Greetings, salam alaikum, hola, salut. Artificial intelligence has taken over our studio -- and the central theme of this year’s CNN Academy Abu Dhabi! We’re back with our 4th edition, delving into AI, cyber security, and the future of storytelling in an ever-evolving world.
In an exclusive interview,
@ImranKhanPTI
tells me a top US diplomat needs to resign for his role in what he claims was an American-backed plot to remove him from office. More on that and his future political plans here:
"How did I get the information? From within the intelligence agencies."
Former Pakistani PM
@ImranKhanPTI
tells me about the attempted assassination on his life:
1/2
"We don't need to accuse people get more popular in this country."
Pakistan's former PM
@ImranKhanPTI
tells me he does not need to blame any government for being ousted in order to get back into power.
2/2
When Arab leaders met with
@SecBlinken
in Amman Saturday, the US Secretary of State said a ceasefire in Gaza will only enable more Hamas attacks. Jordan's
@QueenRania
says that stance is “endorsing and justifying the death of thousands of civilians” and “is morally reprehensible”
Former Prime Minister
@ImranKhanPTI
was shot in the foot at a rally earlier today. Police say they now have a suspect in custody.
@SophiaSaifi
reports out of Islamabad with the details:
CLOSER LOOK 🔍
This week,
#Pakistan
elected a new Prime Minister with an old and familiar name,
@CMShehbaz
. My closer look into Pakistan’s game of dynasty politics.
"Absolutely none. There is no moral conflict."
I asked India's Minister of Petroleum
@HardeepSPuri
whether there was any moral conflict around his country's importing Russian oil, he tells me without Russian oil, prices will only go up.
Disturbing accusations of abuse of Palestinian detainees by Israeli troops come from inside Israel's military. Accusations surround a detention facility in the Negev desert. Three Israeli whistleblowers describe a systematic pattern of abuse.
@mchancecnn
reports.
Exclusive: Pakistan's
@ImranKhanPTI
doubles down on unfounded claim that the US plotted his downfall
More on that and his future political plans here:
This just into CNN — the UAE Ambassador to Washington, Yousuf Al Otaiba, says they are in favor of an oil production increase and will be encouraging OPEC to consider higher output.
#Afghanistan
is at a “historic crossroads” and the Taliban should be given time,
@ImranKhanPTI
tells Becky Anderson in an exclusive interview from his home in
#Islamabad
"Many people have tried to politicize this, but you're hearing it from the horse's mouth. This is not political." Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S.
@rbalsaud
tells me in an exclusive interview that there is "clear disagreement" with DC over the OPEC+ deal.
The former UN official
@CraigMokhiber
, who quit over what he said was a failure to stop "genocide" in Gaza, says exclusively to CNN "root causes" have not been addressed. He adds the two-state solution is also being used as a "smokescreen" for "dispossession" and "persecution."
Iran's younger population is at the heart of the country's protests as they demand rights they've never known,
@JomanaCNN
reports on their outbursts of defiance:
I spoke with Saudi's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
@AdelAljubeir
about the recent OPEC+ decision to slash output. Despite Biden's threats of "consequences" to Saudi Arabia, the minister tells me he hopes to maintain good relations with the U.S.
Since Israel declared its war on Hamas and launched strikes on Gaza, close to 60 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, many by Jewish settlers. I went to one village where residents have been caught in the deadly crosshairs in just the past few days.
For more than 108 days straight,
@azaizamotaz9
risked his life in Gaza to show millions of people around the world the horrors inflicted upon Palestinians, while friends and family members were killed around him. He is now in Qatar, trying to "make more noise" from outside. Hear
A day after the EU imposed a 90% ban on Russian oil, Pakistan's Finance Minister
@MiftahIsmail
tells me if Russia were to offer Pakistan oil at a cheaper rate without incurring sanctions, he would consider it.
Speaking to me from Bani Gala in
#Islamabad
,
@ImranKhanPTI
spoke about enduring what he perceived as a "terrible" relationship with the
#USA
that has been disastrous for
#Pakistan
. He is now seeking a more pragmatic approach in dealing with the Taliban
"Nobody was calling for this regime to be toppled. The sentiment changed in 2019."
British Iranian actress
@NazaninBoniadi
explains how the protests in Iran right now are different from ones in the past.
They rocked the stage in Abu Dhabi earlier this year at the
@SpecialOlympics
. Now – the stars are on the hunt for a new member from right here in the Middle East. Could you be the next
@NowUnitedMusic
member?
#CTWF1Special
I spoke with
@BilleneSeyoum
in the past few hours. The press secretary of
@AbiyAhmedAli
told me about the ongoing conflict between the country's central government and armed groups of rebel fighters allied against it.
#Ethiopia
#Tigray
"I died so many times before I got out of the country."
After being beaten, arrested, and shot with around 200 shotgun pellets -- Iranian boxer Ashkan Morovati spoke exclusively with
@JomanaCNN
to tell the story of his harrowing escape from Iran's regime.
"Messi I think he's looking forward to seeing us"
The Saudi fans are ready to face off against the Argentinian giants here in Doha on what is day 3 of the Qatar world cup.
Watch some of my interview with
@YusufMoeed
where
#Pakistan
's National Security Adviser addresses allegations of Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, calling them "preposterous."
"It's not for Russia to decide who can be a NATO member."
In his first interview since Finland's ascension to NATO -- Secretary-General
@jensstoltenberg
says NATO is a defensive alliance and the move is not a threat to Russia.
"Seeing the support and the happiness we brought to Lebanon made us feel like we won the tournament."
@ArakjiWael
, captain of the Lebanese National Basketball Team, tells me he and his team will always fight for Lebanon after a stunning run at the
@FIBA
Asia cup:
"I leave a kingdom where in five years we've had more change than we've had in 80 years,"
Saudi's ambassador to the U.S.
@rbalsaud
looks back at the change she has seen in her own country during a wide-ranging interview that touches on her role within and outside the kingdom.
"We listen to the same music, we dance the same, we are the same." Iranian actor
@Golshifteh
wants to use her platform to show that those protesting in Iran are fighting for the same freedoms enjoyed by women around the world.
"We have monsoons every year... It is nothing like this. This is torrential downpour of biblical proportions."
#Pakistan
Minister for Climate Change
@sherryrehman
tells me 903 have died in the floods since mid-June, with thousands of homes destroyed.
What a day for football! These are the scenes in downtown Doha tonight after Saudi Arabia clinched an incredible 2-1 victory against Argentina in the
#FIFAWorldCup
:
"We are living the nightmare of climate change"
Kenyan President
@WilliamsRuto
explains the significance of having 'loss and damage' on the agenda at
#cop27
as his country goes through the worst drought in 40 years.
"‘At times I was really pissed off to be part of that era’"
Tennis legend
@DjokerNole
speaks to me at the
@MOTF
in Dubai about how he initially disliked competing against
@rogerfederer
and
@RafaelNadal
.
One year since the death of
#MahsaAmini
, I spoke with Iranian-French actress
@Golshifteh
Farahani about the current state of the protest movement and Amini’s legacy.
All-time tennis great
@DjokerNole
says he has “no regrets” after ceding the world No.1 ranking to
@carlosalcaraz
after not being able to compete at the Miami Open or Indian Wells.
"Ukraine has really exposed the selectivity of the international community."
Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK
@hzomlot
tells me that Palestinians are labeled terrorists for the same acts of resistance seen in Ukraine.
"Our relationship [with the U.S] by the way is more than the sale of arms, it is more than the exchange of oil."
Amid strained ties, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S.
@rbalsaud
explains to me in an exclusive interview where the relationship between the two countries stands.
"No regrets" -- That's the message of
@DjokerNole
after having to withdraw from the Miami Open. Tune in to
@cnni
in one hour to hear him speak to me in an exclusive interview in Dubai.
"There is nowhere to flee to, nowhere to run to."
UNRWA Affairs Gaza Director warns of the dire situation in Gaza, citing 5 direct hits to UNRWA schools that killed 17 people and injured 281 others.
My exclusive two-part interview with Turkish President
@RTErdogan
will air on
@CNNConnect
tonight -- 10a EST / 5p Turkey time. We are live on the ground from Istanbul. 🇹🇷
The world's best female footballer is hungry for more success in 2022.
@alexiaputellas
tells me how she stays at the top and what's next for the women's game.
In Iran, increasingly women, and a new generation of younger people, are rising up in anger, without any fear of consequences. That's the opinion of human rights lawyers and activist Mehrangiz Kar -- take a listen to our discussion.
"He lies so much. He lies in the House of Commons. He lies about very important decisions. Democracy, in the end, has to depend on truth."
@RoryStewartUK
tells me why he wants to see
@Borisjohnson
removed from office:
“We’ll continue to impose sanctions on the morality police and on those involved in the repression.”
U.S. Envoy to Iran
@Rob_Malley
talks to me about what the Biden administration is doing to support the protests in Iran.
"I went through a really tough time. At one point I was homeless... ‘The Wire’ changed my life completely."
Superstar, DJ and entrepreneur
@idriselba
spoke with me about his early days in acting, raising his children and his new project -- a city of the future off the coast of
“It’s a big deal” -
#Biden
hails groundbreaking rail and shipping project linking India to Middle East and Europe
@g20
. Thanking
#UAE
President
@MohamedBinZayed
, Biden said “I don’t think we would be here without you”
"Everybody here believes that Israel is responsible for it."
Jordan's FM
@AymanHsafadi
says Israeli denial won’t change regional perceptions around the hospital attack in Gaza. "People are used to this kind of denying things and then admitting them," he added. 1/2
My exclusive interview with Turkey's President
@RTErdogan
covered a wide range of topics during a heated presidential election. Here is a breakdown of what we discussed: (1/11)
The world has largely come together against Russia's invasion of
#Ukraine
- but there was another, arguably more important, sense of unity missing from the discourse. I take a closer look at the global reaction to refugees, featuring my colleague's
@arwacnn
thoughts.
Coldplay paid homage to the protesters in Iran during their concert in Buenos Aires. The band performed "Baraye", the song that quickly became an anthem for the protests. Here's what lead singer Chris Martin said just before he started his performance:
“Everyone understands that to be in NATO means to be safe.”
President of Kosovo
@VjosaOsmaniPRKS
tells me about her country’s ambitions to join both NATO and the EU.
From blocked highways to disruptions at sporting events,
@JustStop_Oil
is protesting government inaction on climate change almost everywhere. But they're usually met with mass arrests. So, can Just Stop Oil actually stop oil? I sat down with the group's spokesperson to find out.
@CNN
investigation uncovers evidence of torture, mass detention and executions in the
#Tigray
region of
#Ethiopia
@nimaelbagir
tells me that the government have issued a statement via a U.S. Public relations firm, Mercury, saying that they were investigating the allegations.
Sierra Leone's Minister of Information Mohamed Rahman Swaray claims no one was tracked down on social media and arrested despite CNN's investigation showing a widespread crackdown against protesters online earlier this month:
#SaloneTwitter
#SierreLeone
"Whichever global crisis at the moment you choose to pick. Turkey is going to play a crucial role."
How will Turkey's election results affect you?
@richardquest
breaks down why tonight's results will ripple across the world:
#Jordan
’s Foreign Minister
@AymanHsafadi
tells me it’s time for the international community to “step up to the plate and put their money where their mouth is.”
As prospects for an immediate ceasefire dim, Jordanian Foreign Minister
@AymanHsafadi
tells me that Israel has already suffered a “strategic defeat” and that its actions are “hurting its own people as much as everybody else in the region”
#DohaForum
Saudi Arabia is open for tourists. The Kingdom is pouring $550 bn into sites across the nation -- and with Cristiano Ronaldo already playing there, all eyes are on whether Lionel Messi will follow suit. I spoke with the
@SaudiTourism
CEO Fahd Hamidaddin about all this and more.
My team and I departed Abu Dhabi last night aboard a C-17 aircraft transporting 22,000 kg of aid from the UAE to Turkey. Tune in to “Connect the World” at 10a EST / 7p Abu Dhabi on CNNI as we bring you the latest images from the ground in Turkey.
"Whatever agreement is made... is made at gunpoint." As Ukraine and Russia wrap up day one of talks in Turkey, I ask Estonia's Prime Minister
@kajakallas
for her take on what was discussed:
"What we see unfolding is something that has been predicted or seen by the neighborhood for quite some time already."
I spoke to Lithuania's Prime Minister
@IngridaSimonyte
, who has previously described Putin's actions as "Orwellian":
What lies beyond the world of tennis for
@DjokerNole
? the tennis legend spoke to me at
@MOTF
about his business aspirations and the industries he's eyeing for investment.
"Israel has killed any embrace of peace in the region."
Jordanian Foreign Minister
@AymanHsafadi
paints a bleak picture for relations with Israel, as he adds that its operations in Gaza have pushed peace talks back by 30 years.
“We are building bridges. We look at the economic prosperity of our region with
#Iran
with
#Turkey
with every single country, actually.” said
#UAE
Minister of Cabinet affairs
@MAlGergawi
during his
#EXCLUSIVE
interview with me.
As Israel intensifies its attacks on Gaza, there’s been an uptick in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by settlers and Israeli forces. At least 47 have been killed so far, with hundreds of others injured
Warning: some images in this report you may find disturbing
#Dubai
was named the first middle eastern city to host the world
#Expo
in 2013. The driving force behind that bid, Reem Al Hashimy, joined me to say that the event is a manifestation of what international cooperation should be.
#Expo2020Dubai
#UAE
#Expo
"We need more."
Georgia's President
@Zourabichvili_S
explains how the threat presented by Russian-occupied territories in her country is pushing Georgia to join the EU.
In recent months,
@COP27P
has come under criticism for Egypt’s human rights record and the jailing of activists, like Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who's been held for nearly a decade. In response, Egypt's FM told me they have a “very transparent way" of dealing with these issues.
@MFAEgypt