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At Least Six People Killed In Jerusalem Shooting; South Korea's Top Diplomat To Address U.S. Immigration Raid Spikes; French Prime Minister Expected To Be Ousted In Confidence Vote; Kyiv Cabinet Of Ministers Building Attacked For First Time; Venezuela's President Mobilizes Country's Militia; London Police Arrest 890 At Palestine Action Protest; Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed On Charlotte Train. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 08, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:27]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu
Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson with the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
Six people killed this morning in Jerusalem following a shooting at a bus stop. Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israeli forces are encircling villages
in the West Bank, where he claims the shooters came from.
South Korea's foreign minister rushes to the U.S. to try and soothe tensions. That's after immigration agents in the state of Georgia rounded
up hundreds of South Koreans at a Hyundai factory.
And Russia has launched its largest aerial assault of the Ukraine war this weekend, drawing some strong words from President Trump and a hint that new
sanctions against Moscow could be on the way.
Well, Israel's Prime Minister says Israeli troops are encircling the West Bank villages of attackers who carried out a fatal shooting in Jerusalem.
At least six people were killed earlier when two shooters opened fire at a bus stop around rush hour. About a dozen others are injured. Police say the
shooters were killed.
Well, this is the first fatal attack in Jerusalem in almost two years, and it comes just days after Israeli security officials warned the prime
minister about a possible flare up of violence in the West Bank. Here's what he told reporters from the scene of the shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): These murders, these attacks on all fronts, do not weaken our resolve. They only
increase our determination to complete the missions we've taken upon ourselves in Gaza, in Judea and Samaria everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Judea and Samaria are the biblical term for the West Bank. CNN's Jeremy Diamond went to the scene of the shooting, and last hour, he
told me what he saw there. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli Prime Minister visiting the site of this morning's shooting what Israeli
authorities are describing as a deadly terrorist attack. While he was there, he offered his condolences to the victims and the families of the
victims of this attack.
But what he also did was vow that Israel will carry out a harsh response, one that we have already begun to see taking place as the prime minister
vowed that Israeli security forces would encircle and enter the Palestinian villages from which these two attackers reportedly came from, and already,
we have indeed seen videos of Israeli forces entering some of those Palestinian villages, carrying out raids in the area, supposedly looking
for anybody else who may have been involved in these attacks.
In fact, in just the last couple of hours, we've also learned that a resident of East Jerusalem was arrested by Israeli forces for suspected
involvement in today's attack, although they said that the person is under investigation and will be questioned, so we will see what comes of that.
While I was on the scene there, I can tell you, Becky, that when I arrived, there were shards of glass all over the floor, blood still splattered
across the pavement, and one of the busses that was on the scene at the moment of the attack was also still there, four bullet holes in the front
windshield of that bus, several more on the side of it.
Rescue and clean up crews quickly got to work though cleaning up the scene. We do know that at least six people were killed, more than a dozen people
were wounded, and indeed, there are still several individuals with serious injuries being treated at Jerusalem area hospitals, Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond reporting while this fatal shooting is potentially raising tensions in the West Bank, we of course, continue to see images
like this from Gaza.
One other building flattened. Medics report at least 12 more people killed across the enclave today, and within the last few hours, the IDF has warned
Gaza City residents to evacuate the area around another high rise that it intends to destroy.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued what he's calling his last warning to Hamas to accept a cease fire and a hostage release deal. And CNN has
learned that the U.S. has put forward new principles for such a deal that have been conveyed to Hamas.
[10:05:03]
Well, South Korea now on a mission to prevent long term damage to relations with its most important ally, the United States. Seoul dispatching its top
diplomat to the U.S. as it tries to prevent swirling discontent over an immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG factory in Georgia from ballooning into a
crisis.
On Thursday, about 300 South Korean workers were among 475 people arrested at the battery plant west of Savannah.
CNN's Stephen Collinson joining us now. Stephen, Trump's immigration crackdown seems to be burning bridges, not only at home, but
internationally as well. And we're going to talk about what's been going on at home. Let's start with what's going on in Georgia, though, and the
decision by the South Koreans to dispatch their top diplomat to D.C. after this raid.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, this is quite a curious case in many ways, because the Trump administration insists that its
immigration crackdown is tracking criminals and trying to get them out of the country. This plant in Georgia doesn't seem to fit that description,
and it's especially odd because Hyundai is one of the greatest foreign direct investors in the United States. Going after its workers would seem
to contradict one of Trump's major policy goals, which is to try to get more foreign investment.
I think there will be suspicions that this was part of an attempt by the administration to gain some leverage, potentially in trade talks with South
Korea, not least because when President Lee was here a few weeks ago, just before he stepped into the Oval Office, President Trump posted on social
media that there was a revolution going on in South Korea and a clear attempt to interfere in politics there.
But at the same time, you know, in Washington, the conspiracy theory is often counter minded by the fact that two ends of one administration may
not know exactly what the other is doing. There are certainly people within this administration, the Department of Homeland Security, who are very
zealous about going after all undocumented migrants and people who overstay their visas, that may have not connected with the geopolitical arm of this
administration.
So, I think we don't know exactly why this happened. It may be in both parties' interests to try and smooth it over.
ANDERSON: It's fascinating, isn't it? Look, in the states itself, Democratic lawmakers heavily criticizing Trump's decision for these
immigration raids nationwide and his comments, particularly on Chicago, this is what Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth had to say, stand by.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-IL): I take what the President of United States says very seriously, because that is the respect you have to give to the
office. And if that's what He's declaring, then let me make it clear, it would be an illegal order to declare war on a major city, any city within
the United States, by the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What do you make of this, "War" against this city, Stephen?
COLLINSON: Yes, so this all erupted over the weekend when Trump posted a meme of himself as one of the major characters in the Vietnam War movie
"Apocalypse Now," and suggested that Apocalypse was coming to Chicago, it would soon learn what a war was.
Look, on one hand, this is very menacing. Trump's trying to assert power on democratic cities that have rejected him.
At the same time, you know, it's exactly what Trump does. It's a classic tactic. He causes outrage among liberals. He gets the media talking about
it, and then he somewhat steps back, as he did on Sunday.
Democrats like Tammy Duckworth there also have an interest in engaging on this. Their voters want to see them stand up to the president. So, there's
a lot of politics going on here. Both sides are willing to have this fight.
But this is about the president sending federal troops to American cities in very questionable legal authorities. And if it happens, if he goes into
Chicago this week, into Boston, as he's also threatened to do, and as he has done in other cities like Washington and Los Angeles, he's going to
cause a massive legal and constitutional fracker.
And I think the danger always is that there could be some kind of social order incident sooner or later in one of these cities, and then it becomes
a major national crisis.
ANDERSON: As you rightly point out, he's targeting specifically democratic run cities for this immigration crackdown. In your new article, you write,
"Trump is vowing to wield apocalyptic power inside the United States."
[10:10:14]
And just this morning he's posted on Truth Social, Washington, D.C. is a safe zone in just a matter of weeks. Thank you, President Trump. Who's
next? He says, with two or three question marks at this point.
You know, how far does this go? This is clearly a U.S. president wielding an enormous amount of power. And you talk about the potential for there to
be, you know, some sort of, you know, incident here. Where do you see this headed?
COLLINSON: Well, the Department of Homeland Security has just got an influx of billions of dollars from Trump's big domestic agenda bill. It's going to
be flexing its power, without a doubt, there is a strong ideological bent inside this administration to carry out harsh immigration crackdowns. Trump
is conflating the idea of immigration, deportation and crime, even though immigrant communities statistically commit fewer crimes than domestic
American communities, but he wants to give power to his immigration enforcement, which is very popular with his own base voters.
The issue here, though, however, is that Trump's approval ratings in other areas, including the economy, are falling, especially with independent
voters, and following a jobs report on Friday, which had very bad news for the U.S. economy. Slow jobs growth of only 22,000 last month. There are
signs of inflation peaking. Those are the issues that most voters care about.
Trump got elected primarily because voters were, you know, fed up with the high costs of groceries and housing and other issues. He's not done that
much to address that. In fact, some of his policies, including tariffs, might actually have made the situation worse.
So, it looks like he's playing to his base to shore up his political standing. The question is, if the economy keeps getting worse and worse,
how sustainable is that tactic?
ANDERSON: I just want to close by just getting you to respond to the following. I mean, this is -- this is not to suggest that cities across the
United States don't have their issues. I mean, it takes me back to I was Tony Blair back in 1997, you remember this, tough on crime, tough on the
causes of crime.
You know, how -- you know, what are the crime statistics like across in cities like Chicago and Boston and places like that? I know that what we're
seeing here is the conflation of crime and these immigration raids, the suggestion being that it's illegal immigrants who are causing so much of
this. And you've already said that that is simply not the case.
You know, what is the situation in some of these cities that Donald Trump is targeting, and what's -- I guess, you know, we should ask, what the
alternative is this -- at this point?
COLLINSON: Yes, it's strange that more Democrats haven't adopted that Blair right message, because the problem they always have is, if they point out
that crime is falling and that Trump's tactics are not going to really help address rising crime or high crime, Trump can turn around and say, well,
you're just soft on crime. The Blair position was to get the Labor Party at the time in the mid-1990s out of that conundrum, and it worked pretty well,
because he was elected.
Of course, in '97 you've seen some Democratic governors like Wes Moore from Baltimore, for example, move towards that kind of messaging. The problem is
that although crime is falling according to most statistics in American cities, by the standards of say, European cities, violent crime is still
high. A lot of people certainly don't feel safe, not just from violent crime, but petty crime, and it's an emotional issue.
You know, Democrats can say, well, crime numbers are coming down, but if the voters don't feel that, and they don't see that in their everyday
lives, then there is an opening for Trump to continue these kind of tactics.
So, it's a complex issue. Republicans have always believed that by being tough on law and order, they can outmaneuver the Democrats. So, I think so
far in the last few months, Trump was being validated in that judgment. It's going to be a really key issue for Democrats as they come into the
midterm elections next year.
The last few election cycles, Trump and other Republicans have managed to brand them as weak on crime. The problem is, when they get tough on crime,
then they alienate the liberal left of their own base. Some of Bill Clinton's tough crime policies of the 1990s have come back to haunt
Democrats, and they were resented by members particularly of the African American community.
[10:15:13]
So, it's very, very complex politically, there aren't many signs that Democrats are yet working through it.
ANDERSON: Yes, not many signs that Democrats are working through anything at this point, it seems to me. It's always good to have you. This one is a
particularly complex matter, as you rightly point out, thank you for helping us out on this and for more, we invite you to read Stephen's
opinion piece on our digital platforms. His analysis dissect President Trump's plans to send the National Guard and immigration agents to Chicago
and, of course, to other cities potentially.
Well, next up, a president under pressure. Find out why France is being thrown into new political uncertainty.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Four Prime Ministers two years and one nation in deep political turmoil. In the next few hours, France's parliament will hold a confidence
vote on Francois Bayrou's leadership of the government. He's facing a backlash over a hugely controversial spending plan that would see two
public holidays acts for example.
I spoke to Oxford University economist Linda Yueh in the past hour as the U.S. markets opened, she explained how France's debt levels are a primary
concern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA YUEH, ECONOMIST, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: Because lots of countries, as you rightly say, they have debts pretty much equivalent to GDP. So, that's
national output. What France doesn't want to do is to become an outlier, but it has had quite a lot of difficulty in showing that it can stabilize
its debt level.
So, in other words, if all countries are in this position where I am in the U.K., the U.K. under a lot -- quite a lot of criticism that we just had is
trying to raise taxes and cut spending in order to stabilize its debt to GDP ratio over the medium term.
What France hasn't shown so far is its able to do that with the current government that it has. And to compound the difficulties, there are strikes
coming up, because when we talk about cutting government spending, it does affect benefits, it could affect the working age, lots of issues that
France has struggled with.
So, at the moment, France may well be part of the pack, but we'll see what happens this afternoon, because what it doesn't want to do is stand out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Anna Cooban is following developments from London. Look, what the current prime minister has been trying to do is push through an austerity
budget. Like it or not, the French hate it. That's what's needed in France.
The current state of the French economy, of course, has led to this political turmoil. I mean, just explain the impact on French assets and the
wider story here.
[10:20:10]
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, Becky, as you've alluded to, this is -- this is a real political crisis. And the reason
we're sort of here right now in this moment is because last year, President Emmanuel Macron called a snap parliamentary election, which left France's
legislator even more sort of divided. So, it's even harder for Francois Bayrou to push forward this 44 billion euro savings plan.
But yes, the cost of French owning French debt is getting higher. It's one of the highest now in the Eurozone, which points towards potentially some -
- or stoking some people's fears that France might be heading towards a full blown financial crisis.
Now, I was lucky enough to sit down with a noble winning Nobel prize- winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, this weekend. I asked him the question, is France looking like Greece was looking about 15 years ago during the
Eurozone debt crisis? And this is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH STIGLITZ, NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING ECONOMIST: A political issue that is not resolved could lead to a financial problem.
But what I'm suggesting is, I think it's a financial problem that with -- that for which there is a political solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOBAN: So essentially, what he's saying is, yes, France has got financial issues, but really they need to solve the political crisis first before
that can be addressed.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's good to have you. Thank you.
Keep an eye on what is going on in that French parliament, of course, as we get more information, we will bring it to you, but that vote of confidence
in front of the prime minister there at present.
Well, in Ukraine, doubts growing ever deeper that Russia will ever sit down and negotiate after 3.5 years of war.
Moscow adding to those suspicions over the weekend with its largest air assault yet. It sent more than 800 drones to target the country, and that
was across the country, hitting a government building Kyiv for the first time. Ukraine's president calls the escalating attacks a test for the
world. People in Kyiv agree global intervention may be the only way to find peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Every new attack gets even more outrageous than the previous ones, and the fact that the debris of an
intercepted Shahed drone, or even a drone itself at the government quarter is another proof that Russia does not plan to stop it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are waiting when this will be over. World leaders gather together to come up with a solution. But in reality, nothing has
changed. But on the contrary, the situation is getting worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, our Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joining me now. Russia, it doesn't seem slowing down, and certainly
we even had that from the U.S. administration and concerns that this is an escalation. What do you make of this massive display of power on Russia's
part?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think practically, it was a bid by Moscow to do what many have feared they would
do, which is launch an attack. 810 drones, nine cruise missiles, four ballistic missiles, of such a scale that it would overwhelm Kyiv's already
well practiced air defenses, that clearly has been the case.
The casualty toll horrific for every one of the families of the three dead here, including one child under the age of one, but not as high as we have
seen it in previous attacks, where the number of drones have indeed been lesser, but it's where they managed to hit, it's where they managed to
penetrate too. That is obviously key here.
The government building a central part where the prime minister works. Indeed, she Yulia Svyrydenko was seen at the scene of the rubble there,
heavily burned part of the offices and made a tour for European diplomats, Western diplomats, to show precisely how close to the heart of government
Russia had struck.
Kyiv's mayor suggests this may indeed have been drone debris intercepted, but still, regardless, a sense, as Trump's presidential envoy to Ukraine,
General Keith Kellogg, said, that we are seeing an escalation from Russia.
Some may interpret this, Vladimir Putin buoyed by his visit to China to Tianjin where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They surreally
discussed immortality at one point in a hot mic moment, and indeed he shared limo ride with the Indian leader Narendra Modi.
So, possibly Russia feeling that already, the 50 percent secondary sanctions, the tariffs imposed on India for buying Russian oil have indeed
not impacted India's decision to keep buying Russian hydrocarbons, but a litmus moment, potentially, yet again, for President Trump.
As he said, he will speak to Putin soon. He talked about the possibility of European leaders coming to Washington today or tomorrow. There is, we know,
the top European sanctions official, David O'Sullivan, talking with U.S. Treasury officials now in Washington. Maybe that's a prelude to some kind
of escalation in sanctions, but really all eyes now on whether Trump means it when he says he's going to this next level of trying to change Russia's
thinking, Becky.
[10:25:23]
ANDERSON: Well, this is President Trump on the strikes. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's such a horrible waste of humanity. So no, I am not thrilled with what's happening there. I
believe we're going to get it settled, but I am not happy with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And the Ukrainian president will have heard that before, of course, on numerous times. What's the current message from Kyiv, Nick?
WALSH: They are, I think, very keen to see another wave of sanctions. They have consistently said that Russia respects a sense of strength is moved by
force or by pain inflicted on its economy. They want more weapons urgently, certainly and indeed, too. They've been echoed by European leaders saying
what we've seen over the weekend, record strikes.
Look, you know, Russia has found itself capable now of fielding hundreds of drones every single night, where a year ago, a hundred would have been a
particularly bad night for Ukraine. That he's seeing a clear sign of Russia not being interested in peace by its decision to launch an assault of this
scale.
Remember, too, that it is these assault against Kyiv, that in the past, we've heard Trump most personally affected or angry at possibly echoing the
First Lady Melania Trump in the letter that she's written to Vladimir Putin, asking him to spare Ukraine's children, one not spared over the
weekend, under the age of one. Remember, that's how young some of the victims are. Of these waves of unmanned vehicles flown at Ukraine.
So, I think Ukraine possibly seeing here in the persistence of Russia's message, evidence for Donald Trump that his belief Putin can be persuaded
is misfounded, that he perhaps has to take a tougher turn. Maybe indeed Trump will decide to do that. He's always been confused between keeping a
channel of negotiation open and some kind of remnants of good relations and inflicting enough pain to change Putin's mind. It's an impossible balance.
It's possibly an impossible task.
But I think we may see in the days ahead quite how Trump's feelings have evolved around this, not regardless of the fact that we're now seeing
Russian forces, it seems, amassing for a last push along the eastern front line before the winter sets in, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Nick, thank you.
Well, the U.S. is said to be considering further action against drug cartels operating in Venezuela after striking an alleged drug boat last
week. And Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro urging Venezuelans to enlist in the country's militia.
CNN's Stephanie possible has more on the civilian group dedicated to protecting the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST (voice over): On a regular day, Hector Carrillo is a pastry chef working early shifts to bake cookies and cakes
for his community in a slum outside Caracas.
But when duty calls Carrillo is a reservist and a member of the Bolivarian militia, a civilian force tied to Venezuela's military, ready to defend the
nation.
As sources tell CNN, the White House is considering strikes on Venezuelan territory, allegedly to hit narco traffickers, Carrillo warns any U.S.
intervention against Venezuela would be catastrophic.
HECTOR CARRILLO, MEMBER OF VENEZUELAN MILITIA (through translator): I've been almost 30 years in the army and I still feel prepared to defend the
fatherland. I would tell him, do not think about it because it will be bad. It will be the end of the American empire.
POZZEBON (voice over): In recent days, President Nicolas Maduro has called for a special mobilization of the militia.
"Our mobilization will be permanent and never stop. The armed forces will deliver the plans for people to sign up." Maduro told the nation claiming
as many as 8 million Venezuelans signed up.
Experts dispute these numbers, or how effective this corps would be in real combat.
CARRILLO (through translator): (EXPLETIVES DELETED) watch out, I can pick you up.
POZZEBON: While militiamen like Hector are unlikely to deter any intervention plan from President Trump, they definitely send a message to
everyone in the community, the government is on every street.
POZZEBON (voice over): Today, Carrillo's job is to provide security at this government fair where citizens get access to basic services like subsidized
medicines or medical consultations while the militia patrols the street.
[10:30:11]
Top prize at the spinning wheel, Supersilita, a superwoman modeled on Maduro s wife, Cilia Flores.
POZZEBON: Seems like I didn't win.
POZZEBON (voice over): At the heart of the fair is the food stall with Maduro looking on.
POZZEBON: One of the tasks of the militia is to oversee the logistics of the government handouts, which are crucial for vast parts of the Venezuelan
population. As the minimum wage here is still less than a dollar a month.
POZZEBON (voice over): used to living under an authoritarian government, most Venezuelans seem unmoved by the prospect of U.S. strikes. Even Maduro
now strikes a more cautious tone.
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): Please, don't let yourself be deceived for one more fratricidal war in South America and
in the Caribbean.
POZZEBON: The White House says more actions are coming against the Venezuelan leader, while he or his supporters close ranks prepared for what
is next.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Petare, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi.
Time is just after half past six in the evening.
At least six people are dead and about a dozen are injured after a shooting in Jerusalem. It happened at a bus stop around morning rush hour. The
Israeli police say the two attackers were killed and that both were residents of West Bank villages. Excuse me.
Police also say a resident of East Jerusalem has been arrested for suspected involvement in the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is protesting the world with its large-scale attacks on Ukraine.
Multiple Ukrainian cities were targeted over the weekend in Russia's largest air assault, yet, U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled he's
ready for a second phase of sanctions on Russia.
Excuse me.
And in the next few hours, France's political future in the balance, as the prime minister faces a confidence vote.
Francois Bayrou is expected to be the fourth P.M. to depart in less than two years. It's all adding to the pressure on President Emmanuel Macron is
France struggles with soaring borrowing costs.
People supporting the Palestinian cause in the U.K. are now being charged with terrorist offenses. Over the weekend, police in London say nearly 900
people were arrested while protesting the British government; decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist group.
[10:35:04]
It was the largest mass arrest in the British capital in decades.
CNN's Isobel Yeung was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The police might be about to arrest her.
YEUNG (voice over): Why does the U.K. government think these seniors are terrorists?
YEUNG: Have you been arrested before?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, never, (INAUDIBLE).
YEUNG: Never?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't do things like this.
YEUNG (voice over): Their stories are at the heart of a debate roiling the UK. How far is too far to oppose the war in Gaza? Millions of people around
the world have turned out on the streets, including in London. But almost two years on from Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, over 60,000
Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. Mass starvation continues to spread.
For some, protesting is just not enough. Palestine Action is a U.K.-based group of hundreds of individuals. They accuse the U.K. arms industry of
complicity in supporting Israel's government. They have targeted Israeli weapons factories, destroyed British military equipment, and even
vandalized U.S. President Donald Trump's golf course.
This June action on a British Air Base was seen as a step too far by the U.K. government, who designated them a terrorist organization, meaning
anyone taking part in these actions could face terrorism charges.
Audrey Corno, who just turned 23, studied dance and drama. She is been a member of the group. She's vandalized the U.K. defense headquarters, and
just a few months ago, she occupied a factory she claimed was supplying military equipment to Israel.
She spent two months in jail.
YEUNG: So, now, you're out on bail, you have an ankle tag that you have to wear, you've got a curfew, you're waiting for your Court hearing.
AUDREY CORNO, FORMER MEMBER, PALESTINE ACTION: Yes.
YEUNG: What are the maximum potential consequences to this?
CORNO: The maximum term of 10 years imprisonment?
YEUNG: Would these actions have been worth it?
CORNO: Yes, of course.
YEUNG: What would it have been worth it for?
CORNO: It's everyone's responsibility to do everything in our power to stop a genocide from happening.
YEUNG: And obviously, there are people watching this who will think, you know, you don't know enough about it. You haven't been to Israel or to
Gaza, have you?
CORNO: No.
YEUNG: You don't know enough about the situation, and you are just jumping on the bandwagon. What would you say to them?
CORNO: Well, this isn't a bandwagon. The more I learned about how deeply complicit Britain is in the supply of arms to Israel and in fueling this
genocide, the more I realized that the comfort that I enjoy living in London is soaked in Palestinian blood.
YEUNG (voice over): Now, the U.K. government has designated Palestine Action a terrorist group. Even holding a sign in support is illegal,
sparking fears that free speech itself is being stifled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a sign that says "action against genocide."
YEUNG: Anyone showing any support for this group, even holding up a sign, is currently being arrested, which means hundreds of people here are being
arrested.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just follow me, madam. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is bull --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly a terrorist in your hands there, yes?
YEUNG: Things are getting very rowdy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who have committed offenses will be arrested.
YEUNG: Everyone will be arrested?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone that's committed offenses will be arrested.
YEUNG: So, essentially, everyone holding a sign will be arrested?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If that sign falls within the remnants of (INAUDIBLE).
YEUNG: Saying that they support Palestine Action?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have to fight against things that are wrong, and this is wrong. Not being allowed to speak about it is wrong. Palestine
Action weren't a terrorist group. They didn't -- haven't harmed anybody. What Israel is doing, it is terrorism.
JOHN WOODCOCK, MEMBER, HOUSE OF LORDS, UNITED KINGDOM: The essential case against Palestine Action --
YEUNG (voice over): The politician John Woodcock, Lord Walney, was the U.K. government's independent adviser on political violence and disruption. The
300-page report he wrote last year was major factor in banning Palestine Action under antiterrorism laws.
WOODCOCK: I take real exception to that idea of this being a peaceful protest. The definition of terrorism absolutely encompasses the kind of
economic damage for political cause, which Palestine Action have systematically carried out.
YEUNG: You're putting them in the same category as ISIS, and al-Qaeda, and Hamas.
WOODCOCK: So, I think that there is a gap in the law which identified in my report that there is a category of criminal behavior that is politically
motivated, which can fall under the definition of terrorism.
[10:40:13]
That at the moment there is not the sufficient tools to be able to stop and deter.
YEUNG: Half of the people that I saw at the protest were over 60. I spoke to a 70-something-year-old grandma, literally holding up a sign --
WOODCOCK: Yes.
YEUNG: -- and getting arrested. I mean --
WOODCOCK: Yes.
YEUNG: -- they are not what people think of when they think of terrorists.
WOODCOCK: No, no, no, sure. But --
YEUNG: So, are they terrorists?
WOODCOCK: Well, that -- the criminal justice system will have to deal with them. And my --
(CROSSTALK)
YEUNG: But you are saying they are terrorists.
WOODCOCK: No. I'm saying that if you --
(CROSSTALK)
YEUNG: But you're not answering the question. Are they -- do you see them as terrorists?
WOODCOCK: If you -- if you --
YEUNG: Well, you're the one -- you are the one pushing this prescription, so, surely you think that they are terrorists.
WOODCOCK: Well, OK, let me --if you break the law, then, you face having a criminal record.
YEUNG: A terrorist.
WOODCOCK: You face having a criminal record. And so -- and they know that.
(CROSSTALK)
YEUNG: Associated terrorist.
WOODCOCK: And they know that and that's why they are doing it.
YEUNG: Are you the right person to be advising -- to have been advising the U.K. government on this? I mean, you were the head of Labour Friends of
Israel.
WOODCOCK: Yes.
YEUNG: You have taken several all-expenses trips paid to Israel. And so, you can understand why people would question your motivations.
WOODCOCK: I could understand why they -- why they would want to, because they don't want to account for their -- for their own act -- for their own
actions. But people will make up their own minds on me. The -- my interest in declarations have -- are out in the open and that's why you're able to
talk about it. We ought to be able to say it's not OK to break the law and to terrorize working people.
YEUNG (voice over): In the meantime, other activists continue to take direct action --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are still locked on. Police arrived --
YEUNG (voice over): -- against arms manufacturers they accuse of complicity in the bombing of Gaza.
And protesters holding up signs continue to risk arrest to support Palestine Action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the U.K. government says Palestine action waged a campaign including weapons and violence against people, which would have been
irresponsible to ignore. It did not provide evidence for those claims. Our thanks to CNN's Isobel Yeung and her team for that report.
Well, to a tragic act of apparently random violence. Now, Ukrainian refugee in the United States was stabbed to death in North Carolina, according to
officials. There is footage of the attack that we are about to show you.
I'm going to have to warn you that this is disturbing. In this video, you see Iryna Zarutska board a light rail train and sit in front of a stranger.
You can then see the moment that stranger stands up with a knife in his hand. A man with previous violent crime convictions and court cases,
Decarlos Brown is charged with her murder. This happened just over two weeks ago, and it is, by-and-large, a sad local news story that was covered
in North Carolina.
We're bringing it to you today because Elon Musk and other right-wing influences have taken this up as a sort of rallying cry. The billionaire
and former Trump confidant posted this on the platform he owns, X. He says that the New York Times search archive has 5,800 mentions of George Floyd,
Trayvon Martin, is referenced more than a thousand times. And Musk says Kilmar Abrego Garcia gets 56 mentions in the archive.
He writes that, that above a screen of the papers search page that shows zero mentions of the story. The victim in this story, Iryna Zarutska.
Well, here to discuss what point mask another right-wing personality is trying to make is CNN media analyst Brian Stelter.
Look, Musk, drawing a comparison between four very different stories here. The three examples he gave are men of color and the victim in this case, in
North Carolina, of course, is white. What is Musk's point here? Does he have a point?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, I think we can start with a question, right? It's, when does a murder become national news. When does a
specific crime become a tragic symbol of something bigger? And there are a few answers to that question. Number one, when is the suspect or the victim
inherently especially newsworthy?
When do advocacy groups make noise about the crime? When is a victim deemed uniquely sympathetic for one reason or another? And when is there video?
Well, this story in Charlotte now meets all those criteria. There is video that was recently released of this grisly murder, and that is a large
reason why this local news story has become national and international news.
The other big reason is because of these MAGA media influencers, figures, alike Elon Musk and many others aligned with President Trump, who have
raised attention around this over the weekend on social media platforms, in many cases, highlighting the video, and the bloody nature of the crime to
say that the media was ignoring the story.
[10:45:14]
The truth is that the local news, as you mentioned, local news outlets, had been covering this back in August, and as the Charlotte Observer wrote over
the weekend, this deadly light rail stabbing is now growing political under a national spotlight.
I would say there is one other complicated factor here. Some of the comments about this crime are baldly racist. Some of the people that Elon
Musk and others are retweeting and sharing, they are pushing a racist narrative about black on white crime.
And so, there, I think there is some hesitancy to lean into that. Right? To give credence to those racist comments. And yet, there is a real story
here, a real crime, a real tragedy about a Ukrainian refugee being attacked as she was seeking a better, safer life in America.
ANDERSON: Yes, and this is not to suggest that this is not a terrible story, an awful story.
Let me just pursue the point of our discussion today, because not just the media being criticized, Democrats come in for their fair share by sort of,
you know, MAGA media Trump secretary of transportation, saying that Charlotte's mayor bears responsibility. Musk accusing the D.A.s and judges
of enabling murder, rape, and robbery.
I just wonder how you think these arguments play into Trump's decision that we have been reporting on, of course, to send the National Guard into
certain cities to crack down on crime.
STELTER: Right. It all goes to this question about how dangerous are American cities, how safe or how dangerous our cities, and what should be
done about crime in those cities? And certainly, President Trump believes this is an advantage. He is pressing at this. And that's why you see pro-
Trump influencers promoting this heinous crime in Charlotte,
I was struck by a comment that Axios published this morning quoting a Trump advisor saying, crime is not a data thing. It's a feeling thing. It's about
whether you feel like you're a victim. And that is what isolated stories that frankly, become spectacles, for better or for worse, they play into
people's feelings about whether they are safe or not.
But there is a very real issue, I think, in Charlotte and other cities that is getting attention today as a result of all this online uproar, and it's
about what happens to repeat offenders, people who are cycled through the criminal justice system, who are arrested and they are let out and then
they're reoffend.
What we're hearing from Trump and his allies is that there should be much more serious action taken against repeat offenders.
ANDERSON: Yes, I wonder how -- you know, of course, let's remind ourselves that the center of this is a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman who has lost her
life in a random act of violence. So, what's your sense of how Americans feel about this case being politicized? I mean, there will be people in the
State of North Carolina and elsewhere who will be applauding Musk for shining a light on this and will support Donald Trump's efforts in inverted
commas, to crack down on crime.
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: Right. The notion that the mainstream media is covering up crime, especially crime committed by African Americans, that is a popular
narrative on the far-right, and one that is being super charged today. But beyond that idea of a -- of a narrative, I think, there is something that,
you know, many Americans question that is, how many police -- what is -- what is the right number? What's the right amount? If you're going to send
a National Guard, how many are appropriate? Right?
Because, in the case of Charlotte, on the train that day last month on the light rail system, there were police officers. They happened to be in a
different car. So, you know, you end up asking a question, do you need police on every single car? Do you need police on every single rail line?
Do you need them in every single intersection? You know? And certainly, what President Trump is presenting as he threatened Chicago, for example,
is this idea that a certain number of troops, a certain number is sufficient.
And I think, many Americans see through that. We saw a CBS poll over the weekend showing most Americans don't want to see National Guard deployments
to other cities.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Always good to have you. Thank you, sir. Brian Stelter in the house. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot
more ahead surely.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:51:31]
ANDERSON: Well, you don't have to be a tea connoisseur to be familiar with match up the bright green powder, supposedly packed with healthy goodness,
can be found in anything from smoothies to baked goods. It was part of CNN brand new series "SEASONS". We trace the match-a-making process back to
Japan's most prestigious tea region. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HIKARI MORI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST (voice over): Matcha has been part of Japanese culture for centuries. The cornerstone of a traditional tea
ceremony. But today, its vibrant color --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is the color.
MORI (voice over): And reported health benefits have sparked the global obsession. On TikTok alone, nearly 700,000 videos are dedicated to the
topic, drawing more than 9 billion views.
And it all starts here in Uji. With global demand surging, more farmers turn to tencha, the leaf used to make matcha. And exports of Japanese green
tea jumped 25 percent in value last year.
I have come to learn how Motoya Koyama preserve a tradition that's lasted more than 300 years.
MOTOYA KOYAMA, (text): Making tea with great care is not about producing a large quantity. It's a bout focusing closely and drafting each part by
hand.
Matcha itself is quite a limited type of tea. It's not something that can just be made anywhere.
MORI (voice over): As soon as the tencha leaves have been dried, Koyama tests different blends, based on color, texture, and aroma.
MORI: These are the better-quality tea leaves, and you can see from the color which is more vibrant.
MORI (voice over): Only the best blends are transformed into the signature green powder. Stone ground matcha is a slow art. Each granite wheel spins
about one rotation per second, producing only 40 grams an hour, which is why their finest matcha can sell for more than $4,000 per kilo.
MORI: Smells very sweet. And it has that rich umami flavor.
MORI (voice over): Tradition may have given way to trend online. But here, at the birthplace of Japanese matcha, quality continues to reign over
quantity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:55:37]
ANDERSON: Well, for tonight's "PARTING SHOTS", a rare celestial display. September's full moon took on a deep reddish hue. Thanks to a total lunar
eclipse that could be seen around the world, from Egypt's Giza pyramids and the UAE's Burj Khalifa, to Iran's Mini World tourist complex, and above the
minaret in Kuwait.
Some stunning images there of the Blood Moon. Let me tell you, I was out in the garden, because here in Abu Dhabi, we've got an amazing view and
remarkable stuff.
Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD from our programming hub here in Abu Dhabi. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
