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Europe Receives Conflicting Letters from U.K. Government; Trump: G7 Won't Be Held At Doral; Turkey And Kurds Trade Blame On Ceasefire Violations; Trump's Business Ties In Turkey In The Spotlight; Huge Crowds March Unauthorized In Hong Kong Tourist District; Fresh Anti-Government Protests In Lebanon; Fifteen Killed In Siberian Disaster; How Ethical Hacking Can Reveal Data Insecurity; Thirty Mummies In Wooden Sarcophagi Found In Egypt. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired October 20, 2019 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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ALISON KOSIK, CNN HOST (voice-over): Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Alison Kosik and I'm filling in for Becky Anderson today.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet is meeting today to discuss what to do if they leave the European Union without a deal. This after a

Saturday in which nothing went as expected.

First, Parliament didn't vote on Mr. Johnson's departure deal with the E.U., after lawmakers backed an amendment delaying approval of that

amendment. Then the prime minister was legally obligated to send a letter to the E.U., formally requesting an extension past the October 31st

deadline.

He did that but also added a twist, a separate letter, urging the E.U. not to approve an extension. Let's get you on the ground in the British

capital now with CNN's Anna Stewart, who is following all of these twists and turns.

So glad you are walking us through this. Now some suggest this actually puts Boris Johnson in contempt of Parliament.

But might his gambit work?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is one of the many sort of fallouts I guess from yesterday. I want to show you the first letter that the prime

minister was forced to send to request that Brexit extension, it's very short, very technical. There is no signature.

This is the one he chose to send, much, much longer, has his signature. This is the letter which effectively tells the E.U. why they shouldn't

grant the U.K. an extension that he requested in the first letter. It's all very confusing. It's provoked a lot of anger. Take a listen to what

John McDonnell had to say this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MCDONNELL, LABOUR PARTY SHADOW FINANCE MINISTER: You may well be in contempt of Parliament or the courts, themselves, he is clearly trying to

undermine the first letter and not signing the letter, he's behaving a bit like a spoiled brat.

Parliament made a decision, he should abide by it. This idea that you send another letter you sent contradicting the first, I think it flies in the

face of what Parliament and the courts have decided.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: And the court will meet in Scotland, one of many courts, but tomorrow there will be a case regarding whether or not the prime minister

did break the law.

Did he try and frustrate the Benn Act?

Did that break the law?

So much to get into. We expect at some stage Boris Johnson's actual Brexit deal, that could be tomorrow, wait for it, that depends on the Speaker of

the House allowing it, so he may not. Really, we are living day-to-day, hour by hour.

KOSIK: OK. This is a question we've asked often, does it look at this point like the U.K. will actually leave on October 31st?

You know, what happens next is the greatest phrase we keep re-using and re- using.

STEWART: Allison, despite all the hurdles and everything thrown at Boris Johnson, it is still possible the U.K. could leave the E.U. by October

31st. He is adamant he will, the fact that the cabinet are meeting on a Sunday, discussing no-deal Brexit, clearly putting out there, there the a

possibility we leave the end of October without a deal. He certainly wants to leave with one. -- Allison.

KOSIK: Anna Stewart, thank you for walking us through all of that.

U.S. President Donald Trump changing course. Next year's G7 summit, it won't be held at his Florida property after all. The administration argued

the summit wouldn't produce any profit and that the Trump National Golf Resort in Doral was cheaper than other options.

But that didn't stop the backlash. Kristen Holmes joins me from outside the White House.

Good morning to you, this really shocked everybody to see this reversal. What was -- the argument, even though the White House was saying it was

cheaper, it went ahead and backed off it?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is a couple things going on here, one was there was a lot of backlash for the obvious reason, the

emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, it says the president of the United States cannot accept gifts or money from foreign leaders, which this

looked to be exactly that.

The Republicans saying even if we break it down, it's not illegal, it still looks really bad, especially given the entire impeachment inquiry involving

foreign leaders. But there is also something else which goes to what you brought up now: the costs.

It came out, Mick Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff, he announced it will be at Doral, then the White House gave no answers on how they were going to

produce this at cost. How they even came up with Doral versus any other option, we talked to state leaders in states that Mick Mulvaney said they

looked at sites at, who says they never even heard from the White House or the president.

[11:05:00]

HOLMES: There is a lot of questions. But in a very rare reversal, President Trump is one who prides himself in not giving into criticism or

pushback. He got on Twitter last night. He said because of Democrats and the media, he was no longer going to be hosting it at Doral.

I just want to be very clear. Not just Democrats and the media. The Republicans came out one after another, saying again it just looks really

bad. They didn't know if they could defend it. It was obviously room for concern there in this announcement.

But there's another part of that that's really interesting, which was, at the bottom of the tweet, it said the president was going to be looking for

new locations, including Camp David.

Camp David, of course, is where President Obama held his big foreign leader summit back in 2012. But the reason that's interesting is because when

Mulvaney made this announcement up on the stage, he bashed Camp David, saying it was too small, too remote, nobody wanted it there, it was a

disaster when it was there.

Then to have the president come here and undermine him on this, Allison, the reason why this is so interesting, this undermining, President Trump

does this to his staff members all the time. This is the same exact press conference in which Mick Mulvaney said there was a quid pro quo, which is

the entire basis of the impeachment inquiry.

So now eventually, everything he has said in this press conference has been retracted. And this is where we stand right now.

KOSIK: It was a stunning news conference he headed up last week. CNN is also reporting -- Mr. Mulvaney by the way is the acting chief of staff --

was looking to be replaced before House Democrats even began their impeachment inquiry. What more do you know about that?

HOLMES: Well, we do know top aides, including Jared Kushner, were looking at other people to fill the role. They talked to at least two other

people. But when that impeachment inquiry happened -- we know how quickly it happened in a day with that op-ed and it completely snowballed into the

announcement of the impeachment inquiry, that they had to turn their focus to something else.

He was already on shaky ground. He just did an interview on FOX News, he was asked, first of all, after the press conference, if President Trump

brought up his resignation at all. He said absolutely not. He was happy in his job.

Then he says he thinks he's doing a good job as chief of staff and he thinks the president thinks that as well. But our reporting shows maybe

the president isn't so sure about that. But you have to note here, there is a lot of concern at the White House that they can't really oust Mulvaney

right now because they don't know who would be willing to take the job.

There has been so much turnover in this White House. Now you add in an impeachment inquiry, is someone going to be willing to take this on at this

moment in time?

KOSIK: Kristen Holmes, live at the White House, thanks very much.

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is visiting Jordan to discuss the crisis in Syria. Her trip comes amid a shaky U.S.-brokered cease-fire

between Kurdish and Turkish backed fighters. A congressional delegation met with the Jordanian king and other senior officials.

They're hoping to find a political solution to the crisis. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also discussing Syria. He spoke with Turkey's

president by phone to address his concerns over the offensive.

For now the U.S. cease-fire in Syria is the only thing, at least partially, keeping the peace. But the agreed 120-hour timeframe isn't long for tens

of thousands of people to leave the area that Turkish forces want to enter.

This week, the situation in Syria changed drastically. And as CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports, the U.S. decision to withdraw is having a ripple

effect in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two decades vanished in a week with the U.S.' rapid withdrawal from

northeastern Syria. The rules of the region are rewritten.

U.S. forces leaving so fast, so perilously, they blew up their own base, something they have not done since fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

And abandoned their key ally against ISIS, the Syrian Kurds, who died in their thousands, fighting the terror group. And where the U.S. flag once

flew at this outpost near Kobani just days ago, Russia now stands tall. The Kremlin can surely not believe how easy extending their influence has

been.

TRUMP: Syria may have some help with Russia and that is fine. It's a lot of sand.

WALSH (voice-over): President Trump campaigned on leaving what he called endless wars and has tried to put that into action.

He also said he had 100 percent defeated ISIS. But his first bid to leave Syria last year came just at the critical moment the group still had

territory so was delayed.

[11:10:00]

WALSH (voice-over): The U.S. departure from Syria was eventually inevitable, some say, as was the Syrian Kurds needing to find new allies.

But the speed and chaos of the withdrawal announced before the troops got the order to leave, imperiled not only the Kurds and the Americans.

We saw a U.S. convoy buzzed nearby Turkish jets. But America's standing as an ally globally. America's other allies may be reeling. Saudi Arabia's

gasoil fields were hit, U.S. officials say, by Iranian missiles. But Iran said it would fight back if attacked.

JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: An all-out war.

WALSH (voice-over): Trump dropped his big stick.

TRUMP: Do I want war?

I don't war with anybody.

WALSH (voice-over): So it was no coincidence the Saudis, who reflexively expected U.S. protection, met another president weeks later. He's also

been keeping close to another traditional U.S. ally.

The last two decades of U.S. involvement in the Middle East have been exhausting in blood and treasury but led to alliances that endured as U.S.

troops came home. This week's hasty shambolic rout in Syria and the lives it cost not only expose the president's unwilling to restrain his whimsical

urges to keep troops and allies safe, it also rearranged the alliances in the world's bloodiest region. That risks more mayhem as a new order

emerges to reset the rules of the game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And Nick Paton Walsh joins us live from Irbil in northern Iraq on a major movement happening next door in Syria.

Nick, what is the latest?

OK, we are having technical difficulties. We will go back to Nick if we're able to get that signal back.

Meantime, United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper landed in Afghanistan today, telling reporters that U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan is

conditional and a peace agreement is still the best way forward. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ESPER, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The aim is to still get a peace agreement at some point, a political agreement. That's the best way

forward. And I'll let the State Department comment on where things stand.

And then with regard to a withdrawal of forces, as we always said, that it will be conditions based. But we're confident that we can go down to 8,600

without affecting our operations, if you will. But all that, again, we think a political agreement is always the best way forward with regard to

next steps in Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: OK. Nick is joining us again from Irbil in northern Iraq.

Nick, what's the latest?

WALSH: Can someone else get on the phone?

So at this point we have breaking news from Eastern Syria. We have just witnessed ourselves hundreds of U.S. trucks in the east of the country,

gathering outside near the town of Hasakah.

I understand from a U.S. official these are a part of the largest land move made by the United States in their time in Syria and it's a part of the

major withdrawal here.

That withdrawal is underway, I hear, from a U.S. official. It was something which was suggested yesterday by the U.S. Secretary of Defense

Mark Esper that he will be moving a thousand or so of the troops here from Syria into Iraqi Kurdistan.

But we understand that move is now actually underway at this particular point. We don't want to reveal too many details. The precise location of

these troops. But we saw as I say gathering of over 100 vehicles at a base near Hasakah. We understand that is a rallying point, from which they will

move east to Iraq. The timing imprecise, a complicated series of moves they have to go through, potentially regime or ISIS somewhere in that

territory.

So a complicated convoy, certainly, as it begins to move. And also a steeply symbolic moment I think for U.S. troops on that convoy after the

years here spent fighting ISIS in its different guises across Iraq and Syria.

To some degree the withdrawal here has been very hasty. It was announced that it would happening before the troops on the ground had the chance to

implement the contingency plans they had. Of course, no military planner wants to have their moves broadcast before they get a chance to actually

perform them.

But there have been suggestions that it will take weeks or possibly days for Mark Esper the Secretary of Defense. We understand a very large convoy

of U.S. armor and vehicles will be on the move very soon, heading towards the Iraqi border. Back to you.

KOSIK: OK. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. Thanks very much.

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KOSIK (voice-over): Still to come, there is no pause for the innocent; 165,000 people displaced in just over a week. We head back to Syria next.

[11:15:00]

KOSIK (voice-over): Plus, rallies against corruption have been taking over Lebanon all week and this is just one of the countries seeing outrage

against a government play out in the streets over the weekend.

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KOSIK: We return to northern Syria, where the U.S. brokered pause between Turkish and Kurdish forces in northern Syria is shaky. Both Turks and

Kurds trading blame of cease-fire violations. Amid the shifting front lines, 165,000 people have been displaced, including 70,000 children.

Let's bring in UNICEF Representative in Syria Fran Equiza, who joins me via Skype from Damascus.

Thanks so much for joining us.

FRAN EQUIZA, UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE IN SYRIA: Thank you for having me.

KOSIK: All right. We are at the halfway point for the U.S.-brokered cease-fire.

What is the reality on the ground you are hearing?

EQUIZA: The reality is we have some people displaced; among them 75,000 children are fleeing because of the fear of the fighting of the bombing.

Now many of these people are in shelters in Hasakah and Raqqah.

That adds to the 90,000 people already in camps in the northern part of Syria. We have heard lately there are still some fighting happening at the

border, at the same time, they have been leaving for the last week.

KOSIK: Just so, that point a little more, the cease-fire was supposed to provide an opportunity for the Kurds to get out, for an opportunity for aid

to reach areas cut off.

What are -- what's happening with that respect?

EQUIZA: Well, as I said, there has to be some areas close to the U.S. line, which we have not accessed because the fighting is still there on and

off. But we have been able to access the population in most of the shelters, all the shelters, anyway, in the rest of the camps and the people

in the communities.

So we have been able to deliver water and health nutrition for the children and we have been able to deliver winter coats (ph) for the children in the

winter. So if through that we don't have food access everywhere, that most of the people we have been able to reach them over the last days.

KOSIK: So for those who have been able to evacuate, where have they gone and what kind of support do they most need?

EQUIZA: Sure.

[11:20:00]

EQUIZA: Most of them have gone to Qamishli city, to Raqqah city, and they are living with relatives. They have rented a house there. An amount of

people have been moved from one camp to another camp, because they were residents in a camp and camps were at risk so we moved them to other camps.

And some people are living in shelters. Some go to the surface. Some receive health care and immediate support of food and nutrition for the

children.

Some of them are still in a shelter. And we access to those shelters with water in an everyday basis, with health and nutrition support for the

children and the ability to identify any children to reunite them with their families.

KOSIK: Well, several humanitarian organizations suspended their operations in Syria early last week.

What additional challenges are you facing on the ground?

EQUIZA: Yes. That's true. A few of our colleagues have to stop operations. But also over most of the decisions, they still have the

capacity of our colleagues are still there operating. It's true we have to step up to combat those gaps that have been created. But so far we have

been able do it.

KOSIK: There is a meeting coming up on Tuesday, President Erdogan, President Putin, you know, Erdogan saying he believes Turkey and Russia can

solve the safe zone issue.

What would be your message to the two leaders?

EQUIZA: Well, the message to the two leaders is that, in any kind of a situation, any kind of a decision they can make, children have to be

first. Children are children, they have no any responsibility for what the adults do.

And so whatever decision is made, whatever process is put in place, they have to make sure that civilian populations targeted and the children can

have not only a life but also a good life.

KOSIK: How concerned are you as we get closer to this Tuesday meeting between Erdogan and Putin?

How concerned are you that the U.S. no longer seems to have a seat at this table?

EQUIZA: My only concern is, if the parties on the ground help us and allow us to do the job we are supposed to do, in that case, in the political

analysis is, are we able to reach the people, most of them, not all of them.

Can we expect where a movement of this in Syria, we ask ourselves every Syrian children that is in the area.

KOSIK: Fran Equiza with UNICEF, thanks so much for your work there.

EQUIZA: Much appreciated.

KOSIK: Bromance has been a word often muttered when it comes to some of President Trump's relationships with world leaders. Ever since Turkey's

President Erdogan appeared at the opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul in 2012, the pair have had an extensive working relationship.

As CNN's Senior Investigative Correspondent, Drew Griffin reports, that's now being tested.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the question not even whispered any more in Washington.

Why is Donald Trump allowing Turkey's leader to seemingly do whatever he wants?

And with a self-promoting businessman in the White House, one theory focuses on Donald Trump's business in Turkey and point to this braggadocio

statement he made during the height of his presidential campaign.

TRUMP: I have a little conflict of interest because I have a major, major building in Istanbul. And it's a tremendously successful job. It is

called Trump Towers.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): The truth is Donald Trump doesn't own Trump Towers Istanbul; he owns a licensing deal. In 2008, a major Turkish developer

agreed to pay Trump in a multimillion-dollar deal to use his name to build two towers, a residential and an office building, along with a shopping

mall underneath.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, helped with design, picking out the finishes, as Trump said, at the opening in 2012, but that's pretty much it. Trump

Towers Istanbul is not owned, developed, or sold by the Trump Organization or any of their current or former principals or affiliates. It is a Trump

property in name only and that name continues to pay him.

During the presidential campaign, financial disclosures by the Trump campaign stated income from Trump Istanbul between $1 million and $5

million. Last year, the President's financial disclosure brought that figure down to $100,000 to a million dollars. A source familiar with

Trump's business telling CNN the fee fluctuates on condominium sales and the strength of the Turkish economy.

[11:25:00]

GRIFFIN (voice-over): And despite telling Turkish reporters in 2012 that he was looking to do something else because this has been so successful, a

Trump Organization official says that never happened. There was nothing else in Turkey. There are no new projects.

What has developed, according to Soner Cagaptay, is a bromance between Turkey's strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Trump who

is envious of Erdogan's powers.

SONER CAGAPTAY, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: I think the reason the Erdogan-Trump relationship works because -- is because Erdogan

has a political man- crush on Trump and -- the other way is also true. Trump also seems to be quite infatuated by Erdogan and his government

style.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Cagaptay is Director of Turkish Research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and has just released his third

book on Turkey, "Erdogan's Empire."

CAGAPTAY: Erdogan has been able to build a base that adores him and I think, in some ways, Trump perhaps wants to copy that model inside U.S.

politics. But at the same time, the two leaders get each other because they're both strong men. They both want to make -- want to make their

nations strong.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): It's a relationship that dates back to at least 2012 when then-Prime Minister Erdogan attended the launch of Trump Towers

Istanbul and Ivanka Trump made sure to publicly thank him. Since taking office, Trump has hosted Erdogan twice at the White House, met him in

Japan.

The two men share another connection, sons-in-law who participate in governing decisions. In February, Trump sent his son-in-law, Jared

Kushner, to Turkey to discuss Middle East strategy. In March, Erdogan admitted, my son-in-law has a working bridge to Kushner and discussed how

his son-in-law and Kushner text each other.

Last week, the White House announced Erdogan will visit the White House again next month. That was before the current backlash over Trump's

decision to pull troops out of Syria, before Trump imposed sanctions and before Turkey's assault on Kurdish forces.

Now, the strategy and mutual admiration between these two leaders is being challenged by the same issue, how to appear strong to their base while also

trying to prevent yet another Middle East war -- Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: When we come back, police fire water cannons into the crowds, we'll show you more of the chaos as tear gas and petrol bombs hit parts of Hong

Kong.

Plus unrest grows in Beirut as thousands rally against government corruption in a WhatsApp resolution. CNN is on the ground in both cities -

- coming up.

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[11:30:00]

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KOSIK: It's been a protest-filled weekend across the world. A state of emergency was declared in Santiago, Chile, as a metro fare increase brought

hundreds into the streets. Catalan separatists marched all week, seeking independence from Spain.

A tax on WhatsApp calls triggered huge protests across Lebanon.

And Hong Kong kicked off its 20th week of demonstrations as people demand more democracy from their government. We are covering all of the unrest

worldwide.

Anna Coren has been in the middle of the chaos in Hong Kong. Our Ben Wedeman is live from the protests in Beirut and journalist Sara Canals

joins us from Barcelona.

First let's hear from Anna Coren from the tear gas and petrol bomb filled rallies in Hong Kong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN ANCHOR: This is the 20th consecutive weekend of protests in Hong Kong. As you can see, the front line protesters, have barricades

here. It's one of the busiest roads here in Hong Kong. They are throwing things in this makeshift barricades, as you can see, petrol bombs and fires

have been set over here to these barricades.

And it looks like the contact with police. Now they are still protesting. They've set fire,, looks like a voracious fire.

We know police are 500 meters in that direction. They've fired multiple rounds of tear gas and water cannons they've used to disperse the crowd,

pushing everybody down here.

Now this began as a very peaceful protest. Tens of thousands, if not over 100,000 people turned out for an unlawful assembly. The police had denied

the march as had the courts. (INAUDIBLE) organized 2 million people marched in June.

The march was denied; the protesters turned out regardless. And they say this is their right. This is their civil liberty to come out onto the

streets and protest. They are calling for an independent inquiry into police brutality. They want the Hong Kong police force to be disbanded and

of course, they want universal suffrage.

That has become the main goal really of these protesters. So we've heard from the chief executive, Carrie Lam, who says that is never going to

happen. China's president Xi Jinping said any act of separatism will be crushed.

So for the people here, this is an act of defiance, four months into these protests and they are turning out in their thousands with their makeshift

weapons and metal pipes, hammers, sledgehammers, they are smashing up shops. They are seen as pro-China. They are vandalizing train stations

that are seen to be allies of the Hong Kong government, they are taking to the streets. They say they will continue to take to the streets until the

government listens -- Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: Now let's hear about the demonstrations in Beirut and Barcelona. Journalist Sara Canals is live in Barcelona. Our Ben Wedeman is live in

the Lebanese capital.

Ben, the government scrapped the WhatsApp hike that started the rallies.

What are protesters demanding now?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What's interesting, Allison, is the government has retreated a variety of times. They dropped

the WhatsApp tax.

[11:35:00]

WEDEMAN: They promise no new taxes on ordinary citizens. And the austerity budget has also been abandoned. Despite these repeated steps

backwards, it has had absolutely no impact whatsoever on the streets of Lebanese towns and cities.

What you are hearing and seeing is just fireworks here. There is not -- it's very calm and it's basically just a street party. Not just here in

Beirut but as far north as Tripoli. The second largest city in Lebanon, also to the south as far as Tyre near the Israeli border, there are

identical demonstrations.

I've seen estimates as many as a million people in the streets, that's basically one in five inhabitants of Lebanon, taking part in these

protests. So it does not appear, despite the government's retreats, these protesters are giving up. They want much more, they want a fundamental

change to the way this country is run.

At the moment, it's run by ministers, who are from parties that are based upon largely sectarian lines. They want people not to represent their

sect; they want them to represent the people of Lebanon because what we're seeing, Allison, down below, is not people demonstrating as Muslims, as

Christians, as Druze, they are demonstrating as Lebanon citizens. There is not a single party flag down there. We only saw Lebanese flags.

Ben, they're incredible pictures. I'll get back to you in just a moment.

I want to go to Sarah, the Catalonian president is calling for negotiations with Spain.

What kind of resolution are the protesters looking for as they take to the streets where you are?

SARA CANALS, JOURNALIST: Well, we find two different scenarios during this week. On the one hand, we got this massive and peaceful pro-independence

demonstrators who are taking to the streets since Monday.

What they claim is basically freedom for the Catalan leaders who, since Monday, are sentenced to prison for up to 13 years. They claim for another

freedom of independence and also they want a dialogue between both administration and the Catalans.

We've also seen they have been claiming a reaction from Europe, from the international organizations to maybe have on a dialogue between both

administrations. But on the other hand, we've also seen a rise of the violence in the nights, which had kind of overshadowed the mass

demonstrations that we've seen during week, on the airport, on Monday.

Thousands of hundreds of people blocked the airport or on Friday, where we've seen half a million people taking the streets, marching for what they

call the march for freedom, every night since Tuesday, we've seen minority groups who organized, acted in an organized way.

The group doesn't show their faces to try to hide their identity and who are creating barricades, throwing objects to the police and, on the other

hand, it's the third week of turmoil in Catalonia and Barcelona. It's the tensions and the clashes between protesters and the police.

KOSIK: All right. Sara, thanks for that.

Ben, I want to ask you one last question before I let you go, because I know you had great experience covering protests similar to this all over

the globe. What we're seeing happen here in Lebanon, though, these protesters are calling for a revolution.

How, if any, how does this one feel different than the others that you've covered?

WEDEMAN: What's different in this, even different from Hong Kong, where I spent almost a month, is that, despite some initial friction between the

security forces and the protesters, it does appear that even among the army, for instance, that there is a lot of sympathy for these protests.

For instance, I covered Egypt and Libya and Tunisia and elsewhere. Certainly in Libya, the security forces were always vicious with the

protesters. Here, despite those initial frictions, for instance, one of the austerity measures that was being considered by the government was

cutting the pensions of retired soldiers.

So many of the soldiers currently serving are sympathetic. One of the soldiers told me who was watching this demonstration, he said once I'm on

duty, I'm going home, I'm going to change into civilian clothing and join the demonstrations.

[11:40:00]

WEDEMAN: So there isn't sort of this gap between the people who actually man the state as opposed to the politicians, the ministers and the people.

They're all in the same boat so to speak. They're all suffering.

So you don't have that chasm between the two, which is another reason why the government is not pushing back very hard, despite some arrests and some

maltreatment of the protesters. They realize that these protests you are seeing behind me is a groundswell that includes many of those who man the

state -- Allison.

KOSIK: Incredible pictures coming out of Beirut. Ben Wedeman, thank you for your reporting.

Sarah Canals, in Barcelona, great pictures, thank you for your reporting as well.

Rescuers are looking for more survivors after a dam collapsed at a gold mine in Siberia. Six people are still missing near a settlement in a

remote part of Russia. At least 15 people were killed. According to Russian media, a local official said lax construction standards and bad

weather could be to blame.

And we'll be right back.

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[11:45:00]

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KOSIK: Most people don't know how much private information they're sharing online. That's why our tech reporter Donie O'Sullivan let himself get

hacked. I want you to look how an ethical hacker was able to disrupt his life simply using what he has posted on social media.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL TOBAC, ETHICAL HACKER: You want to assume that everything you put on social media is public. Information that can be found in places like

this can be used to authenticate you with different companies.

I called like pretty much every business that he ever listed that he used on his Twitter, Instagram. What you have to understand is when you do

that, I now know which companies you use and I know which companies to call as you.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN TECH CORRESPONDENT: They gave you my phone number.

TOBAC: I'll do these phone calls. I'll be actually live hacking, so when I call, your phone number is going to display on their caller ID.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you my address, phone number, date of birth, whatever you need to know to verify that's really me.

O'SULLIVAN: That's wild.

TOBAC: I am on the road right now and I'm having trouble getting access to my Internet but I need to transfer points to my friend for a bridal shower.

Hopefully you can help me out over the phone. I have all the information.

I have 90,000, is that correct?

So the first and last name is Rachel Tobac.

Oh, they've been transferred?

OK, fantastic.

O'SULLIVAN: They're gone.

As you know, my flight leaves in Vegas.

TOBAC: I'll put you in the middle.

I try to do this personal essay thing.

So can you move me to a middle seat in the back of the plane?

I know you probably don't get that request a lot.

Oh, perfect. It's a row right before the last row and it's in the middle seat.

You're in the back of the plane, middle seat.

O'SULLIVAN: I had an exit, aisle.

TOBAC: Until these companies learn to change their authentication protocols, there are certain things you can do to help protect yourself.

Remove your geolocation tagging. When you're on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, there's just no need to know exactly where you're staying at

those places.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: All right. Up next on CONNECT THE WORLD, archeologists call it the biggest find of its kind in over a century. We unwrap the latest Egyptian

discovery next.

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I want you to look at this, 30 ancient Egyptian coffins over 3,000-years- old, yes, there are mummies inside, discovered in an ancient city of Luxor.

[11:50:00]

KOSIK: Archeologists are calling it the biggest find of its kind in more than a century.

Zahi Hawass is an Egyptian archeologist and former minister of state for antiquities, and he joins me live now from Cairo.

So great to have you with us.

ZAHI HAWASS, ARCHEOLOGIST: Thank you very much.

KOSIK: So for you, just how exciting is this find?

HAWASS: You know I think this is the most, as you said, this is the most important discovery. The cachette was found as the ancient Egyptian listed

exactly, 10 coffins underneath 12; three are men, five are women, two are children. And were opened to the biggest light.

It's beautiful, the color. The scenes are representing the goddess Hathor, goddess of birth and love and also at the same time you have a scene of

giving offering to (INAUDIBLE) after he died. And also other scenes of offering to different (INAUDIBLE).

The color is so beautiful as it was made yesterday. And this is a cachette hidden in dynasty 22nd, more than 2,700 years ago. This is number 5

cachette. There is two royal and two are priestesses. And this was hidden by the priestess of dynasty 22nd.

As you know, mummies capture the heart of people all over the world. This discovery tugs at the heart of everyone.

HAWASS: And the good news that we are preparing right now a big room in the grand museum that will be opened end of next year to show this cachette

as the first cachette of mummies and coffins to be discovered by Egyptian team.

KOSIK: What information, what significance does this give to that time and, once again, what kind of information does it give you?

HAWASS: First of all, it tells us that there was one workshop wherein all the (INAUDIBLE) were (INAUDIBLE). and, number two, it tells us about the

religious free (ph) of the ancient Egyptian in the time of the 22nd dynasty.

And number 3, it tells us about the trouble that Egypt had in this period that was tombs robbery, stealing tombs and money. And, therefore, the

priestess of this dynasty began to save the mummies and the tombs by hiding a cachette, who's all this (INAUDIBLE) when they looked at one of them, as

if it was colored yesterday, because it was hidden under the sand for more than 2,700 years ago.

This will enrich our knowledge about many important things of the late period of Egypt.

KOSIK: Are you surprised about the condition that these were in when they were found?

HAWASS: I was. I was completely surprised. When I looked at the coffin and I could see the scenes, there was a beautiful coffin of a lady, she was

a singer of the (INAUDIBLE). She was singing for the (INAUDIBLE) inside the temple of Karnak. She had a beautiful face, where her hand is like

that.

And the scenes of Hathor, goddess of beauty and love on that coffin. And we found that all the coffins were completely sealed with wooden pieces to

show that this is an intact cachette found for the first time.

You know, since the last cachette that was found, it was in 1981 and one in 1954 (ph) before but that is really unique. It tells us one thing that we

found until today, (INAUDIBLE) only of our monument (ph). It still is 70 percent is buried underneath the ground.

And I always say to everyone. You never know where the sand of Egypt might hide of secrets. The discovery reveals (INAUDIBLE) of Egypt mummies and

coffins.

KOSIK: Very quickly, where can the public again see these mummies for themselves and where?

HAWASS: The public can come to Egypt, because Egypt is safe. And Egypt is beautiful. They can come end of next year, when we will open the grand

museum, the most beautiful museum in the world. It is the largest culture (INAUDIBLE) in the whole world.

This would be shown in a beautiful hall to tell the people about the beauty of what the grand museum will contain, because all the treasures of King

Tut and all other people will be shown in the grand museum,

[11:55:00]

HAWASS: That will be opened next year and they can come and look at the beauty of this great discovery.

KOSIK: All right, Zahi, we're excited for you and I know I'm excited for a visit. Thank you so much.

Before we go, we now have video from the longest ever non-stop commercial flight. Australian airline Qantas took 49 people from New York to Sydney

in 19 hours and 16 minutes. They tested the health and well-being of those on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, monitoring the brain waves of the

pilots and conducting exercise classes for passengers.

Qantas says it hopes to operate more ultralong haul flights from Australia's East Coast to New York and London in the next couple of years.

The group's chief executive said this is a significant step for aviation and hopefully a preview of a regular service that will speed up how people

travel from one side of the globe to the other.

I'm Alison Kosik. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks for watching.

END