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Death Toll in Venezuela Rises to At Least 589; Over 100 Buildings Have Collapsed in La Guaira State; U.S. Lifts Some Venezuela Sanctions to Allow for Relief Aid; U.N.'s International Maritime Group Pauses Evacuations of Stranded Ships; Small Plane Appears to Have Crashed into Beijing Skyscraper; Venezuelan Diaspora Watching Earthquake Tragedy from Afar; U.K. Sweltering Under Historic Heatwave; John Bolton Pleads Guilty in Classified Information Case. Aired 10a-11a ET
Aired June 26, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:34]
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. I'm Becky Anderson
here in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
I want to begin this hour with Venezuela's nightmare, which is getting worse. Authorities now say close to 600 people are known to have been
killed after those devastating back-to-back quakes on Wednesday. There is anguish on the ground and urgency in the air as rescuers there race to find
survivors. They know the death toll could turn out to be even higher. And we are in that crucial period known as the golden window, ironically, when
the first sort of 48 to 72 hours when there's -- when there really is hope of finding people still alive in the rubble.
We can describe for you the anguish gripping Venezuela but Ariana Velazquez (PH), who lived through the quakes, really brings it home. And she went to
check on her father the day after the disaster. She found his home reduced to rubble. And I want to warn you, her reaction is simply heartbreaking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Papa, Dios Mio. (Speaking in foreign language). Papa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ariana says she still hasn't found her dad, but she hasn't given up searching.
My next guest also survived the tragedy and says aid groups, including his own, are now mapping out plans to try and provide shelter, water and
hygiene kits, for example, to thousands of people stuck living outdoors.
Jankiel Rosenwald is humanitarian and emergency affairs adviser to World Vision in Venezuela, joining me now from Caracas.
And just describe where you are and what's going on on the ground around you at present.
JANKIEL ROSENWALD, HUMANITARIAN AND EMERGENCY AFFAIRS ADVISER, WORLD VISION VENEZUELA: Hi. Well, thank you for the opportunity. Right now we are
getting together a team of volunteers in one of our allied churches. And we are, gathering also some basic resources that we are going to be
transporting to La Guaira where we will -- we want to collect firsthand information and understand the full impact of the earthquake.
ANDERSON: I've been on the ground during earthquakes. I've covered earthquakes and been, you know, on the ground, you know, in the first sort
of 12, 24 hours. I know just how awful it is. Just take us back to when the earthquake there struck. Where were you? What did you experience yourself?
ROSENWALD: Well, I was with family and friends, celebrating a 2-year-old birthday on a rooftop near the Altamira area. And while we were in the
midst of it when the earthquake strike and everything started shaking the walls. The sound was like a sheet of paper just being crushed and -- but
very heavily and everything started shaking. We couldn't find ground. We couldn't move in a straight way. And children yelling, screaming, mothers
trying to get a grasp of them and hold on tight.
And as soon as the earthquake stopped, we all rushed down 10 floors to the ground where all the community was. The entire street was in the public
square. And ever since, as we were coming to the church, we've seen people, move to the streets. We don't -- I don't feel comfortable coming back to my
house. And I can see the population is feeling the same.
[10:05:05]
ANDERSON: Yes. Tell me, and we're looking at images of some of the sort of search and rescue going on in various places around Caracas as you and I
speak. Look, Venezuela's healthcare system, power grid, economy already struggling of course before this disaster.
Do you feel that the country has the capacity to anything like cope with a crisis of this scale? And what are survivors doing who are facing that
second night sleeping outside, many, of course, without homes now without food, without water, without sanitation?
ROSENWALD: Well, Venezuelans are very resilient people. And we are already hands on the ground, as you mentioned, doing the search and rescue process,
as the golden window closes. But the situation for the general population is despair, is anxiety, a lack of information, and as I'm going through, I
guess many, many Venezuelans are going through the same. We are still trying to get a hold of the entire family, the members of the family. And
as long as we don't have the full information of where they are and if they are safe, it's anxiety. It's all a fear. Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes, yes. Listen, I'm going to let you go. I mean, it's very busy where you are, understandably. There's a lot going on. And let me let you
go so that you can get on with the job at hand. But we wish you, your family and all of those who are working with you the very best. Thank you
for giving us your time today.
Well, we are hearing from officials that more than 100 buildings have collapsed in La Guaira state. That's the area that felt the worst of
Venezuela's twin earthquakes. If you take a closer look at the damage across the country, it reveals a common thread among many of the buildings
that came crashing down.
CNN's Bill Weir explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Venezuela reels from two devastating earthquakes, the rush to rescue survivors is facing a
significant challenge because of the way many buildings collapsed.
CNN reviewed dozens of videos of the destruction and noted a deadly pattern common after major earthquakes. Many of those residential towers suffered
what's called a pancake collapse. When a building falls into itself with each floor stacking atop the one below.
NECATI CATBAS, CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR, UNIV. OF CENTRAL FLORIDA: What happens is the first story collapses, and then the others, others, others,
and then people are stuck in the floors.
OSMARY HERNANDEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are walking in Los Palos Grandes.
WEIR (voice-over): CNN was on scene in Caracas after this 15-story residential building crumbled. If you look at a photo of that same building
from before the quake, each story was around 10 feet tall. But now, the space between each floor is compressed into just a couple of feet. That's
why pancake collapses are so dangerous. The weight of debris weighing down on each floor doesn't leave survivors as many gaps or air pockets as a
building that falls to one side, and a pancake collapse makes rescue all the more complicated. Any movement could bring more heavy debris crashing
down.
CATBAS: The search and rescue is a very important and very specialized operation in these cases because, and you don't want to put your search and
rescue mission people in harm's way.
WEIR (voice-over): Search and rescue teams are beginning to dig into the building, while nearby families of those trapped inside wait, hoping
against hope their loved ones will soon be pulled from that debris. But the scale of the damage is overwhelming, and it comes at a time when Venezuela
remains in deep political and financial crisis.
Bill Weir, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. has temporarily lifted some sanctions on Venezuela to allow some aid to get through. The partial easing will be in place until
October the 23rd, according to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Washington is becoming a key player in relief support. A U.S. Marine Corps general has arrived in Caracas, we're told, to help lead the U.S.
military's relief response, and the State Department announced earlier that it would provide $150 million in aid.
Well, I spoke last hour to CNN's Alayna Treene in Washington. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What's been really interesting to see over the past couple of days, Becky, in response to
these devastating earthquakes, is that the U.S. and really the president and this administration are eager to show that they are stepping up and
that they are going to provide aid to Venezuela at a time of course, I should note, when Venezuela had just recently kind of given up some of the
relationships they had with Iran and Russia and instead embraced really this combative and aggressive approach of the U.S. trying to encroach on
the country following the United States capture of their former president, Nicolas Maduro.
[10:10:27]
And so they have to rely on the U.S. and we're seeing now a leadership -- leaders here in Washington trying to show that they are willing to lend
their support. To give you a sense of the scope of the aid the United States is deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian
assistance to Venezuela.
We heard the State Department, as you mentioned, Becky, announced on Thursday that the U.S. will provide $150 million in aid to Venezuela
following these earthquakes. It said it pledged $100 million to a U.N. humanitarian fund for Venezuela and $50 million to aid organizations who
are already working in the country.
Now, we've also heard from the Defense Department. They say that they are going to provide aircraft to assess damage and find injured victims who are
still trapped under the rubble here. We know SOUTHCOM, which of course is in charge of Latin America, also deploying several aircraft carriers
transport to also assist in this effort.
The president spoke in the Rose Garden last night and brought up Venezuela, Becky. He made clear that we're going to help them out. So we have to
really see, hopefully, when this aid is delivered and how effective it can be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Venezuela's two-year ban of X has been partially lifted, according to a monitoring group there. But some internet users aren't able
to load images or videos on the platform. The country is one of the most restricted media landscapes in the world, and that is making it difficult
for concerned loved ones both at home and abroad to gain information about damage or casualties from the earthquakes.
More on that as we get it, of course. Still ahead, why the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization is pausing evacuations of ships from
the Persian Gulf as tensions increase.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: United Nations' International Maritime Organization has paused evacuations of hundreds of ships from the Persian Gulf after one of them
was struck in what a U.S. official says was an Iranian drone attack.
Now, this cargo vessel reported being damaged by an unidentified projectile. Iran hasn't claimed responsibility, but the attack comes hours
after its Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that vessels would be granted safe passage through the strait only via Iranian routes. Well, also today,
Iran slamming a joint statement by the U.S. and its Gulf allies that stresses the need to address, quote, "the full spectrum of Iran's threats."
[10:15:08]
Its Foreign Ministry calls the statement irresponsible and provocative, and urges regional countries whose territories were used by the U.S. and Israel
during the war to, quote, "reconsider their positions." Well, that joint statement came during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's meeting with
the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain. The Gulf nations in attendance were attacked by Iran during the height of the war and in some cases
afterwards.
They say threats of violence are not the way forward. The UAE presidential adviser, Anwar Gargash, posting on X, quote, "New geopolitical facts cannot
be imposed on the Arab Gulf states as a result of a treacherous aggression against them."
Well, I want to bring in Jakob Larsen. He's chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, which is the Baltic and International Maritime Council,
joining me from Copenhagen.
Look, there is an awful lot of confusion right now around the Strait of Hormuz. So what exactly are you hearing?
JAKOB LARSEN, CHIEF SAFETY AND SECURITY OFFICER, BIMCO: Well, basically the same as you just reported. So it's a really difficult situation. We saw an
attack on a ship yesterday, apparently made by Iran. And Iran has stipulated that they do not accept ships using the southern route currently
open close to the Omani Coast. And a lot of ships have been going through there. And obviously it makes the risk assessment process for the ship
owners quite difficult because they don't know on which leg to stand right now.
ANDERSON: So to your mind, is it is it correct to say that the Strait of Hormuz, the regular Strait of Hormuz sort of waterway, which is on that
sort of northern end, that most vessels would normally use, is open or closed?
LARSEN: The central part of the Strait of Hormuz, that's called the traffic separation scheme, that's currently not advisable to use that. There's a
mine danger area, and we expect that mines are present there. And then there are two routes. There's the northern route close to the Iranian
coastline controlled by Iran, and then there's the southern route, which -- where transits take place with the help by the U.S. military, but which now
we hear that Iran is contesting. And so these are the two options that shipowners have. And obviously, it's a bit difficult to choose.
ANDERSON: So we have seen vessels, you know, taking what felt like a brief opening yesterday and over the past sort of couple of weeks, and we've seen
upwards of sort of 30 or 40 vessels transiting the waterway. However they are doing that. Transiting that sort of very, very narrow waterway. What
is, and I understand what you're saying, you know, it is all about the sort of, you know, the risk that ship owners and insurers are prepared to take
at this point.
What's your read on what happens next at this point?
LARSEN: Yes. What I hope for is that we can get things to cool down a little bit. We have a diplomatic starting point, the memorandum of
understanding signed by the U.S. and by Iran. And I think it would be helpful if the parties could sort of go back to that, look at the wording
and then agree on some practical steps that they can both accept because the MOU is just a starting point and it has some ambiguity, and therefore
we need some more specific details, you know, agreements on where can ships sail and what will be required in terms of approvals and so on.
And once that is in place, then shipping will be a better place. Right now it is a bit uncertain. There are ships that are still going through. They
look at the risk and they accept it and then they go through. But it would be really helpful if we could get some more clear agreement between the two
parties.
ANDERSON: Yes. And we are well aware that there are ships moving through with their, you know, at night and with their transponders off. I mean,
there's perhaps more getting through than is actually, you know, clearly being tracked at this point.
I do want to talk about mines. Iran says that it has heavily mined the strait. There's no sign of demining, as far as I understand it. How big a
factor is that for shipping right now? Of course, there is a clear threat still of missiles and drones, and we think we've, you know, clearly seen
that in the last 24 hours. What about these mines?
LARSEN: The mines are a big factor and there is actually some mine clearance efforts going on by the U.S. using remotely operated systems. So
there is progress there as well.
[10:20:05]
But the presence of mines is really a showstopper for shipping. And actually just the reported presence of mines, you don't even need to have a
proof, but if there is a reported presence of mines, then in most cases that will also be a showstopper because a mine is such a dangerous weapon
that it could -- usually it will simply sink the ship if a ship is hit by a mine. So it is really shaping and limiting the area where shipping can
safely go right now.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Jakob. Thank you very much indeed.
As we were saying, it is a sort of very confusing at present, very ambiguous about what is actually, you know, safe and secure in that sort of
waterway. And until such a time as it becomes clearer, of course, we will not see the sort of traffic that we need to see moving through there in
order to have a significant impact on the global economy.
Thank you very much indeed.
Well, a small aircraft appears to have struck what is the tallest building in Beijing. Social media footage showed debris falling from the CITIC
Tower. CNN has reached out to authorities for information on the incident.
Mike Valerio has this report for you from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, this is a 108-story building. So just over my left hand shoulder. I'm coming to you from my phone. I was
on the way to the gym when this happened, just before sunset. You can see a rectangular bank of lights. Now, far after sunset. And you can also see
aircraft lights that are very faintly blinking. On the other side of that building, you can see a gash in the side in the glass.
I should tell you that this corner of Beijing, everybody stopped when this happened. People looking up were in a safe position a few blocks away from
law enforcement, where they have asked people not to photograph the scene. They have stopped people to ask what they are doing, be it journalists or
native Beijingers. We can tell you that to say this is the unexpected is perhaps the understatement of the evening because of how secure Beijing is.
There are no drones that are allowed in this airspace. Commercial aircraft are restricted very far away from where we're standing. So right now, we're
trying to figure out how exactly this small aircraft veered off course and what exactly happened if this was a deliberate act. But in terms of when
we're trying to figure out if this was a deliberate act, when you think of how secure this airspace is drones banned in the city of Beijing, only
allowed in outer Hubei Province and farther away from the city center, this is almost inconceivable to happen here.
So on social media, we're going through pictures to assess the validity of what people have captured on the ground here. But again, this is the CITIC
Tower. This is the Zhongguo Zun, more than 100 stories tall. It's one of the tallest buildings in the city -- in the world, certainly one of the
tallest buildings by roof height. But I can tell you that as we're farther away from law enforcement, there certainly is a sense of, I should say,
calm and people just being absolutely befuddled, wondering what has happened here.
But I want to convey to our international audience there is not a sense of panic here on the streets. There is certainly a large law enforcement
presence, as we all try to figure out what happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And more as we get it.
Well, still to come, working against the clock, the desperate search for survivors of these two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Time is
running out for people who may be trapped in the rubble there. More as we get it, more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:26:25]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
The Venezuelan government says nearly 600 people are known to have been killed in the earthquakes that struck on Wednesday. Nearly 3,000 are
injured, and many others are missing. Meanwhile, more foreign rescue teams have arrived in the country to help the urgent search for survivors trapped
in the rubble there.
President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, has pled guilty in federal court charges that he unlawfully retained sensitive
national security information. Sources say he has also agreed to pay a more than $2 million fine.
A small aircraft appears to have hit Beijing's tallest building. Dramatic footage posted on social media shows damage and debris at the 109 story
CITIC Tower. CNN journalists witnessed evacuations. The condition of the pilot or other possible injuries is unknown at this point.
I want to get you back to Venezuela, where rescuers are frantically working to find more survivors trapped under the rubble during the critical sort of
golden window, as it's known, the 72 hour -- 72 hours after an earthquake when survivors are most likely to be pulled out alive. A British national
living in Caracas says people there are incredibly worried about family members still stuck in damaged buildings. He says he was at the gym when
the quakes hit on Wednesday, and describes the chaos on the streets that followed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN BAKER, BRITISH NATIONAL LIVING IN VENEZUELA: The earthquake lasted what felt like a really long time. It felt like about 30 seconds. The local
people there were screaming for God to save, to save us. I saw three tower blocks that had completely collapsed and one of them had came down over a
three-lane highway. So yes, it was really, really horrendous. Really much worse than I thought it had been.
I was out until 4:00 a.m. last night and there were hundreds of people in the streets sleeping in the street because no one knew if there would be
another earthquake. And there's been more than 20 aftershocks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the devastating impact of the quakes also, of course, being felt beyond Venezuela by loved ones watching from afar.
Carlos Rodriguez Lopez is a Venezuelan political scientist living in Miami and writes, quote, "Being abroad makes it incredibly tough to watch so much
destruction, panic and pain amongst friends and family only to step out onto the street and see everyone acting like nothing's happened."
And those who have been away from home and know that people are going through something awful, a disaster like this will absolutely understand
Carlos's sort of point of view. He is joining us now live from Miami.
And I know that communications are tough, and they've been severely disrupted. Have you been able to reach your family and your friends,
Carlos?
CARLOS RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ, VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANT LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES: Yes. First of all, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to give me a
chance to talk about Venezuela's darkest hour. Yes. I have been able to reach some people. Not only communications are tough, but infrastructure is
tough. There's not a lot of services. The government is not really around helping out people. I can't believe that it's just basically hell on earth
right now in Venezuela.
[10:30:05]
ANDERSON: What can Venezuelans living abroad do, if anything, to help their families and communities back home at this point?
LOPEZ: Well, there are many efforts right now to collect supplies, mostly food, medicines. They're doing a lot to get tools because there's a lot of
rubble and rescue, and pararescuemen cannot really get to them. So if you're able, if you're around Miami, they're doing, they're doing this
basically in every city in the United States, New York, Miami, Washington, D.C., Boston. You can look for your local collection point and then that
will get to Venezuela.
ANDERSON: There are calls by rights groups and others for greater access to the great number of political prisoners there in Venezuela. How do you --
in the aftermath of this quake, of course and nobody is, it seems as yet, sure of how those prisons have been affected. How do you see this crisis
affecting existing divisions within the country?
LOPEZ: It is very tough. There's just hundreds of people that are imprisoned without trial, without any reason other than their political
beliefs. And now we have this disaster, which just exacerbated the humanitarian crisis that existed in Venezuela already. And it just makes
you --makes everybody feel like they're abandoned, like they're orphaned by their government, that we have no one to respond for us.
And now with political prisoners in prison and having this disaster upon them, everyone is worried. Everyone is worried about their well-being.
ANDERSON: I mean, the first hours of any earthquake, sadly, you know, authorities tend to struggle. I know already, though, that there are a lot
of frustrations over the Venezuelan government's response to this disaster. I wonder, is this a sort of make-or-break moment for Delcy Rodriguez?
What's your take on this?
LOPEZ: I think it is. This is the moment to show if she wants to show it, her leadership. We have not seen much of government presence around the
country, especially in La Guaira state. That is the most affected one, by far, but also in Caracas, we have not seen any Valencia, Puerto Cabello,
nothing like that. We have seen more help right now from El Salvador, which just arrived this morning and from Mexico last night that we have seen from
the Venezuelan government, especially from the military. But I believe that if she's not able to give up a proper response --
ANDERSON: And it's --
LOPEZ: Yes.
ANDERSON: Go on. If she's not able to provide a proper response, this would be very much --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. I mean, and you speak about these other countries bringing in --
LOPEZ: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: You speak about other countries providing support. I mean, it's one thing to provide support. It's another to ensure that that support gets
to the people who need it most. And that is about organization, about sort of, you know, ensuring that people are talking to each other and people are
communicating properly. So this is as effective and as efficient as it can be.
What do you make of the offers of support finally from the United States?
LOPEZ: I believe it has been pretty extensive. At the beginning, I was worried that without USAID because it was abolished by the Trump
administration earlier this year, I thought that official aid efforts were going to be hampered. However, it has been a proper extensive response. We
have seen deployment from the Marines and the United States Air Force, from Southern Command. There are two very good urban search and rescue teams
going over there. It's -- I don't think any Venezuelan is complaining about the amount of U.S. help.
Hopefully we can get more because it's good that right now that we are prime time news and everyone is watching, we're going to get all the help.
The question is, if two weeks from now, when the world has moved on, are we going to get still the same amount of help because Venezuela does not have
the resources on its own to help each other, to help other Venezuelans? We really need help from anyone at this point, from supply from the regular
citizen, from volunteers to loans from the inter-American bank or just military aid and humanitarian aid from governments.
[10:35:08]
ANDERSON: Understood. It's good to have you on. Thank you very much indeed. And I hope things are OK with your extended family and friends.
LOPEZ: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
Well, for more information on how you can help Venezuela's earthquake victims, we've got information@CNN.com/Impact. You'll find out more there.
Europe's brutal heat wave shattering records across the continent. France, U.K., Spain, Switzerland all setting new temperature highs in recent days.
CNN's Anna Stewart is in London with a look at how people there are coping with the conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It feels pretty much too hot to do anything here in the U.K., let alone work. It's one thing if you work in an
air conditioned office, but not everyone does.
(Voice-over): Join me on a sweaty trip around town. Let's see who is roasting the most.
As you can imagine, it gets pretty hot in a dry cleaners. We put the thermometer right by the ironing station. It hit 36 degree Centigrade. That
is around 97 degrees Fahrenheit. It is hot, but I think we can find somewhere hotter.
(Voice-over): Restaurants are struggling. At the Hoppers Restaurant in Soho, the kitchen is between 46 and 48 degrees Centigrade. That's roughly
110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Tam, the general manager, spent the morning on the roof fixing the air conditioning unit.
TAMLIN ARMSTRONG, GENERAL MANAGER, HOPPERS RESTAURANT: This is my second T- shirt today, so it's -- yes, a lot of sweat. But yes, it should be good.
STEWART: How hot does it get in the kitchen? Because there's somewhere that's much harder to control.
ARMSTRONG: So yes, I mean, kitchens all year round are hot. But this particular time of year it is increasing in temperature. So we have put
added fans in there.
STEWART: It's pretty hot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Very hot.
STEWART: Very, very hot.
(Voice-over): This pizzeria is also pretty hot with the front of house describing the pizza oven as the gates of hell.
ZOLLIE NYANGWA, EMPLOYEE, BREADSTALL PIZZA: The fridge is over there. We have loads of drinks in them and none of them are cold. So it's just a
really big uphill battle. Like we're constantly rotating things from different fridges to make sure that things can all get cold. Customers get
cold drinks, and then we're constantly circulating fans in one spot, fans in another spot because we want everybody to at least feel a breeze. We
don't want people to, like, pass out due to the heat exhaustion or anything.
STEWART (voice-over): And there are workplaces that may be even hotter than the kitchens.
Well, this is probably one of the hottest places you could work, a construction site. Workers here have told us it is unbearably hot, really
dusty. We weren't actually allowed in by management to put my thermometer up there. So I haven't got a reading. But if you take a look, you can see
all the tarpaulin. That's where the workers are. When the sun hit that it must have created something of a furnace.
(Voice-over): The U.K. is simply not built for this sort of heat, and some are feeling it more than others.
So how hot is just too hot to work? Well, here in the U.K., legally there is no upper limit in terms of temperature. Employees do have to provide,
and I'll quote, "a reasonable temperature in the workplace." But what does reasonable really mean?
There's also a fun plot twist here. Legislation shows that employers have to provide thermometers for their employees so you can monitor just how hot
you are in the workplace, but you may not be able to do anything about it.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And still to come, former Trump adviser John Bolton is in a Maryland courtroom where he has just pled guilty to mishandling classified
information. I'm going to give you a live report from outside the courtroom, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:41:00]
ANDERSON: Well, two of the most feared strikers in football go head to head at the World Cup today. France, complete with superstar Kylian Mbappe and
Norway, yes, Norway, who have goal machine Erling Haaland playing their last group stage match in Boston. Look, both teams have played two and one-
two. So get ready for a thriller on that one.
Also on the World Cup radar, will Cape Verde or Verde make it to the last 32? I can't even believe I'm reading that. It's brilliant. The smallest
country left in the competition and they are up against Saudi Arabia after sensationally drawing with both Spain and Uruguay.
Joining us now live is Erfan Hoseiny. He's co-host of the Asian football show here in Dubai. It's really good to have you. And look, I've got to
start with this big game that's coming up tonight. Neither of these teams have to win of course because they've both already gone through the group
stages, France and Norway.
But you know, getting top spot of course is going to be a much easier sort of -- ostensibly an easier route through to the latter stages. So what do
you make of not just these two teams, but very specifically these powers in Mbappe and Erling Haaland?
ERFAN HOSEINY, CO-HOST, THE ASIAN FOOTBALL SHOW: Yes, I mean, it's amazing to see everyone show up at this tournament. You know, you've got obviously
the legends like Messi and Ronaldo. But then you've also got the new generation like Haaland and Mbappe, and they just seem to be showing up
when it matters. And I think it's really, really beautiful to see.
ANDERSON: Yes, it really is. And look, like I say, you know, who gets top spot, who comes second will determine, you know, who they meet in the
knockout stages of course. So it is important. It's a big day today with plenty more to come this weekend. Coming up of course, and I do want to
concentrate on this region because were coming from Abu Dhabi here. We absolutely want to provide the platform for the teams in this region and
sort of the wider region.
So we've got Iraq versus Senegal, we've got Iran, the Iranian versus Egypt, and Saudi Arabia of course against the little Cape Verde. What are your big
predictions in these?
HOSEINY: Well, it was always going to be difficult for Iraq. I mean, they got incredibly unlucky with their group. You know, you got France from part
one. You got Senegal who are African champions, although that's debatable. And then Norway who are just the worst team you could get from part three.
But you know, I've mentioned this to my friends before. You know, at least Iraq can be happy about one thing. Which other nation is going to say that
we've played in all three countries?
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOSEINY: They played in Mexico during the playoffs. They played the United States, and then they're playing in Canada today.
ANDERSON: And I spoke to the coach ahead of the tournament. And they, you know, he had a really good attitude. He told them to be bold and to be
brave. And there are, you know, millions of people back home in Iraq who are supporting this team. So we'll wish them the very best. But as you say,
they've got a tough, a tough team coming up.
What about the last couple of games that we've got coming up? What about the Saudi Arabian game?
HOSEINY: Well, Saudi Arabia, I mean, I said this before the tournament. Cape Verde are not a side to be underestimated. They might be small, but
they've been getting the results. And we saw that against Uruguay against Spain. I mean, it's not just their goalkeeper Vozinha, who put out a
fantastic performance against Spain. I mean there's such a team and they're amazing to watch. And it really makes me happy because this is what the
World Cup is about, isn't it?
ANDERSON: All right.
HOSEINY: We have to be careful.
ANDERSON: Yes. No, absolutely. I saw Iran play in Qatar. Q22, I think this is the first World Cup I haven't been to for many, many years actually.
What do you make of Iran's chances against Egypt?
HOSEINY: I think they shouldn't go for the draw because, you know, it is likely that Iran will advance with the draw. But I don't think the right
mentality is to count on other teams performances. And Egypt have almost guaranteed qualification. So they might be rotating some players, but yes,
I think they should go for the win. And it's going to be difficult, but it is possible, especially after the last game.
[10:45:04]
ANDERSON: They've been doing some traveling in order to get to these games of course, training as they are in Mexico. I mean they were given a bit of
a pass, I think, ahead of this game to come in a couple of days early, which is good to see.
Look, as I said, we've had ten teams from the sort of wider region in the group stages. Not all of them of course have made it through to the round
of 32 like Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey and Qatar. Although the Turks put on a good performance against the USA last night. What do you make of the
performance as a whole of the teams from around this wider region?
HOSEINY: Well, I'll be honest, it is a bit disappointing. I mean, the only countries you could say that have performed well are Morocco and Egypt,
although we still haven't seen Algeria play their final game. But, yes, I think I expected a bit more, especially from the likes of, you know, Turkey
and Tunisia, for Turkey especially. They were --there was lots of expectations going into this tournament.
And it's like that every tournament. You know, they go into the tournament as a dark horses and then every time they disappoint, you know, same story.
ANDERSON: I think there's been a lot of criticism of FIFA and Gianni Infantino for widening the kind of group to 48. And a number of these teams
from this wider region have made it through. But when you get a Cape Verde sort of story, you know, there is justification to a degree for saying, you
know, let's have as many teams as possible competing. There are always going to be these Cinderella stories.
But I mean, there have been some criticisms that the likes of sort of, you know, Jordan and Qatar who really, you know, weren't able to perform on the
sort of, you know, on the world stage at this tournament, some criticism about whether they should really be there. What's your view?
HOSEINY: For me, I love it, of course, more football, but no, I've seen a lot of criticism towards, you know, the non-European sides. But it's
interesting because Europe got three additional spots as well. Obviously the playoffs you had Turkey qualifying, the Czech Republic qualifying, and
have they done well? No. So I don't think this is an issue that should be focused on, especially outside of Europe.
ANDERSON: I asked you before we started, I'm just going to move on now. But just before we started, I said, have you watched every game? You said, you
know, obviously the time zone here is difficult to watch every game, but you've pretty much watched all the highlights of every game. Which has been
your favorite game to date? In a word.
HOSEINY: Oh, well, this is going to be a bit biased, but Iran versus Belgium. It might be boring for others, but no, it was fun to watch for me.
You know, the defense was amazing. The heart and passion that these guys have just very fun.
ANDERSON: Good. All right. Well, onwards, we love the spirit of the game. Nelson Mandela once said sport has the power to change the world. And when
you see some of the images coming out of the states on this World Cup, Mexico and Canada, it really sort of inspires you, doesn't it? Thank you
very much indeed.
Right. Well, with the knockout stage just around the corner, it is more likely we will be seeing penalty shootouts at this point. CNN has tried at
least to illustrate just how hard it is to stop a penalty or a pen, as we call them. You can head to the CNN Web site to find out more.
Well, you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. More ahead. Stay with us.
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ANDERSON: Well, breaking news to bring you now. U.S. President Donald Trump's former friend turned foe, John Bolton, has just pled guilty to
illegally retaining sensitive national security information.
[10:50:09]
Now, sources tell CNN that Bolton, who served as Trump's national security adviser, has also agreed to pay a fine of more than $2 million.
CNN's Katelyn Polantz following this for us. She is outside that federal courthouse in Greenbelt in Maryland.
Just step back for a moment, remind us of this case and the significance of what's happened today, Katelyn.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Becky, it's the rare felony conviction of such a high ranking government official. John
Bolton had been a U.N. ambassador. He had been the national security adviser during the first Trump administration. And what he did when he was
in that role in 2018 to 2019, that is what formed this case and what he's admitting to today what he did wrongfully.
So in the time he was the national security adviser, John Bolton was taking notes for himself. He was handwriting them often, and then he would type
them up into summaries or diary entries, and then he would e-mail them to himself, often on his personal e-mail accounts, Gmail, AOL, perhaps over
text message. And he was also sending them to his wife and his daughter. He was keeping printouts of these summations at home. And guess what? They
contained classified information or information about the national defense, things at the top secret level of the classification system.
Really highly sensitive stuff about U.S. military attack plans, plans to attack the United States, information about foreign leaders, really
significant stuff. So in this situation, he was initially charged with 18 criminal counts. He pled down today to one felony criminal count. The
agreement with the Justice Department he made is that nobody is going to ask for more than six months or, I'm sorry, more than five years in prison
for him, 60 months in prison. We'll see what happens at sentencing. That won't be until October.
Also, Bolton is agreeing to hand over to the U.S. government $2.5 million within five days of receiving his sentence. That is going to be given to
the U.S. government in the form of a fine. But it essentially represents the amount he earned from a tell-all memoir he wrote and that he pitched to
a publisher the day after he left the Trump White House in September of 2019.
Another real irony here, Becky, is that John Bolton is agreeing to help the U.S. government now, the Justice Department, in the form of community
service. 100 hours that he is willing to give of his time as part of his sentence, potentially, that would then allow him to help with remediation
of national security spillage, the secrets that might be getting out there, that he could consult with the U.S. government.
When he was asked today if he was guilty, he said that he was. And he said, I'm sorry for it. That's the direct quote. That was what Bolton said in the
courthouse. This was a really momentous day for the Justice Department, for the U.S. attorney's office in Maryland, who secured this conviction. The
U.S. attorney, Kelly Hayes, she was not just in the courtroom. She spoke afterwards.
There were about 20 different people from the Justice Department and the FBI, national security lawyers, Maryland prosecutors. We expect there to be
quite a showing and quite a lot of tension going into his sentencing as well, with the question hanging in October for the judge to decide whether
John Bolton will serve time in prison or not for what his crime is -- Becky.
ANDERSON: If you were a betting woman, what would you expect to happen at that sentencing?
POLANTZ: I'm not a betting woman, so I'm never going to try and guess what a judge might do at a sentencing. You just don't know what is in a judge's
head ever until they say it publicly. But what my sources have told me is that John Bolton is very likely to advocate to not go to prison at all,
that the rest of the things he's willing to do, pay the $2.25 million, do the community service, be on probation, that that should be enough for a
non-custodial sentence. But I do expect the Justice Department to ask for a little bit of prison time. Ultimately, though, it is up to the judge.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you would expect the current U.S. president to respond to this, as he is want to do on his social channels. We will keep an eye on
those.
Katelyn, it's always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed. Making it absolutely clear that Katelyn is not a betting woman.
Right. Before we go, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And billionaire investor Leon Black set to
face a Capitol Hill grilling in the next hour over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
[10:55:06]
The former chairman of New York Museum of Modern Art and co-founder of Apollo Global Management will answer questions in a closed door interview.
Part of the House Oversight Committee's Epstein probe.
Well, Texas is on the verge of requiring more than five million public school students to study bible stories and verses in the classroom. The
state's Board of Education is expected to vote today on the measure, which would apply to students in K through 12, kindergarten through 12th grade,
starting in 2030. The proposal has sparked sharp debate amongst parents, teachers and community members.
About hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the U.S. have been thrown into legal limbo after a Thursday ruling by the U.S. Supreme
Court terminated their temporary protected status. That means their work permits are set to expire, and their deportation protections will end.
Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi, it is a very good evening. Stay with CNN, though. "ONE WORLD"
and more news up next.
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