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Israel Launches Ground Incursion into Gaza City; U.S.-China Reached Framework Deal to Move TikTok's Ownership; Auctions for "Downton Abbey" Memorabilia to Begin Days After "Grand Finale" Movie Hit Theaters. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 16, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Rosemary Church. And we begin with breaking news out of Gaza.

Israeli officials tell CNN that Israel has launched its ground incursion into Gaza City. They say it's going to be phased and gradual at the beginning, the ground incursion was supposed to proceed only after the Israeli military forced the complete evacuation of the densely populated urban area. But so far, only a fraction of the population has left the city.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Minister posted this on social media today, saying in part, "Gaza is burning."

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. So Paula, what more are you learning about this Israeli ground incursion now underway in Gaza City?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, there's two Israeli sources telling us that the ground offensive has begun. It is starting, we understand, from one of those officials on the outskirts of Gaza City.

What we have been seeing in recent days is an uptick in the number of high-rise buildings that have been targeted by the Israeli military. In fact, there's about a dozen that were targeted in just the last week alone. And so we have been expecting this to begin, we have been seeing this acceleration of Israeli military targeting of Gaza City.

Now, as you say, the Defense Minister, Israel Katz, saying on social media, Gaza is burning, saying that they are targeting terror infrastructure. And this is the way to get the hostages home.

He is in the minority, though. We know that around the world there are countries that have called on Israel not to go ahead with this ground offensive into Gaza City, saying that it will be creating an even worse humanitarian situation, which is already absolutely dire. We're also hearing within Israel itself some dissent. For example, Israeli military sources telling us that the IDF chief of staff in a cabinet meeting, a security cabinet meeting, telling the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that this kind of offensive would risk the hostages' lives, it would risk soldiers' lives, and it would create a humanitarian catastrophe. However, the Israeli Prime Minister has decided to go ahead with this ground offensive.

Now, what we don't know at this point is exactly how many civilians are left inside Gaza City. We know that the week ago the Israeli military did call on everybody to evacuate towards the south, al- Mawassi, Khan Younis, which they called a humanitarian zone, but we know is in a very dire situation itself and completely overcrowded.

We did hear from an Israeli military official on Monday saying that they believed about 320,000 civilians had left Gaza City, but it's believed up to one million were there originally. So certainly there are concerns for those that have not managed to leave yet. We have seen in recent days a stream of people coming out of the city, many on foot, some carrying all of their belongings on donkey carts or any kind of transport that they could find.

Now, we have also heard from the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. In fact, he was still in Israel when this ground offensive began. It is effectively having the approval of the United States.

We heard from the Secretary of State saying that the city -- the Gaza City operation should be expedited, it should be sped up. But what we have actually heard from one Israeli official is that it will be, quote, "phased and gradual at the beginning."

We did hear from the U.S. Secretary of State as he was leaving Israel on his way to Qatar. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have a very short window of time in which a deal could happen. We don't have months anymore and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks. So it's a key moment, an important moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:00]

HANCOCKS: Now, the Ministry of Health in Gaza at this point says that some 38 Palestinians were killed overnight. We have been seeing images of the bodies of bloody children arriving at hospitals, we have seen many Palestinians being brought to some of those hospitals still functioning in northern Gaza. And there is a great amount of concern among the U.N., among NGOs on the ground there as well, as to just how desperate a situation this will become for the civilians that are still there.

And even those that are and have managed to evacuate Gaza City, heading to al-Mawassi, for example. It is an area that does not have sufficient humanitarian aid to sustain the people that are there already. And of course, sending hundreds of thousands more people into this overcrowded area will just make an utterly dreadful situation even worse, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Paula, what about the reaction in Israel? What is being said there in response to this ground incursion now underway, and particularly the families of hostages who have loved ones still being held in Gaza?

HANCOCKS: Most of those families, Rosemary, do not support this ground offensive. We have been seeing over recent hours a number of protesters coming out onto the streets, we saw in the middle of the night last night some of those hostage families putting up tents and starting to protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, calling on him to stop one of the mothers of her son, who is still being held by Hamas in Gaza, since October 7th, 2023, said that she believed this incursion, this attempt to take over Gaza City, would be a death sentence for her son.

So there is a huge amount of resistance within Israel towards this ground offensive. We have been seeing increasing protests, increasingly large protests throughout Israel as well, over recent weeks and months, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, to end the war, to sign a deal, to create a ceasefire, to bring the hostages home, and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

It is something similar that we are hearing from leaders in many countries in the region, in Europe, notably not from the United States, but from other countries around the world, saying that this intention to try and take over Gaza City will create even more of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Now, the Israeli Prime Minister insists that this is the way to beat Hamas. He has said that this will be the fastest and best way to be able to destroy the group, as he said that they have bedded down in Gaza City itself, but it is certainly not an operation that has much, if any, support around the world, with the exception of the United States.

CHURCH: Paula Hancocks, many thanks for joining us. You will, of course, be back at the bottom of the hour to talk about a new U.N. Commission report that says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and how Israel is reacting to that report. We'll talk to you then.

I do want to bring in retired Major General Mark MacCarley now. Thank you, sir, for joining us.

So, as we just heard from Paula, two Israeli officials are saying this ground incursion is underway, it's just gotten underway, saying that this would be phased and gradual, which is interesting because we know that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had the full support of the United States, but as long as this was swift, as long as this happened very quickly. So, how do you square that when you're talking about something that's phased and gradual? MAJ. GEN. MARK MACCARLEY (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, certainly, those two

words in the context of the conflict in Gaza and as we approach the imminent, if not already in effect, Israeli incursion into Gaza City, those two words really have no meaning. Whether you do it concisely, which has a certain appeal to it, meaning it is often with an adjective called surgical conciseness, so that fewer people, fewer civilians become the target or lose their lives as a consequence of this invasion.

[03:09:51]

Well what was disseminated by the Israeli, the IDF and its staff, that this was going to be slow, methodical, which from my perspective is probably the only way that the IDF, assuming that we're looking at the big picture of the IDF attempting to take over the entirety of Gaza City, there's no such thing as doing it concisely.

Slow, methodically, that has certain advantages. Some of those advantages are that you're a bit more careful with the civilians you come in contact with, but also you prepare yourself. And something that I wanted to talk about, and that was the air attacks on the multi-storey buildings that we saw over the last two days, and that to me is a clear indication that the IDF was going to move.

And the reason for that is quite simple. No invading force wants to have 20 stories or 25 storey buildings available in front of the movement of that column of Israeli soldiers. It's just too dangerous.

So as the tacticians, not the strategists, the strategists do the big thinking, but the tacticians, the colonels on the ground, the majors on the ground, they're looking at those buildings and they say, take them out, because it eliminates not only a great opportunity for an enemy to scatter, attack, and perhaps violently defend its particular area. So no tall buildings.

The Gaza Palestinians do not have the ability to overlook, meaning from this 23rd storey, you're looking straight a couple of miles. So that was really the beginning, not today. It was beginning two days ago.

CHURCH: And why do you think that Israel would launch the ground incursion and start all of this before all of the Palestinian population have actually been evacuated? Because, I mean, they started that process.

MACCARLEY: You've asked one of the most difficult questions, because you're really asking me to speculate as to the mind of the leadership in Jerusalem, and that is something even none of us can really do.

I suppose if you look at it from a military perspective, you're saying, well, time is of the essence, that the ground was prepared, the big buildings were knocked down, we, the Israelis, I shouldn't use we, meaning us, the Israelis themselves saying that they have taken all manner of measures to alert the population of Gaza to evacuate, and only 300,000 or so have evacuated, and the Israeli general staff then coming back and saying, enough is enough, or really not who's saying enough is enough, we're just going to start this thing.

And whether that's morally right or wrong, I leave that to people who have the expertise in that area. From my perspective, from a military decision point, okay, Netanyahu made that decision, maybe tactically it's of some value, from a humanitarian standpoint, of course, he's going to have to live with a huge number of Gazan civilians who will lose their lives. There's no way you can avoid that with the number of people that remain in that city now.

CHURCH: And so, with your military, an extensive military background, what are you watching for with this ground incursion, and what do you see as the major challenges and the big risks ahead with this?

MACCARLEY: There are a lot of ways of answering that question, certainly not in two or three minutes, but I'll attempt to do so. One is, the Israelis have to have, we're not privy to their tactical plans, but most probably are looking, based upon intelligence that has already been gathered, for those locations that might be the prime locations for the hostages. Now, the Israelis have accumulated a significant amount of intel, intelligence data, so if I were to look at their maps, most probably we would see objectives circled.

The second is to eliminate one of the more difficult defensive positions in urban warfare. This is urban warfare, it's a city. Israel is attacking a city.

And that, again, not only are the tall buildings, but the subterranean, the tunnels, that make it incredibly difficult to conduct any sort of operation, as big as what Israel does, or even a smaller police incursion, because those tunnels provide superlative defense for the occupants of those tunnels.

[03:14:56]

So, I believe that the first order of business is to find the hostages, and, of course, eliminate the remaining leadership of Hamas, whomever and whatever Hamas retains in Gaza City.

CHURCH: Alright, sir, thank you so much for talking with us. Mark MacCarley, it has been a pleasure discussing these processes with you. Thank you.

MACCARLEY: Thank you.

Another story we're following.

Poland's foreign minister is suggesting NATO institute a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it could protect alliance members from Russian drone incursions. NATO is already flying patrols over its eastern flank, after up to 21 Russian drones were detected in Polish airspace last week.

And just days later, Romania scrambled jets against a Russian drone in its airspace. The U.K.'s Royal Air Force has announced it will join that NATO operation, posting on social media that its Typhoon fighter jets will fly defense missions over Poland as part of Eastern Century. President Trump leaves today for a visit to the U.K. He is expected to

meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer later in the week. But first, a day of pomp and circumstance on Wednesday with the British royals. CNN's Kevin Liptak reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The carriages are being prepared, the military bands are tuning up, the tiaras are being polished, all in preparation for President Trump's big state visit to the United Kingdom that begins on Tuesday. The Brits and the Prime Minister Keir Starmer are really pulling all the stops out of their soft power to try and influence what they call the special relationship at quite a sensitive diplomatic moment.

And of course, no one does pomp and circumstance quite like the Brits. The President, when he arrives at Windsor Castle on Wednesday morning, will be greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Will and Kate.

From there, he'll meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla, he'll proceed in a carriage through the town of Windsor to the castle where he'll meet with the King and Queen, they'll view items from the royal collection. It all culminates on Wednesday evening with this grand state banquet.

And, you know, this is all sort of a piece of trying to sort of bolster the U.S.-Britain relationship. It's President Trump's second state visit, and in fact his visit back in 2019 was a highlight of his first term in office. He's long been fascinated by the British royals, his mother was born in Scotland.

One of his earliest memories, he said, is his mother sitting wrapped in front of the television watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Of course, it's not all ceremony. President Trump will meet with Keir Starmer at his country residence, Chequers, on Thursday. They're planning to announce a new agreement on nuclear civilian power, they're going to talk about new investments in tech.

And of course, there are some differences between these two men when it comes to Ukraine, the Europeans trying to convince President Trump to imply new sanctions on Russia. So all of that, a point of discussion between the two men on Thursday.

Of course, for Keir Starmer, who is somewhat beleaguered politically, it will also be a delicate balance with the president, and major protests are expected in Britain while the President is there. And in fact, he's spending virtually no time in the capital of London, which is where these protests will be centered. Almost all of his time will be spent at Windsor or at the country residence up at Chequers.

And so certainly, I think for President Trump, the lasting images from this trip will be of the pomp and the grandeur, all sort of epitomizing the special relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Charlie Kirk's alleged killer is set to appear in court. What we're learning about the investigation into the deadly shooting and the suspect, that's just ahead.

Plus, the Trump administration and China are closer than ever to reaching a deal over TikTok, and just before a key deadline. We'll explain.

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[03:20:00]

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CHURCH: An update on our breaking news out of Gaza City.

Israel has launched the ground incursion that it first warned of weeks ago. The Prime Minister is calling it an intense operation. Gaza hospital officials say about 40 people were killed in overnight attacks.

The Israeli military intensified its airstrikes and has been targeting high-rise towers over the past week. Israel's Defense Minister said they're hitting, quote, "terror infrastructures" while working to secure the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. And as the operation ramps up, there are concerns not enough civilians have evacuated.

Well the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk is set to make his first court appearance today in Utah. One official says a lot more information on the investigation is expected to be released once the state files charges against suspect Tyler Robinson.

Meantime, more vigils are being held for Kirk, who was fatally shot last week. U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to speak at Kirk's funeral in Arizona on Sunday, calling him, quote, "an amazing guy." CNN's Ed Lavandera has more now from Utah.

[03:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The 22-year-old man accused of shooting and killing conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk here on the campus of Utah Valley University is slated to make his initial court appearance on Tuesday here in Utah. It will be a brief appearance and it will come after prosecutors formally file the criminal charges against him, which will include aggravated murder.

State officials here have already said that they will pursue the death penalty in this case, but this is a hearing that's expected to be rather brief. But we are learning new information about how all of this unfolded, his arrest, and some other investigative details that authorities are sharing.

According to a "Washington Post" report, the suspect confessed to a group of friends in a Discord chat group just hours before he was taken into custody, telling the chat group, quote, "Hey guys, I have some bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all of this."

This is according to two people, two sources, the newspaper quotes, and also says that the suspect went on to tell the group that he would be surrendering shortly and that he would thank them all for the good times and the laughs.

And then about two hours later is when we know from previous reporting that he was confronted by his father and another family-friend turned them into authorities and then he was taken into custody. And the FBI director is also releasing new information saying that they have recovered messages where the suspect, Tyler Robinson, said that he had the opportunity to take out, if he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and that he was going to take it.

So new information there. All of this coming on the eve of this 22- year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, making his initial court appearance here in Utah on Tuesday.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Orem, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A new United Nations Commission report on Gaza has been released. This comes as Israel launches its ground operation to occupy Gaza City. We'll bring you the latest after a short break.

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[03:30:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

The Israeli military has launched its ground incursion to occupy Gaza City. Israel's Defense Minister says Gaza is burning and adds that the IDF is striking Hamas terror infrastructure. Hospital officials report at least 38 people were killed overnight by Israeli strikes throughout the enclave.

The suspect in the Charlie Kirk shooting is set for his first court appearance today. One Utah official says more information on the investigation is expected to be released once the state formally files charges against Tyler Robinson. He's currently being held on charges including aggravated murder and obstruction of justice.

The U.S. military conducted a second strike on what President Trump claims are narco-terrorists from Venezuela. Three people were killed in international waters during Monday's attack. This comes less than two weeks after the U.S. struck a separate vessel allegedly tied to a Venezuelan gang, killing 11 people on board.

Returning now to the breaking news out of Gaza City where the IDF has begun a ground incursion. Before departing from Tel Aviv on Tuesday, the U.S. Secretary of State was asked if this was Hamas' last chance to avoid an Israeli occupation of the city. Marco Rubio said ceasefire and hostage negotiations were at a, quote, "important moment but acknowledged time was quickly running out."

Well for the first time an independent United Nations commission has concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. A commission set up by the U.N. Human Rights Council has found that Israel has, quote, "committed four genocidal acts since October 7th, 2023."

Its new report says those acts include the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and causing the group and quote "deliberately inflicting conditions" meant to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians quote "in whole or in part." Israel has denounced the new report and any charges of genocide.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. So Paula, what more can you tell us about what's in this U.N. report and of course the reaction to it?

HANCOCKS: So Rosemary this is a 72-page report. It's been done by an independent U.N. inquiry and they have concluded they say on reasonable grounds that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

[03:35:07]

Now there are five counts under the Geneva, excuse me, the Genocide Convention that can say that genocide is happening and they believe that four of those five counts have been happening by the Israeli military and the government against Gaza. Now they specify three individuals as well and say that they have found incitement to genocide. They name the current President, the Prime Minister, and the former Defense Minister Yoav Galant also saying that statements made by Israeli authorities are a direct evidence of genocidal intent.

Now as you say this is the first U.N.-affiliated report that says that they believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Now it has been rejected by the Israeli foreign ministry, they have issued a statement and they have called it a false report adding that the report relies on Hamas falsehood laundered and repeated by others. They have also accused the authors of the report of being proxies for Hamas.

Now the report itself was commissioned by the Human Rights Council. It is a part of the United Nations that Israel has in the past accused of having an anti-Israel bias.

Now within this report it was taken from the time scale of the beginning of the war 7th of October 2023 up until the end of July and the report says that the life expectancy of Palestinians in Gaza within the first 12 months of this war dropped from 75.5 years to 40.5 years. It is also pointing out that some 46 percent of those killed had been women and children. But then the first week of the resumption of the war and of violence in Gaza in March of this year after the ceasefire broke down almost 60 percent of those killed were women and children.

Now it is not the first report that we are seeing of accusations of genocide against Israel. There was a U.N. special committee in November of last year that did say that the warfare methods that Israel were using in Gaza were consistent with genocide.

In July of this year as well you had two Israeli human rights groups saying they believed it was genocide and just earlier this month the Association of Genocide Scholars said they believed that genocide had been and is being committed as well. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Alright, our thanks to Paul Hancocks, brings that live report from Abu Dhabi. I appreciate it.

Negotiators from China and the U.S. say they have reached a framework deal that would allow TikTok to keep operating in the United States. The Chinese social media giant was facing a Wednesday deadline to sell at least part of its U.S. business to an American-backed owner; little information has been made public about the pending agreement or a possible buyer. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are poised to seal the deal during a call on Friday that could pave the way for a face-to-face meeting in Asia next month.

Joining me now is William Lee, Chief Economist at the Milken Institute and the former Managing Director of Citigroup. Good to have you with us.

WILLIAM LEE, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MILKEN GROUP, AND FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, CITIGROUP: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So it appears the U.S. and China have reached this framework deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating here in the U.S. just before Wednesday's deadline it comes. So what do you think that means and what do you think that framework might be?

LEE: Well, as much as both sides are touting the achievements of the Madrid deal, I'm a little disappointed because it really doesn't further the main strategic objective of the United States, which is in trade to preserve its technological leadership with China. So far, the U.S. has established standards that are the cutting edge of every technological innovation that's happened.

But right now, China is challenging us in the area of artificial intelligence and a lot of the high-tech areas. And so far out of Madrid, we hear, well, we have a deal for TikTok. And while I don't want to underestimate the importance of TikTok for a good chunk of the American population, including President Trump, it doesn't do much in furthering the U.S. position in establishing a leadership position in technology. And also, we have some increased flows of strategic minerals, which is

a good thing, and possibly a meeting between the two leaders, which is optically great, but again, strategically, I think less important.

[03:40:03]

So I think so far, I don't see much progress in the Madrid deals that further the U.S. position, whereas it does further China's position of containing and challenging U.S. leadership in A.I.

CHURCH" But President Trump has very much supported TikTok, hasn't he? I mean, in the initial stages, he wasn't a great supporter, but he feels that users of TikTok helped him get reelected. So is this part of it, though, that you give a little bit to get something in this whole effort to seal a deal?

LEE: Well, as far as the Chinese are concerned, they're giving a little bit, which is partial ownership and some mysterious arrangement with TikTok. And yet the algorithm that powers TikTok and makes it so important and so incredibly addictive is still under their control, as far as I understand.

So in terms of the ebb and flow of negotiations, and again, the Chinese are very famous for stretching out negotiations and taking a long time to move even a small step. All the steps that are being moved are the U.S. moving backwards, as far as I see.

CHURCH: Right. So we know, of course, that President Trump and China's President Xi Jinping are set to close this TikTok deal in a call on Friday, which could pave the way for this face to face meeting in Asia next month. So what might this signal, big picture, about where trade talks between the two countries stand right now as they continue in Madrid?

LEE: I think President Trump being the negotiator that he is, his next step is to get China to open up its markets for U.S. goods and services. And the sharp point of the spear right now is being headed by Jensen Wang and his attempt to try to reestablish the sale of Nvidia chips, the advanced A.I. chips into China.

I think that would be a sign of progress for the United States and a sign the U.S. is trying to achieve its, you know, its leadership in this area. And unless we see progress in that area, and by the way, China is throwing up even more roadblocks that are preventing us from doing just that.

They're saying that, oh, Nvidia is violating monopoly laws, it's not being fair in how it sells its chips and all sorts of regulatory hurdles that are new roadblocks in the U.S. attempt to try to, again, establish its ability to set the standards for artificial intelligence research and artificial intelligence standards in China.

CHURCH: We'll be watching to see where all of this goes. William Lee, thank you so much for talking with us, I appreciate it.

LEE: Thanks for having me. CHURCH: A show of force on NATO's doorstep. Russia and Belarus accused the West of being too panicky about their military capabilities as they stage joint war games. We'll have details on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: As NATO members ramp up defenses against Russian drone incursions, Russia and Belarus are holding major military exercises right along the alliance's eastern border. Today is the last day of the Zapad 2025 drills with Russian and Belarusian forces showing off their latest military hardware to a global audience.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen brings us details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A massive show of force right on NATO's doorstep. Russia and its ally Belarus in live fire drills.

PLEITGEN: They come as tensions between NATO and Russia are extremely high. In fact, the Russians have placed nuclear weapons here in Belarus over the past couple of months. And as part of these drills, they've showcased some of their most modern nuclear capable weapons, missiles that are fired from boats, from submarines, but also, of course, from aircraft and from land as well.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Extremely concerning for the U.S.'s allies with Belarus bordering several eastern European NATO member states.

And coming just days after Russian combat drones breached NATO member Poland's airspace, even though the Russians claim they didn't fly them there intentionally.

The U.S.'s allies are on edge, Poland sending additional troops to the border with Belarus. As President Donald Trump's efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, the U.S.'s NATO allies are waiting for a more forceful response from the White House.

President Trump saying he's still considering tougher sanctions against Moscow, the Kremlin blaming the U.S.'s allies for holding up the process.

The Europeans are obstructing progress, the Kremlin spokesman says. They refuse to acknowledge the fundamental origins of this crisis, thereby blocking any path to addressing the very causes. Nonetheless, Russia remains open and prepared for dialogue.

Prepared for dialogue, but showing off their military muscle. The Russians showcasing their modern nuclear capable weapons like the Tsirkon hypersonic missile and Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles which can carry nuclear warheads.

[03:50:06]

We managed to systematically plan the issues of using weapons of more powerful destruction in this exercise, Belarus' defense minister says.

Despite the firepower on display here, a senior Belarusian general accuses NATO of panicking when I asked him about Western concerns.

It's a big mistake from NATO, he says. Look at the numbers, 6800 people compared to 40,000 on the territory of Poland. Where do you think there are more personnel? Probably there.

Several U.S. military observers were on hand to witness the drills Russia and Belarus put on. Seeing a military force that says it's ready for a major combat against any foe at any time.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Borisov, Belarus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, there's one last chance to get a piece of television history from the set of "Downton Abbey." We'll show you some of the items up for grabs next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back.

Well, fans have just a few hours left to bid on pieces of television history. Bonhams is hosting an auction featuring props and costumes used in the hit period drama "Downton Abbey."

"Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" hit theaters last week.

CNN's Richard Quest takes a look at what's on the auction block for fans who want a piece of the show with them forever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE (voice-over): As the world prepares to say goodbye to the Grantham family and their beloved "Downton Abbey," a select few will get the chance to take home a piece of the series forever.

HARVEY CAMMELL, HEAD AUCTIONEER, BONHAMS: Going back the last 20 years.

QUEST (voice-over): This auction at Bonhams in London includes 266 pieces.

QUEST: Does it work?

CAMMELL: It does work. We drove it in here.

QUEST (voice-over): From the Grantham family's 1925 Sunbeam Saloon. CAMMELL: You can speak on your mobile connector through to Tom the chauffeur, so enjoy your ride.

QUEST (voice-over): To the house telephone that was installed in season one.

QUEST: Hello, this is Downton Abbey. Carson the butler speaking.

QUEST (voice-over): And dresses, lots and lots of period dresses, worn by everyone from the Dowager Countess, the late day Maggie Smith, of course, to Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery. And Jessica Brown Finlay, who is, of course, Lady Sybil.

[03:55:04]

CAMMELL: You've got this unforgettable harem pants that Lady Sybil wore. I'm not going to forget that scene when she comes to the drawing room and everyone's rather shocked when she's wearing them.

QUEST: What is it about Downton that appeals to us so much?

CAMMELL: I think it's the story. It's a beautiful story. It's a story of a family and we live with that family for a generation.

And we watch the drama unfold, the lives, deaths, births, marriages unfold. It's also the glamor, it's the fashion and the clothes. It's that spark.

QUEST: There's something I would love to buy. The toast rack from Downton, just to have that.

CAMMELL: Again, it's within reach, just a very low estimate.

QUEST: So why am I interested in a toaster from Downton? A toast rack.

CAMMELL: I'm delighted to hear you are, Richard. And it's the fact that you love the series. Perhaps you've seen it in that particular scene that you loved or it could be that you just want something, a token piece, a keepsake from the series. And it'll be a talking point in your life for the rest of your days.

QUEST: It's patheticness as that. I want to be able to say, do you know that toast rack came from Downton Abbey?

CAMMELL: I don't think it's pathetic at all, I think it's the stuff of life. It's the stories. And it's stories upon stories. And it's what makes the world go round.

QUEST (voice-over): Bidders have until the 16th of September to make their offers. Carnival Films, the producer of "Downton Abbey," will donate the proceeds of the auction to the U.K. charity Together for Short Lives, which supports children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

CAMMELL: Currently it's 16,000 on the bidding.

QUEST (voice-over): One of the star lots of this auction, the Bell Wall from the Servants' Hall.

QUEST: So these are all the bedrooms.

CAMMELL: Yes.

QUEST: All the suites. And these are all the dining room, the water room, the library, the small library, the saloon, the front door, the back door, the study, the drawing room. Oh, this is wonderful.

CAMMELL: There are four great designers who created this series, the last one being Anna Robbins, who's also worked on the films. And it's that mix, it's the design from the Edwardian period through to the Roaring Twenties, those wonderful flap of dresses.

It's the level of detail that went into it, and that's the craft. But that's the part also people have come and flocked to see here at Bonhams.

QUEST (voice-over): Bonham estimates the entire auction will bring in more than a quarter of a million dollars. But the hope is that might even double or triple when the final bids are made.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Start your bidding. Thanks so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. "Early Start" with Brian Abel begins right after the break, stay with us.

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