Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Houthis Strike Multiple Saudi Targets, 70+ People Wounded; Canada Hits Back With $20b in Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Goods; Trump Threatens to Ban Sale of Canadian Bombardier Jets in U.S.; New York City Releases Trove of Docs on Ground Zero Air Quality; Brazil's Oil Exports Surge as China Seeks Alternatives to Iranian Crude. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired September 08, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: You're looking at live pictures of maritime traffic around the Arabian Peninsula, a region that saw major
escalation today. That's after a massive attack on Saudi Arabia by Iran- backed Houthi rebels. It is 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi.
I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the World". Also coming up, Canada fights back with tariffs of its own as the trade war with the United States
heats up. And a deadly night of attacks on the Ukrainian capital just days after a visit by U.S. envoys. The stock market is about to open around 30
minutes from now in New York.
And the United States as you can see, S&P is flat to the negative, DOW is taking a bit of a knock, down six tenths of a percent. NASDAQ is up three
tenths of a percent. That's after a shortened week with Labor Day weekend. And of course, markets set to get back on track and a big eye on what's
happening on the oil price front.
We'll check in on those numbers a little later. But now we begin with a major escalation of hostilities in this region, dozens of people are
wounded in Saudi Arabia after a wave of attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. A spokesperson for the Saudi military says the Houthis targets at
civilian and economic sites in four cities.
He called the attacks dangerous and senseless. And vowed a resolute response from Saudi-led forces who have been fighting the Yemen-based
militants for years. The Houthis say the attacks were in response to Saudi aggression. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAHYA SAREE, HOUTHI MILITARY SPOKESPERSON: The Yemeni armed forces hold the criminal Saudi enemy responsible for the escalation. Every attack against
our country and our people will be met with a firm response. We will not hesitate to launch stronger and wider strikes against the criminal Saudi
enemy, God willing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right, our International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson recently returned from a trip to Yemen. He's following all of this for us from
London. Nic, really good to have you with us. I mean, Saudi officials say these 73 people were wounded. I want you to tell me about whether this is a
retaliation cycle that we're in.
Are we seeing the effective collapse of that four-year ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis? What are you reading into this latest
escalation?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Look, it does appear to be that the ceasefire, as you say, that held for four years. It's in a very
fragile and precarious place, and it looks, for all intents and purposes, as if it's realistically falling apart.
The Houthis would blame it on the Saudis for enforcing air traffic restrictions over their sort of northern part of Yemen, blocking the return
from the funeral of the supreme leader in Iran of a Houthi delegation to the capital Sanaa, which the Houthis control, the Saudis bombed the runway.
They believe that there were senior Iranian officials, complex communications equipment that the Houthis would use in the war on board
that aircraft. That the Houthis would point to was the trigger point or seemed to be the trigger point where they returned to threats and
hostilities.
But where we are in terms of what actually happened over the past 24 hours here, the Houthis are saying this is a retaliation strike. They're
retaliating for something. We don't know what they're retaliating for. They don't say specifically what they're retaliating for. We're not aware that
Saudi has been involved in air strikes against Houthi positions.
However, I think we can be very carefully and significantly informed by what's happened in Yemen over the weekend. In very simple terms, the
Houthis went on the offensive at the beginning of the weekend. They were then beaten back quite significantly in most cases by the Yemeni government
forces.
That seems to have been backed by air strikes, which were attributed to the Yemeni air force. But I think we know what the Houthis are clearly
signaling here is that they don't believe that this was the Yemenis striking back at them.
[09:05:00]
They believe that the Saudis were involved in striking them, and this is their retaliation. So, I think yes, a retaliatory cycle. Realistically,
potentially yes.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ROBERTSON: If both sides don't stop, then then that four-year pause is, it's dead.
GIOKOS: To respond and retaliate, and whether they would get U.S. backing on this, what are you hearing on that front, Nic?
ROBERTSON: At the moment, you know the United States, while it's a strong partner of Saudi Arabia, is not being vocal about this, and is certainly
not committing itself to support the Saudis and whatever the Saudis would do. The Saudis have said today that they have a legitimate right to protect
their sovereignty and safeguard their national assets.
And by national assets, they don't just mean their civilians. The targets included, according to the Houthis, Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and
Abha just two of the four places they hit. So, it appears that the Saudis are signaling very clearly that they have a right to respond here.
It's a difficult task for them to and a tight rate for them to walk. That if they escalate against the Houthis, the Houthis could potentially
escalate against other oil facilities inside Saudi Arabia. You know, oil facilities typically are vulnerable to attack. The Houthis have been
attacking those ones that are very close to the border.
Jizan being an example of that. It would be perhaps much harder for the Houthis to hit larger oil facilities in further up the coast in Yanbu, for
example, which is important to the Saudis, because the missiles fly further, and therefore the Saudis have a chance of intercepting those
Houthi missiles.
But it does seem that the Saudis really stand at a moment of decision, if you will, about how they respond and how they try to protect themselves
from what the Houthis are signaling is they would respond again. That's the cycle we're in. It doesn't seem to be a cycle that the United States is
engaging in.
But of course, the Red Sea, where the Houthis have been targeting Saudi oil shipping, is of commercial interest to the United States and many countries
around the world because of the amount of oil that flows there to international markets.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ROBERTSON: If you don't control that, if you can't keep that flow of oil going, then that drives up the oil price, and that's what we're seeing
today. And that's a critical political pressure point for President Trump heading into the U.S. midterms later next month.
So, you know, there is clear economic geopolitical interest for the United States here, but they're not signaling they're joining.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, there's so much happening right now. And we appreciate you jumping on the story for us. Nic Robertson, thank you so
much. I want to turn now to the escalating trade war between the U.S. and one of its closest allies. Canada is striking back against U.S. tariffs
with 20 billion dollars in retaliatory tariffs of its own on American goods.
Duties range from 15 percent to 50 percent in response to the Trump Administration's levies on Canadian imports. Analysts say the steepest
tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum could ripple across American industries. Canadian officials say they are matching the Trump Administration's recent
tariffs dollar for dollar.
That's not only affecting U.S. metals, home appliances, paper goods, dairy products are also being hit. U.S. President Donald Trump is now threatening
to ban sales of Canadian-made Bombardier jackets in America. For his part, Prime Minister Mark Carney posted a Labor Day message to fellow Canadians
on Monday, telling them he --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: In the face of unjustified, unprovoked tariffs from the United States, we're stepping up. With large,
sustained financial support to protect our workers and our businesses, and help them to retool, retrain, diversify, and build.
That's another thing unions have always understood when we look out for each other, when we work together, when we're united. There's nothing the
Canadian workers can't do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: CNN's Paula Newton is usually based in Canada's capital, Ottawa. Today, she joins us from New York. Paula. really good to have you on the
story for us. You know, we're bracing for this trade war between allies. I mean, it's been a war of words for quite some time.
Now it's just filtering through into what we're seeing in terms of actual products. What is the impact going to be here?
[09:10:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It'll be significant on both countries, but I do want to stress that this isn't it? This is the problem. This war
may just escalate even in the next few hours. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, told us CBC News in Canada that they are looking at
retaliation as early as today.
And it sends a startling signal not just to Canada and the United States that have had one of the most intricate and close trading relationships for
decades now, but it is a signal to the rest of the world that the Trump Administration will continue on with tariffs, no matter what the Supreme
Court says, and will continue to impose them with force.
I want to turn, though, to what the president was saying about those Bombardier jets. And if we look at his Truth Social post, and he basically
said that look, there is no more selling Bombardier in the United States. He claims that Canada was using the United States as a piggy bank.
But what's interesting here is that Americans and Canadians are now reckoning with the fact that he is trying to blow up supply chains.
Jamieson Greer himself, the U.S. Trade Representative saying this could go beyond tariffs. This could actually go to banning products.
Eleni, I want you to hear though from Bombardier itself, which points out the obvious. They say the American aerospace industry is a clear winner on
trade and exports. Bombardier is a strong contributor to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.
That is a statement from Bombardier to CNN. And look, Eleni, it is unclear what kind of political mileage the president would get out of this anyway.
The counter tariffs that Canada put in place will hit red states significantly. And politicians from even inside those states are saying,
look, this is doing harm to the American people, and clearly doing harm politically as we get into those midterms.
Eleni, I want to note that Mark Carney just released another statement right now on social media, calling it forward guidance. And what he's
really doing, Eleni, is really trying to prepare the Canadian electorate and the Canadian voters and Canadian consumers for what might be a very
long and painful trade war with the United States, Canada isn't expecting anything else at this point.
And make no mistake, as defiant as Canada has been, this will hurt consumers there, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, what's interesting is Mark Carney has been, you know, hitting back, you know, since the big issue on tariffs started to sort of
creep in. And also trying to diversify Canada's relationships when it comes to trading partners. We know that, that has infuriated President Trump.
Take me through what are the options for Canada right now.
NEWTON: Listen, the prime minister has put a lot of miles on the Canadian jets in the last few months, and that includes principally the EU, but also
the Middle East.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
NEWTON: I mean, think about Eleni, he went to Saudi Arabia, something a Canadian prime minister hadn't done in about a decade. He is forging
relationships wherever he can find them. There has some evidence that this is working, but you can't just replace one of the largest trading
relationships in the world overnight, and that's why he has this statement.
But I also want to point here to the American strategy. And Eleni, this is when countries around the world really need to pay attention. Unless
corporate America or Congress steps in, Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, made it clear that is the United States accumulates a debt now
that is more than $40 trillion.
They will continue to impose tariffs around the world in order to bring in revenue. They are being very frank about that. So that means these trading
relationships include Canada, but also include the rest of the world as they try and forge stronger relationships as the Americans really turn
inward.
There is no doubting it, though. America is the largest consumer market in the world, and everyone is trying to game out what the administration will
do next, especially after the midterms.
GIOKOS: Yeah, it's very sobering, Paula. Really good to have you on this. Thank you so much, Paula Newton. Well, Russia renewed its attacks on
Ukraine today after a three-day pause for diplomacy. Ukrainian officials report at least two people killed and 10 wounded in Kyiv.
In what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says was an attack targeting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, a market in the Odesa
region also was hit. We've got Nada Bashir on the story for us, following developments from London. Nada, really good to have you with us.
I mean, there was a 72-hour pause on Moscow strikes as well as in Kyiv, and it was seen as a confidence-building exercise. But you know, very different
messaging come this Monday, and Russia sending a very strong one to Ukraine.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and this is just yet another fatal attack by the Russian military targeting the Ukrainian capital. We
have heard from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing Russia as being intent on causing maximum civilian harm in its use of
precision weapons targeted civilian infrastructure in Kyiv.
[09:15:00]
We've heard from the Russian Defense Ministry itself. They claim that they were targeting Ukrainian military facilities and infrastructure in Kyiv.
But we have seen, of course, the civilian impact. Officials now in Ukraine putting that death toll at three now at least. Of course, there is still a
recovery effort underway. At least 16 others, according to the latest update, said to have been wounded in that attack.
And again, we have been hearing from the Ukrainian President, of course, underscoring once again the need for further defense support, saying that
this latest attack from Russia has only made clear the need for further defense support from its key allies, namely the United States, where, of
course, we have seen that continuation of talks, as you mentioned, between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with Ukrainian
officials.
Following an intense round of talks with Russian officials in Moscow, including, of course, President Vladimir Putin. Now, there had been some
hope that this would push forward negotiations for some sort of further push towards resolutions and diplomatic efforts.
It does appear, as we've been hearing from officials, that there may be some positive movement on that front. We have heard from the U.S. Special
Envoy Steve Witkoff. He has said, in his words, substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling talks with European allies as well,
but also particular on trilateral talks.
President Zelenskyy, for his part, has responded to that latest round of talks, saying that there were a couple of ideas that were very good, in his
words, quite worthwhile. But how these will actually be implemented in practice that remains to be seen. Whether there is scope for these
diplomatic efforts to be realized again is a key question.
But we are continuing to hear from President Zelenskyy calling for defense support in terms of military support and the key defensive weapons that
Ukraine is so desperately in need of to protect itself from the sort of attacks like we saw earlier this morning. The UK, for its part, has
announced yet another defense package for Ukraine.
Some 135 million dollars' worth in defensive support for Ukraine. That is certainly the sort of push that Ukraine is looking to see from its other
allies, including the United States and European nations, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yeah, it's really interesting. I mean, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, this you know whirlwind trip not only to Russia but also Ukraine,
but the underlying issues remain the same. You know, the sticking point for Russia is NATO membership by Ukraine, and of course, what happens to the
territory that's currently held by Russia.
There's a big issue around who's going to make concessions, and the United States has been very clear that they will be releasing the outcomes of
these meetings in the next few weeks. I mean, what is the sense from, you know, from not only Ukraine but also the Russian side in terms of the
success of these stocks and whether it would lead to any off-ramp here that involves diplomacy?
BASHIR: Well, as we've been hearing from both U.S. and Ukrainian officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there is some hope that
some of the proposals put forward by the U.S. special envoys could lead to some positive off-ramps potentially or further potential for trilateral
talks.
Zelenskyy has framed this latest round of talks as only providing further evidence that Ukraine is best placed to host those talks. That has long
been a clear boundary for Ukraine that it doesn't want to see talks held in Russia. That has been a red line. But of course, President Zelenskyy has
been quite clear throughout this latest round of diplomatic efforts that Ukraine wants to see a peaceful resolution.
But in the meantime, as they continue to see further attacks carried out by Russia, continues to also need that defensive support on the military front
from its key allies. Russia, for its part, has continued to maintain that it is also willing to hold negotiations discussions, but again, clear red
lines on what sort of concessions could be made.
What this looks like in practice, whether we do actually see any sort of push towards resolutions, that remains to be seen. We have, of course, seen
these talks time and time again with suggestions of progress and positive ideas coming from both sides. But again, whether this does in fact lead to
trilateral talks remains to be seen.
GIOKOS: All right, Nada Bashir, good to have you with us. Thank you so much. We're going to a very short break. You're watching "Connect the
World". Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Hurricane Lowell is bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain to parts of Hawaii. A hurricane warning is in effect for
Kauai as well as Niihau, while Oahu is under a tropical storm warning. Forecasters warn the heavy rain could trigger dangerous flash flooding as
well as mudslides, particularly on Kauai and parts of the Big Island.
For more on this, I want to bring in CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam. He's in Atlanta for us. Derek, good to see you. What more can you tell us about
Hurricane Lowell's track and potential impact across Hawaii?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The good news, Eleni, is that Lowell is rapidly moving away from the western Hawaiian Islands, but the damage has
already been done. We've seen a lot of washed-out roadways, down power lines. We've got debris on roadways.
We're still dealing with a storm surge on some of those south-facing shorelines. This is what it looked like late last night before the sun set.
Remember, it's the middle of the night across the Hawaiian Islands. Sunrise about 06:20 this morning. Here's the latest satellite and radar imagery.
We've got to put a caveat here because one of the radars right here across Kauai Island actually went down during this event, so we only have limited
coverage of that across Oahu and into Maui and the Big Island here of Hawaii. Nonetheless, the storm rapidly racing to the north at 18 miles per
hour, but it's still a Category Two storm.
And there are still outer rain bands impacting places like Oahu, and so the threat not quite over just yet. The wind speed gusts have been impressive.
None of this has been sustained, but that is hurricane force gusts at least. This is what it's doing right now on the ground into Kauai Island.
This is the international airport, gusting to 66 miles per hour. Honolulu, many of our international viewers familiar with that location, gusting to
28. It's a blustery morning. Conditions will improve though as the storm continues to exit the region. But like I said, damage has already been
done.
90 percent of Kauai County without electricity right now, 9 percent of Oahu County without power. That is because the tropical storm force winds
extended across this region, the western portions of Hawaii. They extended about 175 miles out from the center. So, we still have a few hours to go
before that expanding wind field really removes itself from the Hawaiian Islands, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
There are the rain bands I talked about, and one right now moving over Oahu into the greater Honolulu area. This could produce a quick, heavy amount of
rain that could total over an inch or two. We've already seen over a foot and a half of rain in some locations, especially in the upper areas. That's
led to localized flash flooding as well, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right. All right, Derek Van Dam, thank you so much for that update. Right, for months following the September 11th terrorist attacks in
2001, New York City officials assured the public that the air near the fallen towers was safe to breathe. Yet, in the last half hour, Mayor Zohran
Mamdani announced the city is releasing a trove of documents that suggest otherwise.
The documents indicate that officials seem to express concern over the air quality at Ground Zero before urging New Yorkers to return. Since October
2001, thousands have fallen sick due to 9/11-related illnesses.
[09:25:00]
And Washington D.C., U.S. President, you've got Donald Trump expected to host first responders as well as officials to mark the 25th anniversary of
9/11 in the next hour. CNN's Betsy Klein is joining us now live from the White House, where the commemoration is set to happen.
Betsy, good to see you. What are we going to expect to see at the White House event?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, President Trump is set to gather here with first responders from the Fire Department of New York
and D.C. Fire, as well as representatives from the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, as the nation prepares to commemorate that 25th anniversary of
the September 11th terror attacks.
And behind me, an important and powerful reminder of that. Just over my shoulder, you can see that 21-foot-long steel beam, 16,900 pounds. It was
recovered from the South Tower. This piece of steel has been traveling the country since May, starting in Lower Manhattan and making stops at key
sites, including the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, along with Emma Booker Elementary School.
That is the school where President Bush on that day was reading a book to second graders when he got the news that the second tower had been struck.
President Trump is expected to speak here in front of this site along with Frank Siller. He is the Chairman of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
He is also the brother of Stephen Siller, who is a fallen New York firefighter. President Trump is a native New Yorker. He is not expected,
however, to go to Ground Zero this year for the commemorative ceremony honoring that 25th anniversary. Instead, he will be marking the occasion at
the Pentagon.
He is not attending this event at the World Trade Center because, according to our sources, he wanted to deliver remarks, and politicians have been
prevented from doing so since about 2012. But Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to attend in his stead. As time goes on, Eleni, there are so many
Americans who either were too young to remember September 11th or weren't yet born on that day.
So, this piece of steel behind me, an important reminder and a part of a broader educational effort to remember the service and sacrifice on that
day and make sure that we never forget.
GIOKOS: All right, Betsy Klein, thank you so much. We're a few minutes to go before the start of trade in New York. I've also got business headlines
for you, and also what could be Africa's largest ever IPO. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
GIOKOS: Right, we are a few seconds away before the start of trade in New York, always jubilation. Specifically, today, because markets were closed
yesterday for Labor Day, now getting back on track as we're seeing quite a bit of concern around oil prices. And there you have it.
Markets officially kicking off the Dow Jones in the first few seconds of trading down around seven tenths of a percent. We'll check in on those
numbers a little later as well, as markets try find their feet in the early hours of trading. Now, the company behind Africa's largest oil refinery is
one step closer to going public in Nigeria.
Dangote Group's refinery business signed IPO documents on Monday. It's a key step towards what could be Africa's biggest ever share sale. The
company plans to sell more than 4 billion shares, hoping to raise about 1.6 billion dollars. And this isn't just for big players. The offering is aimed
at everyday investors, giving Nigerians and others across Africa a chance to own a piece of the refinery.
I spoke with Dangote's CEO Aliko Dangote about this landmark moment for African business.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALIKO DANGOTE, CEO OF DANGOTE GROUP: I hope definitely to be massively oversubscribed. The demand is very, very overwhelming.
GIOKOS: It's pretty phenomenal. But many people also asking the question, want to do a primary listing in London or New York?
DANGOTE: The IPO is going to open. I think each and every you know African has an opportunity to have a stake in this great refinery. After we have
gone to 1.4 million in the next 2.5 years, we will now list in, you know, in the U.S. and I believe a lot of other people to enjoy, because by that
time we are going to be the biggest refinery ever in the history of the world with a massive petrochemical complex.
And I think it is going to be something that people would definitely rush by.
GIOKOS: It is quite a moment for you, Aliko. I have to say because it values your company, your refinery, and your petrochemical plant in Lagos
at about 50 billion dollars. I mean, what does that mean in terms of profitability every single year? And can you keep it up if something
changes on the oil price front?
How are you weighing up the economics of it all, because you want to expand and you want to be producing 1.4 million barrels of oil per day and not
just 700?
DANGOTE: Yeah, well, you know, at least when we get there, will be now major suppliers of jet fuel to the world market. Not only Europe will be
the biggest in terms of gas oil, which means diesel to the world market.
GIOKOS: Yeah, let's talk about Kenya. I mean, you know, there's news and reports out there that you're going to be breaking ground in the refinery
there at the end of this month. That's going to cost 15 billion dollars. If I remember correctly, the last time you and I spoke, you said you probably
wouldn't build a refinery again because of the headaches that you had in Nigeria.
What has changed your mind? Because clearly, you've got the formula right and it's working in your favor.
DANGOTE: I told you that. Look, I will never ever attempt to build a refinery again, but right now, to tell you the truth, I now understand how
it is. We have the best team in the world to deliver. We have a team that are very, very solid. We are used to delivering this.
This is something that we're taking it now as our own patent. I don't believe, and I repeat, I don't believe there's any company today on earth
that can deliver 700,000 barrels refinery per day. We now have the techniques. We know how to do it, and we will deliver on schedule on cost.
GIOKOS: We know that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz isn't what it should be. We've got diesel prices reaching record highs in the United
States. Frankly, as you mentioned, we're seeing you know still issues in the supply chain. Frankly, worldwide, you have benefited from what we're
seeing in terms of the crisis in the Middle East.
I know you've been getting a lot of calls from investors and interest. What has that been like of late? Do you still get the calls? Are you, for
example, speaking to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company? What's happening in terms of potential partnerships?
DANGOTE: Yeah, potential partnership is always there, you know. There are quite a lot of people, without mentioning names, that are talking to us.
They really want to partner with us. We have quite a lot, but you know, we are not trying to gather people to now go and make these investments. We
always want to now go and invest.
[09:35:00]
We wanted to risk that investment by putting our own resources to make sure that we deliver, so that nobody will be thinking about risk. But
internationally, whether there is interest, massive interest, there are quite a lot of people that yes, they have a lot of interest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Big thanks to Aliko Dangote for speaking with us and the shares of the Dangote refinery are expected to begin trading on Nigerian Stock
Exchange as soon as late November. So, we'll be tracking that story very closely. I want to turn now to oil markets, and of course we've been seeing
big shifts on Brent as well as WTI crude.
And that's after last night's Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities, pushing crude up more than 1 percent Brine crude now up around 86, eight
tenths of a percent, sitting at just below 98 a barrel. WTI just above $93 a barrel, and of course they're moving closer to that $100 a barrel mark
now.
With height tensions in the region and the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Brazil is emerging as an alternative source for oil. Brazilian
oil production and exports have hit record highs this year, fueled by growing demand from China. Crude output reached a record 4.5 million
barrels a day in June, while the value of oil exports to China more than doubled in the first half of the year to 15.1 billion dollars.
And you can read more about how China is cultivating these trade ties with Latin America as the U.S.-Iran war continues to reshape global trade on our
digital platforms. A brilliant article there by Michelle Velez, one of our producers on "Connect the World". Right, coming up next, two paintings by
impressionist painter Renoir have been stolen in an art heist in the south of France.
We bring you the details on that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: A major heist hit the art world in the early hours of this morning. Thieves stole four paintings from the Renoir Museum in the south of France,
and here we see the artworks that were taken. The thieves abandoned two of the paintings as they fled, but two are still missing.
Police were on the scene within five minutes. The local mayor says the thieves used an electric knife or metal saw to cut through the bolts of the
painting's frames. He's calling for tougher security measures in France's museums, and this comes nearly a year after the Louvre in Paris was also
targeted in a raid.
We've got CNN's Melissa Bell following the story for us from Paris, and joins us now live with the latest. Melissa, some pretty phenomenal story
here. Just a year after what we saw at the Louvre, and here you've got another museum. We've seen these artworks. I mean, really phenomenal
pieces.
What are they worth? What do you know?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. A pretty bad year for French museums in terms of what we've been seeing with
these heists.
[09:40:00]
GIOKOS: Yeah.
BELL: This latest one, again, very brazen. They made off initially using an electrical saw, and in just five minutes, managing to prize off with
electrical saw, cut through the fixings of these four Renoir paintings that are worth an estimated $10 million. Now, because of the alarms that went
off, we understand from local authorities they fled the scene, losing as they fled two of these Renoir paintings.
So now two are still at large, and the thieves themselves have yet to be caught. Now, what we understand from the local mayor from the local museum
is that they've closed it for now. They're waiting for the man hunt to hopefully get its hands on these thieves, but also calling for much greater
help from the French state to help keep these museums safe.
Pointing out that there are more and more of these art heists that organized crime is targeting these kinds of museums and urging the French
state to step up to allow for better security to be put in place. Now, you're quite right to remind us of the heist last October, that very brazen
one at the Louvre, Eleni.
That was more than 80 million dollars' worth of jewelry that had been stolen. And I think it's important to note that nearly one year on, whilst
arrests have been made, none of the jewelry has been found, apart from that one piece that had been dropped by the thieves as they fled.
So, we've also had another several heists, maybe less profile than this latest one, and the Louvre one a couple of the summer, where jewelry,
ancient jewelry, was stolen from a couple of French museums. And we had this report last month from Europol suggesting that there is a change in
the way that organized crime is targeting the art world, that they are better organized, that they are recruiting the people to carry out the
heists through social media, sort of guns for hire to carry out these kinds of heists.
And that they are more brazen and more violent heists that are being organized across Europe, really urging authorities to step up their
security to try and protect art works. In the meantime, this afternoon here in France, those two Renoir paintings still at large, as are the thieves
that took them, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Wow. All right, thank you so much, Melissa Bell, for us in Paris. That is it for this hour of "Connect the World". I'll be back with more in
15 minutes. First up, it is "World Sports". Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
