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At Least 75 Killed, Hundreds Missing in Hong Kong Fire; Two National Guard Members Shot in D.C. in Critical Condition; Trump Requests 500 More Troops to D.C. After Shooting; Pope Leo Visiting Turkiye and Lebanon; Evidence Shows Tanzanian Police Killed Protesters; Call to Earth: Reviving Coral Reefs; 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Unlikely Pair Celebrate 10 Years of Thanksgivings Together. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 27, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Among president Trump's significant day one moves with -- welcome to the second hour of
CONNECT THE WORLD.
(LAUGHTER)
MACFARLANE: I'm reading the wrong prompter.
I'm Christina Macfarlane in London. And we're following three breaking news stories at this hour.
The death toll in the shocking Hong Kong fire has risen to at least 75 people as rescuers search the smoldering buildings for survivors.
And U.S. officials have just given an update on the shooting of two National Guard members in downtown Washington, D.C. We'll bring you the
latest.
Plus Pope Leo is spending his Thanksgiving on his foreign -- first foreign trip as head of the Catholic Church. Starting the day in Ankara, Turkiye,
his message of peace and unity.
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MACFARLANE: We begin in Hong Kong, where authorities say the fire that engulfed a high-rise apartment complex is now under control just over 24
hours after it broke out. Hundreds of residents are still unaccounted for as rescuers search for those who may have been trapped on the upper floors
of the multiple buildings.
At least 75 people are now known to have died, with 76 others being treated for injuries. The blaze has displaced around 500 people. For now, they are
being looked after in emergency shelters but the majority of them now have no home to return to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MS. WAN, RESIDENT (through translator): We bought this building more than 20 years ago.
All of our belongings were in this apartment and, now that it is all burned like this, what's left?
There's nothing left.
What are we supposed to do?
What we hope most is that the government will help us solve this problem. We don't have any other requests. Just hope that the government can help us
resolve it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON KONG, RESIDENT (through translator): I'm devastated. There are so many neighbors and friends. I don't know what's going on anymore. All the
apartments are just burning. I don't know what to do. I hope the government can help us to settle down after this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: CNN's Hanako Montgomery is in Hong Kong and she spoke to me last hour with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're actually just outside the housing complex that took fire from Wednesday night. And as you said, the
authorities are saying that the fire is largely contained. But as you can see behind me, firefighters and authorities are actually still trying to
extinguish all of the flames.
I don't know if you can see but higher up toward the top of that sky rise, you actually see some orange flames inside an apartment building. And
clearly, I mean the whole entire space is engulfed in flames.
Now it is nighttime now in Hong Kong, so it's a bit hard to tell but there are still white and black plumes of smoke and these buildings are just
completely charred and black.
And, of course, because of this devastating fire. Now fire trucks are also using water hoses to again, still try to extinguish that fire, as they are
trying to continue containing this deadly, deadly blaze.
And again, Christina, as you mentioned, the death toll has risen to at least 65 and authorities are still trying to locate nearly 300 people who
are still missing, still unaccounted for.
Authorities fear that they still might be trapped inside these buildings and might not be able to get the need, the sufficient support that they
need in order to get out, Christina.
MACFARLANE: And Hanako, I know that you, for much of the day have been down at the rescue centers where displaced people have gathered. This is
obviously devastating for residents. What is being done by the government to help those that are affected?
Are there any emergency funds being put in place?
MONTGOMERY: Yes, Christina, as you mentioned, of course, the city has created these emergency shelters where residents are taking shelter and
they have emergency food, water supplies, also blankets, again, because they can't return home. Their homes have been completely destroyed, now
also there are emergency funds.
This city has allocated tens of millions of , in fact, to respond to this emergency and also to support those families in need. Now interestingly,
the government has also allocated a social worker to each family that was devastated or affected by this fire.
And they're just providing mental and psychological support, because, as you can imagine, this is a massive, massive disaster that could affect
one's mental health for potentially many days, weeks, months to come.
Now also, some Chinese businesses have allocated millions of as well in order to help those in desperate need of aid, of support. And let me just
tell you, Christina, when we were down at that emergency shelter, of course, the government aid is very necessary and important.
But also, the involvement of the community, the support that we're seeing from individuals, from regular civilians, as they are handing out the
supplies to those in desperate need of them.
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It's really quite heartwarming and touching to see just the entire city -- really just gathering behind these victims, Christina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Well, breaking this hour, two National Guard members have undergone surgery and remain in critical condition after they were shot in
Washington, D.C., in an ambush-style attack on Wednesday.
We learned last hour the victims are 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24- year-old Andrew Wolfe. Both are members of the West Virginia National Guard and had been deployed to D.C.
Officials say the suspect is a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan, who entered the U.S. in 2021. He will be charged with three counts of assault
with intent to kill. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. CNN's Brian Todd is following this story for us from
Washington.
And, Todd (sic), I'm sure you we're listening in to that press conference that happened last hour with the director of the FBI, Kash Patel; with
Jeanine Pirro, where we learned more details about the suspect, the nature of the attack and the wide-scale investigation that is now underway.
What important details stood out to you?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, there were several important details that we learned this morning about this attack, which
officials are pretty consistently now describing as an ambush. And by all accounts, pretty much that is how the attack unfolded.
You mentioned the identities of the victims. That was new information this morning. I'm going to step aside here while our photojournalist, Jay
McMichael (ph), zooms in on pictures of the two Guards members who were shot and wounded in this attack.
Christina just mentioned their names, Sara Beckstrom. She's the one on the right hand side. She's 20 years old. And Andrew Wolfe, he's on the left.
He's 24 years old. Both members of the West Virginia National Guard.
According to officials here, they were both sworn in less than 24 hours after (sic) the attack occurred. We also learned from this news conference,
from Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, some new details on how the attack unfolded, saying that the suspect came upon
the Guardsmen.
We did learn yesterday that he started shooting at them, allegedly, before they could even see him.
But today we learned that he fired one shot, hit one Guardsman; that Guardsman fell. He leaned over that Guards member, fired another shot and
then struck a second Guards member several times before a third Guards member engaged the suspect in gunfire and then wounded him.
We also learned some new details about where the suspect is from. He is identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He is an Afghan national.
Earlier this morning, CIA director John Ratcliffe had said that Lakanwal had worked for the CIA in Afghanistan with U.S. forces. He worked in
partnership with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, in the Kandahar region. That's what we did learn earlier today.
But this morning, Jeanine Pirro spoke about where the suspect lived in the United States and other details about how he came to the District of
Columbia. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR D.C.: He resided in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and, we believe, five children. And we're working
very closely with our federal partners, especially DHS and the FBI, to review his immigration history and the vetting process itself.
What we know about him is that he drove his vehicle across country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation's
capital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: And FBI director Kash Patel said that the bureau and other investigators executed search warrants overnight at the suspect's home in
Bellingham, Washington, and there is a connection to San Diego, California, although that is somewhat unclear. They did execute warrants in San Diego.
I asked Kash Patel specifically, were there relations or accomplices in San Diego?
He would not answer that question.
One other detail, Christina, that we learned was the suspect carried a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. That is the weapon used in the attack. He faces
four federal charges and I can name those charges here.
I believe it was three counts -- I don't have the charges right in front of me -- but he faces four federal charges in connection with this attack. And
they said they will, if these Guards members end up passing away, they will seek the death penalty for the alleged shooter -- Christina.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And I think it was three counts of assault and one possession of a firearm. Todd (sic), that they outlined earlier.
But look, it's just really sad, to be honest, looking at the images behind you of those two faces, to think that these two National Guard members were
only sworn in just a day ahead of this attack.
And I'm wondering how much all of this is raising questions now over the vulnerability of the National Guard there, given they're set to be
deployed, I think, another 500 Guard members to D.C.
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We know they're currently subject to an ongoing legal challenge.
I mean, in light of all that's happened, is their presence there, is their visibility raising any concerns about this future safety?
TODD: It certainly is raising concerns. I mean, they are patrolling high visibility areas in the District of Columbia. They're patrolling near
monuments at metro train stations and areas also that are popular with tourists and with people who go to restaurants and bars in the evenings.
Those are the types of areas in the district where the National Guardsmen have been seen and been on patrol. Now we did learn yesterday also that the
Guardsmen in question were armed. That was one of the -- one of the officials yesterday did tell us that.
So that could speak to maybe, you know, the vulnerability or lack thereof. But look, they're out there. They are visible. Their presence here has been
very controversial. We were covering the law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., in August and September that president Trump ordered. I
covered that fairly extensively.
I saw several occasions where people would go up to National Guardsmen and harass them, verbally jeer them, tell them to go back where they came from.
There were also instances, of course, where people were friendly with the Guardsmen, taking pictures with them and those types of things.
But they're out there. They are. I'm not going to say the word "exposed" but they're visible certainly. And one -- at one point in the news
conference today was kind of interesting, that one of the journalists asked Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney, about the controversy surrounding the
Guard being deployed.
That's when she got the most animated that she was in the entire news conference, saying, I don't want to go there. People should thank president
Trump for ordering the National Guard here to come and police a city that had a high homicide rate, et cetera. She was very animated in answering
that particular question.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Very interesting, Brian, we appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, U.S. president Donald Trump has ramped up his anti-immigration rhetoric in the wake of the shooting. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're not going to put up with these kind of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn't even be in our country. We must now reexamine
every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.
And we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country. If
they can't love our country, we don't want them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: CNN's Betsy Klein is live from Washington.
And Betsy, as we heard there, Donald Trump, the Trump administration's reaction to this has been pretty swift and extreme. Just walk us through
what this could mean for all Afghans who have arrived in the country since Biden and what impact this could have.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Certainly some sweeping implications there, the Trump administration condemning this shooting as an
act of terror. And president Trump is escalating his immigration crackdown in response.
Now we know from CNN reporting that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who came to the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies
Welcome. That is that Biden-era program to resettle Afghans in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He applied for asylum in 2024 and that asylum was granted under the Trump administration, actually, in April of this year. The suspect is currently
at a local hospital under very heavy guard, according to that news conference we heard a short while ago.
And according to Kash Patel, the FBI director, this suspect had a relationship with partner forces in Afghanistan. Investigators are now
going to be looking into that aspect of his background. Any contacts the suspect had, associates both here in the U.S. as well as abroad.
But president Trump, addressing the nation from Mar-a-Lago last night, cast a very dark tone. He blamed the Biden administration for letting Afghan
migrants into the United States.
He called for the reexamination of every single person who arrived to the U.S. from Afghanistan during the last administration, though CNN had
actually reported earlier this week, prior to this shooting, that that process was indeed already underway.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing moments after the president's speech that all Afghan immigrant cases are stopping
indefinitely, pending further review.
We also heard from Shaun VanDiver. He is the CEO of #AfghanEvac, responding to the president's comments.
He wrote in a statement, quote, "This individual's isolated and violent acts should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire
community."
He goes on to say, "Those who would twist this moment to attack Afghan families aren't seeking safety or justice. They're exploiting division and
endangering us all."
I also want to remind you why these service members from West Virginia are here in Washington, D.C., in the first place. This is part of president
Trump's crackdown on crime here in the District of Columbia. This is expected to continue until at least February.
And president Trump announcing that he is bolstering those forces with 500 additional troops following this incident.
[10:15:06]
And according to U.S. attorney, judge Jeanine Pirro, we have learned that there is going to be a robust interagency investigation into the cause and
the motive.
And all of the details that we are still waiting to learn, that is going to be part of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the ATF, the DEA,
D.C. Metro Police and many others. Christina.
MACFARLANE: All right, Betsy, appreciate it. Thank you.
For more on this, I want to bring in our CNN senior national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem.
Good to see you, Juliette. There has been, I think, a lot to unpack on the politics here.
But first, from the law enforcement point of view, can I just get us to -- ask you to give us your analysis of the new information we learned the last
hour from this press conference and if there was anything in that, Juliette, that pointed to a possible motive?
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Not quite yet. I think some of it was very familiar in the press conference. This is how it works.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is going to investigate, you know, from beginning to end what indeed happened here -- access to the gun, the travel
across the country.
Did he have any friends that he told?
Was he part of any larger group?
And then, of course, the question about his relationship with the U.S. government in the past in Afghanistan, including an admission by our CIA
director, John Ratcliffe, that there were ties to the to CIA-backed groups in Afghanistan.
Did that have anything to do with the motive?
We won't know that right now. But this is a -- following a very familiar investigation, especially because he's in custody. We're not searching for
anyone. This is now just trying to find the motive.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And I was interested to hear Jeanine Pirro say earlier as well, comment that this was an individual that was not properly vetted.
I mean, we know that this individual came into the United States in 2021 but he was actually granted asylum earlier this year after being vetted.
And it's somewhat strange, is it not, Juliette, that, you know, someone could have gone from being vetted to wanting to target one of the National
Guard within a matter of months?
So what outstanding questions do you think there are there as to the vetting process?
KAYYEM: Right. So let me just explain what the process would look like.
So 2021, with the Afghan withdrawal, lots of Afghans come to the United States under a very quick visa standard because we wanted, to the extent
possible, to get them out. People were very critical of the Biden administration. But tens of thousands of Afghans got here.
Then they tried to regularize the process. This is where the Trump administration comes in. And it appears that the suspect went through
vetting, questioning, the background checks and then was given asylum status. That's not green card status. That's not citizenship.
But it means that he was lawfully here pursuant to what the Trump administration found.
So I actually don't know what the Trump administration was talking about in that press conference. The status would have been granted this year by the
Trump administration. And then if there was a radicalization, radicalization process, it would have happened in just the last couple of
months.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And I mean, as Trump, as we heard there, is vowing to crack down even more on immigrants, he is also planning to send more
National Guard troops to D.C.
What is that going to mean on the ground?
How much is this going to add to that politically charged environment in many American cities right now?
KAYYEM: Yes, very much so. And, you know, the idea that more troops satisfies the question about why our troops there in the first place is one
that the Trump administration has not answered yet.
Look, a lot of us -- there's lawyers who are debating this in court. But a lot of us who just simply know homeland and military strategy have been
arguing for a while.
Look, there's no clear mission. The National Guard appears to be either out patrolling with no authority or doing like, you know, picking up garbage. I
mean, that's essentially what they've been doing or making D.C. beautiful.
They are a target. And recently, even their commanders argued in an internal memo that was disclosed in a court case that they were nervous
that the National Guard just sitting around were a -- were a target for nefarious actors.
All of this will come out in the days ahead and nothing about adding more troops gets to the mission question about why are the troops being deployed
in the first place?
And I think it's very important that we have that conversation, even with the backdrop of this horror, because we don't want to put more troops in
vulnerable positions in D.C. or elsewhere.
[10:20:00]
It's not the numbers; it's the mission that's the issue.
And people should be asking, what in fact is mission readiness for this group of deployed National Guard members?
MACFARLANE: Yes, Juliette, always great to have your analysis. Thank you this Thanksgiving Day. Thank you.
KAYYEM: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: All right. Still ahead, the world is watching as Pope Leo embarks on his first foreign trip since becoming leader of the Roman
Catholic faith. A live report straight ahead.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(OFF MIKE COMMENTS)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: So Pope Leo's first trip is taking place over Thanksgiving. And some of the journalists have wanted him
to celebrate that. And so they've been doing some baking.
I'm with Cindy Wooden (ph) and Elise Allen (ph).
What have you guys been doing?
(CROSSTALK)
LAMB: Are you going to give it to him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to give it to him. Let's see what happens.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I made him a normal-sized pumpkin pie.
(LAUGHTER)
LAMB: So Pope Leo will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving, at least in some way. The Vatican didn't say beforehand whether he would be marking the day.
But he's going to have some pumpkin pie later.
POPE LEO XIV, PONTIFF, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: (INAUDIBLE). Thank you very much.
(LAUGHTER)
POPE LEO: And to the Americans here, happy Thanksgiving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
MACFARLANE: Pumpkin pie on the papal plane. That was our Vatican correspondent, Chris Lamb, who was on the flight when the pope had some
pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Pope Leo used the moment to stress to reporters how important their role is in getting the truth out.
Well, the pope has started his six-day trip to the Middle East in Ankara, Turkiye. Earlier, he was greeted by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has been covering the pope's visit for us.
So, Salma, talk us through the trip so far and the pope's first address that he made not long ago.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And what a beautiful moment that was captured there by our colleague, Chris Lamb. And that's so much of
what this six-day visit is going to be about.
It's about him really spreading his wings six months into his papacy, showing his personality, carrying his message.
And what is that message?
What is that mission?
Well, if you ask him, it is unity. It is hope. It is harmony. It is peace. It is dialogue. And that's exactly what he said at the presidential palace
today after a one-on-one meeting with President Erdogan.
He encouraged Turkiye to embrace its role as a mediator and as a bridge, not just in this region but in conflict in general. President Erdogan has
been involved in diplomatic efforts from Gaza to Ukraine.
So it was Pope Leo taking that opportunity to say, I am here to support those efforts toward peace, to support those efforts toward dialogue. Now
this is, of course, his first overseas trip.
And you may ask, well, why is his first overseas trip to two Muslim majority nations?
[10:25:00]
And it's important to remember that, first of all, he's honoring the commitment of his predecessor. These trips were set up before his papacy
and he is seeing that obligation through.
But also there are ancient Christian communities, both here in Turkiye and in Lebanon. And he's going to really acknowledge their role in Catholicism
today, tomorrow, in a very important event, the Council of Nicaea's 1,700th anniversary. This is going to take place -- I believe we have drone shots
to show you.
In this historical site that's just a short drive from Istanbul and it's going to be an important opportunity also to connect with the spiritual
leader of the Eastern Orthodox community here in Turkiye, which is based in Istanbul as well.
So this is going to be a very critical moment where we're going to get to see Pope Leo showcase what his mission and message is, to bridge that
outreach and that interfaith dialogue that he wants to see.
But also he's going to be creating his own traditions. So for example, the speeches that he's going to be giving throughout this six-day visit are
going to be in English and French. That's a departing from the tradition of speaking in Italian.
So again, he's setting his own traditions. Seeing that moment again on the papal plane where he's acknowledging Thanksgiving as the first American
pope, another opportunity to showcase his personality after the Council of Nicaea's anniversary event that we're going to see tomorrow.
On Saturday, he's going to be holding a mass at a massive stadium in Istanbul; 4,000 people are expected to attend that. He's going to be in a
papal-style golf cart, moving around this Volkswagen Arena.
And then he's going to sign a joint declaration, again emphasizing that interfaith dialogue. He's really at the forefront of so many conflicts by
visiting the Middle East. And, of course, that is going to be ever more highlighted when he lands in Lebanon, which, just days ago was hit by
Israeli airstrikes.
So we're really seeing this pope, six months into his papacy, up close, showcasing his personality and putting force behind that message and
mission of peace and harmony.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And given, as you say, Salma, that he is going on from here to Lebanon, where there were just strikes in Beirut just a couple of
days ago. We know he's going to be meeting with Lebanese leaders there.
How likely are we, do you think, to hear more on Pope Leo's views of the conflict still raging in the region?
ABDELAZIZ: Look, it is absolutely something that the Vatican has long been involved in and that is diplomacy. That is the call for peace. That is the
call for harmony in the region.
And you're going to hear him emphasize that time and time again. And you're sure to hear that in Lebanon. You have to remember, especially here in
Turkiye, when we talk about mediation efforts, President Erdogan is not just involved in mediation efforts in the Middle East.
Only a few days ago, President Zelenskyy was visiting Ankara and President Erdogan is involved in mediation efforts with Ukraine as well. So it is
this massive opportunity for him to step out and make these statements that aren't just about peace and harmony in this general and broad sense but to
actually put steps into action.
For example, the joint declaration, which he's expected to sign in a couple of days' time, that is going to put force behind this mission for
interfaith dialogue, this mission for connecting people between faiths.
He's also going to visit the Blue Mosque. So this is going to be the first visit to a mosque of his papacy. And that is significant. The fact that
he's visiting two Muslim majority nations in the heart of the Middle East, that is significant. And we're learning more about his flavor and his ideas
as we go along and see this pope up close and personal.
MACFARLANE: Yes, well, he certainly has a taste for pumpkin pie, doesn't he?
Salma Abdelaziz, appreciate it. Thank you.
Still to come this hour, questions arising as to why the deadly fire in Hong Kong was so quick to spread. We'll hear from an expert in building and
engineering after the break.
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Here are your headlines.
Authorities in Hong Kong say that a fire that engulfed a high-rise apartment complex on Wednesday is under control. Efforts are still underway
to find hundreds of people unaccounted for after the blaze ripped through several buildings. At least 75 have been confirmed dead and dozens are
being treated for their injuries.
Two National Guard members who were shot near the White House on Wednesday are still in critical condition. The victims are 20-year-old Sarah
Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe.
Officials have identified the suspect in Wednesday's ambush as an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021. The motive for the shooting is under
investigation.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted Pope Leo in Ankara today as he started his first foreign trip since becoming leader of the Catholic
Church. He'll go to Lebanon Sunday and will celebrate mass in Beirut Tuesday. The pope is expected to highlight themes of peace and unity during
his six-day trip.
MACFARLANE: Returning now to the deadly fire in Hong Kong that has torn through several high-rise apartment buildings. While rescue efforts
continue, authorities are turning to how they can help hundreds of people driven out of their homes by fire.
Hong Kong chief executive John Lee is promising that each family impacted will be allocated a social worker as well as psychological help and
financial support. Questions are also being asked as to how the fire spread so quickly, with some pointing to the fact the buildings were under
renovation.
Earlier, CNN spoke to a professor of building environment at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who said the renovations may indeed have played a
part in the disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
XINYAN HUANG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY ENGINEERING, HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY: There are two major
contribution to the faster fire spread.
The first one is, of course, the bamboo, the plastic net and other combustible material outside of the building. They create the combustible
facade, almost like a facade, and support the upward fire spread.
The other reason is there are some -- we call that cold alley area between apartments, so these are empty channels for additional light and
ventilation. And these channels create the chimney effect for the fire, for the hot gas moving up so quickly.
So that's the reason that fire spreading from the lower floor to higher floor in just one or two minutes. And it's a renovation project, so all the
people are still living there, living in their homes. So that's the reason it's different from a new building construction.
Nobody in the new building. This is a renovation. So that's the reason the population inside the building is very high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, to get a fuller picture, I also spoke with Asif Usmani, professor of building sciences at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. And
while all the details are yet to emerge, he weighed in on how he thinks the fire was able to spread so quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ASIF USMANI, CHAIR PROFESSOR OF BUILDING SCIENCES, HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY: Yes, as you said, things are still not completely clear, so I
guess it will need a very thorough investigation by the Hong Kong government later on to make everything clear.
But at this moment, there is no clear indication of how the fire started, how it ignited but the spread is quite explainable because there's
combustible material all around the building, which is bamboo scaffolding. And there was this nylon netting. And the fire, once it, you know, when it
-- once it ignites, it's the easiest for the fire.
[10:35:00]
Gravity is, it's like friend, you know, say, it basically goes against the gravity.
So the more vertical the surface, the faster the fire goes. So climbing up the building is the easiest thing for the fire to do. So -- and there's a
continuous sort of fuel.
(CROSSTALK)
Sorry, yeah, go ahead --
MACFARLANE: No. Sorry, I was just going to jump in to ask about the bamboo, because obviously there's been a lot of debate about the bamboo
scaffolding, how it contributed to this, whether it should have been in place in the first place.
And from what you're saying, it does sound like that was a major factor, major contributor.
Why is bamboo still being used in construction in this way, given, you know, we know that China has moved to ban bamboo and bring in a metal
scaffolding since 2022?
USMANI: That's a good question. I don't really know the answer, it's just been traditional to use bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong for a long time.
There have been fires in the past, actually, just one last month in China camp building in central Hong Kong, where, again, a similar bamboo
scaffolding fire happened but that was an unoccupied building.
Although some people did get hurt but there were no fatalities and the fire went on for about four hours. Last year, there was a similar incident
in an under-construction building. Again, there were no people inside. So I'm also a bit surprised that there were people inside and this scaffolding
was outside, because this is very similar to the Grenfell tower incident in London, if you remember.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
USMANI: That had a similar combustible cladding outside, which again, provided a very like a super highway to the fire, to go and spread
up and across the building. So this is exactly what's happened here. The greater is kind of a bigger event than for Grenfell, in the sense that this
is eight blocks that were being under renovation and all of them were covered in cladding.
So once the fire went up, then it was very easy for the high winds to the combustible materials to fly into the other nearby buildings and ignite
them and that's how nearly all the buildings caught fire. So this -- yes.
MACFARLANE: Yes, that's interesting, Asif, sorry to interrupt, because you said that all these buildings were under reconstruction. They all had
cladding around them.
USMANI: Yes.
MACFARLANE: Under the current guidelines and the rules as to, I guess, reconstruction in Hong Kong. I mean, was that appropriate that all of those
buildings at one time should have had this external scaffolding around them?
USMANI: I would imagine that there are, I mean, this has probably been happening for a long time and it's just, I guess, a question of bad luck
that this has happened. Because there, I think we can actually see going around Hong Kong, there are similar situations in other places where there
are similar kind of scaffoldings covering building facades where they're going under -- where they're under innovation.
So it's a very common thing to do. It's just that this has happened. I am sure that they have procedures the fire services and the
building department. They have procedures to ensure that these, because they typically Hong Kong regulations prohibit having, you know and
combustible materials on the facade.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
USMANI: So just like Grenfell, you can't have Grenfell in Hong Kong, because there you cannot, you're not allowed to put any kind of things that
can combust. But the temporary works are exempt from that. So I guess that's how the scamp holding gets away, because it's considered temporary.
Although this has been on -- has been going on for almost since July 2024, so it's more than a year now.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
USMANI: It's been going on, so it's kind of not so temporary.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
USMANI: So I'm not sure you know what regulations they have for approving these, perhaps these will all have to be looked into.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Now the E.U. Parliament has backed a resolution objecting to substantial E.U. funding going to Tanzania. Members condemned Tanzanian
authorities Wednesday after a brutal crackdown on protesters, including killings and disappearances.
Thousands of people demonstrated in October against the official results of a widely criticized presidential election. Well, CNN has conducted its own
exclusive investigation and found evidence of Tanzanian police opening fire at protesters, killing some of them. The probe involved a forensic
examination of video and satellite images.
[10:40:02]
Joining us from Nairobi, Kenya, CNN's Larry Madowo.
So Larry, just bring us up to speed.
And will this stop any aid going to Tanzania or will it just merely be a symbolic vote?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a symbolic vote, Christina. But it is still important. The European Parliament is saying that they do not
want to subsidize oppression in Tanzania.
They held two symbolic votes today, a very important one criticizing the deteriorating human rights situation in Tanzania.
And another asking the European Commission to immediately stop funding any state-owned organizations, any direct funding to the Tanzanian government
and instead direct that funding to human rights defenders, to civil society organizations, to journalists, to people who are getting persecuted in
Tanzania.
It was a very strong debate, where lots of members of the European Parliament spoke candidly about the situation in Tanzania, something that
we have not heard in Tanzania itself. I want you to listen to this one member.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MCALLISTER, MEMBER, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: All E.U. funds channeled through state-controlled entities must be frozen immediately. The European
Union must not use its fund to subsidize oppression.
The time to act is now. All political prisoners must be released immediately and with no conditions. Urgently required is an independent and
credible investigation into all killings, abductions and enforced disappearances. The great people of Tanzania, they deserve new, free and
credible elections. Thank you and free Tundu Lissu now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: He mentions Tundu Lissu. That is the opposition leader of the Chadema party, who was barred from running in this election, is in prison,
charged with treason since May. Treason carries the death penalty in Tanzania.
His party did not run. The second largest opposition party as well, ACT (ph), was (INAUDIBLE) did not run in this election and so European members
of parliament are saying this election was neither free nor fair and that Tanzania needs to have inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders and plan
free, credible and fair elections.
And this did not meet that, especially because president Samia Suluhu Hassan is said to have won the election with 98 percent of the vote. And
yet, pictures all over social media, first-hand accounts were spoken to eyewitnesses across Tanzania, say that turnout they reported, this number
of people who voted for this election, is not possible.
But that's what the electoral commission in Tanzania declared. And our own investigation here at CNN has shown that security forces used excessive
force, shot at people, some of whom were running away, who posed no immediate threat to police.
MACFARLANE: I think in light of this, it just shows how important that investigation is. Larry, we appreciate you coming on with the update. Thank
you.
South Africa will not be invited to next year's G20 summit near Miami. President Donald Trump made the announcement on Wednesday, adding that
South Africa, in his words, "is not worthy of membership anywhere."
The country hosted this year's summit last weekend but the U.S. boycotted the event amid unfounded accusations by the White House that South Africa
is committing genocide against its white citizens.
The exclusion would be a first in the G20's history. The U.S. plans to invite Poland instead, whose president is friendly with Mr. Trump.
Next, could an underwater symphony of reef music be the next tool in reef restoration?
We'll take you to Hawaii to see how sound could help rebuild coral ecosystems.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: Now a few ecosystems are struggling more than our coral reefs. They're facing a variety of threats, like warmer temperatures, pollution
and overfishing. Globally, we've lost around 50 percent of our reefs since the 1950s.
Today on "Call to Earth," we dive into Hawaiian waters with a team of scientists, who are experimenting with sound to help revive them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Beneath the waves, we often picture a quiet stillness. But if you listen closely, the sea floor is bustling with
crackles, chirps and pops.
ARAN MOONEY, MARINE BIOLOGIST, WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION: A healthy reef is really just vibrant with sounds. You can actually hear fish
calling to each other and so that might be a pair of fish scraping on the reef or attracting mates or defending territories.
ASHER (voice-over): Aran Mooney is the Principal Investigator of Reef Soundscapes and Biodiversity at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in
Massachusetts.
MOONEY: We started listening to reefs really in the Virgin Islands in about 2012. The focus of that was how to really understand or use sound to
measure the health of reefs.
ASHER (voice-over): Over the last few months, Aran and his coral reef solution team have been conducting a field study on the reefs around Maui,
Hawaii.
MOONEY: We're going to go pick up the surface buoy first and then we will suit up.
ASHER (voice-over): But they're not here to listen. They're here to play their own symphony of reef noises to test if it can spark new life on
decaying areas.
MOONEY: When you lose these reefs, you begin to kind of lose the vibrancy, the sound cues or the scents that might attract those baby fish and baby
corals back to the reefs.
ASHER (voice-over): In a Caribbean based study, Aran's team discovered that coral larvae were more likely to settle when healthy reef sounds were
broadcasted underwater compared to those left in silence.
MOONEY: From there, we actually worked on building a system, what we call, the RAPS or the Reef Acoustic Playback System. It's a little electronics
integrated in a buoy.
We tend to load in these healthy reef sounds and we put them on in the afternoon, evening and replay all night. And then it is generally thought
the coral larva selecting or settling their habitats at night. Different coral species have been responding to sound so far but in different ways.
ASHER (voice-over): Today Aran and his team are returning to the ocean floor to wrap up the controlled soundscape experiment they've been running
over the summer.
SIERRA JARRIEL, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION: Ready?
MOONEY: Perfect. Light the fires, kick the tires.
JARRIEL: So we have two sites here. We have a speaker connected to a RAP that is playing back healthy reef sound. And then we have a fake speaker.
So it looks the same but there's no sound being played back.
At each site, we have settlement tiles at one and 10 meters away from the speaker or fake speaker. There are attached to the bottom as a place for
coral to settle on. So we're going to be taking these into to score settlement.
MOONEY: So the work we study here was multiple goals. Basically, do Pacific coral respond to these sound cues at all or is this a phenomenon
that's just in the Caribbean?
Or is there a coral dialect essentially?
Does it need Maui specific sounds or can we use just a really wonderful healthy reef sound from elsewhere?
And then which species might be most responsive or easiest for us to work with?
ASHER (voice-over): The dive is done but their work is far from over. At Maui Ocean Center's lab, Aran's team will now examine the tiles under a
microscope and UV light. It will take weeks to go through all 240 tiles.
MOONEY: Caroline (ph) is looking at the fresh tiles and we're going through there and quantifying what's there. Wow, this is a really beautiful
coral skeleton.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a nice one.
MOONEY: Another cool thing we can actually measure is like the community that shows up. So the sponges or oysters that show up on those tiles.
ASHER (voice-over): While the early results are encouraging, Aran says there's still a lot to learn but he believes sound could become an
important tool in rebuilding reefs.
MOONEY: Restoration of reefs is going to require a lot of different solutions. And reefs are different around the world, so we think we
potentially have one option. There's other components in the ocean, of course, that we need to think about but we do think we have a pretty
interesting solution here.
One is that it's using natural sounds out there. I want to go to bed at night thinking that I did the best to build environment for our future, our
kids to thrive in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Well, let us know what you are doing to answer the call with the #CalltoEarth.
Now it is Thanksgiving --
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: It is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, if you hadn't noticed. And a beloved 99-year-old tradition is underway. Macy's annual
Thanksgiving Day parade is moving through the streets of Manhattan, with an estimated 3.5 million people watching the parade live and an additional 50
million watching on television.
And now to new Thanksgiving traditions. Cannabis retailers say Thanksgiving Eve has become the second -- the industry's second busiest sales day of the
year, with more families incorporating marijuana into their holiday experience. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA DICKSON, GRADUATE STUDENT: Thanksgiving today. My family really doesn't drink together at all anymore. Like, we'd rather just, like, take a
gummy and chill out and watch a movie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Thanksgiving Eve is reaching new highs for the weed industry.
JORDAN REYNOLDS, NEW YORKER: Before you eat and -- on the munchies on Thanksgiving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Several retailers say Green Wednesday is the second biggest day of sales for cannabis, just after 4/20.
JOYCE CENALI, CO-FOUNDER, CANNABIS MEDIA COUNCIL: So Green Wednesday was set up by the industry kind of on the onset of legalization to encourage
consumers.
After, you know, you finish your work on Wednesday, hit up your dispensary, where essentially the encouragement is that you'll take that in with you to
your Thanksgiving experience and have the wink, wink with the cousins.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JALISSA: I have done the cousin walk. I have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): The cousin walk is a growing trend, where family members will take a stroll and share cannabis products before
the big meal.
LILY JAMES: Looking forward to seeing my cousins again this Thanksgiving.
KRISTIAN MCLOUD, NEW YORKER: I feel like the cousin walk is definitely OK. But with my family, like my parents, I don't think so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): In 2024, major brands like Jif and Hidden Valley tried to capitalize on the trend with social media posts.
We spoke to two dispensaries in California and New York, who said that sales on Green Wednesday can be around 100 percent higher than a typical
Wednesday. And this industry high comes as alcohol consumption reaches record lows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's interesting to see people doing weed with their families in the same way that you'd have like wine with your family at
Thanksgiving.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): And for some families, alongside turkey and gravy, weed is a new Thanksgiving staple.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I may or may not have got caught in high school partaking and they totally lost it on me, like a very good parent should.
And I could not imagine telling like high school me that this is what we were doing like during Thanksgiving, like post-college.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: A very interesting new tradition.
Now a mistaken text sent 10 years ago was the start of one of America's favorite Thanksgiving traditions. It started when Wanda Dench accidentally
invited Jamal Hinton to Thanksgiving over text. After realizing the mistake, Hinton asked her if he could still join. The pair reflected on a
decade together with CNN's Samantha Lindell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMANTHA LINDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ten years of Thanksgiving meals shared by two strangers who met on accident. You might
be familiar with the story.
Wanda Dench texted Jamal Hinton in 2016, inviting him over to her Thanksgiving dinner. Dench meant to text her grandson but doubled down on
the invitation to Hinton. He showed up to her house for a plate of turkey.
WANDA DENCH, THANKSGIVING DAY HOST: Just amazing to have a friendship where, you know, age makes no difference whatsoever. So I feel so blessed
that he's in my life. I know there's no accidents. And it was serendipity. And I'm really joyful.
LINDELL (voice-over): The two have gotten closer while celebrating Thanksgiving over the years, offering support to one another in times of
need, like when Dench was diagnosed with breast cancer or when her husband died in 2020 from complications from COVID-19.
JAMAL HINTON, WANDA'S FRIEND: That's about each other's support.
[10:55:00]
And being there for one another. I mean, Wanda's been through a lot. I've been through a lot. And to stick together and talk about these things and
kind of get through them together has just been a blessing of all sorts.
So I appreciate you, Wanda.
DENCH: Me, too.
LINDELL (voice-over): And this year marks a decade of friendship. But the pair say they're more like family.
HINTON: It was just so unlikely that two polar opposites, it felt like, could come together and become such good friends and family members now.
I'm most excited for Wanda to really meet my family. It's been some years.
DENCH: And I know from, just the way Jamal is, I wanted to thank his parents for their wonderful upbringing of Jamal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: I love that story so much.
That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Happy Thanksgiving. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up after the break.
END
