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Connect the World
Trump & Zelenskyy Hold Critical Meeting at White House; Israel Expands Operations in West Bank; Andrew Tate & Brother in U.S. after Travel Ban Lifted; UAE Economy Minister: Aluminum is "Pivotal" in Trade with U.S.; Warriors Guard Makes More Magic on "Steph Curry Day". Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired February 28, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Live pictures from the White House for you, where later this morning, we expect to see Volodymyr
Zelenskyy standing shoulder to shoulder with U.S. President at the end of what has been a critical week for the future of Ukraine. It is 09:00 a.m.
in Washington, 06:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson from our Middle East Programming Head
Quarters.
Also coming up, a notorious Mexican drug lord is extradited to the U.S. to face federal charges. We're live in Mexico City for you. Plus, new details
in the investigation into the death of Actor Gene Hackman, police say foul play is not suspected, but they are also not ruling it out.
Well, the stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now, futures indicating a mix to positive start to the trading day after inflation data
released earlier does seem to have satisfied investors do keep an eye on that S&P benchmark, though, it could be headed for its worst week of the
year.
Well, just two hours away now from a White House meeting that seemed improbable, if not downright impossible just a week ago. Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will become the third European Leader to meet with Donald Trump since Monday, capping off what has been a dizzying week
of diplomacy aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine.
This is happening just nine days after the U.S. President called his Ukrainian counterpart a dictator in a social media post, something Mr.
Trump backed off yesterday during a meeting with the British Prime Minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you still think that Mr. Zelenskyy is a dictator?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Did I said that. I can't believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the leaders today expected to sign a deal for the U.S. to obtain natural resources from Ukraine. Just how much can be acquired, and
specifically those prized rare earth minerals, remains in question. Also, uncertain whether President Trump will give any ground on offering those
security guarantees that President Zelenskyy and other European Leaders say are absolutely critical to achieving a lasting peace with Russia.
Well, until now, the answer from Mr. Trump has been a firm, no. We're live in the U.S. and Ukrainian Capital Nick Paton Walsh, connecting us this hour
from Kyiv. Good to have you on board. Thank you. And Alex Marquardt is in Washington.
Let's start with you. You've been digging, Alex into the details of this deal expected to be signed today between the U.S. and Ukraine. What more
can you tell us? And what might we expect Donald Trump and Zelenskyy to say about it?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think both of these men are going to characterize it as a win. And for President
Zelenskyy, certainly it is a symbolic win. He is bringing Trump a deal. We of course know that President Trump values deal like this.
President Zelenskyy is also getting a meeting with the American President before the expected meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And that
too is very notable. On the Trump side, we will certainly hear him say that this deal will result in tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars of
military aid expenditure being recouped, although it is not clear how and when that is going to happen.
Becky, the fact of the matter is, this deal is really quite vague. It leads -- leaves a lot of the specifics to be negotiated down the line. It's
essentially a deal that we will negotiate another deal farther. It does not mention specific minerals. It does not mention the scale of them or the
location of them.
I've been speaking with a lot of current and former American officials, as well as experts who say that it's very -- it's really not certain what
Ukraine has. There are maps of the various minerals all across the country, but those are generally believed to be outdated, that there haven't been
recent surveys. A lot of these maps based on Soviet era data.
And then much of what has the most potential, or is likely the most significant, lies in the Eastern part of the country, where, at best, the
land is being fought over. There are mines. There's unexploded ordinance. It would make extraction very, very difficult and that's even before we're
talking about what's in the Russian occupied areas.
Apparently, I spoke to an expert who said that, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is actually zero known reserves of rare earth
minerals, and that is something of course, that President Trump has talked about extensively these rare earths.
[09:05:00]
But even the other minerals, more common, things like graphite, lithium, titanium, there are significant reserves of those, but not on the global
scale. What Ukraine has actually doesn't compare to a lot of other countries. So, President Trump is going to be selling this as a win.
But when I spoke with Former Biden Administration officials, when this was pitched to them, they essentially dismissed it. Several of Biden's top
officials telling me that it was impractical, and then just looking at these kinds of deals, one said that it would have appeared colonial if they
had actually struck a deal like this with President Zelenskyy.
ANDERSON: Yeah, to your point, what Donald Trump has, at least, is a deal gifted by Zelenskyy. And as you point out it is critical for any leader
wanting to ingratiate themselves with the U.S. President that you know they bring something of a deal to the table. Good to have you, Alex.
Nick, you have been reporting then on Ukraine's mineral resources, the challenges of even sort of pinning down what the scope of those resources
is, and indeed how you convert those resources into hard cash? What have you learned?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, look some of the geological information, as Alex pointed out, being
used to assist in quantification of these reserves dates back to 1946 and 1960.
Ukraine officials accept that there are enormous challenges, and indeed, in a titanium mine we were at, it's clear that the limit to electricity needed
to power the excavators there sometimes three hours a day, because of Russian attacks on the energy grid tier is causing them to really struggle
to make significant profits.
But the deal in question is, as Alex said, extraordinarily vague, but it does seem to have enabled some kind of hurdle to be left over by Trump and
Zelenskyy. It refers to relevant resources that will be defined later. But in the question of security guarantees, it's equally vague too, but that
appears to have opened something of a gap for European powers to step in.
They appear to have their own plan formulating for reassurance force, and while they were clear throughout, they would need a U.S. backstop to make
that actually happen. We got an idea from President Trump yesterday meeting U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he would quote, have their backs.
So, fudging in the language here, but it does appear to be enabling the option here for Zelenskyy and Trump to get along if they meet. But even if
that works, that is still getting Ukraine back to where it was six weeks ago. And we're now in this bizarre position where a multiple number of
weeks now have had the focus taken away from front lines here.
47 civilians have died since Trump called Zelenskyy, a dictator falsely, and 222 have been injured, according to a CNN count. The tension taken away
from the horror, frankly, of Russia's aggression here and focus now on the rare earth and other resources that Ukraine has. Here's what we saw.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We very much need rare earth. They have great rare earth.
WALSH (voice-over): A moon shot for Ukraine survival. Talking peace suddenly means talking about places like here, this Lunar landscape, a
titanium mine struggling under the Russian bombardment of Ukraine's power grid, sometimes with only three hours power a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we don't know how our work will go on even tomorrow. Because every day we see how Ukraine's energy system is being destroyed.
Our company is now very unstable and this leads to a very high net cost of our products.
WALSH: Half a trillion dollars that was the sum that President Trump initially thought Ukraine might be able to pay back to the United States,
in his words. And here you going to sense the challenge, really, because this place, yeah, potential is certainly there, but they say they
desperately need investment. These machines are so old, and yes, so they say they would welcome American money.
WALSH (voice-over): The pressure to get money out of the ground is enormous. As other questions as to whether the astronomical sums Trump
thinks are here can match the money to be made under this sprawling sea of unknown potential.
TRUMP: And who knows what rare earth is worth, you know, but at least it's something. And who knows what it's worth? Who knows if they even have it?
WALSH (voice-over): It was at first, Ukraine's idea, President Zelenskyy, selling their mineral wealth in November, perhaps too successfully, as part
of a victory plan for more aid. Showing reporters maps here. They claim 7 percent global production of titanium. Lithium isn't mine yet, but they say
they 3 percent global reserves.
[09:10:00]
They say they are in the top five of graphite reserves and have some actual rare earth metals. The initial framework deal doesn't specify what it
covers, mentioning only relevant resource assets that will be further described in another agreement yet, the White House has been specific about
some resources.
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There is a foundry that processes aluminum in Ukraine. It has been damaged. It is not at its
current capacity. If that is restored, it would account for America's entire imports of aluminum for an entire year.
WALSH (voice-over); Waltz is probably referring to here, an aluminum plant in Zaporizhzhia, mothballed when filmed here a decade ago, still struggling
and hit by a missile during the war.
The U.S. perhaps a little too eager to take Ukraine with no choice but to give in a hugely complex deal that may get messier still when it runs into
the cold, hard ground truth of where Ukraine is at today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (on camera): In a couple of hours, Zelenskyy will probably have one of the most important moments of his presidency, meeting Trump, trying to
win him over, since at the beginning of the war, he famously said he didn't need a ride out of here. He needed ammo, and that fraught relationship
really pinning around one question, will Trump promise to continue the U.S. aid that Ukraine so urgently needs?
Zelenskyy will then go on to meet European powers in London on Sunday. Their plan for a reassurance force, it seems, advancing quite rapidly, with
U.K. saying it will put planes in the air as well, but ultimately, without Trump on side, this is all going to stall, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's good to have you Nick great access there in your report. Thank you. Russia says that the U.S. is approved the appointment of
a new ambassador to Washington, according to Moscow, the U.S. has officially approved Alexander Darchiyev, he will be the first person in the
role since October.
Now that move comes as Moscow appears to be eyeing new talks with Washington with the aim of rebuilding its spy network in the United States.
Current and Former U.S. officials say that the U.S. and Russia agreed to begin talks on restoring the operations of their embassies after high level
meetings this month. It all comes after the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, of course, in
Saudi Arabia just last week.
Well, the first phase of the Israel Hamas ceasefire is set to end on Saturday, but negotiations are underway in Cairo on whether to extend that
truce or to move on to phase two. With the backdrop of the diplomatic shuffle, the Israeli military is dramatically expanding its operation in
the occupied West Bank, CNN's Jeremy Diamond has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The road into Nur Shams is now unrecognizable, and yet the destruction here wrought by the
Israeli military in recent days is also becoming all too familiar, telling the story of Israel's escalating assault on the occupied West Bank.
Amid a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel is unleashing its fire power here, deploying tanks for the first time in more than 20 years, and targeting
Palestinian refugee camps established in 1948 that have become hot beds of Palestinian militancy.
DIAMOND: This is the first time we're getting an up-close look at the destruction that's been wrought by the Israeli military over the course of
the last two weeks here in the Nur Shams Refugee Camp, you can see around me the scale of destruction that looks something more like out of Gaza than
out of the occupied West Bank.
But what is also happening here, as it did in Gaza, is the displacement of people. About 40,000 people have been displaced from the West Bank over the
course of the last month.
DIAMOND (voice-over): We found some of the displaced living here what was once a wedding hall now converted into a makeshift shelter for dozens
forced to flee, where children do what they can to take their mind off their ordeal.
Fatima Taufiq (ph) is now living in this makeshift room with several of her grandchildren. She lived through the first and second intifadas, but this
is the first time she's been forced from her home.
I've never seen this situation before. The Israelis doing something like this. This is the first time, she says. Her grandson, Mahmoud (ph), recalls
the moment Israeli troops ordered his family to leave their home. It was past two in the morning and a voice on a loud speaker called out for
everyone to leave the area.
[09:15:00]
I didn't take anything with me he says. I left with the clothes I'm wearing today. At just 11-years-old Mahmoud insists he wasn't afraid. It is a
different story for his nine-year-old sister, Ruya (ph). I want mama she says her mother is in the hospital with her little brother, far from home.
Ruya has never felt more alone.
Tens of thousands are in the same position, fleeing homes in Nur Shams, Tulkarem and Jenin, as the military tears down residential buildings. The
IDF says it is destroying buildings used as, quote, terrorist infrastructure, but Palestinians say civilian infrastructure is being
destroyed as a form of collective punishment.
There is no telling how long their displacement will last. Israeli leaders are threatening a year-long operation. Fatima says her house has been
turned into a military barracks. Where are we supposed to go, she asks? We don't know where we can go. An entire year is difficult. Jeremy Diamond,
CNN, the West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Mexico has extra started dozens of cartel leaders and members to the U.S., including the notorious drug lord Rafael Caro-
Quintero. He's expected to appear in a New York courtroom in the next hour. U.S. officials say Quintero unleashed violence, destruction and death
across the United States and Mexico, and spent four decades atop the DEA's most wanted fugitives list.
Well, U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi says all of the alleged cartel members will be prosecuted, quote, to the fullest extent of the law. CNN's Valeria Leon
is following this story for us from Mexico City. Why these extraditions now?
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, the decision to extradite came after emergency negotiations between the two nations were held in
Washington this Thursday to meet Trump Administration demands that the Mexican government radically reduce the flow of fentanyl north across the
U.S. border.
And therefore, stop the renewal of tariffs on Mexican goods sent to the United States, which are planned to go into effect as soon as this Tuesday,
March, 4th. So far, it is unclear what concessions have been made by the U.S. in exchange for the prisoner's extradition.
But in a comment, Mexican Economy Minister Marcel LeBrun described the tariffs measure as the U.S. shooting itself in the foot, since Mexico is
the U.S.'s biggest trading partner, and would only be creating this kind of a spike in inflation for multiple everyday products consumed in the U.S.
Although the Mexican and U.S. governments have long cooperated on security issues over the years, the recent lie of extraditions marks a new stage in
the U.S. Mexico relations, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it certainly does. What are the next legal steps for these cartel members in the United States now that they are there?
LEON: So, once handed over to U.S. authorities, each of the extradited prisoners will be arraigned in federal courts. So, there are multiple
locations where they are going to be arraigned. Among the prisoners being extradited is Miguel Trevino, known as -- who, as a leader of the CETA's
criminal organization, participated in some of the Mexico's most violent crimes.
So, in the case of Trevino, his arraignment will take -- will taking place in the federal court in Texas, and without a doubt, this unexpected turn of
events gives the Trump Administration a victory in their campaign to force the Mexican government to step up their efforts to crush the drugs cartels
operations on both sides of the border. We also note that in the case of Caro Quintero, he's going to be a rain in Brooklyn, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. We will continue to track. Thank you so much. Still to come, why Florida's Governor says right wing influencer Andrew Tate and
his brother are not welcome in his state after the duo arrived there from Romania. More on that is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
ANDERSON: You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. Time here is 20 pasts six in the evening. We are broadcasting to you from the
UAE. Right wing influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are now in the United States after they were allowed to leave Romania.
Siblings who are dual U.S. and U.K. nationals, have been charged in Romania with rape and human trafficking, amongst other alleged crimes. Their
arrival in Florida comes after the U.S. reportedly put pressure on Bucharest to ease restrictions on Tate to self-proclaimed misogynist with a
massive online following. U.S. President Donald Trump denies knowing anything about the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I know nothing about that. I don't know. You're saying he's on a plane right now. Yeah, I just know nothing about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Nana Bashir has more for us on this story, and she filed this report a little earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump helped get the travel ban lifted.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, and his brother, Tristan, landing in Fort Lauderdale, refusing
to answer if President Donald Trump helped them return to the United States. The brothers, online influencers, both permitted to travel out of
Romania after prosecutors lifted a year's long travel ban.
ANDREW TATE: Listen, listen, listen. We live in a democratic society where it's innocent until proven guilty, and I think my brother and I are largely
misunderstood. I think it's extremely important that we stop allowing media spin wrap up, smears, lies or carefully constructed narratives.
BASHIR (voice-over): Police arrested the Tate Brothers in December 2022 and later charged them with offenses including rape and human trafficking,
allegations they deny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was innocent until proven guilty in any of this.
BASHIR (voice-over): Legal proceedings in Romania are still ongoing, leading many to question why Romanian prosecutors have now chosen to lift
the travel ban and what connections there may be to the Trump Administration. Tate has long been a vocal supporter of the U.S. President,
posting just two weeks ago, the Tates will be free. Trump is the President.
TRUMP: The Golden Age of America begins right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so excited for the next four years.
BASHIR (voice-over): And sharing this video on social media just last week. Earlier this month, "The Financial Times" reported, citing sources that the
Trump Administration had put pressure on Romanian authorities to lift the travel restriction, first through a phone call, then through a meeting
between Trump's Special Envoy, Richard Grenell and Romania's Foreign Minister at the Munich Security Conference.
Romania's Foreign Minister has acknowledged that discussions took place, though the Foreign Ministry claims there was no such pressure from the
Trump Administration. A lawyer representing some of the alleged victims of Andrew Tate has said there is clear evidence to support the allegations
against him, calling the decision disgusting and accusing the U.S. government of, quote, lobbying for their release.
[09:25:00]
TATE: They're trying to tell you. X, the truth is white.
BASHIR (voice-over): In recent years, Andrew Tate shot to internet fame, racking up billions of views on TikTok with video centered on his views on
male dominance, female submission and wealth.
TATE: I don't think the world has ever been equal. I'm saying that the modern society we live in has been built by men.
BASHIR (voice-over): And Tate just last week, writing, hate me all you want women are all sex workers. Comments like those and the charges in Romania,
why Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the brothers aren't welcome in his state.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): No, Florida is not a place where you're welcome with that, with us that that type of conduct.
BASHIR (voice-over): Nada Bashir CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: This is "Connect the World". Time is 25 pasts six in the UAE. Just ahead, the UAE's Economy Minister tells me how his country is
responding to Donald Trump's changing world order across a host of issues including sweeping tariffs and the war in Ukraine. Plus, the deaths of Gene
Hackman and his wife. It could be weeks before we know the cause of death and get some answers to what is this mystery?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines. The Presidents of the U.S.
and Ukraine will meet at the White House in about 90 minutes. Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to sign a deal allowing the U.S. to obtain
Ukrainian natural resources.
Now that meeting follows visits to the White House earlier this week by the Leaders of France and Britain, aimed at ending Russia's war on Ukraine.
With the first phase of the Israel Hamas ceasefire in its final hours, negotiations are now underway in Cairo to possibly extend this temporary
truce or move on to phase two. Meanwhile, Arab Foreign Ministers plan to present a post war proposal for Gaza to Donald Trump within weeks,
according to Jordanian officials.
[09:30:00]
A cyclone warning has now been reduced in the French territory of La Reunion, a tropical storm known as Garance has made land fall at speeds of
166 kilometers an hour. That's 103 miles an hour. It's the equivalent of a category two hurricane in the Atlantic.
So, we are into the trading day in New York. That is the opening bell. Frances Russo, the Director of Field Operations for the New York Branch of
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, ringing in the trading day. The U.S. markets then up and running, and I would expect to see them pretty
mixed.
And that is the picture as we speak, a little bit of inflation data out early on seem to have satisfied investors that they weren't looking at
higher interest rates anytime soon. It looked as if the markets had settled in a relatively positive state, but just being dragged, certainly on the
NASDAQ into negative territory on the opening.
This is the first couple of seconds, though. So be aware. As you can see, things are changing a little bit as we speak. We'll check back in on that a
little later. Donald Trump not backing down on his sweeping tariffs. We know these are disturbing the market somewhat. He is now threatening to
double duties on China.
He insisted to report it yesterday that his tariffs would not hurt consumers, against the consensus that has to be said of most economists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: -- paid for by the country. But, you know, look, we can get into that. I had -- I put a lot of tariffs on in my first term, and we made
tremendous amounts of progress because of those tariffs. China paid us hundreds of billions of dollars, billions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, those looming tariffs could have enormous global consequences, of course, including right here in the UAE. I spoke to the
Minister of Economy here, Abdullah Bin talked about how he is navigating a world somewhat upended by this new U.S. Administration. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDULLA BIN TOUQ AL MARRI, UAE MINISTER OF ECONOMY: Well, the UAE built this vision on strategy of the economy, on agile laws or regulations, and
we're very adaptive. We look at the -- with the region with an eye and a telescope of things that might happen, things that might change.
Now, there are two major or three major projects, probably the UAE did to adapt. So whatever changes happened, geopolitics, we looked at talent and
the golden visas, green visas, the blue visas came out, hiring, getting and attracting skills, moving away from sea port an airport to a brain port
perspective.
The other part is the CEPA program, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements that has been enacted back in 2021 we signed the first one in --
88 days and 18th of February 2022. It's three years into force, and we have about over 15 of them. Target is 26, 27 and we're going over the region to
really put them into place and get them signed.
ANDERSON: These were policies that were in place effectively to ensure the UAE can adapt to whatever is happening in these sorts of geopolitical, geo
economic space, and not specifically targeted towards the change in the administration in the U.S.
One of the key changes, though, that we have seen of late and since Donald Trump came in, is aluminum tariffs. So, I want to ask you about those. The
UAE is a key exporter of aluminum to the United States. Trump's 25 percent universal tariffs on aluminum and steel imports come into effect on March
the 12th. Last time Donald Trump was in office, he agreed to exempt the UAE. Are you looking for an exemption this time? And do you expect to get
one?
MARRI: Aluminum to the U.S. has been a pivoted point in our trade between us and the U.S. It's not that the UAE will get any challenging as well,
because our aluminum is a high-grade quality aluminum that is being a military kind of grade tool for the defense in the U.S.
So, the quality that we really send in is very high and very much needed. So therefore, the tariff zone only actually going to carry over, and I
think that's something we've been there for the last four years with the with Biden Administration, now with the Trump Administration.
In the end of the day, if this goes down, it really helped move the trade. Because what we really do, really the quality of the aluminum that we
produce, is really a very high demand, actually, for the U.S. market. And I think that's something will ease the cost of inflation that's happening as
well.
[09:35:00]
ANDERSON: So, so you don't expect to get penalized?
MARRI: You know at the end of the day we earn talks. We need to coordinate a lot, and I think that's something we in the end of the day, one of the
highest product items that we trade with the world with is aluminum.
ANDERSON: We saw a key example of a CEPA being signed, sort of within the context of the UAE strategic diplomacy recently, when President Zelenskyy
was here and you signed a CEPA between the UAE and Ukraine. How is UAE navigating its economic ties with both Ukraine and Russia in the context of
what are these sorts of delicate U.S. led peace talks?
MARRI: Well, UAE always believe in its foreign diplomacy and strategic coordination and communication, and that's the essence of our leadership
views and standpoint on it. We've been in coordination and everything you know, from economy, from politics, from -- you know and we were consulting
with everybody in the region. So that's something kind of embedded in the UAE's DNA.
And you've seen what's happening in the last couple of weeks, the meetings that's happening in the region, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, next week
in Egypt, that's more coordination is happening. I think what's happening the region have really brought in all the whole countries around us
together to really give us solutions to the area.
The UAE is in the business of peace and business of economy. So, we want to create peace around us. We want to please create peace on the world. And
that's something that we embed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That is the UAE Economy Minister speaking to me at the Investopia Investment Conference a little earlier this week. Well, now to the
mysterious death of a Hollywood icon. It could be a month or longer before we know why Gene Hackman and his Wife Betsy died.
And we're now hearing that the couple may have been deceased for weeks before they were discovered in their New Mexico home on Wednesday, along
with one of their dogs. CNN's Josh Campbell is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the investigation is happening. And authorities Josh have been saying
all along they don't think foul play was involved, but they're also not ruling it out. So, can you just explain what's going on here?
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes right now to try to determine what happened?
What caused the death of Gene Hackman as well as his wife, Betsy? And tried to put together some kind of time line.
We did get important information late yesterday from the sheriff's department here, they say that autopsies have been conducted on both
individuals. Initially, they found no external signs of trauma, but they've ordered toxicology tests. They've also ordered tests to determine whether
they may have died by carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is obviously a tragedy, but it's also a big mystery, because what happened on Wednesday, authorities got the 911 call. They came in here to
the sheriff's department. They were dispatched to Hackman's home. They found Betsy in the bathroom on the floor next door were scattered pills.
In a nearby closet was a deceased German Shepherd Dog, and then in another room was Gene Hackman himself. And so again, they're trying to piece
together exactly what happened? When they got there the door was open, but there were no signs of any type of struggle, no items that were stolen from
the home.
So again, they're really trying to piece all of this together. This, of course, is a sheriff department that is used to high profile
investigations. Folks will recall the Alec Baldwin case involving the shooting on the set of the movie Rust. It was this very same investigative
team that conducted that investigation.
So, they understand that the community, the larger global audiences who are fans of Gene Hackman revered his work, certainly want answers. They're
working behind the scenes right now to try to get those Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you sir. Josh Campbell on the story. Well, it was another vintage night for Steph Curry. There is something special about
February the 27th for him. We've got you that up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well, February, the 27th may well be officially called Steph Curry Day going forward. The 36-year-old warriors star went off for a
season I 56 points yesterday. Andy Scholes joins me now, and this was vintage step correct.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Certainly, was Becky. And he just loves February 27th you know, he once scored 54 points at Madison Square Garden
in New York on this date. He also, back in 2016 made 12 three pointers on February 27th. Steph Curry just continuing to defy father time and still be
playing his best basketball at this age. I actually caught up with Curry a couple weeks ago at NBA All Star Game. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You turn 37 a month from today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy early bird. No room by though anybody --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: -- didn't like hearing that. He's about to be 37 in exactly two weeks from now. But he just had it all going in this game against the
Magic. See three quarters of a quarter shot right there? 12 three pointers in the game, 56 points Becky. And like we mentioned, it's going to be 37
years old in just a couple of weeks. But you couldn't tell by the way he's playing, still at the very top of his game.
ANDERSON: That is absolutely 37 years young. I mean, he will go on for some time. I'm just looking at the replay of those -- are not unbelievable.
SCHOLES: Yeah, greatest shooter of all time.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Andy, more on that with you and "World Sport". I mean, you know, you couldn't make it up. World Sports up next with Andy. I'm back in 15
minutes time with the second hour of "Connect the World".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
