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Israel Expands Gaza City Invasion; Russia Carries Out Attacks Across Ukraine; Russia's Intervision Music Concert. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired September 21, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta, and it is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on this show, scores killed as Israel Presses ahead with its Gaza City offensive. What a doctor says she's hearing from the ground.

Russia carries out huge attacks across Ukraine as NATO shows readiness.

Plus, Russia revives a cold war era song contest to challenge Eurovision, but which countries participated.

Welcome. Gaza health officials say more than 30 Palestinians were killed overnight in Israeli strikes. The majority of those casualties were in Gaza City.

The overnight attacks come just one day after the Israeli military announced its expanding its operations in Gaza City. The IDF said on Saturday, it had struck more than 120, quote, terrorist targets since the start of its ground incursion a few days ago. The IDF says it eliminated more than 30 terrorists, discovered tunnel shafts, underground passages and surveillance cameras, and that it was creating a corridor to enable the movement of the civilian population to move away for their safety.

Officials in Gaza earlier said at least 90 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza City on Saturday. Israeli officials have said the objectives of the incursion at eliminate Hamas' rule in Gaza, prevent future attacks and secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Palestinians continue to flee from Gaza City after Israeli forces ordered residents to get out. The IDF estimates more than half a million people have left Gaza City since the beginning of September, but Hamas, which controls Gaza, says fewer than 300,000 people have fled. Displaced Palestinians are angry and exhausted after facing overcrowding and soaring prices for shelter, leaving many with absolutely nowhere to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SAMI JIBRIL, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN: The children are gone, the elderly are gone, the young are gone. Where should we go? There's no stone left and houses are no longer our home.

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HUNTE: Clashes with police broke out during a protest against corruption in the Philippines just a short while ago. The protesters in Manila started fires as thousands rallied against alleged corruption in public infrastructure projects. Officials are facing allegations of mismanaging flood control projects, which have cost more than $9 billion. Floods have still inundated towns and cities during the country's monsoon season. President Ferdinand Bong-Bong Marcos Jr. says he supports the protests.

Dutch police clashed with violent anti-immigration protestors in the Hague on Saturday. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the demonstration, which was organized by a right wing activists. The demonstrators were calling for stricter migration policies and greater restriction on asylum seeking. Large groups threw rocks and bottles, and a police car was set on fire. There'll be a national election in the Netherlands on October 29th.

Anti-immigration populist Geert Wilders leads in current polling. He called the use of force against police, quote, utterly unacceptable. Officials expect disruption to continue well into Sunday after a cyber attack caused turmoil at several major European airports on Saturday. The hack is affecting automated check-in and boarding systems. Investigation into the source is ongoing. But, meanwhile, passengers are coping with delays and cancelations as best as they can.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has this report.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's one of the scenarios travelers dread, long snaking lines at the airports and flights that have been delayed or canceled. Cyber attack disrupted check-in and boarding systems at several major European airports on Saturday, including London's Heathrow, where passengers were warned of delays. Collins Aerospace set its systems, which help passengers check themselves in electronically and drop off baggages in kiosks, that they were affected forcing airport workers to manually check in people at some airports.

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The cyber attack also caused disruption in Brussels International Airport.

AGNES KNAPEN, BELGIAN TRAVELER: I already knew there would be some -- probably some delays. We were not informed yet about how much delay it will be. But in the meantime, I've now heard that it will be about three hours.

SANDOVAL: And the issue upended travel plans at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

KIM REISEN, GERMAN TRAVELER: We haven't been told anything except that there was a technical fault. Of course, online you can read that it was properly a cyber attack, and now we're waiting to see what happens here.

SANDOVAL: Affected airports say the software provider is working to quickly resolve the problem. And so far, the travel nightmare hasn't affected all airports. Delta Airlines said it's implemented a workaround and expects minimal impact to its flights. While EasyJet, one of Europe's biggest carrier says, it's operating normally.

Polo Sandoval, CNN.

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HUNTE: Tens of thousands of people are expected to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a memorial service on Sunday. It's going to be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, just 11 days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking on a college campus. Several high-profile guests are set to give remarks at that memorial, including President Trump.

CNN's Betsy Klein has more for us from the White House.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Officials from the highest levels of the Trump administration and Republican Party set to converge in Arizona on Sunday to honor the late Charlie Kirk. Now, Kirk was a trusted adviser to President Trump, his Turning Point USA group absolutely critical to propelling the president back to the White House in 2024. But he was also a very close friend of President Trump and members of his family. He was instrumental in helping the president to select aides and members of his cabinet during the presidential transition. And so there are so many here at the White House who are grieving the loss of a close personal friend.

Now, a senior White House official tells me that the president has been personally involved in preparations for this speech. He's expected to discuss Kirk's life as well as the impact that he had on the MAGA movement. And these remarks, according to that official, will be more personal than the typical presidential speech.

But just remember that President Trump, when he was initially reacting to Kirk's death, really laid bare some of the deep political divisions in this country. He went after the radical left. He also vowed to crack down on political violence. It's really unclear at this point whether those themes are going to emerge in his speech on Sunday.

And among others speaking, including President Trump, there's going to be Vice President J.D. Vance, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and many other top U.S. officials, and really underscoring the very close ties that Kirk built with many in Trump's orbit. The White House is sending two full planes filled with officials, staffers, as well as guests of the president, really underscoring how much Kirk meant to this administration. This gathering is also setting up a major test for law enforcement, particularly the U.S. Secret Service, which is already under so much pressure and strain. And to help with some of that, this event has been given a special event assessment rating level two designation. And what that does is really unlock some key federal resources to help bolster security.

According to a senior Department of Homeland Security official, quote, this designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event. This includes things like bomb detection canine teams, as well as air support, things like drones and helicopters hovering over this event, as well as cybersecurity risk assessments and enhanced screening. Attendees are told to expect TSA level screening procedures, and there is a strict no bag policy.

Betsy Klein, CNN, at the White House.

HUNTE: The Trump administration is now charging H-1B visa applicants $100,000 fee to enter the United States. On Friday, the U.S. president signed a proclamation claiming employers have, quote, abused the Skilled Worker Visa program by offering relatively low wages to foreign workers while denying jobs to American workers. The White House press secretary says the $100,000 is a one-time fee and only applies to new visa applicants.

But the proclamation has sparked confusion among employers and foreign-born workers alike. H-1Bs are most commonly associated with tech companies. The largest sponsor of the visa is Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Apple employ thousands of foreign born workers each year, and many workers come from India.

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Though some say they hope Trump's new fee will benefit the workforce at home.

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SUNIL RAO, MUMBAI RESIDENT: It's a big hit for the tech talent, but also the other side, I think, it'll be good for India because it could be a reverse brain drain and the likes where people can work here and do something better.

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HUNTE: NATO is flexing its military muscle as tensions grow with Russia along the alliance's eastern flank. British warplanes patrolled over Poland on Friday night as the alliance tries to draw the line over repeated Russian violations of NATO airspace. The British jets are taking part in operation Eastern Sentry, along with a number of other NATO countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's behavior won't change.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Everyone can now see Russian interference against Poland and against Estonia. These are not accidental things. Russia will continue trying to spread its aggression, destabilization and interference. This is their system. This must be countered systematically and together. I thank everyone who is helping.

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HUNTE: Wow. Mr. Zelenskyy spoke after Russian drones and missiles rained down on his country on Saturday that led to fierce battles in the skies. Ukraine says that this video shows its air defenses engaging those drones and missiles as they were coming in. Officials said that on Saturday, eight people were killed and at least 32 injured over 24 hours.

Venezuela is flexing its military muscle amid rising tensions with the United States. Military forces in Caracas conducted civilian weapons training on Saturday in response to the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, and its recent attacks on Venezuelan vessels. At the event, officials slammed the U.S. for launching strikes on boats.

President Donald Trump claimed the boats were carrying drug traffickers, but Venezuela has condemned the U.S. actions as pretext for intervention. In a letter to Trump, President Nicolas Maduro offered to engage in direct talks with his government and rejected the U.S. claims about drug trafficking.

Okay, a winner has emerged from Russia's 2025 Intervision Song Contest. Coming up, a closer look at how the re-launched Soviet-era competition compares to Europe's Eurovision. See you in a bit.

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HUNTE: Welcome back. Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc has won Russia's 2025 Intervision Song Contest.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Time to announce the winner of the Interversion Song Contest.

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HUNTE: Here's a powerful performer, bested musical acts from 22 other countries, many of which are seen as allies of Moscow, all competing for a call, $360,000 cash prize. The revival of the Soviet-era competition this year serves as a Kremlin's alternative to Europe's popular and exotic Eurovision contest, all of this after Russia was kicked out of Eurovision in 2022 as a result of its full scale invasion of Ukraine. Joining us to discuss this live from Malaga, Spain, is Dean Vuletic. He's a Eurovision expert and author of the book, Post-War Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest. Thanks for being with me, Dean. How are you doing?

DEAN VULETIC, EUROVISION EXPERT: Hello, Ben. I'm very well, thank you.

HUNTE: Amazing. It's good to have you here.

So, let me let you into a secret.

VULETIC: Thank you.

HUNTE: Me and my friends absolutely love Eurovision, but I asked in the group chat and nobody had heard of Intervision until today. Can you just break down some of the history for us, because it does actually go way back, right?

VULETIC: It goes way back to the 1960s. It was actually started by Czechoslovak Television in the mid 1960s as a way to bring together east and west during the Cold War, and then it was continued by Poland in the late 1970s. So, it does have a long history, one that is marked more by Czechoslovakia and Poland leading the initiative rather than the Soviet Union and the Russians.

HUNTE: There's the history before we get into all of the drama that's surrounding this contest, and there is a lot of drama, were there any standout moments from the show?

VULETIC: Well, the first standout moment was the fact that Russia's President Vladimir Putin gave a speech. He delivered a speech in a video message. Then there was an interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. We don't see politicians appearing in Eurovision.

Some of the acts were quite impressive. The Vietnamese act, of course, which went on to win South Africa, the singer, the lead singer, appearing on stage in a huge gown. There were some quite impressive stage effects and props.

HUNTE: Wow. I love it's like a global song contest. Russia has revived this Intervision Song Contest at a time when it's been barred from major cultural stages, like Eurovision. What do you think Moscow's trying to prove with this event?

VULETIC: I think Moscow is trying to prove that it's still powerful and that it's still popular. And that despite being banned from other international events, such as Eurovision, it can stage its own.

HUNTE: We saw the U.S. entry get a lot of heat where the Brandon Howard pulling out and another artist stepping in at the last minute. What do you think that tells us about the vibes around this contest? Are these performers endorsing Moscow's message or are they simply just taking part in the show?

VULETIC: Well, all of the performers who appeared in Intervision should understand that they were participating in a project of the Russian government. So, in that sense, the contest does have a political message to send.

When it comes to the U.S. act, though, she didn't appear on stage, the Australian singer, Vassy.

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In the end, she didn't appear on stage. One of the hosts said that this was because of political influence from the Australian government. So, that was one of the shock moments in the contest.

HUNTE: Wow. Russian organizers say the Intervision is about family and traditional values, which, to me, seems like a bit of a slap to Eurovision's reputation for queer performers and LGBTQ statements. How much of this is about cultural politics and not just music?

VULETIC: Well, there's always politics in these contests. Whenever you have countries competing against each other, things are bound to get political. And indeed, the rules of Intervision states that the contest intends to promote family and traditional values, which essentially means not promoting sexual minorities. We didn't see any of the sexual provocation in Intervision than we normally see in Eurovision. This was much more of a family friendly show.

HUNTE: Let's look to the future. Israel's ability to participate in next year's Eurovision looks quite uncertain at the moment. So, if they are kicked out, do you think we could see an Israel-based song contest like this happening in the future?

VULETIC: Well, so far, five countries in Eurovision have said that they will boycott if Israel continues to participate. I doubt that the Israelis would go on to stage their own contest, though Eurovision is still the most popular song contest in the world. It's something that attracts almost 160 million viewers every year. So, I don't think that there's much of a threat to Eurovision, but we have to wait and see in December when the European Broadcasting Union will decide whether Israel will continue to participate in the contest.

HUNTE: Considering the fact that me and my friends hadn't heard of this, and I'm sure many of our viewers hadn't heard of this either until now, why do you think that is? Was there just a muted tone around the fact that this contest was happening even though it's so global?

VULETIC: Well, I think it has something to do with the history, the fact that there were two series of Intervision staged during the Cold War for a total of eight years. They never captured the fascination of the west, like Eurovision has captured the fascination of many around the world, not just in Europe.

So, I think this is one of the reasons then the end of the Cold War sort of caused a lot of people to forget Intervision, but it has been revived now, and now it has drawn a lot of attention because it is a political project of the Russian government and also because of its global focus. HUNTE: I mean, we are talking about it, so, yes, they did that.

Dean Vuletic, thank you so much for now.

VULETIC: Exactly.

HUNTE: I appreciate it. Speak to you soon.

VULETIC: Thank you very much, Ben. Thank you.

HUNTE: Bad Bunny said goodbye to his hometown fans on Saturday, closing out his summer residency in San Juan with one last locals-only performance. Supporters turned out in force for the Puerto Rican rappers show before the launch of his world tour. One vat, as he announced last week, will not include the U.S. due to its immigration policy. For many, Bad Bunny's residency isn't just about the music.

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JAMIE BERRIOS, BAD BUNNY FAN: A huge amount of money will be injected into the economy. We should highlight the many foreigners who came, got to know and loved Puerto Rican culture. It's been something extraordinary.

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HUNTE: The concert was live streamed to millions of fans on Amazon platforms and Twitch. Amazon pledged to support education, disaster relief, and cultural programs for the island in cooperation with Bad Bunny.

Few creatures inspire more fear and fascination than great white sharks. Beachgoers may dread them, but for the scientists trying to unlock their secrets, every sighting is a chance to learn.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has more for us.

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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Researchers onboard this boat only have a matter of minutes after catching a juvenile great white shark to tag it with a satellite tracker and gather data from it.

FRANK QUEVEDO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH FORK NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: Everybody that's on this boat have been trained to do the duties that they need to do to get the shark, to get the data and get it back at swimming in the water.

WALDMAN: The practice of tagging juvenile sharks is relatively new. Frank Quevedo's team with South Fork Shark Research and Education Program is the first to do it in the Atlantic.

QUEVEDO: We saw that shark was able to swim from the South Shore Long Island all the way off the coast of Maryland and it popped off and then we kind of opened up the doors to all this research that we're doing.

WALDMAN: Research born from a very rare 2016 discovery, a great white shark nursery, the only one to be scientifically verified in the North Atlantic and only the third like it in the world.

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QUEVEDO: Extremely special. We are so fortunate that there's a nursery like this here, right in our backyard.

WALDMAN: Scientists still have many unanswered questions about one of the ocean's apex predators, including where they mate and where they give birth. But discoveries like this nursery in New York waters provide important clues.

In May, Joanna Steidle, a marine wildlife drone photographer in Southampton, captured video of what appeared to be a large pregnant great white shark swimming in the waters off Montauk.

JOANNA STEIDLE, OWNER, HAMPTONS DRONE ART LLC: Usually just before 4th of July is when I start seeing them. So, this was in May. I was totally shocked.

WALDMAN: It was the start of what Steidle describes as an abundance of sharks in northeast waters this summer. Data from the main Department of Marine Resources backs that up. Since 2020, trackers have spotted 93 great white sharks off the coast of Maine. 19 unique white sharks were recorded in 2024 alone.

STEIDLE: A very small school of (INAUDIBLE). And I say it like this, but that's what it looks like on a scream, a small school would draw in maybe eight to ten sharks.

WALDMAN: Quevedo says the appearance of more sharks in the water is twofold, videos and pictures being shared on social media and successful conservation efforts of great whites and their food sources.

QUEVEDO: Because of these conservation efforts and these management plans to protect the species, we're seeing the populations either being sustained or are actually improving over the years. But they're not even close to being what they were 50 years ago.

WALDMAN: Leigh Waldman, CNN, New York.

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HUNTE: cycling isn't just good for your heart and the planet. A new study finds that riding a bike could also help you prevent cognitive decline. The research says cycling is associated with a 19 percent lower risk of dementia and a 22 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. That's all compared with taking passive modes of travel like a car or a bus. Physical activity has long been associated with lower dementia risk.

That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Quest's World of Wonder is next. Have a good day.

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