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Calls Grow to Block Belarusian Airspace; CNN on the Ground in Gaza Following a Fragile Ceasefire; Golfer Phil Mickelson Makes History. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 24, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRIDA SIMONYTE, LITHUANIAN PRIME MINISTER: The airspace of Belarus is unsafe for everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Calls grow to block Belarusian airspace after a passenger flight was diverted and a prominent activist

onboard arrested.

We speak to top European officials ahead.

Also --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMA ABU RAHMAH, GAZA RESIDENT: There is no other options, we have to keep living. We have to rebuild this again and again until one day maybe we can

be free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: CNN on the ground in Gaza following a fragile ceasefire. We ask what's next as America's top diplomat heads to the Middle East.

And Mickelson magic. Ahead, how this golfer made history over the weekend.

It is 3:00 in the afternoon in London. It's 5:00 p.m. in Mintz, 6:00 in the evening here in Abudabhi. I'm Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome to

"Connect the World".

This hour calls for Belarusian airspace to be avoided by international airlines after a commercial jet was forced to divert to the Belarusian

capital of Mintz.

Onboard that flight a leading figure in the opposition against the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. He was taken into custody in

Mintz and reportedly along with a Russian student, possibly his girlfriend. Well his supporters in Belarus fearing he may be tortured.

The flight was heading from Athens to Lithuania's capital Vilnius before the diversion. A Belarusian fighter jet escorting the Ryanair jet to Mintz

after what European officials say was a fake bomb threat.

Here is the Lithuanian prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMONYTE: Lithuania will demand a clear and uncompromising response from the international community. The airspace of Belarus is unsafe for

everyone. The E.U. must take effective measures to protect all individuals regardless of their nationality while at risk from inadequate actions of

the regime.

Together with the international partners we will work to close the airspace of Belarus to international fights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The prime minister calls the flight's diversion to Mintz a hijacking by military force. Ryanair's CEO calls it a state sponsored

hijacking, a sentiment echoed by the European Commission President Ursala von der Leyen who wants actions, sanctions against those responsible and

the activist's immediate release.

She will hold a news conference later today after a previously scheduled E.U. Council meeting.

Well France coordinating response that extends beyond individual sanctions and the Czech Republic summoning the Belarusian ambassador to express

fierce protest.

The U.S. calling it a shocking act that requires full investigation. A muted response today from Belarus ally Russia. The foreign minister saying

Moscow wants to access the situation but, quote, not in a rush.

Frederik Pleitgen with me to unravel the details of what appears to be a stunning breach, Fred, in international aviation protocol. International

condemnation pouring in. Explain exactly what we understand to have happened.

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Becky. Well the details keep coming in. It's quite interesting to see how all of this

unfolded and how some the sort of muted statements that we heard in the beginning then really turned into that full condemnation that we're talking

about right now.

So we know that yesterday this plane took off from Athens and it was supposed to fly directly into Vilnius in Lithuania. Now it then shortly

before it was supposed to leave Belarusian airspace it traversed to Belarus. It was almost out of Belarusian airspace. It suddenly made a

very sharp turn fort he right towards Mintz international airport and then landed there.

One of the interesting things about all of this is that Ryanair later put out a statement. It said that they had been notified by the authorities

and there was possibly a bomb onboard and had been ordered to the nearest airport which was given to them as meaning Minsk.

But certainly when you look at the flight path of that plane it certainly looks as though it was a lot closer to Vilnius than it was actually was to

Mintz.

Now the plane was then in the process of landing and we've heard some eyewitness accounts of people who were onboard, is that Roman Protasevich,

this journalist who was on board, that he pleaded with the crew not to this, not to land in Mintz. But they said according to their safety

regulations it was something that they had to do.

[10:05:00]

He then later told some others on the plane that he faced the death penalty in Belarus. And of course, sure enough, then after the plane landed the

authorities came onboard and they then took him away, arrested him.

His companion apparently taken into custody as well. We're not sure whether or not that actually is his girlfriend, but certainly very

troubling scenes that happen there on the ground.

The passengers were stranded for say around five or six hours before that plane was then lot go. It's also interesting that the Irish foreign

minister, he say that he believes that they were possibility intelligence operatives that onboard. Not clear whether and -- whether or not those

might have been Belarusian.

As you mentioned, international condemnation coming in. I just want to read you more of what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had to say. He

said, quote, "the United States strongly condemns the forced diversion of a flight between the E.U. member states and the subsequent removal and arrest

of journalist Roman Protasevich in Minsk. We demand his immediate release. This shocking act perpetrated by the Lukashenko regime endangered the lives

of more than 120 passengers, including U.S. citizens.

Finally Becky, the Belarusians still claiming that they did everything according to international rules. Obviously the E.U. and the U.S. not

buying that. Becky?

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Roman Protasevich, as you say, was taken off that flight and arrested. What do we know about his current whereabouts?

PLEITGEN: Well we don't know very much and I think that's really something that has a lot of the people who work together with him, a lot of other

opposition activists and journalists who has been very, very concerned.

There was one advisor Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who, of course, says that she is actually the rightful president of Belarus, who said that usually in

cases like this people are interrogated for several days and that on occasion torture can also be used. It's a clear warning that was given out

by someone who is very, very close to Roman Protasevich.

I myself saw on the ground when we were reporting last year from the demonstrations against Alexander Lukashenko the brutality that the police

forces there do tend to use, at least in demonstrations. And certainly something that the Nexta Telegram channel that of course Roman Protasevich

was one of the co-founders of, showed some of the police brutality that was happening.

One other thing that some opposition activists have been conveying is that because he was also or is on a terrorism list by the Lukashenko regime that

he could possibly even face the death penalty there.

But I have to say that just the fact that he's in custody of the Belarusian authorities that in itself has a lot of people very concerned. Where

exactly he's in custody, if he's going to be able to see a lawyer, if we're going to hear from (inaudible), really unclear at this point in time,

Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen's on the story. Fred, thank you.

My next guest says Belarusian air space must be closed to international flights. Latvia's foreign minister tweets, the forced landing of the

Ryanair flight puts people's lives at risk. And he calls the arrest of the opposition activist a kidnapping by the Lukashenko regime.

Well the foreign minister joining us now live. And sir, it's good to have you with. And let's just get your response if I can to the latest from

Ryanair suggesting that KGB agents were on the flight. The details, as you understand them, and you're response to these events.

EDGARS RINKEVICS, LATVIA FOREIGN MINISTER: Well good afternoon, first of all. And thank you for having me. And first of all I think that we still

need to have full picture and to do some investigation before we understand what really happened from (inaudible) and was this first (inaudible).

However, I do believe that this has been very eloquent special operation. Maybe there is KGB agents onboard, however I think that is what stunning

that actually this happening in a way in 21st century that we call a piracy and special operations. And this must be met with the fiercest (ph)

response. So (inaudible) their agents or not we will find out, but the fact that two persons actually were detained illegally in a way as it was

done is completely unacceptable.

ANDERSON: State sponsored hijacking is the way that CEO of Ryanair is describing this. Your government leading calls to limit international air

traffic over Belarus. In fact, Air Baltic, which is a state-owned Latvian airline has said it will no longer fly in Belarus air space.

Now we do understand that E.U. leaders are meeting this evening to discuss whether to cut off or block Belarus completely from European air space.

Just how likely is that outcome at this point?

[10:10:00]

RINKEVICS: I think that we really need to cut out Belarus from international air traffic. I have also suggested to diminish the air

transportation of Latvia to do this policy of Air Baltic as the permanent one. I hope that the decision will be coming soon. But, of course,

response at the European level is more efficient.

And we should do this not only by banning international flights over Belarus or using Belarusian air space, but also we need to consider

Belarusian airlines flying to Europe, including also the national airline Belavia. This is not only about sanctions, this is about security and

safety of our own people.

.But also we need to look at sector and economic sanctions. This lesson must be very costly to Mr. Lukashenko and his cronies. So, I do hope that

Europe leaders will make a political decision tonight in Brussels. Of course it will require couple of days or even weeks to do all the legal

stuff, but they must do it.

ANDERSON; Yes, I mean you make a very good point. It's unlikely that anything will happen overnight, whether or not this decision is taken.

Belarus, of course, is not an E.U. member. So even though E.U. officials are threatening to take action against the country it's not entirely clear

what that would look like.

And what can be done at this point short-term to punish the Lukashenko administration?

RINKEVICS: Well first of all really, as I said, to banning international flights over Belarus is about safety and security of passengers on planes.

But it is also an economic measure, because this is also the way how the regime gets income.

Second, broader sector of sanctions actually also against big Belarusian enterprises would be number two. And then, of course, there are some

symbolic things that actually hurts. We just couple hours ago we met with mayor of Riga because we have International Ice Hockey Championship in

Riga. We lowered official Belarusian flag in the center of Riga and we raised what white and red flag and I ordered the other standard is

(inaudible) --

ANDERSON: Right.

RINKEVICS: -- a painful reaction. I think even such things matter and we just do all sanctions and also symbolic steps to show that this is

completely unacceptable and we stand with (inaudible).

ANDERSON: Let's be quite clear here, the E.U. and the U.S. have already imposed sanctions on top Belarusian officials in the Lukashenko government

following this disputed reelection last year. If anything that does seem to just embolden the administration.

The country doesn't have that much trade and investment westwards. Most of it is with Russia response to this incident has been extremely muted. Are

you convinced that sanctions will actually do any lasting damage while Lukashenko continues to enjoy such strong support from President Putin?

RICKEVICS: Well, very good point and thank you. But let me do some contemplating. Indeed European economic sanctions are still not very

strong against Belarus. We can do them much let's say harsher.

What it means that increases the cost for Russia to keep Lukashenko in power, because if he loses European money, if he loses European income

let's say, so then Russia needs to compensate.

And I think that yes you are right, Russian and Kremlin is keeping Lukashenko well in the life politically because they haven't found a

replacement. But if he and his regime cost more and more at one point even then would start to thin is this really worse off paying billions of Euros

or dollars and to keep this, well, person in power or we should found way actually some political transformation. So increasing the costs also would

put Russia lead to some more sinking.

ANDERSON: And there will be those who say that if the punishment isn't severe enough it could just encourage other regimes to tamper with accepted

international norms. Look, you actually started your career as a journalist. You've been very vocal about the state of press freedom in

Belarus.

[10:15:00]

This actives was a co-found of the telegram messaging apps Nexta channel, which played a crucial role in helping organize major protests against

Lukashenko. I just wonder what you believe the international community can do at this point to make sure that this activist is freed?

RICKEVICS: First of all, let's not forget him after two or three days. When the news will come about something, other prices or some other news,

let's try and I think that very much it is in hands of also of your journalists or the media community to keep this issue raising in

interviews, in shows, asking politicians to exert pressure on international organizations. Let's not forget about Roman.

Second, Latvia along with our Baltic neighbors are providing shelter to many Belarusian and Russian journalists already and in turn danger leads to

that. But let's raise this issue also in relevant (ph) and international organizations and let's do some media coverage and some integrity work in

order that people remember those journalists in jail, that they are released.

So, it's not one or two or three days. Let's say compare. This is the compare that we need to handle as the long-term but also a very strong

message please ask questions to Russian president, to Russian foreign minister about those issues. Let's do that more gently.

ANDERSON: Foreign Minister, thank you for joining us.

RICKEVICS: That is the Latvian Foreign Minister.

We'll zero in with more on the Belarus controversy obviously later in this news cast, in about 15 minutes I'll connect you with Willie Walsh Head of

the International Air Transport Association. He is calling for an investigation. Ryanair is, of course, an Irish airline, so at the top of

the hour I'll speak with Thomas Byrne Ireland's Minister for European Affairs. All that is coming up.

Well the time for action is now, that is the word from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the unrest in Ethiopia. In answer U.S. would

restrict visas for any Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials who stand in the way of a resolution in the Tigray region.

Blinken says that includes blocking access to humanitarian assistance. Government forces have been fighting Tigray rebels since November. CNN has

gone to the Tigray region and witnessed first hand Eritrean troops disguised as Ethiopians manning checkpoints and obstructing aide routes.

And storming a hospital that we reported from.

We'll set out on Connect World.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Because the bombing around us was so intense, doors and windows were falling on us. We ran to the inner room,

she recalls, the last bomb was on this house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Crawling out of the rubble then cleaning it up. People in Gaza once again dealing with the weary and bloody cycle of airstrikes and

digging out.

Plus, picking up the pieces and mourning the dead after a volcano erupts near the Congolese city of Goma. That is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:40]

ANDERSON: Moving into a new week a fragile ceasefire in Gaza does appear to be holding. The truce ended a brief but bloody battle between Israel

and Palestinian militants. You can see Israeli troops moving back form the border here.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells CNN the ceasefire is a good, critical step towards breaking the cycle of violence. He's heading to the

region today to meet with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Then he'll also visit Egypt, which brokered the truce.

Now these talks will focus on rebuilding. Many in Gaza now making their way back to piles of concrete that used to be their homes. CNN's Ben

Wedeman has been reporting for us throughout this conflict. He is with us now from Gaza with more on what is going on there. And Ben, rebuilding

once again. You've been there, you have seen this on numerous occasions. What are people telling you?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were saying that they are going to rebuild Gaza as they've done time and time again. They do get assistance

from outside. For instance, Egypt has pledged $500 million, that's the biggest single pledge that has been received so far. But for the most part

many people just have to fix it themselves and they are used to doing it over and over again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Not for the first time and probably not for the last Gaza is digging out. It's over for now. The rubble will be cleared and

perhaps the damage repaired, yet one man-made catastrophe after another has taken a heavy toll.

Not far from the walls separating Gaza from Israel children of the extended Octer (ph) search for traces of a life shattered.

UNKNOWN: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

WEDEMAN: Asmalaughter (ph) and three children were crushed to death when a bomb slammed into here home.

Because the bombing around us was so intense doors and windows were falling on us. We ran to the inner room she recalls. The last bomb was on this

house.

Usam (ph) was able to crawl free. The people in this area are mostly farmers, but their land often used by militants to fire rockets into

Israel.

In the Al-Awdah hospital plastic and reconstructive surgeon Gjassam Abi Sittah is conducting one of eight operations on this day. He first

traveled to Gaza as a young medical student in the 1980s and has come back regularly ever since. His task here never ending.

DR. GHASSAN ABU SITTAH, RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON: You start running into patients who are injured and multiple attacks. So, I've had patients who

had injuries in the 2014 war and then were injured in the Great Return Marches or injured in previous conflicts and then again in this conflict.

And so, you have a kind of -- it becomes like an endemic disease. War injuries become like an endemic disease in Gaza.

WEDEMAN: In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood Reze Kabul Sofio (ph) waits for a truck to take his furniture away. His home still intact after bombs

obliterated the buildings just next door. But it's now in danger of collapse.

Citizens struggled to push the boulder up the hill only for it to roll to the bottom, only to push it back up all over again.

The relief of surviving this war no guarantee you'll make it through the next says Gaza resident Rima Abu Rahmah.

ABU RAHMAN: There is no other options. We have to keep living. We have to rebuild it again and again until one day maybe we can be free.

WEDEMAN: In the absence of some sort of resolution such is Gaza's fate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN: And with tensions still simmering in Jerusalem around Israeli incursions in Haram al-Sharif Temple mount and also tensions in the Sheikh

Jarrah neighborhood, these tensions which ignited the last round of fighting.

[10:25:00]

Worry is here that they could ignite another one in the near future. Becky -

ANDERSON: Ben, Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade since 2007. What impact does that have on rebuilding efforts?

WEDEMAN: It has a huge impact because it's very difficult to get building material, let alone money into Gaza itself. After the 2014 war, Israel, the

Palestinian authority in Ramallah, and the U.N. worked out a mechanism whereby construction material could be brought in. The problem was that

Israel had the final word, and therefore it was, again, very difficult to bring in construction material.

And the blockade writ large has really been a cause of many problems here. It hasn't been a problem for Hamas. Now, the blockade by Egypt and Israel

was originally designed to stop weapons, missiles, rockets, whatever to get into Gaza, but clearly that hasn't happened, but it's really crippled the

economic growth of Gaza.

And you speak to almost anybody here, especially the young, and they will tell you most of them have never stepped foot out of Gaza. They have never

gone on a plane, never been on a train. Unemployment is running at around 50 percent. The feeling is that Gaza, which is full of talented, energetic

people, is being starved of resources, opportunity. They're not allowed to build a port. The airport was destroyed years ago. And therefore, all the

means for prosperity, for a good life, for a life where there's hope don't exit.

And the other day, Becky, I was speaking to a man who lived right next to a building that was utterly obliterated, and he told me, look, you know, the

houses in this neighborhood they all have three or four young men. Most of them don't have jobs. The only real economic opportunity is to work for

Hamas, so the blockade has been a catastrophe for the people here but not for Hamas. Becky -

ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman is on the ground in Gaza. We will have more in the next 90 minutes. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. More on our top story

now. The forced landing of a commercial flight to arrest the Belarusian Opposition activist. A top aviation group demanding answers. We will talk

to the group's leader up next. Plus political chaos in Samoa. The country's first female prime minister takes matters into her own hands after the

outgoing leader tries to block her from taking office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:27]

Well several countries are calling for the airspace over Belarus to be closed. This after Belarus forced a Ryanair flight bound for Lithuania to

land. Police then pulled a leading opposition activist off the plane. Belarus says it was Ryanair's decision to land after being told of a bomb

on board and a Belarusian jet was only dispatched to assist, but the bomb threat turned out to be false, and the airline now calls it a state-

sponsored hijacking by Belarus.

The incident sparked outrage across Europe with countries urging sanctions and the closing off of airports to Belarusian airlines. Well the

International Air Transport Association has called for an investigation into the diverted Ryanair flight. The group also demanded the interference

of civil aviation operations, calling it inconsistent with international law.

We're joined by the head of the International Air Transport Association, Mr. Willie Walsh, and you, Willie Walsh, ran airlines for years. Can you in

your long career in the industry remember an incident anything like this?

WILLIE WALSH, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: No. I can't, and we strongly condemn the actions of the government of

Belarus in intercepting this flight and forcing it to land. It clearly was an extremely dangerous action by the government. It put the crew of the

Ryanair aircraft in a very difficult situation.

I think we have to commend the actions of the crew because clearly they were left with very little choice but to follow the instructions that were

given to them, but we have to call this out. This is unacceptable behavior. It has endangered the safety of the aircraft, the passengers, and the crew

onboard that aircraft, and we demand that it be investigated properly to understand why this happened and to get assurances that it will not happen

again.

ANDERSON: A state-sponsored hijacking is how Ryanair's CEO has described this. I heard it also described at piracy. How would you describe it?

WALSH: Well I can understand why Mike O'Leary has made those comments. I have to say it would be extremely difficult for any airline CEO to be put

in this position. I think what we need is to properly understand what happened. The information that's available to us certainly suggests that

this was an unlawful act taken to interfere with the proper operation of a civil passenger aircraft through the airspace of Belarus.

It is important that we understand what happened, exactly what happened -

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Right.

WALSH: -- the sequence of events, but all of the information so far does point to an unlawful interference with that aircraft.

ANDERSON: E.U. leaders weighing up whether to limit international air traffic over Belarus and possibly target its ground transport as well. I

ought to support calls to divert flights away from Belarusian airspace does it?

WALSH: Well we have to understand can we continue to have confidence in the air navigation service provider at Belarus - in Belarus. Individual

airlines will take a close safety assessment. I think there's several layers of assessment that will go on. Clearly the state of registry of each

individual airline will look at that. We take guidance in the case of Europe from EASA, the safety agency of Europe and obviously any decision

from the European Commission.

And then ultimately it will be the responsibility of the airline to assess the safety risk. And at the end of the day if the airline says it's OK to

travel it will then be determined by the individual pilot in demand whether he or she believes it is safe to continue a flight through Belarus

airspace.

So there are several steps to go through here, but I will not be surprised if we see individual airlines decide to avoid the airspace around Belarus.

ANDERSON: Well we have already seen that. European airlines like Wizz Air and airBaltic avoiding Belarusian airspace. Interestingly, Turkish and

Chinese carriers for example haven't diverted their paths.

[10:35:00]

Let's just be quite clear about this. Do you think it is safe to fly over Belarus at the moment?

WALSH: Based on the information that I have available to me, and clearly I don't have all of the information that some individual airlines will have

because they will be guided by security experts in their country, I think anybody who is continuing to fly through the airspace has done so on the

basis of the proper safety assessment, so I cannot be critical of them. But as more information becomes available I suspect more airlines will look to

avoid the airspace.

I think the critical issue to also understand is diverting around a country's airspace can in itself lead to other risks because we clearly

have a number of areas that are already being avoided by airlines particularly in the case of Eastern Ukraine. So I think it is important for

each airline to be able to do the proper assessment -

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Right.

WALSH: -- and to take the decision themselves.

ANDERSON: Aviation, of course, is regulated at a national level and supported by globally harmonized rules to keep the skies safe, but it lacks

a concrete framework capable of policing disputes over sovereignty. Very briefly, could this case set a new precedent do you think for a global

aviation system?

WALSH: Well we already have that with ICAO, and that's why we believe ICAO should look into this issue. Belarus is a party of ICAO agreements, and

that's where government's get together and decide what actions should be taken, so we're calling on ICAO to undertake a proper investigation of

these actions.

ANDERSON: Just finally while I've got you, travelers have begun to take to the skies. You've said the airline industry will be smaller post-COVID. I

just wonder how much smaller and how long will it take for airlines that do survive to repair their balance sheets just briefly?

WALSH: It's going to take years to repair the balance sheet. The additional debt that has been taken on has been massive, so we would

estimate that the airline industry will be about 80 percent of its size in 2022 versus 2019. Some people predict smaller than that, but I think 70 to

80 percent is probably a good estimate at the size of the industry next year.

ANDERSON: With that we'll leave it there. Sir, it's always a pleasure speaking with you over the years. Thank you very much, indeed, for joining

us today to talk about what is a super important story. Thank you.

Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. Myanmar's ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, made her first

court appearance on Monday. She has been in government detention since she was unseated in a military coo back in February. Suu Kyi is charged with

violated the official Secrets Act, one of the six charges against her.

Democratic Republic of Congo mourning 15 people who lost their lives when chaos broke out over a frightening volcanic eruption. Thousands were forced

to flee the city of Goma when lava started to flow on Saturday night. The Congolese government says it will help local businesses that have been

impacted by to volcano.

And Chinese State media says 21 ultra-marathon runners were killed this weekend when extreme weather hit a race in Gansu Province. Hail, freezing

rain, and strong winds forced officials to abruptly stop the race. Over 1,000 rescue workers have been dispatched to the scene.

And an Italian prosecutor has opened a multiple manslaughter investigation after a cable car accident on Sunday. At least 14 people including five

Israelis were killed when the car plunged into a wooded area south of Milan. Only one person, a 5-year-old boy, has survived.

We will be right back with CONNECT THE WORLD after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:07]

Extraordinary scenes coming form the pacific island of Samoa. Its first female prime minister was sworn in today during a makeshift ceremony in a

tent. That's after she was locked out of parliament with the country's longstanding leader refusing to step down. The situation is a first since

Samoa gained independence from neighboring New Zealand in 1962. Now the New Zealand Prime Minister is calling on Samoan officials to respect the

democratic process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: All we're doing here is calling for the outcome and the wishes of the people of Samoa to be upheld,

and it's obviously the work the judiciary is doing right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Several recent Supreme Court rulings paved the way for today's swearing in. Samoa's been in political crisis since the deadlocked election

back in April.

Well, he's 50, and he is flourishing. Why not? Phil Mickelson making history winning the PGA Championship. At his ripe, young age of just over

50, he is now golf's oldest major winner. Sunday's victory is the sixth major title of Mickelson's long career, and he did it in front of thousands

of wild fans, some too close for comfort on the 18th.

Amanda Davies has plenty to tell us. It was - it was quite chaotic. I have to say, I mean, look, you know - go on.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS HOST: No, it was chaotic, but pretty spine tingling you have to say, Becky, seeing thousands and thousands of

fans following Phil Mickelson down the 18th as he approached the final green. And I don't know whether you can cast your mind back to 2018 when we

saw Tiger Woods's comeback victory at the Tour Championship. There were scenes absolutely renascent of that, but of course so incongruous given

where we are with the state of the world over the fact that we've had so many sporting events without and atmosphere, without fans in recent time.

So not everybody was in favor of it, but it kind of sums up what was such an incredibly emotional weekend not only with the golf but in the climax of

the European football seasons, the Formula 1 as well, the NBA Playoffs. It was a great sporting weekend, and we've got it all coming up in a couple of

minutes in WORLD SPORTS.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. I was at ASU back in the day, back in the early 90s when Phil Mickelson was there, and we'd been watching him develop ever

since, so it was amazing to see that. That made me feel quite emotional and took me back I have to say as I watched him lift that trophy over the

weekend. Good stuff. Thank you for that.

You are back with WORLD SPORTS as you rightly pointed out after this short break. We will be back top of the hour, folks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END