Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Prince Harry and Meghan Moving Back to Britain; Target of Monaco Bombing Speaks to CNN; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Report Reveals Shelter Crisis in Gaza; Israel Moves Ahead on Internationally Condemned Plan; Epidemiologist Explains How Personalized Cancer Vaccine Works; Counting the Cost of Health Secretary's Recipe Advice; The Ups and Downs of Living in Paris' Micro-Apartments. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 20, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Christina McFarlane in London, where
the time is just after 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
And the city is buzzing over the news that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to the U.K. We'll unpack the latest
reactions with our royal watchers in a moment.
CNN speaks exclusively to Vadim Iermolaiev, the target of a recent bombing in Monaco in his first TV interview since then.
And the U.S.S. George Washington has just arrived in the Middle East to relieve the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln as President Trump sets out a new
strategy of crushing Iran's economy.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: We are following a surprising new chapter for Prince Harry and Meghan. CNN has learned the Sussexes are moving back to Britain, six years
after stepping away from royal life and moving to the U.S.
King Charles was first informed of their plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan will remain private citizens and non-working members of the royal family as
they prepare to move into a private residence outside London later this month.
Well, for more on this, I want to bring in our royal watcher, Bidisha Mamata, and CNN chief media analyst, Brian Stelter.
Welcome to you both.
So, Bidisha, let's just get straight to the big question here, which is, why is now the moment for Harry and Meghan to come back?
And do you sense that there's a bit of unfinished business here, for Harry in particular, in Britain?
BIDISHA MAMATA, BRITISH BROADCASTER AND ROYAL WATCHER: I think you're absolutely right and I'm so glad that you used the phrase a surprising new
chapter rather than a surprising new episode, because really this had come to look like a bit of a soap opera. And the feeling that I have is that
finally normal service is being resumed.
I think this is driven by Harry himself. I think it's personal. I think it's a mature, normal, responsible human thing to do and want and think. It
involves the royal family coming back together, involving his father, the king, and his brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
This is something that feels right. And even the timing and the way they express it, of wanting to put their kids into British schools come
September, come the new term, new start, it all seems refreshingly normal to me and not hysterical and not something for some kind of Netflix drama.
MACFARLANE: Yes, a promising new chapter. I mean, another big question being talked about here at the moment is that of security, because you'll
know, Bidisha, that Harry has repeatedly cited security concerns as a reason for staying away.
So what may have changed here, do you think?
MAMATA: Right. Well, given that this is a surprise announcement and that we didn't get an inkling of it before, clearly during the preceding months,
they have been working out some kind of private -- or maybe not private, maybe governmental security arrangement.
The fact that they feel secure enough to make this public statement right now makes me think that this has all been sorted. But nobody is going to
get any of the details of that just yet. We know that the prince and Meghan herself are very, very cautious about security.
So I'm 100 percent sure that, as parents, simply as parents, they wouldn't do anything to put their kids at risk. So I am so sure that a deal has been
struck and that they are all happy with it, even if it's very expensive, even if it involves lots of different stakeholders.
They have got this one to a level that they're now happy with, enough to make a gigantic move, a very, very big move in their family.
MACFARLANE: Yes, you're right. We're unlikely to know any of the details. And we actually heard the U.K. prime minister Andy Burnham this morning,
coming out and saying it was a private matter.
Brian, to the children, to the family aspect here, I mean, Archie and Lilibet, Meghan and Harry's children, have been very much kept out of the
spotlight up to now.
What challenges do you foresee for them growing up in Britain, given the intense media interest there is around this family, and something that
Harry and William have been very honest about the fact that they've struggled with a lot?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, I really sympathize for what they're about to probably go through. I talked to Harry about this a number
of years ago, about what that media scrutiny is like.
[10:05:00]
Especially when you have young children, it's something that many celebrities, of course, face. And many celebrities have different ways of
dealing with this. It may be harder to keep the children out of the proverbial picture in the U.K. in some ways, for some reasons.
But they've clearly had time, a lot of time, to think through this and make this choice. Some of the headlines today are about Meghan and Harry leaving
Hollywood.
And that is, in the U.S., the way it's being framed, right?
The end of a Hollywood dream, the end of an attempt to build a Hollywood media empire. And they're far from the first family that has tried to move
into L.A., try to build up something at a studio and then have it turn out not to be maybe what they had hoped.
You know, that Spotify deal ended a few years ago. The Netflix deal has had some questions. Netflix pulled out funding for the as-is brand, as are the
as-ever brand that Meghan had.
So there have been some signs that the Hollywood approach has been waning or maybe hadn't been working out the way the couple wanted. It seems to me
there's a relationship between that move and this move to the U.K.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And I actually I do want to talk about that a little bit more in just a moment.
But Bidisha, first, we've actually been getting in some reaction from the streets of London today to this news. I just want to have a quick play of
that. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not especially happy about it because they trashed the whole country numerous times; betrayed their family, betrayed his king,
his father; went off to America and now they're bored. And now they want to come back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bit surprised but, on the other hand, I can kind of see for him. It probably feels a bit cast aside. So he's come back and,
yes, the guy lost his mother. So cut him a break sort of thing, isn't it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I think they get a bad rap. Like I think they're a beautiful couple and, you know, they've done a lot of good work
around the world. And I think especially Meghan Markle, I don't know why everybody in the U.K. is always so like up in arms about her. Like, I think
she's wonderful, you know?
So I hope they have a good time when they come back and the press leaves them alone, quite frankly, you know, and they can just enjoy their life and
raise their kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Bidisha, that's just a sliver of the range of opinions here. And I do think it rather depends who you speak to in Britain about what
broadsheet newspaper they might be reading on this.
But how do you think, more broadly, the public are going to react to their return?
MAMATA: I think that all those three opinions we heard are all valid and are all correct in their own way, because this is a very complex situation
and it does involve our narrative around power and ambition.
And it involves all of our ideas around, what's the royal family for?
Is it to give the public something to be entertained by?
Is it about upholding tradition?
Is it a kind of British soft power export, where something entertaining always has to be happening?
Or is this very private and personal?
Is it to do with a romance or to do with these two being parents?
All of those things are true simultaneously. And that's why we find it so compelling. But it's also why they're in such a tricky position.
I do agree that this Hollywood dream, it's such a fantasy for so many people. It's actually quite a universal fantasy in many ways -- I'm going
to go away and, in this other place, where the sun always shines, everything is going to be peaceful. And all my problems will go away.
I also don't want to make prognostications or overly, overly analyze their own particular relationship. But Harry and Meghan are two very different
people. It's Meghan who came to Britain. She really didn't rub along with the royal family and with its protocols.
And he, too, I think he went to America. And for the first couple of years, perhaps he thought, well, this is so lovely. It's easy. I can be a
celebrity without being a royal.
But, of course, they're going to be pulled back to their own individual ambitions, their own backgrounds, their own desires. This is only the
beginning of a new story. But I do -- I do think that this is fundamentally a very personal decision. And it's to do with family, their own family, but
also the generation above. They want to spend time with the king.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
And Brian, just before, you were talking about, you know, the media empire that Harry and Meghan have built in California, I mean, how successful
really has that been?
And do you expect that we're going to see that brought to Britain here, you know, that there's going to be a kind of shift in the content and that that
content will continue?
(LAUGHTER)
STELTER: It's a matter of debate about whether these Netflix and Spotify deals were big successes or not. And because there's not very many public
metrics to actually say, you know, state it as a fact, it's certainly open to interpretation.
I think reading the tea leaves, having covered Netflix for over a decade, Netflix went out and made some of these really lucrative deals with talent.
It was reported that Harry and Meghan maybe were getting $20 million out of Netflix over the period of years.
[10:10:00]
And some of those deals are not being renewed. It's not just Harry and Meghan who have seen some of that money dry up in recent years. Netflix has
gone a different path. But now they're trying to recruit YouTube stars. They're trying to bring on Instagram-style content creators onto Netflix.
So they're going a different way right now.
But do I look back and say that the Harry and Meghan deal was a really big success for Netflix?
I think the short answer is probably no. And it does speak to that larger ambition, right, the idea of going out to Hollywood, starting fresh, moving
into Montecito, making, you know, friends with Bob Iger and Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry and all the rest.
Really fun, I'm sure, on one level but maybe not sustainable. I think that's the word I keep coming back to here.
Was that Hollywood lifestyle going to be sustainable for the family?
Maybe it's not. Maybe this is a new, more sustainable way forward.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
And Bidisha, just a final thought here on what you were just touching there on, which is the bigger picture of family relations and, you know, this
being personal for Harry. We know that relations with the royal family, with William in particular, have been strained in recent years.
So how do you think the royal family will be viewing this?
And especially with the -- we've got the 30th anniversary of Diana's death next year.
Do you think reconciliation could be on the cards?
MAMATA: Yes, that is how I'm interpreting it. I think that this is very much to do with the image of two brothers and their father and the wider
family, literally, and also symbolically sitting down at a table together and finally communicating again and doing it in a more private, more
dignified, less mudslinging way, not through intermediaries.
It's about coming back together and not necessarily showing a united front but restoring normal, mature, adult relationships, relations and behavior.
And by that, I'm talking about all of the characters in this drama.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Well, I for one, truly hope that is going to be the case, because, you know, the royal family really is so loved in this country. And
it would be good to see an end to a lot of that animosity over recent years.
But look, this -- it's been fascinating to speak to you both. Thank you very much. As we say, a new chapter and certainly more to come. Thank you.
And when we come back, an assassination attempt in Monaco is raising uncomfortable questions in Ukraine. We will bring you an exclusive
investigation.
And another night of deadly strikes for Ukrainians as desperate desperation for interceptor missiles grows. We'll have the latest.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: The target of a recent bomb attack in Monaco tells CNN that rogue Ukrainian intelligence agents may have been paid to assassinate him
in the wealthy Mediterranean tax haven.
[10:15:05]
Vadym Iermolaiev survived the powerful blast in June, which also seriously injured his partner and child.
Speaking in his first television interview since then, he is now calling on the authorities in Kyiv to step up their investigation. Matthew Chance has
this exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a super glamorous playground for the super-rich. One of the world's tiniest
nations, Monaco promotes itself as a haven of wealth and tranquility on the picturesque shores of the Mediterranean.
But one evening in June, as a Ukrainian-born businessman walked home with his family, that carefully manicured image of security and calm was
shattered, plunging the principality into violence and chaos.
CHANCE: Well, this is the exact place where the explosion took place. You can still see the impact of the shrapnel, the stucco plaster work here
around the door has all fallen off. And you know if I lift up the tarp here, you can see the marble steps and the brickwork is all shattered.
We've also made contact with the target of the attack and despite his grave injuries, he's agreed to speak out.
VADYM IERMOLAIEV, BUSINESSMAN: When the explosion went off, I saw my partner Anna lying on the steps with badly injured legs. My son was waving
his bloodied arms and I had burns across my whole body and was missing pieces of flesh.
I'm not a confrontational person. I've always tried to avoid any sharp conflicts, so I don't understand the reason why this happened.
CHANCE: There's a suggestion in Ukraine and there are reports in Ukraine that this assassination attempt was linked to your involvement, alleged
involvement in organized crime.
How do you answer that?
IERMOLAIEV: I personally have never in my life had anything to do with that. The Monaco police also asked me if my family could be involved, which
was almost funny, as everything I own is already registered to my wife and children.
CHANCE (voice-over): But clearly, someone wanted to send a message. This is the face of the bomber, a 39-year-old single mother from Ukraine,
Anastasiia Berezovska. She even recorded herself planting the device, in what investigators say was part of a complex international plot. They're
still trying to unravel.
CHANCE: Well, these narrow, twisting streets snaking through tiny Monaco are some of the most heavily surveilled anywhere in the world.
There are more than 1,400 surveillance cameras, basically watching everything anybody does and a police officer for every 60 residents of the
principality. The bombing appears to have been carefully planned to bypass all of that tight security.
CHANCE (voice-over): And Monaco's police department is now under intense pressure to understand what went wrong. Multiple theories are being
explored. The police chief admitted, though he refused to elaborate or discuss the glaring connections with Ukraine and its security services.
Within a Kyiv court those connections have become impossible to ignore.
Two men, a serving officer with Ukrainian military intelligence and a former security agent, now stand accused of executing Anastasiia Berezovska
and burying the Monaco bomber in a shallow grave after she fled home.
For the Ukrainian authorities fighting a bitter war with Russia, it's a potentially embarrassing link that risks straining relations with its
European backers. Ukrainian military intelligence say the suspects are just criminals.
But fueling speculation, Vadym Iermolaiev is sanctioned by Ukraine for doing business with its Russian enemies, though he's ruling out any link to
his bombing.
IERMOLAIEV: I can't imagine it had anything to do with the Ukrainian sanctions against me, because that would mean our state is potentially
engaged in extrajudicial executions and I just can't believe that.
[10:20:00]
CHANCE: After the bombing, you accuse the Ukrainian security services of being behind it. Is that still your view?
IERMOLAIEV: That's not just my view; all the facts point to it. But I think this was a contracted hit. Someone privately hired military
intelligence specialists who know how to do this and they took it on for money.
CHANCE (voice-over): In both Monaco and Kyiv, investigations are now in full swing to uncover the facts, including the possible role of Ukrainian
guns for hire or rogue agents, making one of the world's most glamorous enclaves feel a lot less secure -- Matthew Chance, CNN, Monaco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Well, at least 16 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in the region of Kyiv in a massive Russian attack. That's according
to Ukrainian authorities. It's yet another painful strike exposing Kyiv's dwindling anti-missile defense supplies.
And in a recent CNN interview, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine only has 10 percent of the interceptor missiles that it urgently needs from
the U.S. and other allies.
Well, just shy of six months into the war and, with diplomacy at a standstill, president Donald Trump is promising to turn up the pressure on
Iran, not with military force but by launching what he calls a crushing economic operation.
The social media post that announced the new strategy gave no details on how it would work. But the president warned of consequences for any country
that does business with Tehran.
Well, let's take a look at how oil markets are reacting to Trump's threats of economic --
(AUDIO GAP)
MACFARLANE: -- definitely up today, both trading at $93 and $87 a barrel.
As the president makes these threats, the U.S. is facing its own financial headwinds. America's national debt climbed to a record $40 trillion this
week. And it acts more quickly than the government's own experts predicted.
As the scale of borrowing has risen, it's forced up both interest payments and interest rates. Add to that the aging of the Baby Boomer generation,
forcing the government to spend more on Social Security and Medicare than ever before.
Now as president Trump shifts gears in Iran, we want to take a closer look at what it means for the country's already deepening economic crisis and
whether his strategy will have its intended effect. We're joined now by Nader Habibi, professor of the economics of the Middle East and Brandeis
University.
Thank you so much for joining us. Nader, you've said that Trump's new strategy is likely why the UAE announced a trade embargo just a few days
ago and that Donald Trump could be looking to China, Iraq and Turkiye next.
Could you just expand on how you view this as an effort by Trump and whether he can influence all those countries to do this?
NADER HABIBI, PROFESSOR, PRACTICE IN ECONOMICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY: Yes, I think already a sea blockade was announced. And now
what we are observing is that president Trump is trying to extend that into a possible land blockade, which involves Iran's neighbors, which share land
borders.
That includes Iraq, Turkiye and central Asian countries. And the reason for this is that the military campaign that was carried out for several weeks
was not successful.
And now president Trump is trying to put more emphasis on economic sanctions and what he calls the economic D-Day. That would involve a number
of additional steps that the United States has not taken before in order to put more pressure on Iranian economy.
MACFARLANE: So what is the economic picture inside Iran right now?
And can Trump squeeze the country economically?
Or is the regime kind of hardened now when it comes to weathering this kind of economic storm?
HABIBI: Right. So now there is -- there are some clear indications that the economic blockade of Iran, the sea blockade and the military strikes of
the past six months, including the targeting of infrastructure, the targeting of some key industries, has had a significant impact.
And the evidence for that is the statements by some government officials.
[10:25:00]
We are witnessing record-high inflations, sometimes they're up to 100 percent, and severe shortage of some goods and products, including some
types of medicine. And even the complaints about shortage of food, already severe unemployment. Iran's manufacturing and industrial sector is under
pressure.
The inability to produce enough gasoline. And since the import of gasoline has been disrupted, there is strong evidence of a shortage of gasoline
under current conditions. So already, economic conditions are difficult. But additional economic pressure could make the situation even worse.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And you mentioned the price of food there. And we're reading that, you know, that's more than doubled since July of last year
and that basic items like eggs, rice, meat, bread, they've all effectively become luxury goods. There's a question here though, as to who is bearing
the brunt of this.
And how much worse do you think this is going to get for ordinary Iranians, the middle class here?
HABIBI: Right. So, I think the pressure is not limited just to the poor and lower class. Now something like 80 percent of the population, including
the middle class, are feeling the pressure, because the salaries that allowed people to maintain a minimum middle class lifestyle are no longer
sufficient even to meet the very basic needs.
So I think the pain is being spread throughout the economy. Maybe a small group of the upper class have adequate income. Other than that, broad
groups of people are coming under pressure.
And that is what is worrisome to the government, especially, for example, the challenge of producing enough gasoline. The economy, the functioning of
all kinds of activities depends on a cheap gasoline that government has been offering for the past three decades.
But now that is no longer feasible. And that is affecting not only economic activity but day-to-day mobility of large groups of people. And it's a
major challenge. But for political reasons, government is afraid of raising the price, so therefore use price as a rationing mechanism.
And a strong debate is currently underway within the regime, among different factions, as to why we should pay more attention to economic
issues and how long we should continue this resistance. So we are seeing a significant debate which is motivated by these economic pressures.
MACFARLANE: Well, it will be very interesting to see if any of this alters the Iranian calculus going forward. But Nader Habibi, thank you very much
for bringing us this detail and explaining it to us. Thank you.
HABIBI: Thank you. My pleasure.
MACFARLANE: OK. Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, a new report reveals a severe shelter crisis in Gaza. We'll have the details next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. These are your headlines this hour.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to move back to the U.K. CNN understands Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, are leaving the U.S. and
relocating to a private home near London later this month.
It comes six years after they stepped back from royal duties and fell out with other members of the royal family.
The U.S. national debt crisis has reached a record $40 trillion. The unwanted milestone comes less than 10 years after America's debts topped
$20 trillion and the borrowing is rising ever faster. Interest payments on the debt are now the second biggest item of U.S. government spending.
President Donald Trump is promising to turn up the pressure on Iran's battered economy. He says the U.S. is launching what he calls a crushing
economic operation against Iran, without giving any details. He also threatened consequences for any countries that continue to do business with
Iran.
MACFARLANE: We're turning now to Gaza, where a new report by a group led by the Norwegian Refugee Council reveals a critical shelter crisis. It
estimates that 1.98 million Palestinians -- that's 94 percent of Gaza's population -- need shelter and basic household assistance.
The report highlights extremely harsh living conditions, with nearly two- thirds of households surviving in tents or makeshift shelters. Shaina Low is a communications advisor with the NRC and she joins us now live from
Amman, Jordan.
Shaina, thank you for joining us.
Can you begin, you know, following those stats we've just heard there, by telling us more about the conditions that families are living in Gaza and
what these shelters look like?
SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: Absolutely. Thank you for having me on.
About two-thirds of Gaza's population remains in tents and makeshift shelters. These are simple shelters made from tarpaulins, salvaged
materials. Most of these people have been living in these tents or shelters for over a year.
And these are materials that are really only intended for short-term use. They last about three to six months in Gaza's climate. Then we have, on top
of that, people who are living in damaged and destroyed buildings.
I've had colleagues tell me about going and assessing buildings to see if they're structurally safe. And when they tell families that they aren't and
they're at risk of collapse, the families say that they're going to stay because they have nowhere else to go.
The conditions are extremely difficult. What we saw, we looked at three different areas of living. One is the adequacy of the shelter. The second
is the living conditions and whether people can carry out basic household tasks. And the third is the surrounding area and people's access to
services.
And, by far, the worst of these areas were the living conditions, with 43 percent living in -- of the population living in catastrophic living
conditions, meaning that there was a risk to their health and safety and possibly death because of the conditions that they're in.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Yes, and I've been reading the report and, you know, the numbers here are alarming. You've said that 98 percent of households -- so
basically all households -- have reported at least one environmental hazard within 10 meters of where they live.
What are the worst of those hazards that you're seeing?
LOW: Well, nearly everyone has rodents in their houses or near their houses. It's really shocking; 89 percent of people have more than one
hazard near their house. These include stray dogs, sewage rubble, trash.
[10:35:04]
These are all things that not only impede people's access to services but also present health and safety risks and public health risks. Of course,
anyone living close to exposed sewage is going to face issues.
We've also seen things that have emerged that were never issues in Gaza before. The presence of snakes, the presence of rodents, those were things
that weren't really widespread prior to October 7th.
And it's because of all of the rubble and all of the destruction. That's really a breeding ground for all of these hazards that are putting people's
lives at risk.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And we all remember, you know, the scenes from last winter, of severe flooding, children standing in water up to their waists,
tents completely flooded with no protection from sewage or mud. Winter is approaching again.
What do families need to fortify themselves to prevent that from happening?
LOW: Well, at this point, we need everything. I mean, the number of -- the amount of aid that is in the pipeline and on its way to Gaza for the winter
is astonishingly low. We have about enough materials to provide shelter for 35,000 families and about -- and supplies that would help seal off or
improve shelters for another 35,000.
But really, these tents are not designed to protect people from the elements. In the summer, they're incredibly hot. In the winter, they're
very cold and prone to the flooding.
And so while we still need emergency shelter materials, we also need to be focusing on pushing to bring in more durable solutions and transitional
housing options, materials that can allow for repairs so that people can return to buildings that are structurally safe. And -- so but basically
none of this is getting in right now due to Israeli restrictions.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And let's be clear about this. I mean, it would be avoidable if Israel lifted its restrictions to enable this necessary
equipment to enter the Gaza Strip. I know you are pressing donor states to apply pressure on Israel.
What is it that you want to see?
LOW: Well, we need to see a few different things. First and foremost, we need to see the openings of all of the crossings. Right now there's only
one crossing that enters Gaza. We need to see the lifting of restrictions and the sustainable and predictable entry of shelter goods.
Most shelter materials are classified by the Israeli authorities as dual use. That includes things as simple as tent poles, nails and most other
equipment. And so those materials right now are being only allowed to enter Gaza one day per week. And we need to see that number increase to every
single day.
We need to see Gaza overwhelmed with shelter material because the needs are so overwhelming. But right now what we're experiencing is just a trickle of
what's needed. And we know that the winter is going to be worse than last year's because there's so little aid entering. So we need this aid to
enter.
We need states to be pushing for Israel to allow this aid. They have the ability to exert pressure. But haven't exerted enough in order to get this
material in. And then on top of that, we need governments to be committed to funding the shelter response, both in the short term and in the long
term, to get people into safer housing.
MACFARLANE: Yes, this is absolutely a critical moment with winter fast approaching. Shaina Low, thank you very much for telling us what is needed
and for letting us know the situation on the ground.
LOW: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: Now Israel is moving forward with a new settlement plan in the occupied West Bank, a plan that has been internationally condemned.
Israel's housing ministry has invited bids for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in E1. You can see that on the map here in front
of you.
Well, the plan could effectively split the territory dividing the northern West Bank into north and south and severing East Jerusalem from the rest of
the territory. For more on why this plan is facing so much criticism and how the Israeli government is justifying this move, Jeremy Diamond is here.
So Jeremy, just explain to us first and remind us why the Israeli government want to build this settlement and why it's been so widely
condemned.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has been a decades-long effort, really, within Israel, among right-wing politicians,
to try and connect effectively Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem to those in the West Bank, in an area called Maale Adumim.
And you can see on the map that it is a strip of land that is relatively small. But it is critical because of its location, because, as the Israeli
government is now seeking to connect Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem to the West Bank.
[10:40:06]
That would effectively cut off Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, including the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
It would also sever the primary artery between the northern part of the West Bank and the southern part of the West Bank, effectively cutting the
West Bank in half.
And Palestinian officials are warning that this E1 development, effectively, not only threatens the movement of people, you know, as soon
as it would come into effect but it would also threaten the possibility of establishing a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its
capital.
And frankly, that may be the goal of some of the far-right Israeli politicians who have sought to -- who have promoted this E1 settlement,
such as the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who, when this project was approved last year, said that the Palestinian state is being
erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.
Now this latest step by Israel, to issue these notice-inviting bids for the construction of these projects is already garnering widespread criticism
internationally, including from the British foreign secretary, Ed Miliband.
Who said in a statement, "This Israeli government's publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and destructive act. The
Israeli government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion."
Multiple European countries have also threatened that any Israeli companies that participate in this project, that submit bids, for example, to this
construction project, that they could potentially face sanctions from the European Union. So something to keep an eye on as this moves forward.
MACFARLANE: All right. Jeremy Diamond there breaking it down for us. Thank you very much.
And we'll be back with a quick break -- or we'll be back after this quick break. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(AUDIO GAP)
MACFARLANE: -- in the fight against cancer, the drug companies Moderna and Merck are reporting promising results from a personalized mRNA vaccine
trial.
Now this focused specifically on melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. And data shows that the combination of Moderna's experimental mRNA
vaccine and Merck's immunotherapy, Keytruda, significantly reduced the risk of cancer returning or spreading.
That means, according to the companies, the key to this vaccine is that it is specifically tailored for each patient. Infectious disease specialist
and epidemiologist Dr. Celine Gounder explains to our Kate Bolduan why this is a game changer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. CELINE GOUNDER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AND EPIDEMIOLOGIST: One of the things people don't realize is your immune system is actually a
really important check against cancer.
[10:45:02]
It surveils your body for cancer. It fights it off. It contains it. One of the things cancers do is that they tell the immune system to stand down.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
GOUNDER: So the Keytruda is actually telling the immune system to stand up again, while the mRNA vaccine -- they're tailored very specifically to your
melanoma, your cancer and that is teaching the body -- the immune system this is what the cancer looks like. So the combination of the two is what
is fighting off the cancer.
BOLDUAN: When people also hear the word "vaccine," they think prevention.
GOUNDER: Yes.
BOLDUAN: Does this get to it all, preventing someone from getting cancer in the first place?
GOUNDER: It does not. And so a vaccine is really you're teaching the immune system to fight something off. So it could be in the context of
prevention but it could also be in the context of a cancer.
And what they're doing is they are tailoring the mRNA vaccine. So they take a sample of the cancer. They sequence it. And so based on that, they can
create the mRNA vaccine which teaches it -- teaches your immune system to fight very specifically the cancer involved in your case.
BOLDUAN: On what this -- on this large-scale trial the companies announced kind of the broad outlines of it. I kept, like, reading through all the
reporting and I'm, like, waiting for more detail. They haven't put out a lot of the detailed results of kind of specifically the survival rates or
recurrence rates of cancer.
Saying though -- the way they put it is that patients lived longer without any recurrence and had fewer incidences of their cancer spreading.
What are you looking for when they do put out more data?
What is statistically significant here?
GOUNDER: Well, what we're going to see is they're going to follow these patients for a few more years to see, you know, how the survival differs in
the two groups. You know, I think it -- some of this is subjective, you know.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
GOUNDER: Is living an extra year going to be significant to you?
And what are you willing to go through for that?
So there is some subjectivity here.
But do we see a significant skewing of the curve, so to speak, splitting of the two?
And is that, given the cost -- you know, an mRNA vaccine that is tailored to you is not a cheap thing to make.
(CROSSTALK)
GOUNDER: And so to scale this up, you know, for everybody, I think we need to really see a bang for the buck to do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: And as a reminder, last year, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cut mRNA vaccine research for infectious diseases. Now that
same technology is succeeding in a trial for treating cancer.
Well, there are some things the health secretary is willing to invest in, however, like his own cookery show, which launches today.
"The Real Food Show" features recipes that align with Kennedy's updated dietary guidelines. He says he wants to remind Americans that cooking with
real food can be simple and affordable. CNN's Tom Foreman has been finding out whether the show's tips add up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: I'm traveling across America, connecting with renowned chefs to show
families how to cook delicious, nutritious meals.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new reality show pushes healthy, affordable eating with sides
of dubious claims about the food industry, science and public wellness.
KENNEDY: The dietary guidelines put Fruit Loops at the top of the food pyramid.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But it's also the math doesn't add up in this cooking class, especially when the secretary and his guest chef whip up
crispy salmon cakes with apple white beans and green salad.
KENNEDY: So the servings of each of these, we ask to keep it under $5.
FOREMAN (voice-over): That's the pitch. And prices fly by, backing the idea of a family-sized meal for a bite-sized budget.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fresh herbs are key for me.
FOREMAN: I am on my way to the store.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But when we started buying ingredients used in the show, even going for the lowest prices at a big competitive chain, the cost
heated up fast.
FOREMAN: This was the cheapest frozen, wild-caught sockeye salmon we could find, the closest to what they are using. They priced theirs at $8.99. The
cheapest we could find, even with a deal from the store, is more than $24.
Now the greens mix, that was about the same cost. So were the eggs on a per egg basis. But that's the trick here, because they're only pricing that one
egg out of the carton. And that gets worse with other things.
For example, this red onion, they say they only spent 8 cents on this because that's how much they used. Getting the whole onion cost us more
than $1.
And look at this. This is the avocado mayonnaise. They priced this at 40 cents because they were only using a couple of tablespoons. To buy the
whole thing cost us more than $11. They're only pricing parts of it.
And grocery stores don't sell things that way.
FOREMAN (voice-over): HHS insists this is standard recipe costing methodology.
[10:50:00]
And they want to help Americans stock up on high-quality ingredients they can use across many meals.
In any event, the recipe was not too complicated.
FOREMAN: Here we go into the heat.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And it came out at home pretty much like it looks online.
But while the show repeatedly says this dish will cost less than $20 to feed a family of four, just getting all those ingredients into our kitchen
cost a whopping $70.54.
FOREMAN: Yes, it certainly is tasty and it appears healthy. But having made the recipe, I do not see how you could walk into a grocery store with
$20 and come out with what you need to make four plates of this for a family. Not even close. I think that's going to make, for many consumers,
this claim very hard to swallow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Well, RFK Jr. is not the only U.S. cabinet official making his debut on reality TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SEAN DUFFY, U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION (voice-over): It is going to be the "Great American Road Trip."
MACFARLANE (voice-over): U.S. transportation secretary Sean Duffy has premiered his show, "Great American Road Trip" after months of delay. It
follows Duffy, his wife and nine children across seven states in a bid to encourage American families to travel.
Well, the show has received criticism from some Democrats, who say it comes at a time when surging gasoline prices due to the war with Iran make it
harder for ordinary Americans to travel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD, a peek inside some of Paris' tiniest apartments, where space is limited and history is part of
the address.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MACFARLANE: Now heat waves have been making life especially unbearable for people living in tiny apartments in Paris, which were, of course, built,
many of them, centuries ago. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne introduces us to this teeny, tiny world in the heat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANATOLY, PARIS RESIDENT: So yes, the entrance here, that's the small, like, entrance area.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are some of the smallest apartments you'll find in Paris. Some measure less
than 100 square feet.
ANATOLY: A private shower.
VANDOORNE: Wow.
Can you open both doors at the same time?
ANATOLY: I've never tried but I guess you could-ish.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): They're called chambres de bonne, maids' rooms, hidden at the top of some of Paris'' Grandest buildings. Built for domestic
servants, they were notoriously cold, with toilets often shared between tenants.
As of 2022, there were still more than 90,000 of these tiny apartments across Paris.
ANATOLY: The view from the rooftop is just amazing. Like, you see pretty much every big Parisian monument.
My friends commented that, like, oh my gosh, you're going to have a depression in, like, one month's time, because it's so tiny. Like, it's a
prison cell. And technically, I guess prison cells are bigger.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Anatoly is an engineering student who's called this place home for the past year. He pays about $800 a month in rent,
expensive by the square foot but still cheaper than most Parisian apartments.
[10:55:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANATOLY: It's not a sacrifice. It's a trade-off. In engineering, you don't have good solutions. You only have trade-offs. So yes.
VANDOORNE: What's the trade-off here?
ANATOLY: The space for the location, pretty much.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): And there's another price to pay for living in central Paris: lots and lots of stairs.
VANDOORNE: You do this every day.
GLADYS, PARIS RESIDENT: It's terrible. I know. It's a sport.
VANDOORNE: Lovely to meet you.
GLADYS: Lovely to meet you, too.
VANDOORNE: I need a minute.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): This is Gladys and she lives right at the top, on the seventh floor. Unlike in the 19th Century, when the problem was the
cold, today, it's relentless heat waves turning these tiny apartments into furnaces, with temperatures climbing above 40 Celsius. That's more than 104
Fahrenheit.
GLADYS: I was also taking like ice during the night. All the ice next to me.
VANDOORNE: Like a pillow.
GLADYS: Yes, exactly. That was terrible. And also, I slept to my sister's house, so that was better. To my friend's house.
VANDOORNE: So you actually had to leave?
GLADYS: Yes, yes.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): It's not just Parisians willing to squeeze into these tiny homes, tourists do it too, paying as much as $140 a night to
stay in the heart of Paris. And whether they're here for a night or a year, perhaps this is part of what they're paying for.
VANDOORNE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see the view.
VANDOORNE: Yes, the Eiffel Tower.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the Eiffel Tower.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: For you. That's all you get. That's it.
And this is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you very much. Stay with us. News is up after the break.
END
