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CNN International: IDF says it is Carrying Out "Extensive" Strikes on Hezbollah; Early Voting Underway Across Multiple States; Suspect in Apparent Trump Assassination Attempt in Court; Power Plant Trading Coal for Renewable Energy; Arsenal Gave Man City all they Can Handle. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired September 23, 2024 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in Washington, White House where President Joe Biden will meet with the
President of the UAE in the coming hours. It is 09:00 a.m. in Washington. It's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching
"Connect the World".
Also coming up this hour, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is in the United States to present his victory plan as he calls it to the White House, with
early voting underway for the next U.S. President. Both candidates are heading to the swing states and Manchester City eke out a tie against
Arsenal in the final minutes of their tie in the English Premier League.
We start though with Israeli warplanes, which have been pounding targets in Southern Lebanon today in what a Hezbollah commander says is now a battle
without limits. Israel carrying out the most intense strikes on the region since October the seventh. Lebanese Health officials say at least 182
people were killed and hundreds wounded.
And this after more back and forth attacks over the weekend with Hezbollah rockets reaching deep into Israel. Cars are lining up in Southern Lebanon
as people try to get out while they can. For the latest on the ground, CNN has Ben Wedeman reporting from Beirut. Nic Robertson is standing by for you
in Jerusalem.
Ben, let's start with you. It has been an exceptionally worrying weekend, not just for those in Lebanon, of course, but we keep them front and center
in our minds as we continue to watch what is going on there, but for the region as a whole, with calls from the U.S. for de-escalation. Tell us
where do things stand as we speak?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think those calls from the U.S. for de-escalation are falling on deaf ears. I think
what we're seeing this morning, beginning from this morning, is the start of another war between Lebanon and Israel. Well over 300 Israeli strikes.
So far as you mentioned, the Lebanese Ministry of Health has the current death toll just for today, at least 187, among them women, children and
paramedics. And we expect that death toll to continue to steadily increase. In addition to that 727 wounded, that was their latest figure, but what
we're seeing is the intensity of the Israeli strikes on the south the video coming out of there.
In some areas, it appears to simply be random air strikes and shelling on villages and towns in the south of the country. And as a result, and as
also as a result of these Israeli messages that have been sent on the Lebanese cell phone system, in addition to breaking into a local radio
station urging people to leave their homes as soon as possible.
In the south, we're seeing a mass exodus of people leaving Southern Lebanon. The roads from there are jam packed traffic is barely moving. In
fact, both sides of the highway, everyone is heading north, and it's not just the South of Lebanon.
An Israeli spokesman has put out a map of Lebanon showing the Beqaa Valley, which is a huge area in the east of the country, warning everybody within
that area to leave homes or buildings where they might believe there might be Hezbollah weapons or other facilities or munitions, and go away at least
1000 meters from there, or take refuge in schools.
But of course, because people have been seen on social media, the extent of the Israeli airstrikes in the south, it's likely that there will be also a
mass exodus from the Beqaa Valley. They were given to a two-hour warning to leave those homes or buildings.
[09:05:00]
So really, what we have is the beginnings of a war between Lebanon and Israel, the likes of which we haven't seen since 2006 of course, and the
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has come out and appealed to the U.N. and what he called influential countries to try to deter Israel from
continuing this current course of action.
Although, as I said, these appeals are going to be falling on deaf ears, there don't seem to be any diplomatic initiatives afoot at the moment to
try to head off things from even getting worse. And he said in this statement after Cabinet meeting here in Beirut that he fears that Lebanese
towns and villages will be destroyed.
In addition to that, the Minister of Education has announced that all classes in schools, institutes and universities will be suspended as of
tomorrow, at this point, the school day is over, so that as well, that part of normal life is coming to a screeching halt here in Lebanon, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben, describing the extent of the impact on Lebanon as a whole and those living in Lebanon, as we continue to report on these cross-border
activity. Very specifically, the Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Ben, thank you. Nic, we heard from U.S. National Security Spokesman John Kirby over
the weekend, as Ben and I have been discussing, he said that the U.S. is urging Israel to de-escalate. Let's just have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: We're watching with concern the escalating tensions in the region and across that
border here in the last week or so. And we don't believe, continue to not believe that kinetic action, military action, by either side is really in
either side's best interest, certainly not in the interest of what the prime minister says he wants to do, which is get families back to their
homes. There's a better way forward here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kind of diplomacy, do we understand to be happening at this stage? And do we have a sense of what the Israelis are planning next?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: We don't know their next move, although we do know that from all the signals that they're
giving, the warnings to people in Lebanon that this is going to continue and may continue at a greater pace.
I think you know, as Ben said, this is a war, and the signal and the moment on it really seems to have begun last week, last Monday night, when the
Israeli cabinet voted to include the north of Israel, the defense of the north of Israel, as part of their war aims. It was the next day that the
pagers exploded are worn by many Hezbollah operatives.
There was a day after that their radios, walkie-talkies exploded, a very serious hit on senior Hezbollah commanders a couple of days after that, the
escalation over the weekend, and now, as Ben says, this is the worst level and scale of bombing, and every indication is that it will carry on.
The IDF describes this as the extensive proactive air strikes based on precise intelligence, they say. They use precise intelligence in their
airstrikes in Gaza. This is what they say there. And the civilian death toll in Gaza has been very, very, very high over the last number of months.
Is this precisely what's happening in Lebanon? We don't know, but this is different, because Hezbollah can strike back. And we heard the Minister of
Defense Yoav Gallant today, telling people that it was imperative, and I use some of his words here, that the civilian population observes
composure, discipline and full obedience for the directives of the Home Front Command.
Meaning that they should stay close to their shelters and in their shelters when they are directed to do it, otherwise there will be casualties. So,
Israel is definitely expecting more missiles to come. When you ask about diplomacy, sources I talked to over the weekend in the region, believed
that there was a narrowing and time expiring element of diplomacy still in the works.
I don't think they were holding out much hope that could come about. And it does seem, by Israel's actions, that whatever diplomacy there was, or is
it's not affecting their game plan at the moment.
ANDERSON: And you were discussing Gaza there as well. And we will do more on Gaza in the couple of hours to come.
[09:10:00]
We are learning that Benjamin Netanyahu is now considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of Northern Gaza. And more on that in the
show to come. Nic, thank you. Well, you heard from Ben and you have heard from Nic. All of this, of course, coming against the backdrop of the annual
United Nations General Assembly, with the general debate.
The annual debate kicking off on Tuesday in the coming hours before leaving for New York, U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with the President of the
United Arab Emirates at the White House. Vice President Kamala Harris will also meet Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed later this afternoon.
The UAE, of course, has been an important mediator in the war between Israel and Hamas. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the U.S., where he'll meet with
President Biden and Vice President Harris, who also plans to chat with Donald Trump. But first, Mr. Zelenskyy will head to New York, where he will
speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.
And to that he's been spending time in President Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, touring a plant that makes munitions used by his
country in its battle against Russia. The key moment of Mr. Zelenskyy's U.S. trip is expected to be when he presents what he is calling his victory
plan.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is watching out for all of this and joining us now live. President Zelenskyy, Nick says quote this fall, autumn will determine
the future of this war. A big week for him when he as we understand it, will fully outline what he calls his victory plan. What do we know about
that and what does he expect to achieve?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, I mean, it's clear he's got, really six weeks to drastically change
the course of the war in Ukraine's favor, not over dramatizing that that's essentially what he's been saying himself and his statements, that they
will be looking at a will be looking at a new U.S. President in November, and potentially a new course of U.S. support in this war.
Now his victory plan has the vague parts of which have been touted for some time, but it's the details that will be utterly key. The first point is
he's going to try and persuade President Joe Biden, something he's been saying lengthily in public, to authorize the use of U.S. supplied long
range missiles to strike a specific list of targets deep inside Russia.
Now I should stress that we've been seeing Ukraine for its own means, hitting targets deep inside Russia, ammunition depots, two of which have
exploded spectacularly quite far inside Russia in just the last 72 hours. So, this is perhaps a bid using the greater accuracy of U.S. weaponry, but
also getting U.S. political will on side for hitting Russia's key military infrastructure deep inside its territory.
Bear in mind that is something unthinkable 2.5 years ago, when this war indeed began. The second point, I think, is the one we'll see more of later
on this year, which is to try and get Russia forced into a diplomatic solution. Most Western allies in Ukraine feel that Russia is not a
trustable negotiating partner, and that to freeze the conflict right now would be to hand Moscow a victory it may not have militarily in the months
ahead. So that's key. And remember too, he's going to be seeing not just Joe Biden, but Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
You can expect Vice President Harris to roughly emulate Joe Biden's Ukraine supports if she takes power, but Donald Trump has said he would be able to
end the conflict in 24 hours. No details there at all. But also, been quoted by Hungarian President Viktor Orban, a Putin ally or admirer at
least, that he's not going to be giving any more money to Ukraine for its war against Russia.
Unclear if that really is his own policy, but it's certainly a doubt in the back of Zelenskyy's mind. He needs to go to New York with a plan that says,
if you support me in these key steps, I can deliver you a weakened Russia and a place from which it's good to negotiate with Moscow in a matter of
six weeks.
That's tough ask. He may frankly spend six weeks just negotiating on these missiles with the Biden Administration, but it shows you how fast things
are moving, how the potential for a political change in Washington is changing the calculus on the battlefield, enough of itself.
And I think, also too exactly how this war has been struggling to get the bandwidth necessarily ahead a year ago, since the conflagration in the
Middle East soaked up so much the Biden Administration's time here. You know, this is the largest land war in Europe since the 40s.
And it's one where we're seeing Ukraine trying to change the narrative in the past months, but acutely aware that perhaps the loudest clock ticking
is the U.S. political one and the electoral race we're currently in, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. It's good to have you, Nick, thank you. Well, they stand six weeks until Americans pick their next president, though, for some
that choice could come sooner with early voting and mail in ballots available across multiple states as of this week.
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The latest CBS/YOUGOV polls show a toss-up in many of the critical swing states which will ultimately decide the outcome of this election. Keep in
mind, these seven states alone account for 93 delegates, 270 are needed to win. With the race still neck and neck, Harris is challenging her opponent
to go head-to-head after she accepted a CNN invitation for a second presidential debate on October the 23rd. Trump has said it's too late for
that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Join me on the debate stage. Let's have another debate. There's more to talk
about and the voters of America deserve to hear the conversations that I think we should be having on substance, on issues, on policies. What's your
plan? What's my plan? And we should have another one before Election Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the correspondence covering both candidates from Washington today. Kristen Holmes has more from the Trump camp. Eva McKend has the very
latest from the Harris team. And Eva, let me start with you, because you know there is still a sense out there that Kamala Harris has not provided
enough detail on her plan for the economy.
One of the key issues in what are these critical swing states. How will the Harris campaign try to gain an edge on this in the coming weeks?
EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, they will push back on that and argued that she talked quite a bit about her vision
for the country on a whole number of fronts, but yes, we'll get another pillar of her economic plan this week. They haven't previewed it as yet,
but if passed, is prolog, it's really going to focus on the cost of living, which is the most persistent issue that we hear from most voters.
She is already outlined how she would address affordable housing, how she would try to bring the cost of basic goods down, and I suspect that it is
going to be a lot more in that vein. But in addition to this, she is also aggressively campaigning in the battleground states.
We're going to see her out west and in Pennsylvania as well. And then also, the campaign is up with a new ad talking about reproductive rights, talking
about access to fertility treatments and using women, really, to tell their own stories of how restrictive abortion bans have impacted them. So, Becky,
that is all part of the strategy.
ANDERSON: There are -- before I come to you, Kristen, for both of you, early voting, mail in voting available in some places from this week. How
much do the campaigns learn from this early voting practice and patterns, Eva.
MCKEND: Well, I can tell you, it's something that they put great emphasis on. They call it election season, not Election Day. Is often what you hear
from Democrats, and they do think it is a real benefit if they are getting their voters out there to get this over and done with.
They're often leaning on voters not to wait until Election Day. And then I've also heard a change in tune from some Republicans on this matter as
well. The former president, he threw cold water on the mechanism of early voting last cycle, but Kristen can tell you more. He seems to be singing a
different tune this time around.
ANDERSON: Well, let's start with that thing, Kristen. What is that tune, this time around?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it goes back and forth. Becky, because you have, of course, heard him say again and again
and again that mail in voting is a fraud, that it leads to opportunities for people to cheat the system. So, it's not as though he is completely
debunked this.
However, he is listening to some Republicans, and Republicans are doubling down on the need for early voting. They believe that this is only helpful
to their cause to get people out to the polls. They understand that Election Day is one day that there are people who can't get there on
election day, whether it be family issues or working issues, that they want every single Republican vote to count.
Now, when you talk about what exactly they learn from early voting. Now, it's not as though we get any sort of data in terms of how people are
voting, but one of the things that we do learn is who is requesting those early mail in ballots or those early ballots. And when I talk to
Republicans, they're actually pretty pleased with the numbers coming out of that saying that Republicans are requesting these early ballots.
They do see a large spike in numbers of people who are trying to get out there an early vote. Again, that doesn't necessarily mean that those people
are voting for Donald Trump. It also doesn't mean that they're going to cast that ballot, but it does give you some insight into who exactly is
requesting those early mail and voting those early ballots.
[09:20:00]
So that's one thing that they're looking at there. Now Republicans, again, as Eva has said, they have been hammering down on this issue of early
voting. They want people to turn out. It has just been a fight with the very top of the ticket, as Donald Trump has continued to say that one, the
2020 election was rigged, and two, anything other than paper ballots on Election Day is a problem, something that most Republicans just don't
believe.
ANDERSON: Yeah, this is all fascinating stuff. Meantime, what is Donald Trump up to today?
HOLMES: Well, start with the fact that you mentioned that debate. It doesn't seem likely that Donald Trump is going to agree to that debate with
Kamala Harris. At least as of yesterday morning, a senior adviser told me they spoke to them and that he was adamant he was not doing it.
Now that doesn't mean that he hasn't floated the idea to certain allies that he maybe would be open to a potential debate, but he has a lot of
people telling him that it is not worth it to hit that debate stage again, that they don't think that the timing wise, that it would look good for
him, that if anything happens, they say that the media will favor Kamala Harris.
Obviously a very common talking point among Republicans and among Trump allies in particular, and so that he shouldn't get out there particularly
so close to the election. Obviously, Donald Trump decides at the end of the day what he's going to do or not going to do.
So, we'll wait and see what he ultimately says. But as of now, it appears that is not going to happen now for this week, Donald Trump again, he is
also in those critical battleground states. He's going to be in Pennsylvania all day today. We expect him to possibly be in North Carolina
later in the week.
I'll be with him in Savannah, Georgia tomorrow. Georgia again, one of the ultimate key battleground states there, and we're going to see this every
day moving forward through this election, I am told he is going to be on the road hitting these various states, particularly a seven to nine of
these swing states they believe are swing states, and going out there to try and reach voters.
Obviously, we've seen the polling. We know it's all within the margin of error. It is going to be a very tight race, and both sides are telling me
they understand this is going to be decided in those margins.
ANDERSON: It is so good to have you both. Thank you very much. We are out of the gate on a Monday morning Washington time, and you are bang up to
date with what is going on in these two campaigns. Thank you, ladies. Next, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump is due
back in court soon. We will look at what will be discussed at today's hearing.
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ANDERSON: In the next couple of hours, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Florida will be back in court.
Prosecutors are expected to provide more details about what they have learned about Ryan Routh, the 58-year-old at the center of the case.
[09:25:00]
Now they are likely to argue that he is a continued danger to the community, as well as a flight risk. Routh has been charged with two-gun
crimes and has not yet entered a plea. Well, Zachary Cohen is following this story from Washington. Exactly, what is going to be discussed in court
today? Do we understand the details at this point?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Becky, we are learning new details about what prosecutors will plan to bring forward today during
the hearing, and it was filed in a memo by prosecutors ahead of today's hearing, and it includes a series of new evidence that we had not seen
before in this case, and evidence that could help speak to what Ryan Routh, the suspect's intent was.
As you mentioned, you currently, only faces those two-gun charges, but we know from our sources that investigators have continued to try to find
evidence that could help them bring more serious charges. The FBI has made clear that from the jump, that they both viewed this as an attempted
assassination.
But they need the evidence of intent and motive in order to prove that case, and we're getting our first look at the evidence that they've
gathered so far, and includes a handwritten letter from Ryan Routh that appears to state what his intent was, very clearly. It says, quote, this
was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
And it goes on to list out a series of grievances that he has with Donald Trump's foreign policy, including his dealings with Iran. That's something
that investigators really honed in on from the very beginning was Ryan Routh's sort of geopolitical interest in his opposition to Donald Trump
seemed to stem from his opposition to Donald Trump's foreign policy views.
They also talked about other evidence, hard evidence, electronics that they've collected from Ryan Routh's car, including one cell phone that had
a Google search on it that searched how to travel from Palm Beach County, where Trump's golf course was located to Mexico, suggesting, potentially
that he was going to try to flee across the border after, you know, he accomplished whatever he set out to accomplish to do.
Now look, this all comes as you mentioned, prosecutors are going to be back in court today arguing that Ryan Routh should remain behind bars while he
awaits trial on those two-gun charges. He currently faces possession of a firearm, is convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated
serial number.
We're waiting to see if prosecutors do ultimately decide to bring additional, more serious charges against Routh. But today, prosecutors
focused on trying to make sure that Ryan Routh, who they view as a flight risk and a state of the community, stays behind bars until a trial is
ultimately held.
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. Ahead on "Connect the World", I'm Becky Anderson. An energy changeover in the U.S. state of Minnesota, what a coal plant
there is planning to do soon, that is coming up.
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ANDERSON: Well, that is the trading week on Wall Street now underway and ringing the bell today, no other than the President of Argentina, Javier
Milei. His appearance there, of course, is that world leaders arrive in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Couldn't be more enthusiastic.
Could he have been? That is Wall Street up and running. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Time in New York, of course, is 09:30 time, here is 05:30.
You are watching "Connect the World" live from Abu Dhabi. All three major indices gained about one and a half percent last week after the U.S.
Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a half a point.
This is the state of play today. Not an awful lot of movement to be honest. Last week was a big week of course. The Fed saying inflation had cooled,
but still above its 2 percent target rate. There are concerns now over the jobs market, which has cooled in recent months, helping to bring inflation
down.
But obviously the Fed keeping a keen eye on that jobs market. You can keep an eye on the global markets throughout the day here on CNN, on the bottom
right corner of your screen. Well, business leaders gathering in New York this week for climate week NYC, which claims to be the largest annual
climate event of its kind.
Protesters provided an unofficial kickoff demanding real and rapid action. Climate week is a time for the corporate world to huddle with scientists,
politicians and climate activists focusing on ways to finance the fight against climate change. The theme this year is its time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENA GOINGS, ACTIVIST AT FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE: We want to make sure that people are remembering justice, equity and ending the era of fossil fuels.
We cannot beat around the bush with this. We have to make sure that we are prioritizing real solutions, prioritizing communities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, climate week is held at each year in partnership with the U.N. General Assembly. A White House official says U.S. President Joe Biden
will speak at a forum tomorrow about his work to cut pollution and create clean energy jobs. And clean energy is one of the great challenges in the
climate crisis in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
A coal fired power plant will soon shut down and reopen using solar and wind energy. CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir, with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behold a fire breathing dinosaur named Sherco. For decades, it has been devouring
mountains of coal in Minnesota and belching out gigatons of planet cooking gasses, making this power plant the state's biggest climate polluter.
But in a vivid example of energy transition, Sherco's owners are changing its diet, swapping out coal for renewables until the last fire goes out in
2030. And after that, 125,000 homes will be powered by sun, wind and iron batteries with four days back up.
WEIR: Is Xcel decarbonizing as a strategy?
RYAN LONG, PRESIDENT OF XCEL ENERGY MINNESOTA: Yeah. So, we are decarbonizing a strategy. We have had a goal to get to 100 percent carbon
free energy by 2050 for a number of years now. Two years ago, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that said they want to get to 100 percent carbon
free energy by 2040. So that's now our target, and we're on track to meet that.
WEIR: That pile of coal weighs around 1.7 million tons in about six years, it'll be all gone. The smokestacks will be obsolete, but this fossil of a
different age will remain a valuable part of the community pushing out clean energy from wind farms and solar fields all around the state, but
this is also a model for the rest of the country.
A study out of Cal Berkeley found that the U.S. could double its power capacity by building new energy next to old infrastructure.
PETE WYCKOFF, MINNESOTA COMMERCE DEPARTMENT: Minnesota, for economic reasons, was already moving to phase out coal, but what the Inflation
Reduction Act did through its tax credits is give extra incentives for when you phase out a plant, a fossil fuel plant, to build something new, right
there.
WEIR: And use the bones and the connection --
WYCKOFF: Yeah, you use the site is actually being used. But the more important thing is you're using an existing way to connect to the electric
grid.
WEIR (voice-over): Minnesota recently completed a transmission upgrade, but the lines are already strained by all the new supply and demand, so like a
fast pass at Disneyland.
[09:35:00]
This method allows clean energy projects to skip the years long wait for grid connection, while making the shift a lot less jarring for local
communities.
WEIR: What does that mean for workers? Can the same people who are now working in coal come over and work in sunlight?
LONG: Well, some of them can. So, we've got about 240 workers at the plant, and what we have told them is, if you want a job with Xcel Energy, after
that plant retires, you'll have a job with Xcel Energy.
WEIR: Would this have happened without the Tim Walz Administration and their targets? Would it have happened without the Inflation Reduction Act
that Joe Biden?
LONG: Yeah, so the Walz Administration has been really great to work with, and the IRA benefits have been really significant for our customers. That
helps us move through this transition while bringing customer bills down compared to what they otherwise would be. We're extracting about $300
million of IRA benefits for our customers with this project alone.
WEIR (voice-over): He says their customers will eventually reap billions in tax incentives as Xcel winds down dozens of fossil fuel plants, all part of
a quiet Industrial Revolution steadily spreading nationwide. Bill Weir, CNN, Becker, Minnesota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: It's good to see that, isn't it? Well, if their weekend clash was any indication, Man City and Arsenal looked like the real deal to go to the
distance again in the English Premier League -- highlights on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Macao's handover from Portugal back to China, long known as the Las Vegas of Asia, Macao is
now looking to diversify its economy away from gaming, placing more emphasis on its unique heritage all today. Marc Stewart has the story of an
iconic Macao Hotel. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a place obsessed with constructing new things. Simon Sio is following his own path. He owns Hotel
Central, a nearly century old building and one of the most iconic in Macao.
SIMON SIO, CHAIRMAN OF LEK HANG GROUP: Hotel Central and I are faded together, and that's because my family lived across from Hotel Central when
I was born.
STEWART (voice-over): When Hotel Central was built in 1928 it was known for its glitz and glamor.
SIO: As children, we would frequent the largest building in Macao, out of curiosity. One day, I got caught by an employee and was thrown out onto the
streets. So, I pointed at the hotel and swore that I would buy it someday.
STEWART (voice-over): That's what he did in 2016.
SIO: I felt that restoring the hotel was a huge business opportunity.
STEWART (voice-over): Restoration got underway in 2020 from -- the delicate foundation to restoring the exterior. Simon wanted to retain the hotel's
original integrity.
[09:40:00]
After about 50 million U.S. dollars and years of restoring the building, Hotel Central, officially reopened in the summer of 2024 the design is
based on styles from the 1920s to the 1940s. Cultural heritage is essential for a healthy tourism sector, observers say.
The Global Heritage Tourism Market reached more than 580 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 that number expected to grow to more than 810 billion by
2032 according to market research firm IMARC group.
VICKY CHEN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT MACAO UNIVERSITY OF TOURISM: So, in 2005, the historical center of Macao was inscribed in the world heritage
site. So, start from that. So historical center of Macao has become a unique tourism attraction and also the key reasons for visitors to visit
Macao.
STEWART (voice-over): The power of preservation at work, ensuring the gems of the past are protected for future generations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We'll leave it to the Premier League's Man City and Arsenal to battle it out in dramatic fashion at the weekend. Arsenal have finished
runner up, of course, to Man City over the past two seasons, and on Sunday, they prove they can still go toe-to-toe with the side that has, frankly,
dominated the Premier League now for some years.
Amanda Davies joins me now. I actually watch the highlights of this match rather than the full match. I think catch it with the highlights or
anything to go by. This was a cracker.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, I have to say it was one of those very lovely Sunday afternoons where I sat there with a glass of red wine,
had the newspapers, but didn't read a single word of the newspapers, because I could watch this one of the neutral and it was fascinating.
Arsenal set out to try and win. It went down to 10 men on the brink of halftime, and from then it was very much, park the bus scenario. Manchester
City threw everything and the kitchen sink at them. They came so, so close arsenal. There's a lot of criticism of their tactics.
Was it clever? Was it playing the game? Was it the dark arts? But whatever it was, it ended in a draw, a valuable point for Arsenal, a point for Man
City. And I was joined a little bit earlier by Martin Keown, of course, a former Arsenal legend, three-time Premier League winner, and he gave us
some very interesting thoughts and insight into where he thinks the title race will go from here, and that's what we've got in a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: That's superb. Well, that is great. That's "World Sport". That's coming up after this short break with Amanda. We will be back after that.
Stay with us.
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[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORTS)
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