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Connect the World

Anger at Rupert Murdoch's Media Empire; Terror Attack in Mumbai; Italy's Economic Plight; Women's World Cup; Popularity of Women's Football Increasing; Die-Hard US Soccer Fans; Nine Hours Before British Open Tees Off; Mark Cavendish Takes "Most Beautiful Jersey." New Hope in AIDS Fight; Connector of the Day Seth Berkley on Development of AIDS Vaccine; The Worldwide Toll of AIDS; Sweltering Heat in US Causes Jobs to Dry Up; Relief in Sight for US; Drilling Polar Ice; Parting Shots of Metrodome's New Roof

Aired July 13, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Anger in the British parliament as lawmakers blast Rupert Murdoch's empire. And tonight, the crisis goes global. The media tycoon sensationally withdrew his bid for Britain's largest satellite broadcaster earlier today. But stateside, the scandal only deepened.

Also this hour, deadly explosions rock Mumbai. Appeals for calm, as other Indian cities go on high alert.

And a glimmer of hope in the fight against AIDS. We ask the man leading the charge whether the virus will ever be gone for good.

These stories and more tonight, as we connect the world.

Well, anger in Rupert Murdoch's media empire starting to spread. News Corporation has now dropped a deal worth billions of dollars to gain full control of the U.K. satellite broadcaster, BSkyB. Now that move comes as British politicians make an extraordinary show of unity, rallying against Murdoch's bid in the wake of the phone hacking scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON BROWN, FORMER U.K. PRIME MINISTER: -- at their most vulnerable moment in their lives, with no one and nowhere to turn, found their properly private lines, their private losses, their private stories treated as the public property of News International, their private, innermost feelings and their private tears bought and sold by News International for commercial gain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the cracks are appearing wherever Murdoch's media reach is felt. The crisis is growing. Australia's arm of News Corp will now comb back through its books three years to confirm that editorial payments were for legitimate services.

In the U.S., Senate Commerce Committee chairman, Jay Rockefeller, is among three senators calling for News Corp to be investigated. He warns of severe consequences if journalists hacked the phones of September the 11th victims.

Well, that's an allegation that Britain's prime minister is also vowing to look into. David Cameron has announced his own wide-ranging inquiry into media practices, with the power to summon journalists, police and politicians.

Well, Rupert Murdoch and some of his top lieutenants have been asked to appear next week before a parliamentary committee. They will be asked to explain what they knew about some of the most scandalous revelations British journalism has seen in quite some time.

Let's kick off tonight's coverage, shall we, with our senior international correspondent, Dan Rivers, who that's a look at what political game is about to be played.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): The phone hacking scandal is turning into a high stakes game. The Conservative-led coalition is investing huge political capital into siding with the opposition Labour Party, both now ranged against media king, Rupert Murdoch, who, until recently, was a card both parties coveted. But the hacking scandal has left the king in trouble.

CAMERON: The people involved, whether they were directly responsible for wrongdoing, whether they sanctioned it or whether they covered it up, however high or low they go, they must not only be brought to justice, they must also have no future role in running a media company in our country.

RIVERS: Murdoch's queen in all this is undoubtedly chief executive Rebekah Brooks. She remains at Murdoch's side, apparently untouchable as his chief executive. But now she'll be forced to appear before a parliamentary committee next week to respond to allegations of illegal activities in some of her papers. And the joker in the pack is Andy Coulson, the former editor of "News Of The World," now out on police bail. Coulson is now the source of increasingly awkward questions for the prime minister, who hired the journalist despite repeated warnings that Coulson sanctioned payments to corrupt policemen.

ED MILIBAND, LEADER, LABOUR OPPOSITION: He just doesn't get it. He just doesn't get it.

(APPLAUSE)

MILIBAND: I say this to the prime minister, he was warned by the deputy prime minister about hiring Andy Coulson. He was warned by Lord Ashdown about hiring Andy Coulson. He has now admitted in the House of Commons today that his chief of staff was given complete evidence which contradicted Andy Coulson's previous accounts.

RIVERS: On Wednesday, sensationally, as the House of Commons was about to debate Rupert Murdoch's controversial takeover bid for the British broadcaster, BSkyB, Rupert Murdoch abruptly walked away from the table, acknowledging the bid was impossible in the current climate, suggesting that the ace he holds is that he could come back and bid again.

But there may be more criminal charges and the stakes for Rupert Murdoch keep getting higher, with talk in the U.S. That News Corp may be pursued there for bribing police under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Dan Rivers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, News Corp has plenty at stake in the United States, including the majority of its profits. Its TV sector earns the company $15 billion a year.

Let me just walk you through this. That is largely thanks to the success of the Fox Network and hit shows like this -- "American Idol," "24" and "The Simpsons".

Now if we move on just a little bit, he also, I've got to remind you, owns Fox Sports and 27 television stations from New York to Los Angeles. In fact, when you take a look at this map, the antennas represent a station that is under Murdoch's control -- all over the States.

And let's move on. It also owns and operates Fox News, Fox Business and other cable networks, including FX and the National Geographic Channel.

Murdoch's film division also highly lucrative, bringing in more than $7 billion a year, largely thanks to the success of popular Twentieth Century Fox films.

Remember "Avatar" and "Star Wars" and the X-Men franchises?

All theirs, of course.

His newspaper holdings are also profitable in the U.S., as titles like "The Wall Street Journal" and "The Post".

And finally, News Corp owns the U.S. publisher, Harper Collins, with such notable authors as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis under their belt.

Well, all that means there is an awful lot at stake if the U.S. launches its own investigation. Reports have been simmering all week that 9/11 victims may have been targeted by News International's reporters.

Well, now, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller is calling for a stateside probe.

CNN's Brian Todd asked him how it might all play out.

Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We have jurisdiction over this whole matter, unless it comes to the fact that that there are criminal elements involved, which I certainly don't rule out, in which case, the Judiciary Committee takes responsibility. You -- you know the Department of Justice and all kinds of other federal agencies are going to be going after this very hard. And -- and we will -- we will, too. I mean this is a -- it's -- it's -- it's really repugnant, you know, that - - that one man can control so many, I mean, people in the parliament. I watched the parliamentary debate on television. They were talking about, you know, how they control the Labour Party but then when they go out, they control the Conservative Party.

So it's -- it's all about that and that's bad for the world. It's certainly bad for America. And we have enough problems getting objective media.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you have specific information that Americans -- that 9/11 victims had their phones hacked?

ROCKEFELLER: We will find out and let you know.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ANDERSON: All right. Well, let's get more on what type of investigation could get underway in the US.

Joining me now, one of our show's big thinkers, a regular guest who says an investigation would massively damage the credibility of News Corp as an organization.

Steve Greenberg is a criminal defense attorney based in Chicago.

Conrad Black, himself a disgraced media baron, calls Murdoch in a -- an "F.T." A "Financial Times" exclusive interview today, one assumes, from his prison cell, "a Napoleon, a great bad man."

Steve, what's the prospect of at least a man called Murdoch, be it Rupert or one of his sons, potentially James, being called to account in the U.S. for the organization's behavior?

STEVE GREENBERG, CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER: I think it's certain to happen. There's a couple of different ways it could help. There's going to be a Congressional investigation, because Fox News Channel is a lightning rod. It's perceived as a very conservative channel and sort of Republican biased. In fact, I don't think there's any dispute that they are the media arm of the Republican Party.

So I expect some Democratic senators are going to drag somebody in and start investigating this.

If it comes out that they were spying or they were hacking, as they call it, on 9/11 victims or anyone else, then it's going to blow up. Then there's going to be a criminal investigation. And while it won't affect the TV stations that put on "The Simpsons" or "American Idol" or the movie studio with "Avatar," I suspect that it could be quite damning to the investigative arms, the newspapers, "The Wall Street Journal," which is one of the oldest newspapers and an institution that people were worried about Murdoch acquiring.

ANDERSON: Yes, you're talking about the credibility of News Corp.

Let's get a little bit more specific here.

What we're looking at is the potential for, for example, James Murdoch to be held up by the fom -- foreign criminal prosecution act as a foreigner who sits on the board of News Corporation, being effectively accountable for his staff, who have paid police officers in the past for information. This is something that's only alleged and is being -- or will be investigated in the UK.

If you had to defend James Murdoch against those charges, if, indeed, they were to come to fruition, what would you suggest to him as his defense at this point?

GREENBERG: Well, his defense is going to be that he didn't know anything and that these were rogue reporters who were doing this. In order to prosecute him -- and they can prosecute him if he had some knowledge or looked the other way and missed something that was sort of obvious.

There's something called an ostrich prosecution here in the US. And what that really means is that if you stick your head in the sand and you ignore what's obvious or what's going on underneath you, as a director of a corporation, then you could be prosecuted as if you were involved in those activities.

I wouldn't expect that no one will get prosecuted or -- I said that awkwardly. I expect that someone will be held accountable, certainly if they can draw Murdoch into it, maybe not Rupert, but his son, they will do that.

ANDERSON: The 9/11 victims' families call for an investigation certainly provides another layer, doesn't it?

And it's an emotional layer at this point. There are a number of lawmakers in the U.S. House at this point pursuing an investigation.

What chance do they stand of that coming off?

GREENBERG: All they have to do to do a Congressional investigation is ask for one and it will happen. When you think about the 9/11 victims, you're talking about people who really are probably the most sacred of all victims here in the US. That would be very bad for News Corp. I -- I don't know how I could put it any -- in any legalese. But these people -- anyone who does anything to a 9/11 victim, it's like doing something to -- to the pope or the president by analogy.

I mean it even be worse, because these people were -- were so innocently victimized.

If they hacked those families, the question that I've got is, why would you do that?

What information would they have hoped to -- to learn from those families?

And I suspect if they were hacking, it wasn't just victims, it were -- was other people. You know, in this country, you can't listen in on someone's conversation without authorization from a judge in the form of a warrant. And that's very strictly enforced. That's one of our basic rights, a privacy right.

ANDERSON: Steve Greenberg, a regular guest on this show. always a pleasure, sir.

Thanks for joining us out of Chicago tonight.

Well, Rupert Murdoch may very well be taking stock of just how much he has lost from a withdrawal on a TV deal worth billions of dollars, I've got to tell you, to his company, to the closure of Britain's biggest selling Sunday tabloid, a paper he's had for more than 40 years.

CNN's Nick Glass takes us through some of the scoops and scandals of that now defunct "News of the World" newspaper.

Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK GLASS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ""News of the World"" was the oldest of the British popular newspapers. Thank you and good bye was the safely uncontentious headline on Sunday's final edition -- an instant collector's item -- some four million copies sold, well over a million more than normal.

(on camera): When you heard it was closing, how did you feel?

ROY STOCKDILL, FORMER "NEWS OF THE WORLD" REPORTER: Well, immensely sad. Shocked to start with. I couldn't believe it.

GLASS: So this is where it all began. This is the first edition of the "News of the World" from October 1, 1843, 168 years ago. Price, three pence. Advertising on the front. And on the inside pages, the lead story foreign news is, "Revolution in Greece."

(voice-over): "The Times" -- "The Sunday Times" and "The Observer" all started earlier. But this was the cheap paper for the masses. At its peak in the 1950s, it was selling over eight million copies. Only "Pravda," it's said, sold more. The cocktail seemed irresistible -- sex and crime and preferably a Tory politician.

STOCKDILL: "The Confessions of Christine" by the girl who is rocking the government.

GLASS: Christine Keeler, a call girl involved with the Tory war minister, John Profumo, sold her memoirs to The "News of the World" in 1963. Profumo resigned and the Tory government would soon lose power.

STOCKDILL: "Tory Boss Archer Pays Off the Vice Girl."

GLASS: In 1986, another Tory politician, another call girl.

STOCKDILL: There was huge glee, basically, but -- because, of course -- and then, of course, as we all know, Tiffany Archer subsequently went to jail for -- for lying, basically. I think there was even more glee there.

GLASS: Of course, the paper's modern history is largely about Rupert Murdoch, the first British newspaper he acquired in 1969. Within months, he made it onto the cover of the satirical magazine, "Private Eye."

IAN HISLOP, EDITOR, "PRIVATE EYE" MAGAZINE: I can't shed a huge amount of tears. "Private Eye" has referred to Murdoch as "the dirty digger" throughout his long career. And I mean it's not an accident. He does dig up dirt and then puts it in papers and then sells it. This legendary figure, Rupert Murdoch, flies into town to clear up. It's a bit like "The Wizard of Oz," this very, very old man appears and is in charge of Rebekah Brooks, who looks a bit like his career, really.

And the joke here, is it's -- it's the wrong red top that's been got rid of.

GLASS (on camera): Do you feel the red tops, the tabloids, have lost their way?

STOCKDILL: Yes. Yes, frankly. I'll be honest with you, I -- after I left The "News of the World," I stopped reading it. I, personally, am not so interested in bonking footballers and, you know, druggy -- druggy pop stars and -- and models basically. I preferred the old elements. GLASS (voice-over): The phone hacking scandal and the public revulsion to it is certain to have repercussions. It seems the tabloids will be forced to change. The journalistic culture of anything goes, anyone is fair game, is under intense scrutiny. Everyone assumes that once the dust settles, Murdoch will launch a new Sunday tabloid. He's been talking about "The Sun" on Sunday for over 20 years.

Nick Glass, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, I guess "The Sun" on Sunday is a possibility, but it's also possible that Murdoch could sell his entire interest in the U.K. newspaper industry, helping him dotting the Is and crossing the T's on what is known as the plurality test. If News Corp decides to resubmit a bid for BSkyB, in, say, six months' time, which they will be allowed to do, revenue streams at the pay TV satellite broadcaster are set to soar and could provide a quarter of News Corp's revenues within five years.

He may decide that that's exactly what he wants to do.

Well, the shares of BSkyB finished the day up almost 2 percent. The price around seven pounds, or $11.

That, though, is significantly lower than the $16 that analysts had expected News Corp would have to pay.

Interesting, huh?

And News Corp was up itself, around 4 percent.

Murdoch is no fool. Watch this space. News Corp could conceivably pick BSkyB up for a song before this time next year, although I would wager that the board would not boast a Murdoch, perhaps, at that time. That would be unacceptable.

I just want to clarify something. We will talk about Conrad Black, who has written a -- a comment piece in the "F.T." Earlier on today. And I alluded to him with our guest, Steve Greenberg.

He, talking about Murdoch as a Napoleon, a great, bad figure. I suggested that -- I assumed that that piece had been written from a prison cell. Of course, he is out of prison at the moment, but is expected to go back at the beginning of September. Just a clarification for you.

Well, there's more to come on CONNECT THE WORLD this evening here on CNN, including the latest on a city rocked by deadly terror attacks. We go live to our correspondent in Mumbai in two minute's time.

Then, Italy takes drastic action to dig itself out of debt.

But we'll hear why it's not the next Greece -- well, at least not according to some. And that is ahead for you.

And kicking up a storm -- what's got these football (ph) fans celebrating at the Women's World Cup?

You're with CNN.

It's just about 20 past 9:00 in London.

I'm Becky Anderson.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: You're back with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.

I'm Becky Anderson in London.

Here is a look at the other stories that we are following for you this hour.

And major cities across India are on high alert after a devastating attack on Mumbai. Three bombs exploded in the heart of India's financial capital earlier today, on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people. Well, authorities call it a, quote, "coordinated terror attack."

CNN's Mallika Kapur joins us now from Mumbai with the details.

What do we know at this point -- Mallika?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you mentioned, Becky, officials are finally declaring it a terrorist attack. For the first hour or so after the attacks, they said that they weren't sure whether these attacks were, indeed, carried out by terrorists. They weren't even calling them bomb blasts. They were just saying that there have been explosions in Mumbai.

But since then, we have heard from India's home minister, who has said, like you pointed out, that these are coordinated attacks by terrorists.

The death toll continues to rise. It's about 21 people now. Some reporters saying about 120 people have been injured.

I went to one of the scenes of the bomb blasts. I went to Opera House, which is where the biggest bomb went off, and saw some of the damage there. We did see cars that had been damaged, motor bikes that had been damaged and window panes broken on the buildings nearby.

I spoke to one person whose office is just about 200 yards away from where the blast took place. And he said that the explosion was so loud, that the noise was so loud, that he thought there -- that an entire building had fallen down.

Remember, the attack took place in a very, very congested area of Mumbai. In fact, that's the one thing in common between all the three areas, that all the three areas that were targeted are very busy, crowded commercial areas of Mumbai, expected to be teeming with people, especially at rush hour, which is when the three attacks took place -- Becky.

ANDERSON: And Mallika Kapur on that story and more, of course, on CNN, as Mallika gets more information for you.

Mallika, thank you for that.

Well, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has attended the funeral of his half- brother. Ahmed Wali Karzai was killed on Tuesday by a bodyguard who the Taliban says was working for them. Before the funeral, a remotely detained mine wounded two soldiers in Kandahar.

The governor of Helmand Province, who was nearby, headed to the funeral, was not hurt.

Just one day after France's president announced plans to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, militants have killed five French soldiers. One Afghan civilian was also killed in the ambush in Eastern Afghanistan. The suicide bomber detonated explosives near soldiers guarding a meeting of village elders.

Nicolas Sarkozy says French combat units will leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Well, Egypt's government has fired nearly 600 top police officers, calling it the biggest sacking in the history of the force. Now, the move is a key step toward a key demand of protesters camping out in Tahrir Square. They want all police accused of killing or torturing demonstrators during this year's uprising to be purged from the force and then put on trial.

Well, it is a bitter pill to swallow, but it seems Italy has no other choice. Coming up, the country braces for new austerity measures that could pass parliament in just a few days.

And later this hour, two breakthrough studies could provide the best hope for slowing the spread of AIDS. That coming up later this hour.

Your news follows this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back.

This is CONNECT THE WORLD.

It's 26 minutes past 9:00 in London.

I am Becky Anderson for you now.

The Irish government calls it "disappointing." The European Commission calls it "incomprehensible." Well, both expressing their frustration today with a surprise decision by Moody's to downgrade Ireland's debt to junk status.

The ratings agency warns there is a, quote, "growing possibility" that Ireland will need another bailout in 2013, when its current rescue package runs out.

Well, it's just one more thing for Eurozone governments to worry about as they try to contain what is a spreading debt crisis, as you know. No one wants to see, for example, Italy and Spain join those countries needing financial lifelines to stay afloat.

Well, look at the loans already handed out by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Ireland received a bailout of $120 billion last year. And as we just heard, it may need another loan by 2013.

Now, Greece was granted $146 billion in bailout last year. That wasn't enough, of course. Eurozone ministers are now trying to finalize the terms of a second loan to Greece.

And earlier this year, Portugal was kept afloat by an aid package worth $116 billion.

Well, the debt contagion has now arrived on Italy's doorstep. That country is more than $2 trillion in the red. Lawmakers appear certain to pass what is an emergency austerity package later this week.

CNN's Nina dos Santos tells us why it's time for Italians to wake up and smell the coffee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rome is pretty famous for la dolce vita, the sweet life, though no amount of sugar can mask the bitter pill the Italians will soon have to swallow.

At Cafe Vani (ph), one customer tells me she's worried. She's very worried. She doesn't think that the politicians will be able to get Italy out of this situation, a situation, she says, which is difficult for other European countries.

Years of easy living and flawed politics have left Italy with a debt burden equal to 120 percent of its economy. Everyone agrees something must be done fast, but it's less clear exactly where the axe will fall and when emergency reforms will make it through parliament.

Italy's finance minister is hoping to push the proposals through on Friday, a record speed in a nation famous for its endless political debate. And that's much to the delight of the business community.

EMMA MARCEGAGLIA: We are all working together and I think and I hope this will be enough to -- to say to the market that Italy is there, the government is there, the entrepreneurs are there and we want all to work toward a zero deficit, cuts in public spending and also to go back to growth, which is absolutely very important.

DOS SANTOS (on camera): As Italy's bankers converge upon Rome for their annual summit, the planning couldn't be more apt, with this country's debt crisis grabbing headlines far beyond its own borders. The word on everybody's mind here is austerity.

(voice-over): But not too fast, it seems.

(on camera): Do you think Italy will ever default on its debt.

ROBERTO NICASTRO, GENERAL MANAGER, UNICREDIT: I don't -- I don't -- I see little -- little chance of that here. DOS SANTOS (voice-over): In a call for national unity, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has warned that without the necessary measures, this country will go back 20 years, to the pre-euro days, when the lira reigned supreme.

To the man on the street -- or in the cafe, rather -- that would seem no bad thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, I am a bit nostalgic.

DOS SANTOS: Nina Dos Santos, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: And lest we forget, political leaders across the Atlantic are also staring down a potentially disastrous default. US president Barack Obama is meeting for a fourth day with congressional leaders. There's no sign of any deal to raise the US debt limit at this point.

Now, without that agreement, by August the 2nd, the US won't be able to pay its bills, and the global economy could feel the consequences.

We're going to take a very short break. Your headlines follow this. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: At just after half past nine in London, I'm Becky Anderson. Let's get you a check of the world news headlines before we move on with CONNECT THE WORLD this hour.

News Corporation has withdrawn its plan to take over all shares it does not yet own of Britain's leading satellite broadcaster, BskyB. Now, it's the latest blow for Rupert Murdoch's company as the fallout continues over Britain's growing phone-hacking scandal.

Indian police are investigating the worst attack on Mumbai since the 2008 terror siege. Three bombings killed at least 21 people during evening rush hour on Wednesday. Authorities call it a coordinated terror strike but haven't yet identified any suspects.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has attended the funeral of his half-brother. Ahmed Wali Karzai was killed on Tuesday by a bodyguard who the Taliban says was working for them.

Egypt's government is taking steps to appease protesters in Tahrir Square. Today, it fired nearly 600 high-ranking police officers. Protesters wanted all police accused of killing or torturing demonstrators during this year's uprising purged and put on trial.

There's a hint the US economy could get another injection of stimulus money. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers on Wednesday that the Central Bank is prepared to respond if the economy weakens.

And those are your headlines this hour.

We will soon know which two football teams will battle it out in the finals of the women's World Cup. USA took on France a short time ago in the first semifinal.

Their run through the competition has captured the imagination of fans with their quarterfinal victory over Brazil, the highest-rated women's World Cup match watched in the US since they hosted the event in 1999.

In the second semifinal, Japan takes on Sweden. And watching it all has been "World Sport's" Alex Thomas. So don't keep us waiting a minute longer. Who is going to get that first spot in the final, then?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the United States are out.

(LAUGHTER)

ALEX THOMAS: No, I'm just kidding! The United States have made it. They got there, and it is exciting for women's football and for the World Cup. As you quite rightly said, Becky, the last time they were there was 1999 when they captured the second of their world titles.

That was the moment when Brandi Chastain took her top off and celebrated in just her black sports bra, an iconic image that was on the front of "Time" magazine and all these sorts of publications, and it really saw women's football soar in the US. So, they're through after a 3-1 victory over France.

And the other semifinal's just getting to the closing stages. You might know more than me, because someone's whispering in your ear but, with five minutes to go, Japan were 3-1 up, so the two score lines mirroring each other, and they've completely outplayed Sweden. So, it looks like a Japan- USA final in Germany on Sunday.

ANDERSON: How popular is women's football around the world. I'm happy to say I played when I was a youngster, but it was pretty unfashionable in those days. I know it's more now. What are the figures?

THOMAS: It doesn't have the strength in depth of men's football, certainly, which is why the women's World Cup doesn't have as many competing nations.

But there's no doubt, just from the naked eye looking at the standard of football, you look at the earliest World Cups compared to the last two or three, they have just had huge leaps and bounds.

And it's been a really competitive tournament. It's been head in Germany. They were, surprisingly, knocked out by Japan in the quarterfinals. But actually, they've had record TV viewing figures in Germany.

So, it's a tournament that has captured the football public's imagination like no other, and gone are the days when it was just all about the men's World Cup and the women's was a byword.

ANDERSON: They've been packing the stadiums out as well. Listen, soccer may be the biggest sport in the US, but it's definitely got some die-hard fans -- or may not be the biggest sport, but it's got die-hard fans.

In New York City, these supporters were on the edge of their seats until their team secured the win with their third goal. CNN's Richard Roth caught up with some of those fans after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big sigh of relief here among US supporters of the women's national team after a 3-1 victory over France. What did you think of the match?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was an incredible match. The US seemed a little bit nervous, but it seems like they're here, they're ready to play, and it's time for a victory. USA is back for the women.

ROTH: What was the effect of the big win on Sunday, the rally at the last minute?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was --

ROTH: A carryover?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I mean, that was one of the most incredible miracle victories that the USA has had, and you can see it with all the people out, it's time for people to get behind soccer, and everybody is ready for a victory.

ROTH: Thank you. All right, we're going to talk to some women supporters, soccer players themselves. Molly, what did you think? It was a little nerve-wracking, wasn't it, at 1-1?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes, very nerve-wracking, but we got the win. Go USA! Go USA!

ROTH: Had you given up hope?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I had not. You could just tell they had the fight in them. The depth of this team really helped them. They were a little tired in the midfield, but they brought some subs in, and that was the key.

ROTH: I guess on the weekend when the final is being played, you'll be out doing something else?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We're going to be watching the game or playing a game, but they made it to the final, and now we're looking forward to that.

ROTH: Thank you very much, ladies. So, the United States, a victory in the semifinal, and they're back in another World Cup final. This is Richard Roth, CNN, in New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Having some fun in here. I think you just got the result of the last match.

THOMAS: Yes, Japan's through, it's 3-1. No more goals, Japan versus US in the final on Sunday.

ANDERSON: Good stuff. We'll be watching, I'm sure, both of us on Sunday. What else have you got going on in the world of sport for tonight?

THOMAS: Well, I'll tell you what else, Becky. The 140th Open golf championship tees off in less than nine hours' time, plenty of contenders, but Rory McIlroy's the star man this week, although he was only 14 years old when the tournament was last held at Royal St. Georges.

The new US Open champion hasn't played competitively since that runaway triumph at the Congressional club last month. He tees off just after 9:00 in the morning local time here in the UK alongside Rickie Fowler, another talented youngster from the US, and South African veteran Ernie Els.

"It's the most beautiful jersey in the world." The words of Mark Cavendish after his victory in the 11th stage of the Tour de France put him top of the sprinters' standings, the British rider missing out on Tuesday when he was beaten to the line by former teammate Andre Greipel.

And the German was in contention again after heavy rain on the 104 miles to Lavaur. This time, though, Cavendish wasn't to be denied, and he out- sprinted his rivals to record the 18th stage win of his career.

That puts him 7th in the all-time list in La Tour, and he'll wear the green jersey on Thursday, although France's Thomas Voeckler retains the overall lead and the even-more coveted yellow jersey.

More on "World Sport" in just under an hour's time, including an interview with young German golfer Martin Kaymer, who's kind of slipped under the radar ahead of events at Royal St. Georges.

ANDERSON: Interesting. All right, good stuff, looking forward to the golf. Thank you, sir. Alex Thomas with your sports news this evening.

Still to come here on the show, new hope in the fight against AIDS. The bid to prevent this modern-day epidemic takes a surprising step forward. Good news. That story in two minutes time, don't go away.

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ANDERSON: Well, there is some important news out today in the fight against AIDS. Two studies have shown that drugs used treat the disease can prevent heterosexuals from getting infected.

Researchers discovered that certain anti-retroviral medication reduced the risk of HIV infection by at least 60 percent. The studies didn't include homosexuals.

The good news doesn't stop there. US pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences is allowing Indian companies to copy four of its HIV drugs. Now, that deal is a first of its kind will help give people in poorer countries access to cheaper AIDS treatment.

Well, treatment, of course, is one battle front against this epidemic, which claims an estimated two million lives a year, but prevention is the key. Tonight's big interview is with the man who is leading the search for an AIDS vaccine.

World-renowned epidemiologist Seth Berkley is the new chief executive of GAVI, that's an alliance dedicated to getting people in poor countries access to life-saving vaccines. But he's best known for founding the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which is committed to speeding up the development of safe and effective vaccines.

My colleague Max Foster sat down with Dr. Berkley and began by asking how close we are to a breakthrough.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SETH BERKLEY, FOUNDER, INTERNATIONAL AIDS VACCINE INITIATIVE: In the last two years, we've moved more than in the previous decade. The science is exquisite, we've now seen a vaccine work in humans, albeit modestly, and so work is going to improve that vaccine.

But there's also been a number of scientific breakthroughs that now are being translated into vaccine candidates. So, I say to my colleagues in Africa, it can't come soon enough, but hold on, we're working on it. And I look forward to the day when that vaccine will be one of GAVI's vaccines that we're distributing throughout the world.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are we at the stage where there's a scientist somewhere who could have a miracle overnight, or are we at the stage where we're still working towards that point?

BERKLEY: Well, the interesting actions that have occurred in science recently, we've identified antibodies that neutralize all the strains. The problem with HIV is its variability, and those actually -- individuals have been identified in Africa.

And so, the challenge now is we know what these antibodies look like, we know where they bind on HIV, and the challenge is to make a vaccine that will produce those antibodies. And that breakthrough could occur at any time.

FOSTER: It could be a eureka moment.

BERKLEY: It would be a eureka moment.

FOSTER: Malenga (ph) from Zambia, "Are you working at both a vaccine and a cure?"

BERKLEY: So, IAVI is working only on vaccines, and the reason we're doing that is that if you think about the world, today there are 33 million infected people but there are billions and billions of people at risk of getting infected.

So, the challenge would be to deal with prevention. With prevention, that means that ultimately we will be able to slow down the number of new infections, which allows us to treat with -- treat the people who are infected.

If we don't do that, though, for every person today that is put on a treatment, there are two new infections, that is not a sustainable model.

FOSTER: OK. And Hindiguri (ph) has a question around the affordability of vaccines. She asks when and if a vaccine for HIV is found, will it be available to all, or only for the elite?

BERKLEY: Well, one of the things that GAVI does that's very special is it's trying to shape the vaccine market, because the general model of vaccines has been producing them in small quantities in very high prices when they first come out, and then waiting 15 or 20 years to get them to the developing world.

Today, we have a different model, which is getting them to the people who need them immediately and trying to get as many manufacturers as possible engaged in this to create the type of competition that will drive the price down.

FOSTER: Let's be ruthless about this, though. Economically speaking, if there is suddenly a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, the company that creates it is going to be in for a huge amount of money. The amount of custom that they will have purely at their own disposal.

How do you -- how are you going to convince them that they should be giving it away for, I don't know, cents to each person in Africa, for example.

BERKLEY: Well, one of the exciting things is that, prior to this time, companies produced their vaccines themselves. They invested in the research, and then they could set the price.

The work that's being done by these product development partnerships, like IAVI, we're actually using public sector dollars to finance the research, so we actually control the intellectual property and, therefore, will be able to negotiate, with whatever companies manufacture, the pricing arrangements.

And for us, what we want is tiered pricing. We want those in the poorest countries to be able to have affordable pricing, and then that price to increase as countries can afford it to whatever the full price is in the wealthy countries. That's the right way to do it.

FOSTER: Do you worry that a virus may be created somewhere in the world which is so rapidly spread and so dangerous that it will kill a great many people all of a sudden and we haven't got the systems in place to develop a vaccine quick enough?

BERKLEY: Well, of course, that has always been the worry. But what's interesting about biological systems is that they are in some equilibrium. If a virus was to kill very, very quickly, it itself wouldn't be able to do what it needs to do, which is reproduce and spread.

In some sense, HIV's an incredibly effective organism because what it's able to do is infect somebody for five, seven, ten years before they get sick and die and, therefore, they have the ability to spread it.

So, in general, we don't see that type of rapid spread. It does happen sometimes, and when it does, we really need to deal with it quickly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Seth Berkley speaking to Max Foster.

And just to give you an idea of how vital these kinds of developments are, consider this. 33.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS around the world right now and, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only a fraction have access to treatment.

And this is the toll to date. Since the first case reported in June 1981, HIV/AIDS has claimed more than 27 million lives. Just putting it into context for you.

Tomorrow night, join us for our big interview with one of the gladiators of America's talk show wars. Jay Leno is in our hot seat. Find out which guest almost brought this TV funny man to tears. That is tomorrow night. And for more on the other big interviews we've got lined up, head to cnn.com/connect.

Hot enough to cook breakfast on the dashboard of a car. Yes, parts of the United States are baking. A weather forecast for you up next, plus how the sweltering heat is causing jobs to dry up. You're with CNN, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: I don't know what the weather is like in your part of the world, but a blistering heat wave is sweeping across the United States as we speak, 11 states have been hit with heart advisories.

Take a look at this map. That is a huge swathe of the country. Temperatures in the Carolinas will top 37 degrees Celsius, but combined with high humidity, that's going to feel like 46. Yuck.

It's more than just uncomfortable out there, it is dangerous. The heat's already claimed at least one life in Illinois, and it's causing drought conditions in the Deep South, affecting farmland and people's livelihood, of course.

Well, it's already a difficult time for the US economy, and at a local level, these sweltering temperatures are hitting some people's wallets hard. As CNN's Rob Marciano reports, in the Texan town of Happy, many are feeling far from it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Yes, it's hot enough to fry an egg.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's Oklahoma heat for you.

MARCIANO: It's so hot, it even buckled this road and caused this water main to burst through the sidewalk. And it's been hot for a while in Oklahoma City, where temperatures have broken 100 degrees 18 of the last 20 days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hot outside, it's hotter in the house.

MARCIANO: A brief power outage in Wichita, Kansas, makes an escape from the heat wave virtually impossible.

But it's the economic impact that his hitting these Texas farmers hard. The drought has dried up grass that cows eat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're seeing so many people selling their entire herd, and that's like selling your factory.

MARCIANO: Cotton and other crops aren't faring well, either. Even the once plentiful Ogallala Aquifer may run dry in west Texas.

MARCIANO (on camera): The reality is, when the underground wells dry up, so does business. Grain elevators in this area stand empty, and the economies in town like Happy, Texas, are depressed.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Originally named for its oasis-like source for water, Main Street now resembles a western ghost town. Lake Meredith is the other big water source, feeding 11 cities, including Amarillo and Lubbock. It's so hot and dry, the lake is slowly disappearing.

DAVID BRAUER, MANAGER, OGALLALA AQUIFIER PROGRAM, USDA: The average loss of water from Lake Meredith is 100 inches.

MARCIANO (on camera): Just from evaporation.

BRAUER: Just from evaporation.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Now hot, very humid, and hazy air is building into the northeast. Heat advisories are up for 11 states, and the hottest of the hot, Mississippi and parts of Tennessee, where the heat index could soar to 116.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Rob Marciano reporting on the heat wave and its effects.

Let's get the latest forecast for the US, shall we? Guillermo is at the World Weather Center. Any relief in sight, Guillermo?

GUILLERMO ARDUINO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we have it. We have it, actually. So, one more day. When I move, you're going to see, the part of the United States that you were talking about is getting much better.

So, I'm going to give you some numbers so you see where we have been on Tuesday. It's 38 in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. Yesterday, we were showing our viewers what was going on there. And then, very close to 40 degrees.

But exactly how does that feel? Let's see.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, we are sweltering, and we're just asking for some relief here. Houston is hot as blazes. Stay put, stay cool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARDUINO: That's enough to feel better. Well, Houston may take a little bit better. That was in Texas.

Now, what about us here in Georgia, because we have also an extremely hot weather condition right here. So, for some, it's even very challenging.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it's really humid and just really kind of nasty, just goes poof. Disgusting, so --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARDUINO: Yes, her hair, that's the challenge. So, for many at least she has some, I wish that were my problem.

Let's come back and see. In essence, what's going to happen in here is that we are going to see those conditions improving a little bit.

But you must remember anywhere in the world where you are, you have to drink water. You have to try to wear light or white clothes when you're outside. And remember to use sunscreen, because this is not the sun or the effect of the sun that we saw 40 years ago. Now, things are much more dangerous.

And also, if you have air conditioning at home or in the car, try to stay there, go to a movie theater, or go to a shopping center where it's much better and, Becky, much safer.

ANDERSON: You're talking to a Brit, here. Mad dogs and Englishmen stay out in the midday sun, right?

ARDUINO: I'm talking to our viewers --

ANDERSON: Why telling me to do all these things?

ARDUINO: -- who are in other parts of the world.

ANDERSON: I know, you're being sensible. Good. Thank you for that.

ARDUINO: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Very good advice, absolutely. Very good advice from Guillermo for you.

From baking hot to freezing temperatures, on Saturday, we begin Going Green special event here on CNN. Environmentalist and CNN special correspondent Philippe Cousteau, a regular guest on this show, takes us to a remote part of the world where scientists endure sub-zero temperatures to conduct research on climate change. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the morning sun brightens the horizon, the team works together like a well-oiled machine.

HELEN FINDLAY, CATLIN SCIENTIST: Today's job is to build or dig a hole through the sea ice. And the sea ice is about a meter, 70 centimeters thick here, so we have to use a drill to make a series of holes.

And the drill's pretty heavy, and it's quite hard to work, so you kind of try to concentrate on just making sure that it goes straight down and doesn't get caught on anything. It can be pretty dangerous.

COUSTEAU: It's as if they were drilling into a vast bank vault, looking for scientific treasure. It's hard work, enough to make them break a sweat underneath their snowsuits.

Slowly, they work their way down, 20, 40, 60 centimeters into the ice that measures about a meter and a half thick. Remember, these scientists are not on land. They're floating on top of 300 meters of ocean below.

Souvenirs of this excavation decorate the frozen landscape.

FINDLAY: So, we'll keep going until we get to the bottom of the drill, which was maybe a meter 20 down. We also don't want to get too far down because if we pop through to the sea water below before we're ready to do that, then we'll flood holes that we've made already.

It's quite a big hole. This is one of the biggest ones I've ever had to drill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Quite remarkable stuff. Philippe Cousteau there with a preview of our Going Green special. It's called Extreme Science, and you can see it right here, Saturday night, 9:00 PM London, 10:00 in Berlin, and midnight in Abu Dhabi. I'm sure you can work it out where you are watching in the world.

You can also join Philippe in a live chat on Facebook. That's facebook.com/CNNinternatonal for all the details. Post your comments and questions to Philippe as the show airs on Saturday. He's an absolute expert, as you know.

In tonight's Parting Shots just before we go, we're gracing the Minneapolis skyline once again. The city's Metrodome sports stadium gets a new roof. But let's just remind you of how it collapsed last December.

First it was a trickle, then the inflatable roof could take no more. It fell under a half a meter of snow. Thankfully, nobody hurt at the time.

Well, fast-forward right to today, and the Metrodome rises again. This time-lapse video shows the roof being inflated. It's made of new material that's said to be stronger than steel, we are told.

There's your Parting Shots this evening. I'm Becky Anderson, thanks for watching. The world news headlines and "BackStory" will follow this short break here on CNN. Don't go away.

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