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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Dual Global Summits Gather Foreign Leaders in U.S. and Kyrgyzstan; Army Secretary Submits Resignation after Tension with SecDef; Venezuela Grants U.S. Majority Control of Country's Oil Reserves; Iran Conflict Creates Global Chokepoints for Food Supply; Israel Elections; Trump and Vance out of Step on Data Centers. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 01, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I am Becky Anderson
in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening. Wherever you're watching, you are more than welcome.
We begin this hour with a split-screen view of global power, examining two summits happening this week and the very different messages their key
participants are sending out to the world.
In the U.S. state of North Carolina, G20 finance ministers are gathering for a second day amid dissension over the U.S. decision to invite Russia,
despite its ongoing war with Ukraine and shortly after President Trump declared trade war with Canada, the second largest U.S. trading partner.
ANDERSON: It's also happening under the shadow of the continuing U.S.-Iran war, which has roiled financial markets and sparked a troubling bond sell-
off.
While half a world away in Kyrgyzstan, the leaders of China, India and Russia are among those attending the SCO, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization Summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping offering a message of strength to participants as Beijing looks to expand its global influence
and challenge U.S. dominance.
For more on China, that in a few minutes' time. Firstly, though, I want to get you to Anna Stewart, who joins me now to talk about the new concerns in
the bond markets.
Just explain what we are seeing here as we witness this global bond sell- off.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So today we are seeing new records, multiyear records for a number of government bonds. This is really a global
issue in Japan. The 10-year bond has hit a yield not seen since 1996. That's a 30-year high.
In the U.K. the 10-year hitting a yield not seen since the financial crisis. This is a similar story across, frankly, the whole bond market.
This is sparked really by the escalation in the conflict in Iran over the weekend.
So that's why we're seeing a particular reaction at the beginning of the week. You know, oil prices are higher. That means inflation is likely to go
up. Interest rates as a result of that because -- that's how central banks deal with inflation -- are also likely to go higher. So that's kind of the
key, core reason we're seeing this.
But also, Becky, we're looking at a situation around the world where governments are holding huge amounts of debt. I mean, absolutely vast.
Japan, the U.K., France; the U.S. possibly gets the headline. Its current debt tops $40 trillion.
And if you want a third reason why we're seeing such a big issue right now, if you think about all those companies borrowing vast amounts of money to
build out AI, that's also crowding out the investor market. So lots of reasons there. But the spark today, very much the escalation of the
conflict in Iran.
ANDERSON: And what we're showing there are the yields on both the 10-year and the 30-year bonds, U.S. bonds, financial markets responding. We're
seeing the U.S. markets off as we speak. The stock markets off as we speak.
There's some real nervousness out there. These indices, of course, for stock markets in New York are also near record highs. We have to remember
that. But when we -- we're talking about Wall Street here.
When we talk about main street, what is what you have just been talking about, what does it mean for the average person in the U.S. and around the
world?
STEWART: Yes. Because it's easy to see these numbers and hear $40 trillion of debt in the U.S. and wonder how on Earth that relates to any of us. But
those numbers that you're seeing, the yield on that government debt feeds into how much we are all going to pay.
It's not just government borrowing; it's mortgages, it's loans. It's also just higher costs for companies borrowing money, which, of course, we're
seeing a lot with the AI rollout. You know, all that debt those companies are holding just got even bigger.
And for those governments that already have some of the highest debt burdens we've seen in multi decades, it's going to cost them even more to
pay that back.
And how sustainable is it, for instance, to have $40 trillion worth of debt?
I think I read that, even if the U.S. paid back $1 billion a day, it would take over 100 years to pay that back.
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So that is why it's so concerning and how it feeds down into all of our pockets. On top of inflation, which is, you know, raising the cost of us
living in every which way you can imagine, it's not just the oil cost of the gas going into your car or into a plane. It's the cost of transporting
almost all goods across the world.
So you've got the inflation impact on everybody and then you've got the impact of higher borrowing costs to all of our debts just got a lot more
expensive.
ANDERSON: And on the U.S, of course, a new Fed chairman; Donald Trump, was hoping, you have to assume that he would be looking at lowering U.S.
interest rates as quickly as Donald Trump might want that to happen; i.e. very quickly.
He's made some relatively hawkish comments of late and it does seem that markets are increasingly pricing in a rate rise as opposed to a rate
reduction. Not helping any of this. It's good to have you, Anna. Thank you very much indeed. It's a really, really important story and it's one we
will continue to monitor.
Well, as we mentioned at the outset of this hour, China staging its own competing show of strength this week against the G20 in the States. The SCO
summit playing out in Kyrgyzstan, where president Xi Jinping has been casting Beijing as a source of stability and promoting what he calls an
orderly, multipolar world.
And this image speaks 1,000 words. President Xi, along with Russia's Putin and India's Modi, side by side, ahead of day two of the SCO; three leaders
who don't always see eye to eye but are using this summit to project strength and strengthen their own ties. CNN's Clare Sebastian, covering the
very latest for you on this.
And just step back, if you will, Clare, for us first on how this summit is going for Chinese leader Xi and his allies.
What have we heard to date?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think it's really all going according to plan, exactly as China would have designed it. It is
happening with some fanfare. This is also not only the SCO meeting for China but a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
We've seen lots of bilateral meetings, lots of photo ops. He's burnishing his global diplomatic credentials, some might say stepping in to avoid left
by the United States.
But I think there's clear messaging here that China is setting its own agenda and will not be pushed around, will not be bowing to U.S. interests,
that it is motivated purely by its interests.
We see him, for example, meeting with Putin on Monday. There was no sense from the readouts coming out of that meeting that there was any pressure
from Xi for Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
This, of course, coming on the heels of that visit by the CIA director to Moscow, which it was reported, came amid concerns that Putin could escalate
beyond Ukraine. So it doesn't seem like China at this point is putting pressure on Putin to back off.
Contrast that with his meeting with Narendra Modi, who did call for the war to end. So that, I think, is striking. And today Xi met with the Iranian
prime minister, Pezeshkian, who -- we don't know exactly what came out of that meeting but clearly that relationship is a key source of concern for
the United States.
So all of that, this delicate balance will be something that Trump will have to navigate when Xi goes to Washington at the end of this month. But
this, I think, included some very key optics and very key messaging here from the Chinese leader.
ANDERSON: And the sense going into G20, of course, in North Carolina, is Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, is really leaning into those
who are gathered to help the U.S. isolate Iran at this point with these economic sanctions, the threat of these further sanctions and what that
looks like for China is unclear at the moment.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has taken part in several meetings today, including with Iran's president.
Have we any idea about the latest on that?
SEBASTIAN: Yes. It's an interesting time to be coming out. I think this was actually a very striking moment to see those two leaders sitting down
together, of course, just as that war has really escalated between the U.S. and Iran.
We saw Pezeshkian thanking Russia for its stance on that war, saying that the two of them can resist U.S. unilateralism. Obviously, that is part of a
key message over all of this summit, this multipolar world idea. But take a listen to a bit of what Putin had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): We welcomed the conclusion of the Iranian American ceasefire memorandum in June of this
year. Unfortunately, this truce has proven unstable and too fragile.
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During this difficult time, we are trying to provide you with the assistance you need. We have already spoken with you about it and we are
supplying you with the necessary goods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So that is a really striking moment. Obviously, we knew that there had been some assistance provided by Russia to Iran. CNN reported as
early as March that Russia had shared intelligence on the locations of U.S. troops and assets in the region.
But the necessary goods suggest, perhaps, that it goes even further than that. So that is certainly a concerning moment for the U.S. and,
particularly, I think, also for Ukraine. The striking split screen from today, Putin having these big, fanfare international meetings, this global
spotlight.
Well, Zelenskyy went to meet with school children, who were forced to celebrate the start of a new term in a bomb shelter in Kyiv.
And during its sixth straight day of almost nonstop attacks involving missiles and, of course, drones, these jet-powered Shahed drones, which are
much upgraded versions of the original Shahed, provided, of course, by Iran, Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, Clare, thank you.
We're joined now by Alex Plitsas, CNN national security correspondent or analyst and part of the Atlantic Council. He's director of the
counterterrorism program there at the Atlantic Council.
Alex, it's good to have you. So we've been talking about the SCO summit and the G20 summit.
What are your key takeaways from the summit in Kyrgyzstan and the contrast it offers to the G20 finance ministers' meeting in North Carolina?
ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it's much more of a security focus at the SCO. I mean, we saw the Bishkek declaration there, in
which there was a condemnation of U.S. and Israeli strikes, an affirmation for a Palestinian state at some point. And noticeably absent was any
mention of the war in Ukraine.
So kind of, you know, a bit of duplicity there in the statement coming out, noticeably absent, leaving that war out. The leaders also talking about
some similar packages between the two summits.
So there's been some discussion about artificial intelligence on the SCO side, about regional data centers and then the need for promoting that
coming out of the G20. But in both cases, both trying to portray a pillar of stability and a path forward for economic growth.
And again, as you correctly mentioned in the opening segment here, Xi Jinping really trying to step in and promote this regional spotlight. We
saw, you know, a rather warm embrace of Vladimir Putin there, despite the ongoing war crimes in Ukraine. So quite the -- quite the picture.
ANDERSON: Yes. All of this, of course, ahead of a highly anticipated state visit by Xi to Washington at the end of this month.
For all of the leverage China has with Iran in this conflict, do you see Xi as still walking a very fine line here?
I mean, if so, can you explain that?
PLITSAS: Sure. I mean, it's one of the largest consumers of oil and LNG coming out of the Gulf. You know, China has a large part to play there. And
we saw secretary Bessent in the U.S. talk about his D-Day sanctions package, which really will be difficult to implement if China is not on
board.
And one of the things we saw coming out of the SCO here is an adoption, you know, between Russia, China and India, that they don't believe in coercive
sanctions. And so most of the oil, you know, for folks who don't really know, flows east out of the AG (ph).
And so if there's not going to be cooperation from Asia, the idea that we're going to have, you know, sanctions that are going to exacerbate the
economic impact from the blockade, the military action that's taken place and the sanctions that predate the war as a means of bringing to an end,
it's unlikely.
And also, speaking to policy experts and government folks, they don't see China really using a stick against, you know, Iran to open up the strait.
Perhaps some sweeteners, maybe some support at the U.N. or some financial support for reconstruction. But I don't think we're going to see that.
ANDERSON: Alex, I want you to just stand by, if you will, because I want your thoughts on another important story moving in Washington this morning,
of course, as the Trump administration navigates Russia's war in Ukraine and, importantly, the Iran war.
The U.S. Army secretary is resigning. One source telling CNN Dan Driscoll opposed the firings of top military officers by Defense Secretary Pete
Hegseth. I spoke to CNN's Haley Britzky last hour about that resignation and the apparently simmering tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: So Dan Driscoll, the civilian head of the U.S. Army, he's an Army veteran himself.
He's been in the office since last February. And we've long heard from sources that there have been these tensions between him and secretary
Hegseth.
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Dan Driscoll is close to vice president JD Vance. They were classmates at Yale Law School and he has had his own relationships through that with the
White House.
We've heard that Trump likes him, has referred to him as his drone guy, because Driscoll was so focused on this emerging technology and how best to
implement it into the Army.
But we've also heard from sources for months now that secretary Hegseth is increasingly distrustful and suspicious of both military and civilian
leaders and their loyalties -- and if they're loyal, not just to the administration but specifically to him.
And that he has seen secretary Driscoll's relationship with the White House as a way to go around him. And so a source familiar telling us yesterday
that, when secretary Driscoll submitted his resignation, he brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and
readiness.
Meaning his efforts to update the Army, get new technology and make sure that the Army is best prepared for wars, not only right now but in the
future. And the source continues saying, Hegseth blocking those efforts, specifically by firing generals who were responsible.
We've seen a number of firings, of promotion blocking by secretary Hegseth in a way that is pretty atypical for Secretary of Defense to be involved at
that level.
And so secretary Driscoll clearly frustrated with the way that this has been happening, with the way that secretary Hegseth has reached down into
the Army and impacted that general officer corps, who take forward a lot of those policies.
One general officer in particular, in Europe, General Christopher Donahue, was really in charge of a lot of the -- bringing drones into the force. He
worked with the Ukrainians quite heavily and other European partners.
And just recently was forced to step aside by secretary Hegseth and officially retired last week. So something that has been a concern within
the Pentagon and outside of the Pentagon, the White House saying that secretary Driscoll had been very effective and provided outstanding
leadership as Secretary of the Army. Becky.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So that's Haley Britzky reporting the Defense Secretary's firing of top officers is raising questions about who's left in charge and whether
they can handle these security challenges that come with defending the U.S. from military threats.
I just want to briefly listen to what one retired general had to say on CNN earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJOR GENERAL RANDY MANNER, U.S. ARMY (RET.): So the Secretary of Defense is proving yet once again that he is a clear and present danger to the
national security of the United States.
He singlehandedly has purged over 20 senior officers based on gender and race and people that were associated with senior leaders that the president
or he disagreed with. He has removed over 45 candidates to be a general and admiral.
He is -- there are only five four-star generals in the Army right now against 10 vacant -- 10 open slots. This is very, very dangerous. We have a
very, very hollow and quite frankly, a B minus team leading at the top of the military.
These are very capable officers but not at the level that they are acting in. And so we are literally in a much, much more dangerous situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Do you share the general's concern there?
PLITSAS: I think it's a bit overstated. You know, I think their concerns are valid in terms of the general officers that have been purged. There's
certainly some institutional knowledge that's been lost and some brain drain, as we'll call it.
But there are general officers who will be coming up behind.
The question is, is the promotion system now, you know, tainted as a result of that?
And that's some of the accusations that are coming from the outside. You know, it's more of a political litmus test than a true promotion system.
And the military has always been an apolitical institution, which is why it's functioned in the United States the way that it has.
And so, again, that's the concern from some of the detractors that are watching. You know, as Haley correctly mentioned, Chris Donahue, you know,
revered throughout the military, Special Operations community in particular, just a great guy. So it's been difficult to watch for a lot of
folks.
ANDERSON: So what impact do you think the campaign by Hegseth against what are career officials, what might the impact be on U.S. military readiness?
PLITSAS: That's a great question. And the way you framed it, because for people who are not aware of how the U.S. military is structured, when you
hear the Secretary of the Army or the chief of staff of the army, they actually don't fight wars. Right?
We have four-star combatant commanders. So U.S. Central Command is responsible for the Middle East and North Africa -- central Asia rather.
And that's where, you know, we have the four-star commander, Admiral Cooper, who's currently responsible for the war in Iran.
When we go to war, they turn to the armed services, they turn to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force. And they pull out a plan and say, hey, give me a
half million troops. Give me two carrier battle groups. Give me, you know, dozens of planes because I need to conduct an operation based on a battle
plan.
The Army's job is to man, trip and equip the U.S. Army. That means, you know, go recruit the soldiers, get them in shape, give them uniforms,
weapons training and everything else to make sure they're ready to go to war.
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So in this case, the impact, which is what secretary Driscoll has alleged, that, you know, of course, through reporting, which Haley mentioned there,
was the impact on readiness that he that he communicated to the president of the United States.
In the sense that the firings that he instituted -- he being the Secretary of Defense -- were a number of generals who were responsible for
modernization.
We also just saw the new acting chief of staff of the Army, who quickly rose through the ranks. There's questions about whether or not he will be
able to get confirmed. Doing away with drone battalions that were out there, a transformation from a line infantry unit to dealing with drone
warfare, which is a reflection of reality in the future.
And unfortunately, you know, we're seeing those efforts turned around and that's, you know, a growing cause for concern amongst legislators on
Capitol Hill and to policy experts watching from the outside.
ANDERSON: Yes. Alex, it's really good to have you. Really appreciate your time and your thoughts today. Thank you.
Well, as we've been discussing the U.S. and China's race to expand their global power, one domain where Washington has seemingly pushed ahead of
Beijing is Venezuela.
The U.S. Energy Secretary traveling to Caracas today following what the U.S. sees as a landmark deal with Venezuela, granting Washington control of
65 billion barrels of the country's oil reserves. President Trump lauding the agreement as one of the greatest ever made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're making a fortune and they're making a fortune. They're starting to make real money. And we have Exxon going in.
We have Chevron going in. We have our big oil companies going in.
And everybody's bidding. And you know, there are those that say it was the greatest deal ever made. Let's see what happens.
But you know, I have to stress, it was also a very good deal for Venezuela because you have the most powerful, the richest companies in the world
going into Venezuela, where before it was just it was this unbelievable value that was sitting dormant.
But we're going to be taking all of that. We're going to be taking that oil out. It's all coming to the U.S.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Mary Triny Mena has more from Caracas in Venezuela.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY TRINY MENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And here in Caracas, we've been talking to people to really know what they feel about this oil agreement
between Washington and Caracas.
And for the majority of people, it was a surprise. They were -- they were in awe when they heard about the words of president Donald Trump, first of
all, and then the local authorities that confirmed this agreement, oil agreement, with the oil reserves of Venezuela.
About 22 percent of the entire oil reserves of the country, we need to remember that Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
According to Delcy Rodriguez, this is a unique agreement that will bring prosperity to the country.
And also that it's not quite important to have those reserves on the ground if they are not serving the country. So she says Venezuela will provide the
workers, the fields; some of them are green. They need investment and technology. And the U.S. will bring that to Venezuela.
She was pleased. She thanked president Donald Trump. But there are three main focuses here according to experts. First, the legal standpoint. And
that is why many experts are highlighting that Delcy Rodriguez has not the ability to sign these long-term commitments with -- on behalf of Venezuela,
considering she is an interim president.
She was first appointed by Maduro. She was not elected by votes, unlike the U.S., that the vice president is elected by votes. She was appointed by
Maduro. Then back in January, when Maduro was taken into custody, she was back for the U.S. to hold the presidency of Venezuela. And she's been doing
that since January this year.
So signing these long-term agreements for about 25 years, it could pose a risk, especially if they are not consulted by all the institutions.
Also, the technical standpoint and that is the condition of Venezuela's oil industry that is in bad shape, considering years of mismanagement and
corruption. This is according to experts.
But, of course, the government of Delcy Rodriguez blames the sanctions on the shape, the current shape of Venezuela's oil industry. She says it is
expected to rise, the production of the country. Venezuela used to produce $3 million, 2 million barrels per day and now it's producing a little over
than 1 million per day.
So right now, the concerns are those. And, of course, the transition, the political side of the -- this agreement that could delay an eventual
presidential election for the country, these are the main concerns here in Caracas -- for CNN, Mary Triny Mena.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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ANDERSON: CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Still ahead, the desperate search for thousands still missing in the Himalayan region as
rescuers scour debris for any sign of life in the wake of that flooding disaster. More on that is coming up.
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ANDERSON: Well, the scale of the disaster in Nepal and indeed in China is becoming clearer by the day, with more than 1,000 people now confirmed dead
after last week's devastating floods. Authorities also estimate that more than 4,400 people are still missing across both countries.
Well, in some of the hardest hit areas, contact has still not been established, according to the United Nations. Major road and bridge damage,
which may take weeks to fix, is also restricting access.
And that damage is making an already desperate situation even more urgent with aid workers struggling to reach tens of thousands of people who need
water, food, sanitation and other support.
Well, CNN is on the ground. Will Ripley is in Kathmandu as families across Nepal grapple with the devastation left by these floods. He spoke with a
mother whose child survived. Their story, one of hope amid the utter helplessness. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a pretty significant emotional milestone on the ground here to have the number of
deaths officially cross 1,000.
But the reality that people are starting to process and wrap their heads around is it's going to be a question of how many thousand are dead by the
time this is all said and done.
And the reason for that is simple, when you see a giant wall of water traveling at such a fast speed obliterating buildings in a matter of
seconds, it's unsurvivable for most people who are in the path of that. Now there have been some exceptions to that.
We met the mother of a young girl named Manisha, a 5-year-old girl who her parents thought she was dead when the flood swept their house away in about
five seconds and yet rescuers found her 2.5 days or 60 hours after the flood between two battered buildings wedged in an air pocket that allowed
her to survive.
I spoke with her mother exclusively. Here's a piece of what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: It's miraculous that given the force of that water that she was able to have a place where she could survive.
GITA UCHAI MAGAR, MANISHA'S MOTHER (through translator): It was miraculous. When the child was found it felt like a miracle. I thought
there is a God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: They are exceedingly lucky even though they lost their home, they lost all of their possessions. They know that many, many people here in
Nepal have lost so much more.
And I have to say from my trips to Bidur and other areas really heavily impacted by this flood.
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Everybody who I met, who lost family members -- I met a young woman who lost 17 family members.
I met a young man who lost eight family members. None of them have seen a body of these family members that they know are lost, that they are
grieving. And some of them hadn't even been recorded on the official list of the missing by the time that I spoke to them.
So I think the reality that everybody needs to mentally prepare themselves for is that the numbers from this tragedy, as horrific as they are now, are
likely to get even more horrific in the days and weeks and months to come.
And there is a very likely scenario that many, many people who are relatives of victims will never get closure in terms of a body.
They're trying to do DNA testing but that's pretty limited. And the fact that bodies are now decomposing so rapidly that they're having to bury them
in mass graves hundreds of miles from where they were washed away is a sign of just how grim and dire this situation is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Anderson Cooper is also on the ground. And he traveled to one of the towns hardest hit by all of this to see what those
devastating floods, frankly, left behind. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: COOPER: This is the town of Syabrubesi or what's left of the town I should say. This is all that's left of the once
bustling market district in the town. All of this area and all the way down to the river down this hill would have been businesses and homes. People
lived here.
There was a lot of commerce. The border with Tibet is just about 18 miles from here and there was a very important road from that border area all the
way down to Kathmandu that ran through this town but that road now is wiped out. It's stunning to see it up close.
I don't even think the camera can really capture just the scale of this. It looks probably just on camera like some dirt field but this isn't -- you
know we talk about water and this flood that came down -- and yes, there was a lot of water in it but look this is -- there's rocks in this. There
was boulders.
There's vehicles everything that the sludge picked up from further upstream, it's like concrete essentially. And it just covers everything. If
you walk out into this area, you can tell by my shoes, you'll just sink in it. It's like concrete quicksand.
This was once a destination spot for Hindus and Buddhists on religious pilgrimages. They would come here also trekkers from all over the world.
There's 15 Australian trekkers who are have been reported missing in this area as well as dozens of other foreigners.
It's not clear how many people died here in this town -- Anderson Cooper, CNN, Syabrubesi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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ANDERSON: And on CNN's digital platforms, of course, we've got breaking news on the deliberations in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy. She is the
woman in Massachusetts charged with murder for killing her three children.
Jurors have passed a note to the judge in the case, indicating they are deadlocked and cannot come to a unanimous verdict. That is a scenario that
could lead to a mistrial. The judge is attempting to avoid that, though. He sent the jury back to deliberate further and try to break the impasse.
This is a developing story in a closely watched trial and will get you any developments as they emerge.
I'm going to take a short break at this point. Still to come, CNN live in Yemen, one of a number of countries facing conflict-driven hunger. More on
that from the World Food Programme and from our own Nic Robertson, who's there. That is just ahead.
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[10:35:00]
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. These are your headlines this hour.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Global bond yields are touching their highest levels in decades. Investors dumping bonds and pushing yields higher as
concerns over the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks could raise interest rates this month. Bond yields help set interest rates across the
economy.
Well, multiple sources tell CNN U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to president Donald Trump. One of the sources
cites tensions between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Another says Driscoll opposed Hegseth's firing of Army generals and other top
officers.
Well, two tankers have been struck while sailing through the Omani corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. That's according to a maritime intelligence group,
reporting that the tankers were hit by three unknown projectiles.
The group says the incidents show an escalation in the threat within that Omani corridor.
ANDERSON: The world's most worrying chokeholds on oil and the global economy, the Strait of Hormuz, of course, and Bab-el-Mandeb in the Red Sea,
are causing the World Food Programme to sound the alarm about disruption to food supply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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CARL SKAU, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: I'm on the coast of Yemen, only a few kilometers away from the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
More than 10 percent of world trade used to pass by out here.
But now attacks and escalating conflict have turned it into one of the three global chokepoints, along with the Strait of Hormuz and the Black
Sea. So ships carrying fuel and food commodities are having to reroute, causing heavy delays and increasing the costs of commodities.
So what happens here is being transmitted thousands of miles away, pushing up hunger all across the globe. It is also hitting Yemenis particularly
hard because Yemen imports 90 percent of its food.
Almost half the population already face acute hunger and more than half of the children suffer from malnutrition.
These maritime disruptions have also delayed our food assistance for about a half a million people here in Yemen. So global food routes like this one
must stay open for people here in Yemen and for the millions worldwide, who are struggling to put food on their table.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN is on the ground in Yemen. My colleague, Nic Robertson, joining us now from Aden.
And you've seen this economic chokepoint up close this week, Nic. Just talk about how it affects food supply, both in Yemen and around Africa.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The constriction is coming already on that Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is
already affecting the flow of shipping, commercial shipping, not just oil, not just that Saudi oil, but food goods.
It's affecting already the ports in Yemen, the port of Mocha. We visited there. Many thousands of people really swelled by the civil war that's been
going on in Yemen for over a decade.
The Houthis targeted that port just a few -- in the past few weeks, destroyed shipping there, destroyed commercial goods. We saw burnt clothes.
We saw -- there were -- that I was told by the harbormaster, there was a shipment of clothes that was incoming. There were motorcycle frames there,
motorcycle engines that had been destroyed.
[10:40:00]
So you see the way that that commerce is being affected by the rising tensions along the Red Sea. And it's you know, when we think about how the
global economy, the global food spaces are affected, as the World Food Programme chief there said, it's not just through Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
It's through the Strait of Hormuz, it's through the Black Sea. But it is those marginal communities like there are here in Yemen that are already on
the breadline or below it because of ongoing civil war, ongoing civil strife, a situation that's been getting worse over more than 10 years now.
Instability here, you see it when you drive along the road here, you see that poverty, people sleeping in doorways, people begging at the side of
the road, You know, people walking miles to get water from a well, all these sorts of things.
And we saw it as well with the fishermen here. We visited fishermen who were along the coastline just south of that port city of Mocha. And they
said, look, the war is hurting us. We can't put our large boats out to go fishing. We can only use the smaller boats.
Therefore, what we're catching, the amount we're catching goes down. That affects their families. They can't, you know, they have less fish to sell.
All of this feeds into a destabilizing economy.
But that big, big, global picture of what the world would look like for humanitarian food distribution around the world would look so much more
dire than it does now. The international humanitarian agencies here estimate that there are 22 million people in this country here who need
humanitarian support.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you there, Nic. Your sound is slightly erratic, so I'm going to leave it there. But important stuff. And we know
that there have been fears of action against the Houthis, as the Houthis have gone after tankers in the Bab-el-Mandeb and in that strait.
And the fear is that things could get worse. That chokepoint very much in focus at this point.
Well, a Muslim leader and a former Israeli cop sharing an election battle in what some see as a surprise move. Mansour Abbas, member of the Knesset
and leader of Israel's United Arab List party, has recruited a Jewish lawmaker, Yoav Segalovich, to take spot number two on his party's candidate
list.
It is his boldest step yet in a bid for reelection in October and could shape the opposition's strategy to unseat prime minister Netanyahu. To
explain how, CNN's Jeremy Diamond, joining me now from Tel Aviv.
I mean, this is a significant moment. Let's just break down why this election ticket is consequential for the upcoming elections.
What about it is a surprise and how is it shaping the opposition's strategy?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you think about it, actually, it really makes a lot of sense in some ways.
I mean, one of the major issues among the, you know, Palestinian citizens of Israel voting in this election is the, you know, very high levels of
crime in the Arab community in Israel and the lack of action from the current minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the Israeli
police in confronting that issue of crime.
And for Mansour Abbas, the head of the United Arab List party, known as Ra'am, fighting crime in the Arab community is one of the central elements
of his platform. And Yoav Segalovich is a former police officer, former deputy minister of national security.
And so from that standpoint, it is not surprising at all. Perhaps the reason it is surprising is because of how rare Jewish Arab unity in Israeli
politics has been. We have seen, of course, before, you know, members of far, you know, further left, left-wing parties in Israel that have Jewish
and Arab candidates running under the same ticket.
But we haven't seen it in the kind of more mainstream element of Israeli politics. And Mansour Abbas is very much becoming more mainstream. He
previously joined a coalition government when Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid rose to power.
And now he is after another entrance into a coalition government at a moment in Israeli politics when, you know, many of the kind of mainstream
candidates are swearing off any participation by Arab parties in that kind of coalition government.
[10:45:09]
And so Mansour Abbas' bet here is that perhaps by bringing on Yoav Segalovich, it makes his Ra'am party more palatable. And perhaps, you know,
allows for a bridge to be built between his party and, you know, the opposition that could potentially run Israel's next government.
Whether or not that gamble will actually pay off remains to be seen, especially as the current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has
already warned that Mansour Abbas -- and linking the opposition to him -- that they are trying to build the groundwork for a Palestinian state.
Which the main opposition candidate, Gadi Eisenkot in Israel, has already said will not happen under his watch, just as the Israeli prime minister
has said the same.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. And those elections, of course, in Israel at the end of October.
We're going to be right back after this quick break.
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ANDERSON: With 63 days to go until the U.S. midterms, vice president JD Vance was campaigning in battleground Michigan on Monday. Now he made
headlines on a few fronts, it has to be said, including his difference in tone from the president on AI data centers.
Now Michigan, like many states, is seeing what is this growing backlash to building these data centers. Trump not exactly sympathetic to those
concerns.
On Truth Social, Trump said the reason behind reluctance to centers are because communities, quote, "want to end up being backwards and poor."
And he said, quote, "if they want to be successful and rich, let data reign."
Vance, on the other hand, had somewhat of a more diplomatic take.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think probably 99 percent of the backlash to data centers has come in areas where building
a data center means higher utility and higher electricity for the people on the ground.
If you build a data center, you should be putting power back into the grid, not taking it out. And if that is happening, I don't think the data centers
are that controversial. It's when the utility bills get so much higher, that's when it's a real problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: While he was in Michigan, Vance also took the opportunity to criticize the state's Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, casting
him as, quote, "evil." CNN's Betsy Klein has been following the midterm campaign trails. She joins us today from Washington.
Firstly, let's start with the difference between Trump and Vance on these data centers.
[10:50:04]
How should we read that difference, Betsy?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, there's certainly some mixed messaging coming from the Trump administration on this
issue of AI data centers.
You saw president Trump there has taken a very hard stance, saying that Americans essentially need to get on board or else end up backwards and
poor. And we are seeing a much more nuanced take from vice president JD Vance.
He expressed some sympathy for Americans who are concerned about these data centers being built in their back yard, as well as concerns that this might
raise energy costs.
And we are seeing this emerge as a major political issue in the upcoming November midterm elections. A recent FOX News poll showed that 70 percent
of Americans oppose construction of an AI data center in their area, while 30 percent favor that.
And we've heard president Trump try to address this. He introduced a plan just a couple of months ago that would get developers to voluntarily
promise to help offset those energy costs. But again, that is voluntary.
But it's certainly revealing that Vance, who himself is a 2028 presidential contender, is taking a more, as you said, diplomatic, nuanced take on this.
This is likely to continue to be a major issue heading into that presidential election, Becky.
ANDERSON: Unpack the tension, if you will, between vice president Vance and the Michigan Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed.
KLEIN: Well, how much time you got?
This might take all day. But we saw vice president Vance head to battleground Michigan with this very sharp criticism of the Democratic
Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed. And the heated rhetoric here really underscores how this race has become so competitive in the broader battle
over control for the Senate.
We saw the tensions between these two begin just a few weeks ago, when El- Sayed invoked Usha Vance, who is the child of Indian immigrants and was raised Hindu. Vance told the crowd yesterday that there is, quote,
"something evil" about El-Sayed.
He went on to obliquely suggest that El-Sayed cares more about members of the Muslim community than other voters. Just take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: There's something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil and on the rise in the United States of America today and its people who see
themselves not as citizens of a common nation (ph), fighting for every single person, whether they're Jewish or Christian, whether they're white
or Black or brown.
But see themselves as fighting for one group at the expense of others. And that is how, ladies and gentlemen, you destroy the United States of
America.
Whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth because she's way out of your league.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLEIN: And El-Sayed responding in an interview with our colleague, Kaitlan Collins. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D-MI), U.S. SENATE NOMINEE: Look, I'd rather not talk about spouses at all.
The truth of the matter is that Donald Trump, almost as soon as I was nominated, tweeted a picture of me and my wife relative to him and his
wife, trying to highlight the fact that my wife wears a hijab, as if to make an argument that that's somehow less American.
And they have this interesting dynamic. Donald Trump says one thing -- i.e., data centers -- or tweets a picture of my wife. And then JD Vance
pretends like it would be impossible for anybody ever to do something like that.
So I'd like them to actually face down their own hypocrisy. The point that I've been making about his wife is that he believes in a political
philosophy that says that some people are somehow more American than others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KLEIN: Vance lobbed a series of misleading claims against El-Sayed while he was in Michigan. And we've seen this pattern emerge from the Republican
Party since El-Sayed secured the nomination, some Republicans resorting to overtly Islamophobic attacks. Again, something to watch in the next 63 days
or so. Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Betsy. Thank you.
Betsy Klein in the house for you. And you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. We're going to be right back.
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[10:55:00]
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ANDERSON: Before I let you go, give me 90 seconds. NASA's Jessica Meir and the European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot are doing various maintenance
tasks and upgrading some of the instruments.
They're on a walk from the ISS. It's a walk with about four hours to go. It's a 6.5 hour -- what do you call it -- intervention outside of the ISS.
I find it absolutely fascinating. Wow. Good for them. I hope they fix whatever they need to fix out there, up there.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
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