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Questions over Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Security Deal; Ukraine's Allies Meet for "Coalition of the Willing" Summit; Trump and White House Officials Try to Distance Themselves from Signal Breach; Gaza Students Strive to Keep Learning amid Conflict; Submarine Sinks off Egyptian Coast, Killing Six; Tennis Prodigy Breaks Through in Miami. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 27, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm

Becky Anderson. The time is 6:00 pm.

European leaders have been meeting in Paris today to discuss the future of Ukraine. The U.K. prime minister now saying that it is not the time to lift

sanctions on Russia and wants to add more pressure on Putin.

Well, hundreds of Palestinians have taken part in a second day of demonstrations against Hamas and Israel's war in the enclave. We have

dramatic pictures from inside Gaza for you this hour.

And president Trump announces new 25 percent tariffs on all autos not made in the U.S. This has huge implications for the automobile trade industry

and we have global reaction.

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ANDERSON: Well, this hour we expect to hear from Ukraine's president, who is due to speak at a key meeting of European allies in Paris. Now this

"coalition of the willing" summit is looking at ways to support Kyiv, as well as the role that leaders might play if a peace agreement with Russia

is reached.

Now questions have raged over a Black Sea security deal agreed between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin has called for sanctions on some Russian

banks to be lifted as part of that agreement. But Kyiv has voiced its concerns, a view echoed by European leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: Now is not the time for lifting of sanctions. Quite the contrary. What we discussed is how we can increase

sanctions to support the U.S. initiative to bring Russia to the table through further pressure from this group of countries.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): It's a necessity to avoid what is the clear project of Russia in the last days and

weeks, to pretend to open negotiations to discourage the adversary and at the same time to step up attacks. And that's exactly what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, this hour, Vladimir Putin is also due to speak. He is addressing the International Arctic Forum in northern Russia. Let's get you

Fred Pleitgen, who is following developments from Moscow.

What is it we are likely to hear from Putin and how will he likely respond to what we are hearing from Paris today, Fred?

A lot going on.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there certainly is a lot going on. Vladimir Putin is obviously first and foremost

going to speak about the Arctic and we're waiting to see whether or not he's also going to speak about this Black Sea grain and freedom of

navigation initiative as well.

However, Becky, we have, of course, been in touch with the Kremlin over the past couple of hours since some of these things have been taking shape.

Obviously, they're also very closely monitoring what is going on there in Paris with those meetings and also what Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been

saying.

And the Russians continue to say that they simply are not going to budge on that demand to have sanctions lifted on the Russian agricultural bank and

then also some other entities that are close to Russian shipping but also to Russian agricultural exports as well.

And the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, he told me the reason why the Russians are doing that are twofold. First of all, they say the last time

that there was a Black Sea freedom of navigation grain initiative, which was, of course, in July of 2022 until July of 2023, that was -- that's

supposed to be part of the deal.

The Russians said they were supposed to get sanctions relief at that point in time for that sector. They say at that point in time it didn't happen.

And that's one of the reasons why they are being so adamant right now.

The other one, though, Becky, is that the Russians say, if the Ukrainians are then going to be able to export grain, for instance, other agricultural

products through their ports easily and, of course, have those paid for easily, the Russians feel that they are at a disadvantage if they are under

sanctions.

Making it more difficult to pay for the products that they put on international markets. And so that's why what we're hearing from the

Kremlin is a very strict nyet, if you will, of putting this Black Sea initiative into place if these conditions are not met.

And they also, quite frankly, believe that the U.S. could be on their side in all of this. If you remember the readout that we saw from the White

House after the meeting with the Russians, they did say that they would try to facilitate Russia bringing its goods to international markets.

And, of course, Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, also said that the U.S. would take a look at that as well. Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Donald Trump also saying that he did feel that the Russians might be dragging their feet somewhat.

Let's get you to Paris.

Thank you. Fred.

Keir Starmer, the U.K. prime minister, speaking now likely on Ukraine. This is a coalition of the willing meeting. Let's listen in.

STARMER: -- the economic pressure on Russia, accelerating new, tougher sanctions, bearing down on Russia's energy revenues and working together to

make this pressure count.

[10:05:09]

We also discussed how we can support the implementation of a full or partial ceasefire when it is in place and how we can build on efforts

toward negotiations on a just and lasting peace. That remains our shared goal. And it's what the coalition of the willing is designed to support.

The political will from partners here today was clear. And this week in London, we hosted over 200 military planners from 30 countries coming

forward with contributions on everything from logistics and command and control to deployments on land, on air and on sea. That work continues at

pace.

We will be ready to operationalize a peace deal whenever its precise shape turns out to be. And we will work together to ensure Ukraine's security so

it can defend and deter against future attacks.

This is Europe mobilizing together behind the peace process on a scale that we haven't seen for decades, backed by partners from around the world. We

are determined to deliver a just and lasting peace because we know that it is vital for Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

And I am clear that it is also vital for Britain. Thank you.

I will now take some questions -- I've got a list here. I think we're starting with Adam from Sky -- Adam.

QUESTION: Thank you, Prime minister. Adam Parsons from Sky News. You talked there about political unity. Senior figures in the American

administration have described European leaders, presumably including yourself --

ANDERSON: OK. We're going to listen in to these questions and, at the same time, bring up our own panel; Kim Dozier, CNN global affairs analyst, and

Alexander Vershbow. He is the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, was also deputy secretary general of NATO, now a fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Look, Ambassador, you've got a lot of experience at summits like these from your time at NATO. Given the current U.S. position and that very pointed

statement, I have to say, from Keir Starmer, this is Europe coming together, mobilizing like we haven't seen for years.

To ensure that we are ready to support a peace deal, a ceasefire, when it comes, coming together with our allies from around the world.

No mention of the United States there.

What do you make of you -- of what we just heard and what we are hearing coming out of Paris today?

ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA; FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATO; FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Well, it is obviously

unfortunate that the United States is still reluctant to be a participant in any guarantees for Ukrainian security.

But at the same time, it's very good news, including for the U.S. administration, that some of our key allies, particularly London and Paris,

are stepping up in trying to give a little bit of leverage to the negotiations and to make, at least plausible, that dragging being displayed

by Mr. Putin can be overcome.

ANDERSON: Keir Starmer outright rejecting any sense of sanctions being lifted on any banks, including those involved in agriculture. This off the

back of the maritime partial ceasefire.

Kim, let me bring you in. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, also lashing out at Russia on Wednesday, saying it should not dictate the

conditions for peace. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACRON (through translator): I want to make this clear tonight. Russia should not have a right to review the support that we will provide and that

we provide to Ukraine, nor shall it dictate the conditions of this sustainable peace, because the sovereignty of Ukraine and because the

security of all Europeans are at stake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The Trump administration, though, has already empowered Moscow in these talks to a degree, Kim, haven't they?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes. Steve Witkoff, the envoy not only to the Middle East but now to Russia, has talked about rebuilding

the U.S. relationship with Russia to cooperate on things like energy and AI after doing this peace deal.

[10:10:08]

For European and British leaders, hearing this is a shock because it's not ancient history for them. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the 2014 invasion

of Crimea but also they're facing a constant campaign that they blame on Russia of not just hacking but even assassination attempts against weapons

CEOs.

Malicious acts like burning down religious institutions. So for them, they've got Russia's number. That's what they're messaging here. And

they're saying to Moscow, you may have Witkoff snowed. You may have -- think you have Trump under your thumb. But we're not going to let this be a

walkover.

And Russia keeps playing into that by putting this sting in the tail for a ceasefire or for the, you know, an all-around ceasefire or for the Black

Sea ceasefire, adding things that Moscow knows are going to be all but impossible to achieve, allowing it to just keep going on the battlefield.

ANDERSON: You made the point earlier --

Thank you, Kim.

-- Ambassador, that you know, there's sort of two sides to what we are seeing and hearing at the moment. You know, it -- I think it was Kim who

was reporting earlier that her sources told her that Europe has effectively been iced out of these Ukraine-Russia talks. That's one of the reasons that

they've been held in Riyadh.

And clearly, you know, Europe very sort of, almost bombastic about the way that it is getting its act together, together. And you're saying that's a

good thing. It's also a good thing that, to a degree, the Americans have kind of forced Europe into taking this position.

What does it mean for relations going forward, do you think?

And how does this U.S. -- very tense U.S.-European relationship now play out for the Kremlin?

VERSHBOW: I think it's important that the Europeans are prepared to provide support precisely because the Trump administration clearly seems to

have taken sides.

And Mr. Witkoff is one of the most egregious examples of taking Mr. Putin's propaganda at face value.

So I think that what the Europeans can do in this meeting is an important step in that direction, is to demonstrate that Ukraine has more backers

than just the United States, that Europe will throw its support to any peace agreement.

And hopefully the Trump administration will begin to realize that it gets some additional leverage by working with Europe, that it's good to actually

have allies who can take a mutually reinforcing position.

Whether the Trump administration will figure that out soon, I don't know.

But I think it's up to the Trump administration to begin to address the issues of how will they ensure Ukraine's security if a deal is not struck?

What kind of additional pressure is Europe prepared to bring?

And what kind of pressure is the United States prepared to bring, rather than working at cross-purposes with one another?

ANDERSON: If you listen to Pete Hegseth or JD Vance at this point, it's not likely anytime soon that the Americans are going to kind of rethink the

way that they feel about Europe. Or at least that's how it that's how it feels at present.

Perhaps, though, Donald Trump is making decisions, so it's up to him. Ambassador, Zelenskyy posting this from the summit, quote -- and we are

waiting to hear him speak, of course, today -- quote, "Europe knows how to defend itself. We must prove it."

So that does beg the question, can it?

Can it prove it, Ambassador?

VERSHBOW: Well, clearly, without the United States playing a role on the military side, Europe has a more uphill climb to bring the kind of

necessary pressure to bear on the Russians.

But I don't think Europe is impotent in this situation. You know, they have provided, on net, more military aid over the last year, 1.5 years, even

though, with the change of administrations, obviously, that's has been reviewed.

But Europe does need to begin to think both short-term and long-term and how they can mobilize additional military pressure, military leverage.

[10:15:00]

While they scramble to fill some of the gaps that are left by U.S. reluctance to be part of any military reassurance force or other kind of

peace through strength strategy.

ANDERSON: Yes.

Stand by, Ambassador, and Kim as well. Thank you.

And we've just been listening in to what Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has been saying. He's responding to questions from journalists.

One of the things he just said, perhaps the most, you know, important as far as the sort of narrative is concerned, he said, "The collective view at

this meeting is that Russia is -- " -- I'm just going to get my producer to tell me very specifically -- "playing games."

So the collective view at this meeting is that Russia is playing games. The view there or certainly the expression from the British prime minister,

Keir Starmer.

Now "nothing classified was shared." That is the messaging coming from White House officials after detailed military strike plans ended up on a

messaging app in a chat group that a journalist was invited to join.

"The Atlantic" published the full chat that clearly reveals operational details of an attack, a planned attack against Houthi rebels in Yemen,

hours before it happened.

Meanwhile, as calls grow for U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign over the breach, those calls from the opposition, president Trump is

standing by his Pentagon chief, saying Hegseth is doing a, quote, "great job."

And Mr. Trump is falling back on a familiar refrain about all of this. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Should secretary Hegseth consider his position over the Signal?

TRUMP: Hegseth is doing a great job. He had nothing to do with this.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: How do you bring Hegseth into it?

He had nothing to do. Look, look, it's all a witch hunt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's bring in CNN Politics senior reporter, good friend of the show, Stephen Collinson.

Stephen, President Trump calling it a witch hunt. The White House press secretary on Wednesday insisting that the affair was a big hoax.

A witch hunt and a hoax. I'm not even sure what it is that they are referring to at this point.

Is it clear?

We've heard these sort of excuses, of course, from the administration before.

Why not just admit that it happened and move on at this point?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think what they're doing is a classic Trumpian tactic, which is to deny what is

absolutely obvious to everybody in the world, that these operational details that you mentioned should never have been shared on an unsecure

platform.

I think, in some ways, this is what the White House does, almost to tout how powerful it is that it can get away with this kind of stuff. The reason

why they won't admit they're wrong is, first of all, because Donald Trump never admits he's wrong.

And if they were to do so, that would raise the question of why you have a Defense Secretary with no experience in top-level national security policy,

who was selected after being an anchor on FOX News at the weekend.

Because clearly that gets to the heart of Donald Trump's judgment as president. So that's the political reason why they're circling the wagons

here.

You do wonder, however, that the history of the Trump administration, especially in the first term, shows that, when an official makes a mistake,

sometimes it's a slow burn and Trump starts to feel resentful toward these people and eventually they end up going.

But right now the message is they're sticking with Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, and Mike Waltz, the national security advisor who convened this

Signal app chat in the first place.

ANDERSON: Stephen, appreciate it. Thank you.

Kim, Alexander, you're still with me.

Kim, you heard the Trump administration's playbook there. Even some Republican senators, frankly, are taking a rare step of calling that out.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether it's considered, quote, "classified" or just highly sensitive, it was too detailed. And whether you call it a war plan

or not, it's just too detailed to pretend that it wasn't a big deal.

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I'm worried about everybody and how they have handled this Signal controversy.

Does it concern me?

Hell, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Do you think the dam will eventually break?

Or is this controversy just going to blow over?

I can't remember who it was from the Trump administration, I think it was Stephen Miller, who said, this will just go away.

DOZIER: It could just go away unless, in the process of investigating this, which they are doing -- the National Security Council is

investigating itself, et cetera -- if they uncover something else which causes this scandal to go on.

[10:20:00]

Trump likes a clean show. He likes a production that goes on without hitches. And this is a major hitch that is embarrassing to him.

The other thing that could get one of the principals fired is if someone like Tucker Carlson gets in Trump's ear -- and, you know, you've already

seen it online, in social media, various conservative talk show hosts raising questions as to why would Michael Waltz have "The Atlantic"

reporter's phone number somewhere in his address book.

Now he was a lawmaker. He attended events that Goldberg was also at. Perhaps he had his press secretary's address book as part of his office

address book. So I can think of various logical reasons.

Also, Waltz is very loyal to Trump and he would be one of the people who I'm sure would go on background and defend Trump in interviews in "The

Atlantic."

All that said, if someone gets it into Trump's head that one of these people was disloyal or the embarrassment goes on too long, then maybe we'll

see somebody offer their resignation.

ANDERSON: To both of you, I've run out of time but thank you very much indeed for joining us.

Coming up --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "We're forced to come up to the fourth floor, even though the building may collapse," says Mina

(ph).

"We have to get internet connection from any SIM card."

ANDERSON (voice-over): Young people in Gaza, determined to complete their education, despite having almost nothing left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our final message is to Hamas. Enough is enough. You've ruled long enough. Give us a chance and let others

come. We're all children of one nation. We will support one another. Give us the opportunity to govern.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Hundreds of civilians in northern Gaza took to the streets for the second day in a row on Wednesday, demanding an end to the

war and calling out Hamas' role in their suffering. These are the biggest demonstrations against Hamas inside Gaza that we have seen since this war

began.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And it is, of course, the civilians in Gaza that have paid so dearly in so many ways for this war. That brings us to our big number of

the day, 600,000. That is how many kids have missed out on at least a year of education during this war.

Officials say more than 120 schools and universities have been completely obliterated by the bombardment. But despite all of that, everything these

students have been through, they are still looking for ways to keep learning.

[10:25:00]

CNN's Paula Hancocks has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Learning to write the letter "D" -- "dal" in Arabic -- on what's left of the chalkboard.

Basic education that Gaza's young have been denied for so long.

This was last December when the war was raging, where rubble was their playground and a building that looked ready to collapse their place of

learning.

"Many children were initially too scared to come," the teacher says, "because of the destruction all around."

Thirteen-year-old Farah Zakzouk (ph) was one of the students grieving for lost relatives but determined to learn.

"My school had everything," she says, "chairs, pencils, notebooks and chalkboards. Now we sit on rubble. If we find a notebook among the ruins,

we try to use it."

During the two-month ceasefire, Farah (ph) walked on the ruins of her school in Khan Yunis, a seventh grader who used to be top of her class.

"I feel no ceasefire," she says. "There's destruction everywhere. It's the same as war."

What had changed is she had space to realize how much she had lost. No home and no school.

"I feel my heart is ripped apart, like I'm in pieces," she says. "I don't know how else to describe it."

And now, a devastating return to war threatens the limited education spaces that had been created.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, COMMISSIONER-GENERAL, UNRWA: It's as important as providing life-saving assistance. And the more we wait, the more we take

the risk to sacrifice an entire generation.

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Pre-conflict, just under half of Gaza's school-aged children attended UNWRA schools. Israel has since banned the U.N. agency's

presence in Gaza, accusing it of ties to Hamas, which the U.N. denies.

More than 95 percent of educational facilities in Gaza have been partially or completely destroyed since October 7, 2023, according to a U.N. report

released last November, including many that have been turned into shelters.

Israel's military claimed many were used by Hamas as command-and-control centers, making them legitimate targets, an accusation Hamas denies.

Sisters Mina (ph) and Rawan (ph) should have been close to graduating from university by now: one as an architect, the other as a pharmacist. The war

forced them to continue their studies remotely, almost impossible, given the scant electricity and Internet. They were displaced multiple times.

"We're forced to come up to the fourth floor, even though the building may collapse," says Mina (ph). "We have to get Internet connection from an eSIM

card so we can download our lectures."

Almost half of Gaza's population is under the age of 18. For them, education is a lifeline, a hope for a better future that has been taken

away from them -- Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ANDERSON: Well, the Palestinian director, Hamdan Ballal, is speaking out after he was attacked by Israeli settlers, then detained and beaten by the

Israeli military.

Bilal, who co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary, "No Other Land," tells CNN no amount of intimidation from settlers or from the army, he

said, is going to force him from his home.

Head to CNN Digital to find the full interview there.

Well, still to come on CNN, analysts are warning U.S. car buyers to prepare for some serious sticker shock, as it is known in the States, in the wake

of new tariffs announced by president Trump. We are following reaction on that after this.

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. What's the time here?

It's just after 6:30 in the evening here in Abu Dhabi. This is our Middle East programming headquarters. You are more than welcome.

Civilians taking a stand against Hamas in northern Gaza. Protesters were out in force for a second day in a row on Wednesday. While they say Israel

is responsible for their suffering, they also said Hamas shares the blame.

Well, the White House and U.S. president Donald Trump are trying to deflect blame over an intelligence breach in a group chat on the Signal app. The

White House is calling criticism the breach a hoax. President Trump called it a witch hunt.

Despite texts from the chat published in "The Atlantic," clearly revealing operational details of attack plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The British prime minister says now is not the time to lift sanctions on Russia. Keir Starmer spoke after European leaders met in Paris for the

"coalition of the willing" summit, which is looking at ways that Europe and NATO can support Kyiv and the prospect of a peace deal with Russia.

Moscow has demanded sanctions relief as part of a Black Sea security deal agreed with Ukraine.

ANDERSON: Well, I want to get back to some developing news out of Egypt coming in to CNN. A tourist submarine has sunk while on an excursion to

view the coral reef near the resort city of Hurghada. That is on the Red Sea. And we do know that there are a number of people confirmed dead.

Let's bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, who has been following developments for us from London.

Salma, what have you got?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we know the death toll now, Becky, is six people killed in this crash that occurred at about 10 am local time.

It was a submarine called the Sindbad, belonging to a hotel that owns and operates it by the same name.

We understand that that submarine again crashed on the shores of Hurghada in the Red Sea at around 10 am local time. Security forces and rescue

workers were on the scene immediately, according to officials, and they provided care and response to those survivors. And also, of course, carried

away the dead.

Many of those, of course, survivors were sent to hospitals for treatment. We understand that also there was minors on board but we don't know if they

are among the victims.

What we do know is that those six killed are foreign nationals. And we don't yet know their nationalities. But the Russian embassy did put out a

statement, saying at least 45 people on board that submarine were Russians. So serious considerations as to who those individuals are.

And, of course, communications now ongoing to provide information to their families. This is a tragic incident and it is one that is going to deal yet

another blow to Egypt's tourism sector.

Egypt is heavily reliant on tourism. Some estimate it is -- about 8 percent of the economy comes from tourism dollars and it's not the only accident

that has happened. It was only a few months ago that a yacht crashed off the Red Sea as well, killing 16 people.

So there is going to be a sense among the Egyptian authorities that they want to respond to this quickly, to reassure those who do come to the

country that tourism is still safe in Egypt.

But right now, of course, the focus on those killed in this submarine crash on the website of Sindbad, again, the name of the submarine owned and

operated by this hotel, they described it as a luxury excursion to see the coral coast.

[10:35:03]

Of course, in Hurghada, a place that's famous for its beautiful beaches and for its underground marine life, so the submarine was supposed to be an

excursion for these tourists who met this very tragic fate. Becky.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Salma. Thank you very much indeed.

And we continue to press authorities for more information.

Well, a U.S. Senate hearing is taking place this hour on the mid-air collision that happened near Washington in January between an American

Airlines plane, you'll remember, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

Witnesses include the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Well, president Trump again escalating his global trade war, announcing sweeping tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts. Let's have a look at

what is going on in these markets.

They did start lower. They have crept into positive territory but only just. It's a very mixed day out there. A number of countries reacting to

the new 25 percent tariffs announced on Wednesday by the president, including Canada. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: And this is a direct attack, to be clear, a direct attack on the very workers that I stood in front of. We

will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country. And we will defend it together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: CNN's Kristie Lu Stout with a look now at reaction elsewhere.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Japan's prime minister says, quote, "all options are on the table" after U.S. president Donald

Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on all auto imports targeting the world's biggest suppliers, including key allies here in Asia, Japan and

South Korea.

Now the new tariffs are going to go into effect next week, with collection beginning on April the 3rd. They will apply to cars and trucks. And certain

auto parts, including engines and electrical components, will have an up to one-month reprieve.

Now shares in Japan and South Korea fell on the announcement. Just days ago, the South Korean auto giant Hyundai announced that it would invest $20

billion in the United States.

And, citing sources, Reuters reports that, earlier this month, that Japan's Honda announced plans to build the Civic not in Mexico but in the U.S.

state of Indiana, to avoid potential tariffs.

Now earlier today, the Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, addressed the tariffs in parliament, saying this.

Quote, "Japan is a country that is making the largest amount of investment to the United States. So we wonder if it makes sense for Washington to

apply uniform tariffs to all countries. That's a point we've been making and will continue to do so."

Analysts say that the tariffs could deal a heavy blow to the Japanese economy and South Korea's economy will also likely be hit hard. Now South

Korea is preparing an emergency response for the auto sector; says it will consult with the U.S. government in an effort to minimize damage to Korean

businesses.

Last year, in 2024, the U.S. imported $474 billion worth of auto products. This is according to Reuters. Its biggest suppliers are Mexico, Japan,

South Korea, Canada and Germany. Every nation on that list is a close U.S. ally -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, that's Kristie Lu Stout there.

Still to come, a stunner in South Florida. A 19-year-old tennis phenomenon from the Philippines knocks out a five-time Grand Slam champion at the

Miami Open. More on that is coming up.

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ANDERSON: Well, a stunning sight in the night skies above several European countries. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): This slow-moving, glowing spiral left spectators on Monday wondering if this could be the work of extraterrestrial visitors.

But the explanation actually, much closer to home. The extraordinary event is believed to be the result of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch, the blue

spiral likely formed by the rocket's exhaust interacting with the atmosphere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, remember this name: Alexandra Eala. She goes by Alex.

Boy, oh boy, oh boy, did she ever have a career break through to reach the semis of the Miami Open, which is sort of a mini Grand Slam event, right.

And she had to get a wild card to play in this tournament.

But on Wednesday she won in straight sets against a Grand Slam champ. Miami has always been a prime spot for up-and-coming women on the tour to make a

name for themselves.

The Williams sisters, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Amanda Davies -- oh, no, that's -- Amanda Davies is the anchor of the next show that's coming

up. She's a good tennis player, though, with more on what is the latest list, Amanda, the latest to join the list, of course.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I wish I'd have been good enough to play in Miami, Becky. But yes, I hate to be the person that corrects you on

air. But you can be forgiven because Alexandra Eala is not a name we have talked about up to this point but it is definitely a name we need to know

in the future.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: I knew I'd get it wrong.

DAVIES: No, it's spelled E-A-L-A, a little name making a massive impact. She's 19 years of age. And a lot of people have been talking about Mirra

Andreeva recently, haven't they, that's the 17-year-old Russian who won in Dubai just a few weeks ago.

Eala is being put in that same bracket. She said she's never had any tennis idols to look up to from the Philippines. That's where she's from. Her

performances this week in Miami, having never played in a Grand Slam before, being ranked 140th in the world up to this point.

Then beating five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets. She is certainly making a massive impact and seems to be taking it all in

her stride. So it'll be brilliant to see what more she has to come and we'll be following her every step of the way.

ANDERSON: Alex Eala, who goes by the name of Alex, thankfully, for others who may mispronounce that. Good on her. The 450,000 Filipinos who are --

who live here will be absolutely delighted as a big contingent of those from the Philippines here. So I'm sure they're all roaring on, as they will

be back at home as well.

Good stuff. You've got "WORLD SPORT."

That's it from us today. We're an hour later with Amanda, so we will leave it there. Stay with Amanda for "WORLD SPORT." We'll see you tomorrow.

[10:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

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