Hawaiians or how and when they'll rebuild.
There are also deep fears over the water that flows from the mountains to the sea and aquifers and keeps Maui alive.
JOSH GREEN, HAWAII GOVERNOR: There has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years. It's important that we're honest about this. People
have been fighting against the release of water to fight fires. I'll leave that to you to explore.
WEIR: Okay, let's do it. And let's start with the American and European plantation owners who arrived in the mid-1800s to get rich growing sugar.
And over the generations, diverted water from countless farms like this.
HOKUAO PELLEGRINO, HAWAII FARMER: These stone walls were built by our ancestors 500 years ago.
WEIR: Wow, really?
PELLEGRINO: Yeah. What people like our family and many other native Hawaiian families all throughout Hawaii saw wherever plantation was, is
their water disappear, literally overnight. Water disappeared.
WEIR: Like turning off a tap. Yeah, which is why our family, like many other families in Lahaina and elsewhere, they were forced to leave their
ancestral land.
WEIR: And maybe work for the same plantation owner who took your water, right?
PELLEGRINO: Yeah.
WEIR: But even after the U.S. apologized in '93 for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and even as once-lush landscapes turned flammable, it
wasn't until farmers like Hokuao Pellegrino fought in court for over a decade that water rights were returned.
PELLEGRINO: And even in our oceans, you know, because fresh water feeds those near shore fisheries and grows the seaweed, the limu, you know, for
the small fry, for our turtles and other important fishes. That's all coming back now, that the waters are flowing to the ocean.
WEIR: But then came the fire and written complaints from the powerful West Maui Land Company insinuating that firefighting efforts were hampered
because a single Hawaiian farmer couldn't be reached for permission to divert extra water.
PELLEGRINO: In this particular case, it absolutely would not have made any difference. You have to understand that the West Maui Land Company, Launia
Poko Irrigation Company system is not tied whatsoever to the Maui Fire Department hydrant system. And helicopters weren't able to even fly anyway
at that point. So, you know, to even insinuate that that could have made any difference is just a complete farce.
WEIR: But with an emergency declaration, Governor Green has rolled back Lahaina's water designation and told "The New York Times" that we tipped
too far towards water rights for nature and natives.
[12:15:00]
KEKAI KEAHI, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: Seventy-five percent of the water resource in Lahaina is controlled by private entities. Only 25 percent is
controlled by the county government.
WEIR: It's one big reason Lahaina community leaders gathered the media on Friday to call out the governor.
KEAHI: My hope is that the community had the input to build back how we see fit for our community. My fear is that the community be gone and this will
be replaced with multi-million dollar homes because we have realtors already calling.
PELLEGRINO: It's like -- it's just colonization repeating itself all over again, just in a different format, you know. It's disaster capitalism at
its finest. You're throwing spears to the people of Lahaina when they're already down.
WEIR: The very first Hawaiians crossed oceans with sacred kalo plants in their canoes, and Pellegrino is now using descendants of those plants to
make poi for President Joe Biden's welcome lunch. But he says this kind of aloha can only last if there's enough water for every living thing. The
West Maui Land Company did not return a call for comment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, still to come, Ukraine says F-16 fighter jets would change the course of Russia's war. And we may find out their impact
straight ahead. Then we're talking influence. Who's got it and who wants it? As South Africa gears up to welcome the other core members to the BRICS
summit in Johannesburg. We will take you there live as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is once again reminding the world what's at stake if Ukraine doesn't win Russia's war. The Ukrainian President
addressed the Danish parliament in Copenhagen earlier. He thanked lawmakers after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply Kyiv with F-16
fighter jets in the coming months, calling the decision historic. But he also had this word of warning, as well. All of Russia's neighbors are under
threat if Ukraine does not prevail. International law will not be resuscitated. Democracies of the world, each of them can become a target,
either for missiles or for mercenaries or for destabilization, and I'm sure you can feel it.
[12:20:00]
But Ukraine will prevail.
ASHER: Ukraine says F-16s have the ability to change the course of the war and provide Kyiv with desperately needed air superiority. But Russia warned
the transfer of the fighter jets will only escalate the conflict. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is showing us live now from Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine. So,
Nick, obviously there is a period of training involved. So, these fighter jets aren't going to be ready to actually fly combat missions in Ukraine
until well into 2024. Just walk us through what sort of a difference these jets are going to be making to the slow-moving counteroffensive.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think it's difficult to really say what difference they're going to make because
we have no idea what the conflict's going to look like when it gets to January and February and that's, I think, where there's a lack of
understanding of the urgency that Ukraine says it has in terms of need for these jets.
Right now, they could potentially be used to dent Russian air superiority over the front lines in the south of the country where so much of the
Ukrainian counteroffensive is pushing. That could potentially speed up Ukraine's advance from the pace that's now accepted, I think, by most
people as being slower than anybody in Ukraine's side would like to see. Russia was able to use its jets to drop significant amounts of munitions
upon troops and even civilian cities, too.
And so, F-16s could potentially challenge that and could potentially allow Ukraine, too, to use air power to push Russian troops back, to balance
things up slightly at the moment. But that isn't going to happen. Because even now with this recent flurry of European statements, the Danish saying
19 jets are on their way, only six this year, the Netherlands saying they have 42, probably give quite a lot of those to Ukraine but need to keep
some back for the training of Ukrainians.
Even with that happening, we're still at the best of times not going to see jets in Ukraine skies until early next year. And that's even, too, if
Ukrainian pilots manage to pull off an exceptionally fast training program. Remember, these are high-tech things. You want pilots who fly them to be
good at that, to be able to deliver what they can do in the best way possible.
And so, while I think what we've seen again is a very familiar pattern, Zain, of demands from Ukraine that have originally been shunned as far too
much by NATO members slowly being heard as the pressure builds and then a sudden flurry of compensation. We're not seeing anything actually
materializing here until a later stage next year when we simply don't know where the war will be.
Could it be that Ukraine has achieved its goals and pushed through breaking the land corridor, getting to the Azov Sea and separating the Crimean
Peninsula occupied by Russia in 2014 from the rest of occupied Ukraine and the Russian mainland? That's their goal but it seems distant at the moment.
Instead, we might see a winter in which the current front lines have concretized.
People are digging in and essentially the F-16s may be more about trying to patrol the skies of Ukraine and keep civilians safer. So, a lot of
questions aren't really answering frankly about what they might be able to do when they get here. The key thing to remember is they're not going to
get here anytime soon despite the urgency that they're needed. Zain.
ASHER: Yeah, and you bring up a good point about the fact that we have no idea what the war will even look like in six months' time. Nick Paton
Walsh, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be a no-show, at least in person, when the BRICS Summit
kicks off in Johannesburg. On Tuesday, its members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, account for more than 40 percent of the global
population. And political observers say tensions are simmering within the group which wants a greater say in global affairs.
South Africa's President is talking BRICS expansion, but that's not Cyril Ramaphosa's only message for the world's biggest powers. We are live in
Johannesburg for you with David McKenzie. So, David, just in terms of Putin being a no-show here, do you expect him to appear via video link and just
walk us through the optics of having Sergey Lavrov appear in place of Vladimir Putin at such an important summit?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly it's not a very positive moment for Vladimir Putin because it will visually
show that he is unable to be there with his compatriots, with the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, well, Brazil, India, China and South Africa on
the stage at that family photo, which they always have at these events. He will not be there.
On the flip side of that, it does show that all those other countries that are there are willing to be part of this organization that has Russia as a
very key member and you are likely to hear a lot of messages during the few days of this BRICS Summit that talk about an alignment of these countries,
a multilateralism. I expect a significant criticism of Western powers and Western institutions.
[12:25:00]
You mentioned Cyril Ramaphosa. He said that the time for South Africa, at least, to be aligned to global powers is known for Western powers and
Western institutions. He said that the time for South Africa, at least, to be aligned to global powers is no longer a wise decision. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: This experience has convinced us of the need to seek strategic partnership with other countries rather than
be dominated by any other country. While some of our detractors prefer overt support for their political and ideological choices, we will not be
drawn into a contest between global powers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Well, certainly this will be an important summit. One of the key items of the agenda, Zain, is whether to expand this beyond its founding
members and at least 20 nations have formally applied to join this grouping. And I think China in particular would like to exceed expanded
bricks to allow this group to become a de facto counterweight to the G7. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Dave McKenzie, live for us there. Thank you. All right, now to an unusual proposal from the leader of the coup in Niger. The ousted
general, or rather the general who ousted the democratically elected president, is calling for a return to democracy within three years.
Abdourahamane Tiani says neither the junta nor the people of Niger want war and remain open to dialogue. He says the principles of the transition would
be decided in the next 30 days. The West African nation has been engulfed in political chaos since late July.
All right, coming up. Out of view of the rest of the world an alarming new human rights report accuses Saudi border guards of mass murder. Details,
after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:32]
ASHER: Hello and welcome back to One World. Let's catch up on the headlines. Officials say a shooting attack on two civilians in the West
Bank earlier has left an Israeli woman dead and a man in serious condition. Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad praised the attack but
did not claim responsibility. It is the second deadly shooting targeting Israelis in the occupied West Bank since Saturday.
A British nurse found guilty of murdering seven babies will spend the rest of her life in prison with no early release provisions. Lucy Letby did not
appear at Manchester Crown Court earlier for her sentencing. And that's renewing calls for law forcing -- for a law, rather, forcing criminals to
face justice in person.
North Korea has released new images of a cruise missile launch overseen by the country's leader Kim Jong-un. While state media have not specified when
the test took place, this comes as South Korea and the U.S. kick off large- scale joint military drills, which will continue for 10 days.
All right. I want to turn now to a stunning new report that's accusing Saudi border guards of systematic and methodical murder in what may
potentially amount to crimes against humanity. The reports by Human Rights Watch alleges that starting last March, border guards used explosive
weapons to kill hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, many of them, by the way, at close range, migrants who tried to cross into the Gulf Kingdom from
Yemen.
Saudi Arabia calls the allegations unfounded, but the group says the killings still appear to be taking place. Salma Abdelaziz has more.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A deeply disturbing report released on Monday by Human Rights Watch alleges that Saudi border guards killed at
least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers attempting to cross the border from Yemen into Saudi Arabia between March of 2022 and June of
this year.
The more than 70-page report, again released by Human Rights Watch, is based -- the organization says on interviews with more than 40 individuals,
some 38 of them -- themselves, migrants, asylum seekers who attempted to cross the border, Human Rights Watch says it also conducted a review and
assessment of some 350 pieces of video and imagery and also assessed extensive satellite images from the region.
Together, Human Rights Watch says that this work found or paints a pattern of widespread and systemic violence by Saudi border guards against groups
of migrants. Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers attempting to cross into Saudi Arabia again from Yemen. The accounts are absolutely harrowing. More
than two dozen individuals describing explosive incidences, so the use of rockets, mortar fire, gunfire by Saudi border guards.
Some survivors describing Saudi border guards asking them which limb they would prefer to be shot before shooting them at close range. To give you an
understanding of just how deadly these crossings are, according to Human Rights Watch's findings, his work again interviews with 10 individuals who
were describing multiple crossings that totaled to some 1200 individuals trying to cross that border. Of those 1200, 655 resulted in death. That is
less than a 50 percent survival rate again, according to Human Rights Watch's work.
Now, Human Rights Watch says that if these killings are committed as part of an intentional Saudi government policy to murder migrants, it could
amount to a crime against humanity. We do also have a statement from an anonymous Saudi source. This is a source that requests anonymity, citing
long-standing norms around the government's communication with the media. This is what the statement from the Saudi official, from the Saudi
government source says. "The allegations included in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Eth Ethiopians while they are
crossing the Saudi-Yemeni border are unfounded and not based on reliable sources.
Now, the route I'm describing known as the Eastern route essentially connects the Horn of Africa across the Gulf of Aden and then sees migrant
asylum seekers cross into Yemen and eventually try to get to Saudi Arabia. That is among the most dangerous routes in the world. It has been for many
years but it has come under increased scrutiny in recent years with a conflict in the Tigray region. The most dangerous roots in the world. It
has been for many, many years, but it has come under increased scrutiny in recent years with a conflict in the Tigray region, forcing many vulnerable
families out and civil war in Yemen, making that place ever more hostile.
[12:35:00]
Human Rights Watch says that the violence along that Yemeni-Saudi border region is ongoing. Sam Abdulaziz, CNN, London.
ASHER: All right, time now for The Exchange and my conversation with Bram Frouws. He's the Director of the Mixed Migration Centre, which actually put
out its own report last month alleging the brutal killing of Ethiopian migrants by Saudi security forces, as well. Bram, thank you so much for
being with us. I mean, this report is deeply distressing.
I mean, it's unthinkable what may have happened here just in terms of the systematic murder of hundreds of migrants, many of them talking about
severed limbs, people being killed, with explosive devices as well as being shot at close range, as well. Just walk us through what your report alleges
exactly and how you work to sort of piece together the information just in terms of interviews.
BRAM FROUWS, DIRECTOR OF THE MIXED MIGRATION CENTRE: Sure, thanks for having me. I mean I think in terms of the findings our report is very
similar to the findings we're hearing and reading about from Human Rights Watch today. We initially researched the whole route, so running from
Ethiopia across the Gulf of Aden or Red Sea into Yemen and onwards to Saudi Arabia. There was a bigger piece of research we put out some months ago
actually. But then more information came our way, information that's being collected by community informants operating in northern Yemen.
More information came our way on what's happening precisely at the border. Some of our interviews already alluded to it. So, we decided to do
additional research. We interviewed more returnees, witnesses, survivors who were returned to Ethiopia, but -- that crossed the border to Saudi
Arabia before. And they spoke of their first-hand experiences and everybody had witnessed people around them dying. Everybody had experienced these
shootings at the border. They've all seen mass graves, very shallow graves where Ethiopians are buried.
So really, as you said, I mean, we've been researching migration for more than 15 years, including this particular route, but this is by far the most
distressing piece of research I ever worked on. One of the things that stood out just in terms of your conversation with our producers is that
prior to 2022, and it's worth noting that Saudi Arabia has issued blanket denials, by the way.
But based on your research, prior to last year, these sort of killings were random, ad hoc, somewhat infrequent. After 2022, what you noted, just in
terms of your research, was that these killings became much more systematic, much more targeted. Just walk us through, I mean, and it might
be difficult to sort of know the answer to this, but what exactly changed last year from the Saudi perspective?
FROUWS: I mean, we have to be careful, of course, because we might be missing some of the information that we have from 2022 and 2023. So, maybe
to some extent this was already happening before. But the U.N. put also out a communication back in October 2022. And basically, what was more common,
people were killed before at this border, but it was more sporadic and occasional. And what was more common is that people might be caught in the
crossfire between the parties to the conflict.
So, as you say, what we are seeing from the evidence that we have is that this became much more widespread, much more systemic from 2020 to onwards.
I mean, why this is happening, that's hard to say. Of course, this is a highly securitized border. So, there might be still concerns that rebels
might be crossing the border. But then again, I think it's quite clear that this is deliberate, this is targeted towards migrants.
But it's really hard to say why exactly this is happening. And I think there's only one way to find out and that will be asking the Saudis. But
that question has been asked to the Saudis. And so far, as you said earlier, the allegations are rejected.
ASHER: Right, they have issued now. So, I mean, walk us through what accountability looks like. And obviously you've published this report as
has Human Rights Watch. They published their report. So, the world's attention is on this now. Do you see any avenue for there actually to be
real accountability here?
FROUWS: I think there are several avenues. As you say, the evidence is out now. I think right now with the U.N. communication, with our report from
early July and with Human Rights Watch, there's a mounting evidence base. So, this is an issue that can no longer be ignored. It's unprecedented. I
mean, sadly, we see refugees and migrants dying all over the world along different migration routes. You can argue this is sometimes the result of
government policy. But what we're seeing here is targeted and systemic killing. So, this can no longer be ignored. I think what needs to happen is
that the international community put all political and diplomatic pressure on Saudi Arabia in killing.
[12:40:00]
So, this can no longer be ignored. I think what needs to happen is that the International Community put all political and diplomatic pressure on Saudi
Arabia in their direct bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia. It's good that it's out in the open. This is a country that is concerned about this
public image. We see that by the organization of sports events and bringing in soccer stars. So, I think this public naming and shaming hopefully will
lead to a change.
Of course and ultimately perpetrators need to be held accountable. But there I think we have to be realistic. And I think it's quite unlikely
that, that will ever happen. But again, we really hope that with all this information out there from various sources, that the pressure will be
mounting and this will lead to a change.
ASHER: Let's hope so. Bram Frouws, live for us there, thank you so much, Director of the Mixed Migration Centre. We appreciate you coming on the
show. All right, still to come. It was plagued by concerns over violence. Now, Ecuador's presidential election is headed for round two. And even the
polls didn't predict who would end up in the runoff. That story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Ecuador's Presidential Election is heading for a runoff in a contest that has been overshadowed by the country's escalating violence. Leftist
Luisa Gonzalez, who is seen as a protege of former President Rafael Correa, will face surprise second-place finisher Daniel Noboa on October 15. Noboa
is a political outsider and son of a business tycoon. Sunday's contest came less than two weeks after the killing of anti-corruption candidate Fernando
Villavicencio.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins us live now from Havana. So, let's talk about the two candidates who actually made it to the runoff. One of them took a
lot of people by surprise, Daniel Noboa, who is the son of a business tycoon, one of the richest families in Ecuador, certainly an outsider.
Nobody really expected him to do this well, but he had a surprisingly good debate performance, and that led to many Ecuadorians rallying around him.
Patrick, we'll go through it.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right and his father run for president multiple times. We had the name recognition usually comes
from a very wealthy of family that runs out of banana-growing empire really in Ecuador. And so, he was not expected to do as well as he has done.
[12:45:00]
And now, October 15th, that's when voters will be able to decide between these two very, very different candidates. On one side you have Luis C.
Gonzalez, a leftist candidate who believes, a very well-known politician, in increasing social spending following the leftist model that we've seen
throughout, so much throughout the region. And then Daniel Noboa, who is a free trader who studied in the United States and believes that quitting
more business opportunities in Ecuador is really the way forward for this country.
But the good news is there was not an outbreak of further violence after this really stunning and horrible political assassination. Yesterday during
the voting, and that's because in large part there were thousands of troops deployed throughout Ecuador to make sure that no other violence takes
place, took place in that country. But certainly, the political assassination has left this country reeling and both candidates as they
make their final pleas to voters, will have to lay out how they will reverse the course here as Ecuador has fallen into the hands of these Narco
gangs and increasingly Ecuadorians just say they don't believe they are safe in their own country.
ASHER: Now, security and main issue in this election and the level of violence out of control there. Patrick Oppmann, live for us, thank you so
much. All right, still to come, he is World Champ. Noah Lyles comes in flying to win the title of the fastest man on the planet. Just ahead, find
out how he did it. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: American Noah Lyles put on quite a show at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He is now officially the world's
fastest man. The 26-year-old won the men's 100 meters, finishing at 9.83 seconds. Lyles is already a two-time 200-meter world champion, and now he's
setting his eyes on a new record. CNN's Don Riddell joining us live now from Atlanta.
Don, this race was phenomenal to watch because it was somewhat a slow start but then towards the sort of last, I don't know, two seconds, he gave
absolutely everything to make it to the end of that finish line. He said he was going to win and he won.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, you know, the 100 meters is, I think, one of the most electrifying things in sports. They are incredible if
you're in the stadium when you see them at the Olympics or the World Championships.
[12:50:00]
And this man really is walking the walk. He's so cool. He's so flamboyant. He is out there trying to make a statement because he knows that track and
field, for example, in the United States is not that popular. It's, I think, the eighth most popular sport in the country despite the fact that
it's the most participated high school event. And he's out there trying to change that. And he's a man on a mission. He's got the talent and perhaps
more importantly he's got the belief. He believes in himself. Have a listen to what he said to our partners it off to the race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOAH LYLES, 100M WORLD CHAMPION: Yeah, this one is for all the love I have for track and field. You know, when my docuseries come out in the U.S. and
soon to be coming out for the word to see. But in there I talk about wanting to do the double and the reason that I really wanted this is I
believe that nobody else deserves a double but me.
RIDDELL: Yeah, he's got a docu-series out, Zain. There's a Netflix crew following a lot of these guys around at the moment. That'll be airing
later. He's a fascinating guy. He's had what's been described as a medically traumatic childhood. He's been open about his struggles with
depression. And here he is out there competing at the highest level and delivering.
ASHER: You know, it's interesting. This really was his destiny, because, as I understand it, both of his parents were track and field athletes. So, he
was sort of raised in this kind of environment. So, the question is, can he become the next Usain Bolt? I mean, he's been underestimated, but he's
proving everyone wrong. Yeah, that's what he wants. And certainly there has been a vacuum left by Usain Bolt, who dominated track and field for what,
three Olympic cycles.
And so, that vacuum is there to be filled by somebody. He would love it to be him. He's 26. He's already running faster than Bolt was at his age.
Remember, his preferred event is the 200 meters. He has won the last two 200 meters. at the World Championships.
So, later this week, he's going to try and make it three in a row. If he snags that, he would be the first man since, bold in 2015 to win the one
and the two at the World Championships. But really, he wants to leave here with three gold medals running in the relay, as well, for the American
team. So, yeah, I think he could be the next Usain Bolt, although those are some very large shoes to fill, but that is certainly his intention.
ASHER: Well, he's got the talent, right, and the confidence to be just that.
RIDDELL: And the personality. It's all a part of the package.
ASHER: It's all there. It's all there. Don Ridell, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right. Russia's first lunar mission, lunar moon mission
rather, in decades has failed. The country's cruellest lunar 25 spacecraft crashed into the moon's surface over the weekend. It's a major blow to
Russia's space ambitions. It's not clear what caused the crash, but Russia's space agency says it occurred after communications with the
spacecraft was interrupted on Saturday.
Can you be green, reduce your carbon footprint, and still make a profit? India is trying to do just that with the help of electric scooters. The
two-wheel vehicles are selling like hotcakes, as well as helping India move away from fossil fuels, as Ivan Watson found out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even on a good day, the traffic in New Delhi can be pretty overwhelming. But here in the
capital of the world's most populous country, dramatic change is in the air and on busy streets. Seemingly overnight, iconic Indian vehicles like the
humble rickshaw have suddenly gone electric. India is in the midst of a revolution, a transition towards adopting electric vehicles.
This transformation is being led by small vehicles, scooters, motorcycles, and vehicles like this. Two-wheel vehicles vastly outnumber cars on India's
roads. With more than 15 million units sold last year, experts say this country is home to one of the biggest two-wheel vehicle markets in the
world.
TARUN MEHTA, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, ATHER ENERGY: In Indian context, the largest use of petrol is -- the largest emissions are in India.
WATSON: Tarun Mehta is the CEO of Ather Energy. He and Swapnil Jain launched this start-up in 2013. At this factory outside Bangalore, they
manufacture electric scooters.
UNKNOWN: One scooter rolls out every 90 seconds.
WATSON: This is just one of at least 10 companies producing two-wheel electric vehicles in India today. The management here say they're not
selling any of their scooters overseas for export yet, because they just don't need to. Ather says its sales have skyrocketed, from just 200
scooters a month in 2020 to more than 15,000 a month today.
Electric scooters can cost 30 percent more than traditional gas powered scooters says Ather Energy and yet it looks like Indian consumers are
flocking to this new technology.
[12:55:00]
BRAJESH CHHIBBER, PARTNER, MCKINSEY AND COMPANY: We predict that the total two wheeler market by the year 2030 would be around 25 million units and
out of that close to 60 to 70 percent of units sold would be electric.
WATSON: India is home to many of the world's most polluted cities. But experts agree that the mass electrification of India's vehicles could be a
game-changer for the environment.
ANUMITA ROYCHOWDHURY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR SCIENC AND ENVIRONMENT: If we can marry the two, combine, the easy transition and the
globalization of electricity, there is really a win-win and we are going to have enormous environmental and health benefits.
WATSON: India is on the road to monumental change in its transport industry. A process that will hopefully take pressure off of our planet's
embattle climate. Ivan Watson, CNN, New Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Thank you so much for watching One World. I'm Zain Asher. Amanpour is up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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