Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal In Effect In Lebanon; White House Hopeful For Gaza Ceasefire After Hezbollah Deal; Inside One Of Northern Gaza's Last Remaining Hospitals; Law Enforcement Looking Into Bomb Threats And Swatting; Fighting Grinds On As War Nears Three-Year Mark; Imran Khan's Party Calls Off Protests For The Time Being; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET

Aired November 27, 2024 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:33]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching ONE WORLD.

Lebanon's Prime Minister calls it a new day for his country after a brutal period. A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese militant groups, Hezbollah,

is now in effect after more than a year of fighting. The big question is, will it hold? And what does this mean for the war in Gaza?

Inside Lebanon, which shares its border, its southern border with Israel, the army began bolstering its presence in the south, and the sign of how

the truce is actually already affecting change. Lebanon's education minister says that schools across the country will reopen on Monday.

Earlier, thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war began the journey home, despite being urged to delay their return. This was a scene as cars snaked

their way through packed highways.

A celebration across the country. The U.S.-backed proposal calls for a 60- day pause in the fighting to form the basis for a lasting truce. A 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution has been the blueprint of this agreement.

U.S. President Joe Biden is hailing this deal. Here's what his National Security Adviser told my colleague, John Berman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Implementation is going to be key. And that means ensuring that Hezbollah, the terrorist group, cannot

rebuild its terror infrastructure in Southern Lebanon, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces do their job in filling in the security vacuum in

Southern Lebanon rather than Hezbollah.

The United States, along with France and other countries, are committed to ensuring this deal is implemented effectively. And we're going to take

steps until the time comes when we can all breathe easy and say, yes, this is actually in effect. It is going to stick. It is going to work.

But day in, day out, we are going to make sure that we're doing everything to see to it that the terms of this agreement are enforced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: We have seen reporters covering all angles of this story. Alexander Marquardt is in Washington for us. But first, let's talk -- let's talk to

Jeremy Diamond, who is in Northern Israel for us.

So, Jeremy, we know that the Lebanese army is tasked with ensuring that this ceasefire deal essentially lasts. Army convoys were seen headed to the

south to the border with Israel.

What can you tell us about how this deal is going to be monitored and, of course, implemented?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that the United States is set to lead a monitoring committee now that will monitor any

ceasefire violations by both sides. But what is happening initially is really going to be focused on the phase withdrawal that we are going to see

from both the Israeli military and Southern Lebanon and from any Hezbollah forces, as far as some 20 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border,

stretching along that area known as the Litani River.

But the real question is whether or not this ceasefire will actually bring a measure of calm and stability in the long run for both residents of

Southern Lebanon and also those residents of Northern Israel.

I spent much of today, along some of those frontline Israeli communities right along Israel's border with Lebanon, where really the reality is that

not much has changed yet. Many northern Israeli residents who were displaced, and also those very few who actually remained inside some of

these communities are still extremely distrustful of this process.

They largely don't believe that this ceasefire agreement is actually going to make them truly safer in the long run. They worry that Hezbollah will

simply once again, under the nose of the international community, you know, re-organize and re-arm inside those areas of Southern Lebanon, and once

again oppose the various threats, whether it is rockets, drones, and critically those anti-tank missiles to those frontline Israeli communities.

It was a very different picture, of course, in Southern Lebanon, where we began to see thousands of Lebanese residents beginning to return to their

homes.

But as that began to happen, the Israeli military also issued a warning to those who would be trying to return home, telling them that despite this

ceasefire, that they were not to move south of the Litani River, saying that, quote, any movement towards those areas puts you at risk.

We have already seen, of course, some reports of firing by Israeli troops. When we were in Northern Israel, we heard what sounded like outgoing

artillery fire.

And so certainly, this is a fragile truce that is beginning to take hold. No major violations of the ceasefire so far. But certainly that is going to

be something to watch in the days and weeks ahead.

[12:05:22]

ASHER: All right. Jeremy Diamond, live for us there. Thank you so much.

Alex, let me turn now to you because, obviously, the Biden administration is taking a victory lap here. I mean, obviously this is a massive

accomplishment for them, given that there's only two months left in terms of Biden's term here. Just talk to us about what it has taken to get to

this point.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: An enormous amount of work, Zain. This is something that has been in progress for a

very long time now, more than a year.

And, frankly, the U.S. hope had been that some kind of ceasefire deal could have been struck between Israel and Hezbollah before an all-out war, before

an Israeli ground incursion. They had been working on a ceasefire deal in parallel to the efforts to try to get to a ceasefire in Gaza, but

recognizing the fact that they probably couldn't achieve that in Lebanon unless the war in Gaza were over.

Israel has long pushed for those two issues to become separate. And in that way, they did succeed.

And so this was primarily led by the American envoy, Amos Hochstein, who is part of the National Security Council. He was shuttling between Washington,

Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beirut for the past few months, trying to get this deal across the finish line.

And I think what they've been admitting now is that all of the parties involved, whether it's the Israeli government or Hezbollah, that they have

gotten to the point where they find this deal acceptable.

Certainly, the U.S. was reaching the end of its rope, feeling like it had put all the pressure on the different parties that it could.

But Israel, according to the administration, feels like it has succeeded in degrading Hezbollah, getting them to go back to behind the Litani River and

clear out the Hezbollah infrastructure from Southern Lebanon.

The Israeli government feels that it has achieved its military objective. Certainly, Hezbollah has been beaten to the point of submission where it no

longer is saying that the war in Gaza now needs to be over.

And I think the parties are also looking ahead to the Trump administration. There is a sense among U.S. officials here in Washington that Trump does

not want to be dealing with this issue when he comes into power in January. And that might have given a nudge encouragement to the Israeli government

to agree to this now.

Zain, I think one big question that we have is, how is this going to affect the war in Gaza, the efforts to strike a ceasefire and hostage deal there

in Gaza? Because, of course, the war continues to rage there.

You hear from Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser and others that they do intend to focus on that. They hope that it will encourage Hamas,

because Hamas will now believe that they are more isolated because Hezbollah is no longer coming to their aid.

I would not say that we are hearing the kind of optimism that we have in the past, but this is certainly going to be an effort for their final few

weeks in office. Zain.

ASHER: All right. Alexander Marquardt, live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. Let's dive deeper now in terms of some of the questions that Alex was just posing there. Let's bring in Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow

at the Center for International Policy. She joins us live now from Rome.

Negar, thank you so much for being with us. I mean, one of our correspondents there, Alexander Marquardt, was just touching on the fact

that, you know, there isn't necessarily a huge amount of optimism that this cessation and hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could actually pave

the way or could actually turn increase in appetite for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza. Just give us your take on that.

NEGAR MORTAZAVI, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: I see this as a first step, as a good first step. I mean, I share Alex's skepticism

that we're hearing in Western capitals also across the region, but nevertheless, the fact that I would see this as a major concession on the

part of Hezbollah and the so-called axis of resistance with Iran being a major player in all of this, because for almost the past year, everything

that was happening across the region on multiple fronts was coupled together.

And the talking point was that without a ceasefire in Gaza, a stopping of the war in Gaza, this wouldn't happen. So the fact that this was decoupled,

I would say is a concession on that side, this war also took a major toll on Lebanon over 3,000 people already killed, many civilians, children, a

million displaced in a country that's dealing with a lot of economic, political turmoil. So it wasn't a very popular situation.

And so the fact that this was decoupled and the ceasefire was delivered or the cessation, at least, I think, as welcome news is a good first step.

Now, it depends on how much of two sides the parties can make sort of meet somewhere halfway to reach the same in Gaza. And also on how the United

States is willing to use its leverage, at least on one of the parties to push for that ceasefire in Gaza.

[12:10:17]

ASHER: Yes. Because Hamas now knows that Hezbollah isn't necessarily coming to its aid anymore.

I want to talk about what happens after the 60-day period is over. I mean, obviously, it's a temporary ceasefire at this point in time, but what will

determine whether or not this actually ends up leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities?

MORTAZAVI: Well, so the terms are basically going to unfold over the next two months or 60 days as Israeli forces are going to gradually pull out of

Lebanon and the various parameters of the deal are going to be observed by a committee.

The U.S. is going to mediate and bring the two sides together to sort of seal this as a permanent ceasefire.

And there happens the ceasefire than the past that did hold for a while. And in fact, the one between Hezbollah and Israel, the previous one, which

it is very similar actually to what was just detailed in this ceasefire. And it was only after October 7, and the war in Gaza started, that

Hezbollah sort of entered the conflict with Israel.

So I'm optimistic that there is a high potential this can hold if, obviously, both parties abide by their terms of them. And I think there's a

will to abide by it, considering as we saw that communities had to leave their homes and their villages on the border.

So the will, and I think the necessity on both sides exists, but this is also still not completely decoupled from Gaza. I think how the situation

unfolds in Gaza, if it's moving towards an actual ceasefire end of the war, if it's going to escalate, that will determine this.

And also Israel in Iran, the direct confrontation that's been blowing up a couple of days, that a couple of times in the past, yet, going to have an

impact on all of this. So all of the pieces are still connected to each other.

ASHER: I do want to talk about, I mean, obviously, you know, we've touched on what Hezbollah has to gain from this deal, and obviously they've been

dramatically weakened over the past few months.

But just in terms of what Israel has to gain. Talk to us about what they have to gain beyond the obvious. Netanyahu has come out and said that this

will give Israel a chance to sort of rebuild its stockpile of weapons and also focus and turn its attention to its other main threat, which is of

course Iran.

MORTAZAVI: Well, I think one of the main factors, like key factor for Israel was the fact that tens of thousands of Israeli residents had to

leave their communities, their homes on the border. And this was the case on the Lebanese side of us, actually the human whole, the civilian toll of

the war on both sides of the border. That was the factor that the Israelis were emphasizing the security of these communities and their ability to

return to their homes.

So I think that's important. And also to be able to sort of secure, continue that security and make sure that the attacks don't come again from

Southern Lebanon, which is also again, marrying that on the other side of the border is what Lebanese communities on the -- on the southern border of

Lebanon are looking at.

But at the same time, I think this all ties into the election results in the US. The region Iran certainly and its allies, these non (INAUDIBLE) are

watching U.S. politics very closely, less than two months of the Biden administration. And the Trump administration is going to come in with a

completely different doctrine on the Middle East.

Yes, the talking point is that he's going to be the president of peace as it is going to make deals. But how true that's going to be, how possible

and what it's going to look like for the different parties, for the Palestinians, for the Lebanese, for the Iranians, I think it remains to be

seen. And that's something that everyone in the region is watching for the next two months.

And in January, essentially, I think we're going to have more answers as to what direction the region is going to go based on the new U.S. policies.

ASHER: Yes, because it's interesting timing, isn't it? Because the 60-day temporary ceasefire comes to an end just as Donald Trump is inaugurated.

Just in terms of something else that you just mentioned there, but the fact that one of the impetus for this war was, of course, ensuring that Israelis

who had been evacuated from their homes in Northern Israel would be able to go back.

I mean, a lot of Israelis simply do not trust that Hezbollah is going to live up to their side of the bargain here. I mean, do you anticipate that

in this 60-day period, there will be a number of Israelis who do return to their homes in the north?

MORTAZAVI: Well, I think that's a legitimate concern that communities are going to have. But at the same time, I don't think the Lebanese, even

though the ceasefire, the terms of the deal have been decoupled from Gaza, I don't think that the situation, how that war in Gaza is going to be

completely unrelated to the activities of Hezbollah and other Iran allies.

[12:15:10]

So let's say if the war escalates in Gaza or if no movement or (INAUDIBLE) no hope for the new Trump administration to make the deal that they're

promising the peace and sort of ending the wars, and I think things can look differently.

Also, Hezbollah has taken a lot of essentially massive hits with the assassination of their head, the top echelons of the organization. This is

going to give both sides time to regroup and actually reorganize themselves and prepare for potentially the steps if they don't go the way that they

won in January. So it's not a permanent ceasefire. It's a 60-day cessation of hostilities, but I'm optimistic that if the process of peace and deal

making by the Trump administration is going to actually be something that they will pursue in January, that this would just be one step in the right

direction and eventually end to a permanent one.

ASHER: We shall see, as you say, Negar Mortazavi, live for us. Thank you so much.

MORTAZAVI: Thanks so much.

ASHER: All right. Israel says it will appeal arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and

former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. This comes after Mr. Netanyahu met U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Israel in

Jerusalem.

You'll recall the court issued those arrest warrants for the two Israeli leaders and another one for a senior Hamas official last week accusing them

of war crimes.

Meantime, there is no letup to the devastation in Gaza. Officials report Israeli airstrikes killed 10 people taking shelter at a school in Gaza

City. The second time that school has been targeted during the war.

In Northern Gaza, only two hospitals remain open amid Israel's military offensive and they are barely functioning.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh walks us through one doctor's eyewitness account. And we want to warn you that her report does contain really graphic and

disturbing footage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the story of a hospital brought to its knees and the man trying to save it.

HUSSAM ABU SAFIYA, KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL (through translator): We are facing a new challenge and a catastrophic situation that will worsen in the coming

hours.

This is a distress call that must be heard.

No one has spelt since yesterday. The operating room ran all night.

KARADSHEH: Some of the desperate cries for help from Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. He's one of the last doctors in Northern Gaza.

For weeks, he's been documenting the horror inside Kamal Adwan. He wants us to share his account with the world.

Outside his hospital, a renewed major Israeli offensive that began in early October on what's left of Northern Gaza to destroy a resurgent Hamas, the

military says. It's ordered civilians out for their safety.

But Israel's been accused of besieging the civilian population. Human Rights Watch says this could amount to ethnic cleansing, something the

military denies.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): There is a real genocide occurring against the people of Northern Gaza. There are injured people on the streets and we

cannot reach them.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Inside Dr. Abu Safiya's hospital, they struggled to cope with the constant influx of casualties. A Palestinian journalist

captured these scenes of panic in mid-October.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): A short time ago, they fired at the hospital entrance. They fired artillery shells. It is clear that they

healthcare system is being directly targeted.

KARADSHEH: And on October 24th, Israeli forces closed in on Kamal Adwan compound.

In just a few days, this place of healing would itself become a war zone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There is no medicine. Where should we go?

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): Instead of receiving aid, we've received tanks.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): It's the third time in a year that Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician, finds himself and his hospital surrounded and under attack.

They're running dangerously low on supplies, fuel, and food. The Israeli military says it allows aid in, but the U.N. says it's nowhere near enough.

This, one of the few convoys that have reached Kamal Adwan.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): I have 195 injured patients, all of whom are on the ground floor.

KARADSHEH: The IDF ordered civilians who'd been sheltering here to evacuate. They hold up white flags and whatever they can carry.

[12:20:02]

Dozens were detained, including more than 40 medical personnel. Some seen in these photos posted to social media.

Dr. Abu Safiya here with his hands up in the air says he was interrogated for hours.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): A special forces unit was here a short time ago. They assaulted me. They had dogs with them. They made me go into

some of the wards with a drone to check if there were any armed individuals, which is nonsense.

I don't have surgeon. They took the surgeons and the orthopedic specialists. I don't know what to do with all these cases, most of them

amputations and burns.

KARADSHEH: Still, Abu Safiya refused to abandon his patients.

What followed appeared to be a brief lull. That's when families began to find the bodies of loved ones in and around the hospital compound.

Dr. Abu Safiya was attending to the injured when he was called outside.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): We were accustomed to receiving martyrs and the wounded, but to receive your own son is catastrophic.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): His 21-year-old son, Ibrahim, was killed in an Israeli strike at the hospital gates.

He tries to lead the funeral prayers, but it's just too much.

In the hospital's makeshift graveyard, he buried his boy. Ibrahim is still close to him in a place that's testament to this one man's struggle.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): I still feel his presence in every corner. His voice, his scent, and his character remain with us.

KARADSHEH: In a statement to CNN, the IDF did not address Ibrahim's death, but said its operations in the area were, quote, "Based on precise

intelligence and that dozens of terrorists were found hiding inside the hospital. Some of them even posing as medical staff."

It says this is a medic in custody and that he's admitted that Hamas is operating inside Kamal Adwan.

CNN cannot verify these allegations.

The IDF has also released these images of weapons it says it found inside the hospital. Dr. Abu Safiya says they belong to its security guards.

Israeli militaries long-rationalized targeting Gaza's health facilities by accusing Hamas of using them for, quote, terror activities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Bring the children down from upstairs, quickly.

KARADSHEH: Days after the IDF said its operations at Kamal Adwan concluded, its attacks, did not.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): The hospital was directly hit. The upper floors, the courtyard, the water tanks and the electric grid were struck.

KARADSHEH: The everyday for these medics now working under fire.

It's hard to believe this once was one of Gaza's top healthcare facilities. There's no doubt about the kind of firepower unleashed here.

The storage room left charred. The walls of the neonatal ICU pockmarked with bullet holes. Ambulances crushed.

Kamal Adwan, like most of Gaza's hospitals, now barely functioning.

ABU SAFIYA (through translator): Imagine people are rescuing the injured using horse and donkey carts. It's a horrific scene.

KARADSHEH: This is a fight for survival, and giving up is not an option for Dr. Abu Safiya. Strikes on the hospital left him and others injured this

week, paying the price for staying, abandoned and alone in this nightmare on repeat.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And the Israeli military told CNN that it is unaware of the strike that injured the doctor. The IDF also says that it adheres to international law,

only goes after military targets and that it takes all necessary measures to avoid harming civilians.

We'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:13]

ASHER: All right. This just in to CNN. The FBI says it's investigating numerous bomb threats and so-called swatting incidents targeting incoming

Trump administration nominees.

Swatting essentially involves falsely reporting a crime with the intention of sending police to certain location.

A Trump spokesperson says acts of intimidation and violence will not deter them.

In the meantime, Donald Trump has put trade and everything having to do with it at the top of his agenda, this man, Jamieson Greer, will help make

that happen. He's Trump's pick for U.S. trade representative.

The announcement comes a day after the president-elect announced punishing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

Trump's tariffs are a powerful tool aimed at stopping unfair trade practices, boosting American manufacturing and bringing in billions to pay

for his tax cuts.

Steve Contorno is in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Let's start with these bomb threats, Steve, because I just was reading a statement from Elise Stefanik, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, essentially

saying that she was driving home to Upstate New York from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when she was informed that there was a bomb threat

to her home.

What more can you tell us and what is the FBI saying as well?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. And Stefanik is one of Donald Trump's picks in his new administration. She has been chosen to be

the U.N. ambassador.

So we don't know the names of the other individuals who were targeted at this time. The Trump transition, so far, is not releasing any more details,

nor is law enforcement, though they did acknowledge that they are investigating several activities related to bomb threats and swatting, as

you mentioned, and are working with local law enforcement and taking every threat seriously.

The Trump campaign putting out a statement that says, quote, these attacks range from bomb threats to swatting in response law enforcement and other

authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire transition team are grateful for their swift

action.

I will let you know if we get more details on who exactly was targeted, but we do know that this occurred in the last 24 hours. And the Trump

transition team is alerting people that this has happened and that they are aware of it and that law enforcement is involved.

ASHER: And what more can you tell us about Jamieson Greer, who Trump announced would be U.S. trade representative? I mean, obviously, the trade

representative role isn't typically -- it's typically one that is relatively low profile, but obviously, it's taken on a lot more

significance under Donald Trump.

CONTORNO: I would be hesitant to predict that more than five people out of a billion in the United States know who the U.S. trade rep is, but this

will be an enormously important role in the Trump administration.

As we have already seen Donald Trump engage in the negotiations of trade already where he has threatened both Mexico and Canada with 25 percent

tariffs if they don't control the flow of migrants and drugs across their borders.

[12:30:13]

And this person, Jamieson Greer, will be in charge of negotiating that tit for tat tariff wars that are soon to be expected as well as potential new

trade agreements.

There was one, of course, under the last trade administration when Trump renegotiated NAFTA, the deal with all of our North American trading

partners. And Jamieson Greer was integral to that process. He was the chief of staff for the previous U.S. trade representatives. So he is not someone

who is only aligned with Donald Trump on trade. He is ultimately also intimately aware of how Donald Trump conducts himself on trade and knows

the ins and outs of how he prefers to engage with countries at the international level.

So certainly someone who will be in an important role, even though he's not necessarily a high profile one in the United States.

ASHER: All right. Steve Contorno, live for us there. Thank you.

All right. When Trump announced that two billionaires would be in charge of a new agency designed to slash government regulations and spending, federal

workers knew their jobs maybe on the line.

But now, many are concerned about becoming personal targets of the world's richest man. Last week, Elon Musk reposted two ex-posts that reveal the

names and titles of people holding relatively obscure climate-related positions.

The president of one labor union representing federal employees says the goal is to create an atmosphere of fear and terror.

All right. Still to come here. An uneasy calm on the streets of Islamabad following clashes between Pakistani security forces and supporters of

jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan. That story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.

As Russia's war in Ukraine nears the three-year mark, Kyiv is struggling with serious manpower shortages. And its concern that Moscow might soon

make a significant breakthrough on the eastern frontlines.

[12:35:09]

The outlook is so bleak for one unit that they're relying on drones to hold back Russian forces. Nick Paton Walsh reports. And a warning that some of

the video in his report is graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): They're running out of time, space, and people. Night is killing time for drones.

WALSH: They've switched on the anti-drone device because of the threat around here.

WALSH (voice-over): This Ukrainian drone unit of just two hunting but also hunted.

I think I hear a drone. Inside, inside.

Is that a Russian drone? Is it one of theirs? They don't know, but they have to carry on.

Dogs are not friends. Their heat signals can give their launch spot away to Russia's thermal cameras. They close in on the target. A house jamming hits

the signal but they fire anyway. Russia advancing too fast here south of Pokrovsk in the east to miss any chances.

The skyline speaks of how Pokrovsk is in Russia's crosshairs. Ukraine is short of manpower, but it is so bad here, they say they must rely on

drones, not infantry to slow a brazen Russian daylight assault like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The situation is very critical. We lack infantry to fight and hold out for some time while the attack drones

do their job. That's why we often see the enemy uncomfortably penetrating vulnerable areas.

WALSH: Watch how the first Russian tank here is relentless. A Trump presidency and possible peace talks loom. Do they even have time for that

here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I cannot say how much time we have. If there is any time at all. Because now, they're pushing their troops to

the front as much as possible. And then at one point, they will go for an assault. They can go very far in one moment.

WALSH (voice-over): Talk here is abnormally negative, with weeks of costly and chaotic retreat on film.

Like these Ukrainians hit when they're mistakenly told this building didn't have any Russians in it.

This house has an encircled Ukrainian drone unit without any infantry to help fight advancing Russians. So they send a drone to fly just 30 meters

across the street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have no men. I'm (BLEEP) alone. I'm (BLEEP) tired.

I love my job, whatever trash is happening, but we need other young people to love this job too. Our country is awake but people in it are (BLEEP)

not. Guys are dying here. This is trash.

Freezing this war is a double-edged sword. Do we give up the land my friends died for or to continue taking it back and lose even more friends?

If these two old men (Trump and Putin) start measuring (BLEEP), Ukraine will be the middle of it all.

WALSH (voice-over): Russian troops savage in the assault. This footage shows a local in orange who's shown Russians where Ukrainians were hiding.

They are led out and shot while face down.

Part of a pattern of surrendering Ukrainians executed, say prosecutors investigating this incident a fortnight ago.

Pokrovsk key site bombed. But so far spared Russia's trademark devastation. It is possible, some say Moscow is moving so fast it thinks it will spend

the winter here.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, outside Pokrovsk, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: In Pakistan, the streets of Islamabad are now quiet after the former prime minister's party called off protest following a sweeping government

crackdown. Thousands of protesters demanding Imran Khan's release from jail marched to the capital, broke through security barricades and clashed with

security forces.

CNN's Mike Valerio has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these latest developments are certainly a huge turn of events from the end of Tuesday night when Imran

Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan wrote on X, that he wanted his supporters to continue to continue fighting until their demands were met,

and ultimately, none, at least at this point of their demands, have been met.

What exactly did they want? Three central things. Protesters supporters of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, wanted him out of jail.

He's facing more than 150 criminal cases. They also wanted a constitutional amendment for Pakistan's constitution repealed. And they finally wanted

seats that they believe they won fair and square empowerment in elections in February to be given to them. And from their point of view, those seats

have been denied to their political party.

[12:40:20]

So one of the main questions going forward is, what will both of these sides do, the side of Imran Khan, his wife, Bushra Bibi, certainly a

galvanizing force in Imran Khan's absence of leading protesters to go on these convoys, from the outskirts of town into the center of Islamabad.

And conversely, we will be acutely watching what will the government, led by Prime Minister Sharif, be doing as well.

At the end of Tuesday, we were able to report no substantial measures of progress between Prime Minister Sharif's government and Imran Khan's

political party and the protesters.

Will there be talks that will be held in the next few days to avoid this situation from playing out?

At least in the time being, our team on the ground is reporting that internet service is being restored to different quarters of Islamabad. It

has been cut off to varying degrees over the past few days and days. And roads are clearing of protesters.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. How do you make money in Ghana when a lot of people don't have bank accounts? We will introduce you to one company that is solving

that problem and growing Africa's financial tech sector.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: In Ghana, not everyone has a bank account, but almost everyone has a mobile phone. That's a ripe market for Africa's booming financial tech

firms.

In today's Africa Insider, you'll meet one of those up-and-coming companies, Blu Penguin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TENU AWOONOR, FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE BLU PENGUIN: If you went into a shop or a business and wanted to pay with mobile money, the

attendant will ask you to go out to an agent to cash it out and come back and pay for cash.

We saw an opportunity to innovate and make the user experience much, much better for the merchant or for the business owner.

Blu Penguin is an in-store service provider. We enable merchants to be able to accept payments within their stores.

We have processed billions in value for our merchants over the years for many of your favorite brands here in Ghana, such as KFC, ShopRite, Star

Bites, Burger King, to name a few.

[12:45:10]

Over four million people have so far transacted on our platform to date. This represents more than 10 percent of the Ghanaian population.

Then, when you look at mobile phone penetration in Africa, it's close to 80 percent and Ghana is about 140 percent.

So you have this environment of a large number of people that are unbanked, but are digitally-enabled. This phenomenon creates a very fertile

environment for disruption by FinTechs. And this is what we've seen in the last few years where FinTechs are able to come in and provide services for

these groups of people.

In Africa, cash is still king. And so we are trying to convert these users from being primarily cash receivers to electronic money receivers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. Still to come, from a book to a musical to a blockbuster movie, we go beyond the Land of Oz with "Wicked" author, Gregory Maguire,

after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. It's a story that goes beyond the yellow brick road from the Broadway stage to the big screen. "Wicked" has become one of the most

magical events of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Whether they were good witches or bad witches, moviegoers helped "Wicked" have a smashing opening weekend, raking in an estimated $162

million worldwide.

If you've been living under house, the story is a prequel to the 1939 movie Wizard of Oz and focuses on Dorothy's nemesis, the Wicked Witch of the

West.

"Wicked" quickly became a favorite on Broadway, where it began more than two decades ago.

The spectacle that is wicked may have been seen first on Broadway, but before that though, there was the book.

Gregory McGuire took us to the Land of Oz in 1995 with "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." And "The New York Times" best-

selling author joins us live now for today's Exchange.

Gregory, thank you so much for being with us. I am so excited to talk to you.

[12:50:01]

"Wicked" is, of course, one of Broadway --

GREGORY MAGUIRE, AUTHOR OF WICKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE WITCH OF THE WEST: well, I'm delighted to be here.

ASHER: "Wicked" is, of course, one of Broadway's most beloved musicals. Obviously, the movie adaptation has done so well at the box office, coming

in number one.

But as an author, just give us your reaction in terms of your thoughts on the film's adaptation.

MAGUIRE: Well, I have to say, as much as I always have admired the Broadway and the West End musical versions, 21 years and counting now on the boards,

I think there are ways in which the movie version tells the story with even greater strength and volatility. And that makes me very happy indeed.

ASHER: Because you actually got to go to the set, right? You went to London, you spent about three days on set. You met one of my icons, Cynthia

Erivo, Ariana Grande as well. I mean, what was that like?

MAGUIRE: You know, you expect that people who are massive international stars are not going to notice a piece of lint that they happen to step upon

us that cross the sound stage, but they do.

They pick up the lint and they talk to it and they make it their best friend. That's who I was. And that's how I felt. I felt completely seen,

understood, and welcomed into their lives and into their possession of characters who began, not with me and not even with MGM, but with L. Frank

Baum, 125 years ago.

ASHER: Yes. And just in terms of what you're working on, I understand that you're working on a prequel that essentially delves deeper into Elphaba's

childhood. Just talk to us about that.

Why are you revisiting? Why did you decide to revisit her childhood?

MAGUIRE: Well, the main reason is that -- what is it? Almost 30 years ago when I wrote "Wicked" in London, living in West Hampstead, I had to take

out a few short segments of the first 70 pages in order to make the story gallop a little more quickly toward the meeting of Elphaba and Glinda at

Shiz University.

So two or three small segments left -- were left on the cutting room floor, as it were, of my novel.

And now I realize the little green idea that I had walking over Hampstead Heath and in the lakes has become this giant green weather system that, you

know, covers half the globe. And the intellectual property of my story is going to outlive me by possibly quite some decades.

So I thought somebody will eventually do a young Elphaba. And why should they do it? Well, I'm still alive and functional.

ASHER: It may as well be me, right?

MAGUIRE: I guess. But I'm not --

ASHER: It may as well be -- since I have the original author, it may as well be me.

And you --

MAGUIRE: Yes, exactly. It might as well be you.

ASHER: You touched on this in your -- in your initial answer, but just talk to us about some of the key differences between the sort of movie

adaptation and the musical, which obviously most people know "Wicked" as.

MAGUIRE: Well, the one thing that the movie can do is it can bring the camera right up into the faces of the principles. So not only are you

dazzled as a moviegoer by the sets and the glory and the pomp and Willy Wonka candy coloredness (ph) of it all, but you actually see the pain, the

distress, the confusion, the ignorance on the faces of the people who are doing such an adequate and miraculous really job of portraying these

characters.

That's something you don't get in the musical age, because however brilliantly they sing and wherever well written is the play, those people

are still about 18 rows away or 45 rows away, or 120 rows away.

The movie brings them right next to you and you are right next to them. You have to own what they feel in a different way in a film experience. I

didn't expect this scene, but why am I happy about it?

ASHER: Yes. So it's the intimacy, right? I mean, you know, you sort of think about the differences between, obviously, the musical and also the

film. But really, there's an intimate nature in being able to see the reactions and the facial expressions are be close in terms of the film.

MAGUIRE: In some ways it's -- it is more akin to reading a novel, because the novel has the great strength of being able to stand away from the

character and consider the character from a very close up authorial point of view, but nonetheless, still from a third-person point of view. The

author's eye is like the photographer's eye. It can get really close, but still be separate.

In a theater, you have that thing called catharsis, where basically you exist with the character and as the character. It's still powerful. I would

never, ever fail to, you know, to enjoy it and to endorse it. But the movie is a different animal and it's a worthy animal, I think.

[12:55:07]

ASHER: And, you know, I've just been reading about just how touched you've been, how humbled you've been by just how much these characters have

touched millions of people all across the world, especially those who are marginalized, who sort of see themselves in Elphaba.

Well, we have to leave it there, Gregory, but congratulations on all your success. I've loved speaking to you, even though it was just for five

minutes. And I cannot wait to see the movie myself. Thank you so much, Gregory. We appreciate it.

MAGUIRE: You know, Zain, thanks for welcoming me in.

ASHER: Of course.

All right. Finally this hour, we are in a festive mood, thanks to Macy's Annual Parade in New York. The parade kicks off Thursday, Thanksgiving Day

here in the U.S.

Today is the so-called Inflation Celebration, where onlookers get a sneak peek as the massive parade balloons are inflated. Organizers say, this

year's parade balloons will include characters like Disney's Minnie Mouse, Spiderman and Marshall from Paw Patrol.

All right. That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END