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Lebanese Prime Minister Expected to Speak Amid Protests; Clashes Break Out in Lebanon Ahead of Hariri's Speech; Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri Announces Resignation; U.K. Prime Minister Tries Again for December Elections; Ukraine Expert Who Heard Trump-Zelensky Call Testifies. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired October 29, 2019 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: -- for weeks. That the sectarian political oligarchy, as they call them, is responsible for endemic state corruption.

Which has pushed this country they say to a state of economic collapse. Well, two weeks of unprecedented government protests have paralyzed this

country. Let me get you to Ben Wedeman who is standing by for you at our Beirut bureau which is just moments away from where I am here on Martyrs'

Square in Beirut. Ben, we don't know what he's going to say as of yet but these calls have been thick and fast and no protesters standing down. What

can we expect at this point?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly we understand that Prime Minister Hariri is really at the end of his tether.

He's tried last Monday to put forward this reform program which actually was supported by his allies within the cabinet. But the country has been

paralyzed now since the evening of the 17th of October by these nationwide protests. And what we've seen today is, really, the second major outbreak

of clashes in downtown Beirut where we are seeing some divisions among people here.

Right near where I'm standing is a place called the Ring Road. A major artery in Beirut and we were there while there was a bit of a

confrontation between local residents. Many of whom are Shia, many of whom are supporters of Hezbollah and Amal, the other large Shia political party,

and they were demanding from the protesters who had blocked that road for days that they leave.

Because we spoke to some of the local residents. One man, for instance, said he's a driver. He has not been able to work a day since the protests

hit Beirut's streets for real on the 18th of October. These are people who live hand to mouth. They depend on what they earn every day to feed their

families. So there's a lot of anger in some of the working-class neighborhoods, the disruption, these road blockages are causing.

So very quickly, it descended into rock throwing. The local residents were pulling the barricades out of the street and very quickly it descended into

a battle in which the security forces were trying to keep the two sides apart, but they failed. In the end, these people, many of them chanting

pro-Hezbollah chants made their way to Martyrs' Square where they essentially trashed the tents, ripped down posters and we had just below me

here in the Riadh Solh Square near the Prime Minister's office, they got here. There was almost a clash between them and the anti-government

protesters. The riot police intervened to keep the two sides apart, but they did fire tear gas and they did, we see, we have it on video, they did

have --

OK, Ben. Stand by. Stand by. We need to listen to Saad Hariri who is speaking now.

SAAD HARIRI, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I've taken a decision to stop the downturn in the political, economic situation. I

asked for time to listen to the people and to protect the country from dangerous economic, political matters and social events. Today we have

reached into a blocked road. It is a big shock.

I'm going to the palace of Baabda in order to hand over the resignation of my government to President Michel Aoun and to the people of Lebanon in all

areas. And that's what the majority of the population that came to the main square have demanded.

And also to ensure that there is a framework to protect the security of the country. I call on all Lebanese to put Lebanon's interests and the

security of Lebanon and the protection of the civil population of Lebanon before anything else.

Regarding my -- all my partners in (INAUDIBLE), our responsibility is how to protect Lebanon and stop any problems reaching Lebanon. Our

responsibility is how to improve the economics of the country. And this chance should not be lost.

[10:05:00]

My resignation, I'll hand it over to the President and all Lebanese. Positions of power come and go. The peace and the security of the country

and dignity is more important. And I am saying nobody is bigger than the country. Protect Lebanon.

ANDERSON: We were listening to Saad Hariri who is saying that he has resigned from the government here. He was speaking after weeks of

demonstrations throughout the country. Let's see if we can get that back for you. OK. Let's get you to Ben Wedeman. Ben, you were listening to

that. And as we try to get that speech back, Ben, your thoughts at this point.

WEDEMAN: Well, we heard Prime Minister Hariri say we've reached a dead end. And certainly for this government, that definitely is the case. He

said he's going to go to the Baabda palace, which is the President's palace, just outside of Beirut and will hand in the resignation of his

government. Which -- and he didn't indicate what comes next. They're not clear what is going to happen. Really a great big power vacuum has just

been opened up.

He clearly expressed a certain amount of understanding and sympathy for the protest movement. And we understand that he has been supportive of the

basic demands of the protesters to crack down on corruption, to see some sort of new political arrangement here in Lebanon where the government is

not based upon a sectarian division of power. Now so his political bloc, the Mustaqbal Future party, perhaps is going to come down on the side of

the demonstrators.

But what we have clearly seen now is that Hezbollah and Amal, the two main Shia parties are clearly on the opposite end in this situation with him.

This was a government that had three ministers, two Hezbollah ministers, one who is affiliated with Hezbollah, the health minister. And it was an

odd arrangement, but this is the only way you can run this country is you have to bring everybody into a big tent. That tent, like the tents in

Martyrs' Square have now been ripped down, and there's probably a lot of scrambling going on in the presidential palace in Baabda to figure out what

is the next step.

Because not only is Lebanon in political turmoil, it is in economic turmoil. The banks in Lebanon have been closed since the 18th of October.

They will be closed again tomorrow. We heard Riad Salame in that interview with you, Becky, yesterday saying that Lebanon is days away from collapse.

And I think we're a day closer to that now -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben, let's just repeat what we heard. The Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he going to submit his resignation, and I quote

him here.

I have reached a dead end. No one is bigger than the country, was the translation. He gave that speech in front of a portrait of his late

father, Rafik Hariri, who was himself Prime Minister, of course, assassinated. Just give us some context to who Saad Hariri is.

WEDEMAN: Well, Saad Hariri became Prime Minister after a -- rather, he became the leader of the Future Party after the assassination on the 14th

of February 2005 of his father Rafik Hariri who was the Prime Minister who really ran Lebanon for much of the immediate post-civil war era. Much of

the reconstruction in this part of Beirut was done under his rule.

But he was somebody who had very close relations with Saudi Arabia. Rafik Hariri, the father is. But we saw that in November 2017, Saad Hariri was

essentially held hostage by Saudi Arabia when he went to visit there. The Saudis very unhappy that Saad Hariri has several times included Hezbollah

in the government. And as I said before, Hezbollah, like it or not, the United States considers it a terrorist organization.

[10:10:00]

But here in Lebanon, it is a very large and well-organized political party that simply you can't ignore it -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Sure. We heard a lot of cheering here. You probably heard it yourself on the square and in the streets. Erupting as that announcement

came in that Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister here, is submitting his resignation, having it, as he explained it or put it, come to a deadlock.

To a dead end. Is this a victory for the people -- Ben?

WEDEMAN: At this point, I'd say it's a mixed victory, at best. Because what we are seeing that this revolution or October revolution as some

people are calling it, which initially began with a surprising amount of cross-sectarian unity. Where people were united in their grievances

against the government.

But we have seen with these road blockages in particular a lot of people who initially supported the protest movement have become disillusioned.

And, therefore, I think those who were cheering the downfall of this government are also well aware that there are many people who are opposed

to this protest movement as it stands today given the amount of disruption it has caused. And Lebanon is now sort of in political limbo, economic

limbo waiting for somebody else to take the helms of a state that is listing very seriously -- Becky.

ANDERSON: I interviewed, as we were discussing, I interviewed the Governor of the Central Bank here yesterday. And in that exclusive interview when

he told me that it was -- this was a country just days from economic collapse, unless immediate action were taken. I also asked him whether

Saad Hariri should resign. This is what he told me just 24 hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIAD SALAME, LEBANESE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR: Prime Minister Hariri wanted to resign to form a new government. He doesn't want to resign and leave

the country in a vacancy because it will worsen the situation. But I believe that what he has -- all his political movement now is to try to get

a consensus on a new government or changes in the present government in a way to satisfy the people of Lebanon and to regain a certain trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that was Riad Salame speaking to me yesterday. 24 hours later and we have the announcement that the Prime Minister here is

submitting his resignation. The Central Bank Governor there making the point that he believed that Saad Hariri had wanted to resign earlier but

that he didn't want to leave a vacuum here when things are in such crisis. The point is, there is now a vacuum, correct? What happens next?

WEDEMAN: Yes, there's a vacuum. There's a vacuum. And sources close to Saad Hariri have told us that, in fact, he wanted to resign much earlier

after the outbreak of these protests on the evening of the 17th of October. But the worry is that in the absence of sort of any cohesive government

that the country could veer off into chaos. Unfortunately, perhaps the clashes we saw today were perhaps the final straw for him given that it

does appear that there's just a complete lack of unity among the political leadership of this country as to how to move forward and god help whoever

succeeds Saad Hariri.

ANDERSON: Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, here on Friday had warned the government not to resign. He said if it did, his party would

bring its supporters into the streets saying -- and I quote him here -- that would change the equation. The government's refusal to relinquish

power some say has only boosted that movement.

I want to take a short break. I just want to give you sort of 60 seconds, though, just to sort of wind up where we are at this point. So final

thought just for the moment.

[10:15:00]

Saad Hariri has gone. We know where Hezbollah stands. You've alluded to what has happened just here in Beirut today with supporters as we

understand it of the other Shia block, the Amal. Things are very much on edge here. This resignation is, by no means, giving Lebanon any closure at

this point, is it?

WEDEMAN: No, no. It just opens up so many other possible avenues for -- I don't want to say chaos, but disruption and certainty. And as Riad Salame

told you in his interview, what Lebanon needs, it's not only its financial system, its political system is confidence. And what we see as confidence

is evaporating.

Confidence in the government's ability to somehow take advantage of this protest movement to perhaps create a better political system. One that is

less corrupt, one that is more representative. One that is more responsive. And at the same time, confidence in the economy. And every

single day the banks remain closed, confidence evaporates just as quickly as it does on the political side.

We don't know when the banks are going to be reopened, but the worry is when they do, there will be a run on those banks. People want to get their

money out. They would like to get their dollars out because many people have dollar accounts. But what we found is even those who have dollar

accounts, when they go to get their money out of the ATM, what they can only get is Lebanese lira and the Lebanese lira is slowly showing signs of

weakness.

It has been relatively stable since 1997 at about 1,500 lira to the dollar. That stability, that stable exchange rate is starting to waver and that

could set off a whole series of catastrophic changes for this country. Where even though there are some people who are very rich and have gotten

much richer in recent years, there are many, many more people who have gotten poorer and poorer. And that's part of the fuel for this protest

movement -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, yes. By a number of reports, there is a 30 percent poverty rate in this country. And with the numbers of Syrian refugees over the

past years coming into this country, of course, the impact on the infrastructure and the economy, even worse, as a result of those -- the

extra numbers in here at this point.

Banks closed. Shops closed. It's relatively quiet out here at present. There's that kind of sense of unease. What happens next? We do know this

hour is that after nearly two weeks of unprecedented anti-government protests that have paralyzed this country of Lebanon, the Prime Minister

Saad Hariri has announced that he is submitting his resignation. That we know. What we don't know, here is what happens next. Stay with us.

[10:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: We return to our breaking news this hour here in Beirut. Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri has just announced his resignation.

This comes two weeks -- or nearly 2 weeks after paralyzing nationwide protests. Demonstrators across the country have been calling for Hariri to

resign.

I can hear loud cheers from the protesters just out here on Martyrs' Square in central Beirut as the news came in. But it's a mixed victory in many

ways. The country still shut down. Banks and shops are closed. And Lebanon still facing massive economic problems brought on over the years

but exacerbated, of course, by this shutdown. The poverty rate here around 30 percent. The protests have been exacerbating that as well as the

Governor of the Central Bank told me exclusively there is a kind of uneasy quiet amid this resignation.

This of course is the second time that Hariri has resigned on television. The first was November 2018 when he resigned during a visit to the Saudi

capital.

John Defterios, my colleague, is in Riyadh where Mr. Hariri was forced to resign two years ago. And he joins me now live. This is a man who had a

very good relationship, as has his father with Riyadh, a man who had fallen out of favor of late with the Saudi's. John, what do you make of this

news?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well it's ironic. Because I'm here at the Future Investment Initiative, Becky, and he

resigned after the very first one in 2017, officially November 4th and was out of power for nearly a month. Not the entire time in Saudi Arabia. The

narrative on that was the Hariri family made billions of dollars over the decades from his father Rafik who was a major player in construction in

Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wanted to recapture that wealth. And then it forced the resignation because of the expansion

of Hezbollah in Lebanon. That was the excuse Hariri used then.

You talked about this with Ben. You headed in your narrative with the Central Bank Governor, Riad Salame. I spoke to five or six Lebanese

bankers. They're fabled in the international markets. And they said what took so long? Because it's been a country that's been suffering from

corruption for decades.

They've had a brain train as you know, Becky, whether it's the Lebanese working in Paris, London, Dubai, Mexico City, San Paolo. Scores all around

the world including in Africa because there was no opportunity at home. So to watch the protests over the last two weeks and see the unity of those

protests taking place, it was extraordinary. And it did force the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri.

The other side of it, in my conversations here, including the IMF regional director who is also Lebanese, he was saying, what is next? What is the

end game here? We've had examples in Algeria and Sudan, the vociferous protests that lasted for months to unseat those in power for 20 or 30

years. That's not the case in Lebanon, but the level of corruption over the decades has been in place and the people on the ground and all that

talent outside the country are finally suggesting enough is enough.

ANDERSON: Yes, and these were questions I put to Riad Salame yesterday. You know, there was a real sense of unease, I think, is how I would

describe it here. Certainly in Beirut. I can't speak for what is going on elsewhere in the country. We will ensure that we get reports from

elsewhere. But a number of things we talked about yesterday with the Central Bank Governor, not least -- I am being told I've just got to go to

the Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Parliament. Stand by.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: That we were prepared to debate this bill, the withdrawal bill around the clock to allow Parliament time to

scrutinize this bill to the point of intellectual exhaustion.

And bear in mind, Mr. Speaker, that not only has this House been considering this issue for 3 1/2 years, but last week, when this bill was

being debated, there was not a single new idea. There was not a single new suggestion.

[10:25:00]

All they wanted was more time, more weeks, more months when they couldn't even provide the speakers to fill the time allotted. And I give way to the

honorable lady.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thank the Prime Minister for eventually giving way. I wonder -- we can all go, ooh like children but we are trying to actually

get something through. So I -- what I would like to ask the Prime Minister is just going back to the comments that he made when he opened this.

Either this House voted for the second reading or it delayed it. He can't have it both ways, which is what he seems to want.

I would just like to ask the Prime Minister. I would like to ask the Prime Minister if you would like to go back over his first comments and address

whether he thinks that they were entirely correct. Because almost everything that he said to me seemed as if he might be misleading the House

and the country.

JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, I am astonished to hear that the honorable lady thinks that she voted for the program motion last week. That's the logic

of what she said. As far as I am concerned, she voted for delay. She voted -- she voted to delay Brexit indefinitely. And that's -- and let's

be absolutely clear. The whole country, the whole country, the whole country can see what is -- the whole country can see what's really going

on, Mr. Speaker.

She doesn't want -- does she want to deliver Brexit? No, she doesn't. She doesn't want to deliver Brexit, Mr. Speaker. They can see that they don't

want to deliver Brexit. All they want to do is procrastinate. They don't want to deliver Brexit on October 31st, on November the 31st, even on

January the 31st, Mr. Speaker. And I give way to my honorable friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To you Prime Minister --

ANDERSON: That's Boris Johnson in the House, in the chamber. Nic Robertson joining us from Westminster. Boris Johnson's bid for an early

election, December election now looks highly likely. Just explain what the strategy is here for the leader in the U.K.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Sure. Well, the immediate strategy we were hearing just there was the Prime Minister

rehearsing his election argument. Which is I'm the only one that wants to get done what the people -- what the people want, that is Brexit and

Parliament's been standing in the way. And you just heard an MP challenging him on that and saying, well actually we're all going to

support this move for an election. And that's what's changed today.

The Labour Party, who were the big holdouts, have said that they are now ready to support the Prime Minister's proposal for a general election in

early December. Now the government's proposing December the 12th. There may be changes to that. It may be as early as the 9th. Might end up being

the 11th. That is all yet to be decided.

But just before the Prime Minister spoke there is a very interesting development in Parliament and it's very pertinent to the lack of trust that

exists in Parliament today and the lack of trust in particular in the Prime Minister and his party. There was an amendment tabled, and it was such

that all MPs today could table more amendments than what the government is proposing. And the reason that was done was because when the government

put forward its motion last night, it didn't allow MPs to challenge it in any way in the forms of amendment, i.e. to change it. And that leaves,

obviously, for many there to query in Parliament what the government's objectives are.

However, that motion, that amendment has just passed, just before the Prime Minister spoke. So what we now understand will happen, there will be the

hours of debate on the Prime Minister's proposal for an early election. But other parties will be able to submit amendments today. And one of

those may well be on the date and one of those may well be to give voters as young as 16 and 17 the chance to vote -- Becky.

ANDERSON: OK. All right. Nic Robertson is in London. It's all going on this hour. We are following breaking news.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announcing his resignation. This comes as the country is paralyzed by ongoing protests, some of those

violent. We're going to get you more just ahead.

[10:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ANDERSON: Our breaking news this hour, just a short time ago, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announcing his resignation. Demonstrators

across the country have been demanding this for days. Well they are now getting their wish. But the big question is, what happens here next?

CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Beirut -- Ben.

WEDEMAN: Yes, Becky, we have heard in this relatively short speech by Prime Minister Saad Hariri that he had reached a dead end in this current

crisis with -- we're now in day 13 of these nationwide protests. They have been calling for the downfall of the government. Well, that happened, but

it appeared that no matter what Saad Hariri offered in terms of reform packages that simply was not enough. And I'm seeing on Lebanese television

that Hariri has arrived at the Baabda palace, that's the residence of the president of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Aoun, where he will hand in his

official resignation.

No indication at this point who might possibly succeed him. It will be an unenviable task to lead Lebanon at this time of political crisis, but also

a time of deep, deep economic crisis, as this country faces the possibility of bankruptcy in the very near future -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben, we're going to do more on this as we get it in. More on the reaction to this resignation and a lot more on what happens next in a

country which is really at a turning point. But what happens next is clearly incredibly important. And there are risks.

Before we do that, turning to Capitol Hill and what could be another day of bombshell testimony in the impeachment inquiry against the U.S. President.

The White House's top Ukraine expert, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, was on now infamous July phone call between Donald Trump and his Ukrainian

counterpart. Well, Vindman is expected to tell investigators that he was so disturbed by Mr. Trump's request for information on Joe Biden he

reported it twice.

Meanwhile, House Democrats have announced the next step in their impeachment probe. Setting up a vote later this week to formalize

procedures. And that follows complaints from both Republicans and the White House that the inquiry has been unfair and lacked transparency.

Let's get you to Suzanne Malveaux who is on Capitol Hill -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, Vindman has been behind closed doors with the impeachment committees for about an hour or

so. But his bombshell opening statement really reveals what he is testifying and what he's providing to these committees, and it is quite

damning.

[10:35:02]

He is here despite the White House orders not to testify, but he said it was his duty that he's a patriot and that he had to come forward and speak.

He talks about he is one of the few people, a small group that was in the situation room on that phone call July 25th. Very disturbed that he heard

President Trump with the President of Ukraine and that he had asked and demanded for this investigation of the Bidens.

He took that to his superiors twice we are told and that he just felt it was very inappropriate. He also said it was a danger and a threat to

national security because he felt the whole thing would be partisan and the bipartisan aid that was going to Ukraine would turn into a political mess

if you will and the aid would be pulled and then Ukraine would not be able to defend itself from Russia. Definitely a U.S. interest.

He also was part of a critical briefing, Becky, in which he said the EU Ambassador, Gordon Sondland, pressed again this idea of these

investigations of the Bidens in exchange for a meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian President. And he said, he took that complaint to Sondland

and said this is inappropriate and his boss did the same. The national security advisor, John Bolton, cut off the briefing rather quickly to get

him to try to be quiet. But those were one of the things that happened.

And Sondland, it goes against his testimony where he said, nobody ever said there were any misgivings about what he was doing. And so clearly, these

are some lines of inquiry that they're -- Democrats are really going to be following. They're going to be pushing. And as you said, Becky, the

Democrats will take that vote on Thursday to move this investigation forward from the intelligence committee to what will take place at the

judiciary committee. That is where they would vote for articles of impeachment. We're looking at closed door hearings, this week, next week.

Then open hearings close to Thanksgiving and potentially a vote on articles of impeachment by Christmas -- Becky.

Suzanne Malveaux, joining us from The Hill. Thank you.

We stick with this breaking news. At this hour that Saad Hariri here in Lebanon, the Prime Minister has said that he will formally resign. As we

understand it, he's on his way to the Presidential palace as we speak.

Earlier in the week, a Lebanese activist told me that the old red lines of fear driven from the civil war have fallen. What she thinks of this latest

news is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Our breaking news this hour, just a short time ago, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announcing his resignation amid two weeks of

paralyzing protests. The big question now is, what happens next? Well, Rana Khoury is a Lebanese activist who earlier this week told me that the

old red lines of fear which have been driven from the civil war have fallen.

[10:40:00]

She joins me now live here in Beirut. And as that resignation was recorded, as far as we understand it, and shown on live television here, I

heard cheers down in the square. Were you cheering?

RANA KHOURY, LEBANESE ACTIVIST: I was cheering. I will not lie to you. I had an anxious cheer because it's a resignation that came late and it's a

resignation that came after violence. And, for me, this would have been avoided if the government has heard the people earlier. Now I think this

is still a win for the people and we have to acknowledge this and we shouldn't deny this.

At the same time, we have to I think understand more what's going on, but also not be content with what happened. This doesn't mean we have to stay

on the streets or not. It's something people will decide and we're going to see what people's reactions are going to be. But I think the first

demand, which was the resignation of the government, now has a check on it. However, we want to make sure that the government, the transitory

government that is coming is a serious government that is independent from the current political class and would help us have early elections and a

change in this country.

ANDERSON: You and I talked about the risks two nights ago to this, quote, revolution. You clearly harbor some concerns at this point. You were down

on the square a little earlier and a slightly different part of Beirut where there were clashes and they were violent. You're concerned.

KHOURY: I'm concerned that it has to reach this point whereby the collective demand of the people, all the people of Lebanon, are based on

the common needs.

ANDERSON: What is that you -- aside from the resignation of the government that was the appeal, all of them, every one of them. That was the chant

here on the street. There is a vacuum in politics here at a time which is really, really difficult for this country.

KHOURY: I think vacuums is one of the traps of the current traps of the government. I don't think there's a vacuum. I think there's a possibility

of having a new government that would help us and we have to follow this. We cannot let it go now. We have to make sure that a new government will

be put in place. For now, this government will still be working with less power than before. However, this is much better than the situation the

country was in 13 days ago.

Now I have a political fear that the same people will be back in power even after this resignation. And the second fear is if they use security

threats. I still believe that the red lines of the civil war of the protesters and of this resolution have fallen and we've seen it today with

the violence how people have backed out and they didn't want any clash. However, there's always a security threat.

I'm going to bring you back in the next hour. I've got to get to some other news. Sports news. Stay with me for the time being. I'll be back

with more news in 15 minutes. "WORLD SPORT" with Rhiannon Jones up after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

ANDERSON: Tonight into the unknown, as Lebanon's Prime Minister resigns, taking his government with him --

[11:00:00]

END