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U.K. Investigating Suspected Terror Plot At Base Used By U.S.; Marco Rubio Meeting With Lebanese Prime Minister And Saudi Foreign Minister At State Department; Inside Donald Trump's Campaign Strategy To Win Midterms; Investigation Reopens On Alleged Gang Rape At Cornell University; South African Police Search For Killers After Mass Shootings; Big Tech's Massive A.I. Spending Raises Inflation Fears; Protecting The Salish Sea. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired September 28, 2026 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:36]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Abu Dhabi.
Unanswered questions over suspected terror plot at a military base used by U.S. bomber aircraft, police in Britain arrest five men. No word yet on why
they were there.
Ahead of the midterm elections, the U.S. Republican candidates are openly breaking with President Trump, whose approval ratings hit an all-time low.
The most powerful rocket ever made enters orbit for first time, SpaceX's Starship on course for success in the landmark mission.
Welcome to the second hour of the show, and five men are under arrest, and an investigation is underway after an alleged terror plot against a British
Air Force base. Now, this was the scene at the base in Fairford, England, earlier today. It is a facility that has been used by the U.S. to launch
attacks against Iran, and it is believed to have been the target of an attack plot discovered over the weekend. Authorities swarmed in after a
local farmer reported suspicious activity. CNN's Nic Robertson has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Seated, hands behind their backs, the men believed at the center of a suspected terror plot at a
military base in the U.K. used by the U.S. Air Force. According to President Donald Trump, they'd been under surveillance.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.
ROBERTSON: By early morning, the base secured by military police as bomb disposal teams searched three suspect vehicles.
RICHARD OCONE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE POLICE ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE: A 400- meter cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the army's explosive ordnance disposal unit examined them. As a precaution, around 85
households have been advised to evacuate while these examinations take place.
ROBERTSON: RAF Fairford has been used by the U.S. as an air force base for years. It's home to their global strike command and was recently used for
long-range bombing missions against Iran. Iran has recently threatened it with attack.
The base that today had U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers near the perimeter fence had been on alert for the past week, according to local
residents. Police say one of them spotted something unusual.
OCONE: At around 12:45 a.m. today, Sunday, the 27th of September, police received a call relating to three suspicious vehicles traveling towards RAF
Fairford. Armed officers responded.
ROBERTSON: Some of them evacuating 85 nearby families to a local leisure center. As concerns grow, who was behind the alleged plot?
TRISTAN WILKINSON, COSTWOLD DISTRICT COUNCIL: We did have a direct threat from Iran about six weeks ago, so they called out RAF Airford specifically.
So, I think the community have been -- as well as the security services, have been on an increased level of vigilance. I think that seeing people
getting out of vans at the dead of night in a very quiet place where that's unusual is going to trigger something. So, I'm incredibly grateful to
whoever called the police and didn't decide to ignore it.
ROBERTSON: For now, the police investigation will focus on the possibility of explosives and the five men in custody. They will have two weeks before
they need to charge them.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Fairford, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: I want to bring in Sajjan M. Gohel now. He is a counter-terrorism and terrorism expert and the international security director at the Asia
Pacific Foundation. Really good to have you with us, Sajjan. I want to start off with the farmer who made the call to the U.K. government, who
spoke with our Nic Robertson. I want you to take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the vans has some strange sign writing on it, and just because I've had a little bit, if you live in Welford, you will
have had a little bit to do with undercover policing, and I looked at and thought that's not real, just the way the number was written on the side of
the van, my initial reaction then was maybe this is the police undercover because they're trying to watch, and our driveway is such an obvious place
to get right up to the fence of the base.
[10:05:10]
So, I thought that's why the vans are there, because that would be a really good idea to block that access up to the fence of the base.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: So quick thinking there but what do you make of her account?
SAJJAN M. GOHEL, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY DIRECTOR, ASIA PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Well, Eleni, the farmer definitely deserves a lot of credit for reporting
suspicious activity to Gloucestershire Police. My understanding is that counter-terrorism policing, which is a national body, was already
investigating these five men, and that doesn't negate the role of the farmer, because a public tip-off can supply the missing piece, even when
intelligence already exists.
So, both lines of effort eventually aligned, and very often the police often express their gratitude to the public for keeping everyone else alert
as to what may be going on, because this was definitely a very major, serious operation.
GIOKOS: Yes, it seems there was intelligence sharing between the U.K. government as well as the United States. I mean, President Trump was saying
quite a bit about that, which is quite fascinating. Just brings into question what was going on behind the scenes.
GOHEL: Well, when it concerns a base like RAF Fairford, where there is a very large U.S. air force, it eventually becomes not just a British concern
but an American one as well. And we've seen that in the past, Britain and the United Kingdom cooperate when it comes to sharing intelligence,
counterterrorism operations, they had to deal with that during the peak of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and they're now also having to deal with hostile state
threats, allegedly from other countries, whether they could be from Russia or Iran.
In the case of what transpired here, the U.K. and the U.S. also face different responsibilities. So, President Trump may want to signal success
and deterrence immediately, whereas British investigators they need to preserve the evidence, keep their sources protected, and the accuracy of
any eventual prosecutions. The British laws are very different on how evidence is revealed to the public compared to the United States, so
British authorities need time to inform the public, and that's why they've got two weeks to do so.
GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. We'll talk about having to charge those that have been arrested within two weeks in just a moment. But I want to ask you
this, what I find quite fascinating about the farmer is that these vans, as she's talking about talking about masked men, I mean, I find it quite
interesting that even if there was intelligence sharing, how these men were able to get so close. What do you make of that? Because you know, I'm
talking about higher level intelligence versus what we actually saw on the ground, and sort of the gap between the two.
GOHEL: So, if these people were being monitored for a while by counterterrorism policing, the goal then is to have enough evidence to be
able to form a case in which they can then be charged in court. Because if you act too quickly, then the evidence becomes obscured. Crown prosecution
service may say that is not sufficient, and we've seen cases in the past, especially linked to terrorism, where perhaps the evidence was obtained too
quickly, or there was a lack of clear-cut evidence.
So, very often, you find that with counter-terrorism policing, they let a plot develop in order to then make the arrest and then formally charge
them. In the case of this instance, you're talking about them facing allegations of explosive offenses as well as preparing a terrorist act. And
these are, of course, very serious allegations.
GIOKOS: All right. Just very quickly, who do you think is behind this? I mean, there's a lot of talk about whether Iran is behind this. I mean,
there's quite a bit of speculation. I mean, I guess it's very early on. But what is your sense?
GOHEL: Well, location matters. So, Fairford has supported U.S. strikes against Iran, giving it a direct military significance. We know that the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened countries that support the U.S. operations. I think the wider concern is that overseas conflicts can
generate threats inside Britain through locally recruited individuals. The fact that these five men are British nationals doesn't resolve the question
of foreign sponsorship, and investigations are already underway looking at that, and we know that in the summer of this year, a group known as HAYI,
which is the acronym for Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, served as a proxy group to carry out low-grade, low-tech attacks against
Jewish interests, against Iranian dissidents in Britain as well as in Europe, and that was tied to Iran.
[10:10:03]
So, there is this growing concern that Iran is working with organized criminal groups to carry out these attacks to try and add that layer of
plausible deniability, and that is, of course, a growing concern.
GIOKOS: All right, Sajjan Gohel. Really good to have you with us. Thank you.
And also happening this hour, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the State Department.
Immediately after that, Rubio will meet with the Saudi Foreign Minister. The meeting with Prime Minister Salam comes after he spoke at the U.N.
General Assembly last week, urging steps towards the implementation of a border agreement signed with Israel in June. These meetings happening as
fighting flares in Yemen between Iran-backed Houthi militants and Saudi- backed forces.
Houthi officials report seven people killed and dozens more injured in a strike on a market. The president of Iran, which has distanced itself from
the Houthi-Saudi conflict, is offering to mediate talks between the two sides.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are ready to help resolve the problem, not to fuel the conflict. We are prepared to sit
down and help Saudi Arabia and Yemen resolve this issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right, Brian Todd joins us now with more. Brian, good to see. I mean, you're hearing Pezeshkian saying there that, you know, happy to
mediate, but what's interesting here is the Houthis are an Iranian proxy for what we're seeing for the United States and Iran, Lebanon are key
issues, so are Saudi Arabia. So, how do you get needle moving between these two countries in terms of talks when you've got so many issues at play on
the periphery?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you said it, Eleni. There are a lot of issues at play here, and whether the needle moves toward a broader peace
settlement with Iran stemming from these meetings is really going to be. I think we may not see the results of that for at least a couple of days, or
we may not hear about it for at least a couple of days.
But what is discussed at these meetings is going to be very key. You just ran the sound clip of the Iranian official saying that they're happy to
mediate this, but the Houthis, you really wonder how much they really want to mediate this because the Houthis have made significant gains in recent
weeks, capturing at least two key Yemeni cities there, and the Houthi conflict is clearly going to be on the agenda when Secretary Rubio meets
with the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. That's going to be in the next hour.
First, let's talk about his meeting this hour with the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. That is going to be. They're basically getting that
underway as we speak right now.
You know, Lebanon is key here because Israel has, of course, launched several operations inside Lebanon targeting militant groups that are allied
with Iran. Iran has connected Iran, Israel's military strikes in Lebanon with a -- for some leverage with regarding a broader peace settlement in
the -- in the region. The U.S. has not connected that, but the U.S. has put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curtail Israel's
operations inside Lebanon with mixed success there, we have to say.
You know, the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is open to negotiations with Israel, but he has little sway over the militant groups that hold so
much power in Lebanon.
So, what comes of this meeting between Secretary Rubio and the Lebanese Prime Minister will be closely watched as far as how that moves the needle
regarding Israel's operations in Lebanon.
Now, as far as the Saudis are concerned, I think this meeting, Eleni, is going to be fraught with a lot more tension because the Saudis have you
know they're concerned that this war between Yemen and the Houthis is going to be opening up a wider second front regarding the war the tensions with
Iran, clearly has already opened up a second front with this war the Saudis have repeatedly asked the Trump administration to launch airstrikes against
the Houthis, the Trump administration has refused to do that.
But CNN has reported that the administration has offered possibly some technical assistance to the Saudis regarding this conflict in Yemen. But it
is clearly going to be a point of tension between the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Marco Rubio, when they meet,
the Saudi probably going to be pressing the secretary much harder for possible military assistance there with the Houthis, and we're going to see
if that actually comes about.
Rubio, for his part, you know, he is pushing for security in the Strait of Hormuz and for the Strait to be free from attack, for all vessels to be
free from attack. He's going to need the help of the Saudis to get that done, and so that will be probably some leverage that he will be wanting to
use there with the Saudi foreign minister.
So, these meetings, Eleni, just crucial to maybe moving that needle. Now whether it's actually going to be moving either way is going to be watched
very closely in the next couple of days. I think this meeting with the Saudi foreign minister is really has the potential for some tension there
because of the conflict that's been going on. The Saudis pleas for help from the United States and the U.S. so far refusing to really escalate
their involvement there.
[10:15:08]
GIOKOS: Yes, high stake meeting. I have to say, I mean, the big question is. On everyone's mind is why the U.S. has decided not to get involved with
the Houthis. Perhaps we'll get some answers after these meetings.
Brian Todd, really good to see you. Thank you so much.
TODD: Thanks, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Right, Iraq is gearing up for a four-day party nationwide. Celebrations have been declared to mark the last remaining U.S. troops
leaving the country. The government has declared a public holiday from September 30th through October 3rd under the banner of Sovereignty Days.
The prime minister says it's a major milestone for Iraq. He has also vowed to end the influence of armed militia groups that operate outside
government control. CNN has reached out to U.S. Central Command for comment.
Just 36 days to go, that is until the U.S. midterms, and the latest polling shows Republican hopes of winning seats in some key battleground states are
dimming. And now some Republican candidates are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump, yet multiple officials tell CNN that an aggressive
campaign is scheduled and being planned for the president, which advisers believe is key to increasing Republican turnout.
CNN's Manu Raju spoke with some Republicans about their midterm projections. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be a bloodbath in the midterms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're about to take a shellacking here in the general election.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You worried you guys may lose the Senate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not going to speculate on that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has Donald Trump made the job of winning the Senate for Thune easier or harder?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harder.
RAFFERTY: How much harder?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On a scale of what? One to 10?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: But I like it. All right. So, Alayna Treene has been following this story closely and joins us now from the White House. Alayna, fascinating
commentary there. I mean, some of those Republicans we heard voicing genuine concern about what could happen in November. So, what's the
strategy?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I think I should note with some of those Republicans that Manu spoke with, the ones who were
the most vocal and really didn't hold back in saying this publicly. Many of them are people who are no longer going to be in Congress after the midterm
elections, freeing them up, I think to be a bit more candid.
But even so, what they are saying publicly there is exactly what I'm hearing behind closed doors from the president's own advisers and members
of his own political operation about just how anxious they are and the concerns that they have regarding these elections.
Now, one of the key things, of course, is they recognize the president's approval ratings are pretty terrible, particularly when you look at his
handling of the economy, one of the biggest drivers of any election, but also specifically around the Iran War, higher gas prices, things that many
voters blame the president for, and also they are quickly saying more-not publicly, but at least telling reporters like myself and my colleague
Kristen Holmes that they believe it's going to be a lot harder to hold on to the midterms.
I do want to read for you, Eleni, one quote from a Trump advisor. I think this sums up pretty much how they're feeling. They said that it's obviously
going to be effing rough. That's what they told me about describing what's going to happen in the midterms, arguing that the best case scenario in
their minds is what Democrats saw happen in 2022 when they were able to hold on to the Senate, but lost in --lost majority in the House. That's a
new potential realization. I think a lot of people, even those who work for the president, are coming to.
But despite that, they still want to move forward with their aggressive plans to have President Trump campaign in a number of important districts
across the country.
Now, I should note they are not really going after and targeting more independent and conservative-minded moderates, they're really focused on
trying to drive out enthusiasm among the president's core supporters, and that's why you're seeing him go to more conservative places.
Even in battleground states, he'll be going to more red areas, more red districts to try and boost more turnout among them. The problem with that,
though, and from what I've been hearing in my conversations, is that Trump is not just a good driver of enthusiasm among Republicans, he's also a
great driver of enthusiasm among Democrats who might want to cast their vote as a referendum against him.
And so, there is a bit of a catch-22 with this strategy that the president's team has kind of put together around really trying to argue and
pretend that his name is going to be on the ballot.
So, look, we're getting a lot more insight into what they're thinking. The problem is, a lot of them say as well that the cake is already debated.
That is one quote that a Republican strategist told us about where things stand. And so, for now, they're moving ahead with their strategy, even
though the environment around which they're moving forward with is not as good as they might like.
GIOKOS: So, so interesting commentary you're getting and interesting quotes, I have to say, Alayna. But I also want you to give me a bit of
insight into the White House launching a taxpayer-funded television ad that features President Trump. What more do we know?
[10:20:04]
TREENE: Yes, I do want to. So, this was an ad that we saw aired yesterday. Actually, aired during some of the NFL football games on Sunday. I caught
one of them when I was watching football with my husband yesterday actually.
And this one is featuring imagery of the president walking down a hallway and saying that they that we will cast out the communists, Marxists, and
fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout out the fake news media, and we will liberate America
from these villains once and for all. That are -- that is the language the president uses in this new ad.
What's so interesting about it, though, and why it's drawing a lot of attention and also a lot of criticism, even from some Republicans, is
because this ad is paid for by the American taxpayers. It says at the end, paid for by the U.S. government. That raises a lot of ethical concerns and
also questions of, is this propaganda that would violate some of the laws that they have, and other questions around that.
I do want you to listen to what we heard from Senator John Kennedy. He is a Republican, currently serving in the Senate. Who -- what he had to say
about this ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I don't think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money
on private ads for themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: So again, that is a Republican, a very conservative Republican in the Senate from Louisiana.
Now, I do want to say as well, we did hear from the White House. There's been a couple other ads that are like this, Eleni, and they have been very
public in trying to argue that these are public service announcements, that they're not meant to be campaign ads.
And here's a statement a White House spokesperson, David Ingle, said about one of the previous ads that was similar to this. They said that the ad is
educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.
I want to note, though, just how much this does look like some of the political ads that the president has used in the past, the words that he
pulled, the words that they used in this ad that aired yesterday, uses the same language that he gave in a speech back in 2023, and then was also
identical to the majority of a video that Trump posted on social media back in 2024 when he was still running for president for a second term.
So, I think that gives you a little bit of insight of the kind of language that they are using just a couple weeks out from the midterms when they're
telling people pretend the president's name is on the ballot. Not sitting well with a lot of folks here in Washington, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Wow. Well, Alayna Treene, we appreciate that thorough report. Good to have you on. Thank you.
Right, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, Prosecutors reopen an alleged rape investigation at a top U.S. university after a former
student sues. We'll bring you details on the story right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: New York prosecutors are reopening an investigation into an alleged gang rape of a former student at Cornell University in 2024, and others
comes after the woman's lawyer filed a civil lawsuit. CNN's Gloria Pazmino spoke to me about the case last hour.
[10:25:13]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: D.A. now saying that he is reopening the investigation, but also acknowledging that what Jane Doe told investigators
at time of the alleged incident back in 2024 is different from what she is claiming in this lawsuit. We should mention that the details of this are
disturbing and graphic, and I want to start at the beginning.
Right back in 2024, October of 2024 is when this assault allegedly took place. Now, it accuses seven members of Chi Phi fraternity on the campus of
Cornell University, and following an investigation, students were expelled, and others received lesser punishment, including having to write written
assignments. The fraternity was also barred from the campus, but no charges or arrests were made. This is all according to the lawsuit.
Now, as I said, the county, the district attorney for Tompkins County, which is where Cornell University is located, is saying today that he is
reopening the investigation. And I want to start with his statement. He said that, "It is our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County
Grand Jury with Jane Doe's cooperation, we want to re-examine whether there is additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024 that
exists now and would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct."
Now, let's get to the allegations, right? Because we're learning from this civil suit filed by Jane Doe that she was 20 years old at the time of the
alleged incident. She started out her night at a party at her own sorority house. She acknowledges she had been drinking, and then she ended at
another party at Chi Phi's fraternity house. It was once she was inside that house that she alleges seven members of the fraternity gave her
alcohol, drugged her, and sexually assaulted her.
And then there is evidence provided in the lawsuit in the form of a group chat, which appears to show the fraternity members talking about this
sexual assault taking place and inviting other members to partake.
Now, her attorney says that that piece of crucial evidence was not reviewed or included as part of the D.A.'s initial investigation back in 2024, let's
hear from the attorney for Jane Doe, who told us in a statement, "Other than her initial contact with Cornell Police, she was not contacted by
investigators from the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office, or any investigators trained in interviewing rape survivors."
Now, Eleni, I have to say, in the last few days, this new lawsuit and the details in it have gotten a lot of reaction, both from members of Congress.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez from New York was actually in Ithaca over the weekend, where Cornell University is located, she spoke out about this
case. Celebrities have started weighing in.
And this morning we heard from Cornell University, which issued a new statement saying that any suggestion that the university did not impose
consequential punishments for those involved is false. A continuation of these false narratives that there were minimal consequences in this case is
irresponsible, will make survivors feel safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.
The last point I'll make, Eleni, is that the Cornell University response also says that the complainant, so the victim in this case, as well as the
respondents, the seven students that were accused, were given an opportunity to testify as part of their 2024 investigation. It says that at
the conclusion of that investigation, a panel issued a range of sanctions, which included suspensions and expulsions from the university. Eleni.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, thanks to our Gloria Pazmino.
All right, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There's more news ahead. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:32:10]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos, in Abu Dhabi, and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. These are your headlines.
Five men are under arrest in the U.K. on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They were detained early Sunday morning near a British airbase, which
has been used by the U.S. to launch strikes on Iran. Local residents tell CNN, security around the base had been tightened in recent days.
Pope Leo has delivered a call for integrity in international affairs, saying relations between countries are becoming increasingly uncivilized.
On the final day of his visit to France, the pope addressed European leaders, saying, there is a trend for governments to practice lies and
deceit are instead of keeping their word.
Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made, is in orbit around the Earth for the first time. But SpaceX has made the decision to bring the spaceship
home earlier than planned. We were expecting to see the ship complete six orbits of Earth, but a few moments ago, controllers said they were starting
maneuvers to bring Starship out of orbit to return to Earth.
All right. We are keeping track on that story, but other important stories that we are focusing on is in South Africa, where police are hunting for
suspects after two separate shootings left 27 people dead. 17 were killed near Johannesburg on Saturday.
Police said eight men opened fire on people drinking outside a tavern. A few hours later, 10 people died in a mass shooting in the Western Cape. No
arrests have been made yet, and police say a business dispute could be a possible motive.
The shooting comes as the country grapples with a spate of violent crime. We have got CNN's Larry Madowo across the story for us.
I mean, honestly, the last two months, seeing the stories out of South Africa, absolutely hair-raising. These are two separate incidents, Larry.
The one in Johannesburg and the other one in the Western Cape. Let's talk about what happened in Johannesburg. We know police are looking for the
perpetrators. We know the president has said there is urgency around this curbing violent crime. But take me through what we know in terms of the
motive.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, police are still investigating this shooting that happened just outside Johannesburg, in --
and it's a harrowing tale where eight hooded gunmen reportedly showed up Saturday evening and started shooting. Some people were drinking inside the
tavern, some outside, those who could rain for cover. But in the end, 17 people had been killed and several more injured.
The death toll has now been revised to 18 people who were killed, and only four have so far been identified.
I want you to listen to this one eyewitness who describes these hooded men arriving at this tavern outside Johannesburg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:35:00]
SIYABONGO VOKWANA, WEDELA RESIDENT AND SHOOTING EYEWITNESS: There are eight members. They put their balaclavas and their boots, and their some -- their
jacket. Those jacket for Lesotho. And then, they come in and they just find the people on the tavern starting to check. After checking, they start
shooting, and then, they go -- they come for the -- for the second time. Outside, the cars are burning on that particular time.
People, they are running all over the area, but they are getting shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Police don't know a motive yet, but have identified only four of the victims so far: two South African nationals and two nationals from
Lesotho. That man describes these eight gunmen wearing balaclavas and starting to shoot essentially indiscriminately.
The owner of that tavern has told local media that this was not even the first incident -- instance of a shooting there. A few weeks ago, there was
another shooting where one person was killed. So, she is not even sure if she will continue running this business. She is licensed to operate this
local neighborhood pub, but this spate of shootings has left her and the community shaken. Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, it's absolutely tragic.
And, you know, when I look at what happened in the Western Cape, another mass shooting, and I have to say, mass shootings are not something we see
very often in South Africa. President Ramaphosa was saying that this is gang-related.
You know, these are two very far-apart incidents. And what are you learning in that regard, Larry?
MADOWO: So, this second shooting in the Western Cape, also, some video has appeared on social media that appears to show the moment of the shooting,
revelers having fun. Police described this as an entertainment venue. What some South Africans might call a Shisanyama.
And people were dancing to the music, enjoying themselves. And then, you start to hear gunshots, people running for cover. About 10 people were
killed here, and a few more injured. Again, like you mentioned, mass shootings are not common in South Africa. South Africa has a high crime
rate, and police statistics show that about 58 people are killed every day. That's according to the first three months of this year, based on South
African Police Service statistics.
But these mass shootings are starting to become common, and civil society organizations, people that represent neighborhoods, and citizens are
starting to say people are living in fear, and there has to be a way to deal with this.
So, the suspected business rivalry in some of these cases, in one, it could be rival gang members. It could be related to illegal miners. In some of
these instances, suddenly in the Johannesburg case.
But for citizens who want to go out and enjoy themselves in their local neighborhood, this suddenly puts them in fear because you don't know when a
shooting might occur and you might be killed. Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. You know, there is -- there is a lot going on, especially around the Johannesburg Ekurhuleni area, Larry, where now 11
women have been found dead.
We know that President Ramaphosa, as well as police, are working very hard to not only focus on the two stories we covered today in terms of the mass
shootings in those two separate incidents, but also the issue of gender- based violence.
It's an important story. I'm really glad you're on it, Larry. We appreciate your analysis.
All right, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is brushing off inflation concerns, even though consumer prices have been on the rise. It comes after
the Federal Reserve recently voted to raise interest rates for the first time since 2023 to address the country's stubborn inflation.
Speaking with Fox News, Bessent seemed confident that the recent spike in oil prices would not be too harmful to the U.S. economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, UNITED STATES TREASURY SECRETARY: We have got the American people back on their feet, and now, I think, we are in the acceleration
phase of this economy.
If you look at core inflation away from the volatile energy shock that we have had, core inflation has been very quiescent, and it has actually
dropped over the past few months.
So, the energy shock is not moving into core inflation. We will get to the other side of this Iran conflict. My prediction is that oil prices will be
much lower.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So, as a reminder, this is where U.S. gasoline prices stand right now. On average, Americans are paying over $1.50 more per
gallon than they were before the Iran War, and at the end of February. Take a look at that. And as you can see, diesel fuel prices also remain sharply
higher.
Now, the A.I. boom has fueled an unprecedented spending spree by big tech. In fact, that A.I. investment frenzy, from building data centers to buying
the chips and the servers that go inside them is expected to hit $1 trillion this year.
That is $1 trillion this year, and that's according to J.P. Morgan, raising concerns that it could add to inflation.
CNN business senior reporter David Goldman joins us now live from New York. David, really good to see you. Always great with the numbers. These numbers
are absolutely mind-boggling, and they all lead to one road, and that's inflation.
[10:40:00]
And sadly, you are not in front of the blackboard, but the blue board will do.
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: That's coming. Spoiler alert. That's my last slide.
But yes, $1 trillion, if you think that is mind-boggling, Eleni, look at this. $10.3 trillion over the course of eight years, according to
Brookings. That is how much we are going to be spending in this country on A.I. infrastructure. This is unprecedented.
What does that do to the economy? Yes, inflation, as you mentioned. It makes up -- right now, A.I. makes up 1.9 percent of the U.S. economy, and
that is going to add 3.6 percent to the U.S. economy in the subsequent years, on average, every single year, basically for a decade. That is
enormous.
When have we seen that before? Never. We saw this country build the canals that added one -- less than one percent to inflation. We had railroads.
Before A.I., the biggest infrastructure project of all time. Only 2.2 percent of the total economy. It dwarfs all of these A.I. is the champion
at 3.6 percent. That's the forecast for every single year, like I said, over the course of a decade.
Now, this is all creating a demand boom, and it's coming on top of a big economy, a very strong economy.
Unemployment, we are at full employment right now, 4.1 percent in this country. Retail sales just boomed in August, 1.2 percent. And that is why
we already have 3.4 percent inflation.
The treasury secretary is correct that energy is the primary factor behind this, but I am skeptical that if we just got rid of the energy spike, that
we would go back down to two percent which is the target because of all of this spending. It really is creating quite a boom.
It's also creating a stock boom. 5.2 percent is the in -- is the growth in tech stocks. Now, everything else, eight of 11 different sectors have lost
2.7 percent over the course of the month, and yet, the stock market is still up, and that shows the outsize impact of tech.
Now, here is the thing, and here's the long-awaited blackboard, Elaine.
GIOKOS: Wow.
GOLDMAN: We have in this country, the people who own 40 percent of the wealth -- that's the top 40 percent of earners own 88 percent of the
stocks. So, if you are telling me that stocks are up, that means that the wealthy folks in this country will continue to spend.
What does spending mean? It's 70 percent of the entire U.S. economy, and that is why this is so important.
As long as we keep spending on A.I., those stocks will continue to go up. It fuels spending, and we will start to see the economy continue to
inflate, maybe overheat, and that is why we are in this situation that we are in.
GIOKOS: More spending, more inflation, and I mean, it's fascinating.
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDMAN: Just for you, I did this. Just for you.
GIOKOS: David Goldman, thank you so much.
All right, I want to take you to the -- thank you.
All right, I want to now take you to the U.K. We have got counterterrorism police press conference. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURENCE TAYLOR, HEAD, UNITED KINGDOM COUNTER TERRORISM POLICING: At counter-terrorism policing, we are working within this context every single
day, and at this stage, we are keeping an open mind in this investigation. We have, as you would expect, ensured that our protective security advice
and posture remain commensurate to the threat.
But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals,
either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.
To respond to incidents such as these, rapid mobilization is necessary, as we cannot take the risk whilst assessing that threat.
However, once we understand the threat more clearly, we seek to return affected communities to normality as quickly as possible. I have spoken
before about the increasing breadth and complexity of the threats that we are facing.
Often, this threat becomes visible to us as criminal activity, often at a small scale, and committed by individuals whose primary aim is not
terrorism but a quick financial gain. It can be harder to spot. And to that end, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and report anything
suspicious to the police.
I am also very conscious that there is a great deal of speculation about what may or may not have been previously known about potential threats or
activity.
[10:45:02]
As I hope the public will understand, I will not always be able to share this type of information. What I do ask is that the public understand that
we work hand in glove with MI5 to keep them safe from a myriad of threats and do everything we can to protect them.
Incidents such as this are reminder of the importance of public vigilance. If you spot something that doesn't feel right, please let us know. Thank
you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. We have just listened to the head of the U.K. counter terrorism policing, and he was talking about some of the big issues playing
out in the U.K. right now, and again saying that the vigilance of people on the ground communities really important to foil incidents like we saw
playing out yesterday.
I'm going to take it to a short break, and we will be back right after this. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: The Salish Sea is one of the world's largest and most biologically rich coastal ecosystems, spanning from Washington State to British
Columbia. It's home to whales, seals, salmon, and hundreds of other species. But they face pressures from maritime traffic to climate change.
It's also a Mission Blue Hope spot, part of a global network of ecosystems deemed important to ocean health, supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet
Initiative.
As part of our ongoing coverage of Mission Blue, CNN spent a week with Sea Life Response, Rehabilitation, and Research, or SR3, to see how it is
protecting the wildlife that call these waters home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (voice over): These harbor seal pups may look like they are living their best lives. Swimming, sleeping, and
socializing. But they are actually patients at SR3, the only hospital dedicated to marine animals in the Pacific Northwest.
DR. TAYLOR ABRAHAM, VETERINARIAN, SR3: She has a heart murmur.
HOSSEINI (voice over): SR3 treats wildlife ranging from seals and sea lions to turtles and porpoises, responding to animals in the field and caring for
them here at their facility.
CASEY MCLEAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SR3: So, we have got a lot of people in here getting things ready, making formula, preparing all of our fish to go
out and feed our patients for the morning. So, this is our area where patients are very fragile, they are still getting lots of hands-on care.
So, in the morning, typically we will do a walkthrough and just see how is everybody looking.
Looks alert and awake.
HOSSEINI (voice over): Summer is the busiest time for SR3. It's peak pupping season when seal pups are born, and that means more calls to their
response hotline about abandoned or injured pups.
MCLEAN: So, often, mom will abandon the pup simply because people are in the area. Adult harbor seals are extremely skittish.
[10:50:02]
Because we have got over 8 million people living along the shorelines of the Salish Sea, there is the potential for a lot of human interaction.
Typically, for a harbor seal pup that has just been abandoned by mom, they will stay about three months with us while they're really basically getting
fat. And occasionally, those animals will have something like pneumonia or bite wounds or some other sort of injury that we are treating.
ABRAHAM: 52 and 53 were two new ones, so they will be getting admit exams today. So that will include bloodwork, overall physical exam.
MCLEAN: Everybody has a little round circle on their head, and that is what we affectionately call a hat tag. But it's just so we know who is who.
HOSSEINI (voice over): The goal is to return these animals healthy to their ocean home. But until then, they get some creature comforts at SR3 to help
them along the way.
MCLEAN: They have these little pillows, and those are really just for comfort. It's just something to have in there until they're able to mix and
mingle with other seals.
It can be a very sterile environment compared to the dynamic ocean. So, we actually add enrichment items for them to explore and use their senses and
develop their skills that they will need out in the ocean to survive.
HOSSEINI (voice over): Beyond the pillows and playtime, they have some work to do while they are here. After they are done formula feeding, they are
all enrolled in fish school.
MCLEAN: As their teeth come in and as their belly button closes up, we start introducing them to fish. This is where stage one of fish school
comes in, where you are teaching them fish or food, and this is good. It takes a little while.
And then, eventually we are using different things like tongs to feed them and separate ourselves from that process.
So, eventually, you get to just toss the fish into the pool, and they go after it.
Typically, they will come in around 10 pounds, and we want them at about 50 pounds before they are ready for release.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is closed to release-weight.
HOSSEINI (voice over): And as more patients arrive, another is ready to return to the wild.
MCLEAN: Tomorrow, after our morning feed and treatments, we will get Frittata loaded up to go back home.
KC SCOFIELD, RESPONSE PROGRAM COORDINATOR, SR3: Let's get her in the truck.
We are about to release one of our harbor seals that came into care this summer, Frittata. She spent 65 days in care, and her main focus while she
was in care is just to gain weight and get healthy.
She is ready to go home. Whenever you are ready, go ahead, open that door.
MCLEAN: Despite all of the things that we're doing to it and near it, this is still a beautiful, healthy ecosystem, and we need to protect that.
So, I think, as much as humans may be problems at times, we are also the solutions.
SCOFIELD: Here she is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Cutest little seal. Well, every animal that comes through its doors can help SR3 better understand the ecosystem they live in.
Next month, we will see how its innovative research is helping create protections for the whales that depend on it. We are back after the short
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, has successfully made it to Earth's orbit. But mission control has decided to
cut its trip short. We are expecting Starship to orbit the Earth six times in a mission that was scheduled to last about 10 hours, but during a recent
checkpoint analysis, the team decided to bring the spacecraft home early. It is expected to land in the Pacific a little over three hours after
liftoff.
[10:55:04]
So, we are monitoring that.
In the meantime, a reminder of what we just learned a short time ago: British counter terrorism police say five men that were arrested on
suspicion of plotting an attack on an English airbase are being released on bail. We will have much more on this important development in the next
hours.
So, that brings us to the end of CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you so much for joining us. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
