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W.H.O. Says It's Time to Prepare for a Potential Pandemic; 81,000+ Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Worldwide, Nearly 3,000 Deaths; Iran has Made No Decision to Quarantine Any Cities; Northern Italy Cancels Events and Puts 50,000+ on Lockdown; Tokyo 2020 Organizers Downplay Cancellation Fears; Assessing Africa's Preparedness for Coronavirus; Frontrunner Bernie Sanders Targeted in Democratic Debate; Black Voters from South Carolina Share Election Anxieties; Death Toll in New Delhi Violence Rises to 24; Nine-Day Heat Wave Melts 20 Percent of Antarctic Island's Snow. Aired 10- 11a ET

Aired February 26, 2020 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a situation of concern. But we must not give in to panic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Well, tonight the first French national dies of the coronavirus as it spreads across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We

ask the world's leading health body, is Africa the pathogen's next frontier?

Then you know what they say. The only thing worse than being talked about, well, Bernie might like a dose of that right now after getting hit left,

right and center in a messy debate.

And ethnic tensions as violent clashes kill more than 20 in India's capital.

Hello and welcome, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson for you. 7:00 in the UAE.

The big picture this hour, now is the time to prepare for a potential pandemic. A stark warning from the World Health Organization as borders

close, state emergencies are declared, and cities go on lockdown. The novel coronavirus is now in one of every five countries around the world, 41

nations and territories across every continent except Antarctica, have reported cases from the deadly outbreak.

Just moments ago we learned of the first patient in Latin America in Brazil and there are new cases in Algeria, in Switzerland, Spain and in Greece.

There are now more than 81,000 cases worldwide. Just under 3,000 people have died.

Well, here in the Middle East, Iran becoming the epicenter of an outbreak that is spreading around the region. The President says they haven't

decided to quarantine any cities, but Tehran is disinfecting public places like subway trains and buses, and they are doing that multiple times a day.

In Italy, meanwhile, World Health Organization experts have arrived. The country putting tens of thousands on lockdown as it struggles to control

Europe's biggest outbreak.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, 20 members of South Korea's military have been infected as well as a U.S. military service member stationed there along

with more than 1,200 civilians.

And finally, across the United States, the Trump administration considering even more aggressive travel restrictions. The American President assuring

the world a vaccine is on the way. He will give a briefing on the situation in the coming hours.

Well, our reporters are fanned out across the world for you. Ivan Watson is at Camp Humphrey in South Korea where that U.S. soldier tested positive for

the virus. Jomana Karadsheh with more on why Iran's outbreak is so dangerous for the Middle East. Ben Wedeman joining us from Milan in Italy,

Europe's worst affected country. We also have reporting from CNN's Matt Rivers in Tokyo. Ivan, let's start with you and the latest where you are.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I'm coming to you live from outside Camp Humphreys. This is the largest U.S.

military installation overseas, and it is where a 23-year-old soldier is currently in isolation after he tested positive for coronavirus. The first

American service personnel stationed in Korea to have come down with the new disease. He had been attached to a camp near that southern city of

Daegu which has been the epicenter of Korea's outbreak. Which has infected more than 1200 people and killed 12 people. Now reaching the force of some

30,000 U.S. troops stationed across the peninsula. A garrison commander at this base published -- broadcast a Facebook live to help explain more about

this situation. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TREMBLAY, COMMANDER, U.S. ARMY GARRISON HUMPHREYS: That is the absolute best place that that service member can be monitored and cared for

and out of an abundance of caution to ensure that everything was done, we transported that patient from Daegu to Humphreys and the medical

professionals are looking after him and doing everything they can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, there are also 15 individuals in quarantine here. Ten of them are active duty soldiers. Four of them are Korean troops attached to U.S.

units. And then a civilian as well.

[10:05:00]

The U.S. military has issued the highest warning to its troops. It has banned going to restaurants, going to movie theaters, bars, clubs, even

shopping and has urged some of the thousands of dependents that also live in and around these bases to do the same.

Of course, the South Korean military has been impacted hard by this. There are 20 infections across all four branches of the South Korean military.

And South Korean society as a whole is struggling to contain a virus that is spreading by hundreds every 24 hours -- Becky.

Ivan Watson is in South Korea. Russia, I'm just learning, has suspended flights to South Korea. It is also suspending visas to Iranians. I want to

get to Jomana Karadsheh who is standing by. And, Jomana, this amid concern that authorities in Iran are not sharing information, are not acting

quickly enough, are not being transparent enough. What do we know at this point?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big concern, Becky, right now is how Iranian authorities are handling this. Are they doing

enough to handle this. And are they being transparent whether it's with their own population or with neighboring countries and the world.

You know, in the last few hours we've heard from the Iranian government that they've now got 139 cases of people who have tested positive for the

disease. That's an increase by 44 cases since yesterday. And 19 people have died so far. That was 15 yesterday. And so there's lots of questions,

Becky, about these figures. When you look at that, we're talking about a death rate of about 14 percent. That is much higher than the global average

that's at about 2 percent.

So there's lots of questions about whether the Iranian authorities are actually registering these cases properly, whether they're not actually

revealing the extent of how widespread this disease is. And we heard today from the President, Hassan Rouhani, coming out and saying that basically

they have no plans at this point to quarantine any areas, to isolate any cities. As you know the epicenter for the outbreak there and for the region

pretty much is the holy city of Qom. And so they say they have no plans.

And what worries people is the attitude that also came out with this announcement where he's basically reassuring people but also saying that

there's a lot of panic, that he is accusing the United States of trying to spread. And he says that Iranians must stop the United States and their

enemies from trying to use this virus as a weapon to destroy Iran's economy.

So with this kind of attitude, Becky, you have a lot of concern when it comes to neighboring countries where they are trying to make sure that they

don't get any more cases. As you know, countries like Bahrain and Kuwait, for example, today have announced they have more cases. They can trace back

that to Iran. When it comes to neighboring countries, we know Armenia just two days ago has closed its border with Iran, although they don't have any

cases.

And we've heard from the health minister here in Turkey saying, so far, they don't have any cases. That plane that evacuated citizens out of Iran

that arrives in Ankara yesterday where they had 17 suspected cases on board, they've all come back as negative. They don't have any cases, but

what he said is they are preparing because it's inevitable at this point. They believe that this virus will spread when they are looking at what's

happening next door. All they can do right now is try and delay --Becky.

ANDERSON: Jomana Karadsheh is in Turkey and she's been discussing the situation here in the Middle East.

Officials across Europe warning people not to panic, not least in Italy, Europe's Wuhan, if you will. And Ben Wedeman is standing by in Milan. Are

those calls for calm being heeded where you are in Italy?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: By and large, in fact, it does appear that people are not panicking. At least in this part

of Italy. In fact, right now we're coming to you from the grounds of the Luigi Sacco hospital where some of those people who have been infected by

the coronavirus are being treated.

Now the current numbers that were released just a few hours ago by the Italian health authorities is that there are 374 recorded cases of

coronavirus in Italy. Most of them here in the northern part of the country and 12 fatalities.

[10:10:00]

That's up one fatality from yesterday, 48 new cases today.

Now on the positive side, a Chinese couple, Chinese nationals who were hospitalized on the 30th of January, the first recorded cases of

coronavirus in Italy have now been declared to have recovered from the disease.

Now the Italian authorities are trying, as best as they can, to limit this spread. They've created these so-called red zones where more than 50,000

people are living. They're not allowed to leave the area. Only people with special permits are allowed in. We know life is rather difficult. Somewhat

tedious inside those red zones.

Outside, for instance, here in Milan, schools are closed, universities closed, museums, bars have to close at 6:00 p.m. So there is definitely a

lessening in activity among the inhabitants. There are no, for instance, football games, no large social gatherings where the germs might be spread.

And keep in mind, of course, that Italy has a very well-developed, well- funded public health system. And you speak to people, ordinary citizens do seem fairly confident that eventually the authorities will get this

outbreak under control. Even on the grounds of this hospital, I have yet to see anybody wearing gloves or mask or anything like that so it certainly

does appear that Italy has not been infected with too much panic, at least --Becky.

ANDERSON: Well, certainly Spanish officials also calling for calm. Ben, thank you. They say there are now 12 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in

Spain. Those numbers were rising moment by moment as I spoke to the country's health minister just before we came on air. Here is how he

responded to reports of xenophobia amid the crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALVADOR ILLA, SPANISH HEALTH MINISTER: We are against any kind of discrimination. We are fighting a virus. We are not fighting any kind of

group of people. Not Chinese, not Italian, nor French, nor German. So we are dealing with a virus, with a new disease, and we should focus on this.

And misinformation is not the best way to deal with this new disease, with coronavirus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, see the Spanish health minister and more from him on the coronavirus outbreak there and across Europe just a little later on this

show.

Japan's pro baseball teams are banning fans from 72 preseason games to prevent the spread of the disease. They are hoping that doing that now will

allow for the official season to begin on time. Meanwhile, the real question on everyone's mind is what happens to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? The

International Olympic Committee, the IOC, tells CNN that preparations are going on as planned, as Matt Rivers now reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five months to go until Tokyo 2020 and rehearsals are in full swing. A practice torch run outside Tokyo,

though the flame hasn't arrived yet. Some crowds, cheers, corporate sponsors.

(on camera): This is the fun stuff. This is what organizers want to be practicing for, want to be preparing for, but given what's going on in this

part of the world, they are also preparing for something else.

(voice-over): Specifically, the coronavirus outbreak. Dozens of cases have been reported in Japan as Japanese officials try to stop its spread. Safe

to say they're worried about crowds. The new emperor's birthday celebration canceled. March 1st, Tokyo marathon, called off for all but elite runners.

So the natural question, is the Olympics next?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no case for any contingency plans of canceling the games or moving the games.

RIVERS: Officials with the international Olympic Committee say they base that decision on guidance from the World Health Organization, which has

told them, as of now, there's no reason to cancel.

(on camera): IOC officials have already set up a virus task force and are working closely with Japanese health authorities. For those people who've

prepared their entire lives for this summer, the athletes who will stay in this village behind me, any thoughts of the game possibly being interrupted

is tough to think about. So they're thinking positive.

TRELL KIMMONS, AMERICAN SPRINTER: It's a little bad now but I think knowing the Olympic games is coming into the country that they have

everything under control.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully they'll have everything figured out and -- by then.

RIVERS (voice-over): In Japan, ping-pong practice goes on unabated. The virus threat looms.

YOSHIHITO MIYAZAKI, HEAD OF JAPAN'S TABLE TENNIS NATIONAL TEAM (through translator): I'm worried about whether Japan can actually host

international guests if this infection keeps spreading.

[10:15:00]

RIVERS: But Japanese officials say that's currently their top priority.

GAKU HASHIMOTO, JAPANESE VICE MINISTER OF HEALTH (through translator): It's important for us to have visitors feel safe and enjoy Japan while

here, the vice health minister says. So this is our big focus.

RIVERS: Japan wants the games to be safe and successful but only so much is in their control. A lot is still unknown about the coronavirus. And who

knows what happens between now and the July kickoff.

ERIC RUBIN, DEPARTMENT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: We don't know how far it's going to spread. And we don't know if it spreads

how long that will last. Could that put the Olympics at risk? Yes. I have tickets, though, and I'm not giving them up.

RIVERS: Nobody wants a virus to ruin the games, the Olympic flame, after all, is designed to not go out. The hope that this rehearsal turns into the

real thing by the end of July.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the latest sectors to suffer from the outbreak is education. At least five American universities have suspended their

programs to study in Italy and are encouraging students to return home. Now the effect on higher education could be particularly tough in Australia.

International education is the fourth largest export. And Australia is the world's third most popular destination for education. Now an estimated

65,000 Chinese students are at risk of canceling their enrollment due to travel restrictions which could cost Australia's top universities an

estimated $1.2 billion.

Well, coming up in the next hour or so, we will analyze the surprisingly low numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa. I'm going to ask a

World Health Organization representative responsible for the continent about the preparations there.

Also ahead, targeting Bernie Sanders. The Democratic front-runner had the biggest bull's-eye on his back as presidential contenders clashed at a

debate in South Carolina. A report on that is coming up.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe in the American people. I don't believe in the power structure right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: African-Americans in South Carolina tell us their biggest concerns about the candidates, President Trump and the fairness of the

election in the U.S. as a whole.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OLIVER LAOUCHEX, CEO TRACE: MY NAME IS OLIVER LAOUCHEX, I am the chairman and CEO of Trace. People of African origins were completely

underrepresented in traditional media. They needed to have their own voice, their own platform to express their culture, their creativity. So we

decided to set up Trace from the very beginning would be this platform so that they can express themselves. At the very beginning it was mainly

focused on music and entertainment. And now we are migrating to employment. You can have an impact on the life of the people with education.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dream job. Trace academia.

LAOUCHEX: For each we can give this platform and make it a game changer for the lives of people and a positive game changer, then I will have

considered that I have accomplished somehow a kind of dream.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think I would make a better President than Bernie.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump. Think about what that

will be like for this country.

TOM STEYER (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Bernie Sanders' analysis is right. The difference is I don't like his solutions.

JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Bernie, in fact, hasn't passed much of anything.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not think that this is the best person to lead the ticket.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Should you keep on going, we will elect Bernie. Bernie will lose to Donald Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:20:00]

ANDERSON: One by one, the top White House contenders lined up and took aim at the Democratic front-runner, Bernie Sanders. He took the brunt of the

attacks Tuesday evening at a Presidential debate in South Carolina. His rivals called him out for his recent comments on Cuba. They say the

Democratic socialist is a risky candidate who could sink the party's chances in November.

Let's bring in our Jeff Zeleny. Jeff, an awful lot at stake. South Carolina's primary is Saturday. Super Tuesday is next week when 14 states

will vote. And quite frankly, this thing could be wrapped up after that should Bernie Sanders continue to burn, correct.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Becky, that is exactly why every one of those Democratic rivals, as you saw there, was directly

taking aim at Bernie Sanders for that exact reason. Trying to slow his momentum going into the South Carolina primary here on Saturday and again

on Super Tuesday -- next Tuesday. That's when 14 U.S. states vote in the election.

So this morning, just a short time ago, Joe Biden received the endorsement from a very prominent member of the U.S. House of Representatives,

Congressman James Clyburn, the highest ranking African-American Congressman in the country and here in South Carolina. So the former Vice President is

hoping that that helps push him to the finish line on Saturday.

But it is still that debate last evening when all incoming was aimed at Bernie Sanders. And he certainly escaped it without much damage. I'm not

sure that anything changed in the debate last night at all, even though it was Joe Biden's strongest debate performance. He is leading here in South

Carolina. But the question is what happens after that? But take a listen to this exchange from Michael Bloomberg. He is the one who has the money and

has his eye on Sanders. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLOOMBERG: I think that Donald Trump thinks it would be better if he's President. I do not think so. Vladimir Putin thinks that Donald Trump is --

should be President of the United States. And that's why Russia is helping you get elected so you'll lose to him.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me tell Mr. Putin, OK, I'm not a good friend of President Xi of China. I think

President Xi is an authoritarian leader. And let me tell Mr. Putin, who interfered in the 2016 election, try to bring Americans against Americans.

Hey, Mr. Putin if I'm President of the United States, trust me, you're not going to interfere in any more American elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: Well, those are words you certainly don't hear from the U.S. President, calling out Vladimir Putin like that. You did hear Senator

Sanders on stage doing that. But the question here is, is Senator Sanders going to be able to withstand all this criticism? His record is obviously

well known but it's being picked over in a more aggressive way because he is the clear front-runner.

But what happens here in South Carolina on Saturday will determine the trajectory of this race. If Joe Biden should win, as he is suggesting he

will do, that could slow Senator Sanders' rise a bit as could Mayor Bloomberg's money and might. But, Becky, it is still early here in this

primary process. But, boy, Bernie Sanders has a head of steam. And a lot of Democrats are worried. Establishment Democrats are worried that he may be

on his way to winning the nomination -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, and Bloomberg joking about his performance at an earlier debate. Jeff, didn't seem to go over very well. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLOOMBERG: I really am surprised that all of these, at my fellow contestants up here, I guess would be the right word for it, even though

nobody pays attention to the clock. I'm surprised they show up because I would have thought after I did such a good job in beating them last week

that they'd be a little afraid to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: I think most people would agree that Mike Bloomberg sort of lacks the comedic touch, but it will take a lot more than humor to beat

Donald Trump in November. He does have the cash. I'm talking Bloomberg here -- as you rightly pointed out. Can he get the support of the Democratic

machine which seems so intent on avoiding a Bernie Sanders candidate against any others?

ZELENY: It's an open question. I mean, you saw Mayor Bloomberg there. It sounded like someone else wrote that self-deprecating line of humor. I

think self-depreciation only works when you're doing it on your own, not reading a line. But look, he had a stronger performance, but that's not

saying much. The first debate performance was bad. So he is a plan B, maybe even a plan C for some Democrats. But he would have to win some vote. And

Michael Bloomberg has not won a single vote. He joins this contest next week. So we'll see what his actual strength is.

We could also see, would there be some type of a conversation of some Democrats coming together trying to stop Senator Sanders? That's also

difficult to do here. So the next, I would say, six days are critical to determining how long this process will go trying to stop Senator Sanders.

That's also difficult to do here. So the next I would say six days are critical to determining how long this process will go and if Bernie Sanders

will be slowed or if he will keep rolling -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. Thank you, Jeff.

What a messy, chaotic debate by many people's standards last night. Saturday's primary will be the first real test of how the candidates are

doing. And that is with minority voters specifically. South Carolina has an African-American population of more than 27 percent. That's far bigger than

any of the states that have held nominating contests so far. CNN's Alisyn Camerota sat down with a group of black voters to hear their concerns about

the election.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN CO-HOST NEW DAY: So let's go around and everybody share their biggest anxiety as you head -- as we head into these next

months.

ALEX BELK, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS: I just got the possibility of Trump winning another term. I just think he'll just go on a tangent and just be

destructive for this country.

CASSANDRA WILLIAMS RUSH, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT: My anxiety, the Russian interference. I just think there could be interferences from whatever

angle, and I'm not sure who it's going to favor in the long run.

BENNY STAR, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS: Just knowing what he's done to the courts and all of these other systems that, you know, he appoints people.

He appoints the secretary of education. Just the erosion of protections for people.

CAMEROTA: Jennifer, your biggest anxiety in the next few months?

JENNIFER WINSTON, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT: It's that there will be sabotage, whatever Democratic -- whatever the Democratic ticket looks like.

Is that there will be sabotage.

DARION MCCLOUD, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT: Between gerrymandering, voter suppression and so many shenanigans we don't have time to name. I believe

in the American people. I don't believe in the power structure right now that will do and is doing anything to remain in power.

VANITY DETERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT: I also am terrified that within the new freshman class of Congress we'll see a resurgence of the GOP

party in the Senate and in the House.

CAMEROTA: And why?

DETERVILLE: When the impeachment happened, I feel like that was the epitome of the power of the Republican Party for the nation to see.

BELK: I think Pelosi was right about the impeachment.

CAMEROTA: What?

BELK: Should never happened. Should have never happened.

MCCLOUD: I disagree with that.

BELK: Yes but look at his numbers. That's what I'm talking about.

MCCLOUD: But when somebody is breaking the law, what do you do?

BELK: I understand.

MCCLOUD: I mean, he basically --

BELK: I understand.

MCCLOUD: We had no choice. If we can't hold the President accountable, what are we?

BELK: I agree with what you're saying, but Pelosi had a good point.

MCCLOUD: Those people there, despite all the money and all, we put those people there. It falls on the electorate. It falls on us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We'll take a very short break. Back after this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICKI SHIELDS, REPORTER, ANTOFAGASTA, CHILI (voice-over): Lithium -- this mineral is a crucial piece in the puzzle of how to clean up our planet. Its

ability to store energy in rechargeable batteries means that global demand is increasing exponentially.

(on camera): Why is it so important to our modern, daily lives?

ELLEN LENNY PESSAGNO, COUNTRY MANAGER, ALBEMARIE: The number one reason is for electric vehicles. A Formula E wouldn't exist if you didn't have

lithium ion batteries, electric vehicle batteries. This salt plat where we operate, we're going to provide enough lithium in a year to build 1.2

million electric vehicles annually.

SHIELDS I've been following Formula E for the last six years and the nerve center of the car originates right here at a lithium mine in the middle of

nowhere in Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, the death toll is rising from days of protests over India's new citizenship law. 24 people have now been killed in street

clashes and almost 200 are injured. President Narendra Modi is appealing for calm. Now the violence broke out on Sunday a short distance away from

the pomp of the President of the U.S.'s state visit.

Indians have been protesting the controversial law for months which gives citizenship to asylum-seekers from three neighboring countries, but there

is a catch -- not if they are Muslim.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Sam Kiley, has been covering these protests ever since they began a couple of months ago, and he's on

the ground again in New Delhi as we speak. And this has been described, Sam, as the worst communal violence in Delhi in decades. What's prompted

this latest action?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of fingers, Becky, are pointing to a local BJP politician who tweeted out on Saturday

that if the police did not clear people away from the street who had up to that point been conducting peaceful demonstrations against this new

citizenship amendment act, that he and his people would do it themselves. Pretty soon after that, coincident with Donald Trump's visit here,

particularly on Sunday, there was an outbreak of rioting, of clashes between people for and against the new legislation that has now passed.

It's now a new law.

And as a consequence of that, mobs of -- a lot of Hindu mobs and reportedly also Muslim mobs attacked one another. We earlier on today visited a

mosque. A mosque that was filmed with a Hindu mob putting a Hindu flag on the top of the minaret. That mosque was burnt. The Hindu flag was still

flying 24 hours later indeed. It wasn't until I asked the local police why it was still up there that did it occurred to them to take it down.

Symbolically, very, very powerful.

But the reality on the ground was that all the shops next to that mosque were burned out. I spoke to a rickshaw driver who was Muslim. His rickshaw

was destroyed as indeed was his house and all of the contents. Even the loo was smashed by this mob. There were no injuries in that location but there

are more and more bodies emerging from this, what is now no question about it, communal violence that has been perhaps instigated by this statement

from this BJP politician. Perhaps simmering not very below -- not very far below the surface.

That now the Indian police have moved in, in considerable force and considerable numbers. The national security adviser has been on the ground.

Narendra Modi has appealed for calm. He's now being taken seriously and loudly so by government that was keen to ignore it, I have to say, whilst

Donald Trump was here. A lot of these riots were occurring when Donald Trump was glad-handing with Prime Minister Modi and enjoying the state

dinner that followed the last part of his trip here at the -- on Sunday evening -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Sam, is it clear whether we have seen the worst of this?

KILEY: No, it's not. I think a great deal of this will depend on the sort of language that is being used by the government and by local politicians,

especially. There's quite a lot of local politics behind some of these events. There have been similar size death tolls elsewhere in India but to

see it in the capital at such a time as a visit, absolutely coincident with the visit of the U.S. President is disastrous from the perspective of the

central government, of Mr. Modi.

But he has been very, very slow to react to it and to get people out on the ground and dealing with it. Now there is hope, of course, that people can

return to their peaceful protests. But there is also deep and simmering resentments now in these communities on both sides. I did also speak to the

uncle of a Hindu victim who said his nephew had just been on the street and been caught by a mob and shot.

But another young man, a Muslim man, his sister-in-law said he had been burnt. These sorts of families were, interestingly, they were all mingling

outside the morgue very peacefully waiting to collect the bodies of their loved ones who had been caught in this communal violence.

[10:35:00]

The issue really will be, can those communities then forgive one another, and that will really depend on the leadership provided both locally and

nationally from politicians -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Just after 9:00 at night in Delhi. Thank you. Sam Kiley reporting for you.

Egypt held a military funeral in Cairo for the former president, Hosni Mubarak, earlier. He died Tuesday at the age of 91 after undergoing surgery

last month. The current President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi attended the funeral as the country observes three days of mourning. Mubarak's iron-

fisted rule of Egypt lasted nearly 30 years until he was forced from power during the 2011 Arab Spring. He was convicted and later acquitted of

killing protesters.

You're watching CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. It is 25 to 8:00 here in the UAE. We'll be back straight after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, Antarctica's northern tip with nine days of record heat has dramatically changed the surface of the normally frozen tundra, as is

known. But on February 6 it recorded its hottest day on record. The same temperature as Los Angeles. Meteorologist Tom Sater now shows us some

surprising satellite images of what is this polar continent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): An image of Antarctica's Eagle Island from space captured by NASA on February 4th. Days later, this

picture. The same area on February 13th. 20 percent of the snow cover melted. In just nine days, the continent's northeastern peninsula

dramatically changed after an unprecedented heat wave in the old in the coldest place on earth.

As temperatures continue to rise due to global warming, scientists say mass melting could lead to irreversible changes.

ZOE THOMAS, RESEARCH FELLOW, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES: With ice sheets, it's very easy to melt them. This happens very fast. But building

them back up again takes thousands and thousands of years. So what we're seeing with the west Antarctic ice sheet is that this starting of the melt

once we reach a certain threshold will continue despite our efforts to stop it.

SATER: And that threshold may be approaching quickly. Earlier this month, Antarctica experienced its hottest day ever recorded as part of what

experts described as an accelerating trend.

CLARE NULLIS, SPOKESWOMAN, WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION: It's among the fastest warming regions of the planet. The amount of ice lost annually

from the Antarctic ice sheet increased at least six-fold between 1979 and 2017.

SATER: As Antarctica's ice sheets melt, the world's sea levels rise. But scientists say it's the unnatural speed of melting that's cause for alarm.

According to the World Meteorological Organization Antarctica's ice sheets contain enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 60 meters. Over

time that could translate to a catastrophic threat for millions living along the world's coasts.

THOMAS: What we will see is a gradual increase in the sea level over tens of hundreds of years and this will gradually displace people as it goes. We

know that this is already happening in small island communities, and this will just continue to happen.

[10:40:00]

SATER: Along with images of balding ice caps and melting glaciers, a warming Antarctica may also lead to more scenes like this. An iceberg the

size of Malta breaking off earlier this month from Antarctica's western edge. The 300-square kilometer chunk detaching itself as sea temperatures

rise. More evidence the European space agency says of Antarctica's meltdown in the midst of a climate crisis.

Tom Sater, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Manchester City are fighting a looming two-year ban from the Champions League for alleged unfair financial practices. The club filing an

appeal today with the court of arbitration for sport or CAS as it's commonly known. Manchester City certainly sounding confident that they can

overturn this. Amanda, does that surprise you in any way?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: No. It's not a surprise at all. They've said very much from the word go when they got this news, that they're going

to fight it. They are confident. We don't know. We have to say, we don't know the time frame as it's going to play out. But more immediately, more

immediately, they have got to focus on this evening's Champions League that's against Real Madrid. It is a big one, Becky. We've got build-up to

that and news of the latest coronavirus sporting victims coming up in just a couple of minutes.

ANDERSON: Fantastic. Amanda's in the house. We're taking a short break. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[10:58:13]

DAVIES: -- But that's it. We're out of time on this edition of "WORLD SPORT." Time to hand you back to Becky.

ANDERSON: Lovely. Thank you very much, indeed, Amanda. We'll be back at the top of the hour as the W.H.O. tells the world to prepare for a

pandemic. Major virus hot spots popping up in Europe. My interview with the Spanish health minister is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END