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Taliban Expected to Announce New Government Soon; British Foreign Minister Says U.K. Won't Recognize Taliban as Government; China and Afghanistan to Beef Up Relations; Japan's Struggling Prime Minister to Soon Step Aside; U.S. Jobs Growth Much Weaker Than Expected in August. Aired 10- 11a ET

Aired September 03, 2021 - 10:00:00   ET

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

[10:00:08]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Facing a new reality. Britain's Foreign secretary talks about his counterpart in Pakistan about dealing

with a future Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Police in New Zealand shoot and kill a man they saw carry out a terror attack at a shopping mall. They say he was under surveillance the entire

time.

And first, New Orleans. Now New York. The deadly path of destruction from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Left large parts of the United States

reeling.

Well, it's 6:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. Hello, and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, we may getting a clearer picture of the new Afghanistan. One that includes desperation and defiance. Waiting for the Taliban to announce

their government anytime now. It could give us a glimpse into whether they intend to keep their promises of being more tolerant and inclusive.

Women, daring to protest, demanding to be part of that government. We saw a small demonstration in the capital today. That came after another women's

protest on Thursday in Herat for equal rights. Fighting is heating up in the last anti-Taliban hold out meantime in tense new clashes are reported

in the Northern Panjshir Valley. A militant commander reports hundreds of Taliban casualties there, which the group denies.

Meantime, more aid arriving in country. This flight originated here in the UAE carrying food and medicine, and the U.N. is resuming aid flights

outside of Kabul as it warns of a humanitarian catastrophe. Well, a lot of Afghans trying to leave before any such crisis. More arriving at the

Pakistan border every day. We've seen some chaotic scenes of late. Very few are actually making it across.

The British Foreign secretary was expected to visit the border today. He also met with his Pakistani counterpart. Dominic Raab said he met with his

Pakistani counterpart. He reiterated that Britain has to adjust to the new realities while still not recognizing the new Taliban government.

Well, Ben Farmer, the Afghanistan correspondent for the "Telegraph," joining me now via Skype from Kabul.

And Ben, what is the story on the ground as you understand it?

BERN FARMER, AFGHANISTAN CORRESPONDENT, THE TELEGRAPH: So we've been waiting all day for the Taliban to announce their government. That's really

what we're waiting for now. And as you say, that will give us a lot of signs about how they're going to progress and what they're going to do. All

day, we've been told it's imminent. So far they haven't said anything, but I think we're starting to get a few clues.

The persistent rumors that a man called Mullah Barada who's a deputy leader is going to have a very senior role. Perhaps in charge of day-to-day

governance. There will be a lot of scrutiny as you say about how inclusive this is. But I think what we mean by inclusive and what the Taliban might

mean by inclusive are going to be very different things.

ANDERSON: What evidence of a more tolerant Taliban going forward, if at all? What are we -- what are we seeing on the streets of Kabul and other

areas in Afghanistan and what are reports of retribution by the group?

FARMER: So there are certainly very significant and credible reports that there is retribution and reprisal mainly against the people who are in the

security forces. There have been some very, very shocking reports of people being hunted down and killed. The Taliban denies that, but these reports

are very persistent. We've heard about them from very -- from lots of different cities.

Have they changed? They are trying to put forward a more tolerant face. They say they're giving statements about women being allowed to work, about

girls being able to go to school. But it's a mixed picture. I -- this morning while I was out and about reporting, I came across a group of men

who had buckets of whitewash and white paint and they were painting over pictures which they found offensive.

They had been told by the Taliban they've been given a list of things that they had to paint over. And that was any reference to the former Afghan

government's flag or any women who looked like they were Westernized and not sufficiently modest.

[10:05:09]

They had been told to paint over them and they've been given a list of Islamic slogans with which they had to replace those paintings with.

ANDERSON: Images, defiance by women. We are, as you and I speak, running some video of women protesting in Kabul. Just, if you will, describe the

atmosphere in the capital.

FARMER: So I've been struck -- I arrived yesterday. I've been struck by how quiet it is. There are very few cars compared to how I've seen it in

previous visits. It feels slightly tense. It feels like a lot of people are staying away from the streets and it feels like it certainly hasn't

returned to what you might call normality.

We have seen a few of these protests. I have to say these women are very brave for doing this. From what we've heard about the Taliban's reaction in

the past, the fact that they've done this is really quite brave. The video we've seen of these protests, it looked like at the end, the Taliban did

react a little bit violently. They pushed and jostled the journalists and some of the women.

ANDERSON: Ben, we appreciate it. Stay safe.

Doha playing a big role in all of this, of course. Most recently with the processing of evacuees. CNN's senior international correspondent Sam Kiley

is there and joins us live.

Certainly very involved in the processing of these evacuees, but also at the heart of what is going on with regard to politics and playing a pivotal

role. Let's start with this new government. Why is this so important -- Sam.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's critically important. Let's take the Afghan internal issues for a start. Afghanistan

is fractious to say the least. You have these regional capitals like Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, and others all represented by different factions

within the body politic of wider Afghanistan. There will be a necessity to have some kind of regional representation inside this new government for

the Taliban to be able to control these outlying areas that are not necessarily as positively predisposed towards their rule as people in the

Pashtun south in Kandahar or Jalalabad might be.

So that's their internal tensions. Then they've got added internal tensions in terms of the extent to which there are going to be hard liners

dominating the government or those who have been part of this international moderate line that they're trying to take. And then on top of that, there's

a possibility that they may even include former members of the previous government as a sign that they're going to be more inclusive.

Normally perhaps Hamid Karzai, the former president, Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief executive. And then from say, the Qatari point of view, when

we say Qatari, nowadays actually this is the focal point for international relations with the new regime in Kandahar. Lots of the most important

embassies that were in Kabul and now rebasing here. Notably the British and the Americans and others, the Qataris have a considerable amount of

capacity for communication with Taliban.

They understand the Taliban. They don't necessarily at all support the agenda of the Taliban, but they are trying to massage the Taliban towards

maintaining this more inclusive, more moderate tone and turning it into actual policy because they know, and in fact, everybody knows that that

will -- the future of Afghanistan in terms of humanitarian aid and particularly economic stability will depend a great deal on the

international community, on the goodwill of the international community.

Whether or not they ultimately recognize the Taliban as the government, they still need to be able to help through the United Nations, through

NGOs, to keep health services going, to feed people. There's a huge problem with malnutrition. And that's only going to get worse, Becky. So there's

almost an atmosphere of an emergency need. Part of it symbolically reflected by efforts being made to open the airport, but really to try to

get the Taliban to form a government that would be, if not completely acceptable, at least tolerable to the international community, Becky.

ANDERSON: Sam Kiley is in Doha in Qatar. Sam, appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, the Taliban appears to be cozying up to China. In a tweet, a Taliban spokesman said China would maintain its embassy in Kabul and it too would

beef up relations as compared to the past.

Let's get you to CNN producer Steven Jiang. He is in Beijing.

What's China's main motivation to work with the Taliban and build this seemingly deeper friendship with the country?

[10:15:10]

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Becky, there are several motivations. As you mentioned, the two countries just held another phone

call between an assistant foreign minister from China and that senior Taliban leaders based in Doha. Now this is seen by many as another sign of

Beijing formally recognizing the Taliban regime, but of course at least publicly they're still dodging this question with the Foreign Ministry

spokesman on Friday saying only that there's no government being formed in Kabul just yet.

They're watching the situation closely but a crucial point the spokesman made was the Chinese government wants to see the new government in

Afghanistan, quote-unquote, "make a clean break with terrorist groups." Now this is a point they have made time and again including doing a meeting

between the Chinese foreign minister and a Taliban co-founder here in China back in late July. That's because the two countries share a border.

In the past, both officials in state media have said some ethnic Uighur fighters who are seeking to establish an independent state in the Western

Chinese region of Xinjiang, were actually trained in Taliban camps in Afghanistan. So that's also why, you know, doing these conversations

between the two sides. One name keeps popping up. That is the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.

This is a group that was once based in Kabul but is considered a top terrorist threat by the Beijing leadership. So in the latest readout of

this phone call, the Chinese actually again highlighted the Taliban pledge that they would never allow Afghanistan to become a base to be used to

attack Chinese interests -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Taliban spokesman made that tweet said that China would increase its aid to the region. So let's just be quite specific here. What sort of

aid are we talking about?

JIANG: You know, in the tweet itself it mentioned humanitarian aid especially for the treatment of COVID. But of course another name we keep

hearing during this conversation is the belt and road initiative. That's China's massive global investment scheme for huge infrastructure projects.

Now China of course has already invested heavily in the region, especially in Pakistan. But these projects of course have been attracting attention.

You know, attacks from terrorist groups including a local Pakistani affiliate of the Taliban resulting in numerous deaths of Chinese

construction workers. So that's why again, security is top priority for the Beijing leadership when it comes to dealing with Afghanistan, but of course

it's clear economic cooperation will be mutually beneficial. The Taliban could use Chinese money and knowhow in building infrastructure and

industries, and in turn the Chinese could potentially gain very valuable access to minerals ranging from copper to iron to lithium.

So in the words of one Chinese analyst, the Beijing leadership may just be able to break the curse of Afghanistan being the graveyard of its

conquerors because the Chinese are going in armed not with bombs, but with construction blueprints -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Steven, thank you.

Well, you can learn how you might help Afghan refugees, and there are an awful lot of them, as you know, at CNN.com/impact. You'll find a lot of

vetted organizations accepting donations. These non-profits provide people with protection, shelter, water, healthcare. There's also a link to legal

resources for those trying to flee Afghanistan. Please do check that site.

Well, an ISIS supporter managed to stab six people in an Auckland supermarket today even though he was a known security threat under

government surveillance. The attack in New Zealand happened around 3:00 p.m. local time Friday in the suburb of New Lynn. Police shot the attacker

and he died at the scene.

CNN's Ivan Watson with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Panicked shoppers at an Auckland supermarket. Inside --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's someone here with a knife.

WATSON: Disbelief as word spreads of an attacker on a stabbing spree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cops and ambulance has just turned up

WATSON: He wounded six people, leaving three in critical condition. Within moments, police shot the suspect dead.

JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: The attack began at 2:40 p.m. and was undertaken by an individual who was a known threat to New Zealand.

The individual was under constant monitoring and it was the police surveillance team, and special tactics group who were part of that

monitoring and surveillance that shot and killed him within, I'm told, the space of roughly 60 seconds of the attack starting.

WATSON: Just hours after the attack, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern identified the dead suspect as a Sri Lankan national and ISIS supporter who

had been under police surveillance and whose case she had personally known about.

[10:15:03]

ARDERN: What I can say is that we have utilized every legal and surveillance power available to us to try and keep people safe from this

individual. Many agencies and people very involved, and all were motivated by the same thing. Trying to keep people safe.

WATSON: Police say the man took a knife in the supermarket and used it to carry out the attacks. An existing court order initially restricted

government officials from revealing more details about the attacker. Ardern did say the man was labeled a national security threat as early as 2016,

but that wasn't enough to warrant the man's arrest, says the mayor of Auckland.

PHIL GOFF, AUCKLAND MAYOR: He was under police surveillance because of the views that he held, but in our democracy as in yours, you don't get

imprisoned for your views. You get imprisoned for your actions.

RODGER SHANAHAN, TERRORISM EXPERT: This I think is one of the shortfalls of New Zealand counterterrorism legislation is there's no law against of

preparatory acts before an act of terrorism. In Australia, that's what the majority of domestic terrorists are being charged under. Preparatory

charges. It doesn't exist in New Zealand.

WATSON: The New Zealand government now lobbying to lift the court order gagging officials from revealing more about the alleged violent extremist.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, it's a quarter past 6:00 in the evening here in the UAE. Just ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, the record-breaking rains may be over, but

the trauma from Hurricane Ida goes on as millions of people remain under flood warnings. We'll be live in New Jersey. One of the hardest hit areas.

And any minute now Joe Biden leaves for Louisiana nearly a week after the storm slammed into the Gulf Coast. What his administration is doing to help

the region. We'll get you live to New Orleans.

Plus, the mayor of Kabul says he is keeping his position under the Taliban. We'll ask him how he plans to lead the people through these turbulent

times. A live interview with the man is next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, for millions of people in the U.S. northeast, Hurricane Ida is not just another tough storm. It is an ongoing nightmare. Even though

its extreme rains have finally ended, rare and catastrophic flooding goes on. We now know at least 48 people have died since the remnants of

Hurricane Ida wrecked through the region on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning after making landfall in Louisiana of course less than a

week ago. For their loved ones the morning is just beginning.

[10:20:01]

New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio is speaking at this point. A short time ago, he told CNN that New Yorkers have never experienced anything like

this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY: This is something entirely new. Rain that accumulates so quickly that people can be trapped in their own

basement far away from any seashore and that people can be trapped in their cars because the rain accumulates so quickly they don't even know what hit

them. We're in a whole different world.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And the anxiety hasn't let up for the nearly five million people still under flood warnings. Most of them in New Jersey.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is in Manville in New Jersey. That is, Polo, an area hit by the storm. You're joining us from there. What's the latest where you

are?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, just about southwest of Newark, New Jersey, and just about everywhere you look in this particular

community in Manville, there are just reminders of the devastation. Behind me, you see what was a fire in the middle of a flood. Neighbors told me

that yesterday, as this entire neighborhood was just pretty much submerged underwater, that there was a loud explosion that they heard down the

street.

They looked out the window and saw that this house was basically gone. We're told by that neighbor that she believes that those neighbors had

gotten -- the people who lived here actually had gotten out safely because they know that this community floods. But when you just look at the entire

region now, just alone in New York and New Jersey, as of last check, almost 40 people lost their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (voice-over): The remnants of Hurricane Ida overwhelming parts of the northeast and mid-Atlantic with flood waters.

DONOVAN RICHARDS, QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT: This storm was a biblical proportion. It came fast and furious.

SANDOVAL: A race against time for first responders working in overdrive to save people from their homes. In Pennsylvania, emergency crews conducting

thousands of water rescues.

ELLIOT PALMER, BRIDGEPORT, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: The water started gushing in so I head around the back door. The water was raising so high, I

couldn't run straight to the street I had to run up the fire escape. I wounded up on a roof where they had to get a boat to rescue me.

SANDOVAL: Pennsylvania National Guard has been assisting first responders rescuing people from their apartment buildings. The Schuylkill River near

Philadelphia rising two feet above major flood stage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think we know yet the entirety of the damage from this storm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god. Oh, my god.

SANDOVAL: At least eight confirmed tornados ripped through the northeast on Wednesday. One touched down just outside Philadelphia in Mullica Hill, New

Jersey. Heavily damaging or destroying at least 25 homes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our house is gone. What do you mean? He said, the tornado.

SANDOVAL: Residents are starting to clean up. Still in disbelief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of my back windows exploded and then it sounded like a freight train running through my living room. Still feels surreal to me.

SANDOVAL: Following unprecedented rainfall, flood waters are overflowing in many parts of the Garden State enough to even fill up this Minor League

Baseball stadium. First responders using boats and rafts to evacuate people stranded in their homes. The extreme flooding in New Jersey turning deadly.

Four residents drowned at their apartment complex near the river in Elizabeth.

GOV. PHIL MURPHY, NEW JERSEY: An extraordinary, sadly tragic, historic 24 hours in New Jersey. There's no other way to put it.

SANDOVAL: In Queens, New York, the NYPD saying at least eight people died in the basements of homes filled with water. With the brutal storm bringing

New York City subway to a stop and leaving some of its boroughs and surrounding areas under water, the governor saying she's investigating

failures in preparedness.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL, NEW YORK: It's been a hard day for New Yorkers to not just deal with the weather, but to wake up and know that we lost some of

our fellow citizens simply because they weren't able to get out of their car, they weren't able to get out of their homes.

SANDOVAL: President Joe Biden approving emergency declarations overnight. Ordering federal assistance to New York and New Jersey after Wednesday's

catastrophic weather.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My message to everyone affected is we're all in this together. The nation is here to help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: New jersey's governor there describing is historic and tragic, Becky, you don't have to look further than neighborhoods like this to

really get a full sense of the devastation and the damage that was left behind and the heartache as many families are now -- that they lost their

loved ones. Now in terms of what we can expect in the coming hours, not only are we expecting an update Governor Murphy here in New Jersey, but

also in the neighboring state in New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also expected to take questions hopefully in the coming hours. Going to face so many questions involved

including could more have been done to prepare places like New York City for this storm, though when you hear from a lot of people really like we've

been doing for the last couple of days, they say it was simply bigger than what was expected.

ANDERSON: Yes. Absolutely. Polo, thank you.

Well, any moment now, President Biden set to leave for New Orleans to survey the widespread damage there.

[10:25:01]

He'll meet with officials leading the recovery in Louisiana. They face a monumental task. More than 800,000 homes and businesses across the state

are still without electricity. Leaving many without air-conditioning in what is dangerous summer heat. Food and clean water running low and as you

can see here, so is gas. People are waiting in line for hours and continue to do so. The Biden administration says it will release 1.5 million barrels

of oil from the U.S. emergency stockpile to help.

Well, let's get straight to CNN correspondent Adrienne Broaddus who is live in New Orleans. And what is it that Joe Biden will find when he arrives?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he will see some of the devastation, Becky, in the hardest hit areas. He will also meet with parish

leaders and he will chat with Louisiana's governor, and I'm sure during that meeting, he will hear the pain and suffering people are dealing with.

Every day is a battle. You can see the battle behind me. It's a challenge to find food. This is the gas line and to give you some perspective, it

wraps all the way around the block. This is one of the only gas stations that's open here in New Orleans. On the other side, there are people who

walked up physically with their gas cans. They're filling up their gas cans. That's the fuel they need to keep going. To power their generators at

home.

And while some parts of power in the city of New Orleans has been restored, across the state, more than 800,000 power outages remain. 800,000 power

outages. So that means people don't have air-conditioning. The food that they did have has spoiled. Some people are stepping outside to find relief

from the heat -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you for that. Joe Biden on his way to Louisiana state. That story on the ground from Adrienne.

Well, he may be the latest political COVID-19 pandemic casualty. Yoshihide Suga just set the stage for a new prime minister of Japan. We'll explain

why and how in a live report from Tokyo just ahead on the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, special representatives from the U.K. and from Germany have met with the Taliban in Qatar ahead of the coming announcement of what will be a new

Afghan government.

[10:30:00]

Now they discussed issues including humanitarian aid and reopening the Kabul airport. Those meetings coming as the European Union says it is ready

to engage with the Taliban via an E.U. presence, as they described it, in the Afghan capital under strict conditions.

The E.U. Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell calling operational engagement, not a formal recognition. He added security conditions must be met and that

the Taliban must respect human rights and allow foreign nationals and at- risk Afghans to leave the country.

Well, Japan's prime minister says he is stepping aside after less than a year in the role. That may not come as a surprise to many. He lost the

confidence of members of his party and the public over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was Suga's decision to forge ahead with the Tokyo

Olympics despite health officials' warnings and protests, and he says he had to make a choice. Run for re-election or focus on COVID-19.

Well, CNN correspondent Selina Wang has been our eyes and ears on the ground in Tokyo as it hosted these extraordinary games. As we move towards

the end of the Para Olympics, we get this news from the Japanese prime minister. Suga lost the public's confidence. What led us to this point,

Selina?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is stepping down after failing to control the spread of COVID-19 in Japan

and for pushing ahead with the Olympics despite widespread public opposition. He came into office with this reputation of being the

successful, political operative who was going to continue his predecessor Shinzo Abe's policies, but instead he failed to overcome the challenges he

inherited. He's been widely criticized for having slow and indecisive leadership.

And Becky, all of that was compounded by his uncharismatic public style. He struggled to effectively communicate with the public and eventually lost

their confidence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WANG (voice-over): Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is stepping aside after just one year in office.

YOSHIHIDE SUGA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I am not running for the Liberal Democratic Party's leader election since I'd like

to focus on COVID-19 countermeasures.

WANG: He became prime minister after his predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned in September 2020 for health reasons. Suga was Abe's longtime

right-hand man, known as a pragmatic behind-the-scenes deal-maker. He took office with the promise of containing COVID-19, but nearly a year later,

Japan is battling its worst wave of COVID-19 yet as the Delta variant quickly spreads with Tokyo and large parts of the country under a state of

emergency.

His approval ratings have plunged. The public dissatisfied with his handling of the pandemic and the Olympics. The economy still slumping. Suga

pushed ahead with the games despite widespread public opposition and warnings from health officials, including the country's top COVID-19

adviser. While opposition to the games softened when they began, they failed to boost Suga's ratings.

KOICHI NAKANO, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, SOPHIA UNIVERSITY: When it comes to the Olympics, yes, it was a success in the sense that it was

hosted, but there was no domestic spectators and a lot of people were in fact furious that the Olympics were going ahead at the Japanese expenses.

WANG: Suga says the Olympics did not lead to a surge in Japan's COVID cases, but a health experts believe the games did play a role, making

people feel that COVID wasn't a problem and ignored the government's pleas to stay home.

Japan has also lagged behind other developed nations in its vaccine rollout. Held back by bureaucracy and logistical hurdles.

NAKANO: He was not a leader who was able to, you know, I think capture the popular imagination when leadership was badly missing.

WANG: His short time in office will also be remembered for strengthening ties with the U.S.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president and I are very excited.

WANG: Suga's trip to the White House in April was President Joe Biden's first in-person meeting with a foreign leader as president. They vowed to

take on the challenges from China together.

On China, Japanese leaders have struggled to balance security concerns with the country's deep economic ties with China. It's a challenge Suga's

successor will face, along with curbing the pandemic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WANG: Becky, the race now to replace Suga as a leader of the LDP in the September 29th vote now remains wide open. The winner in this LDP election

is widely expected to become prime minister because of the LDP's majority in parliament. But the big question, the big fear now is if Japan returns

to this period of political instability that reigned before Shinzo Abe who was Japan's longest serving prime minister.

[10:35:10]

Prior to that, Japan turned through six prime ministers in six years -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Selina Wang on this story for you. Thank you, Selina.

Well, a former ISIS militant has pleaded guilty in the United States for his role in the kidnapping and the murders of four American and other

hostages in Syria. Alexander Kotey and another ISIS militant whose case is pending were known as the Beatles for their British accents. They had their

U.K. citizenships revoked after joining ISIS. Kotey faces life in prison and is expected to be transferred to Britain for prosecution there after

serving 15 years in the United States.

In Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara State, schools have been ordered shut after at least 73 students were abducted by gunmen this week. Police say a

search and rescue team is working with the military to try and find the abducted kids. Kidnapping now as you will be well aware one of the major

security challenges in Nigeria.

Still ahead, we'll break down a tennis shot that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, rising cases of the Delta variant may be starting to put pressure on economic growth in the United States. The U.S. adding just

235,000 jobs last month. Far fewer than the 700,000 that had been forecast. You can see the stock market's reaction in early trade. It is down. Today's

report could cause the Federal Reserve to postpone an expected move on cutting stimulus later this year.

Let's bring in CNN Business reporter, Paul La Monica, for some perspective on these numbers.

Look, Paul, I mean, the market is off. It's not off significantly, but there are COVID concerns that the sole reason behind the less, sorry -- let

me start that question again. What lies behind these less than stellar job numbers?

PAUL R. LA MONICA, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Yes, thanks, Becky. I think you nailed it. I mean, there are clear worries once again about the Delta

variant and the impact it's having on the U.S. economy. When you look at these numbers, the jobs gains overall were much lower than expected and we

actually had losses in a couple of key categories that you would associate with concerns about going out and shopping during a time of COVID-19 fears.

So retail jobs down in August. Food and beverage establishments so restaurants and bars that went down as well.

[10:40:03]

A clear sign that people may not be going back into total retrenchment, shelter in place mode like they were in March and April of 2020, but

they're probably a little more wary of going out now, and Amazon looks like a better way to order things online for your shopping needs than going out

to a store at a time where you're worried about the Delta variant.

ANDERSON: Paul, we often talk about how the stock market isn't necessarily reflective of what's going on on main street, as it were. What's really

happening in the actual economy. What it does reflect is investor sentiment about what the Federal Reserve, the central bank, is likely to do next. So

what do you believe this latest job report indicates at this point? What's the likelihood of the next move?

LA MONICA: Yes, that's a great question. We had the market have a nice rebound after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said in a key speech

recently that the Fed probably is going to be a little bit more patient with regards to cutting back on stimulus. Those bond purchases that have

been helping to keep long-term rates low. This jobs number likely supports the notion that Jerome Powell and other members of the Fed need to be

patient.

They're not going to overreact to inflation concerns that still can be temporary and they're not going to risk jeopardizing this recovery.

ANDERSON: Forty-one minutes past the hour of 10:00 in New York. Paul, thank you. It is 41 minutes past 6:00 here in the UAE.

Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And the United Kingdom spending four million dose of

Pfizer's COVID vaccine to Australia. It's part of what's being called a swap deal. Canberra seeking to bolster its short-term supplies. Australia's

prime minister says he will send the four million doses back to the U.K. by December.

Well, in the U.S., where COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been a big problem, the White House says 175 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against

the virus. That's up more than 10 million from just a month ago. The U.S. says it shipped more than 130 million doses to 90 other countries.

And back to Australia where the Australian state of New South Wales is being warned the next two weeks will bring the worst COVID numbers.

Officials report 1400 new local cases on Friday despite the lockdown. The state premier is aiming for 70 percent of the population to be vaccinated

by mid-October.

Right. To a tennis shot now and it's a shot for the ages at the U.S. Open in New York. If you have ever played tennis, you will know that you have to

hit the ball over the net to win a point, right? Well, not exactly. American Jenson Brooksby managed to avoid the net entirely and still hit a

winning shot.

Amanda Davis is here. Fans back in the stands in New York after that flash flood emergency and they got a right treat, didn't they?

AMANDA DAVIS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was well worth the wait. That's, you know, one of those shots that you remember for the entirety of

your career. I mean, it's the confidence of youth, isn't it, Becky? He's considered one of the men's tour next gen players and you can see why. It

really was quite sensational and he went on to win the match. Knock out his fellow American, Taylor Fritz. And fantastic shots at the tennis. So, too,

at the goal for the tour championship. And we're going to be live to East Lake in just a couple of minutes.

ANDERSON: Excellent stuff. Amanda is in the house. After the break, I'm back after that. Stay with us, folks.

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