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Trump to Iran, Unacceptable; Crowds Flock to See Pope Leo; Panda Diplomacy. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired September 27, 2026 - 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, President Donald Trump calls it unacceptable, so a proposal by Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to be approved by the U.S.

They are on their way. Two pandas are expected to arrive in the U.S. in the coming hours, a move by China to engage in some panda diplomacy.

And the pope continues his visit to France as crowds gather to catch a glimpse of their first papal visit in nearly 20 years.

Those stories in just a moment, but first to breaking news out of South Africa. A manhunt is underway after 17 people were killed in a shooting in a township outside Johannesburg. Police say eight men allegedly armed with pistols and AK-47 rifles opened fire on people drinking outside a tavern before entering and continuing to shoot inside. 15 people with gunshot wounds have been transferred to medical facilities for treatment. We'll continue monitoring this story and bring you the latest when we do have it.

But for now, U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks is, quote, unacceptable. Tehran's top diplomat announced a new offer would reopen the critical waterway and resume talks between the two countries. That offer would be in exchange for the U.S. fulfilling several of Iran's longstanding demands.

The Iranian foreign minister says the proposal would have begun as soon as the U.S. accepts the plan, but as one source tells CNN, the White House is not in a rush to make a deal with Iran. Here's what President Trump told reporters on Saturday.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He said, let's close it and cause a problem for the world. And then I came along, and we put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It's a wall of steel, and we put it up, and guess what? They don't have any money now because they wanted to close the strait, and I said, that's fine. We're going to close it on you, but everybody else is able to use it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: U.S. President Donald Trump is adding new uncertainty into the potential production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. On Saturday, he refused to say whether he'll give Kyiv a license to manufacture the weapon. A day earlier, Ukraine's president said Mr. Trump told him he would do that. The U.S. president floated the idea of allowing Ukraine to make Patriots in July, but he later appeared to backtrack on that, too. Patriot interceptors are one of the few weapons that can shoot down Russia's ballistic missiles.

Russia used one of the world's biggest political stages to rip into the entire western world on Saturday. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the U.N. General Assembly on day five of its annual debate.

Despite Russia's brutal invasion and never-ending airstrikes on Ukraine, he accused Western countries of being bullies.

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SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The Western minority, which dominated for 500 years thanks to others' resources, continues to try to maintain its privileges and to oppose its own rules upon everyone else. The west continues to use brute force, to act unpredictably, to engage in all sorts of ventures, putting at risk the life and prosperity of millions, if not billions, of people on our planet.

As President Putin said, the dictatorship of one hegemon is spiraling out of control. It is dangerous for everyone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Lavrov later spoke with his German counterpart in the first such meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sources say Germany pushed Russia to reach an agreement with Ukraine on grain exports through the Black Sea.

Lavrov also dismissed recent reports that Moscow may be planning a limited military action against a NATO country.

Let's speak more about it. Stefano Pozzebon joins us now from Rome. Just 24 hours ago, we were chatting about how President Trump had apparently made this final decision to let Ukraine make these missiles, but now Trump is refusing to confirm that. What's going on here, and where does it leave Ukraine, sir?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're right, Ben. Haven't we been here before? Of course, we have. It was just in July that it seemed like Donald Trump was open to granting a license for Ukraine to manufacture their own Patriot missiles before, like you said, cooling down in the following weeks.

[03:05:15] This time, it looks like it's taken less than 24 hours, or perhaps there have been misunderstanding between the two leaders, Trump and Zelenskyy, who met in New York this past week on the sidelines of the U.N. summit.

It's important to notice that it was a question from CNN, our colleague, Julia Benbrook. So, it's great to have our colleagues in Washington allowed back into the White House, shouting a question to the president and asking him about this supposed license to Ukraine, to which Donald Trump responded that he does indeed want instead Zelenskyy to settle with Putin, and Putin settle with him.

Of course, Ben, it's been easier said than done. We've been here before. Donald Trump had famously boasted that he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in less than 24 hours when he was campaigning as a candidate back in 2024. Two and a half years later, we're here, and the war is still raging on.

And an hour ago, I was telling you how we heard from our colleagues in Kyiv about air raid sirens on Saturday afternoon. Well, this time it happened at about 8:00 A.M. here in Rome, which is 9:00 A.M. up there in Kyiv. So, into middle of the morning, 9:00 A.M., Sunday morning, people probably having their coffee, people probably having their breakfast or understanding what to do in this day off, that is the weekend.

And instead, air raid sirens attacks from both Shahed drones and air ballistic missiles. And we also have, of course, as it often happens in the morning, the death toll of the attacks that have indeed pierced through Ukrainian defense through the night. According to the Ukrainian general staff, at least 14 people have been killed in Ukraine in the last 24 hours. All across the country, we have here the list, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, the region where most people have been killed, four killed and five injured.

The war is still raging on. The constant barrage from Russia and Russian Federation of both ballistic missiles and drones, both jet- powered drones and regular drones, is never-ending. And on his end, Zelenskyy can only demand to get these people the possibility to manufacture the weapons, that they have the capability of stopping these attacks. Will, indeed, at the end Donald Trump grant them this license remains to be seen. Ben?

HUNTE: Okay, Stefano, reporter from Rome, thank you so much, sir.

Hurricane Nolo is bringing rain to Hawaii as it passes south of the island chain. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is moving away from the Big Island with watches and warnings discontinued. It is still expected to deliver rain, gusty winds, and high waves all through the weekend.

A rare storm is bringing rain, strong winds, and flooding to coastal areas in the U.S. Northeast this hour, and the worst may still be ahead. Heavy rain caused street flooding on Saturday, and high winds were reported in several states. Falling trees killed one person and injured four others, including two children in New York City. More than 100,000 customers are without power across the region. That is according to PowerOutage.us.

The nor'easter is driving coastal flooding by pushing water toward the shore, and a full moon means high tide will be higher than normal. Hundreds of flights have been canceled, and thousands have been delayed, too.

A major coastal city flooded once again, the Big Apple. City authorities say the storm is a factor, however, issues related to climate change and a century old drainage system do compound those problems.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has more for us from New York.

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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's become a common sight in New York City, stranded cars, waterfalls inside train stations, and pedestrians wading through flooded streets. The Big Apple was soaked by more than eight inches of rain in August, a record for the past five years.

Why is that happening?

LILSA F. GARCIA, COMMISSIONER: NYC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Yes. It has been a bit of a crazy summer. We had to kind of activate our emergency flashflood plan almost like 30 percent more this summer than any other year. And what we believe is happening is it's climate change the intensity of the rainstorms.

PAZMINO: A massive amount of rain in a short amount of time, and America's largest city can barely keep up. The city sewer system is designed to handle up to 1.75 inches of rain per hour.

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GARCIA: If you think about New York City's system, built over 100 years ago, we're seeing storms that are at two two inches, two and a half inches, three inches, so it's really overwhelming the system. It's crazy.

PAZMINO: That means water is going up into the streets and down into the subways.

New York City's annual precipitation has increased about 20 percent since 1960, and as the planet warms, the atmosphere holds more moisture, fueling heavier, more frequent downpours.

Five years after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dropped a record amount of rain, flooding basements and killing more than a dozen people, some New Yorkers are still dealing with constant flooding.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought, oh, this is just a great city, you know, a concrete jungle. We don't have flooding here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been trying to make sure we have everything we need off the floor, but also all the supplies to make sure we can barricade the doors.

PAZMINO: Since Ida, the city has invested billions in flood protection, upgraded sewers, expanded storm water systems, and improved emergency alerts.

But officials say fully addressing the city's flood risk could take decades.

NICK NYHAN, FOUNDER, THE CITY SPONGE: You're doing good work.

PAZMINO: In the meantime, New Yorkers are taking action. Nick Nyhan launched the City Sponge, a website to help neighborhoods deal with flooding.

NYHAN: We have to absorb more water as a city. We have to figure out ways to do that, but also to help people absorb the information, because it's confusing.

PAZMINO: In a race against the clock, the city continues to upgrade storm water infrastructure and protections against coastal flooding.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NEW YORK CITY, NY): New York, we're readying our coastlines.

PAZMINO: This $43 million investment will help oversight of more than 100 flood gates along South Street in lower Manhattan.

MAMDANI: When a major storm is on the way, flood gates will flip up into place, creating one continuous barrier that helps keep water out.

PAZMINO: And there's green infrastructure, thousands of rain gardens to collect storm water runoff, and massive underground tanks to capture millions of gallons of storm water and sewage during heavy rains.

GARCIA: This is helping to capture the waters.

PAZMINO: As the city tries to make progress, more extreme weather is likely on its way.

NYHAN: No matter if you believe in climate change or not, you don't want water in your place. It's undeniable.

PAZMINO: Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

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HUNTE: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading. The World Health Organization says the viral outbreak is now affecting 63 areas across seven provinces.

As of last week, Congo had reported more than 7,800 Ebola cases and nearly 3,800 deaths. Newly affected areas are bordering South Sudan. The WHO says cases are declining overall, thanks to contact tracing, safer burial practices, and community education too. But the lack of vaccines and treatment for this strain, in particular, is making the health response so much more complicated.

Let's bring in Anna Halford. She is the emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders and was in the DRC this summer. It's very good to see you. Thank you for your work.

The numbers of confirmed cases and deaths have obviously continued to climb. How serious is this outbreak that we're seeing right now?

ANNA HALFORD, EMERGENCY COORDINATOR, ,DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Look, we would say that any Ebola outbreak is serious. But, yes, it is. The pace of spread is concerning. The fact that we're having new areas of concerns and brought into the outbreak is not what we were wanting to be seeing, especially after four months after the declaration. And the fact that we've got a couple of medical indicators which, unless they improve relatively rapidly, they indicate that we are not yet coming towards the end with the outbreak or getting it under control.

HUNTE: The outbreak has now reached more provinces and health zones as well, including areas near the borders with South Sudan and the Central African Republic. How worried are you about this continuing to spread even wider to those other nations?

HALFORD: Look, it's impossible to speculate about the probability of it reaching outside. What we can say is that the DRC and the authorities have put a lot of effort into increasing border surveillance. That said, it is a long and complex and porous border.

And what we are principally worried about is the fact that not only do we not have it under control, but we do not yet have the improvement of the indicators that would suggest that we are near to that. And so we're worried about any spread into new areas because it's just another opportunity to keep and to create new transmission chains which will keep the outbreak going.

HUNTE: We have, of course, seen major cuts to U.S. foreign support, including the dismantling of USAID.

[03:10:03]

How much is that affecting the Ebola response on the ground in the DRC?

HALFORD: Yes, this is a big question for us. We're not of the opinion that there is any one thing that could be said to have caused or to have sort of, you know, helped that this outbreak became so big so fast. But what is clear is that sustained funding cuts across many humanitarian areas, including health, have weakened the system, the health system in the DRC, and many of its component elements, such as community surveillance. And it was already weak. It is (INAUDIBLE) there are a lot of people. It is a set of interlocking, complex systems. So, the unmanned and the sudden cessation of funding, especially from expert units, such as USAID, absolutely have an effect even before Ebola.

Now, for the outbreak, and despite support from the U.S. into the response, what we're seeing is we don't have the same architecture on which that support came or via which that support can be rendered really useful and really constructive. So, we are feeling, those of us who have been on the ground many times in different or similar outbreaks, we are feeling the absence of that.

HUNTE: Yes. The international response is already under huge pressure while this outbreak continues to spread. How have you personally felt about the attention that this crisis has received compared to other disasters that we've seen around the globe?

HALFORD: I think it's a bit unfair to try and make comparisons. There's a lot of stuff going on, but this is -- I know it must seem like, you know, a place that's very far away to a lot of people, but this is a very large outbreak which is still spreading at a stage where we would hope that it was under control.

And while it may not have the same attention given to it as other more dramatic disasters, I think it is absolutely an event of international health concern. I cannot stress this strongly enough. What every Ebola epidemic has shown us is that unless you get on it at the beginning, you will pay the price higher and further down the line. And so it is in everybody's interest too that this should be brought under control as soon as possible.

HUNTE: Well, thank you for your work to make that happen. Anna Harford from Doctors Without Borders, thank you so much for your time.

And there is so much more to come here on CNN Newsroom.

HALFORD: Thank you.

HUNTE: We'll be right back.

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HUNTE: Welcome back. We are showing you some live pics there of Lourdes, France. Pope Leo is there somewhere on the first official papal visit to France in 20 years. He'll be leading another open air mass in the coming hours, very exciting.

CNN's Christopher Lamb is traveling with the pope, and brings us up to date on that trip.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: It is almost two decades since a pope has visited France, and it's the first time an American pope has ever visited the country. And he is drawing in big crowds and a lot of interest in his visit and what he's doing, almost 800,000 or around 800,000 people gathered in Paris for that huge open air mass.

Pope Leo really keen whilst in France to encourage young Catholics and young people who are interested in becoming Catholics. France has seen a surprising rise in those numbers of young people showing an interest in faith and wanting to become Catholic. So, that's been a key theme of his trip. He's now though in Lourdes, which is a major Catholic pilgrimage site. It's a place where the sick and the infirm come on pilgrimage. It's a place associated with healings. And Leo will be celebrating a mass with thousands of people gathering in this very important spiritual heart really of France.

And also he is going to be addressing the crisis and the scandal of clerical sexual abuse. France has been shocked by revelations of abuse in the Catholic Church. The pope is going to be meeting with survivors later on Sunday and he's going to be meeting with bishops and church leaders. And we expect him maybe not publicly, but certainly privately, to be talking about that to them.

So, a jam-packed schedule for Pope Leo on this third day of his visit to France.

HUNTE: Let's talk pandas. Two giant pandas from China will touch down right here in Atlanta this morning, very exciting stuff. Beijing is loaning them to the U.S. for ten years as part of its longstanding tradition of panda diplomacy. This comes just days after President Trump extended a trade truce with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his state visit to Washington. Mr. Xi described the giant panda as an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans.

CNN's Mike Valerio is in Beijing for us with more details on this panda transfer.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems as though from the Chinese point of view, the summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in May went very well, again, from their part of the equation, and this most recent summit went very well, again, from their point of view.

So, the government and authorities in charge of panda diplomacy said, all right, let's send Ping Ping and Fu Shuang over the ocean to Atlanta. And, I mean, just look at them. I know that my friends and family in Georgia are so excited to see them.

So, this is part of a larger plan to continue the breeding program in Zoo Atlanta.

[03:25:03]

It is the most successful breeding program producing seven cubs over the past couple years, more so than the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the San Diego Zoo in California.

Right now, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are a pair, but they're not romantic partners. So, one of the things that the keepers were doing here in China is to try to pick out which two pandas from Chengdu in Southwestern China would be the best fit, would be the most mature, sort of like the right age range to potentially fall in love in Georgia. And who doesn't love a good fluffy, romantic story?

Both of them are about six years old. Ping Ping is six years old exactly. Fu Shuang is going to turn six in three weeks from now. And we've talked over the past couple hours about how their personalities are different because, you know, that always works for a relationship, right? You have to complement each other.

Ping Ping, literally means peace, is very peaceful. Fu Shuang is a little more energetic. Her keeper described her as when she's confronted with honey she becomes very lively. But Ping Ping, when he's presented with treats, like an apple, for example, he just very kind of gently whimpers and says in his own panda language, can I have the apple, trainer? And he's very kind and shy about it.

So, here's to our panda friends making Georgia their new home. They'll be there in a couple hours. I think it's going to be the 7:00 A.M. hour Georgia time when they touch down at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

HUNTE: We are following breaking news out of Nepal, where at least six people are missing after an avalanche hit base camp at a remote mountain. Climbers and support staff were preparing for an expedition. Sherpas and kitchen staff were fixing ropes and setting up tents at a base camp in Central Nepal for a group from the UAE when a torrent of snow and rock swept down the mountainside.

And just before we do go, we are also following a manhunt in the Johannesburg area after 17 people were killed in a shooting. South Africa police say eight men allegedly armed with pistols and AK-47 rifles opened fire on people drinking outside a tavern before entering and continuing to shoot inside.

We'll continue monitoring this story and bring you the latest when we have it. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Connecting Africa is next. See you tomorrow

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