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Coup Leaders Remain Defiant After ECOWAS Ultimatum; Pakistani Train Derailment Kills At Least 30 People; China, Philippines Trade Blame Over Water Cannon Clash. Aired 10-10:45a ET
Aired August 07, 2023 - 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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[10:00:29]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: I'm Becky Anderson live from London where the time is 3:00 this Monday. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Coming up
this hour.
France warns against all travel to Niger and as a critical deadline, the military coup there expires.
Ukraine's security service says it has foiled an assassination plot against President Zelenskyy.
Extreme heat and floods hit parts of Europe, Asia and the U.S.
And Lionel Messi makes more magic in the MLS.
Well, Niger's political crisis threatening to turn into a military conflict. Coup leaders there are moving reinforcements from around the
country to the Capitol. And they've closed Niger's airspace until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from its neighbors. That
is according to a military source. Well, this comes just a day after a deadline set by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS was passed over over
the weekend.
The bloc had given Niger's coup leaders a week to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or facie potential use of force. Let's get you bang up to
date. Let's bring in CNN's Larry Madowo. The ECOWAS grouping and its deadline has come and gone. No action as of yet. What's next?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's next is that in the last hour the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS calling another
extraordinary summit on the situation in Niger, that will be in Thursday in the Nigerian capital Abuja. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria who chairs
this summit will have to -- with the other leaders from the region decide, will they go ahead and militarily intervene in Nigeria like they promised
or will they be allowing another chance for political or diplomatic solutions.
So that's a big decision that these leaders have to decide on Thursday when they meet in Abuja. But in Niger, the WHO leaders have been beating the
drums of war. They have gotten support from a large part of the population. These coup leaders fill the stadium in Niamey, the capital, keen to show
friends, keen to show especially ECOWAS that they have the support of the people. And that's this coup, even though the international community has
condemned it, the people of Nigeria support it because they are tired of the old order and they want new things.
This is the mood from some of the people who showed up to this protest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If ECOWAS' forces decide to attack out country before reaching the presidential palace, they will have to walk
over our bodies, spill our blood, and we'll do it with pride.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's France that's behind this echoes force that wants to attack us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think that everywhere in the world, they see that the people were mobilized, they're going to have to
crush us all to reach the presidential palace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: That is a sentiment you hear a lot. People feel that this echo was tough talk is really France talking that President Bola Tinubu and these
ECOWAS leaders are really puppets for the West that are keen on this heavy- handed approach to the situation in ECOWAS. And it doesn't help when you hear all these developments out of France. France now saying it's advising
against any travel to Niger.
Air France has, for instance, canceled flights to neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. As the Nigerian airspace remains closed. The military is
preparing for what they consider an imminent attack. They're bringing in reinforcements of army units from around the country into the capital
Niamey. In case this does go into military confrontation that keeps saying that ready for it.
ANDERSON: Yes. We've been explaining why. What is going on there is so significant and has consequences, you know, which are far reaching outside
of Niger itself. This is complicated. Made more so, Larry, by reports that the Russian mercenary group Wagner may be in talks with the Nigerian junta.
A significant move if that were the case. Any further detail at this point?
MADOWO: What we know is that when the military junta was in place, the first stop they made was to Bamako, that is the capital of Mali. The Wagner
Group is operating in Mali. It was invited there by Colonel Assimi Goita. His military government shortly after they expelled French troops there.
These military junta in Niger said they discussed security cooperation.
[10:05:08]
Now the French foreign minister is confirming that Niger's military rulers have made contact with the Wagner Group. They've discussed some kind of
support to shore up their base in Niger. It's not clear if they've signed the contract. It's not clear if there's any Wagner fighters already in
Niger. But it's significant that they have made that conflict that contacts. And the U.S. State Department has said that it would not be
surprising for the Wagner Group to move into Niger for the financial gain, but also to expand the influence in Africa.
They already operate in the Central African Republic. They operate in Sudan, in Mali, so Niger would be a natural extension of that influence,
Becky.
ANDERSON: Larry is -- on the story if you Larry, thank you. Well, next hour, we'll connect you to someone with deep insight into the impact of
coups in this region. The former prime minister of Mali, Moussa Mara will join me for his reaction to this decision by Mali's current military
government to send delegations. Tunisia in solidarity with those coup leaders. That coming up next hour here on CONNECT THE WORLD.
Well, Ukraine's security services has revealed it foiled an assassination plot and at the country's president. It says it's detained a woman who was
gathering intelligence on Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Mykolaiv region last month ahead of a planned Russian airstrike. That news coming in the wake of
international talks in Saudi Arabia over the weekend that Ukraine describes as productive even as Russia calls the talks, doomed to fail.
Nic Robertson is here in London. Nic, start with this assassination plot. Details coming to light now from the Ukrainian side. Let's be quite clear.
What do we know?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The Ukrainian intelligence services saying that this operative, this Russian operative
for was working at a military base, Ukrainian military base on the southern coast of Ukraine. She was working in a small store there. And they
discovered that she was essentially trying to get the information to call in a timely airstrike on President Zelenskyy during that visit to Mykolaiv.
That she had been trying to get information about the precise location of where he would be visiting and what time he would be there. All the sort of
stuff you would need to call in a precision airstrike. And what is essentially they're describing as an assassination attempt on President
Zelenskyy. They say of course, once they got wind of this, they took additional security measures.
But in all the checks they've done on this woman that they haven't named so far. They said there was other information apparently coming from a Russian
handlers telling her to get information on the electronic warfare equipment, locations of it that Ukraine has. And of course, this is
equipment vital for Ukraine to know when cruise missiles, when drones that Russia is firing at Ukraine to attract them when they're coming in so they
can have countermeasures that she was also tasked with finding out information about weapons stores, ammunition dumps, those sorts of things
vital in the war effort for Ukraine.
The details, as you say, coming from Ukraine's intelligence services, the SBU. But as far as they're concerned, they've managed to stop a plot to
assassinate the president. It has to be set in that Mykolaiv region. We were there, you know, over the past -- over the past year or so. There's a
huge suspicion, whenever there's an airstrike on a building or a target that perhaps the military have been using or the local governor feels that
there has been Russian operatives or those sympathetic to Russia scouting out buildings in those areas.
Mykolaiv is a point in case just last year, that they feel that that there's a real pressure on them to track down these informants. So, this is
not just a passing thing that's happened. The intelligence services in Ukraine put a lot of effort in trying to figure out who gives away vital
information about Ukrainian military installations. Of course, the President would be the golden prize for a Russian assassination attempt.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about what came out if anything from these peace talks, and it's a peace summit, perhaps is better described in Jeddah over
the weekend. Certainly, the images that we saw, I think will bring a couple of those up with the Saudis sitting shoulder to shoulder with China and the
U.S. at a meeting which was quite wide ranging the Saudis very specifically talking about getting many sorts of actors together, including the global
south.
What do we make of what came out of those? I mean, let's remember, Russia, not in attendance, of course.
ROBERTSON: Yes. I think there were -- there were several takeaways and the hard fact is the details of what happened behind the closed doors there we
may not know about for years. But we may be able to look back when there's a peace deal and the narrative will be OK.
[10:10:07]
This is when there was began to be a conceptualization of potential compromises or potential red lines for all the countries around the table
there. 40 different nations or groups represented there. More than half already very obvious supporters of Ukraine, but some like India, some like
China, like South Africa, and maybe you can throw the UAE in -- UAE in there who view themselves as sort of being independent of being neutral, if
you will, in terms of the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine was certainly like to sway their minds and to make sure they're on board or not blocking whatever sanctions may appear or whatever discussions
there might be at the U.N. in months and years to come. But the fact that there is a peace talks conference going on, is indicative that even while
the wars being fought, there is an effort on a diplomatic track. And that's usually important.
And if you look at, you know, just a month ago, there was a -- there was the first in the series of these talks in Copenhagen. There were more than
double the number of representatives there in Saudi Arabia. A tip perhaps to Saudi's diplomatic clout to pull them all in and be their center stage
between the United States and China who would have thought that it could happen. But going forward, there is a track for these talks to continue.
And, you know, as Winston Churchill, I think, famously said, better George of them (INAUDIBLE) war war is happening but George was aware it's going to
be solved ultimately.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Nic, thank you. Nic Robertson, on the story. Nic, of course, has been in and out of Ukraine and indeed Russia over the past 18
months on a regular basis. Well, more on all of this and CNN's meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter from Saudi Arabia's role as host of those talks
to China's headlining grabbing attendance, get all the images and analysis of the Jeddah event that connected multiple countries and stories around
the world.
Well, Pakistan officials are launching an inquiry to find out what caused Sunday's deadly train derailment. At least 30 people were killed and dozens
were hurt when a passenger train crashed in Sindh province. CNN's Anna Coren tracking the story for you. She has more on what we are learning
about the wreck.
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The death toll from Sunday's train derailment in Pakistan is expected to rise due to the severity of injuries
according to local officials. And looking at the pictures of the mangled wreckage of the aftermath. It's not difficult to understand why. Yesterday
the Hazara Express left Karachi, Pakistan's largest city at 8:00 a.m. local with 950 passengers on board.
Well then five hours later just after 1:00 p.m., the train derailed near the town of Nawabshah in Sindh province. 170 miles from Karachi. Authority
say the train was travelling at moderate speed, 28 miles an hour when it ran off the tracks 10 cars derailed. This is a remote farming area. So the
first people on the scene were local villages trying to pull survivors from the wreckage. Eyewitnesses spoke of people screaming and bodies everywhere,
including women and children.
Local media reports it took hours for emergency crews to arrive. They had to bring in heavy machinery to free passengers who were trapped. The
military also assisted. The injured were taken to local hospitals where an emergency was declared to deal with the influx of patients. Body bags lay
on the ground next to survivors. Let's now have a listen to one of those survivors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It was so sudden and we were seated comfortably until then. We heard the growling sounds and I gathered that
the train had derailed. Then a storm of dust spread then a berth fell on my head and blood splashed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: The cause of the derailment is unknown at this stage. But the railway minister said it could be a technical fault or an act of sabotage.
An investigation is underway.
Fatal train accidents are frequent in Pakistan. And the country's decaying rail network has lacked funding and attention despite promises from
successive governments to upgrade the system. Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
ANDERSON: Well, the Philippine Foreign Ministry condemning China for firing water cannons and its vessels calling the actions dangerous and illegal.
The Chinese Coast Guard said it fired the cannons to prevent a collision after giving multiple warnings. Philippine Coast Guard says its vessels
were delivering food and fuel to its troops stationed in the Spratly Islands chain. A number of countries including China and the Philippines
claim either some or all of that chain of islands.
[10:15:01]
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Philippines is condemning China, accusing it of using a water cannon on one of its vessels as a "dangerous
and evil illegal practice." This video is from over the weekend show in a Chinese ship purportedly firing water at the Filipino boat. smaller in size
compared to the Chinese Coast Guard ship. The much smaller Philippine boat was attempting to deliver supplies to a Philippine military installation in
the South China Sea.
Some context, these waters have been a source of tension between the two nations. Beijing claims it as its own. Yet Manila feels it has a right too.
A 2016 ruling from the Hague contends that Beijing has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. China has ignored
the ruling. The incident has prompted the Philippines' foreign minister to deliver a complaint letter to the Chinese Embassy on Monday.
The United States is showing support to the Philippines reaffirming its mutual defense treaty obligations. Australia, Germany and Japan have also
weighed in calling the Chinese actions dangerous and destabilizing.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Tokyo.
ANDERSON: Well, meantime, Chinese officials downplaying recent joint naval patrol by China and Russia off the coast of Alaska. The U.S. military
deployed four of its naval destroyers, so to monitor 11 Russian and Chinese ships operating in international waters their last week. U.S. defense
officials say the show of force did not pose a threat to either the U.S. or Canada but some senators from Alaska are expressing concern.
CNN's national security reporter Natasha Bertrand joins us from the Pentagon. Significant and clearly a concern for some. What do we know?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: It's definitely a sign of Russia's and China's growing military partnership. But what we know at this
point is that U.S. Northern Command and U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command, they did send ships as well as planes to monitor the
activity of these Russian and Chinese vessels that were operating near the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.
We didn't get much detail from that U.S. Northern Command statement. All they really said was that they were monitoring these, that they stayed in
international waters and that they did not pose a threat to the U.S. or Canada at any point. But the U.S. senators from Alaska, as you noted, they
have been expressing a little more concern about this. And they released a statement on Saturday, saying that it was their understanding that roughly
11 Chinese and Russian ships had been operating there. And they called it an incursion.
They said that they had received multiple classified briefings about the incident in recent days. And Senator Dan Sullivan, who is one of those
senators, he actually said that it shows that we have entered, "a new era of authoritarian aggression, led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow."
Now, notably, this is not the first time that Russia and China have done these kind of joint patrols in that kind of same area.
They carried out a similar exercise last summer. And at that point, that exercise was really only met by a single U.S. Coast Guard vessel that was
operating a routine patrol in the area. So, Dan Sullivan, that U.S. senator, he said that he was very pleased to see that the response this
time around was more robust. And he noted that a U.S. Navy or four U.S. Navy destroyers, I should say did respond to track their movements as well,
of course as reconnaissance aircraft.
China, as you mentioned, downplaying this saying that this is part of kind of routine exercise that they have done with Russia before and saying,
importantly, that they were not meant -- this exercise was not meant to target any third party, Becky.
ANDERSON: Natasha is on the story. Thank you very much indeed. Record temperatures and devastating floods. Going to get you around the world up
next as we show you the impact of climate change on three continents.
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[10:21:11]
ANDERSON: Well, almost every day on CONNECT THE WORLD, we bring you stories showing the effects of climate change. And we make no apology for that.
This is truly significantly important stuff. In a moment we will take you from the U.S. where southern states are hitting record highs to Slovenia
where houses and livelihoods are underwater or mud. This is more than a list of stories. It is a global crisis that connects our world.
We begin in South Korea where dangerous weather conditions are spoiling a major youth event. Nearly 40,000 teenagers will be leaving the 25th World
Scout Jamboree almost a week early because of an approaching typhoon. Extreme heat had already been causing trouble at that event. About 1300
participants sought medical care at the on-site hospital on Sunday alone.
Well, the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF raising the alarm about high heat and children in South Asia in particular. New analysis that they have shows
that 76 percent of children in South Asia, three quarters of kids there are exposed to extreme high temperatures. 83 or more days per year. That is in
comparison to only about a third of children globally. And UNICEF says hot conditions are life-threatening to children because their bodies don't
adapt quickly to temperature changes.
Also 80 million people in the southern hand southwestern United States are under heat alerts today in a large part of the country. Starting the week
with the threat of severe weather. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the details for you.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Heat alert stretch almost the entire southern tier of the U.S. going from California all the way over through
Florida. When we take a look at the Gulf Coast region specifically remember, it's not just the temperature itself, but also factoring that
humidity when you combine the two, you get that heat index or what we like to call the feels like temperature.
So for example, Corpus Christi on Monday looking at a high temperature right around that 97 degree mark. But with the humidity, it's going to feel
more like 114. New Orleans, not much better. The high temperature likely just below triple digits, but that heat index is going to feel more like
113. Even states farther to the west, we're looking at incredibly hot temperatures. Albuquerque on Saturday, topping out at 102 degrees.
That is the hottest August date ever for this area. Now some good news for that city specifically that its temperatures are going to start coming back
down into the 90s for much of the upcoming week. But keep in mind, the average this time of year in Albuquerque is 90 degrees. So, we're still
expected to be about five to seven degrees above normal. But I guess that's better than the 10 to 15 degrees above normal that they've spent for much
of the summer.
Records also possible for many locations, not just today. But even in through Tuesday, you're looking at about 100 possible records today and
tomorrow for some of these areas and a few locations could break records both days in a row. Another concern is also going to be some severe
thunderstorms. The target point is really New York stretching all the way back into Mississippi with the bullseye really going to be for cities like
Washington, D.C., Charlotte even stretching down into Atlanta.
The main threats will be damaging winds and the potential for large hail but we can't rule out an isolated tornado. Places like New York and Boston
looking at the first round of showers to come in during the morning. But then a secondary round comes through is that final wave stretches late
Monday into the evening and some of those showers may even linger into Tuesday.
ANDERSON: Allison Chinchar with the details. And if you work in Celsius of course those numbers that she just had on the screen, there are 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, 38 degrees Celsius.
[10:25:07]
Well, in northeast China, heavy rain and flooding in the aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri continue to batter that region. Official said at least 30
people have died and more than a million people have been displaced just since late July. The rainfall also causing heavy agricultural losses and
it's raising concerns about food security since the region is a major supplier of food for the rest of China.
And floods also swamping parts of Europe. In Slovenia, six people have died in flooding that started with torrential rains on Friday. The cost of the
damage could top half a billion dollars. Michael Holmes with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Dragged down by floodwaters. This house in Slovenia no match for days of torrential
rain. Residents say they watched and waited as a nearby river swelled in the storms, which began last week. But by Saturday they were forced to
evacuate after the river burst its banks leaving nothing to contain the rushing waters.
This man says that eight people live they're both young and old. He says it's a huge loss but he's grateful they got out in time. So, then his prime
minister says this is the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, affecting two-thirds of the country, with large parts of central and
northern Slovenia, deluged with floods. Emergency workers are making a public plea for rubber boats so that they can reach areas no longer
reachable by road.
This is what they're up against. Dangerously fast waters, which have stranded people in some areas. Volunteers in this northern town, risking
their lives to save to tourists stuck in the rapids.
One local mayor says he's just now getting a chance to inspect the damage. He says much of his town has been inundated since Friday and what isn't
covered in water is caked in mud.
He says it's a huge financial loss and estimates the damage in his town alone will run into the millions of dollars. The Prime Minister echoing
that concern saying the price tag to clean up and rebuild across the country could talk half a billion dollars. But some residents are already
starting that process and local media says around 600 soldiers have been deployed to hard-hit areas to help with the efforts.
This restaurant owner says it will be hard to bounce back from what she calls an apocalypse. But she says at least this disaster is one that many
people are weathering together.
Michael Holmes, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Wherever you are watching the world this is CONNECT THE WORLD just before half past 3:00 in the afternoon from London. I'm Becky
Anderson.
Donald Trump's legal team faces a new deadline. The Justice Department in the U.S. wants the judge to restrict what Donald Trump can say a difficult
task when it comes to the former president. Now is lawyers plan to respond is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:31:18]
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in London. It is a half past 3:00 here. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Wherever you are watching you are more than
welcome. Here are your headlines this hour. Ukraine Security Service says it has detained a woman involved in an assassination plot against President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It says she was gathering intelligence on the President's visit to the Mykolaiv region last month ahead of a planned
Russian airstrike, they say.
Niger's coup leaders are moving reinforcements from around the country to the Capitol to prepare for a potential invasion from its West African
neighbors according to military sources there. The military junta also closed Niger's airspace until further notice.
Well, lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump face a looming deadline today in about 6-1/2 hours they must respond to the Justice
Department's request to limit what Donald Trump says about evidence he receives. The current candidate was indicted for the third time last week
on charges that allege he was part of a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith has argued there needs to be a
protective order limiting what Trump can say and do with the evidence.
Prosecutors have cited Trump's past social media use and how he is singled out witnesses, judges, and attorneys. CNN's Katelyn Polantz is live in
Washington with the latest. What's going on here?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Becky, this is about trial timing. So, after the indictment of Donald Trump last week, in
this January 6 case, the only way to move toward trial is for prosecutors to begin sharing evidence with Donald Trump's defense team. So everybody
can get ready for a trial. The Justice Department is not going to do that until they have what's called a protective order in place.
A sort -- order that essentially puts limits on how evidence in the case can be disclosed to the public or not disclosed to the public. So Donald
Trump's team has been out there saying including on CNN to Dana Bash yesterday that they want the public to be able to see this evidence. And
they've also said in court that they want to go to trial as quickly as possible. But the Justice Department has said, well, we can't get that
process moving unless you agree to some terms here.
And so, the deadline today is the judge setting a deadline for Trump's team to come into court and say, this is what we propose on how all of this
evidence can be protected. Now the Justice Department, they are in their filings, they seem to be asking for what they believe is quite a reasonable
provision. The same sort of provision that's used in any type of criminal or even civil case. And even the same one that was used for when Steve
Bannon, a close associate of Donald Trump went to trial previously, for a criminal case contempt of Congress.
But we're going to have to wait and see exactly if Donald Trump's team is going to be willing to do this. The one thing that is quite significant
here is the judge seems to be moving quite fast. She was responding to this over the weekend and setting a very quick deadline for Trump's team to
respond so that they can get this process moving toward trial.
ANDERSON: Yes. And that was the expectation with this judge. She has a reputation for pushing things on. And so, that perhaps no surprise. Thank
you.
Well, big and significant changes to blood donations in the United States. Just ahead. Updates to Red Cross guidelines mean more people are allowed to
donate. More on that coming up.
And in sport. More Messi magic. The football superstar awards fans with another stunning performance in the United States.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:37:15]
ANDERSON: Well, starting today, the American Red Cross has updated its guidelines on who can donate blood. The new rules will allow more gay and
bisexual people in the United States to give and it comes three months after the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed decades-old
restrictions that officials said were aimed at protecting against the spread of HIV.
Well, this brings the U.S. in line with many other countries. Joining us now is CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, just how significant a
change is this?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a major change both sort of societally but also just practically when you look at the scope of the
Red Cross. It accounts for 40 percent of the U.S. blood supply. And so, this change is really significant today here in the United States. And it
really goes back to an almost 40-year history of exclusionary policies which were put into effect during the height of fears around HIV and AIDS
in the mid-1980s.
That's when the FDA enacted this lifetime ban for men who have sex with men on donating blood. They sort of loosened that starting in 2015, changing it
to a one-year abstinence period for deferrals. And then of course loosened it again during COVID and 2020, down to a three-month period, and now have
finally changed this policy to be an individual risk-based assessment not based on sexual orientation.
This really brings the United States into step with other countries like the U.K. and Canada. The FDA has looked at what's happened in other
countries and seeing that this poses no additional safety risks to the blood supply. And this really sort of speaks to calls to do this a lot
sooner.
ANDERSON: Yes. We're talking about four decades since those exclusions were put in place. There are as I understand it, still though, some exceptions
in these new guidelines.
TIRRELL: There are still and the LGBTQ plus community is still calling some of these exemptions exclusionary and stigmatizing. They are based on a
sexual history but also on the use of antiviral medications to prevent HIV. And it's there that, you know, some people are calling these problematic
because the FDA says that's necessary because there could be false negatives in detecting HIV in the blood supply.
But the community points out that people using these medications are extremely aware of their status. And so, they're still calling for more
study into this.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Meg, good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
TIRRELL: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We're going out to the movies back in fashion and the Barbenheimer duo is as hot as ever. Barbie alone is now raked in more than
$1 billion in global box office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the best day ever.
MARGOT ROBBIE, ACTRESS: It is the best day ever. So as yesterday and so as tomorrow and every day from now until forever. Do you guys ever think about
dying?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:40:07]
ANDERSON: It's now one of -- about 50 movies not adjusted for inflation to earn that much. It's been the top performing film in the U.K., in Mexico
and Australia for example since its released by Warner Brothers. A studio of course owned by the same parent is CNN.
Meantime, Christopher Nolan's World War II thriller Oppenheimer has become the highest grossing period film of its kind. Release on the same day as
Barbie. Oppenheimer has made more than $500 million at the global box office. That is the highest grossing R-rated movie of the year and one of
only four biopics as they're known to cross the half a billion-dollar mark.
Well, Lionel Messi making more magic in America. 36-year-old footballing superstar from Argentina levelling into Miami's match against F.C. Dallas
on a free kick late in the second half before into went on to win penalties.
Coy Wire is in the house. I mean, listen, he's having an awful lot of fun. And why not, Coy?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Seven goals in four matches. I mean, there's - - the tickets for this match sold out in less than 10 minutes. And some of the -- on the secondary market, Becky went for $20,000.
ANDERSON: Wow.
WIRE: It's just incredible what he has done. So yes, he's just continues to lift and create this Messi Mania here in the U.S. I'm a little bit excited
because he's coming to Atlanta where I live. The Atlanta United place. So yes, I'm going to jump on the train and try to get a glimpse of this magic.
That is next.
ANDERSON: Well, more on that coming up in World Sport. I mean, his impact is remarkable. And then my colleagues at World Sport have been discussing
that over the weeks and will continue to do so. That's coming out but after this short break. Coy, thanks, mate. I'll be back at the top of the hour
for you with the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
