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Inside India's COVID Explosion; Prime Minister Suspends Health Minister And Baghdad Governor; Explosions Consume Hospital Filled With COVID-19 Patients. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired April 26, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:21]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He shakes his brother but it's too late.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight, India's exploding pandemic and the message from top health officials there, don't panic. We

dive into that this hour.

Then Israel responding with these airstrikes after rockets are fired from Gaza. We are in Jerusalem for you.

Plus, a leaked recording of Iran's Foreign Minister shows us what he really thinks of who is running his country. That is ahead.

It's 7:30 in New Delhi, it's 4:00 p.m. in Paris, bang on 6:00 here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. Well, tonight we

are connecting a world where the growing inequity between those who live in countries that are relatively insulated from the virus. And those suffering

through a volcanic eruption of it has never been more stark and more dangerous to all of us, wherever we live in the world.

I want to show you that through the prism of the world's largest democracy, as well as America and Europe connecting once again. W worst case scenario,

in fact, is what it is, the COVID situation in the country as bad as it's ever been. As bad as it's been anywhere in the world. Let's listen to one

of India's top health officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDEEP GULERIA, DIRECTOR, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (through translator): There is an unnecessary panic among the public. And it is

causing more harm than good. And anyone who is COVID positive, even if their saturation is normal, and they have no symptoms they panic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that's the approach, don't panic. Look at these hospitals in New Delhi sending SOS messages for oxygen, people dying outside those

hospitals. Those who do make it inside having to share beds. You see it right here. People rammed into this ward. What else? India breaking an

unwanted record today for a fifth straight day of afraid more than 352,000 new COVID-19 cases reported.

The most ever in a single day in any country. Nearly 3000 new deaths. This chart showing the stunning surge of this brutal second wave. My colleague

Anna Coren now with more on what is the dire situation inside and outside India's hospitals and why government critics say it didn't have to be like

this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): As smoke rises over a pile of ashes, another family huddled over the remains of their loved one. A son says farewell to his 49-

year-old mother who died of COVID a day ago. While his twin brother fights for his life in hospital. Another body draped in marigolds is led into the

crematorium. An assembly line of death and misery on an insurmountable scale.

Through fifth consecutive day, India has set a global record for daily infections and deaths, but health experts believe the real numbers could be

much higher. The acute shortage of oxygen across the country is the main killer as hospitals already overcapacity turn away patients who don't have

their own oxygen cylinders and supply.

DR. SCL GUPTA, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, BATRA HOSPITAL: but here if somebody dies, you know is dies because of a lack of oxygen. You cannot describe

that feeling man. But you feel like crying it. The feeling so helpless.

COREN (voice-over): Unable to get an ambulance, this family takes their brother to hospital in a rickshaw, his feet protruding. But like all the

others they visited, it has no available beds, let alone enough oxygen.

I try it almost all the hospitals, he says. Everyone told me they had no oxygen supply. So I came here and they shoot us away at the gate saying

they don't have any oxygen.

The wait outside excruciating but health never comes. He shakes his brother, but it's too late.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the second wave as a storm that has shaken the country and announced the construction of more than 500

oxygen generation plants. But that's called comfort for the families who feel their government has abandoned them and left them to fight this

pandemic on their own.

[10:05:03]

COHREN (voice-over): When critics say the government should have been preparing and stockpiling for the inevitable, it dropped its guard allowing

social gatherings, religious festivals and political rallies to be held. Some, the Prime Minister himself attended, giving the virus the chance to

spread and mutate.

In the capital, New Delhi, there is more than 30 percent positivity rate and half the cases by the start of this month with a more contagious

variant that's afflicting younger people and has now been detected in the U.K. and Switzerland.

For radio host, Stutee Ghosh whose father contracted COVID, she pulled him out of hospital because she feared he would die there. For every 200

patients, only one doctor was available. She bought an oxygen concentrator on the black market for an exorbitant price, allowing her father to be

cared for at home. But she says if you don't have money and privilege, what hope do you have in saving your loved ones?

STUTEE GHOSH, RADIO HOST: If God forbid you're in -- you're in a position where you can't breathe. And you doctors were breaking down on social media

in front of the camera saying patient will die. Patients are being turned away because there is no oxygen. Who will answer this? This this is a

failure.

ANNA COREN, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, take a look at this view of the horrifying reality of what is this modern day plague. Mass cremations in New Delhi, mass burials also

happening there in the second most populous country in the world. Well, to help us understand what is going on, I'm joined now by the World Health

Organization's chief scientists. Dr. Soumya. Swaminathan. Thank you for joining us.

No need to panic, say health authorities in India, you can understand their appeal. But frankly, people are panicking. And as Anna's report lays out

with good reason, do you agree that it didn't have to be like this?

DR. SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CHIEF SCIENTISTS: Becky, unfortunately, over the last 16 months, we've seen this playing out in

country after country, starting with countries high income, middle income, low income, those with good health systems, not so good health systems.

When you have an explosive surge in the number of cases, any health system will be overwhelmed and that's exactly what's happening now.

And it's heartbreaking to see, you know, what's happening in the hospitals, how health workers are struggling to provide care to people. And of course,

the shortages of essential items, particularly oxygen which is being addressed. So, I think we need to --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Sorry, with respect. We didn't see it coming. You know, time after time, we've been interviewing politicians and people in the medical

field in India who said we didn't see it coming. The Prime Minister has said the country's been shaken by a storm. How can authorities say with

their hand on the heart that they didn't see this coming? People feel abandoned.

SWAMINATHAN: It's important to be tracking data. And that's why WHO has been saying constantly that we need to do keep up the surveillance, keep up

the public health measures, this virus hasn't gone anywhere. It's there everywhere, just waiting for the right conditions when it can start

transmitting. And that's exactly what's happened over the last several weeks, it has found opportunities to transmit from one person to another

because people really have gone back to a lot of social gatherings that were mass gatherings and so on.

Now, of course, in the -- in the early stages, you have to be very vigilant to pick up, you know, because it's a gradual rise in the test positivity

rate, a gradual rise and then all of a sudden it takes off on this exponential curve. If you implement strict public health measures, now it's

going to take a few weeks to see the impact on the number of new cases.

But it's very important that as we take care of the sick, we also have to turn down the force of infection in the community, turn the tap off, so to

speak, so that you start reducing the number of cases coming through.

It's also important -- I just want to say that -- important to set up more community care centers to set up more testing centers and to provide advice

to people who are at different stages of the illness. As we know, 85 percent of people who are infected have mild illness or mild to moderate

illness can be looked after at home with good monitoring and good supportive care. And it's a minority that need to come into hospital mainly

to receive oxygen and a few, you know, to receive critical care including ventilation.

So that community level of triaging, monitoring, providing the right advice in keeping people comfortable and safe, either at home or in community

isolation centers would go a long way actually in making sure that people are getting the right kind of care.

(CROSSTALK)

[10:10:09]

ANDERSON: Did the WHO not see this coming?

SWAMINATHAN: The WHO through with regional and country office in India, in New Delhi has been working very closely. We have about 2600 experts

deployed across the different states, we've been working both with the central government and with state governments, because again there's --

India is a such a huge and heterogeneous country that you have to tailor the -- each state is in a different state of evolution, just now.

You may know Maharashtra started several weeks ago and seems to be now plateauing in the number of new cases every year, whereas other states are

still on a sharp rise. So, you know, we have this huge force in the -- in the field working with the state and central governments to supplement to

do whatever is needed, in addition to bringing in supplies, our supply teams are working with partners around the world to bring in oxygen

concentrators and oxygen plants and tankers and other necessary equipment.

But equally important is the management on the ground, the logistics, the coordination, the constant monitoring of the data.

ANDERSON: Doctor, I did ask whether the WHO saw this coming and I go further. Did you advise the government to for example, stop the mass

gatherings that, for example, the Prime Minister's party has been holding in the run up to elections, cricket games going on with huge crowds. I

mean, you talk about the fact that there haven't been the sort of public health measures in place that you have been advising countries to take now

for what, nearly 18 months. So I just put it to you again, what was your advice to India and to Indian authorities, and was it -- they were just not

listening when this hit them like a truck?

SWAMINATHAN: So Becky, as you know, we work very closely with the Ministry of Health. And as I said, we've had many, many experts embedded within the

ministry, we also have been warning about things like mass gatherings, social mixing, you know, the Director General has constantly repeated the

refrain, that we have to continue to be vigilant, we cannot let our guard down.

And I think this is a really good lesson, we've seen this happen over and over again, with other mass gatherings from the beginning of this pandemic.

When people let their guard down, the virus starts, you know, spreading again. And so, you know, we put out public health guidance, we've been

repeating it, we've talked about oxygen shortage, you know, oxygen is something that is shortage in large parts of the world.

And it only became obvious during this pandemic but the lack of oxygen kills children, kills adults because of pneumonia. And this is a good time

for, you know, health systems to really reflect upon what the gaps are in their system and try to fill those gaps using this as an opportunity to

learn and hopefully other countries also learning from the mistakes in the challenges and avoiding situations where things could get out of control.

ANDERSON: The official numbers are more than 300,000 cases a day now and climbing and the official death numbers over 2000. Those are the official

numbers. How concerned are you that their real numbers could be significantly higher?

SWAMINATHAN: We know from the zero surveys done in India, there have been at least three national zero surveys done, that the actual number of people

who've had the infection as measured by antibodies is at least 20 to 30 times higher than what had been reported. Now while the testing capacity of

India has increased dramatically, they're doing, I think, close to two million tests a day.

That's still not sufficient because the national average now, I think the positivity rate is about 15 percent. In some cities like Delhi, it's up to

30 percent or higher. That means there are lots of people out there who are infected or not being detected because of, you know, just the capacity of

testing. And this is all over the world. So, we will know only later how many was, you know, really the number of people infected.

And as far as deaths are concerned, yes, it's possible that is also under counting of deaths. Many countries have gone back, looked at their death

figures retrospectively and corrected them. This has also happened in some states in India during the first wave, they went back and looked at the

number of deaths and corrected them. So I expect that the true number of deaths is also larger but it's really hard to say by how much.

But it's important also to remember that people who have other health conditions, you know, might also because of lack of access to health care,

suffer or even die.

[10:15:00]

SWAMINATHAN: So, these are things which I'm sure the epidemiologists will look at but it's -- right now I think the focus needs to be on making sure

we take care of the sick and prevent further infections.

ANDERSON: Right, which is -- which is clearly not happening at present. The sick are not being adequately cared for those who have sick relatives at

home are getting -- are not getting the support that they need. I mean, you've just given me some pretty scary numbers there. 30 percent, the rate

of incidence in people tested in New Delhi, that's one in three people and you say that it is likely these numbers are significantly underreported.

I mean, just how bad could things be? If I were to say, would it surprise you f half a million people were testing were actually positive a day, if

not more? And of course, the deaths lag those numbers, would that surprise you?

SWAMINATHAN: No, it wouldn't. Because of the reason I just mentioned that every individual who needs a test is not getting a test. And we know that

in COVID, a large number of infections are asymptomatic. So in fact, when the ICMR did their national zero survey, they've -- as I said, found that

the true number of positive people in the community was about 20, 21 percent was the adult zero prevalence.

And compared to what had been diagnosed, you know, through molecular testing, it was a factor of 30 times higher. So there are a lot of

asymptomatic people, that are symptomatic people who are not able to access testing. And that's why it's important at this stage of the epidemic to

also make a presumptive diagnosis to treat people who have the clinical features of COVID-19 but have not been able to get a confirmatory test.

They should also --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: And we are -- we are getting -- yes. And we are getting report after report after report on the ground that those who believe that they

had the symptoms of COVID cannot get any help. People are sitting on the phone for hours and hours and hours just trying to get through to a doctor.

When they get through, they're given 30 seconds. And this is reporting from sources in New Delhi, to get 30 seconds with whoever is the end of that

line.

And really, you know, that's not adequate to be able to ensure that they are getting a decent diagnosis at this point. Look, India's Serum Institute

is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. It's hard to place a temporary hold on all of the exports of AstraZeneca vaccine in order to meet domestic

demand. In fact, it's appealing for imports at this point, the Serum Institute is responsible for delivering 60 percent of global supplies to

COVAX.

If this export ban continues and if India continues to struggle as it is, how on earth will poorer nations already at the back of the queue for these

vaccines suffer?

SWAMINATHAN: India, of course, is a huge population and it's an important participant in the COVAX facility. In fact, a large proportion of the

vaccine in COVAX proportionate to the population, you know, would be allocated to India. But you're right. The COVAX facility is also dependent

on India and manufacturers like the Serum Institute for a large proportion of the supply at least in the early part of this year while other

manufacturers will come on board later in the year.

So, at the moment, you know, it is clear that India has to prioritize its domestic population and vaccinate as many people as possible to stop -- to

stop what's happening. But at the same time, we are appealing as COVAX to countries who have enough supplies of vaccines, emergency use approved

vaccines that have already vaccinated more than 20 or 30 percent of the population to please share their excess doses.

Some countries like France and New Zealand have already pledged a certain proportion of the doses that they have into COVAX and we are now you know

prioritizing those donations to send them out to countries. And then we're of course appealing to manufacturers to scale supply to do more a tech

transfer agreements to find more companies that they can partner with to fill and finish to scale up manufacturing.

And then finally to countries to remove any kind of export bans that they might have put in place so that raw materials and ingredients you need to

make vaccines can also flow freely across borders. We need global supply chains to remain open at this very critical time. This is a time really for

global solidarity and it's very encouraging to see the number of countries who have stepped up to help India, you know, in the hour of need, India

help other countries in their hour of need.

And so, on the vaccine front I think we need to find this kind of a global solution. It can be done. There are enough vaccines out there to be shared

equitably.

[10:20:05]

ANDERSON: We have talking -- we've spoken way too often in the last 18 months but I do appreciate your time. And it's important that we continue

to talk and I'm sorry that we have had to discuss what is a really critical situation now, in India today. Thank you.

The U.S. and U.K. pledging to send ventilators and other medical equipment. The E.U. also promising supplies. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan among the other

nations assisting in what is this growing global effort for India.

Later, I'll talk with Bollywood actor Sonu Sood. He's being held for his humanitarian work during India's COVID outbreak and tested positive this

month, just days after getting vaccinated. What he is doing, to try and help later on CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, help is also needed in Africa. Limited supplies are making for a very slow vaccine rollout. And that means more time for variants to emerge and

spread like the one from South Africa. The WHO says less than two percent of doses administered globally have actually been in Africa. The group's

Regional Director for Africa says "Fair access to vaccines must be a reality if we are to collectively make a dent on this pandemic."

And Zain Asher will be taking a deep dive on this story for you on a new show, One World, coming up right after CONNECT THE WORLD. And Zain speaks

to Liberia's former president about vaccine inequality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, FORMER LIBERIAN PRESIDENT: The inequity demonstrated by the access to vaccine is just a microcosm of the inequities and

injustices that have now been exposed as a result of COVID-19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We'll tune in for that full conversation airing on Zain's show, airing 5:00 p.m. London time, 8:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi straight after the

second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.

Right now several oxygen tank explosions are being blamed for a massive fire that left at least 82 people dead in a Baghdad hospital that was full

of COVID patients. This man lost his brother who was in hospital for 25 days and was due to be released the next day. Another 110 people were

injured in the fire.

Iraq's Prime Minister has suspended the country's Health Minister and the governor of Baghdad over this and says they will face questioning. CNN's

Arwa Damon has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The person filming cries out in horror. There is the sound of another blast from within the Inferno. A

woman screams. Its Baghdad's infectious diseases hospital filled with COVID-19 patients and their family members.

Hussein Salem was inside caring for his mother, he was urging her to try to eat something. I couldn't save her, he sobs. We tried to evacuate my mom,

but once we reach the door, we were blown away by one of the blasts, he remembers. The pain is still so raw, so incomprehensible. He's at the

Baghdad morgue waiting for her charred remains along with the others whose loved either suffocated to death or were burnt, some beyond recognition.

His father's anger seeps through his sorrow. When tragedies happened, government officials always give a bogus reason. They always try to justify

their devilishly ways, he says. As seen in the CCTV video of the explosion believed to be an oxygen tank that blew came from inside one of the rooms.

People start to run. Someone it looks like a patient. An elderly man is pulled out. The flames appear to be getting larger. A man arrives with a

handheld fire extinguisher.

But with no fireproofing, it was not enough. That blast lead to a series of others. The fire alarm was faulty. It was half an hour before the civil

defense says it got a call. By the time they responded, so many were dead, so many were wounded.

Residents in the area had taken it upon themselves to try to help, breaking through windows to save those inside. Back in February, we filmed at this

hospital in the intensive care unit. We spoke to doctors and family members about people's reluctance to come to hospitals, about the lack of faith in

Iraq's health care system who have yet to recover from sanctions dating back to the Saddam Hussein era, and then, nonstop war and rampant

corruption.

This, this is what all of that has led to. Murtad (ph) stares at his hands, cut it from breaking glass to let in some air. His aunt and grandmother

perished inside. He could not save them.

[10:25:08]

No one could imagine this could happen, he says. But, tragically, Iraq has a way of delivering the unimaginable, and with it, unimaginable pain.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We've been connecting you to places that are, I'm afraid in the grip of this virus, Iraq and India. So coming up, a glimpse at life after

the pandemic for you where vaccines are common and cases are few. What that could mean for example, your summer travel plans.

Plus, a breakthrough on fighting another disease malaria. We'll speak with the director of the Genet Institute at Oxford about a potentially game

changing vaccine. And.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not only is it the 106 anniversary of those mass killings that the Biden ministration is recognizing as a genocide, it also

came one day before the meeting in Palm Sunday, the beginning of the holiest week for the Armenian community here in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Heroes President Joe Biden officially recognizing the massacre of Armenians in World War I as a genocide.

In the next hour, I'll speak to the Armenian ambassador to the U.S. about why this is a major move for human rights.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, we started this hour in India where people are being told not to panic because the pandemic rages out of control. Elsewhere though

there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The European Union, for example, is taking another step towards a post COVID world. If Americans don't mind

jumping through a few hoops they will be able to visit Europe this summer.

That's according to the President of the European Commission, who has been talking to the New York Times. Let's bring in Salma Abdelaziz from London.

A lackluster vaccine rollout in the E.U. And yet they are going all out in trying to encourage at least Americans back into the block. Why and how?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Becky, I have to say sort of put a smile on my face because it was only about a year ago that I was standing at the

airport at Heathrow and I was watching Americans who were stuck, they could not get back home, they were here for business, for travel. And the ban on

non-essential travel had just gone into place that's been in place now for over a year. Those doors closed between the EU and the United States.

And now the president of the European Commission saying they are in advanced talks with the United States to reopen those borders to allow

people to resume travel between these two regions. As you said a lot of this sounds to the fact that the United States' vaccine rollout has been

extremely fast.

[10:30:03]

ABDELAZIZ: They should be approaching a sort of herd immunity in the next few weeks. On the other hand, of course the E.U. has had a very slow

vaccine rollout. Officials there saying, yes, they should be able to reach a 70 percent vaccination level by mid-July. But there is a lot of logistics

here to reopen these doors. Of course, key among them, is the vaccine certificate, a sort of document of whatever kind that officials have to

agree on.

Whether that be a piece of paper, a digital copy, what facts will be on it, you just seem to have some sort of information about whether or not you've

been vaccinated if you have any immunity or antibodies. All of that needs to be deliberated and decided by both sides and there is no timeline yet.

But if you've been hoping to make it to Europe, now's the time to start planning that vacation.

And over here as well many countries finally excited about getting those tourism dollars. That's so critical. So country like Greece, for example,

where a quarter of the population works in the tourism industry. Becky?

ANDERSON: Yes. Salma is on the story for you. Thank you, Salma. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Silencing dissidents and his supporters, the Kremlin is going the legal route today to try muscle Alexei Navalny and his anti-corruption

movement after allegedly tried to poison the Russian opposition leader late last year. Something Moscow denies. The U.S. and E.U. have already slammed

Moscow with sanctions a short time ago. Moscow's chief prosecutor got busy suspending activity at Navalny's headquarters.

And we are waiting to hear court's decision that could be extremely dangerous to Navalny's allies. Let's get you to Moscow and to CNNs Fred

Pleitgen who is outside the courthouse. Just break down what we're learning at this point, Fred?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, this is already, Becky, having a chilling effect on Alexei Navalny's organization. They've

already confirmed that they have suspended their operations pretty much in the entire country. So that's something that is already going on, even

while this trial is still pending. And the interesting thing about this trial, Becky, is that it's completely going on behind closed doors.

So we're wearing -- hearing very little about what exactly the evidences, about what exactly is going on there. I was not able to speak to one of the

lawyers representing Alexei Navalny's organization. He said that they got a bunch of documents today. It was the first time they arrived, you're able

to see any of the things that are against Navalny, any of the evidence that the prosecution has collected.

However, some of that is secret, and they had to go to a separate room to actually be able to see it. Now I asked this lawyer whether or not he saw

any hope of Alexei Navalny's organization winning this trial and being able to continue to operate here in Russia and he had a pretty cynical answer.

Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[10:35:00]

IVAN PAVLOV, NAVALNY ORGANIZATION LAWYER: I'm a lawyer. Yes. I am a representative of the organization which participate in this case. And

please don't demoralizate the defense team such -- by such equations, you know, we have to believe that everything will be fine and through is --

through will win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So there you have one of the lawyers representing Alexei Navalny, obviously doesn't seem as though he has very much hope there. And just to

show how grave this decision would be, if indeed Alexei Navalny's organization is deemed an extremist organization, it would put them, Becky,

essentially in the same legal category as ISIS. That means that anybody who works for them could go to jail, probably would go to jail.

Anybody who supports them publicly, also could possibly face jail time. People who try to donate money would face jail time. Even people who tweet

and retweet support of the organization would face repercussions, possibly jail time as well. So, this is certainly something that folks were inside

Alexei Navalny's organization they see this as an existential threat to the group. So a very, very important key trial for them here that's going on in

Moscow, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred with the significance of exactly what is going on out of Moscow today. Fred, thank you.

Coming up after the break. A Hollywood ending to remember. The Oscars silver, a major surprise even fans of the late actor Chadwick Boseman very

upset.

Plus, lights, camera and more action. The CNN Academy helping journalists produce some fascinating stories like the one that you are seeing on the

screen. We will take a look at that a little late.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the academy award for actor goes to Anthony Hopkins, The Father.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: (INAUDIBLE) the huge shocker to end Oscar night. Some stun views we're anticipating a very different outcome where the late actor Chadwick

Boseman would be the winner. The Hollywood ending didn't go his way. The Oscars also flipped the script with a trim down show with stars socially

distanced due to COVID restrictions. And unlike other ceremonies, no one film dominated, the awards were spread out amongst six films.

Nomadland, the movie about nomads in America won best picture while the Chinese born Chloe Zhao won best director for the film.

Well, Chloe Melas joining us live from New York. Let's start with this surprise. I mean, look, Anthony Hopkins put in an extraordinary performance

in The Father.

[10:40:00]

ANDERSON: But it wasn't the award that people were expecting. Why?

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Hi. Thanks for having me. I mean, yes, Anthony Hopkins, he's a legendary Hollywood actor. He has been in some

of my most favorite movies. He's also the oldest actor to ever win an Oscar at 83 years old. It's not that he didn't have a great performance. It's

that, you know, all of award season, there's been this major buildup to Chadwick Boseman being awarded for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom posthumously,

right?

Because he was dying of colon cancer in his final performance and to know what we know now, what was going on then behind the scenes because he

wasn't sharing his private battle with cancer and then he subsequently died. I think that this was kind of do that last opportunity to really hail

him and award him for this role. And the fact that the Oscars broadcasts switch things up for the first time in decades, instead of having Best

Picture be the last award Best Actor was, leaving all of us to think, OK, this is going to be some big moment for Chadwick Boseman and it wasn't.

And Anthony Hopkins, unfortunately, wasn't there to accept the award. So the show just kind of abruptly ended.

ANDERSON: Hmm. Well, it didn't even begin in Beijing. The Academy Awards could have been a major moment of pride for China as Chloe Zhao, Beijing-

born filmmaker, of course made history Sunday by winning the Best Director, Oscar for her movie, Nomadland but China blocking the broadcast of the

awards. Why?

MELAS: What a great moment for Chloe Zhao becoming the first Asian woman and only the second woman ever to win the award for Best Director and her

movie one best picture. Well, they were not silent when speaking of China, China was not silent when Chloe Zhao won a Golden Globe, right? Just a few

months ago. And now here, there is no celebrating today in China.

Also, the show wasn't aired anywhere in China including on two major streaming platforms where the annual ceremony had been shown live in

previous years. You know, this is a huge moment for China and they have remained quiet. So why is this happening? You ask? Well, many journalists

are thinking and people on social media that it's because of some old interviews that have been completely misconstrued that she gave many, many

years ago, one from 2013, where she actually said that China is full of lies and that she wasn't proud to be from China and that the U.S. was her

home. But that has since been corrected. She didn't say that.

So now, maybe that's the reason why also her movie isn't even opening in theaters. It was supposed to open in theaters in China and it's not

anymore, so it's a very unfortunate situation. Chloe Zhao hasn't said anything about it yet. But this should be a day to celebrate in China and

they aren't celebrating her publicly today.

ANDERSON: Congratulations to Chloe Zhao. What an achievement. And congratulations to all of the award winners. Thank you. Well, speaking of

glorious wins. Check out Rafa, he's been celebrating his 12th Barcelona open win in what is the traditional way by -- well, taking the traditional

winners dip. Amanda Davies is in the house. That actually normally happens with the ball boys and girls, doesn't it?

And COVID restrictions unfortunately made it was -- it was -- it was the big guy on his own

on his own.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: On his own but wearing his sacks bizarrely. I don't know whether you can see that. So really not to

(INAUDIBLE) back to the clubhouse. I'm sure but yes, an amazing achievement for Rafa Nadal. I'm finding his form, Becky, just the ominous timely for

the rest of course this run up to the French Open where he'll be looking for that 14th French Open crown.

ANDERSON: Yes. Good stuff. Good seeing him back. You've got world sport after this break. I'll be back after that.

[10:45:17]

(WORLD SPORT)

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