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U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal; Xi and Putin Sign Statement, Agree to "Deepen" China-Russia Ties; Pakistan Vows to Retaliate after India Strikes; Syria Holding Indirect Talks with Israel; Day Two of Conclave; Israel Strikes on Gaza Kill and Injure Dozens; Trump Announces U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 08, 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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ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): The show from our Middle East programming hub in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. The time. Here is just
after 6 pm.
U.S. President Donald Trump will be announcing a major trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom any minute now, the first deal
since the White House imposed tariffs on countries around the world.
New Delhi and Islamabad will ramp up hostile rhetoric for a second day after India's assault on Pakistan, igniting fears that these two nations
stand on the brink of a wider conflict.
And starting in about 30 minutes' time, we could see either white or black smoke rising above the Sistine Chapel in Rome as Catholic cardinals prepare
for another round of voting to select a new pope.
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ANDERSON: Well, any minute now, we are expecting to hear president Trump speak. And he has promised to unveil a major trade deal with the United
Kingdom. British prime minister Keir Starmer also expected to make a statement on the agreement later today.
Alayna Treene is back with us from the White House this hour. CNN's Anna Stewart standing by in London.
Let's start with you in Washington. Alayna, what are we expecting from this deal?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you can actually see, Becky, some reporters lined up behind me. Everyone's ready to go into the Oval Office
to hear the president make, as you put it -- and he's been putting it all morning -- a major trade announcement with the United Kingdom.
Now despite what he had posted earlier this morning, saying that this is going to be a full and comprehensive deal, what we're learning behind the
scenes is that it's actually going to be quite limited in scope.
Really, this is going to be kind of a starter point. We actually heard from the Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, this morning, describing it as a
concept of an agreement. But essentially what we're learning is that it's going to be heavy on future commitments and that the existing 10 percent
universal tariffs are going to remain in place.
Now again, this is going to be something that's kind of the start of a deal. We'll get some of the broader parameters. And then down the line
they're expected to expand upon it and hash out some of the specifics at a later date.
Now another thing we've been learning as well is that we are expected to have some of, you know, cheaper access to United Kingdom car and
agriculture markets for American exports. That is expected to be part of this deal as well.
We also expect the president to ease off some of the steel and aluminum tariffs on Great Britain. As we know, they are facing the same tariffs 25
percent on steel and aluminum as every other country.
Now another thing to keep in mind about this is that this is so important. Not only are we going to see, you know, welcome news for it from it, from
for global markets. But we're also expected to have really be welcome news behind closed doors at this White House and in the Trump administration.
For weeks now, behind closed doors, a lot of pressure has been mounting on top economic advisers to deliver any sort of progress when it comes to
these trade talks that they've been having and really try to ease some of the economic turmoil we've seen as a result of the president's tariff
policy.
So that's going to be a big goal of this today. Now again, we will hear from the president shortly in the Oval Office. He's expected to be joined
by some officials in the U.K. We're not expected to see the British prime minister, Keir Starmer. Obviously we're going to hear from him later today.
But really welcome news, I think, for not only the Trump administration in Washington but, of course, to Great Britain and other European allies, who
wanted to see the president really try and emphasize the special relationship the U.S. has with its European allies.
ANDERSON: Stand by. Let me bring in Anna in London, then.
What are we hearing from Keir Starmer, the prime minister, on this?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're going to be hearing a lot more from him, actually in the next hour, when he's expected to speak in
the House of Commons. Clearly, this is a big victory for the British prime minister.
This is the first trade deal from the U.S. president Trump and his Truth Social post said it's a great honor to have the U.K. as our first
announcement. And actually, the Bank of England governor has just been speaking because it's a Bank of England decision day.
He says, they're very much welcoming it and they hope that the U.S.-U.K. trade deal will be the first of many. So this is a political victory for
the U.K. But, of course, Becky, the devil is always in the detail with something like this.
So what is the U.K. going to be giving up?
What sort of winds will they be having?
As Alayna said there, it looks like the 10 percent baseline will probably still be there.
Will the U.K. have to give up certain things, like on the digital services tax, a 2 percent levy they have on the revenues of big U.S. tech firms?
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Will they have to accept certain agricultural products into the U.K., like chlorinated chicken. That is domestically a huge political football here in
the U.K. So the devil's in the detail. We're waiting to find out a little bit more about that and hear from the prime minister in the next hour.
ANDERSON: Before we do that -- and you have rightly pointed out this is a political win for Starmer. And he'd already had a pretty big win this week
with an India-U.K. deal. Let's just remind our viewers why it is that a U.K. economy outside of Europe since 2017 has been looking and working so
hard on these deals.
STEWART: Well, for the U.S., I mean for the U.K., the U.S. is its biggest single trading partner, so clearly it's been keen for some time, long
before this administration even, to strike a trade deal. More urgency, of course, in a Trump administration, when you have tariffs, particularly on
certain sectors.
And for the U.S., well, the U.K. is the biggest, the fifth biggest trading partner if you include services. So it is a big player after the likes of
Canada and Mexico and so on. So this is why it's probably one of the first in the pipeline.
Also, of course, president Trump has been invited to Buckingham Palace at some stage for a second state visit. So I think politically that weighs on
this deal as well. A huge victory. I think economically it might not move the needle that much. It depends what we see in the deal.
For instance, if it's just a reduction of tariffs on steel and aluminum, that would be huge for the U.K. steel, aluminum and aluminum industries. It
could be big if cars, for instance, are included.
But actually as an overall piece of the economic pie in the U.K., it might not be that significant. And we're not seeing much moves right now in terms
of markets. The FTSE 100 fairly flat at this stage. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes.
It's good to have you, both of you. Thank you.
I want to welcome now back to our show, a good friend of the show, Mohamed el-Erian. He's the chief economic adviser at Allianz.
It's been some time in the making, this U.K.-U.S. deal. So let's start with that and let's just then we can sort of widen the lens, if you will.
Just what -- how significant is this?
And for both economies, what are the consequences of this, Mohamed?
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER, ALLIANZ: And thank you for having me, Becky.
It's a big political moment, as you heard. And both governments will trumpet a victory. The U.S. will argue that this was a result of the tariff
approach. The U.K. will argue that it has navigated the tariff war really well and has come out with an agreement.
And as we heard, the U.K. needs to replace what was there under Brexit with something else. So from a political angle, it's a big moment and there will
be lots of declaration from an economic perspective. We will, of course, need to wait for the details but the general consensus is what you heard.
It will not move the needle much. It's a good starter. It certainly is. But in terms of impact on growth, on price movements, we will have to wait.
ANDERSON: What we do know is that Donald Trump has been touting a number of big deals. And some people surprised that this was the first out of the
gate. He's been talking about Japan. He's been talking about India, South Korea and now, this weekend, the first talks between a representative of
the Trump and Xi governments on a U.S.-China deal.
Now so much of the volatility that we have had of late has been around tariffs and the, you know, the tremendous uncertainty that Donald Trump's
sort of rhetoric around tariffs has created.
When we widen that lens and you look at the potential, at least for further deals for the U.S. at this point, what sort of impact might those have on
the wider macroeconomic story on the global economy at this point?
EL-ERIAN: So we live in a world of globalization, ever closer integration of goods, services. That was a boost to growth in general but had some
significant distributional effects. It left certain people behind.
We are now moving away from that world and we're moving to one of two potential outcomes. And that's part of the volatility in markets. One
potential outcome is total fragmentation. The trading system as we know it starts breaking down.
The other one is what Gordon Brown, the former prime minister of the U.K., calls managed globalization lite.
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So notice the two additional words there -- manage; so it's deal by deal. And it's light. It's not the sort of integration we've had before. And
those who are optimistic will take today's announcement as an indication that, slowly but surely, we're going to end up in the managed globalization
lite and not in total fragmentation.
ANDERSON: And did you, in listening to Jerome Powell's comments after the Fed's decision to keep rates on hold, get a sense from him that he sees
this sort of managed lite story as potentially what will happen?
And, you know, decent for markets and for the U.S. economy going forward.
EL-ERIAN: You know, as always, the chair's words in the press conference were somewhat contradictory to what the statement was saying. So what Chair
Powell was trying to do is, on the one hand, reassure us; things are fine. The economy is in a good place. There's no need to rush on policies.
Everything is well.
But at the same time, the Fed is warning that the stagflationary winds, meaning lower growth and higher inflation, are blowing harder in the U.S.
right now. And that's what the chair tried to do. He tried to, if you like, reassure us on the one hand but also acknowledge that the stagflationary
risk has gone up.
ANDERSON: You and I talked about the importance for the U.K. economy of this deal, given that it left the E.U., what, eight years ago now and has
been pushing for major deals since then.
What do you make of the deal struck this week just two days ago by the U.K. with India?
EL-ERIAN: You know, it's welcome. As I said earlier, Brexit, no matter what you think of it politically, economically, it was replacing something
with nothing. And what we're now seeing is an attempt to replace what there was with little trade deals.
Is it as efficient from an economic perspective?
I'm not talking politics. I'm talking pure economics. No, it's not.
But is it better than having nothing?
Absolutely. And I suspect you'll see the U.K. government trying to reach other bilateral deals.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Mohamed. Thank you so much. You've been a steady hand for our viewers on a -- during what has been a very
volatile time. And it's always good to get your analysis and perspective on what is a big day, certainly headlines wise.
These are important stories. And having you on is very reassuring. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agree that the conflict in Ukraine can only be resolved by removing what
they describe as its root causes.
The two leaders held talks at the Kremlin earlier today, a day before Mr. Xi will serve as the guest of honor at the Victory Day military parade in
Moscow. CNN's senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, has the very latest from Moscow.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. Becky. Yes, and the two men certainly made clear that what they have going
is a lot more than deep relations between China and Russia but certainly also deep friendship that has been cultivated really for many years, going
back at least 10-15 years.
A friendship where Vladimir Putin today said, called Xi Jinping, "my dear friend," when they spoke at a meeting that happened in the early hours of
today in the Kremlin. Now there's several things that we need to point out about this meeting.
First of all, there is, of course, an official things that happened here today. There were several agreements that were signed, a lot of them having
to do with cooperation between the two countries for what they call stability in the world but, of course, also deeper cooperation with one
another.
But it also, of course, comes at a time that U.S. president Donald Trump is really shaping, shaking things up in the diplomatic sphere in the world.
And that's certainly something that really was a topic also there today.
The two men saying that they spoke about the conflict in Ukraine but also relations with the United States, as Russia finds itself in a position
where the U.S. is apparently trying to make relations better with Russia, while Russia -- while China faces that trade standoff with the United
States.
Now I actually asked the Kremlin spokesman on the sidelines of this meeting today about some of the things that U.S. vice president JD Vance had said
about Russia.
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Saying that Russia is asking for too much, as he put it, when it comes to Ukraine. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMITRY PESKOV, PUTIN SPOKESPERSON: What is important to take care of those initial reasons of the special operations, because they are strictly
interconnected with our national interests, our concerns of security.
PLEITGEN: Do you believe that the Trump administration understands how important the Ukraine issue is for Russia?
PESKOV: We do hope. We do hope. We have certain channels of dialogue and they're functioning. And we have a possibility of conveying our stand to
Americans, I'm thinking (ph).
PLEITGEN: What's the message of this meeting today between the presidents of Russia and China?
PESKOV: This is our joint vision. It's multilateralism, it's orientation to U.N.-oriented world and a world based on international law, not on rules
established by a country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
So Dmitry Peskov speaking to me earlier today in the Kremlin. Right after that, president with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping wrapped up, as we've
just heard, apparently the two men are now having tea inside the Kremlin.
But really, the bottom line is that we're hearing is that the Russians and the Chinese are saying that they are going to deepen their cooperation; of
course, also, in the face of the fact that the Trump administration is shaking things so much up as far as the international order is concerned.
Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Fred. Thank you.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, live from our Middle East broadcasting headquarters here in Abu Dhabi.
Ahead on this show, Pakistan says India has been launching dozens of drones into the country today. What the Pakistani military is saying about the
drone attacks and what they could mean for the ongoing spat between the two countries.
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ANDERSON: Well, it's another day of heightened tensions and reports of more attacks between India and Pakistan. Pakistan says it shot down 25
drones fired from India today.
This is Karachi, where one Indian drone attack was said to have struck. Shelling by both sides is reported across the de facto border of disputed
Kashmir. Pakistan's information ministry claims its armed forces have killed 40 to 50 Indian troops along that border.
And each country is saying there have been civilian deaths: 31 people killed in Pakistan or Pakistan-controlled Kashmir; 16 in India, with women
and children said to be among the dead.
The latest hostilities stem from a massacre of tourists in Indian- administered Kashmir more than two weeks ago. India and Pakistan control different parts of Kashmir but both countries claim the whole of it. CNN's
Isobel Yeung picks up the story for you.
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ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are India and Pakistan, these two nuclear armed neighbors, on the brink of war?
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We've seen India launch missiles toward what they call terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. This comes after 26 civilians have been killed
in Indian-controlled Kashmir by militants, something that India accuses Pakistan of involvement and something that Pakistan completely denies.
But this is a long conflict, one that's been fought over many, many times. So how did we get here?
Well, Kashmir is a region that is claimed in its entirety by both Pakistan up here and India here and China controls this area in the east. This de
facto border is overseen by both sides.
This beautiful mountainous land looks so picturesque but it is one of the most militarized zones in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More news from Kashmir.
YEUNG (voice-over): It all started in 1947 when the British divided India, its former colony, into two countries: Pakistan, a Muslim majority country
and India, a Hindu majority one. The borders were hastily drawn up and Kashmir was caught in the middle.
Soon enough, war broke out between the two newly independent countries over control of Kashmir.
YEUNG: Essentially, that's an issue that's just never been resolved and it's still at the heart of a lot of the violence that is playing out today.
YEUNG (voice-over): Another two wars broke out: one in 1965 and one in 1971. And over the past two decades, militants have consistently fought
with Indian security forces. Some of them have been demanding independence for Kashmir and some of them have been demanding that Kashmir becomes a
part of Pakistan.
YEUNG: The Indian government has consistently said that these militants are supported by Pakistan and Pakistan have consistently said that they
have no involvement at all in them.
But over the years, tens of thousands of people have been killed in this violence.
YEUNG (voice-over): For example, you might remember back in 2019 when there was this surge in violence. This happened after a cross-border
militant attack in India and India responding with the first incursion by Indian Air Force into Pakistani territory for decades.
YEUNG: In 2021, both Pakistan and India recommitted to a ceasefire that was along this line of control here and that held fairly well for the last
four years or so.
YEUNG (voice-over): But now, with recent events playing out, there is a lot of fear about how this violence might escalate.
YEUNG: And with international norms now really thrown into question, a lot of people are asking, where do we go from here?
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ANDERSON: Well, Nic Robertson back with us this hour from Islamabad.
And what are you hearing very specifically there, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Well, we just heard from the foreign minister giving a briefing, speaking about the target that he
said was the target of one of those drones that came in and impacted about noon today.
There was a busy market going on in that area. He said the target was the stadium in Rawalpindi, about 10 miles from here, which, of course, is the
home to Pakistan's military, the home to their intelligence headquarters as well, a very, very important and strategic location.
He said that the drone that came in and impacted there was targeting that stadium, a stadium that right now is hosting the Pakistan Super League. It
is a massive cricketing event in Pakistan, draws in all the top players and international players as well.
The impact in the video that we've seen seems to have scorched and burnt out a lot of the stores around that stadium but it's not just been there.
The drones have been hitting Karachi in the south.
A laborer, we understand, in a field in Sindh province in the south was killed, four soldiers injured, four army personnel injured in Lahore.
That's the massive city very close to the border with India. About 13 million people living there.
So, of course, a lot of social media here, people posting videos of drone sounds, of impacts and things like that. So what's happening in Pakistan is
people are now getting worried. Some of the militant groups are pushing the government to take urgent action against, you know, against India for the
strikes yesterday.
So there's a real sort of head of steam, of concern, of call for revenge. The foreign minister was talking about strategic patience but I don't think
there's any doubt here at the moment that this is sort of becoming a rolling situation where you had that significant attack by India today.
India, saying that it is striking, it is using these drones, they say, to go after Pakistan's air defenses. But for people here, it really feels as
if there's a new wave of something happening, drones striking deep in the country all over. They've never experienced that before.
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So we're into a sort of a new situation here it feels like, Becky.
ANDERSON: Normalization field (ph).
It's good to have you, Nic. Thank you.
Well, Syria's president says his government is holding indirect talks with Israel. Ahmed al-Sharaa says the goal is to end Israeli attacks on Syria,
which have been staged multiple times since the fall of the Assad regime in December.
Israel has also taken territory in Syria and declared a buffer zone in the south, with the stated intention of protecting Syria's Druze minority, they
say. President Sharaa says Israel's actions violate a U.N.-brokered 1974 engagement agreement between the two countries.
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AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As for the indirect negotiations with Israel, there are indirect negotiations taking
place through mediators to calm the situation and try to absorb the situation so that things do not reach a point where both parties lose
control.
Israel's military interventions are random interventions and Israel's interventions broke the law of the 1974 agreement. Since our arrival in
Damascus, we have declared to all concerned parties that Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Firas Maksad joining us now. He is the managing director for the Middle East at Eurasia Group.
We talk regularly. It's good to have you here in Abu Dhabi. It's an absolute pleasure. Thank you.
Syria will be one of the key files that the Gulf nations, that president Trump is visiting next week, will be discussing. There's a GCC meeting, of
course, on the back of this trip into Riyadh.
So let's just talk about Syria in the first instance and then we'll widen the lens and talk about this Trump trip into this Gulf region.
What do you make of where we are at on the Syria file?
FIRAS MAKSAD, DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Becky, from the get-go, Syria was going to be either going to be a great opportunity or a
source of great peril for the region.
Unfortunately, what we're seeing with Israeli overreach into southern Syria under various claims, protecting minorities or otherwise, taking territory
and also Turkish overreach, projecting power into Syria, we're seeing a very damaging interplay between Turkish and Israeli attempts at influence
projecting influence in Syria.
There really is only one country that can straighten this out, with partners and allies all around Syria and it's the United States. United
States diplomacy has been, at best, lacking.
You know, the people who are supposed to be in charge of the Syria file in Washington, D.C., are good friends. They're not in position yet. They're
waiting for confirmations. There's no team. There's no strategy.
So unfortunately, Syria is going in the wrong direction right now. But there are those in the GCC, Saudi Arabia chief amongst them, we were
talking about off air, the Saudi foreign minister coming to Washington, lobbying hard for some sanctions relief for Syria.
And I suspect that this will be a topic of discussion at the GCC summit. Also, perhaps an attempt from the Saudis to broker a meeting between Ahmed
al-Sharaa, the Syrian president, and president Trump.
ANDERSON: The Caesar Act is a U.S. act. The sanctions on Bashar al-Assad and his government were under the Caesar Act. And it is the Saudis and
Qatar who are very specifically looking for those but lobbying for that, for those sanctions to be lifted.
As we see Emmanuel Macron in Europe, for example, pushing the E.U. to lift some of those sanctions. Without the lifting of these sanctions, Syria's
very unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon.
MAKSAD: Very little can be done without the lifting of these sanctions.
ANDERSON: Well, Syria said it will receive a grant from -- to pay the salaries of government workers. And we are told that Qatar has received
U.S. sanctions waivers for this very specific move. So that'll be interesting to see, whether we get any further action on Syria next week.
Let's talk about this trip and open the lens somewhat, as I say.
What do you expect from Trump in the Gulf starting Monday?
MAKSAD: Let me say the following. Many of us in Washington have made the case for greater American involvement in the Middle East, based on the
geopolitics of things, great power competition, the growing role of China, Russia and its relations here.
This is not what animates this president. He is very commercially minded and transactional. And so he's coming here because he believes it is in the
interest of the U.S. economy, perhaps his interest and those around him, to have those deals here with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
So expect big announcements, irrespective of the fact that there is no progress toward normalization between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
ANDERSON: Is that off the table?
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MAKSAD: It is more than off the table. I think normalization is dead, having just come from Riyadh. And president Trump is going to proceed,
irrespective of where Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is.
ANDERSON: Where does that leave, to your mind, Donald Trump's relationship with the Israeli prime minister?
MAKSAD: It is a very checkered relationship at best. I think Donald Trump never forgot that Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to congratulate
Biden publicly on his win, back when Trump was still disputing that election results.
So the two have a checkered past at best. And we saw, whether it was that Oval Office moment, I would say almost a Zelenskyy moment there for
Netanyahu, when he was told the U.S. will initiate direct negotiations with Iran.
Or it's the ceasefire in Yemen that was announced and again caught the Israelis by surprise two days ago; or normalization, as we're about to see
with the GCC, that Trump will proceed in engaging this region, the Arab allies and partners, irrespective of any progress or lack thereof, with
Israel on normalization.
So it's a very troubled place for the Israeli prime minister to be with Israel's primary ally in Washington.
ANDERSON: OK. Let's talk about what he will be bringing to Riyadh, Qatar and the UAE and what these three, you know, energy-rich capital, you know,
countries with real capital heft at present can offer the U.S. president.
Very specifically, what do you expect to see in Riyadh?
MAKSAD: I think there's a lot that can be offered that's on the table here. There is an ongoing race for AI and tech dominance, particularly
between the United States and the Chinese.
That is not a race that can be won by the United States without deep involvement from the GCC, because exactly if the deep pockets and the
capital intensive nature of that industry but also because of the low operating costs and the relatively the comparative advantage of having
cheap energy here in the Gulf.
So strategically, long term, in terms of dominance in the AI and tech component, this will be a very important thing to watch out for in terms of
upcoming announcements.
ANDERSON: Very specifically, it's the sort of geotech story that you see sort of emerging as the sort of pillar for the UAE. Sort of foreign policy
and bilateral relationship with the U.S. at present. Statecraft, clearly, these countries can have a significant influence on a number of issues that
the U.S. will want support on.
But as you say, these bilateral deals, this, this sort of geopolitics, geoeconomic, geotech, which seems to be the sort of shifting paradigm
around international affairs, I think we agree, is squarely in focus on this trip.
It's fantastic to have you. I look forward, look forward to spending more time with you here in region and we'll leave it there for the time being.
Thank you.
MAKSAD: Thank you. Becky.
ANDERSON: We will, of course, be on the road covering Donald Trump's trip around this region starting Monday.
Still to come, we are on chimney watch, waiting for any sign that 133 Catholic cardinals have elected the next pope. That is coming up.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me. Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines.
We are standing by for the U.S. president, Donald Trump, to announce a trade deal with the United Kingdom. He is calling the agreement full and
comprehensive. But U.S. and U.K. officials tell CNN this deal will be more limited in scope and be heavy on future commitments.
Well, Pakistan says its armed forces have killed 40 to 50 Indian troops along the de facto Kashmir border today. It also says India has fired
dozens of drones into the country, with more than 20 of them shot down.
India says it's targeted Pakistani military installations for what it says are attempted Pakistani attacks on Indian military facilities.
Well, 133 cardinals are preparing right now for another round of voting for a new pope. Earlier, black smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney,
signaling that no decision had been reached yet.
In the past two papal conclaves produced a winner on the second day of voting, so it's possible a new pontiff will be named later today. CNN's
David Culver following all of this for us from Rome.
David, just describe the atmosphere, if you will.
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, you've got folks who are passing by us here. And we're technically in Rome, as you
point out. But just go a few meters up and there's the barricades and you're in Vatican City, St. Peter's Square there.
And one thing we should point out is the monitors here now up. So that tells us that we're now in this wind (AUDIO GAP) what could be up to two
ballots in this afternoon session.
So it is likely, given the timing, that the 133 cardinal electors are in position again for this second round of voting today. And it could be that
if they don't come to that two-thirds majority in the first round, that they'll go to a second ballot.
But you do have folks who are starting to trickle in. This is toward the early part of that window. So give it another hour, another two hours,
another three hours. If anything, like yesterday, you're shoulder-to- shoulder, jammed in an estimated 30,000 or so folks.
I will point out one thing that's really interesting because we talked about this being a jubilee year for the Catholic Church, which is an idea
that is, essentially every 25 years, this period of renewal and reflection. And they have pilgrims coming from all over.
And so you're at the start of tourist season, jubilee year and now you've got a papal conclave. So the city is feeling the density of folks who have
come in. But they still make a space. And it's tough to see but it's just over my shoulder here. There's a corridor that is essentially a pilgrims'
corridor that's blocked out with barricades.
And they allow the pilgrims to make their way all the way up. So they still give them space to be able to be part of this moment and to take it in, not
so much as a tourist but as part of the devout faith.
I spent earlier today, Becky, at the North American Pontifical College. That's the seminary, essentially, that has the majority folks from the
U.S., young men who are studying to become priests.
And one thing that was pointed out to me is they had several cardinals who were staying with them prior to going into conclave and to become part of
the electoral process.
And I asked what the atmosphere was like with those cardinals before they went in. And they said they noted something that was really, for them,
exemplary and that was that these cardinals would often take time and pace and almost in a very heavy, reflective manner, be trying to think about
what the process was going to be like ahead.
They noticed them just in deep and devout reflection and not as perhaps interactive and jovial as they normally are, which, I spoke to Benedictine
sisters yesterday, a group of four of them.
And they told me the same thing at that opening mass of the conclave. They said that they noticed that this was not a performance or a show, where
they were looking at the cardinals.
[10:40:05]
But rather that they were deeply serious and reflective about the process that they were stepping into. And now we're in the midst of that. And folks
are looking at this now as perhaps this could be this evening, if you're following the past two elections and the timeline, or it could go on.
And if it goes on, there has been some suggestion that perhaps things are not as unified within the church leadership as they would like to portray.
That, of course, is all known behind those closed doors sealed off from us.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. David, it's good to have you there. That sort of deep background in your discussions you've been having is so useful for
us.
And we are keeping our eye, of course, on that chimney. That's our chimney cam. We are on conclave watch, waiting to see smoke from there. This is the
third round of voting, second round of voting today.
It was on the second day, last time in 2013, that Pope Francis was voted to be the next pontiff.
That is literally the most famous seagull in the world at present, hanging around on the chimney, waiting itself, perhaps to see what color smoke we
see from there.
Black, no decision; white, of course, we have a new pope.
Well, up next, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters are arrested after a demonstration at New Yorks Columbia University. Why this school called in
the police is up next.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Dozens of people were taken into custody by police in New York after a pro-Palestinian protest in Columbia University's main
library on Wednesday. The university says it requested police presence on campus following, quote, "substantial chaos" about two days before final
exams are scheduled to begin.
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio says the visa status of the protesters will now be reviewed.
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ANDERSON: Well, meantime, on the ground in Gaza, Israel's military operation intensifies. The Palestinian ministry of health says a pair of
Israeli strikes near a market in Gaza City killed dozens of people on Wednesday. A journalist was among the dead, according to the outlet he
worked for.
His Instagram account shows him celebrating the birth of his daughter just a day earlier.
Gaza's civil defense says an Israeli strike on a school east of Gaza City on Wednesday also killed at least 15 people who were sheltering inside.
I'll get you to CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
And what's the very latest that you are hearing on the ground and from authorities, Jeremy?
[10:45:07]
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we are witnessing inside of Gaza right now is a very deadly combination.
Not only strikes over the last couple of days that have killed scores of Palestinians, including women and children, but also, of course, this
continued use of food aid, seemingly, as a weapon of war by Israeli forces as they've been accused of doing by human rights groups and the United
Nations.
The situation in Gaza growing increasingly desperate on both fronts as the Israeli military intensifies its aerial bombing of the Gaza Strip. We saw
yesterday, particularly during that strike in the al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City near a restaurant as well as a marketplace, absolutely tragic
scenes.
A boy shouting out over and over again for his father after he finds his body on the ground. Another boy found motionless on the floor, a pink
backpack still slung over his shoulders.
They were among at least 33 people who were killed in that pair of strikes in that Gaza City neighborhood, following other strikes that took place at
schools housing displaced Palestinians, which the Israeli military accused Hamas of using as command and control centers.
And then, of course, there is that humanitarian situation. The World Central Kitchen just yesterday announcing that all of the kitchens that it
supports were forced to shut down due to a lack of food supplies.
Other community kitchens, those run both by the United Nations as well as families within Gaza, are shutting down day by day again as these food
supplies rapidly run out. More than 90 percent of Palestinians in Gaza are now facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
And really, at this point, it is a question of when and how soon famine will hit the Gaza Strip unless something changes. And for now, that
something just is not coming. Israel and the United States seem to be working on a new humanitarian aid mechanism that they say will avoid that
aid from being diverted to Hamas.
Allegations that, we should note, the Israelis have not substantiated with any verifiable evidence. But nonetheless, that seems to be the plan. It is
a plan that is rejected by the overwhelming majority of humanitarian aid organizations working in Gaza.
And so it really seems unsure and uncertain at this point as to how aid will ultimately make it into the Strip and whether it can do so in time.
ANDERSON: Jeremy, before I let you go, briefly, you've closely been following closely the detention of a Palestinian journalist in the West
Bank. This is Ali Samadi.
What's the latest on that?
DIAMOND: That's right. Ali Samadi was detained by the Israeli military following an early morning raid on the morning of April 29th. Today, the
Israeli military actually extended his detention by six months, with a top Israeli general in the West Bank issuing an administrative detention order
without charge or trial.
Despite the fact that that has happened, the Israeli military actually told me today that the initial allegations that they leveled at Samadi, that
they simply do not have enough evidence to substantiate them, this was the allegation that they made the morning that he was arrested.
They told me that he was accused of transferring funds to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which the Israeli government considers to be a terrorist
organization. Now they are saying that they do not have sufficient evidence to back up that claim, which is why, in his Israeli military court hearing,
military prosecutors did not raise that allegation at all.
instead accusing him of jeopardizing the safety of Israeli forces in the West Bank, which is quite a vague allegation that is often used in these
administrative detention scenarios. And we should be clear:
Ali Samadi is a prominent, well-known journalist who has been working in the West Bank for decades, including working with foreign news
organizations such as CNN. I've been in the West Bank several times with Ali and I can attest to his professionalism in the field.
Ali Samadi was also alongside Shireen Abu Akleh when she was killed by Israeli forces. Ali was injured in that incident and, in the years since,
no allegation was leveled against him by the Israeli military until just a few weeks ago.
He is now in Megiddo prison in central Israel. His family says that he has not yet received medication he needs for his diabetes and his high blood
pressure. They are very concerned for his health and his safety. Becky.
ANDERSON: Jeremy, thank you.
Well, still to come, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has a new plan for his third act. Here's a hint: it's going to involve giving away a lot more of
his wealth.
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[10:50:03]
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ANDERSON: Let's get you to the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump making a big announcement on trade with the United Kingdom.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: -- very, very quick form of approval. And there won't be any red tape. Things are going to move very quickly both
ways. The final details are being written up in the coming weeks. We'll have it all very conclusive.
But the actual deal is a very conclusive one. We think just about everything has been approved. So good for both countries. And we'll also
receive new market access for American chemicals, machinery and many other industrial products that weren't allowed.
And they'll end up getting products that they'll be able to price. And if they like them better and we make great products, they'll be buying those
products. But they were not available in the U.K.
Furthermore, in a historic step, the deal includes plans that will bring the United Kingdom into the economic security alignment with the United
States. That's the first of its kind. So we have a big economic security blanket and that's very important.
And we feel very, very comfortable with that because it's been a great ally, truly one of our great allies. I mean, a lot of people say our
greatest ally, I don't want to insult people by saying that. But I can say it, certainly one of our greatest and right at the top.
And they're the first one we're talking about. And by the way, we have many meetings planned today and tomorrow and every country wants to be making
deals. And we have a meeting. As you know, Scott will be going over to Switzerland on Saturday. And that will be very, very interesting. We'll
find out.
But I think they want to make a deal very badly, too. Both countries have agreed that the economic security is national security and we'll be working
together as allies to ensure that we have a strong industrial base, appropriate export controls and protections for key technologies and
industries like steel.
Steel is a big factor. Both countries will become stronger with steel and things necessary for military. You know, we used to build ships and other
things literally at a level that nobody's ever seen. And we haven't. We've eased up.
And I would say that the U.K. certainly eased up but now we're going to be easing both and we work together.
Once again, I want to thank prime minister Starmer. He's been terrific for his partnership in this matter. The special relationship and external bond,
it's really an external and an internal bond between our two countries will soon be stronger than ever before.
[10:55:04]
And we really do. We have a great relationship. I want to just say that the representatives of U.K. have been so professional and it's been an honor
doing business with all of them and in particular the prime minister. And I'd like to introduce him now to say a few words.
Mr. Prime Minister, please take it away.
KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Mr. President, Donald. And this is a really fantastic historic day in which we can announce this deal
between our two great countries. And I think it's a real tribute to the history that we have of working so closely together.
Can I pay tribute, Donald, to your negotiating team as well, particularly Howard and Jamison, who've done an incredible job, a very professional job.
And my team as well, two negotiating teams have worked at pace now for a number of weeks to bring this deal today, really important deal.
This is going to boost trade between and across our countries. It's going to not only protect jobs but create jobs, opening market access. And as you
say, Donald, the timing couldn't be more apt because not only was it 80 years ago today that, victory came for Europe after and at the end of the
Second World War.
But, of course, on that day, the U.K. and the U.S. stood together as the closest of allies. And Donald, I think it's down to the hour because you
may or may not know that it was about this time of day, exactly 80 years ago, that Winston Churchill announced victory in Europe.
And that led to great celebrations across Europe, across America but particularly in the United Kingdom. Literally people going out into the
street, putting bunting up, going up to the palace.
And so to be able to announce this great deal on the same day, 80 years forward, almost at the same hour and as we were 80 years ago with the U.K.
and the U.S. standing side by side, I think is incredibly important and makes this truly historic. That close relationship has endured over those
80 years.
As you know, Donald, when it comes to defense and security and intelligence sharing, of course, there are no two countries that are closer than our two
countries. And now we take this into new and important territory by adding trade and the economy to the closeness of our relationship.
It is built, as you say, on those notions of fairness and reciprocal arrangements. We've always had a fair and balanced arrangement between our
countries. This builds on that hugely important for sectors like car manufacturing and for steel and aluminum and so many others.
And yes, we can finish hammering out some of the details but there's a fantastic platform here, including, of course, on the tech side, where I
think I'm right in saying we're the only two Western countries with trillion-dollar sectors when it comes to tech.
And in the end, it comes down to as you say, Donald, economic security is national security or national security. We've been absolutely the closest
of allies for so many years, keeping the peace through that close alliance, that friendship. And now we add to that, this deal on trade and the
economy.
And I want to thank you for your leadership on that, Donald, and for the way in which your team have negotiated this. And I'm so pleased that we've
got this deal. We've finalized it. And we've built an incredible platform for the future. So thank you so much.
Donald, I'm now going to go and do a press conference. I think you have your press in with you. But on the details, I think if you've got Howard,
we can deal with that through one of my team.
TRUMP: That's great. Well, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much. It's an honor. We're going to have a continued, maybe a better relationship than
ever before. You know, I don't know if the media knows but the U.S. and U.K. have been working for years to try and make a deal and it never quite
got there.
But it did with this prime minister. So I want to just congratulate you.
STARMER: Well, with this president, this prime minister, we've managed to achieve what many people have tried to achieve for many years. And I'm
really pleased. And it feels completely historic and on a special 80-year anniversary as well.
So Donald, thank you so much. It's really good to have got this deal over the line. Tribute to both teams, tribute to our countries and tribute to
your leadership.
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END
