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CNN International: Nasrallah set to Speak as Death Toll in Electronic Attacks Rises, Israel and Hezbollah both Claim Cross-Border Strikes; Hezbollah Vows Retaliation Against Israel for Pager Attack; CDC: Fatal Drug Overdoses in U.S. Drop 10 Percent in 2023; London's Mayor Reveals Plan to Ban Traffic on Oxford Street; Manchester City and Inter Milan Held to 0-0 Draw. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired September 19, 2024 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: This is the scene in Beirut after two days of coordinated attacks by Israeli intelligence. Coming up
this hour, I'll be speaking to the Lebanese Health Minister for an update. It is 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. I'm in for my
colleague, Becky Anderson, and you're watching "Connect the World".
We've also got good news coming up this hour in the United States, data showing a sharp decrease in drug overdose deaths. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm seeing a lot more of my staff who used to be for Trump, a little more excited, or a little pushing Trump away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, how can the Democratic party win male voters back from Donald Trump. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is in middle America to find out. Welcome to the
show, and we start off with Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah, due to speak next hour after two days of unprecedented attacks targeting Hezbollah in
Lebanon.
The militia is already vowing revenge after exploding pagers and walkie- talkies, killed at least 37 people, some of them children, injuring thousands more, according to Lebanese health officials. Now CNN has learned
that Israel's military and spy agency were behind Tuesday's pager attack.
Our doctor described scenes of chaos and bloodshed in the -- after pagers used by hundreds of people exploded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DANIA EL HALLAK, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST: He was feeling that he picked something from the ground and it burned into his face. We saw his
hands. They were bandaged. They were all blood. His face was all bloody. We didn't know what to do. We didn't understand what was happening. At that
moment, we started receiving text messages that about pagers exploding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right. These attacks coming as Israel's Defense Minister saying his country is entering a new era of war. Jeremy Diamond is connecting us from
Tel Aviv. We've got Paula Hancocks here with us in Abu Dhabi. And Jeremy, I want to start off with you and just this new era of war that Israel is
talking about, and whether this means an expansion of war.
We are waiting to hear from Hezbollah Leader later on in about an hour's time. But give me a sense of what's going on at the northern border and how
Israel is preparing for potential retaliation.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have seen a number of significant moves taken by the Israeli government as well as the Israeli
military in recent days, coupled with the rhetoric that we are hearing from the Israeli Defense Minister as well as the Prime Minister, when Yoav
Gallant talks about a new phase of this war, talks about the center of gravity moving north
He is very much talking about the Israeli military shifting its focus from Gaza, which has been seen the brunt of the fighting over the course of the
last year, and moving troops and moving attention and focus towards Israel's northern front. And indeed, yesterday, we saw the 98th division of
the Israeli military, a key fighting force in Gaza over the course of the last year, being redirected from the Gaza Strip towards Northern Israel.
Now we haven't seen other steps taken yet, such as a mass call up of reservists, for example, which would be a bigger indication of a looming
all-out war with Hezbollah. For now, it seems that the Israeli military and its government are on a heightened state of alert once again, as tensions
have soared following those attacks caused by exploding pagers as well as walkie-talkies over the course of the last two days in Lebanon, leading to
the deadliest period of two days for Hezbollah.
As a total of 38 Hezbollah members have now been killed. 33 of those, it would seem, were killed in those pager and walkie talkie attacks. And so,
there's no question that beyond just the death toll, which is significant for Hezbollah, there is also, of course, the factor of the vulnerability
that was exposed and the embarrassment that was caused to Hezbollah's security apparatus.
And now Hezbollah very much in a position where they will feel like they need to retaliate and retaliate quite forcefully, What form that attack
takes is likely to determine how much further this conflict is going to go, and whether or not it will spill into all-out war.
Already today, we have seen a resumption of cross border attacks, Hezbollah firing drones into Northern Israel, which appear to have caused multiple
casualties.
[09:05:00]
We are still waiting for an exact figure, but we understand that at least eight people have already been hospitalized in Northern Israel, and of
course, there have been continued Israeli strikes in Southern Lebanon as well. So, this is a very precarious moment. But of course, as we know, we
have seen tensions rise before. We have seen them ultimately come down from that brinkmanship, whether or not that is the case this time remains to be
seen.
GIOKOS: Yeah, it's an important question, Jeremy, and perhaps we'll have more insights in about an hour's time. Paula, when we hear from Hasan
Nasrallah, because we just don't know how Hezbollah is going to retaliate. We don't know if we're going to get any plans in terms of retaliation,
because this was an embarrassing moment for the militant group, and the question is, what do they do now?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a key speech for the Hezbollah Chief, Hassan Nasrallah. He has made many speeches over recent months. And
he's always been a pain to point out the Hezbollah doesn't want this all- out war. We will be listening very closely to see what exactly he says this time, because it's not just the messaging about possible retaliation.
They have said that they will retaliate. We don't know how that will happen, but he's really speaking and needing to reassure his own fighters.
I mean, the fact is, there are thousands that have been injured, potentially, there is very little communication between all of them. So,
from Hezbollah's point of view, this is a massive embarrassment.
They have been infiltrated right at the heart of their organization, and everybody is questioning their ability to even be able to retaliate --
GIOKOS: Yeah, there something also to be said about the last two days, and what that means for people across Lebanon, in the areas that have been
impacted. And I know you've been hearing a lot of what people are experiencing and feeling on the ground right now.
HANCOCKS: Well, that's right, this is bigger than Hezbollah. Hezbollah, yes, was the target, but they weren't the only victims in this we know, for
example, that some children were killed in these attacks. And we're hearing from people in Lebanon that there is paranoia, there is real concern about
anything that has a battery in it, that is any kind of wireless device.
We're hearing anecdotally. We're hearing from our teams on the ground that people don't particularly want to use mobiles at this point.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
HANCOCKS: We know that the Beirut International Airport has said no pagers, no walkie-talkies on any flights. That's understandable, but this has gone
beyond that, because it wasn't just one isolated attack, it was two days on two different devices across the whole of Lebanon, and it went way beyond
just affecting Hezbollah fighters, it has affected a psyche of a nation at this point.
GIOKOS: Yeah, absolutely. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much for that insight. Always good to see you. I want to stay on this and get the view
from inside of Lebanon, now reeling from two consecutive days of attacks. Now the Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad joins us from Beirut.
Sir really good to see you. An important time to be speaking with you. You've been visiting hospitals. You've been seeing the extent of some of
the injuries, two days of exploding devices. Can you update us on what you've been seeing within the hospitals?
DR. FIRASS ABIAD, LABANESE HEALTH MINISTER: Well, indeed, you know, we've had two days where we had a large number of those who are injured coming to
the hospitals. The total tally of those who are dead is 37 including two children, an 8-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy. Now in the hospitals, the
vast majority of the injuries on the first day were mainly in the face and in the upper extremity.
We've seen people who have lost their eyesight because their eyes have been damaged. And we've seen people where they have lost the use of their hands,
whether they've had amputation of fingers or a completely mangled hand. And I think that a large number of those are going to have a life changing
injury to deal with.
GIOKOS: Minister, you mentioned child casualties. Could you give us a sense or a picture of how many civilians unaffiliated with Hezbollah could have
been caught up in this.
ABIAD: It's very difficult to say, because, you know, this didn't happen on a battlefield.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ABIAD: I mean, even those who might be affiliated with Hezbollah, the vast majority of what we saw were civilians coming in. They came from they were
part in a market, as some of the videos had shown, they were in the street. They were in their cars. Some of them were actually working in hospitals.
We have a nurse who lost his, you know, who died because of this. We have some other three healthcare workers who are severely injured.
[09:10:00]
So, this happened in a civilian sort of environment. It didn't happen on a battlefield, and that's why it's difficult to say, you know, to sort of
differentiate between, let's say, competence and non-competence. And this is one of the reasons why Lebanon and the government considers this and
indiscriminate attack in the sense that, you know it's clearly when those devices were detonated. There was no concern that, you know there are
civilians nearby and they might be injured.
GIOKOS: So, Minister, here's the question, and we've seen some of the visuals in the video of various devices exploding in public spaces, as you
say, even in the market for example, what kind of injuries are we talking about here if you're just in close proximity of a device like this
detonating?
ABIAD: So, you know, there are two types of injuries that we've noticed. The first one, this is the pager. And here, what apparently happens is that
those pagers went off. People were looking at the, you know, the message, and then they exploded. And that explains why the main injuries are to
hands and to the face, to the eyes.
And these are the vast majority we've had up till now. We've operated on 900 or we performed 955 operations on patients. And as I said, a large
number of them have lost the use, the function in their eyes or in their hands. Now on the second day, these were the walkie-talkies, which are
bigger devices, and they caused a much bigger injury.
And a lot of those patients ended up either having, you know, extensive surgeries. And it also explains why we have a higher tally of fatalities in
the second day, you know, we in the first day, we had 12 deaths, in the second day we had 20, sorry, 25.
GIOKOS: Minister, 25 -- Minister, I want to talk about the ability for hospitals to deal with this kind of influx of injuries. And I know a lot of
people are currently in ICU as well. Lebanon has been dealing with the lack of government funding specifically to hospitals been dealing with various
crises. What kind of scenarios are we looking at here, your ability to be able to deal with these types of attacks?
ABIAD: Well, indeed, that was the main worry when the conflict started. And from day one, you know, we were working on a scenario where there are mass
casualties. Now, because, you know, the health system is working in a low resource environment, then it became a very important role for coordination
and for making sure we have the right plan to be able to absorb any large number of casualties.
So, we have been instigating a disaster plan where, you know, different hospitals can deal with this. And indeed, you know, this was an action two
days ago where we had 1100 ambulances transporting almost 2000 patients from in different parts of the country.
And at one point we were transferring patients from the south of Lebanon to the north of Lebanon, and almost 90 hospitals were receiving those
patients. Now, this was something that helped us really absorb these almost, you know, 2500 patients within a very short period of time.
And a lot of those patients are still in the hospital. You know, up till now, we still have 1343 patients still in hospitals. And when the second
attack happened, we were really worried, because if we had a similar, you know, outcomes like the day before, our hospitals would really have been
overwhelmed. Luckily, it wasn't the case --
GIOKOS: So, Minister --
ABIAD: But that leaves some questions.
GIOKOS: Yeah. So, Minister, here's my question. We're waiting to hear from Hezbollah Leader, Hassan Nasrallah in around 45 minutes time. We don't know
whether we're going to see further escalation. We don't know what retaliation would look like. We know that Israel has said that they're now
shifting their focus as a new era of war.
The whole region is concerned about further escalation. I'm sure you must be as well. How are you preparing for the worst-case scenario? Are you
equipped to deal with more of this?
ABIAD: You know, it's very difficult to define what is the worst-case scenario. I mean, the attacks that we witnessed yesterday and the day
before were unprecedented.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
ABIAD: I mean, never have we seen the use of, you know, detonating these kind of communication devices and therefore, you know, if there is an
escalation in the conflict in the future, we don't know what Israel might do, or what are the aftermaths that we can you know, that we will be
facing.
[09:15:00]
So, you know, the only thing we can do, and this is what we have been doing, is increasing our level of preparedness. You know, we're stocked up
medications and medical supplies for four months. We've made sure that we've trained, you know, all our 150 hospitals to be able to deal with mass
casualties, including those in the north, which are the farthest away from any possible conflict.
But I really cannot say that we know what's going to happen, or that we are at a level of preparedness where I, as a minister of health feel
comfortable. And you know, in whatever might come.
GIOKOS: Well, Minister, thank you so much for speaking with us today uncertain times, and we appreciate you taking the time to share this with
us.
ABIAD: Thank you.
GIOKOS: Much appreciated. Well, we are covering the story across all CNN platforms, including our newsletter, "Meanwhile in the Middle East", which
brings you expert's analysis on the biggest stories in the region. You can scan the code on your screen right now and have it delivered straight to
your inbox three times a week.
Right, coming up, Tim Walz is making the case to American men that Donald Trump is a dangerous choice for women and for the United States as a whole.
Plus, a big drop in drug overdose deaths in the United States last year. We'll take a look at what's behind it, straight ahead. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back! Now the U.S. presidential election is proving to be a tight race. The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Vice President
Kamala Harris gaining ground on Former President Donald Trump in three key battleground states. And the Harris team is trying to cut into a crucial
source of Trump's support, men. Jeff Zeleny shows us how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Cracks in the glass ceiling aren't enough. We need to make sure that that glass ceiling is
shattered and Kamala Harris steps through.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tim Walz is hard at work on one of his most important assignments.
WALZ: You saw it, Kamala Harris can take care of herself. Our job is to do the blocking and tackling and cover her back.
ZELENY (voice-over): He and his running mate rarely discuss gender, yet the gender gap may help decide the election. Strong support from women has put
Kamala Harris within reach of defeating Donald Trump. But with 48 days to go, her campaign is racing to win over another critical set of voters, men.
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ, UNDECIDED NORTH CAROLINA VOTER: It would be phenomenal to have the first female president, and that's exciting.
ZELENY: Yeah.
HERNANDEZ: Also, Donald Trump is a strong president, you know, he gets things done.
[09:20:00]
ZELENY (voice-over): Anthony Hernandez, a 36-year-old North Carolina voter, is among those at the center of an intense tug of war. His ultimate
decision holds clues for November.
ZELENY: So, are you undecided?
HERNANDEZ: -- undecided. Yeah, I didn't know Kamala was so well spoken, you know that was a change from Biden.
ZELENY (voice-over): The Trump campaign is working to widen its advantage with male voters overall, particularly young men, with the former president
deploying old school muscle. As Democrats take a far different approach to chip away at Trump's edge with Walz speaking directly to husbands and
fathers.
WALZ: Do you want J.D. Vance deciding about your wife and daughter's health?
ZELENY (voice-over): His frequent retort on abortion right.
WALZ: Mind your own damn business.
ZELENY (voice-over): Struck a chord with Tobey Pierce, who saw Walz Tuesday night in Asheville.
TOBEY PIERCE, NORTH CAROLINA HARRIS VOTER: It's none of your damn business. It's my motto now. I think that's a wonderful way to talk about the whole
abortion and reproduction right.
ZELENY (voice-over): At a rain-soaked rally, Alex Vigil and Kevin Miller said they believe Trump exhaustion could help Democrats make inroads with
men and women alike.
ALEX VIGIL, NORTH CAROLINA HARRIS VOTER: I'm seeing a lot less Trump flags in our parking lot. I'm seeing a lot more of my staff who used to be for
Trump, a little more excited, or a little pushing Trump away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm hoping that it's going to be a surprise. There'll be a lot more men than we think.
ZELENY (voice-over): This T-shirt was a gift to Bruce Sargent from his daughter after Trump was first elected, he knows he's in the minority. When
it comes to how many men vote.
BRUCE SARGENT, NORTH CAROLINA HARRIS VOTER: We're going to rely on a lot of the women show you now, the men just need you to stand behind those women
and come out with them.
ZELENY (voice-over): It's an open question just how many men will do that? Even those here, like Stanley Benedict, not fully enamored with Trump, plan
to vote for him.
STANLEY BENEDICT, NORTH CAROLINA HARRIS VOTER: He's got a big ego, and sometimes it's a little too big, because he'll toot his horn a lot, but I
support him because of he proved himself.
ZELENY (voice-over): While the outcome of the Trump-Harris duel may turn on the gender gap or the balance of who men and women support in this
election, gender itself is far less a part of the discussion.
WALZ: Kamala Harris isn't talking about the historic nature of this. She just puts her nose down and does the work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (on camera): There is no question that women are the lifeblood to the Harris campaign, and men are critical to Trump. But here in
battleground North Carolina and in the other top battleground states across the country, men are emerging as one of the key demographics in the final
stages of this race, strategists believe there are simply more persuadable men out there to support either side.
It will be the targets in advertising and other campaign activities. Women could keep Harris in the hunt, but it could be men who could put her over
the finish line. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Asheville, North Carolina.
GIOKOS: The diverse and influential Teamsters union has announced it's not endorsing anyone in this year's U.S. presidential race. This is the first
time in nearly three decades, the teamsters have withheld an endorsement, and those since have been in support of the Democratic nominee. Survey data
released by the union indicates about 60 percent of its members support Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.
The Teamsters include truck drivers, warehouse and health care workers, even police officers and Teamsters airline pilots. In a statement, the
president said this quote, we sought commitments from both Trump as well as Kamala Harris to not interfere in critical union campaigns or core
industries and to honor our members right to strike, but were unable to secure those pledges. Donald Trump had this reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any reaction to the Teamsters decision not to endorse?
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, they are. It's a great honor. They're not going to endorse the
Democrats. That's a big thing. And this is the first time that, I guess, 50, 60 years of that's happened. Democrats automatically have the damn
shoes. They took a vote, and I guess I was at 60 percent or more, and that's a great honor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, the number of fatal drug overdoses in the United States dropped a whopping 10 percent in last year. Health officials say as the
first decline in five years. Sadly, of course, it comes after a steep rise in overdose deaths during COVID. Now, some experts say the latest drop
could be partially due to more fentanyl users carrying the overdose antidote, Narcan or Naloxone.
Still 101,000 people died from drug overdoses in the year to April, but at least that means thousands fewer families were torn apart by tragedy. Let's
bring in CNN's Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell to give us an update. I mean, really encouraging that the number has dropped, however, the overall
figure of fatalities still very concerning. The question is, can that number drop even further in the year to come?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That is the question. Researchers are calling this unprecedented, and they are thrilled to see the progress
noting, as you said. 100,000 deaths per year is still an unacceptable number, and much higher than we saw before the pandemic.
[09:25:00]
If you look at the CDC's graphs of drug overdose deaths nationally, you do see that we're now seeing this drop of about 10 percent in the latest
years' worth of data. That's the lowest level in three years. And drug researchers are sort of parsing through this, trying to see, is this a real
drop?
And one of the reasons they point to it being a real decline is because you are seeing other indicators as well beyond overdose deaths, non-fatal
overdoses, they say nationally are also looking like they're declining by about 15 to 20 percent. So that's on top of the 10 percent decline we're
seeing in fatal drug overdoses, and they're also saying that as they look at state by state, some of these drops are even of larger magnitudes.
And so, there is a lot of hope that this is a real decline and that this decline will continue. One of the trends they are seeing in the data is
that there's a particular decline in fentanyl associated deaths and deaths from other synthetic opioids by about 20 percent in that data set. So that
is one of the major things that is behind these numbers.
GIOKOS: Meg, what are researchers saying in terms of what is driving the decline, and importantly, how that could help in the future, in the next
few years, to try and scale those numbers?
TIRRELL: Yeah. I mean, this is a bit of a medical mystery at this moment. They are so thrilled by the numbers, but they're a little puzzled by what
exactly is driving these trends. As you pointed out, Naloxone or Narcan, that opioid overdose reversal drug that becoming more widely available,
including over the counter in the U.S. here you can buy this now in pharmacies without a prescription.
That is hoped to be contributing to this decline also coming out of the pandemic, because we are still at a level now where drug overdose deaths
are higher than they were before the pandemic began. So, starting to come down from that. There is hope also that there's increasing access to
treatment for opioid use disorder.
There are fentanyl test strips, but there are all kinds of dynamics that may be playing into this. Researchers now are trying to get a handle on
what those are, so that they can employ them even more and hopefully keep driving this number lower.
GIOKOS: Meg Tirrell, great to see you. Thank you so much. We're going to very short break and coming up right after this, the U.S. Fed cut rates by
a massive half a percentage point. We are going to check in on how the markets are excited about this. We'll check in on those numbers right now.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
GIOKOS: Right, it's an extra dose of jubilation at the New York Stock Exchange as markets open for the trading day. I'm Eleni Giokos, welcome
back to "Connect the World". Let's check in to see how those opening numbers are faring. You've got to remember you had a big boost yesterday
after the Federal Reserve cut rates by half a percentage points.
And as you can see, it's reflected in the way the markets are faring in early trade. You've got the DOW up 1.3 percent NASDAQ a whopping 2.3
percent to the good and S&P also very much in the green. Investors deciding they're liking the Fed's first rate cut since March 2020, and its outlook
for the future and future cuts potentially as well.
Now, on Wednesday stocks initially jumped on the news, but the trading session became volatile and ended lower in fact. We've got CNN's Matt Egan,
breaking down the Fed's move for us.
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: This is a major milestone for the economy, the first interest rate cut since COVID. And the Fed, they decided to go big.
The fact that they went with a jumbo-sized interest rate cut, it's telling on multiple levels. First, it shows they're not worried about inflation
anymore.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell, he stopped short of declaring victory over inflation, but they're all but doing that. It does also suggest, though,
that they are worried about what they're seeing in the jobs market. Powell, he said repeatedly that he's not alarmed with the jobs market. He even said
at one point, the labor market is in a strong place.
We want to keep it there. But there are some economists who are concerned that the Fed is late. And that they need to play catch up before the cracks
in the jobs market turn into something more ominous. So, the Fed has made clear that they've switched the mission.
They've gone from fighting inflation to fighting unemployment. Of course, all of this is happening just weeks before this hotly contested election.
Now, Powell, he stressed politics played no role here, and that the Fed only does what they believe is right. And I asked Powell about the idea
from Former President Trump that the sitting U.S. President should have a say in where interest rates go. And Powell, he made clear he's not a fan of
that idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, CHAIR OF U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: We do our work to serve all Americans. We're not serving any politician, any political figure, any
cause, any issue, nothing. It's just maximum employment and price stability on behalf of all Americans. And that's how the other central banks are set
up, too. It's a good institutional arrangement which has been good for the public, and I hope -- and strongly believe that it will continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EGAN: Powell went on to say that the evidence is clear. Independent central banks are the ones that have lower inflation. Matt Egan from the Federal
Reserve, CNN.
GIOKOS: Well, let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now. Just seven days in the Boeing strike has already cost
the company and its workers more than half a billion dollars with no signs of a settlement in sight, the pace of losses is climbing rapidly.
It could hit the $1 billion mark early next week. Rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in detention after a judge in the U.S. denied his appeal for
bail. Combs was indicted earlier this week on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He could be sentenced to life in prison if he's convicted on all charges. U.S. House Republicans couldn't muster enough votes to pass a package on
government funding, as some Republicans joined Democrats to torpedo the bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he'll draw up a new temporary
spending bill to keep the government running beyond the end of this month, when current funding is due to expire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Now we go back to the playbook. We'll draw up another play, and we'll come up with a solution. I'm already talking to
colleagues about their many ideas. We have time to fix the situation, and we'll get right to it. I'm disappointed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, London's Mayor has announced a plan to ban all vehicles from a section of Oxford Street, one of the city's most famous and busiest
streets. The project now has the backing of Britain's Deputy Prime Minister. CNN's Anna Stewart finds out what local people think about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Imagine if Times Square had no cars. Well, that may soon happen here in London. Welcome to the shopping hub of Oxford
Street.
[09:35:00]
This major intersection is where the Mayor of London would like to pedestrianize. Watch the locals think. Banning cars on Oxford Street, yes,
or no? That was a no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Banning cars?
STEWART: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't like it so much because it's full of people and like, it's quite busy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a great idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to affect all the businesses. Where are the busses and the cabs -- terrible --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get the traffic out of the city completely.
STEWART: It's not the first time the mayor has proposed this. Plans were blocked by Westminster City Council in 2018.
SADIQ KHAN, LONDON MAYOR: The difference this time is I've got the support of central government, and that means if, God forbid, there was opposition
from the council, we'd have the powers to proceed with good plans.
STEWART: The mayor still needs to get the green light from government, but in two years, this may all be -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, up next, the quantum race and what one woman is doing to make the UAE a leader in the computing revolution. Plus, Manchester City drew in
the Champions League opener Wednesday, while their captain appears to suffer an injury. Well assess the team's chances against Arsenal on Sunday
that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Quantum computers could one day unlock secrets that today's computers will never crack, while the U.S., European Union and China lead
the way in investing in this tech. One woman hopes to see the UAE become a regional player. Anna Stewart talks to her for decoded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEWART (voice-over): Quantum computing could revolutionize everything from truck discovery to the fight against climate change.
MALAK TRABELSI LEOB, FOUNDER OF VERNEWELL GROUP INC.: The next race is no longer the space race is the quantum race.
STEWART: And this is why it's so important for the UAE to have a position in quantum.
LEOB: Exactly. We will have leaders, and we will have nations that are way behind.
STEWART (voice-over): To ensure the UAE doesn't get left behind. Malak organized the country's first quantum Innovation Summit in Dubai earlier
this year. She also helps coordinate workshops across the country.
STEWART: So, you're sending me back to class?
LEOB: Yes, exactly!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, good afternoon, and welcome everyone. So, we're very happy to start the workshop. One of the signature themes that we have is
indeed a topological quantum computing language.
STEWART (voice-over): Malak says about 150 people have participated in these seminars so far.
STEWART: I don't understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Using a combination of type theory, computer science and homotopy theory from topology.
STEWART (voice-over): Which also allows students to get hands on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For you maybe I'll start with the one qubit system. So, you see one qubit.
STEWART: One qubit?
[09:40:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One qubit with for you, just for you. So, to start with this, you know --
STEWART (voice-over): Apparently, I'm only qualified to use it at half its capacity. This quantum computer, which you access via a classical computer
has just two qubits. Malak says it's purely for educational purposes.
LEOB: For a researcher working on hands on that it's not in the cloud, it's in front of you. It's important in order to build capacity, to build the
capability.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, what did you learn from this quantum computation?
STEWART: That I should have done a PhD --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: A bit of a scary increment, crazy story we're following. Bitten and strangled by a giant snake. The story is a stuff of nightmares. Stay with
me. It does end positively, and you can see in this video, a 64-year-old Thai woman completely immobilized by the snake wrapped around her waist.
And she was in this situation for more than two hours as she struggled and tried to free herself, but she was no match for the python as it tightened
its coils, so she started screaming for help, and luckily, a neighbor heard and summoned the police. It took them half an hour to free her and the
snake escaped. Well, Thailand is home to three types of pythons and hundreds of other snake species, bites and attacks are not uncommon.
All right, it was not the opener Manchester City were hoping for. They drew against Inter Milan and the Champions League opener on Wednesday, while
their captain suffered what appeared to be a groin injury. Amanda Davies is now with us. Give us an update on everything that played out. Amanda, good
to see you.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi, Eleni. I mean, I was going to say it's pretty much the stuff of nightmares for Manchester City fans, but having
not only just heard that python story, but then the fact that the python escaped, this probably pales in comparison. But yeah, it worked.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
DAVIES: Certainly, wasn't the greatest start.
GIOKOS: I agree.
DAVIES: So, Manchester City's European Champions League campaign. They earned a draw, which Pep Guardiola was pretty happy about, but they
suffered a worrying injury to their captain, Kevin De Bruyne, who didn't come out for the second half. And it's not just the fact he's their
captain, it's Kevin De Bruyne is the fact that they have a huge top of the table Premier League clash against title rivals Arsenal coming up on
Sunday.
But Arsenal has some worrying injury news of their own. We've got the latest on their caps in Martin Odegaard coming up in just a couple of
minutes in "World Sport".
GIOKOS: Right, Amanda, we'll see you right after this. And I'll be back at the top of the hour. We'll see you soon. Stay with CNN.
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