Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Record-Breaking Heat Grips Western Europe; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Trump Blasts Republicans over War Powers Limits; Tourism Slump Hits Cuba's Hospitality Workers; Mamdani-Backed Candidates Win Big; FIFA World Cup Highlights; Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 24, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm
Becky Anderson. Time just after 6:00 in the evening.
Europe is sweltering under a fierce heat dome with dangerous conditions across the continent and hundreds of temperature records being broken.
America's top diplomat visits Gulf allies hit hardest by Iran to try and reassure them about the burgeoning agreement with Tehran.
And the Mamdani effect: candidates backed by the New York City Mayor win three key elections.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Well, a powerful heat wave gripping much of Western Europe with France enduring the most extreme conditions. Tuesday set a new record for
the country's hottest day ever and forecasters say it could be even hotter today.
The extreme heat being fueled by a large area of high pressure known as a heat dome that traps hot air. People in Paris and London told CNN it is no
joke when the temperature is this high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Paris, when temperatures go higher than 25 degrees, is just hell on Earth. It's catastrophic in a
transport system. No, I'm not sleeping well but I don't think I'm the only one.
Of course, I'm worried for the coming years, we've known about this climate change for a while and no one does anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suppose that the schools need to think about how they're going to tackle this in the future because while some one off
closure is fine, we can cope with it somehow if this becomes a regular thing, we are working parents. So that's going to be very difficult to
manage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, I want to bring in Francois Gemenne, who is joining us from Paris, where Francois, as I understand it, temperatures are hitting 39
degrees Celsius. You are an expert on environmental geopolitics.
I don't know if you've got air conditioning in the room where you are but I'm sure this is all very unpleasant. Many people still see heat waves as
temporary events, of course.
At what point do we have to accept that these conditions are becoming the new normal?
FRANCOIS GEMENNE, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, HEC PARIS: Yes. Good morning, Becky. As you said, it is scorching heat, scorching hot here in Paris. And
I think France needs to come to terms with the fact that this climate is changing and the country is clearly not ready, not fit for such a climate.
The transport, the schools, the buildings, clearly, the air conditioning, of course, which is still virtually non-existent in many, many parts of the
country, which means that we need to adapt to a changing climate.
And I think that, for years, this is a topic that has been neglected. Those heat waves used to be considered as exceptional events.
But the problem is that if you tell people that those events are exceptional, you also tell them that those events are not meant to
reproduce in the future. And we know that those heat waves will become more frequent and more intense in the future. That's probably not the last heat
wave of the year.
ANDERSON: Hundreds of schools have closed during this heat wave across Europe. I just wonder what that says about governments and their ability to
carve policies which will allow them to prepare for this climate reality.
GEMENNE: I think a lot of people are upset at the state of in preparation of the country at the moment. There had been a warning one month ago with
the first heat wave and nothing had been done since.
And furthermore, those events had been predicted in many scientific reports, including reports by the -- by the IPCC, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, years ago. And yet very little has been done regarding adaptation.
[10:05:00]
We focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which is, of course, extremely important and the absolute first step and priority. But we also
need to adapt. We need to avoid what would become unmanageable. But we also need now to manage what is now unavoidable.
ANDERSON: I have to ask why you believe Europe is so averse to air conditioning. The debate around aircon sometimes does seem, you know, quite
ideological, particularly when extreme heat is becoming more dangerous.
GEMENNE: This is indeed the debate of the moment in France about air conditioning. Only about one fourth of the housing has an air conditioning
system, which means that most people do not have access to air conditioning.
And I think that for years that was considered as unnecessary. The buildings had to resist the cold. People wouldn't think about the heat. Now
it is becoming a priority. And a lot of people still consider that air conditioning is bad for the environment.
But the fact of the matter is that, in France, where the electricity mix is low carbon, thanks to nuclear and renewables, the impact on climate change
is much lower than it is in other countries, in the U.S. for example.
ANDERSON: So what would you suggest are the key priorities when it comes to policy where you are in France and around Europe?
And do you see some momentum around policies that might help alleviate the dangers of climate change for residents on the continent?
GEMENNE: Yes, I would say that there is an emergency, which is right now a public health emergency, with the death toll that is rising, sadly,
especially for elderly people, which means that air conditioning for those vulnerable people has now to become a priority.
Then we will need to rethink a lot of things, The skills of work, the way our cities are planned and organized, the housing of usually (ph), which is
becoming very old, which is very nice and beautiful but also really old and unfit for those climate conditions, that is the challenge of adaptation.
We need to rethink the way we live in a much warmer climate.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed. Stay hydrated.
GEMENNE: (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: Thank you.
This hour, the U.S. secretary of state is in Kuwait on the second leg of what is a three-nation Gulf tour. U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio
efforting the selling of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding to, frankly, skeptical Gulf neighbors and to ease concerns over this MOU to end
the war.
He is also likely very focused on shoring up bilateral relations at each stop. Jennifer Hansler is with us this hour at the State Department.
Jennifer, these are Gulf countries that have been hardest hit in region, save for Israel, of course. And let's note that Rubio will not be visiting,
as I understand it, Israel on this trip.
But it is important to note that these countries, not least the UAE where I am and where Rubio has been over the past 24 hours, are also key allies of
the U.S., who have been, you know, very important bilateral relationships, which are enormously significant for their economies.
How significant do you believe Marco Rubio's trip is here?
What do you make of the timing and what is he trying to achieve?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, he is absolutely going to be relying on that longstanding relationship when
it comes to visiting these three critical Gulf countries that have also served as hosts for a lot of U.S. government.
And military assets as well, we should note, in addition to those commercial ties. So when Rubio landed in Abu Dhabi last night, he was
specifically praising the Emiratis for the strength of their partnership, especially during the war. I just want to read a little bit of what he
said.
He said, quote, "I don't know if anyone's been stronger with the United States over the last six months. They've been phenomenal for a long time.
But certainly over the last six months, we have this ongoing partnership that's been building for a decade."
That was in reference to the United Arab Emirates. We understand from a readout of his meeting with the Emirati president that they did discuss not
only the MOU but also their continued partnership in areas of defense and commerce.
We should also note, Becky, that during the war, we did see Rubio bypass Congress to expedite billions of dollars in sales of weaponry to the UAE as
well as Kuwait during that critical month of fighting.
[10:10:06]
When these countries were being absolutely attacked by the Iranians, by Iranian drones and missiles, so Rubio is likely going to reference, you
know, that you were there for us but we were there for you during this fighting as he tries to sell them on this MOU.
We should note that Rubio is billing this trip as something of a listening tour. He said last night that he wants to hear from the allies more than he
is talking at them, especially after the start of those talks in Switzerland over the weekend.
He said that he specifically wants to hear about their security and economic concerns. Now we know he also kind of expressed some skepticism or
seemed to acknowledge some skepticism around the MOU.
He described it as a work in progress, that this is something that was not going to be resolved over the course of 1.5 days of meetings in
Switzerland. He said that everyone wants peace but it is going to come down to the nitty-gritty of those details that they are trying to work out in
these technical talks.
Of course, you know, he's getting this input during this trip. But the U.S. has already made clear that they are going to be relying on these Gulf
allies for implementation of this deal, particularly when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, I think we might frame this trip as much then as a thank you tour, as it is a tour about selling this MOU. Of course, that is also
incredibly important. That agreement, of course, does not include ballistics proxies and any real substance on the core nuclear file.
To your mind. how much influence do you believe these Gulf countries have on how the U.S. develops and frames its deal with Iran?
And again, let's note, this is not a monolith, this region of the GCC. There have been disagreements about, you know, how far this -- these
countries might want to go in degrading Iran, its, you know, its ability to threaten this region. But they are united on this regional security issue.
HANSLER: That's right, Becky. And it is going to be a key topic of discussion for Rubio during these trips. It seems that he is going to be
soliciting their input when it comes to this particular issue in particular, which we do know, as you mentioned, is a key priority for the
region to have the regional security.
Because it is just so much more of an immediate threat to them than the Iranian nuclear program. Rubio, interestingly, put this in a very pragmatic
way yesterday.
He said that even though it doesn't spell it out specifically in this MOU, the idea of the proxies and the missiles, the sense that this could come to
an end without that being addressed is impossible, in his words. He said, we cannot have this if there's still proxies launching attacks against the
region. So a lot is at stake here, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. No, absolutely. It's always good to have you, Jennifer. Thank you very much indeed.
Jennifer Hansler in the house for you.
Well, U.S. president Donald Trump will meet with Senate Republicans today after a Senate vote that left him, frankly, angry and frustrated. Now the
upper chamber passed a resolution that limits his war powers in Iran. While the resolution is largely symbolic, the president bashed it in a social
media post, Manu Raju joining me from Capitol Hill.
President Trump calling this vote, quote, "poorly timed and meaningless" and blasting those in his party voting in favor of it.
What's the reaction likely to be?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's going to be a sharp reaction among those four Republican senators who did break ranks
with the president. Each of those have their own unique political circumstances.
One of them is in a difficult reelection race. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who broke with the president here; senator Lisa Murkowski was one
of, just like Collins, voted to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.
So did senator Bill Cassidy, another one who broke ranks. Cassidy himself lost his primary bid last month because Trump backed his opponent in that
race. And Cassidy comes back and bucks the president on this key vote.
Rand Paul being the fourth. He's a more libertarian-minded member, someone who frequently opposes the GOP on interventionist policies. But that
there's really growing pushback, Becky, not just among those members who want Congress to have a say but even the more hawkish wing of the GOP in
the Senate, in the House.
People don't believe this deal that was cut with the Iranians, this memorandum of understanding, simply goes far enough. Many of them believe
it is too much alike or even weaker in some of their opinions than the Obama nuclear deal that they themselves criticized harshly for many, many
years.
And that's the real challenge for the president right now. He faces criticism on one side, saying Congress needs to have a say.
[10:15:00]
Criticism on the other side, saying that they've given too much into Iran. And now the question about will Congress approve roughly $80 billion in
more money for Iran, that's going to be the next big test for the president in trying to get that through the House and the Senate.
Which is why today's meeting will be important to see how Republicans react inside the room when Trump comes to Capitol Hill, meets with Senate
Republicans.
How many of them will bring up their concerns about Iran?
What will Trump say?
Will that change any minds?
One of the big things we'll be watching in this critical meeting that's set to take place this afternoon, Becky.
ANDERSON: Got it. Thank you.
Well, Lebanon appears to be open to discussing security arrangements with Israel. That's coming from Lebanon's prime minister. Israel and Beirut
holding a fifth round of talks in Washington as they try to end deadly fighting between the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Israeli
forces.
Israel's defense minister said earlier Israeli forces will not withdraw from Lebanon. That comes after Lebanon's president announced Beirut will
only accept what he calls the end of Israeli occupation.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. It's 6:15 here from our Middle East programming headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Coming up, it was a clean sweep last night for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's picks for Congress. Why he is emerging as a power broker for his
city and possibly the entire Democratic Party. That is up next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Right. Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
North Korea has commissioned its largest ever warship, a 5,000-ton destroyer. It is not releasing details of the ship's armaments but it is
expected to carry missiles for anti-ship and land attack operations. Leader Kim Jong-un says it marks a new chapter in the country's military
development.
Co-founder -- sorry; Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he didn't witness any of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes but may have been in the presence of some
of the sex offender's victims.
Now this transcript of Gates' answers in what was his closed door interview with lawmakers last week was released on Tuesday. In it, he insisted his
three-year relationship with Epstein was strictly professional.
Prime minister -- Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez vowed in parliament today to stamp out corruption. His former transport minister was sentenced
to 24 years in prison on Monday. It was the first to be decided in a string of cases linked to the prime minister's party, one involving his wife.
Well, Cuba's once robust tourism industry has been gutted by U.S. sanctions and an oil blockade as the Trump administration tries pressuring the Cuban
government. The sharp decline in visitors has wiped out what is a key source of revenue, of course, for Cuba's hospitality workers.
[10:20:03]
Now many residents fear even harder times ahead. Here's CNN's Patrick Oppmann in Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): You can look for tourists in Cuba but good luck finding any these days. The colonial streets
and plazas in Old Havana, one of the island's main attractions for foreign visitors, are strikingly empty.
OPPMANN: Cuba's tourism sector is enduring the worst moment in years, if not decades. We've come to an area that should be absolutely full of
tourists to see how bad it's gotten.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Rolando is trying to promote the restaurant where he works but there's hardly anyone to make his pitch to. You don't see any
tourists.
ROLANDO, TOURISM WORKER: Maybe in this moment, 10 persons. Ten persons, tourists in -- in this square. That is the best square, is Plaza Vieja and
the other square in Havana. Maybe 10 persons. It's nothing.
OPPMANN (voice-over): The oil blockade placed by the Trump administration on Cuba earlier this year has contributed to rolling blackouts and a
scarcity of jet fuel for airlines carrying tourists from Europe or Canada, which have canceled flights.
Threats of increased U.S. economic sanctions on international hotel chains is forcing many companies to abandon the island and remove the brands off
hotels they used to manage for the Cuban government.
According to official statistics, only 360,000 tourists visited the island in the first five months of 2026, a more than 58 percent drop from the
previous year.
The Trump administration says it is pressuring the island's communist rulers to open the tightly controlled economy and political system.
But people like Elio and Andres (ph), who have been playing traditional Cuban music on the street corner for nearly 30 years, are among those
feeling the squeeze.
When we meet them, the guitar duo had earned less than a dollar in tips that day. They told me the economy has never been this bad, even during the
pandemic.
"There are no tourists," Elio says. "Maybe they are at home. One comes by only every half hour or hour."
Even the famed Hemingway trail -- the bars where the American writer drank his way across Havana -- has gone cold.
OPPMANN: This is one of the most famous bars in Havana. You can see Hemingway's signature there on the wall. This is one of the many places he
drank. He said he came here for his mojito.
I've never been able to come here without there being just a crush of tourists. We're the first customers of the day. It's a tourist trap without
any tourists.
OPPMANN (voice-over): For the first time, Cuban officials say they may allow Cuban exiles or Cubans still living on the island to manage hotels.
But full ownership, so far, at least, is still not permitted.
The collapse of the tourism economy is a disaster for a government that spent years pouring scant resources into building hotels.
OPPMANN: This is not only Cuba's largest hotel, it's the tallest building on this island. This is one of the most expensive things this government
here has ever built.
Architects who worked on this project told me it cost more than $200 million to build this hotel, which is now empty and closed.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Still, construction continues on even more hotels that are unlikely to see paying customers anytime soon.
Cubans who work in tourism are trying anything to make ends meet.
Alexander tells us he lowered prices to take a carriage ride with his horse, Napoleon, so that Cubans could afford a city tour. He still barely
makes enough money to pay for his government license to work as a guide.
More reforms urgently need to take place, he says.
ALEXANDER, TOURISM WORKER: If we don't change our system, if we don't change our economic model, we'll never survive like a human being.
Because every day, daily, there are problems and problems and problems. And if we don't solve, if we don't change those things, you will never have a
real future.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Cuba's tourism industry has already collapsed under increased U.S. pressure. Now the fear is the rest of the island's teetering
economy could soon follow -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NY), NYC: And we are showing there is a new path for politics in our city and in our country.
(APPLAUSE)
MAMDANI: We are showing that last June, a year ago tomorrow, was not an anomaly. It was not the end. It was the beginning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani taking a victory lap there after scoring a political hat trick.
[10:25:03]
The three local progressive candidates for Congress that he threw his weight behind won in stunning upsets, cementing Mamdani's influence over
Democrats just about a year after he first won his own primary.
And it comes after he led the city in celebrating an historic Knicks victory last week, where this speech made waves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMDANI: They give the Spurs a 99.6 percent chance of winning the game. But there is one thing that the pundits just don't get about this team,
that they just don't get about this city, it is in that 0.4 percent that we go to work.
It's in that 0.4 percent that the Knicks do what New Yorkers have always done. When we are told something is impossible, we find a way. We win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So perhaps it is fitting that the only thing Mamdani has posted since last night is this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JALEN BRUNSON, KNICKS' SUPERSTAR GUARD: There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There's a lot of people who have a lot of
opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you don't have to say shit to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right, well, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is speaking. He's in New York. He's speaking about child care for all. He's got a whole load
of kids around him in the background. And we've been watching him play around with these kids a little earlier.
But this speech, of course, coming after candidates that he endorsed won in Tuesday's Democratic primaries. And as we get more from him in New York, we
will get that to you.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is more news ahead. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Your headlines this hour: a major heat wave has
people sweltering across Western Europe, with France at the epicenter of the extreme weather.
France had its hottest day ever on Tuesday and forecasters say temperatures could be even higher today. The extreme heat being fueled by a large area
of high pressure known as a heat dome that traps hot air.
Well, a clean sweep for New York's Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The three candidates that he is backing for the U.S. House of
Representatives won their congressional primaries on Tuesday.
Mamdani's show of force is a preview of battles to come as Democrats look to win control on Capitol Hill in November's midterm elections.
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio is in Kuwait on the second stop of his tour of Gulf states.
[10:30:03]
He is trying to ease concerns in this region about the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding to end the war. Earlier today in Abu Dhabi, Rubio and the
president of the UAE discussed the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz amongst other things.
We're joined now by Ali Vaez. He is director of the Iran Project, International Crisis Group.
Good to have you, Ali. Let's just talk about where we are at on this burgeoning plan.
Hello, mate. There's been huge back and forth and contradictory remarks, both from the U.S. and from Iran, on whether, you know, what's been going
on in the sanctions on Iran's nuclear file, on this fund that we keep hearing about but nobody has any details on.
What are your sources telling you?
ALI VAEZ, IRAN PROJECT, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Look, Becky, a lot of this is just normal. It has happened before. Every time we have had any
kind of agreement understanding between Iran and the United States, these kind of conflicting narratives have emerged.
And it's simply because the domestic political imperatives for both sides are just totally incompatible. So they have to put out some narrative of
victory that, by definition, is going to burn the other side and it's going to push them to overreact.
But again, at the end of the day, the underlying incentives for both sides to remain engaged in this process, I think, have not changed. As we speak,
the technical negotiations are still ongoing in Switzerland. And there is still positive momentum, despite the fact that this is a fragile process
and has formidable enemies (ph).
ANDERSON: Let's talk about what's going on domestically in Iran. There has been backlash for the Iranian negotiation team, Ghalibaf, Pezeshkian,
Araghchi. This coming from hardline groups in Tehran, largely led by the MP, Mahmoud Nabavian, who caused quite some controversy in an interview on
state TV.
How much power do you believe the hardliners have in impacting negotiations and who are those hardliners, I guess?
I mean, you know, let's just sort of, you know, consider who Ghalibaf is as well.
And how can the team, actually negotiating at present, manage these domestic fissures?
VAEZ: Yes. You're right. So hardliners is now different shades of gray in Iran because now everybody is basically a hardliner. But the group that
you're talking about is called the steadfast faction.
The (INAUDIBLE) faction and they are the most hardline, uber hawk part of the Iranian political spectrum. They've always been against diplomacy with
the United States. They believe that the U.S. would never deliver on its promises to Iran and is seeking regime change, not behavior change.
And so whether it was the Rouhani administration negotiating with the Obama administration or the Biden administration or whether even if it was the
hardline Raisi administration or now Ghalibaf, who is, through and through, a representative of the Revolutionary Guards.
It doesn't matter. They are against the concept. But they don't have a lot of power because power lies now in the hands of a small group of people
with a Revolutionary Guard pedigree, who are very close to the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
And vidari (ph) is small, very vocal but doesn't really have too much influence over the policymaking process.
ANDERSON: So what do they want at this point?
VAEZ: Well, they are arguing that it was a mistake for Iran to stop the war, because the tide was in Iran's favor. They are arguing that it's a
mistake to give away one of the most important cards, which is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
They are skeptical that the U.S. would deliver on sanctions relief, even though it already has to a great extent. They believe that president Trump
will move the goalposts, will ask for more.
But again, at the end of the day, I think the supreme national security council in Iran, which has the final say on these matters, has already made
a decision that it is in Iran's interest to engage in these negotiations, to agree to this memorandum of understanding.
And then to explore whether there is a possibility of additional either transactional deals or potentially transformation of the relationship.
[10:35:00]
ANDERSON: Yes. See where it goes, I think, at this stage is what seems to be the received wisdom.
Finally, I want to get just a look ahead from you to next week and Khamenei's funeral processions -- Mojtaba's father, of course.
What are we expecting?
VAEZ: Well, I think the most interesting thing would be to see if Mojtaba Khamenei shows himself. I think the Iranians chose the date, smartly,
because it's 4th of July, 250th anniversary of the United States.
And they have invited a lot of regional heads of state, people who are close to president Trump, like President Erdogan or Pakistan's army chief,
Ahsan Munir.
And so, it would be, both in terms of timing and circumstances, a good opportunity for him to show himself without necessarily a lot of security
risks. That would be really the most interesting thing to watch.
ANDERSON: Yes. Fascinating. Ali, it's always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed.
And Ali spoke to the agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That has, of course, allowed oil prices to drop back below, actually, where they were
before the war. Right now, Brent crude trading at 70.16. It has been below that into the high 60 and 68-69 level.
The U.S. benchmark WTI -- sorry; Brent is at 73.97 at present. WTI now currently at 70.15. And both have been below those levels. Anna Stewart is
tracking this for us from London.
I mean, you know, I mean we've -- you were away a bit for this. But the whiplash on these oil prices I think we've all kind of normalized. So 4.5
percent lower on WTI and nearly 4 percent on the global benchmark doesn't seem to come as any surprise to any of us these days.
But we have seen Brent back down to pre-war levels yesterday. And this is a psychologically important marker. Just explain what you see as behind this
and whether those that you're speaking to in the markets believe this will last.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?
Well, the war premium hasn't just deflated. It's gone, as you say, which is quite extraordinary if you look at where we are in terms of oil easing.
This price does reflect some of the real easing we're seeing.
Yesterday, Becky, there were 31 transits made through the Strait of Hormuz. That is much more than we've seen in recent weeks. However, it's nothing
like what we saw before through that strait. There used to be 130 to 140 transits.
So yes, some oil tankers will be getting through now. Hopefully that continues. There are some 11,000 seafarers stranded and there are plans to
now evacuate them.
Short-term, some oil will be returning to the market, particularly all those tankers loaded up. Longer term, you have to question how long it
would take to get output back to pre-war levels. Think of all the oil wells that have been switched off. It takes time to ramp all of that up.
However, also kind of complicating this picture is some new forecasts from various economists looking at oil demand around the world. It's actually
kind of low. So JPMorgan, a U.S. bank, issued a forecast yesterday. They've lowered their forecast.
Now they're saying Brent crude will be $86 a barrel in Q3, hitting $78 by the end of the year. Clearly, we are far below those levels right now.
So I think the question is, where do we go from here?
Clearly, this oil price doesn't rest with the decisions made by oil traders and tankers. It really is to do with politicians. And the floor for oil
prices is only ever going to be as solid as the peace. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. Got it. Thank you.
Well, European leaders are arriving in Berlin for talks on Ukraine. The leaders of the so-called E5 are attending. That's France, Germany, Italy,
Poland and the U.K. The group will hold talks ahead of next month's NATO summit.
The NATO chief, Mark Rutte, will attend virtually before his meeting with president Trump in Washington later today.
Well, when we come back, yet another European record is broken. But we're not talking heat waves. We are talking a scorching performance at the World
Cup. More on that is after this.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Cristiano Ronaldo is back and breaking records at the World Cup. He is now the first player to find the net in six different tournaments. He
scored twice against Uzbekistan on Tuesday as Portugal raced to a 5-0 win in Houston.
But there wasn't much for England fans to cheer about in Boston, I'm afraid. They had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Ghana as the Three Lions
failed to break down the Black Stars' defense. Let's do more on this and get some World Cup highlights and lowlights. CNN's Patrick Snell joining me
now.
Let's start -- well, I don't know where to start on that England-Ghana game, Pat. I mean it felt utterly soulless in the first half and hardly
improved in the second. I mean Ghana parked the bus and we just couldn't get through. And I say we because obviously you and I are both England
supporters.
What did you make of it?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that's a very nice summary you've just given. Ghana were very defense minded.
But you know what?
It worked very well for them and they almost took the lead. And they probably feel they should have had a penalty as well before Harry Kane with
that big, big miss near the end.
You really, really would have banked on him scoring. But he just skyed it. But look, a point is not a disaster for England, Becky, as you well know.
The Three Lions looking to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966. They play Panama next so you would expect them to definitely, definitely go
on and advance to the round of 32.
Question is will they do so as group leaders?
But let's talk Cristiano Ronaldo because you write him off at your peril, as if he ever went away. CR7, as you say, back in style with two for
Portugal against Uzbekistan yesterday. The 41-year old -- this is hard for me to fathom, Becky.
He was actually criticized after Portugal's opening game, questions swirling around whether he should be dropped by head coach Roberto
Martinez. Well, look, he's a legend. Even legends are allowed days off.
He started against Uzbekistan; six minutes on the clock, a stunning goal, the first of the match, his first of the tournament, his first goal in 11
major tournaments, I will say. And you referenced the history there.
He is now the first footballer ever in the history of the sport to score in six World Cups. He added another one for good measure. They tried very hard
to get him his hat trick but it wasn't to be. And about that criticism, well, it's nothing new, says CR7.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRISTIANO RONALDO, PORTUGAL FOOTBALLER (through translator): I can tell you it was a very, very tough week, a difficult week, where public opinion
was very harsh on us, on all the players, especially on me and the coach.
But it's always like that. It's nothing new because, as you can imagine, it's been 23 years in this profession. Where things go well, Cristiano is
great. When they go badly, he's finished, he's old. It will always be like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: And when the full time whistle went, he looked into camera and mouthed, "I'm back. I'm back."
Like Colombia, look at this, celebrating a place back in the knockout rounds of the World Cup. These are the scenes in Bogota because, in
Guadalajara, in Mexico, Daniel Munoz with the all-important winner against DR Congo near the end.
[10:45:00]
And it sees them top their group. That's Group K. They're through to the round of 32. The 2014 quarterfinalists really, really happy as well because
they missed out on the tournament four years ago in Qatar.
Later on today, Scottish fans invading Miami, taking over South Beach. And we're all getting set for maybe Neymar, Brazil's all time top scorer,
potentially playing. The 34-year old has been declared fit 100 percent available for the game against the Scots in Miami.
Not guaranteed to start, though, I will say by any means. The former Barcelona and PSG man recalled to the squad by Carlo Ancelotti, the head
coach, after nearly three years away from the national team. He is recovering from a calf injury.
And one thing's for sure, Becks, Scotland's fans are really up for this game against the five- time champions of the world after those epic scenes
we saw in Boston, tens of thousands of members of the Tartan Army making South Beach very much their own.
And if they can get Brazil, if they can beat Brazil, even a point against them, a draw would be some result -- they've never beaten Brazil at a World
Cup -- I suspect they'll be running out of beer and a whole lot more in Miami if they get their dream result.
I tell you what, though, Scots, they are winning over. The Scottish fans have just won over so many people in their time here in America.
ANDERSON: It's brilliant. It's brilliant. Yes, I'm loving it. I mean, they had a really good time in Boston. And good luck Miami for tonight.
SNELL: Yes, good luck, Miami.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: It's not just football tickets and beer that those Scots -- yes, that those Scots are buying. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're looking for the Scottish World cup fans, they're not hard to find.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love to party. Any sport event. We love to drink. We love to party.
KAYE: Is the stadium going to run out of beer tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Absolutely. We need to phone up Scotland and say, can you send more beer?
Because we're going to drink it all tonight.
KAYE: Scotland hasn't been to the World Cup in nearly three decades, so the soccer fans who came here to the U.S. for the games are certainly
making the most of it. But it's not just soccer that has them cheering. It's baseball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love baseball. We know the one song you've got. It goes like this. And that's all we really know.
KAYE (voice-over): Scottish fans call themselves the Tartan Army. In between World Cup matches, they've been taking over stadiums in host
cities. In Miami, the Marlins team dubbed Monday night's game the Tartan takeover after about eight tickets were purchased by Scottish fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here to see Scotland play Brazil, so we thought we would just come and see the baseball and support the Fighting
Fish.
KAYE: What do you think makes the Scottish fans so unique?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, no one else wears kilts. We have lots of fabulous songs.
KAYE (voice-over): And where the Scots go, the party follows.
KAYE: Many of these Scottish fans have never attended a U.S. baseball game but that doesn't seem to be getting in the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He throws it and he hits it as far as he can. Is there more than that?
KAYE: Can you explain the rules of the game to me here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a Scottish man, I would say there's a man throwing a ball at another man who's trying to hit it out the park and nine times out
of 10, he misses.
KAYE: Do you think they should just use a bigger ball out here?
Would that make more sense to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say a bigger ball or a bigger bat.
KAYE (voice-over): The Marlins lost to the Texas Rangers 4-3 but that didn't dampen the Tartan Army's spirits.
KAYE: I don't think there's anybody happier in America right now than the Tartan army and the Scots. I got so many random hugs and so much beer
spilled on me but it was worth it., of course, they are a great group and many of them are going to be back here for another Marlins game tonight.
Not as many fans though.
I am told by the Marlins that they broke a record for attendance at Monday night's game. More tickets were sold on a Monday night since 2017 and they
credit the Scots for that. But, of course, Wednesday is the big game. That's when Brazil takes on Scotland in the World cup here in Miami --
Randi Kaye, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And we are back after this quick break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Right. Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani taking a victory lap after scoring a political hat trick. The three local progressive candidates for Congress he
threw his weight behind won in what were stunning upsets, cementing Mamdani's influence over Democrats just about a year after he first won his
own primary.
Gloria Pazmino joining us now live from The Bronx, where Mamdani has just been speaking out about child care and having some real fun, it has to be
said, with some of the kids there in New York.
He's become a global sensation, which is partly why we are fascinated by this story internationally, Gloria.
How did he pull this off and what do we know about these candidates?
What's the bigger picture here?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Becky. And I think, you know, seeing the mayor this morning have a press conference
about child care, one of --
(AUDIO GAP)
PAZMINO: -- actually, not a big surprise, even though he's coming off this huge win last night after three of the candidates that he endorsed in
primary challenges, two against incumbent, Democratic incumbents, won last night.
And the conversation here in New York but, frankly, across the country here today is not just what does it mean for Zohran Mamdani waking up today, a
real kingmaker here in New York City, but what does it mean for the Democratic Party and this ascendant left wing of the party that we are
witnessing?
He now has three members on their way to the House of Representatives who are aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. And the mayor just
talked about that just a few minutes ago.
He talked about how last night proved, in his opinion, that voters are responding to the politics, the political ideology and the proposals of
people like those that are aligned with the DSA.
They focused on affordability, the high cost of living, not just here in New York City but across the country. And also very specifically and I
think, frankly, very importantly, focused on criticism of Israel.
The three candidates that ran last night -- Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Clare Valdes in the 7th congressional district -- all were
critical of Israel. All of them campaigned on ending U.S. military aid to Israel.
And I think we are just seeing a dramatic shift on people's views when it comes to the state of Israel and how the U.S. supports them. So I think
that's a fascinating conversation that we're going to be having here in the next few months.
ANDERSON: And I think that is certainly true in those constituencies, as we say, that Mamdani threw his weight behind. And those progressives won.
But you and I spoke yesterday about the other key race to be the face of Manhattan itself. And that has gone to Micah Lasher, who is a classic
Democratic establishment candidate. Mamdani stayed out of that race.
So I just wonder, in that push and pull between the Democratic establishment and the progressives, what are the broader takeaways here for
the Democratic Party, which is frankly having such an identity crisis?
And I wonder how much of this moment is about the man, Mamdani, versus the movement that is the Democratic Socialist movement?
PAZMINO: Exactly right. In fact, you know, Mamdani, while speaking at some of the candidate events yesterday, he called this a movement that he
believes started with his own election just barely seven months ago.
You know, where he's barely seven months into his administration and he's already notching wins.
But you're raising a very important point. And that is this identity crisis that the party finds itself in the middle of. He said here this morning he
has yet to speak with congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the leader, House minority leader, leader of the Democratic Party.
[10:55:05]
They have not spoken yet. He clearly broke with him on several of these races and he went for the incumbents. You know, that basically means that
Zohran Mamdani went after incumbents that Hakeem Jeffries was supporting.
And I think this question of Israel, you raise the contest in the 12th congressional district. That was between Brad Lander and Micah Lasher. We
saw a much more traditional Democrat win out in that election, someone who is a clear supporter of Israel, is not as critical as these other
candidates were.
So it does show you that there's still room for nuance, even disagreement and that not everyone, certainly not here in New York City, is completely
aligned with the DSA type of candidates that we saw be successful last night.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's going to be really interesting this next five months ahead of these midterms as to whether we really kind of see a Democratic
Party identity develop and if so, whether, you know, a night like last night is part of the build of that identity. We'll see. Gloria, always good
to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next. From the team working with me here, it is a very
good evening.
END
