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Hong Kong Death Toll Rises to 128, Another 200 Still Missing; Anti- Corruption Police Raid Home of Top Zelenskyy Adviser; D.C. Shooting Suspect to be Charged with Murder; Trump Tightens Immigration Crackdown After D.C. Shooting; Zelenskyy's Top Adviser Resigns After Anti-Corruption Raid; Israeli Military Investigating Deadly West Bank Shooting; Israeli Authorities Storm Children's Theater; Lebanon Awaits Pope's Arrival Sunday. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 28, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:38]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programing headquarters here in Abu Dhabi.
I'm Becky Anderson with the time is just after 7:00 in the evening.
Well, as the investigation continues into the deadly Hong Kong fire that has now claimed at least 128 lives, we are now learning that eight more
people have been arrested.
In Ukraine anti-corruption police have raided the home of President Zelenskyy's chief of staff, his close adviser, Andriy Yermak, a move that
risks disrupting U.S.-led peace talks.
And questions over the background of the 29-year-old Afghan national suspected of gunning down two U.S. National Guard members in downtown
Washington, D.C. We'll look into his ties to the CIA.
Well, the death toll from Hong Kong's worst fire in decades has soared to 128. Authorities there are saying it could go higher with as many as 200
people still unaccounted for. Well, that fire now out two days after it began. Amid the tragedy questions over whether the fire alarm systems were
working and what was done after concerns about construction materials were raised more than a year ago.
Hanako Montgomery with the very latest from the scene for you.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that mesh nets, also bamboo scaffolding and polystyrene, which is actually a pretty highly flammable
material, were being used. Now, as you mentioned, residents had raised some of these concerns about a year ago. And of course, during this fire, we did
see the polystyrene, again a highly flammable material, catch fire.
And actually, authorities said at a press conference earlier on Friday that that fire is what led to windows breaking in one building and then brought
that fire inside the building and then subsequently led to the fire going from one floor to the other, from one building to the next.
Now, Becky, we don't actually know the exact cause of this fire, but again, it sounds as though, according to the authorities, that these materials are
what caused this fire to spread so quickly.
Now, Becky, also, you mentioned the fire alarms and some of the survivors we spoke to said that when they were evacuating the building, they didn't
hear any fire alarms. They said that they actually only found out there was a fire by looking outside the window and seeing that there were flames. And
of course, they subsequently evacuated to safety. But again, lots of questions here, lots of concerns about just the safety standards and also
just how these evacuations took place.
Listen to this one survivor speaking about just how frightening the situation was for them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): As for my feelings, honestly, I don't even know how I feel right now. Just taking things one step at a
time. Now I'm just thinking about where I'm going to sleep tonight because I probably won't be able to go back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: And Becky, I'm at the base of the apartment complex right now, and behind me there are hundreds of people holding candlelight vigils,
laying down flowers for the victims. And I can tell you the atmosphere is really heavy with grief as they're waiting for more information about the
200 people still unaccounted for -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Hanako Montgomery reporting for you.
Well, in Ukraine, anti-corruption police say that they have raided the home of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's his top adviser. Andriy Yermak is often
seen as the country's second most powerful man. In his role as chief of staff to the president, he's been leading the Ukrainian delegation during
these recent talks in Geneva in the hope of ending the war with Russia.
Well, authorities haven't yet stated the reason for the raid, but Yermak said in a social media post that he is fully cooperating.
CNN's chief national security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh following these developments. And he joins me now from London.
What do you make of what we are hearing? And just talk to us about just how significant this is amid what is an ongoing corruption scandal in Ukraine.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ultimately, I think the timing for Yermak's home and office to be raided,
we don't know precisely the reason yet, couldn't really have been worse.
[10:05:04]
He is the chief negotiator. He was sort of the focal point or remains the focal point of Ukraine's contacts with the Americans and potentially,
ultimately, the Russians as well. This corruption scandal has been looming in the background in the days ahead of details of the United States's 28-
point plan cooked up with the Russians before they emerged. That was the headline in Ukraine that ultimately was sort of usurped by this unfolding
diplomatic drama.
The corruption scandal essentially involves kickbacks being paid to key individuals from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's inner circle. As I say, we
don't know if the raids this morning by the same anti-corruption bureau looking into that energy corruption scandal were in fact in relation to the
energy corruption scandal or something else, although I should point out, it would be, frankly, horrific to think there's a parallel.
Another investigation going on into the second most powerful politician in the country that we don't necessarily know about. So all bets are
suggesting these two may indeed be linked. But it comes at a time, as I say, where the diplomatic stakes frankly couldn't be higher. And this
corruption scandal has slowly been eroding the authority of President Zelenskyy, which, frankly, for the last three and a half years of the war
hasn't really ever been in doubt domestically or internationally.
Now it is slowly something which people are beginning to more openly discuss. Vladimir Putin, quite clear in his recent comments that we are
unlikely to see much of anything resembling a breakthrough in the days ahead. Trump's presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, is due imminently in the
early part of next week into Moscow to present what's emerged from his extensive negotiations between the Americans and the Ukrainians, presenting
some kind of new plan that even the Europeans appear to be signing on to as well.
But Putin was clear. Frankly, I'm not interested, I paraphrase here, in any deal that doesn't give me the lands that he claims Ukraine are currently
holding, that he's falsely claimed belonged to Russia, that ultimately, at this point seems to revolve around the remainder of the Donetsk region. He
said, give me that or I'll take it by force. And he also lost -- didn't lose the opportunity to cast aspersions on President Zelenskyy's
legitimacy, saying there's no point making a deal with the Ukrainian government because they haven't had elections.
And I should point out, obviously Ukraine can't have elections during wartime. They wouldn't be very legitimate and martial law currently in
Ukraine prohibits that anyway. But it's a kind of a canard, if you like, that the Russians have thrown out to try and undermine Zelenskyy. It does
appear that the anti-corruption scandal is doing a good job of that anyway.
And so what are we going to see in the days ahead? Well, there are, it seems, discussions that are going to happen between the Americans and the
Ukrainians during the week ahead. That will probably be pressure for the Ukrainians to accept something closer to what Putin wants. And then we have
Witkoff delivering something which is probably going to be dead on arrival to Putin. Putin has been clear he wants the land.
And so ultimately, I think the choice here for Zelenskyy is no deal and an exceptionally tough winter where his standing erodes, his military position
on the front line erodes, the position of the Trump administration probably gets more aggressive and fraught with Kyiv, or accept a deal that contains
a concession of territory which is possibly military or political suicide, some analysts argue, for Ukraine. Pretty poor choice here, but one I think
that will have to embrace one way or another in the week ahead.
ANDERSON: Nick, you mentioned Putin's comments just earlier, and I want our viewers just to just hear some of what he said. So stand by.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Once Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, then the fighting will
end. If they don't withdraw, we will achieve this through military means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right. That was Putin speaking of course about the deal.
Nick, I want you to stay with us as we look at another big story that we are following this hour. CNN has learned that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the
National Guard members, shot in an ambush style attack near the White House on Wednesday, has now sadly passed away. The other National Guard member
shot in that incident, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. And we've learned that the suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan national, will be
charged with murder, and U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi said she would seek the death penalty.
Here's CNN's Zach Cohen with more on the suspect's background.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We're told that he was part of a partner force in Afghanistan that worked directly with
U.S. forces and the CIA, and part of a -- elite counterterrorism unit that was at times used and fought side by side with U.S. forces against the
Taliban before the U.S. withdrawal. These members of this unit were given preferential evacuation status when the Taliban took over and the U.S.
pulled out.
[10:10:04]
But I'm told, too, by a senior U.S. official that because of his prior work with the CIA, he would have been vetted by the agency at the time, going
all the way back to when he started working with the agency around 2011. And further before he came to the United States, I'm told that U.S.
intelligence agencies vetted him again and looked into his background for any connection to terrorist organizations.
And one U.S. official said, as far as the vetting goes, nothing came up. He was clean on all checks. Now, it's important to remember that once he
arrived in the United States and applied for asylum, the vetting process changes and it's in the hands of domestic facing agencies overseen by the
Department of Homeland Security. That vetting process is supposed to be very rigorous, but there have been questions raised about how this
individual apparently either slipped through the cracks.
There is a massive amount of Afghan immigrants and refugees who were brought over to the United States when the U.S. pulled out. You know, the
vetting process during that time has really been questioned in the aftermath of the shooting and will continue to be something that we've seen
the president focus on in the last few days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So that's Zach Cohen just reporting there.
Nick, you've covered Afghanistan extensively. You were on the ground during that 2021 chaotic U.S. withdrawal. What do you know about the context, in
context of the shooting, about the suspect's role within the U.S. mission in Afghanistan? And just give us your read on what we've learned about his
background.
WALSH: Well, we should be clear at this point, we don't know the motivation for this particular attack, and the authorities have given little
indication as to what indeed it might have been. So that's a huge caveat here, but it is startling to hear some of the details of what indeed this
shooter was in fact involved in inside of Afghanistan. Some of the details really stick out here. He was considered to be aged 29 in the press
conference given by U.S. officials yesterday.
Now, similarly, some U.S. officials are saying that, in fact, the first vetting the U.S. government did of him to potentially work with this CIA
aligned paramilitary force, I should say, of Afghan's was in 2011, which would have made him aged 15. Now, that's entirely possible that that was
not his age at that time, that he was indeed older. But you have to ask yourself exactly how thorough or effective vetting has been if there's now,
at this point, confusion as to his age, and indeed, what was he doing if he was a miner working in this paramilitary force.
The paramilitary force in question was a key part of the U.S. strategy in 2011. When I lived in the country, the night raids were ultimately a key
focus of U.S. policy there. That was often done by U.S. special forces, but also too some I think of the uglier work was done by Afghan special forces.
Often part of the Afghan intelligence agency, the NDS, the National Directorate of Security, who had their own special Zero Units, who would
take on some of the uglier tasks.
Some of the things, frankly, some U.S. officials at the time talked about being ultimately squeamish about. We don't know precisely what this shooter
was involved in. What part of that particular group he served in, how long he served in it. That is all somewhat shrouded, still in secrecy. But I
should point out, there have been multiple reports of human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, frankly, by some of these so-called
Zero Units.
I'm not saying necessarily that the ones the shooter involved in were doing that, but that forms part of the wider context here. And then indeed, you
have to look at the moment of evacuation of Kabul in August 2021. It may have been that after the over 100,000 people were evacuated in those
chaotic days, got to third countries, they were extensively vetted by the U.S. government. But I was there to see ultimately the chaos that
surrounded those very mayhem strewn days in which ultimately force -- you could force your way onto the airport, sneak your way onto the airport.
There was a pretty strong chance you got onto a plane. The NDS, who potentially the shooter had, in fact, at one point worked for, had many
thought control of one of the key gates of that airport and were allowing preferential treatment to those that they knew.
So lots of questions to be asked potentially, about some of the vetting about people who got through. But I think, you know, a lot of this really
is less relevant until we know the motivation. And also, too, I think it helps inform exactly how we must view potentially the state of mind of the
shooter, his own personal history. Clearly, it's potentially that he fought for the United States in some of the most brutal warfare it did.
Some of the some of the uglier operations it was involved in, in fighting the Taliban, potentially over a period of years. Did that have an impact
upon his psychology? Is he potentially -- was he potentially, sorry.
[10:15:04]
Is he potentially suffering from some kind of mental health issues as well? These are all things I'm sure investigators will be looking at as indeed
they might potentially be looking at in other cases where U.S. veterans are involved as well.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you, Nick. The context is hugely important and invaluable for the viewers. Thank you.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Next up, we're going to speak to the head of AfghanEvac, the U.S. nonprofit group that resettles Afghans in
the United States. And we will take a closer look at the U.S. president's new immigration crackdown in the wake of that D.C. shooting and who besides
Afghan immigrants could be most impacted. That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, viewers, let's return to one of our top stories this hour. How the world is reacting to President Trump's announcement that he
will, and I quote him here, "reexamine all Afghans admitted under the Biden administration to the United States."
My next guest says of President Trump's move to vet all Afghan immigrants after learning the D.C. shooting suspect came from Afghanistan, quote,
"This individual's isolated and violent acts should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community. Those who would twist
this moment to attack Afghan families aren't seeking safety or justice. They are exploiting division and endangering us all."
Well, Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of AfghanEvac, a nonprofit run by American veterans that work with the U.S. government to help
relocate and resettle Afghans after what was that chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021. He joins me now from San Diego in California.
I'm not sure quite how much you heard of my conversation with our international -- chief international security editor, Nic Robertson -- Nick
Paton Walsh, apologies, but, you know, we've been discussing the fact that at present, we must be quite clear, we do not know the motivation of this
shooter in D.C. who has sadly killed one National Guard and still obviously, you know, we have another seriously injured at this point.
But first, Shawn, good to have you. Can you just tell us what you're hearing from Afghans in the U.S. right now about this crackdown on migrants
and indeed, and let's be quite clear about this, those who are holding green cards at this point?
SHAWN VANDIVER, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, AFGHANEVAC: Sure. Thank you so much for having me today. I really appreciate it. And my heart goes out to the
families of both fallen guardsmen. We lost one guardsman and another is fighting for their lives, and nobody should ever have to face this.
ANDERSON: Of course.
VANDIVER: What we're hearing from Afghans all across this country, both with green cards, citizens, and those awaiting adjustment is great fear.
[10:20:04]
They absolutely decry what this man did. They are very upset. He's not indicative of the larger Afghan community, and they're worried that the
president and his team are going to use this man's actions, this deranged man's actions, as a cudgel to kick them out of a place that they've spent
their entire lives serving. And that's an awful feeling, especially around Thanksgiving.
ANDERSON: Yes. There's been an awful lot of back and forth. And Nick and I were just discussing this over the vetting of Afghans being relocated and
resettled in the United States. Let's just remind ourselves how President Trump described this last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're standing on top of each other in a -- that's an airplane. There was no vetting or anything.
They came in unvetted. And we have a lot of others in this country. We're going to get them out, but they go cuckoo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There are few better places to walk us through the actual process from point A to Z on how Afghans fled, how they were vetted, and how they
were resettled in the U.S. than you, Shawn. So just walk us through the process, if you will.
VANDIVER: Sure. This is going to shock you, but the president is wrong. Look, people that came on the planes in August of 2021, they were vetted
before they left. They were vetted when they went to a third country, to continue their processing. They were vetted by CBP and USCIS before they
arrived here. While they were here and awaiting adjustments of status, they were continuously vetted. They would have been vetted.
This man who committed this terrible crime would have been vetted throughout his SIV application, which generally happens overseas. But
because he was brought here temporarily happened here. And he would have been vetted before President Trump gave him asylum in April of 2025.
Yesterday we heard the National Counterterrorism Center say that he cleared all vetting.
And so we don't think that this is a vetting issue. We think this is one man who, as the president said, went cuckoo and took a deranged action that
is not broadly indicative of the Afghan community at all.
ANDERSON: I have to say, I witnessed the vetting in Abu Dhabi of Afghans. This was one of those third countries, of course. And as an observer, it
certainly looked long and very arduous. I mean, I'm not -- I'm not privy to the detail on what was being discussed in that vetting process, but it
certainly -- it certainly took, you know, an awful lot of time to focus in on the suspect then for a moment.
What is your specific understanding of his role in the CIA's operations in Kandahar, and the Zero Units? What more do you have to tell us about him
and the wider use of Afghans working with the CIA, particularly in those units?
VANDIVER: Sure. Look, this man was a member of the Zero Units, which were elite counterterrorism units that went out sometimes with our military and
CIA and sometimes on their own. And they fought our war for us. They went out there and did all sorts of things. And so they would see the same sort
of trauma that our American service members would see. The, you know, war is horrific. And these folks fought our war right alongside us.
And, you know, they -- there was a lot of speculation, people had a lot of negative things to say about them, but the CIA would always tell us that it
was -- would say that it was Taliban propaganda. I don't have direct knowledge of what reality looks like there. But what I do know is that the
CIA was able to get a lot of their folks out. They were the bulk of the people that were able to get out during the withdrawal.
And they've had a lot of success getting people here. This guy didn't need help from any of the evacuation organizations. He had help from the CIA to
get here.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. It's an incredibly important story, clearly, you know, amplified now to the nth degree with the decision by
President Trump to stop, you know, the issuance of green cards, to look at those that have been, you know, already issued. I mean, there are
thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people who will be affected by this in the United States.
So it's important that we continue to press and look at all sides of this issue, and having you on today has been enormously useful in doing that.
Thank you. Good to have you, Shawn.
Well, let's take a closer look now at how President Trump's announcement of harsh new crackdowns on his U.S. immigration policy are working out.
[10:25:06]
He said in a social media post that he is permanently pausing immigration from what he calls third world countries, and the administration will
reexamine the green card status of resident aliens from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, as we've been discussing where the alleged shooter
came from. That also includes Venezuela, for example. Well, the president also announcing a new phase of U.S. Military operations against alleged
Venezuelan drug trafficking networks. He says those will begin soon.
Betsy Klein, joining me now to discuss all of this.
There's a lot to unpack there. So let's start with these hardline immigration moves by the president, Betsy. And what do we know about how
this process is going to play out?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, Becky, any time there is a horrific tragedy, there are steps and a national
conversation to determine how to prevent something like this from happening again. The Trump administration, for now, doubling down on its aggressive
immigration policies.
We know that this shooter is an Afghan national, came to the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome. That, of course, is the Biden-era program
to resettle Afghans amid the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He applied for asylum in 2024, and it was granted under the Trump administration in
April of this year.
We've also learned that this suspect worked with U.S. forces, including the CIA, and a U.S. official tells us that he was vetted by intelligence
agencies and clean on all checks. So a lot of questions for investigators about his pathway to violence.
But the administration announcing new steps to crack down on immigration, and that includes a review of all Biden-era asylum cases. Separately, the
director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that at the president's direction, they are reexamining all green cards issued to
people from what they described as countries of concern. That is a list of about 19 countries.
As you mentioned, it includes Afghanistan. It includes Venezuela. It includes Iran, among many others. You see right there on your screen. But
the president calling this a matter of national security. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This heinous atrocity reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people
that enter and remain in our country. For the most part, we don't want them. When it comes through asylum, when they're flown in, it's very hard
to get them out. No matter how you want to do it, it's very hard to get them out. But we're going to be getting them all out now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLEIN: Now, President Trump also called for what he described as reverse migration in a lengthy post to social media. He said that they will
permanently pause migration from what he said was all third world countries. We have asked the White House and the State Department, of
course, for clarity on what countries that might impact -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Betsy, it's good to have you. Thank you very much.
It is just before 10:30 in the morning in Washington, and we got some news coming in on one of the top stories that we've been following here. And
that is the investigation or the raid on the home of President Zelenskyy's chief of staff.
Nick Paton Walsh here with more.
Nick, what have you been learning in the last few minutes?
WALSH: Well, it is certainly, I think, a seismic piece of political news for the embattled administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Now,
hours after his top chief of staff, his top negotiator, Andriy Yermak's home and office was raided by anticorruption negotiators, I should point
out they didn't immediately emerge and say that they found anything, and they apparently acted without impediment.
But Andriy Yermak, the second most powerful politician in that government, has submitted his resignation. This has happened in just the last minutes.
But Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself has said, "I want no one to have any questions about Ukraine today. We have the following internal decisions.
First, there will be a reboot of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has written a letter of
resignation."
Now, I mean, I should point out that over the last three and a half years, there's been quite a churn inside Kyiv's cabinet, Zelenskyy's cabinet. Many
top officials and many roles have changed. There's been a lot of Cabinet reshuffles, but the departure of Yermak, with the timing so closely
associated with this raid, is clearly a reflection of the pressure that Zelenskyy has found himself under.
We've heard from European allies consistently sounding the need for caution when it comes to corruption. This is becoming, I think, a distraction from
the message Zelenskyy is trying to put out about unity around whatever demands diplomatically will be made of Ukraine. And of course, it's very
complex for Ukraine in a moment like this to have its peace negotiations led by a man who has had investigators in his own home a matter of hours
later.
[10:30:03]
So a moment, I think, of extraordinary complexity for President Zelenskyy here. Clearly, the decision has been made that they need to try and turn
the page that whatever comes now in this corruption investigation must be distanced from the Zelenskyy administration, but ultimately to this, some
argues, potentially puts President Zelenskyy closer into the firing line. There's no buffer between him and the outside world now where the
investigation to expand in any way further at all.
And clearly Zelenskyy felt or Yermak felt the need to act here. And that's something his opponents and certainly Moscow will seize upon -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, and that's what we've got to talk about. I mean, where does this leave talks, the prospect for peace at this point? I mean, we've got a
U.S. drafted plan doing the rounds. I mean, what's your sense, Nick?
WALSH: Look, I mean, the entirety of the negotiation team was not just Andriy Yermak. He led it, but Rustem Umerov, there are plenty of others who
can continue the work. So I think it's important not to overemphasize quite what this does to Ukraine's negotiating strategy. The ultimate decision to
which were made by Zelenskyy anyway. But you do have a credibility issue when you have a change of key negotiator this deep into this kind of
process.
It is certainly something the Russians will seize upon. They've already been pointing towards the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, saying,
Putin, that they cannot sign agreements with Russia because they haven't had elections recently. They will pick up on this, too.
Let me add into this as well. I'm grateful to -- add these words of President Zelenskyy. "I'm grateful to Andriy for always representing
Ukraine's position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position, but I want there to be no rumors or
speculation. As for now, the new head of the office tomorrow I will hold consultations with those who could lead this institution."
So swiftly moving to try and replace Yermak there. But as we're just saying, we are in the days ahead, going to see a new set of negotiation
rounds between the Americans and the Ukrainians, and which I think it's fair to say most analysts anticipate the Trump administration will say the
deal we're currently offering to the Russians looks likely it's not going to be accepted by Vladimir Putin, judging by his remarks just yesterday,
and potentially pressure Kyiv to concede more, possibly some kind of territory.
The change in their casting, their staffing of this negotiating team will be key in terms of how credibly Ukraine's able to hold that particular
pressure off. And then, of course, separately early next week, we have Steve Witkoff, President Trump's envoy to this particular conflict, going
to Moscow to potentially lay out the proposal, which was put together by the U.S. and Ukraine. We know pretty much already that Vladimir Putin is
going to reject it.
He said yesterday he wants the land that he says Ukraine is holding. He means basically the rest of Donbas, as far as we know, from what seems to
be percolating from these discussions, or he says, we'll take it militarily. So this Moscow visit by Witkoff didn't seem to have
particularly positive prospects. But I think now we will see further pressure placed upon Kyiv because of this wound. Now they've had to suffer,
possibly Yermak moving on to remove distractions from what Zelenskyy has been trying to achieve, or possibly because more was to emerge.
We simply don't know. But I think this is the first time we've seen this corruption scandal, the damage it's done to Zelenskyy domestically hard, I
think, to overstate. You know, he was roughly impregnable, some might say, to all the travails of war, the demands made on the Ukrainian population to
give their men up to the front lines and their women as well. But this corruption scandal hit at the heart of an issue so close to so many
Ukrainians, not just corruption and how it's blighted Ukrainian society for decades, but energy.
That's where the kickbacks were paid in the sector of an energy blackout to something that's blighting Ukrainians now because of the Russian onslaught.
So a deeply problematic moment here for President Zelenskyy, and clearly here, a move that I think they hope will draw a line under it. Does it
instead add fuel to the fire? We'll have to see in the days ahead. But it's not going to make these negotiations any easier.
ANDERSON: Yes. Our chief international security editor in the house for you, in London, Nick Paton Walsh. Good to have you, sir. Thanks.
Well, next up, accusations of a war crime. The Palestinian Authority speaks out now over the killing of two men in the West Bank. More on that is after
this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:37:04]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson for you.
A hundred and 28 people are now known dead in a huge fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong. 200 people are still unaccounted for. Authorities
there say they have arrested eight more people in connection with the fire, bringing the total to 11.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he is going to, quote, "permanently pause migration from all third world countries." That's his quote. It comes after
the death of one of two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C. The other remains in critical condition. The suspect is an immigrant from
Afghanistan.
Israel says it is reviewing an incident in the West Bank, where its soldiers shot and killed two people on Thursday. It happened in Jenin. The
men who were killed appeared to have been surrendering. The Palestinian Authority is calling the incident a war crime.
Nic Robertson is in Jerusalem with more -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Flagrant violation of international law. That's what the Palestinian Authority are saying.
Hamas is calling it a cold blooded execution. The video appears to be very damning. Border force, police and IDF soldiers were on a joint operation,
according to a joint statement from their commanders, to arrest two people they accused of being terrorists, accused of having perpetrated terrorist
activities against Israeli forces in the past.
It was a long operation, they said, a prolonged process. But the men, when you look at the video and the video really does speak for itself here,
there are several IDF forces, border forces with weapons. The men are on their knees on the ground, told to lay down. That's what appears to be
happening. They lay down, and then the soldiers appear to tell them to get back up and move away.
And as they're moving back into the garage area, the soldiers point their weapons at them point blank, and the men fall down to the ground. It's very
damning video and I think, you know, what's causing some consternation, not just within the West Bank and around Jenin, but also within Israel as well,
is the comments coming from Itamar Ben-Gvir, the commander of the border force police there, the border police, who have said that, you know, he
believes that this investigation that has now been put underway should actually be abandoned, that he believes that these forces acted as people
would expect. Terrorists are killed, he said.
So it's sort of against that backdrop. And nothing from the prime minister, nothing from leading opposition figures either. However, that investigation
is believed to be underway -- Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Nic. Thank you.
Well, Nic and his team have been closely following the actions of the Israeli authorities in the Palestinian territories, including in East
Jerusalem, where children were left in tears when Israeli authorities stormed a theater during some rehearsals there.
[10:40:09]
Nic spoke to some of the kids and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): This is the moment a Palestinian children's theater performance turns from fun to fear. Israeli police arrive to shut it down.
ABDULSALAM HIRBAWI, 11-YEAR-OLD (through text translation): I was afraid about what could happen to me. I could get detained.
NAGHAM MITWALLI, 11-YEAR-OLD (through text translation): I cried because we worked hard on this event. We didn't get to do it.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): It was last weekend in East Jerusalem. That's their director getting shouted at.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): I will say it just once. Within five minutes, no one here.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): By an Israeli police officer. And just behind him, on stage, that's 11-year-old Nagham in tears.
MITWALLI (through text translation): The army stormed in and they prevented us from performing the show that we had been practicing.
ROBERTSON: Are you going to remember this police visit for a long time?
MITWALLI (through text translation): I will remember it forever.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): For the first time since they are rehearsing again. A musical performance called "Dreams Under the Olive Tree," celebrating
Palestinian culture. The same performance the police stopped a few days ago.
Organizers say the police told them that they were acting on the orders of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, enforcing a law
that prohibits Palestinian Authority figures from activities inside of Israel. The thing is, under international law, the theater is inside
occupied East Jerusalem.
KHADER ABU SWAY, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, JERUSALEMITE YOUTH CULTURAL FORUM: Nothing related to Palestinian Authority at all. No.
ROBERTSON: So what do you think they did it?
ABU SWAY: The thing is that they are more to suppress the Palestinian culture in the east side of Jerusalem.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The lesson these children learned from the police raid, which police told CNN, was to enforce a law controlling activity of
Palestinian Authority officials, was resilience. The lesson their parents are taking away, one that is becoming worryingly familiar.
HIRBAWI (through text translation): This fear took over me once. I don't think it will happen again.
ROBERTSON: What do you want to do when you grow up?
MITWALLI (through text translation): I am going to play the Qanun and also sing in the choir.
ROBERTSON: It's not the first time that the Israeli government over recent decades has tried to shut down the national theater here. But for people in
the east of Jerusalem, the Palestinians who live here, there's real sense right now that the Israeli government is trying to cut into their cultural
identity and sort of stifle their freedom of speech.
(Voice-over): Nic Robertson, CNN, East Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That's Nic reporting there.
Well, Syria says at least 13 people were killed in an Israeli raid on a village in the south of the country. It is believed to be the deadliest
foreign attack inside Syria since Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president. Clashes broke out after the Israeli military launched an assault aimed at
capturing members of the Lebanese militant group Jemaah Islamiyah. The IDF says the attack was part of routine operations in the area. Damascus has
called it savage and deliberate bombardment that killed women and children.
Pope Leo says he is focused on unity and peace during his trip to the Middle East. We'll see what he has been up to in Turkey and what is in
store on what is his next stop. That's after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:46:05]
ANDERSON: We are keeping a very close eye on Pope Leo's visit to Turkey. It's his first trip outside of Italy since becoming Pope. Earlier, he met
with Catholic bishops and churchgoers at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul. That visit just a day after the pontiff gave an impassioned
address to civic and political leaders in Ankara, appealing for unity and peace at what is a tumultuous time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADER: We are now experiencing a phase marked by heightened level of conflict on the global level, fueled by
prevailing strategies of economic and military power. This is enabling what Pope Francis called a third world war fought piecemeal. We must in no way
give in to this. The future of humanity is at stake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the Pope's trip abroad takes him next to Lebanon, another country that has a majority Muslim population, yet is also home to ancient
Christian communities.
Ben Wedeman sets the scene for us now in Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's evening mass in the monastery of Saint Maroun, high in the mountains of
Lebanon. For centuries, the mountains have provided a refuge for the Christians here in times of trouble. Protecting and preserving a community
almost as old as Christianity itself.
Pope Leo is scheduled to visit this monastery during his three-day visit to Lebanon. Hopes are high that visit will change the fortunes of this
battered country.
"He brings his blessings, he strengthens our faith," says Souad Khoury. "And we're praying to our Lord that peace prevails in Lebanon and
throughout the whole region."
Lebanon is pulling out all the stops to ensure the success of this papal visit, the third of its kind in almost 30 years. The high point will be a
huge mass led by Pope Leo Tuesday on the Beirut waterfront.
Lebanon has 12 officially recognized Christian sects, Catholic and Orthodox. At this Greek Orthodox church in Beirut, we found two nuns
praying in Arabic.
Pope Leo comes to Lebanon after a period when the Lebanese Christians, as well as Muslims, have suffered from a series of seismic shocks. First, a
failed revolution back in 2019, followed by an economic collapse, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the catastrophic Beirut port blast
and most recently hit by yet another war with Israel.
(Voice-over): A war that ended, it might appear, with a U.S. brokered ceasefire in November 2024. But just days ago, an Israeli airstrike killed
a senior Hezbollah military commander in Beirut.
Israeli drones and warplanes have been hitting alleged Hezbollah targets almost daily over the last year. Israel claims Hezbollah is rearming and
regrouping. Hezbollah has until now held its fire.
War has driven many from Lebanon, but increasingly the young are fleeing abroad because of a lack of jobs in a country run by an elite seen as
corrupt and incompetent. Father Nehmi Saliba believes religious leaders, with the help of the likes of Pope Leo, could change that.
NEHMI SALIBA, INTERFAITH FACILITATOR, ADYAN FOUNDATION: There is a voice for the church and for religious leaders. There is a big voice in Lebanon
for the religious institutions to say that we need a clean Lebanon, not just from garbage on the street, but from the garbage in our head and our
hearts.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): The calls for change here across the religious spectrum have rung loud and clear. Perhaps Pope Leo will lend his voice and
those in power will finally hear.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, more news is straight ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, Formula 1 returns to Doha for the Penultimate round of the 2025 season. The Drivers' Championship is still in contention following the
disqualification of the two McLarens at the Vegas Grand Prix. Britain's Lando Norris is ahead, followed by his teammate Oscar Piastri and current
world champion Max Verstappen tied on points.
CNN's Matias Grez joins us now from Qatar's Lusail International Circuit.
Good to have you. Look, just set the scene for us. It's going to be a very big weekend there. What's expected, especially with both what is a sprint
and a race happening, right?
MATIAS GREZ, CNN CREATOR: Well, honestly, the script writers could not have planned this weekend any better if they tried. Like you mentioned at the
top there, both the leading drivers being disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, opening the door for a Max Verstappen win to really insert
himself back into the title race ahead of this weekend. And Lando Norris comes into this race with a commanding 24-point lead and could wrap up the
title this weekend.
But as we've already seen plenty of times this season, there have been so many twists and turns that honestly anything could still happen. Norris,
his teammate Piastri had a commanding lead himself early this season and was something of a runaway winner, but quite a bad downturn in form has
opened the door to his rivals, and now it's looking as though perhaps Max Verstappen is the biggest threat to Norris's title hopes.
And interestingly, of course, Max Verstappen is the only one of these three drivers that has done this before. He's going for his fifth title this
season, so he knows what it takes. He knows how to deal with the pressure and he knows how to come out on top. And there were some interesting quotes
coming out yesterday from both sides actually. McLaren said they had absolutely no intention of implementing team orders that would perhaps
allow Norris to take the title this weekend.
And Piastri said even if they had ordered some team orders, that he would have said no and continued to race anyway. And Verstappen, being the
ultimate competitor he is, chimed in himself, perhaps trying to play some mind games, and said that if Piastri had accepted some team orders to help
Norris win the title this weekend, he would have cemented himself as McLaren's number two driver.
And Verstappen also added that if his own Red Bull team had told him to follow those same team orders, he would have told them to, well, let's keep
it safe for work and let's just say he would have said no.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, it's really, I mean, it really is building up to a terrific race weekend. Last race, of course, is here in Abu Dhabi a week
from Sunday, of course. So it's what happens there is going to make this even more exciting, I think.
Listen, let's switch gears, pun completely intended there, because I want to talk a bit of footy before I let you go.
[10:55:05]
And it has been a huge week of winning football for Arsenal. What do you make of what's going on in that part of North London?
GREZ: Well, yes. I appreciate you wanting to talk about this. I know as a big spurs fan yourself, it's probably quite a painful topic, but Arsenal
picking up another huge win in the Champions League during the week and, you know, really cementing themselves as the form team not only in England
but in Europe. But of course, their attentions this season will be on the Premier League.
They haven't won it since 2004, when legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was still in charge. And actually I caught up with him earlier this
week in Doha and this is what he had to say about Arsenal's title chances.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARSENE WENGER, FORMER ARSENAL MANAGER: They are OK. They don't need me.
GREZ: They don't need you?
WENGER: No. But I'm a big supporter.
GREZ: Any chance the Premier League title race this season?
WENGER: Of course. They have the best team at the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREZ: I'm sure, Becky, you're probably hoping that after he retired in 2018, that was going to be the last you were going to see of him. So sorry
for that brief clip. But look, they have a commanding six-point lead at the top of the Premier League over Chelsea. And they play the Blues actually
this weekend in what could be a huge, huge clash.
And look, they've come close. They've had some painful near-misses in recent seasons. But if they don't win it this season with City and
Liverpool not looking like themselves, they probably never will.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's going to be a big weekend. Big weekend for you. Enjoy that F1, mate. It's good to have you.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
