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Sources: U.S. Justice Dept. Expected To Indict Cuba's Castro Over Shooting Down Of Two Planes In 1996; Trump Says He Has Suspended A Planned Attack On Iran; W.H.O.: Ebola Outbreak Poses High National And Regional Risk; CNN Projects Trump-Backed Gallrein Defeats Rep. Massie; Iran Wants To Charge World's Tech Giants For Undersea Cables; Fans Celebrate As Arsenal Crowned Premier League Champions. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 20, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:01:25]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi,

where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.

Criminal charges expected today against the former Cuban president, Raul Castro, a man still very much involved with running that country. We will

be live in Havana.

The world's top health organization is concerned about the scale and speed when it comes to the spread of Ebola in Africa.

And some U.S. voters have spoken and it turns out it is still President Trump's Republican Party. We'll have results from some crucial U.S.

primaries later this hour.

Well, an indictment is expected in the coming hours against former Cuban President Raul Castro over an incident that happened 30 years ago. Sources

say Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is set to announce criminal charges for Castro's alleged role in shooting down or the shooting down of

two civilian aircraft in 1996 when he served as Cuba's defense minister. Four people were killed in that attack.

Last hour, four U.S. Republican House members spoke out in Washington urging the indictment to proceed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO DIAZ-BALART, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: This was premeditated murder of three Americans and one U.S. resident. Premeditated murder. Ordered as was

known then and is known today by Raul Castro himself. We expect that the day of justice is finally arriving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Patrick Oppmann back with us this hour from Havana. It's good to have you there. And what are Cubans saying about this, Patrick?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think people are taking in the events as they happen on a daily basis that seem to indicate the Trump

administration has a very different policy than any other administration in decades, and that is that the Cuban government cannot continue to exist in

its present form and that whatever needs to be done, whether it's cutting off the flow of oil or indicting former leader Raul Castro, as you point

out, is still a very powerful figure on this island, that they're going to continue to squeeze and pressure this government here, which is, of course,

in a very precarious state at the moment, dealing with rolling blackouts and the zero tourism at this point greatly reduced. There's no money coming

to this island.

And so the Trump administration has made it very clear, you know, bringing back this indictment that, you know, any other administration could have

pursued going back years. They're using all available methods to try to make this government make major concessions to open up their economic and

political system. And of course, the question now becomes, by going after an important, as a figure as Raul Castro, do they make the government here

more willing to make a deal, or are they just going to circle the wagons and say that very clearly at this point, the Trump administration is

leaning towards some sort of military option, perhaps coming and trying to take Raul Castro like they did Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

At this point, there are no more negotiations to be had. We have not actually heard from the government today. They know this indictment is

coming. They are going to be, of course, firing back. But at this point, you have Cuban officials warning of an invasion that they say would lead to

a bloodbath if it were to take place.

[10:05:15]

ANDERSON: Briefly, you and I spoke last hour about Raul Castro. He's in his 90s. He's on the island. Where is he, you know, how is he and how involved

is he these days in Cuban politics?

OPPMANN: So officially he's retired. But, you know, he's been described to me as kind of the ultimate power broker here, that if there is a major

decision, usually involving the United States that flows through him, he keeps all these various officials who have at least, you know, according to

them taken over for him. He keeps them in line and keeps them loyal to the revolution.

But, you know, essentially he is the one who has the final say. And so that is why initially the Trump administration tried to go to him with a deal

and now they appear to be trying to pressure him. Whether or not that actually works, we don't know. But as you point out, he is very elderly.

You know, it's kind of tough to imagine that he could ever live to face trial at this point. He'll be 95 in just a few weeks and yet he still

remains the final word in this communist run government.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, thanks. It's just after 10:00 in the morning there, just after 6:00 in the evening here from our Middle East

programming headquarters. Thank you.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has threatened that war will extend beyond this region if it is attacked by the U.S. again. The warning follows comments

from the U.S. president Donald Trump, that he was just an hour away from launching new strikes on Iran. He says he postponed the attack at the

request of allies in the Middle East. During the last half hour, Trump told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was fine about

that decision. And to quote Donald Trump, he said he will do whatever he wants him to do, speaking of Benjamin Netanyahu.

CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joining me from the White House. That answer or that comment on Benjamin Netanyahu from President

Trump coming as he answered a few questions on Iran on the tarmac at the Joint Base Andrews. He said he was no in no hurry on Iran when asked what

happened next. What else did he say?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and it was interesting, you know, reiterating this idea that he is not feeling any pressure to wind

this conflict down despite it now extending well past the six week mark that he originally said it would last. Also saying that he didn't want a

huge number of people to die as part of the war, suggesting that he is still has his preference as a diplomatic arrangement that would end the

conflict rather than restarting the bombing campaign.

Of course, we just heard yesterday that he was an hour away from doing that and laying out a new timeline for Iran, saying early next week was the date

by which they would need to come to him with a deal that he could sign off on in order to prevent a resumption of the war. You know, that comment

about Benjamin Netanyahu is interesting.

We know that the two men spoke for about an hour last evening. They've been speaking regularly. They spoke last on Sunday about this idea of restarting

the conflict. It does seem as if the U.S. and Israel are now in perhaps the most intensive consultations since that cease fire went into place about

what exactly it would look like to resume the war.

Certainly you've heard from Netanyahu that he does not think all of the objectives have been met in Iran. But President Trump making pretty

explicit that at least in his view, Israel will not begin the bombing again unless he gives the go ahead. And so far he does not appear willing to do

that.

Now, despite his insistence that he doesn't feel in a hurry to reach any kind of agreement here or to resolve the conflict, it is true that there is

a rising level of urgency here at the White House about bringing this war to an end. You see gas prices continuing to weigh on the American public.

Polls continue to show that the war is increasingly unpopular.

But President Trump, I think, trying to make the case that he has already accomplished a number of his objectives there and he's willing to wait out

Iran until they're coming to him with an agreement to end nuclear enrichment, to hand over their stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

I do think he is, I think, facing something of a bind here because even as he says that he's accomplished all of his objectives, it is remains true

that Iran's nuclear positions have not changed greatly since the war began. Their missile capabilities are being rebuilt as the cease fire is in

effect. And so how exactly he proceeds here remains to be seen, but at least according to him, not feeling any pressure.

[10:10:01]

ANDERSON: Fascinating. It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

All right. Well, CNN global affairs analyst Karim Sadjadpour has written about the sharp contrast between Iran and its neighbors in the Gulf in an

article for "The Atlantic." He writes in part, "For the Islamic Republic, suffering is a point of pride, not shame. Iran's Gulf neighbors built their

model on the opposite wager, that prosperity, not suffering, is the measure of a nation's worth. The trillion dollar economies they built over many

decades, Tehran can threaten to destroy with $20,000 drones.

And Karim joining me now from New York. And Karim, I just want to start with that quote, this duality, the sort of, you know, the Gulf states,

particularly the UAE versus Iran, these two opposing models. And I think the core message being Iran's future really depends on what path it takes,

you know, out as we move beyond this conflict perhaps. Point being, at present we sit in this conflict and just under an hour ago, Iran really

threatening or Ghalibaf himself threatening, that this war could well move beyond just this region. And this region has taken the full brunt so far.

So where do you assess things stand at present?

KARIM SADJADPOUR, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Becky, I think conflict always plays to the strengths of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the

regional context because as I wrote in "The Atlantic," the Gulf countries, in particular, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, for their models to be

successful, it requires regional stability. You want to be a international hub for transportation and logistics and finance and technology. You can't

be doing that if there are missiles flying at your nation.

And that's what the Islamic Republic has done really well over the last several decades. If you looked at the countries that Iran was dominating in

the region, it was essentially five failing states, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza. And so I think a resumption of conflict, I would argue,

plays to the strengths of the Iranian regime, plays against the strengths of the Gulf countries.

And I think the Achilles heel really of the Iranian government is their economy. And so my view is that this continued blockade in the Strait of

Hormuz is essentially a mutual strangulation. Iran is trying to strangle the global economy. President Trump is trying to strangle Iran's economy.

At some point, that is going to require Tehran to come to the table. But President Trump is very impatient. It could take many months longer.

ANDERSON: Yes, that's a very good point you raised because at this point, it is unclear just how long it would take if the U.S. were hoping to force

the Iranians to the table through this economic sort of choke hold, as it were. I mean, I've heard people around this region talk about the fact

that, you know, Iran is on the brink. It'll only be a month. U.S. intelligence says it could be four before the economy collapses. What's

your sense? I mean, you know, you say it could be months at this point. And if it's going to be months, not weeks, what do you make of that strategy by

Washington at this point?

SADJADPOUR: So Iran is not a private company. It's a sovereign nation. So it can continue to print more money even when it's bankrupt and inflation

continues to skyrocket. But Iran internally is in very bad shape. You know, it's a country which rewind to last January when the nationwide protests

happened. That was as a result of a massive currency collapse. And since then, the currency has collapsed perhaps another 50 percent. And they're

dealing with 70 percent inflation, among the highest in the world. And as I alluded to, the blockade is costing the country approximately $450 million

daily.

They've shut down the Internet. There's perhaps only 1 percent connectivity. That's costing the country $80 million daily. So this is a

country internally which is in terrible shape, but at the same time, they have a monopoly of coercion. They have a cohesive security apparatus that's

shown itself willing to kill en masse. So in my view, that's a situation internally that is sustainable for perhaps several months. I wouldn't put

it in years. And for the United States, for President Trump at the moment, the economic fallout as of now has been containable.

The stock market, which is one metric for Trump's economic success, has been doing OK. Gas prices are high, but not intolerably high for the

President. And it's really a test of economic wheels. As I said, you know, how long can Iran withstand this? How long does President Trump want to

withstand this?

[10:15:12]

But ultimately, Becky, we saw this in the JCPOA 10 years ago that Iran projects defiance, says I'll never compromise. And then, you know, suddenly

it's abruptly will make announcement saying it's prepared to talk. And I suspect that's where we're going to head here. The caveat here is that if

military strikes are resumed, I actually think that plays to Tehran's strengths. It plays against not only the Gulf, the strengths of the Gulf

countries, but also President Trump. Because if Iran retaliates by going after oil installations in the Gulf, that's going to further skyrocket the

price of oil.

ANDERSON: Yes, I do just want to get two quick questions in before I let you go. The UAE says that the drone attack on the Barakah nuclear energy

plant over the weekend here, and I quote, had all originated from Iraqi territory. Are Iranian proxies in Iraq becoming a or V major threat to this

region, the UAE and the wider Gulf region at this point?

SADJADPOUR: You know, that's what recent intelligence has revealed, that both the attacks on the UAE and some of the attacks on Saudi Arabia

emanated from Iran's Shia militia proxies in Iraq. And, you know, that's something which there hasn't been much recourse there. I don't recall that

either the United States or Israel have targeted those Shia militias. And if we start to continue to see those attacks, I expect that there will be

retaliation against those Shia militias in Iraq.

ANDERSON: And finally, I want to play you this clip from one of "The New York Times" reporters who has co-authored a report that the early war goal

of the U.S. and Israel was to put the former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power. Just have a quick listen to this, Karim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MAZZETTI, WASHINGTON INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Israel and the United States would have this kind of pliable leadership.

But then, as we remember, the first day of the war, after the supreme leader was killed, there was a strike on Ahmadinejad house. And there were

reports that he had died. It actually had been an Israeli strike to kill the guards who were guarding him and spring Ahmadinejad. But unfortunately,

according to the plan, he was injured and then became disillusioned. And so the plan went badly awry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What do you make of that report? That idea that the U.S. and Israel had sort of, you know, decided that Ahmadinejad, the former

president, was their Delta, as it were, their sort of Venezuela moment.

SADJADPOUR: It's tough to know, Becky. You know, this is a war. It's obviously a military war, economic war, ideological war. It's also a

misinformation war. And so I these days don't often take everything I read at face value. I do think that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the last several

years had become more of an internal dissident inside Iran. But the idea that he would somehow have the loyalty of the Revolutionary Guards, I would

be surprised that the United States and Israel could believe they could just anoint him Iran's new leader. So I don't know what to make of that

story, whether or not to take it at face value. And we'll see how U.S. and Israeli officials respond to it.

ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Karim. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

SADJADPOUR: Thank you.

[10:19:08]

ANDERSON: When we come back, as the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa rings alarm bells, we're going to ask whether global aid cuts have hampered the

response. More on that after this.

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ANDERSON: The WHO says the deadly Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency, but not a pandemic. WHO Director General announced a rise in

cases on Wednesday, saying the outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda pose a high risk nationally and regionally, but not

globally. I spoke to Dr. Paul Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Esperanza Martinez, co-chairs of the Lancet Commission report on health,

conflict and forced displacement. I asked them how concerned they are about the current outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PAUL SPIEGEL, CO-CHAIR, LANCET COMM. ON HEALTH, CONFLICT, AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT: One of the concerns also is that it has taken a long time to

be discovered. You would have -- we would have thought we would this with surveillance systems in place. This should have been discovered earlier,

but it looks like it's been weeks, possibly a month or longer. And also the strain is a different strain than was expected. There are no vaccines. And

it's already spread to some serious urban centers. So it is a concerning outbreak that we have to watch very carefully and needs a very strong

response.

ANDERSON: Dr. Martinez, the U.S. of course, has slashed funding for the WHO and other humanitarian organizations. I wonder how much have funding cuts

impacted this current situation, if at all?

DR. ESPERANZA MARTINEZ, CO-CHAIR, LANCET COMM. ON HEALTH, CONFLICT, AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT: The issue is that most of the largest humanitarian

crisis in the world accounts for most of the displacement and the casualties of war across the world. And the Democratic Republic of Congo is

very often within those 10 larger crises. So it's basically very dependent on international humanitarian assistance. So we cannot make any specific

correlation at this stage, but it's likely that the defunding of the humanitarian sector has decreased the ability of the system itself to

actually mobilize resources and effective surveillance.

ANDERSON: And how much of a concern, Dr. Spiegel, do you think that is?

SPIEGEL: It's very concerning for a variety of reasons. I mean, I'm in, you know, based in the U.S. and we've seen the Centers for Disease Control,

both funding being slashed, but also the number of professionals working at CDC and the really experienced professionals, many leave. They were

instrumental Centers for Disease Control in global surveillance. We've seen the U.S. pull out of the World Health Organization that the whole WHO

convenes and coordinates amongst, you know, all the member states. So it is concerning and it's if -- it's likely that this will not be the only, you

know, outbreak that either we have missed or that we will miss in the future.

MARTINEZ: I think the fact that we are in the middle of a crisis in the humanitarian sector also shows that transformation is required. And

precisely the report is released at the moment where we have this Ebola outbreak. And that really shows how the deterioration of a health system,

any situation of armed conflict, can affect and spillover across regions and across the world. So somehow is a reminder that the health issues of

populations in vulnerable situations are not confined to any specific region of the globe.

ANDERSON: So this outbreak, of course, comes at a time when humanitarian agencies are facing severe funding cuts. And in a region all too familiar

with conflict, the pressure on these agencies is only growing. That new report from the Lancet Commission says an estimated 239 million people need

humanitarian assistance in 2026. But aid has been rationed down to just 87 million people. Hyper prioritized for survival, "deliberate political

choice, not an operational necessity." The commission warns humanitarian financing must follow need, not politics. This is what the commission's co-

chairs told me.

[10:25:35]

MARTINEZ: Right now the estimation for 2026 is that only one out of three families of three people are going to receive lifesaving humanitarian aid.

That's significant. We're talking about more than 30 percent of population that are basically destined not to have their lives safe because of these

cuts. Now can we recover? That is the question. And is everything dependent on funding? And I think at the moment there are. And the report focuses on

the bigger questions. There are systemic issues that need to be addressed that include funding, but are not exclusively about money. Is how we

actually decisions are taken in the humanitarian sector, is the transfer of power to the communities, where the communities decide what their needs

are? Where are the systems and the resources that they require to actually respond?

And if we come back to the Ebola case, the first response is happening on the ground by the communities and by the community health workers, with or

without resources.

ANDERSON: And Dr. Spiegel, I want to get your view on this. I mean, the report argues humanitarian response is increasingly being shaped not by

need, but by donor politics and geopolitical interests. Can you just explain from your perspective what you mean by that? And who in your view

is paying the price for that shift?

SPIEGEL: So in terms of the funding, of course, the U.S. government, big changes in the U.S. government. And because they were such -- because they

were the largest funder by a long shot, changes in the U.S. government funding has a much more dramatic effect. But as one of our colleagues said

today, these changes started well before the Trump administration, particularly in the European Union they started, funds were being cut early

on. So the funds are being cut dramatically.

On top of that, though, the U.S. government and others now are starting to work and develop bilateral arrangements with governments as opposed to the

multilateral funding that goes to either the U.N. or other organizations. So there's a concern now that the funding is going directly, primarily to

governments, and that there are some obligations and it's not just for health, but beyond that.

But we're in a very difficult time right now. And so I think some of the recommendations we have can be done immediately. Some may be longer term

when the geopolitical situation allows for more coordination. But what struck us, I think we just did our launch just today is that there was an

agreement for the most part, even on some of the more controversial recommendations. And when we're looking at certain governments, whether it

be the U.S. government or whether it would be another government that is looking, trying to look and provide funding in a different manner, I think

the outcomes of what people want, which is to help affected populations, is all there. It's how to go about doing it.

ANDERSON: Dr. Martinez, the report documents nearly 3,700 attacks against health care workers in 2024. We've seen health care workers come under fire

more recently in Gaza and indeed in Lebanon. Why does international law seem so ineffective in plain sight?

MARTINEZ: I think the issue is that we have become so used to the fact that the rules of war are broken because one of those key protections in

situations of armed conflict is that hospitals, medical personnel and patients should not be attacked and that the civilian population should be

protected. And what we see generally is this regard for the law. So the law tens reason is the law not working. And what actually is not working is the

accountability when those violations occur, all we hear is dismay or condemnation, but we don't hear about any specific prosecutions or calls

for accountability. And I think we need to actually move into that further if we are going to change the actual situation that is happening on the

ground.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: It was a fascinating conversation with those two and a really important report.

[10:29:43]

Still to come, President Trump's influence over Republican voters in the United States on full display. We're going to take a look at Tuesday's

primary election results and what they could spell for what are known in the U.S. as the midterms this November.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching Connect the World with me, Becky Anderson. These are your headlines. The U.S. Justice Department is expected

to announce an indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro in the coming hours. Sources familiar with the matter say the charges will focus

on Castro's alleged role in ordering the shooting down of two civilian aircraft in 1996 when he served as Cuba's defense minister. Four people on

board those planes were killed.

Well, China's leader has been hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. This comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump was also

welcomed in China. President Xi Jinping says Beijing's relationship with Russia is entering a "new stage."

Well, at least 139 deaths are thought to be linked to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda according to the World Health Organization. There are

also another 600 further suspected cases. This comes as the WHO said the outbreak poses a national and regional risk but not a pandemic emergency.

U.S. President Donald Trump has succeeded in ousting another Republican Party rival. On Tuesday, Congressman Thomas Massie lost the primary for

Kentucky's 4th House District to Trump-recruited challenger Ed Gallrein. The election, which is the primary election, viewed as a key test of

Trump's grip on the Republican Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We won the Massie thing. He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Massie's defeat in Kentucky follows previous election losses for other Trump dissenters including five lawmakers in Indiana and Louisiana

Senator Bill Cassidy. Well CNN's Lauren Fox following election results for us from Capitol Hill. I think it's really important for our international

viewers just to really underscore the importance of this result in Kentucky and why these results matter to what will be these key midterms in

November.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in a lot of ways, Becky, we expect that this seat will still be held by a Republican in November

when the general election takes place. But this is symbolic, right, of Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party and ultimately the fact that he

was unable to continue serving this district which for so long has followed him everywhere that he has gone.

[10:34:57]

I mean, multiple Republicans have tried to challenge Thomas Massie in the past. He's frequently a no vote with the Republican Party. He often votes

against spending bills. He often votes against funding for foreign interventions across the world. But it is still clear that he was involved

in moving forward and pushing forward with the release of the Epstein documents. That was something, perhaps, that crossed a line for Donald

Trump.

And he was not shy about speaking up against the President when he felt like the President and the White House was moving in the wrong direction.

At the end of the day, Trump threw his weight behind Gallrein, his competitor, and Gallrein was able to succeed. But this is a show of Donald

Trump's political force in the party, how he's able to convince his base to turn against people who for years they supported in Kentucky's 4th

District.

I would also note that this isn't happening in a vacuum. Yesterday on Capitol Hill, there was such a broad reaction from Senate Republicans when

they learned that Donald Trump was endorsing Ken Paxton against Senator John Cornyn, a longtime loyal Republican to Donald Trump here in the United

States Senate. Obviously, what this is showing is that Donald Trump is willing to invest money, even in races that should be Republican

strongholds.

And I think that that is one of the frustrations from a lot of Republicans up here on the Hill when it comes to Cornyn, is the fact that Texas is

supposed to be an easy race for Republicans. With this endorsement of Ken Paxton, there is serious concerns that perhaps the Democrat in that race

could win at the end of the day, which could impact the overall vote totals here in the Senate. Becky?

ANDERSON: Yes, that's fascinating. Well, the math is complicated. We will stay bang up to date with you from Capitol Hill through the days and weeks

to come. Thank you.

Well, Iran has its eye on a new target hidden beneath the surface of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran says it wants the world's biggest tech companies

to pay fees for underwater cables that quietly power the global Internet. Now, these cables carry vast flows of data from banking to military

communications to online gaming between Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

Now, there is growing concern about just how vulnerable the world's digital infrastructure could be in the midst of this conflict. Here to discuss the

digital dimensions, then, of the Iran war is Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, Deemah AlYahya. She joins us now from

Riyadh. Deemah, it's good to have you. Thank you for joining us. How vulnerable are these cables? Is it clear?

DEEMAH ALYAHYA, SECRETARY-GENERAL, DIGITAL COOPERATION ORGANIZATION: Well, Becky, if we look at our daily lives right now, we are interconnected and

we're relying heavily on digital infrastructure from health care to payment solutions to even emergency alert systems and also systems that control

water and electricity. Therefore, the importance of having a robust, resilient infrastructure is increasing day after day.

ANDERSON: So just how critical is the Strait of Hormuz, then, to the global digital economy? Many of our viewers will be well aware of its importance

with regard to oil fertilizers, you know, helium, for example, but perhaps not for Internet and data traffic. So what's your assessment?

ALYAHYA: Well, Becky, if we look at the international global communication, it's through submarine cables. And 95 percent of our data that we transact

daily on a global level is all interconnected together. Therefore, it doesn't matter what piece or where that submarine cable is. What matters is

protecting that submarine cable for the humanitarian, either aid or civilians that are using such kind of solutions.

ANDERSON: I wonder how countries in this region are able to protect their sort of digital and data infrastructure in the midst of certainly what we

have been through and at the risk of there being further escalation. How -- you know, what sort of resilience is in the system, Deema? Well, the thing

is, a very good question, Becky. The thing is that if we look at the Geneva Convention, for instance, which established the humanitarian law that says

that civilian infrastructure has to be protected, like hospitals, financial systems, water and energy establishments as well.

[10:39:56]

The thing is that these laws are still inconsistent when it comes to enforcement. If we look at the infrastructure, it's now moving online.

Therefore, hospitals are operating online. GPSs when it comes to aviation, emergency alerts as well. So, civil digital infrastructure needs to be

protected. And therefore, that needs to be clarified more in the humanitarian law.

And to do that, this is where we need to work on creating and establishing a more robust framework that will enable that protection of the submarine

cables, Internet exchange points as well as data centers and so on when it comes to digital infrastructure.

ANDERSON: I just want to concentrate for a moment on what is going on under the sea or in the sea. Stuff that we can't see, of course, both in the

Strait of Hormuz and indeed, we know that there's a lot of digital infrastructure below the waterline in the Red Sea as well. Repairing a

damaged international subsea cable, as I understand it, costs between $1 and $3 million per incident, not including the value of the replaced fiber.

If a cable were cut in the Strait of Hormuz, could traffic simply be rerouted elsewhere? I mean, how do you adapt and what's the alternative

here?

ALYAHYA: Well, Becky, when we look at alternatives, there are different ways of rerouting either traffic or either transforming data into

satellites or either any other technologies. But the challenge is that the more that we depend on such kind of infrastructure, then we need to protect

it. The message here is not that we, after the fact, look at it when it's damaged or it's attacked or any environmental catastrophes happen, God

forbid, but we have to proactively put the right frameworks, we have to put the right policies, regulations, and we have to work on this together.

It is an interconnected ecosystem and we have to work in collaboration, not only governments, but also the providers and the private sector that can

help and support in protecting such kind of infrastructure.

ANDERSON: Gulf countries, of course, are investing tens of billions into AI, cloud computing, digital infrastructure. Where you are in Riyadh, there

is a huge effort to deepen Saudi's expansion into the AI and advanced tech world. And here in the UAE and in other places across the Gulf. I wonder

what the sort of risks that we have seen to digital infrastructure mean for those long term plans. You know, should these countries be concerned about

the resilience of these investments going forward?

ALYAHYA: Well, regardless of the circumstances, Becky, yes, they have to worry about the circumstances of any challenges that might occur to any

digital infrastructure, either from a political tension or an economical crisis or even an environmental catastrophe. We do have to look at the

vulnerability of the infrastructure right now and work proactively on securing that digital infrastructure, not just from a physical perspective,

but also what does it mean to humanity? What does it mean to citizens? What does it mean to the quality of life of people? And also the continuity of

their businesses as well. So it should be looked at not from physical, but also as a right, a human right, as important as water and electricity.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Deema. Always a pleasure. A really important conversation.

ALYAHYA: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Your insight and analysis so valuable to us. Thank you very much indeed.

[10:44:17]

Well, ahead on Connect the World, Arsenal fans are rejoicing today. I should have asked Deema who she supports. I'm sure she is a soccer fan.

We'll show you why these Gooners, as they are known in London, are celebrating after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well celebrations in one part of North London, where Arsenal have been crowned the English Premier League champions for the first time in 22

years. World Sports' Don Riddell filed this report.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: It has been a wonderful day for Arsenal, who are celebrating what has been a really elusive Premier League title.

It is the Gunners' first since their Invincibles team of 2004, and it arrived without them even having to kick a ball. Here's why. For some time

this season, Manchester City have been the only team who could stop Arsenal, and they needed to win their penultimate game on Tuesday night.

Otherwise, the challenge was over.

City away at Bournemouth. Bournemouth, one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and it was the Cherries who took the lead shortly before

half-time. A terrific strike there from li Junior Kroupi. Great celebration too.

City's domestic success has meant a pile of fixtures. They won the League Cup, they won the FA Cup on Saturday, but now they needed two goals, and

although there was a late flurry of excitement as Erling Haaland thundered an equalizer in off the post, it was too little too late. That was all they

could muster. Won all the final score. Man City will finish second.

Arsenal and their fans celebrating in North London, and the question now turns to Pep Guardiola's future. The City manager was rumored to be leaving

at the end of the season, but he's keeping it rather vague.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEP GUARDIOLA, MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER: Listen, I have a one-year contract. It's different. I will not tell you here because I have to talk with my

chairman, with my players, with my staff. Because when we played for the FA Cup, when we played before the Champions League, we played for the Premier

League.

There's just one thing in my mind, in focus, is to try to bring the team to the highest point. That's all we have done. It's not the happiest moment on

the planet to be in this club. This club is just extraordinary. So there is a moment, of course, the season is over for us, so we won't arrive in the

last game with our fans, but I know they will come, because I see the intensity is really good in many, many moments, and that is what we have to

do until the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Meanwhile, serious drama ahead of the Championship play-off final this weekend. This is the annual game to decide the third team promoted

into the Premier League, and it should have been played between Hull City and Southampton at Wembley. But on Tuesday, the English Football League

expelled Southampton from the game after the Saints had admitted spying on three of their opponents this season.

One of those teams, Middlesbrough, who had lost to Southampton in the play- off semi-final, will now take their place in the pivotal game. It is an extraordinary turn of events ahead of what is known as the richest game in

football. Back to you.

[10:49:39]

ANDERSON: All right. Great story. You are watching Connect the World. More ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: In a time of turbulence in the Middle East, art proving a refuge, a show of resilience, and an opportunity to reframe the region. Artists and

gallerists gathered for the 20th anniversary of Art Dubai to celebrate the UAE and the region's determination to carry on carrying on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENEDETTA GHIONE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ART DUBAI: I think we found ourselves at a crossroads as to what to do to move forward. And what we decided to do

is what we always try and do, which is speak to our community and to the stakeholders that constitute our scene and our ecosystem, which would be

galleries, patrons, and institutions.

And what emerged really clearly was a desire to try and maintain the platform. I think what you will find in this special edition of Art Dubai,

as we call it, is in a way a distilled spirit of the past 20 years. Because you will have the possibility of seeing, you know, the wealth and breadth

of galleries, although 55 of them present here, but very much from all over the UAE, the region, and beyond.

ANDERSON: Over the past 20 years, you've established Art Dubai as a sort of legacy, mainstay, as it were. You now have Art Basel this year in Qatar,

Frieze coming up in Abu Dhabi, the launch of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. What are you thinking about how you retain your influence in this market as you

see it getting much busier?

GHIONE: I think our offer is incredibly unique. You know, we are the longest established fair in the region. And in a way, what is happening

here this week speaks exactly to the DNA of the fair, which is that we are of place, we are born in the UAE, we live, we work here, we experience

cultural content here.

ANDERSON: Can you just reflect on the past 20 years?

GHIONE: I think for us, the past, you know, 10 plus, and the past 20 years have been an exercise in creating and refining a very unique proposition.

We are an independent company. We are innovative, we are flexible, we take risks. We are able to do something like what is happening, you know, here

this week.

And we are able to do that because I think we don't kind of apply cookie cutter formulas and ideas from the mainstream international art world or

from any other world.

ANDERSON: You and I have talked over the years about this sort of spirit of innovation that you have here, which twins and sort of sits very

comfortably with that kind of wider Dubai story. Can you just explain that for our viewers?

GHIONE: It has this kind of spirit of forward momentum that makes you feel that what matters is to try. And I think in that we do share, you know, DNA

and we are of the city. And that shows up as support, right? Because these things are not able to be realized by one entity alone.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Despite the challenges facing Art Dubai and the region, galleries from across the Middle East were undeterred, making up

the majority of those showing at the fair.

Gallerists like Kourosh Nouri, Leila Heller and Saleh Barakat, key players in the regional art scene, stress the importance of the arts, culture and

moving forward with life.

[10:55:10]

KOUROSH NOURI, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CARBON 12 GALLERY: So for me, standing here is not just a moral obligation, it's a professional obligation and

it's a personal vendetta because we are standing for the arts. Culture is very important. When things are not well, this is where you need culture.

And the culture brings the communities together. And this is why we're standing here.

LEILA HELLER, PRESIDENT, LEILA HELLER GALLERY: I think there's huge interest in Middle Eastern art currently, not only because of what's

happening in the region now, but it's been since the start of the internet. That's when the world discovered Middle Eastern art. So I think that it

brought the world to Middle East. But the artists are decades and centuries of great culture and art in the region.

It's giving us all hope, protecting us in a big way and assuring to us and to Art Dubai that this show has to continue. Life has to continue. Be safe.

We protect you. And that message is very touching.

SALEH BARAKAT, FOUNDER, SALEH BARAKAT GALLERY: Today we need to preserve our heritage in times where the region is going through turmoil and a lot

of things are unfortunately disappearing and being destroyed. We would like to try as much as we can as custodians to preserve this heritage because I

believe it's part of the human heritage. We need to keep it for the next generation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And that's it for Connecting the World with me, Becky Anderson today. Stay with CNN. One World is up next.

END