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CONNECT THE WORLD

Liverpool Dominate Tottenham In Final 2-0; U.S. President Weighs In On Brexit Ahead Of Trip; Community Mourns 12 People Killed In Mass Shooting; Nasrallah U.S. Forces Will Be "Annihilated" If They Hit Iran; Search To Resume Monday For Eight Hikers Lost In Himalayas; Alex Trebek: "Near Remission" For Stage Four Cancer. Aired 11-12p ET

Aired June 2, 2019 - 11:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like I'm still dreaming.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You'll never celebrate alone. Absolutely mental, Liverpool fans going wild, and they have every reason to

do it, as European champions. Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson live from Abu Dhabi. We've got lots of news for you at

this hour kicking off what will be a very, very busy week with the U.S. president in the U.K. All the details on that in a few minutes' time.

But we begin with simply fantastic news, at least if you are a Liverpool fan, devastating for the unlucky Spurs fans out there, such as myself.

Well, celebrations as Liverpool comes to dominate European football, notching up at 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's champions

league -- Champions League final. We've been covering this through the season. It seems like the whole world was watching.

Check out the bitter disappointment for these Tottenham fans in Seoul. Well, I feel your pain, lads, but this lodge won't. Pure joy and

adulation, Reds fans watching it all go down in the hometown of Liverpool super striker and friend of this show, Mr. Mo Salah.

Well, the team about to take a victory lap around Liverpool and that is where CNN's Alex Thomas is right now. He's feeling the energy in the thick

of the madness. Has the city slept yet, the red side of it, that is?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: -- the young lad --

ANDERSON: All right, well it sounds as if we may have lost that shot. I'm going to get you back to Alex Thomas just as soon as we can. As I say, the

team will be doing a victory lap, starting around now in Liverpool. What a season for them.

Let's get you to Charlie Gibson, who is a video producer at the bleacher report. He showed a video last night at Saturday's big game. He joins me

now via Skype from Madrid. And just before we speak, Charlie, I want to show our viewers this video.

Well that video going viral, already watched by nearly six million people, and counting. Charlie, what were you thinking as you shot that Pitt's

side?

CHARLIE GIBSON, VIDEO PRODUCER: Becky, why so many people related to this video is as you see a child and his father embracing. I mean, people all

around the world put so much time and effort into taking their kids to sport, and you see that this is the pinnacle of Jordan Henderson's career

and he's come running across. And I just felt lucky to be there. The pure emotion was just incredible to capture to catch.

ANDERSON: Jordan Henderson, of course, the captain of the Liverpool team. Just describe the atmosphere Pitt's side, when that final whistle blew last

night, Charlie.

GIBSON: I'm lucky enough to have covered Liverpool a few times this season. They're a fantastic club and you could see what it meant to those

players. Of course, last year they had the heartbreak in Kiev against Madrid, and you could see just what it meant to someone like Jordan

Henderson. You know, he's been told by so many critics that he's not good enough for this team. He's not your MO Salah type of player.

And could you see the pure emotion and passion that got this one across the line and it was just -- it was a joy to watch.

[11:05:19] ANDERSON: Not the greatest game of football, but a fitting end to an unbelievable season for the club that many call football royalty.

GIBSON: Yes. I mean, obviously, I must pass my condolences to you, first of all, Becky, in the sense of being a Tottenham fan. I know it wasn't too

great to watch. But Liverpool has had such an incredible season and I mean, they came so close in the premier league and I think Jurgen Klopp

spoke about how many finals he's lost, and this now, the European Champions, you need to say no more. They've had a fantastic season.

ANDERSON: They have. And you're right to name check Jurgen Klopp, finally shedding his nearly man reputation. It is rare these days that a manager

makes the headlines as often as these extremely well-paid footballers -- you know, these footballing stars, but he's really something special, isn't

he?

GIBSON: He is. I mean, he really has this rock star feel about him. He spoke about how he almost wanted to play rock music when he came to

Liverpool. And he just ooze his confidence. And he can see that players, they look up to him. And I think that's really Liverpool, you know, that

they're a working-class club. And you see the fans connect to him every time at the end (INAUDIBLE) so he gives -- he pumps into the crowd, he has

that connection.

He put a camera in front of his face and he just -- he makes people smile and he really -- he sat -- he's the benchmark of this club. And it's

incredible where Liverpool came from. Ten years ago, you wouldn't say that about this club and people would worry. But now, who's to say any other

club will challenge them in Europe?

ANDERSON: That's right. And I've watched him in training. We did some programming with Mo Salah last year. And I watched Jurgen Klopp in

training and his attitude with those players is unbelievable, and the sense of this being a sort of family, the togetherness that you see in training -

- not because we were there. I genuinely don't believe because we were there filming.

I mean, you can just see they're really, really tight group. Let's talk about Mo Salah because we opened the show with some video from his

hometown. We also, of course, showed some video -- that's in Egypt, we showed some video of Spurs fans in Seoul, big supporters of the Spurs

player Son.

You know, lest we forget, this was an all-England final, played in Madrid, which is no stranger, of course, as a city to success. But I think last

night seeing these fans in Egypt, seeing the fans in Seoul really sort of reinforces how big the game is and how important Champions League is to

millions of people around the world, Charlie.

GIBSON: Yes, it's -- as I said, I've been lucky enough to cover the Champions League for the last six months. And just the global size of it

and seeing in front of the Tottenham fans as you saw those flags, you saw the connection. And these players are they almost -- they represent the

club in the sense of like Mo Salah is Liverpool, Son is Tottenham, Harry Kane, it's quite incredible where they've taken their clubs to.

And now it's a case of this is the prime time, this is the global competition, and I just think it's going to grow and grow really, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, fantastic. Charlie, always a pleasure. I'm not sure how Madrid cope with the celebrations. I'm sure they did. It sounds as if it

was all very -- it was all very jovial. I'm sure they'll be pleased when the fans leave, though. Thank you for that. Charlie is in the house, from

the bleacher report, of course.

Now, you know it wasn't just last night. Being a Spurs fan can be a bit of -- well, a bit of an exercise in self-flagellation, really. Take my

adorable little nephew, Theodore, a really white fan, since he was a nipper, very proud he was then of his new kit that his auntie bought him.

But the more things change well, the more they don't.

Now a strapping young man, almost 30 years, as ardent a fan now as he was in short trousers, despite the fact the team hasn't actually won anything

in Theo's lifetime. Yes, we Spurs fans are long-suffering but a merry band about it. What can we say, we love it. And Theo head eye onwards.

The U.K. is also abuzz over a big state visit this week. U.S. President Donald Trump will be in town with his family. Mr. Trump set to touch down

in London on Monday morning but he's already rustling feathers after a wide-ranging interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times.

The President talked about the price for leaving the E.U. and how the U.K. should negotiate with Brussels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:10:42] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, if I were them, I wouldn't pay $50 billion. That's a big number. I wouldn't pay $50

billion if that's me. I'm only saying this from my standpoint. I would not pay. That's a tremendous number.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of these candidates are saying they'd walk away if they don't get what they want, others are disagreeing. I mean, presumably,

do you think they get a deal --

TRUMP: If they don't get what they want, I'd walk away. I would walk away. This is their decision. You're just asking my opinion. I would not

-- if you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Meanwhile, London mayor and longtime Trump critic Sadiq Khan slams Mr. Trump in a scathing op-ed titled "It's un-British to roll out the

red carpet for Donald Trump." Khan described the president as a growing global threat and says his behavior flies in the face of the ideals that

America was founded on.

The London mayor isn't the only one opposing Mr. Trump's visit. CNN's Phil black with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is no secret that the American president and the mayor of London don't think much of each other. They've been

Twitter feuding for years. On this occasion, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London has written a lengthy argument in Britain's Observer newspaper

explaining why he believes Donald Trump does not deserve the honor of a state visit to the United Kingdom.

He has a long list of policies, comments, and behavior which he says ultimately are not compatible with British values, including using

xenophobia and racism as electoral tactics. He says Trump is the leader of the global far-right movement, one that is a growing threat and one that is

built on the tropes he says, that fascists used in the 20th century.

Now, Sadiq Khan is not alone in opposing this visit. There will be protests during Trump's visit here, and other senior politicians, notably

the leaders of main opposition parties, including the Labour Party's Jeremy Corbin, essentially the alternative prime minister here.

They've said they are going to stay away deliberately from the state banquet at Buckingham Palace where Trump will be the guest of honor. There

is a convention with state visits where the guest doesn't get involved in the domestic political affairs of the host.

But Donald Trump has already defied that convention through interviews given to British newspapers ahead of the visit where he has essentially

given his take on all the big political issues in Britain right now, including criticizing Theresa May for her poor handling of Brexit

negotiations, essentially saying she was too soft. And he's also backed one specific contender to replace her now that she has admitted she must

leave office in the coming weeks.

Trump says that Boris Johnson would make an excellent prime minister. These comments aren't a surprise. He's made them before but this is a

different time in Britain, a time of greater uncertainty, a time of greater political turmoil, where anything other than polite respectful language by

the American president during his visit could trigger political shock waves that will continue to be felt here long after he leaves.

I'm Phil Black reporting from London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Let's get the view from both sides of the Atlantic, shall we? CNN Political Analyst, Julian Zelizer, regular guest out of this show live

out of New York for you this Sunday, and joining us from London Chief Political Commentator for The Independent John Rentoul.

Donald Trump's offering advice, John, on U.K. politics may not be conventional but we've heard it from him before. Probably he doesn't

surprise us. Should we be at all concerned?

JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, THE INDEPENDENT: No, we should -- we should be rightly outraged, and indignant that he's sticking his nose

into our affairs. But actually, I mean, it's not going to the way we carry out our politics. I mean, the conservative leadership election is a rather

peculiar Democratic event in any case. And I don't think Donald Trump's intervention is going to change anybody's mind.

ANDERSON: Julian, according to The Daily Telegraph, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton says the Trump administration wants Britain to honor

the results of the Brexit referendum and leave the E.U. Bolton also getting involved saying the U.S. preference is for Britain to follow the

course of what the people ask for leave and the E.U. It's a lesson for everyone in the triumph of democracy.

Does John Bolton and the U.S. president, do they genuinely believe that they should be getting involved, and that the British people care about

what they say?

[11:15:17] JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think President Trump likes to get involved in many things, and the reaction isn't always

his primary concern. From the start, I think Trump has seen himself as connected to Brexit, as part of some global populist movement rejecting the

status quo, rejecting political elites, so it's not a surprise that right now, on this visit, he will double down especially as politics over there

are more uncertain.

ANDERSON: John, describe, if you will, the atmosphere ahead of this trip in the U.K.

RENTOUL: Right, it's very partisan and very divided. I mean, most people in Britain are not -- are not Donald Trump supporters, not even

conservatives, which is why his intervention on behalf of Boris Johnson was not particularly helpful to Boris Johnson, I mean, because he needs the

votes of conservative MPs in the first instance.

And you know, they're not -- they're not really Trumpy people, most of them. I would have thought most of them would probably be sort of moderate

Democrats if they were forced to take a position on American politics.

But so, yes -- but it gives a chance for Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London and it gives Jeremy Corbin, leader of the Labour Party the chance to get on

their high horse about a right-wing foreigner intervening in British politics.

ANDERSON: Yes, I mean, Sadiq Khan going so far as to say it's un-British to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump. That came a little bit far.

What does he mean by that?

RENTOUL: Well, indeed, and lecturing Americans on what values their country was built on, which is -- which is tit-for-tat. I mean, if Donald

Trump is going to tell us how to run our affairs, then Sadiq Khan is perfectly entitled to tell Americans how to run theirs.

I mean, the problem with Donald Trump is he's very interested in British politics because as the professor just said there, you know, he regards

Brexit as part of an international movement of which is he part of the national populist movement but he's not very well informed.

I mean, he has no idea whether the $50 billion exit fee is too much or too little or what he would have negotiated if he'd been in Theresa May's

place.

ANDERSON: And Julian, the British Home Secretary, interior minister, for what it's worth, in other countries Sajid Javid told the BBC he welcomes

Mr. Trump's visit. He side-stepped any question over the President's controversial travel ban. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump has said in his very interesting interview this morning that lots of Conservatives have been asking for his support.

Were you one of them?

SAJID JAVID, HOME SECRETARY, UNITED KINGDOM: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You haven't find out the --

JAVID: I don't think I'm one of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's very interesting because obviously if you become prime minister, you know, as the Disraeli was the first Jewish prime

minister, so you will be the first prime minister from a Pakistani background, Muslim background. Have -- you're going to be seeing the

president very shortly, I'm sure. Are you going to raise to him the Muslim travel ban?

JAVID: What I would raise with the president and his team -- first of all, I'd welcome him to the U.K. I think it's great that the president of the

United States is coming here and I thank him for all the cooperation especially on security that i see day in, day out, which saves lives in

Britain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So the words Muslim travel ban don't appear in that -- in that opening thought.

JAVID: I'll be thanking him for all that United States does to help Britain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Julian, exercise perhaps in the art of diplomacy from a man who is we have to say a contender for conservative leader, which in this

current era means that he would also be prime minister going forward. Look, what does Donald Trump want to get out of this trip, do you believe?

ZELIZER: I think this is more about his own political standing in the United States. He wants to turn attention from a lot of the controversies

that have really been accelerating in recent weeks. He wants to put himself on the international stage to look presidential going in to a

presidential election season.

And again, he wants to make himself part of a movement. Rather than this just being Donald Trump, he wants to elevate himself and Brexit offers a

way for him to do that. But he will be greeted with lots of protests, a lot of non-diplomatic moments. And the question is, does he elicit more of

that than any positive benefits he can gain politically from this visit.

ANDERSON: Well, we've got three days of it starting Monday. Julian Zelizer In New York, John Rentoul in London, we'll have you back. Thanks

for joining us.

ZELIZER: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Well, still to come, another mass shooting in the United States. Authorities gave an update a short time ago. I'm going to get to that

next. Plus, Israel and Syria trade fire. We're going to get you the very latest as each side blames the other, the escalating conflict.

[11:20:14] And Jeopardy drama playing out behind the cameras as each game show host battles for his life. I'm going to get you the very latest on

his condition later this hour. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. This is from our Middle East broadcasting hub in Abu

Dhabi. You are more than welcome to stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: People of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States are mourning the loss of 12 of their neighbors, 12 people whose lives were

cut short when a gunman opened fire at a city government building near the end of the working day on Friday. We have no idea about his motive. The

family of the gunman are offering their condolences and say they wish to focus their thoughts and prayers on the victims and the families.

According to the gun violence archive which compiles data from shooting incidents, the attack in Virginia Beach was the 150th mass shooting in the

United States this year. The group defines mass shootings as four or more people injured or killed.

As of Sunday, there have been just as many mass shootings in the U.S. as there have been days in the year so far. A statistic that quite frankly,

speaks for itself. CNN's Brian Todd is in Virginia Beach. And just describe the mood there, if you will, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, it's a very somber mood and it's made worse today by some of the news we just got from the police chief Jim

Cervera and the city manager Dave Hansen who just briefed reporters, some significant pieces of news in that briefing.

First, we have to tell you that this speaks to motive here. We just learned at the end of the briefing that there is information that the

shooter, the alleged shooter Dewayne Craddock resigned from his job that very day. He resigned from his job on Friday. That was confirmed by the

city manager Dave Hansen.

Now, as to why he resigned and what the circumstances were around that resignation, these officials were not prepared to say what those were.

They're still looking into all of this, still interviewing co-workers and talking to other people involved. But he did resign from his job that day,

the day of the shooting.

[11:25:16] Now, other significant news that we got from this briefing was really in the form of a timeline of how this shooting unfolded. It was

very dramatic. It was of course exceedingly violent and fast-moving. The officers got to the scene within two minutes of getting the first report,

the first call, the first dispatch of a shooting, came in 4:08 p.m. local time.

Officers got there within two minutes, according to the police chief. They got into the building quickly. They found the shooter on the second floor,

and engaged him quickly. The gun battle played out over a course of between five to eight minutes, which the police chief said is really an

eternity.

And of course, you can imagine that, a five to eight-minute gun battle is a very long gun battle. They say the suspect was always moving and the

officers had to move with him, and engage him to try to prevent some of the carnage that was taking place.

At one point they said the suspect fired at them through a door and through a wall and they engaged with him at that point and the shooting stopped.

But then, Becky, they said the officers had a real -- a very difficult problem to try to negotiate at that moment. They had to get into that room

where the shooter was, and breach a door to get in there.

Now, they don't know what's going on, on the other side. They don't know whether he's dead, wounded, whether he's ready to fire on them when they

breach the door, so it was a very difficult decision, a very difficult process of getting into that room, where he was but they were able to do

it, and they immediately administered first aid to him.

He was wounded at the time. He was not dead. The chief said they immediately rendered first aid, despite everything that had just happened.

They immediately rendered first aid to the suspect. They got him into an ambulance and they got him to a hospital where he later died.

So Becky, some very, very dramatic details of how the shooting unfolded, how fast-moving it was, how quickly the officers responded and how the

shooter was finally taken down.

ANDERSON: Brian, I appreciate it. Thank you. Well, the 2020 Democratic candidates are calling for legislative action on gun control in the light

of the Virginia Beach shooting. Here's what some of them had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We cannot tolerate being the only developed nation where this is routine. We know it's not the last

time this is going to happen and Washington's failure to act is costing lives.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Enough is enough. How many more of these tragedies do we have to see?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What can you say, it's a terrible tragedy and it you know, speaks to the need for this country

finally to do what the American people want, and that is common sense gun safety legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump says he has spoken with the Virginia governor and city mayor to offer condolences and support

from the federal government. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says every day 100 Americans are killed by gun violence.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson out of Abu Dhabi for you. Coming up, tensions flare in the Middle East, as Israel carries out

retaliatory strikes on Syria. We get you live to Jerusalem for the on what is a developing situation.

And a group of 12 climbers went up into the Himalayas, but only four of them have returned. An update on the search for the other eight

mountaineers right after this short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:32:23] ANDERSON: Israel says it is retaliating against Syria for rockets fired into its territory. It launched strikes against what it

calls military targets. This footage released by the Israeli military showing one of those strikes.

Well, Syria's state news agency reports three soldiers were killed by Israeli rockets and seven others wounded. This was the scene over the

Damascus area earlier on Sunday. Oren Liebermann, joining me now live from Jerusalem. This situation further escalating tensions in the region, Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's unusual about this is that, that border between Israel and Syria has been relatively calm

except for the last week or so. It was only last Monday, in fact. So, six days ago at this point that Israel struck an anti-aircraft gunner after it

says that anti-aircraft gun -- Syrian anti-aircraft gun that is fired at an Israeli fighter jet on a routine flight in northern Israel.

That broke what had been months or so of relative calm and then this. Even so, these are still smaller incidents nothing like what we've seen over the

past few years. So, although it certainly indicates that the region is tense, and that's not new to us who will cover this region on a daily

basis, the odds of this spiraling into something more chaotic, more violent, at least, at this point, seems highly unlikely, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, and nothing happens in isolation in what is an already tense region, of course. And Israel decrying Iranian influence in Syria.

Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah, weighing in saying, "The U.S. knows well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders. The

entire region will burn, leading to all U.S. forces and interests in the region being annihilated."

As I said, nothing happens in isolation in this region. From your perspective, how do you describe the current sort of geopolitics as it

were?

LIEBERMANN: Well there's always more rhetoric than actual bullets, actual military fire going back and forth between Israel and Lebanon, or Israel

and Syria. Israel always watches and keeps an eye on Nasrallah in Lebanon.

And yet, the Israeli-Lebanon border, though certainly not a quiet border in the fact that it's -- that's peaceful and calm is one that isn't the most

active of borders. So, although Israel certainly pays attention to what Nasrallah says in Lebanon, and that, of course, is linked to what happens

in Iran since Hezbollah is effectively an Iranian proxy.

Again, there isn't an immediate sense, the IDF, the Israeli military isn't on high alert right now. So, although, of course, one mistake and responds

or one event going out of control can certainly start a war here, or something short of a war, or something more than a war. Again, the odds of

something escalating, at least, at this specific moment doesn't seem to be high right now. Things change here quickly as we both know, Becky.

[11:35:23] ANDERSON: Yes, and interesting, when I was doing some sort of reflective pieces at the end of last year and looking forward to 2019, many

an expert on this region suggested it is that border that worries the most in 2019.

But as you say, we will -- we will keep an eye on that. And as we see any further tension develop, of course, you'll be the first to hear it here on

CNN. Stay with U.S.-Iran tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just express the willingness to sit down with Iran with no preconditions.

But he did add the caveat that Iran must first behave like a "normal nation". Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll prepare to engage in a conversation with no preconditions. We're ready to sit down with them.

But the American effort to fundamentally reverse the malign activity of this Islamic Republic, this revolutionary force is going to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: That message aligned with that of Arab nations who met over the past couple of days in Mecca. We don't want war with Iran, but does Israel

wants a war with Iran?

LIEBERMANN: I suspect if you would to ask Israel's leaders what they want, they would say, "Look, we're not looking for a war." But, much like the

words of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, they want Iran to act like other countries in the region.

Let's not forget that according to the U.S., Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror. Pays for Hezbollah, which has vowed to annihilate

Israel, Iran, and its Revolutionary Guard Corps chant, "Death to Israel, death to America." That is the action the U.S. and Israel would like to

see stopped.

Israel, of course, believes that Iran is or will be still pursuing nuclear arms. That's one of the key talking points that Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu repeatedly hits. And it was his belief in that, that partly led him to oppose the JCPOA, the nuclear deal with Iran.

So, on top of all that, let's also not forget that Israel has had relations in Iran or with Iran in the past before the Islamic Revolution. So, there

is a history of that here, there is knowledge of that, of course, on both sides. Would Israel like to see Iran behave like a normal nation and

negotiation start? I suspect that answer might be yes.

But what does Israel believe that's likely going to happen in the near future? I suspect that answer would be, no.

ANDERSON: All of this, of course, coming as the U.S. readying to roll out what's meant to be the first part of its Middle East peace plan. Already

complicated, of course, by fresh Israeli elections. The president's son- in-law -- U.S. president's son-in-law Jared Kushner just traveled to Israel to sure up support.

He gave the Israeli prime minister the map you see him holding. It's signed by President Trump, it shows the Golan Heights as belonging to

Israel. Given this current climate, Oren, new as like Israeli elections, of course, in September. What does all of this mean for this promised

peace plan?

LIEBERMANN: I think if you were to ask analysts and the journalists who cover this on a daily basis, what were the odds of the peace plan

succeeding? In the first place, that answer would have been low. And that answer has just gotten lower.

Israel, as you pointed out, is now at the beginning of a new election campaign season, which will go for the next 3-1/2 months which covers the

Bahrain conference at the end of this month now, at the end of June.

On top of that, one of the meetings that Jared Kushner had was with the Jordanians. And the Jordanians reiterated their support for a two-state

solution, as did Bahrain a few days back, or a few weeks back. And they're even hosting the conference saying that Palestinians must have a state.

In the middle of all this, the U.S. tries to assert its peace plan and nobody quite knows what's in it because the U.S. has never let on what's in

it. And all of that, if you look at the situation seems to mean that whenever it comes out in full, whenever it's put forward, it probably won't

be going anywhere.

ANDERSON: Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem for you. Oren, always appreciated. Thank you very much, indeed. We just want to bring you view

as -- a striking image from that meeting in Saudi Arabia about Iran that Oren and I were alluding to, which happened this weekend.

All the Gulf monarchies jetting in and they all seemed to be getting along like a house on fire except sat on the side there, Qatar. The Emir didn't

go, instead, sending his prime minister. Sitting solemnly, quietly, isolated. This country, of course, still under a blockade led by Saudi

Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. So, they have this, this region's intense geopolitics perhaps captured in a single photo.

In Syria, some 800 Syrian women and children family members of ISIS fighters will be released from the Al-Hol camp on Monday. Now, that camp

holds ISIS families that left the terror groups last stronghold as you will probably remember, and more releases are expected to follow.

[11:40:36] ANDERSON: Well, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that we are following right now that on our radar.

A resounding warning for onlookers in Venice, in Italy, right before a cruise ship rammed into a dock and tourist boats this morning. An

eyewitness described the accident as a scene from a disaster movie.

Emergency workers say the ship appeared to have lost control after a steel cable snapped. Scary stuff.

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano erupting again and it's putting on well quite a display. Experts say the explosions could go on for months.

While tourists will be kept away, the eruptions not expected to pose a danger to people who live nearby.

Research for eight climbers missing in the Himalayas will resume on Monday after bad weather hindered the efforts on Sunday. They were part of a

larger group of 12 hikers who went up one of the highest mountains in India. Nikhil Kumar has more.

NIKHIL KUMAR, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: Becky, two Indian Air Force helicopters were sent up Sunday to look for the eight climbers,

four Britons, two Americans, and Australian, as well as an Indian national, who went missing more than a week ago during an expedition in the Indian

Himalayas.

The climbers were attempting to scale Nanda Devi East, which stands at about 24,000 feet. To put that in context, the tallest peak in the world,

Mount Everest located in neighboring Nepal stands at just over 29,000 feet. The helicopters went up a day after three ground search teams reached the

base camp. They were trying to spot the climbers from the air to help guide the ground teams but returned without success.

Officials in the Indian mountain state of Uttarakhand said that air operations will now resume Monday, depending, of course, on the weather.

Meanwhile, a fourth ground team is on its way up the mountain.

The eight climbers have been missing since the 25th of May when they didn't show up at the basecamp. They were part of a larger group of 12 people who

left for the mountain on the 13th of May.

A local official told CNN that the trekking company behind the expedition waited a few days before alerting Indian authorities. The news follows

tragic developments over the border in Nepal in recent weeks, with the death of 11 climbers on Everest this year. Amid extraordinary images of

queues of people waiting to get to the summit. At Nanda Devi East, the picture still remains unclear.

As the search unfolds, officials are still trying to determine why these eight climbers went missing. Becky?

ANDERSON: All right, live from Abu Dhabi. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, the hosts of the popular T.V. game show, Jeopardy has

some big news about his health. He says, well, it's mind-boggling.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:36] ANDERSON: We're having a look at this, this is Liverpool for you folks. On a Sunday afternoon, the team is back. They are Champions

League winners. Six times Cup winners and the City out to welcome them, at least, the red side of the city. You have to remember, there's a blue side

of this city in Liverpool. And the team that the supporters on that side of the city support is a team called Everton. But nobody's talking about

that today.

This is the Liverpool team on top of the bus. That looks like Jurgen Klopp to me, is it? That's look like somebody looks like Jurgen Klopp. And who

is he? Well, he is called, the infamous manager, the nearly man who hadn't won a cup with a team until last night.

And worthy when is second in the Premier League, Champions League winners, an unbelievable season for an unbelievable team of players and coaching

staff, and manager, and the fans. Well, let's just say, they are milking it.

Let's move on for you. It's the answer. Jeopardy host Alex Trebek finds mind-boggling. That's how the beloved T.V. quiz show host describes his

prognosis against an aggressive form of cancer. CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more on Trebek's positive turn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX TREBEK, HOST, JEOPARDY: I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: In March, Alex Trebek revealed he's battling Stage four pancreatic cancer. Now, in a new People

Magazine cover story, the legendary Jeopardy host says his doctors tell him he's in near remission. And that some of his tumors have already shrunk by

more than 50 percent.

Oncologist Dr. Otis Brawley who is not treating Trebek, says near remission doesn't mean cured. But it is positive for cancer patients like Trebek.

Generally, Brawley says the significant shrinkage of tumors has been shown to extend survival, and decrease pain, and other side-effects like weight

loss and loss of appetite.

ANNOUNCER: And now, here is the host of Jeopardy, Alex Trebek.

COHEN: 78-year-old Trebek has had a hard fight. Painful chemotherapy treatments.

TREBEK: I got to tell you, that stuff really kicks the slats out of you.

COHEN: And depression from the chemo. He told ABC's Good Morning America --

TREBEK: I'm used to dealing with pain, but what I'm not used to dealing with is these surges that come on suddenly of deep, deep sadness.

COHEN: Last year, pancreatic cancer was the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. It's claimed the lives of Steve Jobs, Patrick Swayze,

Joan Crawford, Margaret Mead and, Luciano Pavarotti.

According to the American Cancer Society, only three percent of patients with Trebek's kind of cancer are still alive five years after their

diagnosis. So, while that's a very sobering statistic, there is no way to predict what's going to happen in any one person's situation.

Trebek says he has several more rounds of chemo still to go, hopefully, leading to a full remission. Trebek, says the positive response he's had

to his treatments so far is mind-boggling, and it's led him to tears of joy that he may beat the odds. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That is remarkable, amazing news. So in Alex's honor, let me channel my inner game show host for our daily double. She is a two-time

Jeopardy winner and a self-described constant oddball. Tick tock, tick tock.

All right here is the question, "Who is my next guest?" And here she is. Jennifer Morrow, in the house from New York. There's no buzzer on my show,

Jennifer, and I'll take care of the -- of the questions. So, tell us what is Alex like in person?

[11:49:45] JENNIFER MORROW, TWO-TIME WINNER ON JEOPARDY: Well, you know, on T.V., Alex comes across as an absolute professional and that definitely

shows while you're on the set. But what doesn't come across as much is that he's also very kind and funny. He -- you know, when I was --

normally, when contestants are introduced on the show, you know when their names are being readout they stand still and they smile.

And in my case, I decided to have a little bit of fun with it and do a little dance. And Alex was so encouraging. Saying, you know, practice

your moves for the next episode. And you know, in my -- on the next day, I decided to get very -- may be a little too over the top with it. You know,

I started doing this. And what I hadn't, what didn't really occur to me in advance is that this was a new studio audience, and they had a seen that

will be lead up in the encouragement.

And so, there were -- you know, some murmurs, and some -- you know, mocking laughter, and I thought, oh-oh, you know, this is way too far. But then,

Alex came out, he was introduced, and he started mimicking my moves, and the crowd started cheering because it was so unexpected.

And I thought, you know, like thank goodness for that. That was such a kind thing for him to do because he was basically telling the audience, you

know, and that viewers at home, this is OK, it's OK to have fun on the show. And I -- you know, that's something that I really value about him,

that was really wonderful to see.

ANDERSON: No, I get that. That's a -- that's a great story because my next question was really about sort of -- you know, the vibe of the show.

Because it all sort of feels incredibly sort of intellectual. So, of course, having some fun is wonderful, but just describe the vibe, if you

will.

MORROW: You know, we do have a lot of fun on the set. It's a surprisingly fun set. You know, I remember when we all -- that when the bus first pulls

up to the studio, Wheel of Fortune actually tapes across the way, and so, people start saying, "Can we go and spin the wheel?" And they're like,

"No, we're not sending a bunch of geeks there.

So you know, it's just -- it's a lot of -- it's a lot like summer camp almost. You know, there's so many wonderful people, I really enjoyed

taping. You know, I'm meeting so many new people and, you know, it's just -- we have fun on the set. There's a lot of fun, a lot of joking, and it's

just a wonderful -- it's one of the best experiences of my life. So --

ANDERSON: So, you must be watching closely. This incredible run by one James Holzhauer. How is this happening? What do you think?

MORROW: You know -- well, you know, being on the show, there are basically three main aspects that go into a good run, and that's buzzer timing, being

able to get in when -- you know, the channels open to beat everybody else, but also not buzz in too early.

There is just a broad base of knowledge, you need to essentially be well- versed in the equivalent of a high school and college education on so many different topics. And then, there's wagering strategy, the confidence --

the knowledge to know how much to wager, and the confidence to do it. And he really has all three going for him, and so, you know, a lot of it is

strategy that people have shown before, but he is really showing it at such an incredible level.

ANDERSON: Long may it continue for him. That's a -- that's a wrap, but thank you. Absolute pleasure having you on this Sunday. Thank you.

MORROW: Thank you, Becky.

ANDERSON: Live from Abu Dhabi, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up, the world is a slightly more bland place after the queen of Creole

cuisine passed away this weekend. We look back at her legacy, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:17] ANDERSON: Right. For your "PARTING SHOTS" we want to mark the passing and celebrate the extraordinary life of the queen of Creole cuisine

Leah Chase. Passing away this weekend, she lived for an impassioned 96 years full of electricity history, and gumbo. And lots, and lots of gumbo

that alone making her world-famous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEAH CHASE, CHEF, QUEEN OF CREOLE CUISINE: I said, Mr. Obama, "You don't put hot stuff in my gumbo, you never tainted." He said, "But I like

gumbo." I like to add the butter but you don't do that when I realize I'm slapping the waiters --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Feisty perhaps best of all the queen left behind a recipe for life. Work, pray and do for others. Sounds like some pretty good

ingredients to me. I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here in the UAE, and those working with this

around the world. Thank you for watching. We will see you same time tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END