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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: France Rocked by Biggest Student Protests in Decades; Sources: U.S. and China Talk Reciprocal Nuclear Site Visits; China Expanding Nuclear Weapons Program; Russia Urged to Share Information on Lab; Former German Intel Chief Accused of Attempted Treason; Police Fire Tear Gas During French Student Protests. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 06, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, France struggling to quell the largest student protests there in years. We're live in Paris this hour. The U.S. and China
discussed reciprocal inspections of nuclear sites, this according to CNN's sources, amid fears of a new nuclear arms race. And Lionel Messi will play
his final game for Argentina in the next hour at the ripe old age of 39. That story and plenty more coming up.
We begin with France's biggest student protests in decades. What began as a small demonstration at a single high school near Paris has now ballooned
into something much bigger, a national crisis. Demonstrations largely peaceful, but in many cities, we have seen clashes like this one with
police. Authorities estimate hundreds of thousands of students took part. The largest action so far. Melissa Bell has more from the French capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): High schoolers in France, angrier than ever, and determined finally to be heard
after more than two weeks of snowballing protests over school conditions. Wounding hundreds of policemen and women, teachers and high schoolers in
scenes of unusual violence. Among those wounded, a teenager who lost his hand after picking up a crowd dispersal grenade and another who lost the
use of his eye.
More than 6,000 people have been taken into custody since the movement began, most of them minors, with much of the students anger now directed at
what they describe as police repression.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): You strangled me. I couldn't breathe. I'm 14 years old.
MANES NADEL, FORMER PRESIDENT, UNION SYNDICALE LYCEENNE: The strategy of the government since the beginning, without giving any answer, any
political answer, any real discussion to the social movement, they are just creating violence.
BELL (voice-over): The difference this Tuesday, public sector unions joining the students ahead of marches across the country, saying that they
are there to protect them. Lines of nurses, teachers and firemen positioned in front of the kids barricades and a new strategy from the police.
LAURENT NUNEZ, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): When there is a peaceful protest, the internal security forces do not intervene. To be
clear, law enforcement intervenes when there is a threat to property or people, or damage to public spaces or the interior of establishments.
BELL (voice-over): For more than two weeks, the students have been demanding more funding, sharing the state of their classrooms on social
media, no longer fit, they say, to study in. The answer from authorities has only incensed them further.
OCTAVE MARTY, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: We are young enough to be kicked, to be gasped, but we are not old enough to be listened. So, that's pretty crazy.
BELL: The problem for the government is it's in the process of trying to get closer to balancing its books for 2027 and to spend less, if only, to
calm markets that are jittery about France's financial outlook.
BELL (voice-over): And for now, there is no sign of the movement dying down, with many grown-ups here now taking the side of the kids.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, joining us now from Paris is Richard Quest. And, Richard, I understand you were out in the streets earlier today, 5,000 people in
police custody, allegations from students of excessive force. Have you witnessed that?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: We certainly saw groups of students outside various buildings throughout the course of our day here in
Paris. I think what's interesting about it is that the protests, as you know, Jim, are de rigueur in France, and it doesn't take much to get people
on the streets.
But there is a feeling here that the schools are in a bad state, the students may have a valid case, and that the police have been heavy-handed.
And that's why the French prime minister has basically said that -- to use a rather quaint phrase, time will be found from Wednesday for meetings
within schools to take place for internal democracy.
[18:05:00]
And what that suggests is that they're trying to diffuse this, because the last thing the authorities want is for this to widen into other groups,
health workers, social care workers, public sector employees. And of course, Jim, this specter overriding all of this next year's presidential
election. Everyone's on edge about what's going to happen when Macron finally steps down.
SCIUTTO: No question. So, this is about funding, ultimately, right? Started one school talking about overcrowded classrooms. Is there a funding
problem in French schools? And has it been going on for some time?
QUEST: Yes, is the short answer. A lot of schools are dilapidated. They do need investment. They do need upgrading. They do need modernizing. But the
problem is, the French budget simply can't stand much more. The deficit is too high. The economy is performing better than some, but by no means very
well.
And of course, borrowing costs. Largely as a result of what's happening, of course, with oil and elsewhere, largely as a result of a crowding out of
capital from the United States, borrowing costs have been rising. Now, the French economy is in poor shape. The Germans, you know, about the populist
move and Merz's problems. You've seen Spain about to go to the polls with Sanchez calling a snap election. These are three very large backbone
economies of the European Union and the European economic scene. None of them are in particularly good shape. And that in itself, Jim, is a worry.
SCIUTTO: So, you brought up before we go the election coming up, and it seems like everybody's having an election, right, every week right now. And
each election involves an enormous sort of swing of the pendulum in one way or the other. Do these protesters and do unions in general, do they trend
right in that upcoming election? Is there a populist appeal there from Le Pen?
QUEST: Well, it's very hard to generalize, of course. But no, by and large, they would see some of the students I spoke to today, they would see
any shift to the right as being an abrogation of their own freedoms because they know the right is far more likely to clamp down on such protests.
But France is more advanced towards the right because of the Le Pen movement, because of previous elections, because of how close they've come
than, say, in Germany, where the AfD has now made electoral gains and the worry in Spain about the election that's about to come.
In France, I would say that that movement of the right and the ability to take power will be the key issue. And it is further down the road than it
has been anywhere else. Of course, Germany does seem to be catching up.
SCIUTTO: No question. Well, a lot of news to cover. Richard Quest, thanks so much. Another major story, sources tell CNN the U.S. is now discussing
nuclear site visits with China, even as Beijing continues to build up its nuclear arsenal quite quickly. One of the sources speaking to CNN says the
idea of reciprocal visits to nuclear sites was initially broached by the Chinese. Perhaps it could help build trust ahead of a potential larger
agreement.
America has many more nuclear warheads than China. The U.S. estimated to have some 5,000 compared to China's 600. However, China has been and
continues to expand its nuclear program. U.S. intelligence believe Beijing is also testing an entirely new generation of nuclear warheads. Kylie
Atwood has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYLLE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. In recent months, the U.S. and China have discussed reciprocal nuclear site
visits. That's according to sources familiar with these discussions that have happened on the sidelines of diplomatic gatherings. So, not formal
talks, per se, but sideline conversations where one source tells me that this was actually an idea that was proposed by the Chinese side.
It's significant because China's -- Chinese officials have refused to engage in formal nuclear talks with the United States that would put any
limitations on their nuclear buildup, particularly because, as it stands now, China's nuclear program is much smaller than the United States. But
they are rapidly building that program, expected to build hundreds of nuclear warheads over the next decade or so.
And so, U.S. officials have been watching this problem. They are concerned. The fact that China is potentially willing to discuss these reciprocal
visits could be significant here. But the other factor to consider is that the Trump administration, President Trump himself, has been focused on the
possibility of a trilateral nuclear arms agreement between the U.S., Russia and China. That's something that he wanted to do during his first term.
[18:10:00]
There's been no tangible momentum towards that actual goal that's come to fruition, but this discussion between U.S. and Chinese officials could be
an avenue that could push that potential idea. There are experts who say that this is something that the U.S. needs to consider very seriously. It
could be a possible breakthrough here. But there are others who say that maybe China is putting this on the table as, you know, an effort to
actually dilute the conversation and not actually commit to it.
So, we'll have to watch and see where this goes. This was not a topic that was specifically addressed when President Xi met with President Trump here
in Washington just earlier this month, but they are meeting again twice later this year. So, we'll watch and see if this topic of China's nuclear
buildup comes up in any more specificity related to these potential nuclear site reciprocal visits. Jim.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Kylie Atwood there, still to come, we'll have more on the mass protests now spreading across France. Plus, Richard Quest speaks to the
LVMH executive Antoine Arnault about France's economic and political challenges and the importance of French brands to the country's economic
growth.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back in today's business breakout. Now, another day of solid gains for your stocks. S&P 500, NASDAQ, both closing at yet new all-
time highs. The first record close for the S&P since August. Hopes for the upcoming third quarter earnings helped boost market sentiment.
Checking some of today's other business headlines, the U.S. trade deficit widened to its highest level in more than a year in August as imports hit a
record high. The deficit topped $105 billion, more than a 13 percent increase from the month before. The numbers wider than expected, forcing
economists to lower estimates for third quarter economic growth here in the U.S.
Paramount's mega merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is now complete. The newly combined company will be called Skydance, includes CNN, we should
note, as one of its core assets. The merger brings together two of America's oldest Hollywood studios. Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz says the deal will
create the most technologically capable media company.
[18:15:00]
A showdown in U.S. federal court is between Disney and the Federal Communications Commission. Disney accuses the agency of violating its First
Amendment rights by ordering an early review of its broadcasting license. It says the review is politically motivated. It's now asking for a
temporary restraining order to stop it. The FCC denies the charges, saying it is investigating Disney's DEI policies.
France's multinational firms, including the luxury firm LVMH, are monitoring the student protests across the country. It would be hard for
them not to see, as well as the worrisome rise in French borrowing costs. Richard Quest sat down with Antoine Arnault, the director of image and
environment at the company, and the eldest son of the company's chairman and CEO. They discussed the current political situation, the role the
French companies have to play in the country's economy as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTOINE ARNAULT, DIRECTOR OF IMAGE AND ENVIRONMENT, LVMH: So, we've always tried to stay a little bit aside of the political aspect of things. Of
course, we know what's going on, where especially as a big contributor to the taxes in France, we want to try to put on the forefront of the views of
the deciders how important it is to have a solid companies like ours who are contributing and who would want to continue opening Atelier in France
and to be incentivized to open Atelier.
Right now, we feel that it might be the opposite happening. So, you know, as a very patriotic French family and French group, we want to make sure
that we continue. But sometimes we feel like politicians and French politics might forget that.
QUEST: You know, it's fascinating what you just said, absolutely fascinating, because you've drawn the line directly from these workshops.
You have a nicer name for them. Atelier. Atelier, yes. From these Atelier, you've drawn a line directly to, again, what your father wrote about in his
letter, which is who would have thought that this company X number of years ago would be the largest one of luxury goods companies in the world. And
it's French.
ARNAULT: Yes, yes. And it's French. And it's probably, you know, one of the only sectors that we French dominate. Sorry for that term, but it is
true. You know, thousands, if not millions of people come every year to France, of course, to visit Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, but also Champs-
Elysees. And on Champs-Elysees, they love to come and see, you know, one of the biggest and most beautiful stores in the world. They come on Avenue
Montaigne to visit, you know, all the sector's beautiful brands. They come to Champagne to discover our wines and champagnes. They also come for
shopping.
Let's be honest. And my father, when he travels abroad, is not only perceived, but also received by the different countries he travels to as an
ambassador of France. And he feels like it. And, you know, we have that responsibility. And I think, yes, in a way, the French politicians should
acknowledge that it's a very important sector. And as the leader of this sector, sometimes maybe it should be more recognized.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Returning now to news of potential cooperation on nuclear weapons between the U.S. and China. Joining us now is Ankit Panda. He covers both
China policy and nuclear issues, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. Ankit, good to have you.
First question. So, this is certainly not nuclear negotiations, but it would be an agreement for site visits, in effect. Do you see that as a
first step towards more serious, perhaps more encompassing negotiations?
ANKIT PANDA, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Well, thanks, Jim. I think the answer to that is maybe. There's a really
narrow accusation here that the U.S. made in February this year, which is that the Chinese were violating their own moratorium on nuclear testing. We
actually talked about that on your show.
And so, it looks like these talks are about addressing those accusations. It's possible that that could open the door to more trust between the two
countries, which could then lead to a broader negotiation. But I would not presume that off the bat.
SCIUTTO: Now, CNN's reporting is that China offered this initially. Is there a good sign in that that they want to, I mean, if they can, assuage
American concerns about that alleged test?
PANDA: I think so. I think they're trying to take this seriously.
[18:20:00]
The Chinese were pretty involved in back in the 1990s when the International Community negotiated the comprehensive nuclear test ban
treaty. Now, the Chinese and the Americans, we both signed that agreement. We haven't ratified it. But the Chinese have an investment in making sure
that the test ban norm persists.
And so, they're playing nicely here, it seems, which is good news. But again, this is just about the test ban, it seems to me. I just don't see
the evidence that this is going to lead to the war on nuclear arms control negotiations, which the Trump administration certainly wants. I just don't
see that door opening as a result of this necessarily.
SCIUTTO: I mean, is that because my understanding is the U.S. has roughly 5,000 warheads, Russia quite similar, China was 600 behind, but they are
rapidly expanding that arsenal. And they have decided, am I wrong or right, that they want to be on a more level playing field with the U.S. and Russia
in terms of the size of the nuclear arsenal?
PANDA: Yes. I don't know if it's about a level playing field, but they've certainly decided that they're not going to do business as they used to do
for a number of decades. Something has deeply changed in how China thinks about nuclear weapons. And that's really what's driving a lot of concern in
the United States. And I would argue that one of the best things the Chinese could do is just talk to us and tell us what they're thinking,
because without telling us anything, our imaginations run wild as Americans.
And so, there's a lot of debate going on in D.C., elsewhere in the country, about why China is doing this. And we know from the Cold War that ambiguity
of this kind can lead to some pretty bad outcomes. So, my hope is that this will open the door to a place where China and the United States can begin
talking about these things more honestly.
SCIUTTO: How might China's thinking about nuclear weapons have changed? I mean, is the worry that they're more likely to use them or that it's
entered more into their escalation ladder, as it were?
PANDA: Yes. So, I don't think it's more likely that they're thinking about using them. They still have a no-first-use policy. Now, Americans don't
really believe that policy, but it matters that the Chinese believe that policy, or at least they still talk about it. I think what this suggests is
that the Chinese see, first of all, new technologies potentially threatening their nuclear arsenal. Any country that has nukes wants to make
sure that they can't be destroyed preemptively in a first strike. And so, one of the ways you might be able to do that, if you're worried that the
United States and American allies in the region are arming up a little bit, you might just build more nuclear weapons. That's one explanation.
Another explanation is that the Chinese might be worried that the United States could use nuclear weapons. That's not unusual. We don't have a no-
first-use policy. We've spent down a lot of our conventional munitions in the war in the Middle East. And so, the United States might rely more on
nuclear weapons, as we once did during the Cold War. If we do that, the Chinese will need to answer. That helps explain some of the regional stuff
that they're building.
SCIUTTO: Listen, I mean, it's concern about Russia, right, and their potential use of nuclear weapons. There was that scare in the fall of 2022
that Russia was considering using tactical nukes in southern Ukraine. And they, as I understand it, have at least tactical nukes kind of lower in
their escalation ladder. I mean, all those things you're describing there sound sadly like the ingredients for a nuclear arms race, and perhaps even
for at least increasing the chances, however low, of the use of nuclear weapons.
PANDA: Yes. I would agree with that. I think we're actually already very slowly in an arms race. The New START agreement between the U.S. and Russia
ended earlier this year in February, and we're still waiting to see what the United States will do. But there are a lot of calls around town here in
D.C. to potentially increase the number of nuclear weapons the United States deploys.
I will say that China and Russia, I think, think very differently when it comes to nuclear weapons. So, the Russians have thousands of tactical
nuclear weapons. The Chinese don't even use that term, tactical, to talk about nuclear weapons, although they certainly are building lower-yield
regional nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that can strike capabilities in the Pacific.
But the big picture here is that U.S.-China nuclear dynamics are not heading in a good direction at the moment. And so, there really is a need,
I think, for dialogue. Just to clarify where both sides are going, even before we get to the point where we start talking about more ambitious
things like arms control.
SCIUTTO: On that point, before we go, because my understanding from speaking to Trump administration officials going back to the first
administration is that Trump sincerely aspires to some sort of nuclear agreement to reduce the number of weapons, but also the risk of nuclear
conflict with Russia and China. Do Russia and China have any potential interest over time in similar discussions?
PANDA: So, the answer to that is, what is the United States willing to put on the table? If we put the right things on the table, I think there would
be takers in Beijing and Moscow. The answer is we haven't been willing to put the things that I think the Russians and the Chinese would look for on
the table.
The big one at the moment is missile defense, right? So, I agree with you that President Trump wants to pursue arms control. He said that in office.
In the 1980s, he told the newspapers that his greatest dream in life was to negotiate an arms control agreement. Without putting his Golden Dome, for
instance, on the negotiating table, it's going to be very difficult to draw the Russians and the Chinese to the table. I think arms control only works
when both sides have something to gain.
[18:25:00]
And right now, I just don't see the Russians and the Chinese concluding that they have something to gain from talking to the United States.
SCIUTTO: Dangerous mix. Ankit Panda, thanks so much for joining.
PANDA: My pleasure.
SCIUTTO: Just after the break, the latest on the mysterious death of a Russian plague lab worker. Contacts are now isolated with hospitals under
restrictions in Siberia. We'll discuss Russia's response so far and what it all means.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: -- "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
The French police fired tear gas at protesters in Paris and other cities today as they tried to contain violence around the biggest student
demonstrations in years. The interior ministry says hundreds of thousands of people turned out across the country, protesters demanding better
conditions in school, as well as more funding for education.
The former U.S. Army major who attacked his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood is set to be killed by firing squad. President Trump has approved the
execution method for Nidal Hasan. This will be the Army's first execution by firing squad since World War II. Hasan killed 13 people, wounded 32
others in the 2009 shooting. He said he did it to protect the Taliban.
A Tennessee inmate and convicted murderer is now conscious after surviving a failed execution. Attorneys for Christa Pike say she is speaking and
receiving medical care. She survived two doses of what were supposed to be lethal injections last week. Her execution has now been postponed
indefinitely.
President Trump says U.S. intel agencies are in deep discussions about the mysterious death of a woman who worked at a Russian plague lab. Here's what
he told reporters at the White House a short time ago.
[18:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you spoken with President Putin?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have a call scheduled. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When is that call scheduled for?
TRUMP: Very soon. So, far, we're in very deep discussions, we'll be able to report about it probably tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Russian authorities so far say the 28-year-old lab worker died last week of pneumonia of an unknown origin. There are reports that dozens
if not hundreds of people have been quarantined in the wake of that. CNN has learned a maternity hospital is now screening patients for symptoms of
plague as well as other infectious diseases.
Joining us now, Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist. Dr. Gounder, good to have you back on. Thanks so much for
joining.
DR. CELINE GOUNDER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AND EPIDEMIOLOGIST: It's great to be here, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, first of all, again, and you're operating at a disadvantage here because you don't know the details, but based on what we know about a
case of pneumonic plague, how contagious is it and does it have the ingredients for a broader outbreak?
DR. GOUNDER: Well, I think one thing that we need to be careful about is what is meant by plague, because there's two actually different definitions
that can apply here. So, you have the anti-plague institute, which is where the laboratory worker was employed in Siberia.
In that case, it actually means deadly infectious diseases, a wide variety. And it wasn't just Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague that
was at play here. It also includes other infectious diseases like tularemia, anthrax, cholera, hantavirus, which people may remember from
earlier this year.
And so, if we're framing this in terms of Yersinia pestis, which is the pneumonic plague, that may not actually be the right framing. We don't know
what she actually had. And at least the Russian authorities have been denying that she had that Yersinia pestis plague pneumonia.
SCIUTTO: OK. Based on how they're responding, do you have any clues as a medical practitioner based on how many people they've quarantined and other
steps they're taking?
DR. GOUNDER: Yes. Well, and this relates to what I was just saying, which is that the way in which they're responding does not match pneumonic
plague. It is a much more difficult infection to spread. And if she was working -- you know, we've heard rumors, it's alleged that she had a
laboratory test tube that broke, that supposedly had Yersinia pestis plague in it.
But if she was working in one of these labs, you would be wearing PPE, personal protective equipment, and you would be doing it in a cabinet which
sucks the air in so that you're not inhaling anything if there is an accident. So, it'd be very difficult, even if she had something like that
happen, for her to acquire pneumonic plague and then for her to transmit it, that really only happens when people are at the very end stages of
disease.
So, the response we're seeing would suggest that it may actually be another pathogen that perhaps was under study at the institute. And that also is
consistent with what we're being told. They're saying she didn't have plague. That may be entirely true.
SCIUTTO: OK. That, of course, raises the possibility she has something worse and that the outbreak is worse. I mean, that that's the what are the
possibilities?
DR. GOUNDER: Well, the most common to cause these kinds of laboratory accidents is actually tularemia. And we don't know if she worked with it.
She may have been working with multiple different pathogens. You know, I think one thing that I do find reassuring is with the exception of
hantavirus, these are mostly bacterial infectious diseases that we're talking about here. And that actually means that you have things to treat.
You have antibiotics, which is a huge difference between bacteria and viruses. So, you have countermeasures.
SCIUTTO: Yes, I know that just from my own trips to the doctor. So, we heard Secretary Rubio say today that, you know, basically they're on the
Russians saying, make sure you're telling us everything that's going on there. The president says he's going to speak to Vladimir Putin as well. I
mean, a question I have beyond Russia's lack of credibility on a whole host of issues inside the country.
Where do international networks and resources for response to WHO because, of course, the U.S. has retreated from many of those organizations and
commitment as well. I mean, are we equipped to respond to something like this and share information accurately?
DR. GOUNDER: Well, this is part of the problem, because we withdrew from WHO, we don't have the access to some of the information that WHO shares
out to what we call focal points in different countries. The focal point in the United States would normally be at HHS.
[18:35:00]
I have actually reached out to the State Department and HHS to find out who is the focal point. All the questions we are being asked to send all the
questions to the State Department. But it's really unclear who the CDC is at the State Department, who's managing what. And in addition, it's unclear
if the U.S. having withdrawn from WHO is still a party to the international health regulations. And that is one of the mechanisms by which countries
can officially request information from Russia in this case. Taiwan has already done so. I believe Kyrgyzstan has as well.
And again, I asked both HHS and the State Department if they had employed the international health regulations to request more information. They did
not answer that question.
SCIUTTO: Goodness. Well, I hope you get some answers. I feel like we all need answers. Dr. Celine Gounder, thanks so much for joining.
DR. GOUNDER: My pleasure.
SCIUTTO: Well, the man who once ran Germany's foreign intelligence service now stands accused of treason. Prosecutors say August Hanning allegedly
paid a former colleague for classified documents then passed that information to spies from another country. Prosecutors have not named that
country. The case ranks among Germany's biggest spy scandals dating back to the Cold War. Nic Robertson has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: This is a man who would have been working with the director of the CIA, with the heads of
other intelligence agencies around the world from 98 to 2005. He was running the BND, Germany's foreign intelligence service. He was a critical
part of the operations after 9/11 of European intelligence chiefs working with the United States to try to capture Osama bin Laden.
I interviewed him in 2010 and 2018. He told me that he had a photograph of bin Laden after 9/11 still in Afghanistan and said that there were lapses
for the reason that he wasn't captured before he escaped to Pakistan. What Hanning is accused of now is dramatic, treasonous espionage. That's what
Germany's prosecution office is saying, the federal prosecutor. They're saying that along with his former chief of staff, a man they call Manfred
D., they had essentially, and Hanning in particular, had given intelligence, political intelligence documents to a foreign intelligence
service. That is a very damning accusation.
And the way they're framing it, the federal prosecutor is framing it this way, that Hanning and Manfred D. agree that when Manfred D. went on to
continue to work in government after Hanning retired, Manfred D. would pass Hanning documents, some 2,000 documents, the federal prosecutor says, and
some of those documents, the allegation is, have ended up in the hands of a foreign intelligence service.
That is incredibly worrying because does that put other agents' lives at risk? Because Hanning was working at the top tier of German intelligence,
it's going to raise the question of what was in those documents. Are agents at risk? Are state institutions at risk? What we don't know and what the
prosecutor is not saying is who, which country those documents went to, Hanning gave them to, what motivated Hanning.
But we do know from the prosecutor's office how they came to stumble on Hanning's deceit, alleged deceit. They say they were investigating a child
custody case into a German business family. Hanning was involved in that. The children of the estranged husband and wife had been taken from the
husband who was living in Denmark. Hanning was involved in that. The police had searched his house and during that search, they found the documents
which tipped intelligence agencies that there was something nefarious going on.
So, this is incredibly serious and will send tremors through other intelligence agencies. What of their information might have been shared
with a foreign adversary?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Quite a story. Our thanks to Nic. Angry student protests expanding now across France with the support of teachers, union members,
even some parents. I'll speak to someone involved with one of the country's main workers unions involved just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: More now on the expanding protests across France. Citizens from all over the country, all walks of life, joining students to protest the
state of the country's public education system. More protests scheduled for later in the week.
Joining me now is Alex Persson. He's a member of one of France's largest unions, the CGT, which is supporting the student protesters. Alex, thanks -
- Axel rather, thanks so much for joining.
AXEL PERSSON, UNION MEMBER, CGT AND GENERAL SECRETARY, CGT RAILWAY WORKERS" FEDERATION: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, first, of course, this is a student-led demonstration here. Why is the labor movement, including your union, getting involved?
PERSSON: Well, first and foremost, in solidarity with, of course, all the high school students and university students that are now protesting
against the massive underfunding of the public education system, which has led to massive understaffing to failing equipments among schools, and which
is seriously threatening the ability of our students and high school students to benefit from an education worth that name. And we stand in
solidarity with them.
But more generally, what these massive protests are also revealing is that there is a massive opposition within the country, not only against the
failing education system, but more generally against all these austerity measures that are being driven through across all industries, all public
services. All the while, we are seeing massive profits being recorded and extracted from our labor.
And all the while, at the same time, we're also seeing massively increased funding for military spending, for police spending, which comes to tell
that there is a massive amount of money circulating in this country, but it is not being allocated where we deem it to be necessary. And that is
basically what is happening now in France. The protest started from the high school, has started spreading to the universities and in all
factories, offices, all workplaces.
All the workers are now asking the questions, is it not time for us to join the strike and basically widen the protest across all industries, all
sectors in order to fight all together in a united front against our common adversaries.
SCIUTTO: Is there a political party in France right now that answers those demands, right, that says we're going to shift the funding to effectively
the social welfare state, and away from, say, defense? I mean, is there a party that represents that right now?
PERSSON: Well, it depends on the protesters. There are many political opinions that may differ. There are so many people protesting and not all
the people, of course, affiliated political party. And some in the government, in particular, are accusing one of the parties on the left wing
of being responsible for this.
[18:45:00]
But this is merely an attempt to divert the attention from the real issues. The issues here is not a question of a political party affiliation. It is a
question of which class interests ought to be defended. And those who are ruling the country have decided that the vast majority of the wealth that
is being extracted from our labor should not be allocated to the vast majority of the people living in this country, but rather be allocated to
this tiny minority that always wants to extract more and more profits and all the while underfunding our public services, but also, by attacking our
terms and conditions in the workplaces, attacking the pension systems, attacking pretty much everything that can make our life decent enough to
live around.
So, this is basically what we're defending. We're defending our right to have the wealth we are creating through our labor be used in our interest
and not the interest of this tiny minority that wants to basically spend everything on industry, police, and these type of spendings, basically.
That is to some things down. That is what it all boils down to.
SCIUTTO: What is your view of the police response so far? Because you have an enormous number of protesters now who've been detained. And of course,
most of them are young people. And many of the student protesters and leaders are accusing the police of excessive force. Do you share that view?
PERSSON: Yes, of course. And it is also one of the reasons why the protests today were so massive, because many people all across the country
are extremely shocked to see how the government has instructed the police to act so violently against what is essentially kids. They're aged between
14 to 16 years old, sometimes 17 years old for the oldest one.
And some of them have been thrown grenades. The police have been throwing grenades at them. One kid in northern France lost literally his hand.
Another one saw all of his teeth being knocked out by a police officer. And another one even, and some others, are being threatened violently,
physically assaulted on the picket lines, which has, of course, created an immense reaction in solidarity with what we consider to be basically our
sons and daughters, which is also why there are so many parents that took to the streets today in order to stand alongside their children.
Because their children, of course, not only is there an affectionate link, of course, but it's also what represents the collective future of the
country. So, that is also one of the reasons which has led to this massive anger and this solidarity that is now being implemented and that it has
shown itself today through massive participation in the demonstrations. And that will undoubtedly transform itself into massive participations into the
coming demonstrations. And what we as labor unions hope will also lead to massively organized and coordinated strikes across all industries in the
country, whether it be public or private sector.
SCIUTTO: Prospective strikes. Axel Persson, we appreciate you joining.
PERSSON: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Still coming up on "The Brief," football legend, Lionel Messi's final match for his country, Argentina. We're going to take you to Buenos
Aires, where the night that no one wants to end will soon get underway.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: An emotional match in Argentina beginning in just a few minutes superstar Lionel Messi will play his final game for the national team in a
friendly against Benin. The 39-year-old announced this international retirement this summer just after the World Cup. It's going to be quite a
night there in Buenos Aires.
Cecilia Dominguez joins me now for more for his last appearance and you're wearing your blue and white jersey. Tell me what it's like there tonight.
CECILIA DOMINGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a mixture of emotions and feelings. I'm wearing this jersey that Messi has been wearing for the past
20 years. Imagine his emotions what he's feeling right now. He's in the field now. The match is about to start.
And I say it's a combination of emotions because I've seen two reactions especially two reactions hearing people and talking to people during the
day. On one side people that are heartbroken sad they want to convince Messi to stay playing -- to keep playing in the national team and on the
other side, I've seen people happy, grateful, saying, thank you, Lionel Messi, for everything you've given to our country, with this jersey, the
jersey number with a number 10. He scored 125 goals with the national team.
Here we are working at the FanFest and there are people from not only different parts of Argentina but also different parts of the world. I've
heard, Jim, people saying that they flew from for example Indonesia to come here to see Lionel Messi saying goodbye to the national team. Stories we've
heard a lot of stories like that, people from Germany, from Spain wearing the Argentine jersey. So, this means a lot.
You know, I remember one interview I know the interview when Messi was a child, he was about nine years old and a journalist asked him, what is your
dream? And young Messi said, my dream is to play with the national team. And that dream came true. And tonight, he's saying goodbye to the national
team. The crew is ecstatic. I mean, they are really happy to be there at the stadium more than 85,000 people seeing our captain say goodbye to the
national team. Jim.
SCIUTTO: It must be special, but bittersweet as well and what a lucky man he is to have had that dream as a kid and be able to live it. Cecilia
Dominguez, enjoy the match.
Well, as car drivers come to rely more on more on rear parking cameras and sensors even automatic parking in Philadelphia, they're celebrating doing
things the old-fashioned way in the inaugural parallel parking championships. The event drew big crowds who looked on while contestants
backed their vehicles into very tight spaces. 900 applications were whittled down to just 15 for the contest itself. Here's how it all played
out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM WODKA, PHILADELPHIA PARALLEL PARKING ASSOCIATION COMMISSIONER: We had 15, 14 here compete. They were chosen by going through all of those
applications by myself and the incredible team of the PPPA board. The crowd brought it so I'm just so happy like the energy was great we got so lucky
with the weather. Super, super happy about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Contestants competed across three challenges. The one-shot round, a tight squeeze event, and an under duress round that tested parking
abilities with distractions. No backup cameras allowed. Finally, a winner emerged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIO "ONE-SHOT MAR" ZUCCA, CONTEST WINNER: When they announced it, I saw it on social media. A bunch of friends shared it with me because they know
that I love to parallel park and pride myself on it. So, yes, I submitted an entry like immediately the day of. My car is a 2012 Mazda 3. Old school
car. No backup camera. No assist or anything. And I think that ended up helping me because I've always been used to just craning my neck and
looking back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Well, if you're from New York like me you got to learn to parallel park. According to local reports the grand prize was cash to cover
a potential parking ticket. A piece of the curb as well and the title of best parallel parker.
[18:55:00]
Before I go there's a new furry face at the Bronx Zoo in New York meets Sarka, a four-month-old snow leopard. Here you see her there with her
mother, little one on the right, mom on the left. Zoo officials say she's curious, loves to jump around, her new habitat as well, but as an only cub
she stays close to her mom. It's estimated only 5,000 to 7,000 snow leopards are left in the wild. Cute one.
Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
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