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World Reacts to the Death of the Last Soviet Leader; Ukraine Claims Early Success in Offensive in Occupied South; Officials Decry Climate Inequality as Pakistan Drowns; U.S. Justice Department Says Trump Likely Made Efforts to Obstruct Probe; IAEA Team in Zaporizhzhya ahead of Nuclear Plant Tour; Biden Declares National Emergency on Mississippi Water; Mourners Mark 25th Anniversary of Princess Diana's Death. Aired 10-10:45a ET
Aired August 31, 2022 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: After six months of (INAUDIBLE) the IAEA is moving in to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The nuclear inspectors have arrived.
But what will they find when inspection starts on Thursday?
We are live in Kyiv.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, FORMER SOVIET LEADER (through translator): History is a fickle lady and you can expect surprises from (INAUDIBLE) I do know I did
what I did and that I (INAUDIBLE).
GIOKOS (voice-over): Mikhail Gorbachev lost an empire but changed the world forever. CNN's Christiane Amanpour interviewed the last leader of the
Soviet Union over the years and joins us with her thoughts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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GIOKOS (voice-over): And the rains have stopped in Pakistan but the hardship is severe. Thousands of people need food and shelter.
So what can be done?
We take you to Karachi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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GIOKOS: I'm Eleni Giokos, welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD in Abu Dhabi.
IAEA inspectors have arrived in Zaporizhzhya ahead of their much anticipated tour of Europe's largest nuclear power plant. A Russian-backed
official said, the inspection will begin Thursday.
A Reuters journalist traveling with the team said they will stay overnight in Ukrainian-controlled territory. But what they will see, how long they
can stay remains in question.
Another local official told Interfax News Agency that inspectors must be in and out of the plant in one day. The IAEA inspector general Rafael Grossi
said it will last longer than that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GROSSI: The mission will take a few days. And we are able to establish a permanent presence or a continued presence; better said (ph), then it's
going to be (INAUDIBLE) that this first segment we think is going to take a few days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Melissa Bell joining us now from Kyiv.
Melissa, we're talking about a timeline here of having only a day for inspectors. Grossi saying they will need longer than that. We're talking
about six nuclear reactors to ascertain their stability and safety during a critical moment. Take us through this.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, it's a large site they have to visit. As you said, the team of 40 strong will stay inside Zaporizhzhya,
still in Ukrainian-held territory.
The plant itself is on the other side of the front line in Russian hands. It's manned by Ukrainian engineers, controlled by Russian forces.
The allegation on the part of the Ukrainians has been that it's being used as a military base by Russian forces. So that's the context, extremely
dangerous and difficult context, in which this visit starts tomorrow.
It's more likely, hinted at this time yesterday, that will happen. Now they've arrived in Zaporizhzhya, as you heard from Rafael Grossi, it will
be in two parts. The idea it will take several days to visit but beyond that they hope to establish a permanent mission.
That's something we've also been hearing from the Russian representative to the IAEA in Vienna. For his part, he said the idea of a permanent mission
at the plant was something Moscow welcomed. So we'll see how that plays out.
It's, of course, hugely important this visit takes place, given the fighting happening over the course of the last few days and the allegations
on the part of Russia, that they say Ukrainian shelling has caused damage to the building.
One of the regional leaders said he intends to take the team on the tour himself to show them some damage.
Katie (sic), this is an inspection that comes a little late but better that it should happen at all, given the concerns of the last few days. And the
hopes of the Ukrainian leader, who spoke yesterday, this is not just an inspection but also a possibility perhaps of ceasing hostilities, at least
for a moment, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Meanwhile in the south, counter offensive, so much hope banks on the efforts of the Ukrainian army who are trying to take it slow.
[10:05:00]
GIOKOS: We're also hearing that the weaponry supplied by the U.S. was specifically geared toward the south counteroffensive to try and win back
lost territory.
BELL: That's right, Eleni. These last two American military aid packages have been widely reported. They were no secret. What had not been known was
that Washington had in fact been answering very specific requests about the types of ammunition, artillery that Ukrainians needed with a view to the
counter offensive.
It's been in preparation for some time, not just the procurement of equipment that was necessary but also the preparation of the terrain
itself, with some military hardware, the HIMARS, beyond the front lines taking out some crucial infrastructure that allowed Russian forces to
resupply in Kherson.
We've heard again from Ukrainian military spokespeople that assault on the infrastructure that would allow, had not been affected, those troops to be
resupplied continues with more success said the Ukrainian side recorded today.
More successes as well in taking back some territory from what they described as thinly defended positions by the Russians, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Melissa Bell, thank you so much.
There's more fallout from the war in Ukraine. The E.U.'s foreign policy chief said the bloc members have agreed to fully suspend an facilitation
agreement for Russian visas. Some European countries have been calling for an outright visa ban.
Other nations said it's unfair to punish all Russians for the war.
As the conflict rages on in Ukraine, the last leader of the Soviet Union is being mourned as both a towering statesman and the man who lost an empire.
Mikhail Gorbachev, celebrated in the West, often reviled at home, died Tuesday night at the age of 91.
He hadn't made many public comments about Ukraine.
But his foundation posted this statement in February, quote, "We affirm the need for an early cessation of hostilities and immediate start of peace
negotiations. There is nothing more precious in the world than human lives."
I want to bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen live from Moscow.
Fred, importantly we heard from Putin.
What are we hearing in terms of messaging and how will he be remembered in Russia?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think remembered in Russia very differently than in the rest of the world.
Especially, of course, in the European nations, who were essentially -- had their whole political system changed and who got freedom, in large part
thanks to Mikhail Gorbachev.
You see tributes pouring in from around the world and tributes and condolences from foreign leaders. In Russia, the picture is a little
different than that. He was obviously more controversial in Russia.
There are some Russian politicians and senators who came out, saying they are saddened by the passing of Mikhail Gorbachev. They're also saying he
was obviously someone who did a lot for Russia and the former Soviet space by initiating some of these reforms necessary.
Of course, bringing some of those countries on a path to freedom from communism as well. However, there are people who are critical, especially
by the fact that the Soviet Union fell apart under his leadership.
He, in fact, signed off on that himself. A lot of people felt that their life situation worsened after that. They fell Russia was internationally
humiliated because of that. This is going from the Soviet Union being essentially on par with the United States in many ways, as far as military
capabilities were concerned -- not economic, of course. Many people went into a time of hardship. And Vladimir Putin, he had a letter of condolence
for Mikhail Gorbachev and his family.
He reflected that, he said, look, he was a larger than life figure, a huge figure on the international stage. He also said he believed Mikhail
Gorbachev was confronted with an urgent need for reforms, huge towering problems in the Soviet Union.
He tried to find, this is key, he tried to find his own solutions to these pressing problems.
That doesn't sound like much of an endorsement of some of the things that Mikhail Gorbachev set in motion. It certainly also reflects some of the
mood in this country.
We've been out and about in various locations in the city. There's really not much in the way of public mourning for Mikhail Gorbachev because so
many people felt their lives were negatively impacted in Russia after the Soviet Union fell apart.
GIOKOS: Fred, Pleitgen, thank you so much.
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GIOKOS: Many world leaders are paying tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev. This from U.S. President Joe Biden.
"As leader of the USSR, he worked with President Reagan to reduce our two countries' nuclear arsenals to the relief of people worldwide, praying for
an end to the nuclear arms race.
"He believed in glasnost and perestroika, openness and restructuring, not as mere slogans but as a path forward for the people of the Soviet Union
after so many years of isolation and deprivation."
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that, "Michael Gorbachev's historic reforms led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, helped end the Cold War
and opened the possibility of a partnership between Russia and NATO.
"His vision of a better world remains an example."
Jill Dougherty, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and former CNN Moscow bureau chief is in Washington, D.C., for us and, in London, CNN
chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour is also with us.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Christiane, I want to start with you. An interesting day reflecting on the risks Gorbachev took. He risked personally, politically, for the country,
the unraveling of a bygone era.
Reflecting back on conversations you had with him, what stands out that you remember from him as he looked back on his life and changes that he had
globally?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Eleni, he was a towering historic figure, some said perhaps the most
consequential figure of the entire 20th century.
What he did was enormous; in just five years, lifting the Iron Curtain, reestablishing relations between what was then the Soviet bloc and the West
and doing it peacefully.
By and large, he allowed all those countries of Eastern Europe, now members of NATO, to allow themselves to pursue the very freedoms he was talking
about, glasnost and perestroika, without trying to force them to stay within the empire, so to speak.
He allowed the Berlin Wall to come down without firing a shot. These are huge, huge accomplishments. Sometimes they get lost in the telling all
these years later, lost in the feeling of bitterness you heard from Fred Pleitgen amongst Russians.
Remember, it was not Gorbachev who dissolved the Soviet Union. This is an important fact. And I asked him about it. I asked him about what many
Russians today worry about; that is the empire, so to speak, collapsed.
He said, "It wasn't me. You'll never see a speech in which I talked about collapsing the Soviet Union. This happened," you know, it was Boris
Yeltsin. It was then the president or the leader of Ukraine and Belarus, who split away from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Then, you know, the confederation of -- the Russian confederation was made. But I asked him what he -- how he would respond to those who wanted his
view on his own legacy. This was back in 2012.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: To many people around the world you are a hero, a once-in-a- generation actor, who ended the Cold War.
How would you like your people to remember you?
GORBACHEV (through translator): History is a fickle lady and you can expect surprises from history. But I do know that I did what I did and that
I can be proud of what I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: As you heard, he said he can be proud. Many who are pouring out, overseas certainly, condolences and admiration for him, say that he opened
a door that can never again be closed.
Even though what's happening in Russia today speaks against his legacy. He is, if you like, the anti-Putin. He even talked to me about Putin and
claimed or rather complained about Putin's so-called imitation democracy.
When I spoke to him back then, it was after Putin was reelected; this was the third time he had been elected. It was in 2012. He predicted that Putin
would not be able to pursue the kinds of political freedoms he had hoped to start.
Remember, Mikhail Gorbachev began the peaceful way; at least he hoped, to end any kind of potential nuclear war, began and imposed with the United
States, one of the most significant and first major nuclear agreements, back in the mid-`80s.
[10:15:00]
AMANPOUR: He also kept speaking about democracy. So it was an incredibly consequential life, a consequential leader. And his successors have
actually not measured up.
GIOKOS: I want to bring you, Jill, incredible insight and context from Christiane. Importantly, he specifically says, you know, he didn't create
the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Perhaps opened the door to it some way. You tweeted, a short while ago, that, "The first thing I remembered when news broke of Gorbachev's death
was the breath of freedom and hope he gave his fellow Russians."
That's an interesting outlook, given what we just heard from Fred Pleitgen, that he is not as revered, he's viewed as the man who resulted in the fall
of the Soviet Union and also the embarrassment created out of that and that the transformation and economic prosperity Russians hoped for hadn't
actually come soon enough.
What are your views?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, Eleni, in that tweet, I ended by saying, sadly, that time is past. So I think the problem, you know, the
Kremlin is having right now, is very important.
How do they honor or not Mikhail Gorbachev in death?
It's a quandary for them. You see that very carefully phrased statement by President Putin, which doesn't come down on any side. It just says he was
an important person, period. He doesn't really define that.
And here's the problem: you have to, as anybody in Russia, would have to say Mikhail Gorbachev led to the end of the Cold War. That was a good
thing. But the end of the Soviet Union is where the nub is. That's where what Gorbachev did, maybe not intentionally, comes into conflict with what
Vladimir Putin wanted to do.
He believes, you know, the end of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century. So it will be interesting to see
how Russia deals with saying farewell to Gorbachev at this point.
GIOKOS: We wait to see, is it going to be a state funeral?
These are questions we're asking.
Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much for joining us.
Jill Dougherty, always a pleasure to see you and to get your insight and context.
Up next, entire villages have been wiped out by record floods in Pakistan as the country deals with the new reality of climate change. The rain has
stopped but the water will take days to recede.
Plus new details revealed by the U.S. Justice Department about the hundreds of documents seized from Donald Trump's property. Why officials think they
were still there.
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GIOKOS: Data shows that less than 1 percent of the world's planet warming gases comes from Pakistan. Yet, the country is facing one of the worst
floods in living memory. A third of the country is submerged. Some areas have seen five times the normal level of monsoon rain this season. More
than 1,100 people have died. Many are homeless.
Some evacuees said the conditions in the shelters are so awful that they would have rather drown. Pakistani ministers are appealing to the world for
help dealing with what one called a manmade climate catastrophe. CNN's Sophia Saifi is in Karachi.
Sophia, as we cover the story and we see images of it, you get the sense of the scale. Millions of people now are impacted.
How fast are they able to deploy resources to the most vulnerable?
SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Eleni, like you said, this catastrophe has hit Pakistan across the country from the north to south. We had a briefing with
the national disaster management authorities director yesterday.
He said there was so much rainfall that rescue efforts and helicopters that could've rescued people from the floods were stopped. Rescue efforts
themselves have been delayed by a week.
We had 33 million people affected across the country. In the north, the night is cold. Here, one of the worst affected provinces, the nights are
hot and sticky. All of these thousands of people are sleeping out in the open tonight.
And they have different needs. There aren't enough tents to go around. People are donating billboard canvases to make sure people have enough
tents. Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif speaking to international media said, Pakistan needs immense international assistance.
He said there has been aid coming from a variety of countries but there needs to be a lot more. Like you, said this has been the worst in
Pakistan's history.
I was speaking to the prime minister yesterday at this briefing. He said food shortages are so bad that basic items like onions, tomatoes, they
aren't available in Pakistan at the moment. Prices have doubled for those overnight.
We're seeing a situation where, moving forward, there won't be enough wheat in the country. With the war on Ukraine already, Pakistan's government had
made arrangements for a million tons of wheat to come in regarding the shortage around the world.
Pakistan's prime minister said he's willing to speak to Russia to negotiate to bring that wheat into the country. He has to feed the stomachs of his
people, who are currently on the verge of a massive food shortage, with all of the agriculture land decimated because of floods across the country,
Eleni.
GIOKOS: Sophia, you mentioned that the prime minister currently looks to have Russian grain in the country.
Do we have a timeline on that?
Of course with sanctions Russia is facing, is he worried about logistical issues at this time, given the urgency?
SAIFI: They haven't elaborated on that yet. He specifically said there aren't any sanctions on wheat. There isn't anything stopping Pakistan,
according to the prime minister, from getting wheat from Russia.
We do know there was some initial negotiations which haven't been widely publicized. But this is something he has spoken about publicly. And we just
have to see. We haven't received a response from Russia. This is something that we will have to monitor in the days to come, as Pakistan reels from
this calamity.
GIOKOS: Sophia, thank you very much.
Millions of people have been impacted by the devastating floods in Pakistan. We've covered this story over the last few days. You can find out
how you can help at cnn.com/impact.
Donald Trump's legal team has until tonight to respond to some explosive new allegations from the U.S. Justice Department.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the department revealed just how many classified documents the FBI found in the former president's Florida home.
It said efforts were likely made to obstruct the government's investigation. CNN's Sara Murray has more.
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SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Justice Department weighing in with its side of the story of what happened in the run up and in the
aftermath of the search at Mar-a-Lago.
[10:25:00]
MURRAY: This is all part of the core battle that's playing out over whether there should be a special master, an independent third party
appointed to review the documents that the FBI seized when they searched Mar-a-Lago. Now the Trump team has argued they want this special master.
The Justice Department in a late-night filing said they didn't believe it was necessary. They said the government has already completed its work and
going through these documents. It's segregated any attorney client privilege information and they also said that Donald Trump doesn't have the
standing to intervene in this.
These are not his documents. These are the property of the government. But they also laid out their clear rebuttal to what the Trump team has been
saying. The Trump team has been saying the former president was cooperative with the Justice Department. They suggested that this search at Mar-a-Lago
was over the top.
In this filing, the Justice Department lays out what they found in this August search. They say there were over 100 unique documents with
classified markings. And this is important because they say this is twice as many documents as what the Trump team produced after they had been
subpoenaed.
So they had an opportunity. They said that they handed over everything as a result of this subpoena. And what the Justice Department is saying is, no,
we found 100 unique documents with classified markings. They also included a photo that showed the cover sheets, the classification sort of a sample
of what they found.
And in this filing, they also said that there were documents that were likely concealed and removed from Mar-a-Lago from a storage room there in
an attempt to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation.
Now this court fight is going to continue. Donald Trump side has until Wednesday evening to respond and there is going to be a hearing on this
matter on Thursday -- Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: A key pipeline into Europe has been shut off. That is making the country's energy crisis worse. It's a matter of maintenance.
Or does Russia have other goals in mind?
We'll take a look, stay with CNN.
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GIOKOS: Welcome back, I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
International inspectors have arrived in Zaporizhzhya ahead of their tour of Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Their visit is expected to start
Thursday. A Reuters journalist traveling with the team says, they will spend the night in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said inspection will take a few days. But a Russian-backed official said the team must finish up its work at the plant
in one day.
[10:30:00]
GIOKOS: Europe's already tough energy situation just got tougher. Russia has halted the flow of gas in its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which supplies
Europe via Germany. Gazprom says its scheduled maintenance will be done by Saturday. Nord Stream 1 was previously shut down for 10 days in July for
maintenance.
Russia denies accusations that the shutdowns are in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Anna Stewart follows from London with
the story.
Anna, good to see you.
This is the question, what effect will it have on Europe's gas supply and its ability to stockpile ahead of winter?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With this latest shutdown, it depends how long it is. If it's three days, as Gazprom said, for maintenance and it
comes back on Saturday, the effect will be minimal.
Albeit it will return to just 20 percent capacity because that's what Nord Stream 1 was already running on before the latest shutdown.
The big question, the big fear for Europe, what if Russia doesn't turn the taps back on in terms of gas?
That's the fear we've talked about for many weeks and months. Europe has been working hard to make sure it's ready for that worst-case scenario.
They already set targets to build up gas storage facilities.
The good news is, they are ahead of targets. By November 1st they're planning to have gas storage facilities at 80 percent full. They're already
nearly there. Germany, the biggest gas importer in Europe, has already reached the 83 percent threshold.
That's the good news. The bad news is Europe uses more gas than it can possibly store. So for an average winter, the gas consumed would be about
25 percent to 30 percent of that in storage. The rest of the gas is imported in.
So it still needs gas from Russia. If it can't get it from Russia, it needs other sources. Norway, the Netherlands, LNG from Qatar and the United
States. Europe is working to secure new contracts and other alternate sources, solar, wind, nuclear or, dare I say, it coal.
Speaking to experts, regardless of the storage and the contracts, the fact of the matter is, if Russia stopped exporting gas to Europe, Europe needs
to reduce its consumption of gas. It's something they agreed to do voluntarily, 15 percent reduction between August and March next year.
If they reach, that then Europe gets through the winter. But it's doubtful at the moment that they will hit that target.
GIOKOS: Anna, I think I'm inviting you to stay with me here in the UAE when --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
GIOKOS: -- strikes. It doesn't get cold here. But I want to talk about inflation. It's hit 9.1 percent in the Eurozone. We know energy price is
such a big component of that.
The question is, can they temper this inflation, which is going to go much higher?
This is a record number, isn't it?
STEWART: It's yet another record and energy is a big part of it. It's interesting that the increased energy prices filter through with second
round effects into other categories like food but for energy, prices are up 38 percent over the last year.
So yes, on one hand, that's pressure for the ECB in terms of rate hikes. We're expecting a really big rate hike next week, potentially 0.75 percent.
And then what are governments going to do?
For businesses and households around the world, this isn't just a squeeze; it's actually unaffordable.
What policies can they introduce?
You can look at price caps; that's already been implemented by some governments in Europe. You can look at tax cuts. For instance in Belgium,
that passes on to the state and then to the taxpayers.
Longer term, what will they do to disconnect gas prices from the rest of energy prices?
How do they diversify enough so that people are using less gas?
Unfortunately, it comes to reducing gas consumption, Eleni. And I'll take you up on that offer. I'll spend my winter in UAE.
GIOKOS: Tickets, Anna, we're waiting for you. As soon as it gets chilly. Great to see you.
Let's get you up to speed on some other stories on our radar right now.
Iran's foreign minister said Iran is studying the U.S. response to a plan to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. At a news conference in Moscow with his
Russian counterparts, he also said, Iran needs stronger text on guarantees. He repeated Iran's demand for the IAEA to stop its probe into Iranian
traces found at undeclared research sites.
A search and rescue operation is underway in Nigeria after a three story building collapsed. At least one person was killed in the collapse and
seven others have been pulled from the rubble.
The building in Kano state was being renovated when it came down.
U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with disaster relief in Mississippi.
[10:35:00]
GIOKOS: About 180,000 people in the state's capital are waiting for clean water. There's not enough water for drinking, for sanitation or to fight
fires.
Instead, they spent Tuesday in lines for hours in the heat to get one case of bottled water until officials ran out of supplies earlier than expected.
Many were turned away with nothing.
Mississippi's governor said he is grateful the federal government will step in to help. In the meantime, people turn to stores, hoping to find water
before the shelves emptied.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's frustrating, it's very frustrating to have to fight for some water, you know what I'm saying?
I messed around and buy five cases of water just to stay hydrated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just kind of scary because we don't know if anything is going to get done or when it's going to get done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After work I get off late and you come in the store and it's empty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: The main water treatment facility in Jackson started to fail on Monday. Torrential rainfall is being blamed, on top of years of
infrastructure problems. National Guard troops, who are trained for the devastation of hurricanes, have been deployed.
It's been 25 years since the death of Princess Diana stunned the world. Ahead, we're live in Paris as mourners pay tribute to the beloved royal
figure and devoted humanitarian.
And ready for the next serve?
Tennis legend Serena Williams prepares for round two at the U.S. Open. Details in our "WORLD SPORT" update.
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GIOKOS: Queen Elizabeth will not travel to London to receive incoming and outgoing prime ministers next week. Instead, on Tuesday, outgoing prime
minister Boris Johnson and his successor will travel to Balmoral, the queen's residence in Scotland.
It is the first time in her 70 years on the throne that the handover has not been made at Buckingham Palace. The next prime minister will be
announced on Monday.
A quarter of a century: that's how long it's been since Princess Diana's tragic and untimely death. Today in Paris, mourners marked the somber
anniversary by leaving messages and flowers where Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their driver were killed in a high-speed car crash.
To this day, Diana remains a beloved figure, remembered for her humanitarian work as much as her captivating style. CNN's Jim Bittermann
joins us from the crash site in Paris.
Jim, that's one moment in my lifetime I will never forget, the announcement of her death and just the shock. And 25 years on, it's still emotive and
still as sad as what it was when it first happened.
[10:40:00]
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: It's amazing, people keep coming back. One of the people that we have seen come to the monument here
this morning have not been -- weren't even alive when Princess Diana was around.
And as a consequence it's a little bit inexplicable the attraction that she still has. A lot of things have not changed in 25, years that's one of
them. Another is, there's a steady stream of people.
I'm a Parisian, I come here often, people are constantly coming by this site to bring flowers, even non-anniversary days. And journalists come here
to connect with Princess Diana, something that we call community mourning.
Sociologists say it's a way for people to connect to the person that they loved. That's clear from the messages around the monument here.
This monument, by the way, is not a monument to Princess Diana; it was erected years before her death by "The International Herald Tribune." It's
a replica of the torch on the Statue of Liberty.
Nonetheless, because it sits right over the tunnel where the accident occurred, you can see the roadway here behind me that leads to the tunnel,
because it's right over that, this is the closest place anybody could come to, to memorialize Diana.
GIOKOS: Jim, thank you so much. Good to see you, thank you.
Now we want to bring you some stunning new pictures. You're looking at the Phantom Galaxy, a spiral of solar systems 32 million light years from
Earth. This was taken using data from both the Hubble and James Webb telescopes, giving scientists a greater understanding of the galaxy.
You can see its well-defined spiral arms winding out from the center. The Webb telescope also found delicate filaments of gas and dust in those arms.
The photo also shows a nuclear star cluster at the galaxy's center and covered by gas. Exciting times.
(WORLD SPORT)
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