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Trump Taps Nikki Haley to be UN Ambassador; Mosul Is Now Surrounded By Iraqi-Led Troops; Chemical Weapon Attacks; Fires Rage across Israel; Far-right terrorist Thomas Mair Jailed for Life for Jo Cox Murder. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 23, 2016 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:00:43] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: A former critic has a change of heart. Donald Trump convinces this one time rival to join his

administration. The latest on how that is shaping up and how President Trump might differ from candidate Trump. Ahead, we examine just what kind

of commander in chief he is likely to be.

Also head this hour, ISIS surrounded Iraqi forces now circle the city of Mosul as he fight against the terror group rages on a live reports for you

from Iraq is coming up.

And up in flames, forest fires break out across Israel. The latest on the effort to battle the place.

A very good evening. It is just off 7:00 in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Hello, and welcome. This is "Connect the World" with me, Becky Anderson.

First up tonight, another big appointment in Donald Trump's new U.S. administration. We now know who will be the face of America at the United

Nations. The Republican governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, says she'd be honored to serve as U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Now, she was an outspoken critic of Trump during his campaign, but eventually said she would vote for him even though she wasn't a "fan."

Now, we're also hearing that Trump has offered the job of Housing and Urban Development Secretary to former presidential rival, Ben Carson. The

spokesman says Carson is seriously considering it.

But as Trump fills key vacancies in his government, he is also clarifying his positions on some key promises and now seems that some of the biggest

crowd pleases on the campaign trail won't become policy at the White House. Sara Murray has details of Trump's sit down yesterday with "The New York

Times."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Donald Trump now suggesting he won't push for Hillary Clinton to be prosecuted over her

private e-mail server or dealings within the Clinton Foundation. In an interview with "The New York Times," Trump saying, "I don't want to hurt

the Clintons. I really don't. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways."

And while it may be up to Trump's Justice Department to make the final call on the matter, the tone is a sharp departure from the one he struck on the

trail.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: She deleted the e- mails. She has to go to jail.

If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation.

MURRAY: Trump also hinting he has changed his mind on waterboarding and now says he might not abandon the International Climate Accord, saying he

has an open mind to it.

Trump trying to brush off repeated questions about how he'll ensure his actions as president won't benefit his businesses, saying, "In theory, I

could run my business perfectly and then run the country perfectly. There's never been a case like this." Refusing to concede that he should

sell his businesses and adding, "The law is totally on my side. The president can't have a conflict of interest."

Trump reiterating that he will step back, leaving the Trump Organization for his children to run.

TRUMP: I don't know if it's a blind trust if Ivanka, Don and Eric run it. But is that a blind trust? I don't know.

MURRAY: But that, too, poses a problem, since his daughter, Ivanka, has already been part of the meetings with foreign officials since her father

became president-elect. Trump complaining, "If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter, Ivanka, again."

And making the case for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to have a role in his administration, maybe as a special envoy to the Mideast. Trump

boasting, "I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians. That would be such a great achievement."

Trump also trying to distance himself from the support of neo-Nazis after this video surfaced of white supremacists cheering him on with Nazi

salutes, just blocks from the White House.

RICHARD SPENCER, NATIONAL POLICY INSTITUTE: Hail Trump. Hail our people. Hail victory.

[00:05:01] MURRAY: Trump denouncing the group, saying, "Of course, I disavow and condemn them. It's not a group I want to energize. And if

they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Sara Murray reporting for you. Let's talk more about the choice if Nikki Haley is U.S. ambassador to the U.N. for example, a daughter of

Indian immigrants is going down. Haley was elected South Carolina's first female governor in 2010 and reelected four years later during the

Republican primary. She backed Marco Rubio when he dropped out. She backed Ted Cruz. She once referred Trump as among the angriest voices in

America. (INAUDIBLE) proposed Muslim ban is absolutely un-American and unconstitutional calling the policy an embarrassment to her party. But she

did vote for him and it's clear now that they have mended 5:56.

Our senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns with us for more tonight. What does this appointment for example of a former, very outspoken critic

of his say about the decisions that Donald Trump has taking at this point?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Becky, the 30,000-foot view is this is an attempt to show the difference between campaigning and

governing. As you said, Nikki Haley would be the first female appointee to a Cabinet level position, a daughter of Indian immigrants, the first

Indian-American individual in the Cabinet. She was under consideration for secretary of state which leaves open the question of who will assume that

job with Mitt Romney's name still in mix.

So he also was most recently known as a fierce critic of Trump and I think Haley, the fact that Mitt Romney's name is in the mix, all points to the

reality that Trump won the election with his party divided and if he only selects people who supported him, he'll be choosing from an extremely

limited pool of people.

ANDERSON: Joe, we heard from Sara Murray's report that Trump is optimistic about brokering a Middle East peace still. A "New York Times" staffer

tweeted this, quoting Trump during yesterday's meeting, "I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians. That would be

such a great achievement." Trump said his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, could be a key facilitator in that process. Do we know what qualifications

Kushner has for this role and are there any concerns about Trump potentially tapping a family member as negotiator?

JOHNS: Potentially problematic that's certain but not without precedent, especially if you think about Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy. However,

what are his qualifications among others, it is safe to say that he is a big picture player in New York City and the real estate industry. He's

also publisher of a newspaper. So he has some qualifications there.

And one of the things that I think Donald Trump has played up during the campaign is the fact that his son-in-law is Jewish. So that gives him at

least an eye toward some of the issues in the region especially related to Israel. That said, as you mentioned, it is problematic because he is

indeed a family member. He has been a more recently known as Donald Trump's fixer if you will, his right hand man, someone who's been very

close to Donald Trump in a variety of ways.

It's clear this president-elect wants to keep Jared Kushner close because he is able to fix things, of course, fixing the Palestinian situation might

be one of the things that every president has certainly wanted to do. Many have tried, many have failed.

ANDERSON: Crooked Hillary, if we remember anything from this campaign, it was that line that he used time and time again. And in series report, she

reminded us of the numerous occasions that he threatened to send her to jail as it were if he were to become president. He's now saying he doesn't

want to harm the Clintons. He's not going to do that. He's not interested in investigating her any further. Should we be surprised?

JOHNS: No. I mean he certainly labeled her, didn't he? And I know talking on the campaign trail there were many Trump supporters who said the

thing that, you know, put them over the edge and made them want to vote for Donald Trump was the question of corruption or the allegations of

corruption in Hillary Clinton's background.

[00:09:58] But the fact of the matter is, virtually, any adviser who's been around Washington for years understands that after an election like this

one, if you were to start actively pursuing the candidate from the other party in a criminal investigation, it could consume your administration and

people would talk about nothing else. So Donald Trump wants to get on about the business of governing, put the election behind him. It's pretty

clear if he went after Hillary Clinton, he wouldn't be able to do that.

ANDERSON: Joe Johns with you out of Washington this evening. Joe, thank you.

I want to get you to Iraq now on a significant advance in the war against ISIS. The city of Mosul now fully surrounded, we are told, by Iraqi-led

forces more than a month after the operation to recapture the city was launched. That at least is according to an alliance of paramilitary groups

known as the PMU. Critical supply rate between Mosul and Raqqa has now also been shut down, Raqqa of course a neighboring Syria.

Now, ISIS was using that root to transport explosives and suicide squads and senior ISIS members and their families also use it to escape to Syria.

Well, CNN's Phil Black joining us now from Erbil with the latest on the offensive against ISIS.

Describe for me an update, if you will, Phil, on the progress in this offensive. How soon before mission is accomplished?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this development surrounding Mosul in this way is significant because it means that the ISIS

forces inside are tracked but it does not mean that Iraqi victory in Mosul is imminent. It's important because they kind of get resupply, they kind

of escape, they have no exist now to the ISIS controlled territory across the border in Syria. But there is still so much fighting to do around

Mosul itself but also most importantly within the city.

It is only on the east in flanks (ph) of the city that Iraqi forces have penetrated the built-up area and that is where their advances really slowed

down because ISIS is simply throwing everything at them. They were prepared that they knew this was coming. They're incredibly motivated and

so they are resisting very fiercely.

It means that all that urban street fighting, house to house, street to street, that still has to take place all within a pretty live city with a

population of over a million people. So there is still a lot of work ahead.

ANDERSON: Phil Black is in Erbil this evening. Phil, thank you.

Well, accusations are flying back and forth over who is using chemical weapons in Syria. Russia blames rebels in Eastern Aleppo of using chlorine

and white phosphorus to attack these Syrian army and civilians, a group that monitors chemical weapon as Russia has offered to provide evidence to

back the claim.

Meantime, the Aleppo media says this video shows a warplane dropping a barrel bomb filled with chlorine gas on the city. The group provided

another video that shows the streets of Aleppo filling with toxic gas. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is meeting with the president of the

International Red Cross in Moscow talking about the situation in Syria.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh following the developments from neighboring Jordan joining us now from Amman.

So much misinformation around what is this sickeningly deadly war but evidence it seems of -- I don't take in the scale of what is going on. How

difficult is it though to get clear on refuted evidence that chemical weapons are being used on either side. And if so, who is supplying them?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think we have to look back here, the area where these alleged attacks took place and if we're

talking about the situation in Aleppo, that is a very dangerous and difficult place for investigators to be really trying to verify and look

into these claims as we heard from the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons. They say they were contacted by the Russians who told

them that they have the evidence of why phosphorous and chlorine being used by the rebels and they asked them to provide them with these samples to

either deliver them to them at their headquarters and (INAUDIBLE) or to Damascus because it is very difficult for them because of the security

situation to operate around Aleppo.

So it is a very complicated situation. We have seen the United Nations and the OPCW over the past couple of years investigating. They do have an

ongoing fact finding mission into claims that we have seen in the past of these attacks allegedly taking place.

[00:15:01] And in this case, Becky, we're hearing it from both sides, and again, claims here that civilians on both sides of the frontline, they say,

have been exposed to these chemicals being used. So the question is here, not necessarily are these only still being used after two years of talking

about redlines and the use of these chemical weapons is anyone going to be held responsible for these attacks. So far we haven't seen any sort of

accountability. And, of course, that raises the question when we see an end to these attacks, these kinds of atrocities if no one is going to be

held responsible for them, Becky.

ANDERSON: Jomana Karadsheh is in Jordan this evening. Thank you.

Still to come tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They buy all sorts of my stuff, all kinds of toys from Trump. They pay me millions and hundred of millions.

ANDERSON: He sold business ties, he has solid business ties with Saudi Arabia but what kind of diplomatic ones will the next U.S. president have?

Series on Donald Trump in the Middle East continues after this and wild fires burning through parts of Israel. We'll update you on efforts to get

them under control taking a very short break. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is "Connect the World" with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back just after, well, 18 minutes past 7:00 here in Abu

Dhabi.

All these week, "Connect the World" is looking at Donald Trump and the challenges he faces in the Middle East. Come January, the President-elect

has to turn campaign trail talk into action especially since when it comes to some of America's staunchest allies like Saudi Arabia. The target is

repeated criticism from Trump over the past year. His anti-Saudi rhetoric was all the more surprising given this own business links to the kingdom.

Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They make a billion dollars a day, folks. And whenever they're in trouble, our military takes care. You know, we get nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Bad value for money. As presidential candidate, Donald Trump's assessment of U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia was typically provocative. As

President-elect, he may be more diplomatic. His claims that Washington is helping the wealthy kingdom too much and getting too little in return

rankled for some in the gulf, but there is also a distinct sense that actions matter more than words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to wait and see what Trump will do. There has been great concern in Saudi Arabia and naturally over this just a bill.

Some of the rhetoric again, it's mostly rhetoric.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Just stands for justice against sponsors of terrorism act and it allows U.S. families of 9/11 victims to sue Riyadh of alleged involvement

in that terror attack.

[00:20:08] Saudi Arabia has denied any link. And the legislation, which Trump supported, is just one of the things souring the mood in the kingdom

when it comes to America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This is amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to stop importing Saudi oil, saying he wanted independence from "America's foes on the energy

cartels." The President-elect has also pledged to stop the U.S. acting, in his view, like the world's policeman, saying our boots on the ground are

needed in place like Syria to fight ISIS but regional ties with Washington were cooling anyway under President Obama because of worries about the Iran

nuclear deal, which the President-elect has vowed to scrap.

So the Trump-Saudi relationship may ultimately surprise observers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes, you get the impression that people have had so much America in the Middle East, that they would be happy to see the

back of America and Trump is suggesting that that's what we would see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: There is one angle to America's relationships with the Middle East that the former businessman will understand instinctively. Gold

states are not just U.S. allies, they are customers. And the U.S. is the top arms exporter while Saudi Arabia is the biggest importer on a global

basis.

Trump also has personal business interests in Saudi Arabia and has sold property to the Saudi government in New York in the past.

TRUMP: I like the Saudis, they're very nice. I make a lot of money with them. They buy all sorts of my stuff.

ANDERSON: So while Trump, the entrepreneur's views are clear, Saudi Arabia will be keeping a close eye on how President Trump feels come January, the

20th.

Well, I'm joined now by Stephen Walt. He is a professor of international affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

And he is speaking to us today via Skype from Brooklyn in Massachusetts. Sir, thank you for joining us.

A recent article by you in foreign policy, Donald Trump keep your hands off the foreign policy ideas. I believe in you, like many other scholars are

in favor of a less interventionist American foreign policy. And so is Donald Trump. You wrote in August, Trump is just about the worst salesman

for an alternative foreign policy than one could possibly.

Imagine, that's a pretty pessimistic view. It surely is too early to tell how good he will be upholding for the different approach. What do you mean

by all of this?

STEPHEN WALT, PROFESSOR AT JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Well, it certainly is too early to tell whether or not Trump

will fulfill the various things he promised to do while on the campaign trail and he's already backed away from some of the more extreme statements

he made.

Certainly, for the United States to be less interventionist particularly in the Middle East would very much be in our interest. And in that sense, I

think Trump will follow in the same footsteps as President Obama to try and decrease the American footprint and limit our involvement. The question is

whether or not while he is doing that, he also severs ties with a number of America's longstanding allies in a number of places or ignites trade wars

in different parts of the world that not only hurt the American economy but also undermine a broader fabric of the present -- national order.

ANDERSON: I hope we can --

WALT: Hello.

ANDERSON: -- continue this conversation, sir, because your Skype isn't particularly good. But we're going to keep going. We're going to try.

I'm going to keep the questions very short ahead. Just what his attitude towards it? And what's he going to do about it, because this is a real

issue to the Saudis and to others in this region. Not just legislation that could be really (INAUDIBLE) a lot of countries including Saudi may put

legislation on it but -- which could really hurt the U.S. in response?

WALT: Yes. I think that he supported it during the campaign and I think it'll be very difficult for him to get to Congress to back off on that. So

that will be an irritant. But I don't think that's going to be the biggest issue that he'll have to wrestle with.

The central issue he's going to have to decide is first of all, what his approach towards Iran is going to be. That's going to matter more to Saudi

Arabia and others then I think even the legislation and possible lawsuits. And similarly, what's his attitude going to be towards the Syrian civil

war. I noticed two issues are at odds with one another -- based on what he said in the campaign.

ANDERSON: I agree with you that Iran and Syria are very big rolling issues here. When you talk to Saudis, the first thing they told you about in this

region is just off times. But I get your point.

[00:25:04] Last August, Trump registered eight different companies with names such as THC Jeddah Hotel and DT Jeddah Financial Services. Jeddah,

of course, is the second largest city in Saudi. And the companies could be link to a potential hotel project there. Four of the companies remained

active as of this spring when Trump's campaign made a financial disclosure.

He's known as a billionaire businessman all over the world. In terms of real politic, might this not actually be a good thing for forging

relationships in certain places? And I am thinking specifically about this region, I mean in the UAE. He does business here for example.

WALT: Well, the problem is that you don't want to -- business interest and what might be the American national interest. And you can imagine there

might be some circumstances where this would be an asset. And the governments might wanting to be nice to him on foreign policy because of

some commercial deal. But the opposite could just as easily be true.

If we get into a dispute with some country over an important foreign policy issue where he also has private business dealings, does that actually give

him an incentive not to do what's in the American interest? I think this is going to be an issue much broader than just the Middle East to sort of

disentangle his private interest from the interest of the country.

ANDERSON: He says he is a great businessman. It's not going to affect him being president. He says he will be a great president as well, remains to

be seen, doesn't it? Still some time to go and we are watching his transition team develop. Thank you, sir.

As we've heard, there aren't many people in the Middle East who welcome what could turn out to be a new era of American foreign policy. The editor

of Arab News, Faisal Abbas, write, "After eight years of Obama, even a Trump presidency feels like a breath of fresh air." You can read more on

our website at cnn.com.

We're going to bring you the latest world news headlines just ahead. Plus ouch, Brexit's already pinching Britain's pocketbook. We look at out the

country's finance chief is planning to balance the books. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:01] ANDERSON: You're watching "Connect the World." I'm Becky Anderson. Just about a half past 7:00 here in the UAE, the top stories for

you this hour, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is appointed the first woman to a high level administration post. He chose South Carolina

Governor Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrant as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She said she felt a sense of duty to her country to

accept.

The city of Mosul is fully surrounded by Iraqi-led forces, according to an alliance of paramilitary groups known as the PMU. Now, this comes more

than a month after the operation to recapture the city was launched.

A man convicted of murder in British politician Jo Cox is being sentenced to life in prison. Thomas Mair stabbed and shot Cox just days before the

Brexit vote in June. The Labour MP was a prominent supporter of the remains campaign.

There are more claims and counterclaims of chemical weapons use in Syria. The Aleppo media center says, this video shows civilians running from

chemical bombs dropped in the city. Russian claims are that rebels are using chlorine and white phosphorus to attack the Syrian army and its

civilians.

At this hour, wildfires are raging through parts of Israel. This fire about 30 kilometers from the high phase, not fully under control after

damaging about 20 homes. About 150 firefighters were out in full force to get the fires snuffed out. About 14 firefighting planes were in the air

above the fires dropping retardant. Police are questioning four people in connection with the fires.

Oren Liebermann following the story from outside Jerusalem and filed this report.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, we're just outside of Jerusalem in a small town called Natuf. This area is where firefighters have focused

their efforts. This is where the fire has been out of control today and you can see what it did to the town of Natuf. The scorched-earth

surrounding me, this home right here is damaged. You can see the flames and the smoke marks on the stone there as well as the home behind it.

On this hill, everything that was green was burnt. Anything that was plastic like what appears to be this pottery holder was melted as this fire

spread not only on the hill but then across the valleys here. And that's been the challenge here as this fire has jumped. You can see to my side

here from one hill to another across the valleys.

Why is that? That's because of the conditions. It's supposed to be the rainy season, but it hasn't rained in more than two weeks so it's very dry.

And today, the last couple of days and the forecast says the next couple of days we are also expecting to see windy conditions that when they pick up

even a small flame, spread that flame very quickly and that is what firefighters are dealing with now, the fire that's jumping from hill to

hill here.

This isn't the only area where firefighters have been trying to get a blaze under control. In Northern Israel, a town called Zikhron Ya'akov, there is

some 750 families that remain evacuated according to the mayor. Another 20 homes damaged in the fire there, that fire still under control but not yet

fully out.

As what caused these fires, at least in the case of the fire in this area, again this is Natuf, police say they have brought in four suspects for

questioning. Those were four workers who police say may have started the fire due to negligence. But the exact cause, that will be the focus of the

investigation only after these fires are out. Becky?

ANDERSON: Oren Liebermann reporting for you.

Well, Britain is working fast to pull together its game plan to get out of the European Union. When voters chose to leave, the government's blueprint

seems to have looked, well, like this, pretty blank, as it fills in the details.

Today, it's been about --

[MUSIC]

ANDERSON: Money, money, money. The man in charge of raising and spending Britain's cash played his tune to lawmakers earlier. Finance Minister

Philip Hammond recons grateful deep and that he'll need to burrow more. CNNMoney's Europe editor, Nina dos Santos, is all over this story for us

and it's beaming to us live from right outside the British Parliament. The autumn statement today as it's known before an economic winter of

discontent perhaps how all things looking.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNNMONEY EUROPE EDITOR: Well, I'm going to say actually it doesn't look like there were economic winter of discontent is about to

hit us here when in truly outside the U.K. Houses of parliament. For the moment, at least according to the office for budget responsibility which is

the government's fiscal watchdog if you like, Becky, well, they're saying that the economy isn't doing quite so bad for the rest of this year but

they have sharply downgraded their economic forecast to almost half them for next year and they're on their own.

[00:35:04] They're also saying that they're expecting not just the growth picture to worsen from here but for unemployment to pick up and inflation

to pick up largely because of the fall and the money that you're talking about there, the British pound which is likely to hit the consumer in their

pocket very hard this time next year.

So, what this budge -- mini budget, one of two economic statements that the chancellor comes out with, one, in the fall or the autumn, one in the

spring, is that it set to reassure consumers try and help cushion the blow of Brexit before the U.K. triggers Article 50 and also to cushion the blow

for the business community. And I just want to go into some of the granule detail.

On both of those two fronts, one of the focuses, Becky, for this budget is to try and help a circle cross of people who've been referred to now as the

jams, people who just about making it. There's about 6 million household across the U.K. who relying not just on their income but also some form of

benefit here to try and cushion the blow of the last recession, now Brexit. Well, the chancellor is going to be announcing some help from them on the

affordable housing front, also some help in terms of the national minimum wage. That's going to be raised and he's not going to take away benefits

as soon as this predecessor George Osborne.

ANDERSON: All right.

DOS SANTOS: On the business front, billions of pounds spent on housing and billions of pounds spend on broadband also on things like big

infrastructure projects and are indeed to help the business community when Brexit eventually bothers them too.

ANDERSON: Well it looks good if he could afford it. He also has spend a lot of time describing how strong Britain is. All the fundamentals there,

or is that just political fluttery as it were?

DOS SANTOS: If you look at the current economic statistics, Becky you and I know that the British economy is actually surprised many people not least

the MPs in this building behind me after Brexit because they've had something of a kind of Brexit bump if you like. The gross statistics have

been better than even the Bank of England's own full costs.

Even inflation recently had a little bit of a dip when people expecting it to rise. But a lot of people saying, well, don't be lolled into a false

sense of security. The reason for all of this, Becky, is that people had been dealing with uncertainty but they haven't actually been dealing with

the fall out of a potential hard Brexit in which the U.K. could get knocked out of the European single market.

Now, it depends who you speak to in this building behind me. Two days ago, I was speaking to the pro-hard Brexit, Tory Lord Lawson, former U.K.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, he said the U.K. will be absolutely fine. But according to the Office of Budget Responsibility which by the way is

neutral, they say it will suffer a major shock but it won't go into recession. The job of the chancellor now is to try to prepare it for that

transition.

ANDERSON: The problem with all of this is the uncertainty about what this Brexit will look like of course. And so anybody who suggested they -- that

they can forecast with any certainty is a liar basically at this point that they're a fool. So, when are we likely to find out?

Remind us. How soon will we know what this Brexit will look like?

DOS SANTOS: Well, the government has come under fire as you and I well know from many months here, Becky, for not coming out with this game plan.

There's a rationale here that Theresa May repeat many times, the U.K. Prime Minister, when she says that, well, there's no point in us as the British

Government showing our cards early because then that gives the other 27 countries in the European Union to prepare for their own agendas to counter

act the UK's demands.

And -- but on the other hand, you'll also hear a number of politicians and business leaders getting very anxious that the government isn't actually

coming out with their Brexit game plan because they don't actually have one. So far what we know is that Theresa May has said that she plans to

trigger the Article 50 clause by which the U.K. would exit the E.U. by March of 2017 so by the fist quarter of the year.

Interestingly enough, one month after March of 2017, we'll be back here talking about the real budget because this autumn statement is just the

mini budget. It gives us a teaser of what to expect later on. Interestingly enough, Philip Hammond said when he was addressing lawmakers

earlier today in the House of commerce that, well, don't expect much from the budget. This one is the real budget that you need to look forward to.

He's going to turn the autumn statement into a budget and the spring budget into a mini state. But he might not have to do more than that actually

between now and then. If we get any signs that the E.U. is still pursuing a hard Brexit sign. Becky?

ANDERSON: And he's going to need more than just a cup of tea I think this finance minister. But anyway, let's see how he does. All right. Thank

you.

A 53-year old man with extreme right-wing views is going to prison for life for murdering.

[00:40:03] Thomas Mair stabs and shots Jo Cox in what was a frenzied attack just days before Britain voted on whether to remain in the European Union.

Police later found an extensive collection of Nazi memorabilia books in his home. Well, Cox was just 41 years old. And her political career was on

the rise. The Labour MP was also a prominent supported of the remain campaign.

Erin McLaughlin joins me now from outside the Old Bailey with more details on this sense. And what happened in court today?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Well the jury deliberated today for about an hour and a half in the end finding the

evidence against 53-year-old Thomas Mair to be overwhelming returning that guilty verdict, which of course was not surprising especially when you

consider the defense submitted no evidence on Mair's behalf.

In fact, Mair declined to even submit a plea at the beginning of the proceeding something that the judge was extremely critical of saying that

Mair lacked the courage to admit what he did. And essentially that made the court then enter a not guilty plea on Mair's behalf triggering this

trial in which witness after witness had to recall in great detail the horrendous murder of Jo Cox before her family -- her family is sitting

there to round the proceedings which lasted for over a week.

Now, today again as I mentioned the jury returning that guilty verdict. And the judge handing out a life sentence which is pretty much as tough as

it gets here in the U.K. And he outlined three reasons for that sentencing saying that the murder was done for the purpose of "advancing violent white

supremacism and exclusive nationalist" most associated with Nazism and its modern forms.

He also said that the murder was committed with determination and persistence and then finally saying that there was a substantial amount of

evidence of premeditation and planning on Mair's behalf now throughout. Today's proceedings, Mair sat there in silence, has expressed no remorse

for what he did. His barrister did request at the end that he say a few sentences, excuse me. At that point though, the judge declining that

request saying that Mair had already been given ample opportunity to respond to the court.

ANDERSON: All right, Erin, thank you for that. Erin McLaughlin is outside the Old Bailey. Live from Abu Dhabi, this is "Connect the World."

Coming up, we take you to the heart of the world's youngest financial center right here in the UAE. Plus, the biggest rivalry in Formula One,

also coming here the charities between teammates, we'll explain what I'm talking about. So coming up this weekend, there's a teaser as just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:50:05] ANDERSON: Well, you're all watching CNN. This is "Connect the World" with me, Becky Anderson. It is just about 10:20 here in Abu Dhabi.

Welcome back in a weeklong series on Abu Dhabi.

This week, we've been looking at how the city is planning for a post-oil future. Key to that vision, a new financial district in the heart of the

capital. And we've discovered that youth counts when it comes to the age- old activity of making money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNNMONEY EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Rising out of the water, a new destination is emerging. The Abu Dhabi Global Market or ADGM is the

country's newest free zone and the world's youngest financial center.

Richard Teng is head of the ADGM Regulatory Authority. With over 20 years experience in Singapore, it's his job to convince international companies

that it pays to be based in Abu Dhabi despite the collapse in oil prices over the last two years.

RICHARD TENG, CEO OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATORY AUTHORITY, ADGM: Always a commodity, you're going through different cycles, but that doesn't

impact what we do. Abu Dhabi is a center of wealth. There's a large concentration of sovereign wealth.

DEFTERIOS: Established last year, the Abu Dhabi Global Market is a vital element in Abu Dhabi's diversification plans. Financial services could

become a key revenue generator and job creator for the UAE capital.

TENG: You look across London to U.S. to Singapore, Hong Kong, financial services account for slightly more than 10 percent of GDP and that is our

aspiration as well.

DEFTERIOS: A strategy that many in the region are trying to replicate, from Qatar to Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, countries in the Gulf are creating

financial centers to attract foreign investment. But an empty plaza here lacks the hustle and bustle of Wall Street or London and it's clear that

this free zone is still growing.

TENG: We have more than 170 companies and financial institutions that have set foot here, using ADGM as the base to expand into the region and beyond.

DEFTERIOS: One company doing just that is Aberdeen Asset Management. It manages over $400 billion across the globe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are contrarian type investment style. And the fact that we can join this kind of startup project in Abu Dhabi was very

attractive to us. We do believe that the financials in here will be a success and we think it's much better to be because Aberdeen is something

that it would have been at far later had we joined in Dubai.

DEFTERIOS: Established in 2004, Dubai's financial center has over a decade head start over its neighbor, but for Teng, he believes that will not

hinder growth here.

TENG: China itself has four financial centers today. Asia Pacific has many more than that. In terms of demographics group of Middle East and

Africa, as well as the growth in middle class in Africa in the next 50 years, it is very strong and robust.

DEFTERIOS: While some would say the center is late to market, it's taking lessons from the established players and Teng says allowing them to

leapfrog into new sectors.

TENG: We are the first in the region to introduce a regulatory laboratory to support think tank players.

DEFTERIOS: And help build out this emerging financial center.

John Defterios, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The humble wheelbarrow race, my dad and I held a local record for six years when I was a kid. Good times. So, a bit of friendly

competition never did anybody any harm, right? But like these identical brothers, it can sometimes come from your own team.

Remember the rivalry between Maverick and Iceman and Top Gun, or Buzz Lightyear and Woody in "Toy Story"? Well now there is another team rivalry

in town. It's this weekend's Grand Prix here in Abu Dhabi. And for your parting shots, CNN's Amanda Davies explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nico Rosberg starts the season how he finished the last with superhero like prowess, he surges to

four straight wins leaving Hamilton in his wake.

Hamilton fights back, rediscovering his powers in Monaco and Montreal. He then reigned supreme in July taking four more crowns. Going into the

summer break, Hamilton swings a 43 point deficit into a 19 point lead.

Rosberg returns with turgid determination, flying out of the traps to secure three wins in a row. Hamilton tries but fails to match his

resurgent rival. After Singapore, Rosberg smells victory. He's on the cusp of his first world championship.

But like any classic tale, there's another twist. Against the odds, Red Bull (ph) win in Malaysia breaking the (INAUDIBLE) momentum.

[00:55:00] Hamilton strikes back in Austin and Mexico bringing him within touching distance of his teammate. Rosberg stands nervous on the podium.

Brazil continues to build the suspense as Hamilton holds his ground securing his ninth win of the season. Rosberg sneaks second setting up a

finale to rival any in history.

To Abu Dhabi all eyes now turn, who will stand and who will fall. Rosberg or Hamilton can take it all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, who are you rooting for then? Rosberg? Hamilton? Both? Neither? Let us know. Just steer over to our Facebook page. That is

facebook.com/cnnconnect. We've got tons of great stories out there, way more than we could ever fit into a single hour of TV. So do check it out.

I'm on Twitter as well. That's right. I am across TV, digital and social folks despite the black and white nature of the shot of the wheelbarrow

race earlier on. Yes. We are in the real 21st century here. Reach out to me on twitter.com/beckycnn and I may just tweet you back if you're ready.

I'm Becky Anderson. That was "Connect the World." Thank you for watching. The news continues here on CNN. You can get through all the top stories

and more on iDesk with my colleague Robyn Curnow. That is coming up. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END