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Ukraine Not Expecting Jet Deliveries This Year; Disadvantaged Nations Receiving Less than One-Fifth of Black Sea Grain Exports; "Barbie" Opens in Saudi Arabia; Giuliani Asks Trump for Monetary Help; North Korea Planning ICBM Launch; Going Green: Loowatt. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired August 17, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): I'm Becky Anderson, live from London. This is CONNECT THE WORLD, 4 pm here. Coming up this hour -- it is

3 pm here.

Ukraine says it is not expecting F-16 fighter jets this year.

Detained American Paul Whelan has a frank phone call with secretary of state, Antony Blinken.

Rudy Giuliani is asking Donald Trump to help pay his mounting legal bills.

And later "Barbie" takes Saudi Arabia by storm.

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ANDERSON: No American F-16s in Ukraine this year. That is the word from Ukraine's air force, pushing back the timetable for any delivery of the

fighter jets that Ukraine says it desperately needs to counter Russian missile and drone attacks.

Now this announcement on Ukrainian television did note that progress is being made toward training pilots to fly those jets once and if they

arrive.

However, the course of the all-Russian aerial attacks have hit targets across Ukraine, often killing and injuring civilians. Let's get you to the

ground. Nick Paton Walsh is in Dnipro in east central Ukraine.

This is important, Nick, let's put this into perspective for our viewers. Training has been promised. There is no promise as of yet of physical jets

from either the U.S. or its allies.

But should they be delivered at some point, what would that mean for Ukraine?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean part of the Biden administration with a number of allies at the recent

G7 was essentially the notion that they would be ending up supplying F-16s to Ukraine.

And the issue was, of course, how fast the training around that could be implemented. These jets require repair and vast amounts of maintenance for

just the amount they spend in the air and of course, require training in English.

But for Ukrainian pilots to occur the issue has been the pace at which the European allies, who would contribute to the training and have the training

happen on their territory, could put that plan together.

This is always been the most complicated potential part of NATO's bid to arm Ukraine because of the complexity of servicing high tech jets like

this, because of the fact that they would essentially have to land in Ukraine and be serviced there in order to not have NATO a party to the

conflict in such a way that the Biden administration and NATO allies have been very keen, they don't want to be dragged into.

These are the challenges though. They were very apparent when these first promises were made. And clearly it has been a slower ground they would've

liked it to have been. But they are urgently required by Ukraine. That we've seen ourselves on the front line, to find Russian air superiority a

daily hazard -- hazard is probably a light word if you are facing a half- metric ton bomb being dropped on your position as you try and move forward.

It is a reason why Ukraine's progress has been slower than NATO allies had hoped, the same NATO allies though, it is fair to say, that never even

dreamed of attempting an operation like Ukraine is without air superiority.

And so I think this is Ukraine being clear that the more optimistic timetables put forward by U.S. and Western officials for the delivery and

training on F-16s aren't going to be made. We've seen this happen repeatedly throughout the open debate about arming, promises that don't

necessarily turn into stuff on the ground.

That hasn't necessarily been the case with the Leopard takes and some of the other important armored equipment that has arrived in time for this

counteroffensive. Its effectiveness though, is still, I think is fair to say, being assessed by the Ukrainians, who we have heard talk on the front

lines about actually how they prefer their Soviet models, because they're easier to repair and possibly more robust.

But this is, Ukraine, I think trying to explain that these are the things you said we would have. These are what we need them for. And we have not

got them yet. And potentially preparing Ukrainians here, look, put aside all of this geopolitical stuff and paperwork bouncing around.

Ukrainians are hearing sirens, just in the last hours. We think that F-16s would potentially make their lives safer. And that is probably absolutely

fair, Becky.

ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh, on the ground, in Dnipro. Next hour -- thank you, Nick. Next on the show, we will see Nick and his crew as they travel

with Ukrainian troops to the newly-liberated village of Urazhaine and beyond for an up-close look at what is the intense fight there for the

territory.

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ANDERSON: Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Yet another town taken as the counter offensive does move forward. We were just seeing the neighboring village taken last week that they keep

moving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The reality of life on the ground. Stay with us for that full report.

But in the meantime, the cargo ship that left the port of Odessa on Wednesday has reached Romanian waters in the Black Sea. A Hong Kong flagged

vessel became the first to leave Odessa since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal, as it's known, last month.

It departed despite Russian threats to target Ukrainian shipping interests in the Black Sea. Fred Pleitgen is connecting us from Berlin this hour.

This is after Ukraine's navy, of course, announced temporary corridors for grain shipments, a sign that these can be successful, for getting crucial

grain supplies out of Ukraine ports, Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Becky. I think it is probably still too early to tell. If we look at the

ship specifically that is now left the port of Odessa and as you said has made it to Turkiye, that ship is actually German co-owned.

And I was looking at the company that co-owns that ship and what they say about how that ship got out. That ship was actually moored in the port of

Odessa, since February 23rd of last year. So it's basically been stuck there for about 1.5 years.

And now there are corridors in place, they decided they would try get that ship out now and they obviously have successfully done so. That seems as

though that ship was also loaded with cargo as well.

But of course, we have to point out that that is one ship. And what we have not seen yet is actually ships going into Odessa using that corridor,

loading up and then coming back out.

Now of course, we have to point out that that could still be a huge risk for any shipping company to do that. And certainly something that a lot of

them would want to think about before committing their ships to move into a port like Odessa and get the grain out despite the fact that of course, it

is something that would be so very important.

On top of that we've already seen in the past couple of days that the Russians seem to have their own thoughts about all of this. They boarded a

vessel that was actually heading to a Danube port earlier this week with a helicopter and putting their troops on board, searching that vessel.

ANDERSON: All right.

PLEITGEN: So that in itself could make things very, very difficult. So right now it seems as though it is still too early to tell. But the

Ukrainians believe at least some grain could get out of that port this way.

ANDERSON: Fred, a report released by the United Nations in July showed that actually very little of the grain shipped through what was the Black

Sea initiative actually went to poor nations.

You can see on this graph there, it is less than 3 percent and that somewhat plays into Russia's narrative. This has been used by Putin

himself, that this deal unfairly benefited Ukraine. It certainly didn't benefit parts of the world that need this grain most.

What is Russia saying about a potential resumption of a deal?

PLEITGEN: That is such an interesting graphic that you are just showing. I think one of the interesting things was is that the Russians actually came

out and said only about 3 percent of the grain that came out of the ports of Ukraine, that actually went to low income or poor countries.

What we saw there is even less than that. It is only about 2.5 percent. And of course, you're absolutely right. That is one of the things that the

Russians are pointing out. They, say essentially, first of all, they barely benefited from this deal that really wasn't very much in it for the

Russians as they put it.

And then second of all, one of the reasons for the deal was to get grain to poorer countries and they say that simply has not happened yet. I want to

listen to the deputy U.N. ambassador of Russia and what he had to say about this.

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DMITRY POLYANSKI, RUSSIAN DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS (through translator): The duplicity of our former Western partners are even more

clear in their arrogant unwillingness to fulfill the second part of the deal.

The Russian-U.N. memorandum on the supply of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: That's one of the things that the Russians are also saying, is that a lot of goods that they want to export are still under sanctions and

they can't get them to international markets.

One of the things though that folks from Western countries have been pointing out, Becky, is that they say, yes, of course, very little of that

grain went to poor countries. But they also say that the fact that more grain actually made it onto the international markets, including that grain

from Ukraine, made grain cheaper for everybody.

It made it more accessible for lower income countries as well, because the global price for grain dropped, thanks to that grain deal and, of course,

it has gone up since then, Becky.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. I boarded one of those ships in Turkiye, just offshore, one of the ships that had actually done that journey. You can see

why that Black Sea grain deal was and is so important. But I think it is also important to point out what the facts are as we understand them, thank

you.

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ANDERSON: A U.S. citizen held prisoner in Russia for more than four years has been told to keep hope alive. Sources say that that message came during

a, quote, "long and frank phone call" between former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken. That was a call on

Wednesday.

Blinken told Whelan that the U.S. is doing everything it can to bring him home as soon as possible. Whelan was convicted in Russia on espionage

charges in 2019. But American officials insist he is wrongly detained. For more on this, let's bring in CNN's Kylie Atwood at the State Department --

Kylie.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so what we're hearing is that the secretary of state had a few messages for Paul Whelan.

First of all, to keep his faith. And second of all, that the U.S. government is doing everything they can, working behind the scenes, to try

and bring him home as soon as possible.

But of course, Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia for more than four years now. It has been an incredibly challenging number of years for him in

this prison camp, in a remote area of Russia. And also, of course, for his family.

We should note that David Whelan, who is Paul Whelan's brother, was able to speak with Paul Whelan after he had this phone call with the secretary of

state. This is the second phone call that they've had.

But of course, hugely significant because standing up a phone call between an American prisoner in a Russian prison camp and secretary of state is a

big deal.

David Whelan said that this was a long and frank conversation that they had. He also said that it sent a very clear message as to the Biden

administration continuing to work to get Paul released from prison. Listen to what he told CNN yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID WHELAN, BROTHER OF AMERICAN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: I think that Secretary Blinken has obviously sent a message and that message is for Paul

and for our family, that the U.S. government is continuing to advocate for Paul and his release.

And I think it is also a message for the Kremlin, that the U.S. government has not let up and, in fact, their lead foreign policy person is willing to

call a prisoner, which I think is astounding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: We know there earlier this year, Becky, the Biden administration put an offer on the deal with the Russians to secure Paul Whelan's release.

But according to officials, the Russians have not responded in a substantive way.

And of course, we know that, since then, Evan Gershkovich was also wrongfully detained back in March of this year, that "The Wall Street

Journal" reporter. So U.S. officials are really focused on trying to get both of those men securely out of prison and back to their families.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. Kylie, always a pleasure. Thank you.

Still to come, one of Donald Trump's codefendants says that he needs some help, some significant help paying his legal bills. We will take a look at

just how much Mr. Trump might be willing to shell out for his longtime ally, Rudy Giuliani.

And "Barbie" mania is sweeping Saudi Arabia. But it is not all rosy pink in the region. More on that after this.

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ANDERSON: "Barbie" mania has arrived in the Gulf, at least parts of it. The global blockbuster, set to be the highest grossing film of the year by

some distance, opened in Saudi Arabia this week, to popular acclaim.

A stark turnaround for a country where going to the cinema, full stop, was banned until 2017. But in neighboring Kuwait, moviegoers were left

disappointed after "Barbie" there was banned to preserve, quote, "public ethics and social traditions."

It is an ironic twist for the Gulf country, which used to be a popular destination for Saudis intent on watching films in theaters. Here is more

on the story.

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Scenes like these were unthinkable just a few years back, Saudi women packing cinemas to watch "Barbie," an empowering movie,

with feminist themes.

But "Barbie" mania is alive in the kingdom, which only ended its decades- long ban on cinemas in 2017 as part of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's plans to transform the country.

JAMAL MOUSSA, EGYPTIAN CITIZEN (through translator): I asked people coming out of the screening. They told me it is an excellent film. It is a

romantic film (INAUDIBLE). It is a compelling story. So I thought to book for me and the children to watch it.

And they were happy about it. An advancement we are witnessing every day. We can now see movies and a lot of things that we didn't see here before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(VIDEO CLIP, "BARBIE")

ANDERSON (voice-over): However, the film will not be delighting audiences in every nation across the region. Despite showing "Barbie" at cinemas for

several weeks, Algeria took the decision to remove the blockbuster from screens for promoting homosexuality.

Oil-rich Kuwait also banned "Barbie" to, quote, "preserve public ethics and social traditions."

Social media, awash with Kuwaitis joking about driving to Saudi Arabia to see the film and some even posting guides on the theaters closest to the

border. The irony of the reversing of cultural norms not lost on Kuwaitis, who have been used to Saudis making that journey in the past.

And in Lebanon, a country generally regarded as being more progressive toward the LGBTQ community, the culture minister moved in to banned the

movie from theaters, saying it, quote, "promotes homosexuality."

JEAN CLAUDE BOULOS, LEBANESE FILMMAKER (through translator): The movie is being shown in Saudi Arabia and in the Arab world, while we here are

banning it. It started with all of us postponing it. But in the end, they chose to run the movie and we decided to ban it. This shows that we want to

stay still. We don't want to develop.

ANDERSON (voice-over): While Saudi Arabia's socioeconomic deliberalization is moving at pace, there was still criticism of certain facets of that

transformation.

Former head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, tweeting that while Saudi women find much to admire in Barbie, they still need guardians' permission

to marry and there is yet no appetite for activism in the country.

Despite the progress still to be made, that this film is being shown in Saudi Arabia, a nation traditional reinforced by the patriarchy, is a sign

that bin Salman's vision is rapidly changing the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Joining us now is Hana Al-Omair, who is the chairperson of the Saudi Film Association. It's great to have you on.

Have you seen the movie?

HANA AL-OMAIR, CHAIR, SAUDI FILM ASSOCIATION: Yes, I did.

ANDERSON: What do you think of it?

AL-OMAIR: I liked it, actually. It's funny; it's silly at certain points but it's nostalgic. And it also touches upon many things that a lot of

women think about. So it is entertaining, I'm so happy that a female director has been so successful. So it's very inspiring for me.

ANDERSON: That's great to hear.

What does it mean, do you believe, for the women and men of Saudi Arabia, to be able to see a movie like this in a theater at home?

AL-OMAIR: It's interesting. Of course, everyone wants to see it, because of all the fuss about the film.

[10:20:00]

AL-OMAIR: It's also, as I said, entertaining. I must say that there are more females in the theaters than males.

(LAUGHTER)

AL-OMAIR: But it is natural, I think.

ANDERSON: Since 2018, when Saudis first started going to the cinema, the landscape has changed with regard arts and culture. And I do think it's

rather ironic that we're seeing Kuwaitis traveling to Saudi to watch "Barbie." And I'm sure that irony is not lost on you as well.

Can we just talk about what part film plays in the crown prince's Vision 2030?

There may be people watching this interview, this show, who are not as imbued in that vision as you are. But certainly film is at the heart of

what is going on in Saudi. So just explain how, if you will.

AL-OMAIR: Yes. Sure. We are aiming for the 2030 to have 70 Saudi films produced, which is a very ambitious number. But as things are going right

now in Saudi, I think we're going to reach this number maybe even more.

We have gone in so many areas from nothing at all, to having a lot of things in place. So we're looking forward to this. I'm so happy to be part

of this journey as other filmmakers are. So it's a very exciting time for Saudi.

ANDERSON: Is anything off the record, just explain what sort of narratives that we will see in those 70 movies produced in Saudi?

Which is a significant uptick, I mean, huge.

AL-OMAIR: Yes. Yes. If we go back in 2006 (sic), the first Saudi feature film was produced by Dhilal al Sammt. It's called the "Shadow of Silence."

After that, in around the same year, another film. But then we had to wait for six years in order to see (INAUDIBLE), 2012.

And then four years to see another film, "Barakah Meets Barakah." And then slowly, the numbers started to become bigger, a little bit. But in 2022,

last year, we had 11 films produced. This year, it's expected that we are going to have, by the end of the year, around 15 films. So as you see, we

are moving toward this number.

ANDERSON: I must address the criticism in the report that I just -- you heard earlier, the criticism there, for example, from Kenneth Roth, the

former head of Human Rights Watch, who suggests, effectively, an argument which I think is out there at present.

As we see societal change, so we continue to see criticism of human rights. I wonder whether you agree that those aren't mutually exclusive, that we

can see societal change. And we absolutely witness that through Vision 2030. But also we can continue to see criticism of human rights.

Your response to that?

AL-OMAIR: I mean, we are going much beyond than what anyone would think. A lot -- I met a lot of people who would say that we came to the country with

certain expectations. And as we come, we see things totally different.

And this is maybe why we need more Saudi films, because, once maybe people see Saudi films and see Saudi reality, they realize what they are talking

about.

ANDERSON: We'll need to leave it there. We thank you very much, indeed, for joining us. I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. I did, too. Good to have

you.

AL-OMAIR: Thank you.

ANDERSON: No doubt that Saudi Arabia is undergoing major changes. The kingdom is spending billions on projects there that are meant to put it on

the global radar and bring in some big names.

And one of those big names signed his contract in Saudi just yesterday, Brazilian football star and former now PSG forward, Neymar Jr., inking his

new deal with Saudis Al-Hilal Football Club. Here's the kicker, as it were, Al-Hilal is currently the second highest spender of all professional

football clubs globally this year.

And you heard me right, globally, beating the likes of PSG, Man United and Arsenal.

But where are the goalposts here? In light of these mega transfers (ph), my colleague, Eleni Giokos, spoke with the chief operating officer of the

Saudi Pro League to get to the bottom of the kingdom's spending spree. Have a listen.

[10:25:00]

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CARLO NOHRA, COO, SAUDI PRO LEAGUE: We've just opened a new channel for players. That didn't exist.

Why can it not be in the Middle East?

Why cannot it be in Saudi Arabia?

Why does it have to be exclusively in Europe?

So we are challenging the status quo in their opinion. What we're doing, we're doing something for Saudi Arabia. We're doing something for the local

people. And that's something that everybody else got to get comfortable with because we are very comfortable with it.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: So the other end of the spectrum of that argument, is that these big players are going to be coming

to the region. And they're not really going to get challenged by -- with the local leagues and the local team.

What do you say to that?

The counter of that argument, that they're coming here for the money.

NOHRA: At the moment, all we can do is put on the product and as you can see, it's not one player; it's multiple players. It's not one club, it's

multiple clubs. It is elevating the tide that is going to raise all ships.

But it's not enough for me to just tell you these things, it's going to take a bit of time for everybody to be convinced that that's where we want

to go. And other leagues have been through the same thing. MLS (ph) comes to mind. It's taken them many years and they have evolved over time. And it

will be exactly the same journey for us.

GIOKOS: How long do you think it's going to take?

NOHRA: A long time. A very long time.

(CROSSTALK)

GIOKOS: Like a decade?

Is this 5-10 years?

Is it longer?

NOHRA: Well, I would say 5-10 years is the time horizon for the strategy. We'll reevaluate at that time and then see how we need to modify and

correct course to keep moving forward. But this isn't something that's going to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The man known as America's mayor after 9/11 now facing hard times financially. Still to come, how Rudy Giuliani went to Donald Trump,

hat in hand, in search of money for his mounting legal bills. That's after this.

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ANDERSON: Welcome back, half past 3 in London, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

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ANDERSON: We're getting a real sense of just how far Rudy Giuliani has fallen since being praised for his leadership as New York's mayor after

9/11. His legal bills have left him so financially strapped that he went to see his political ally, Donald Trump, at Mar-a-Lago recently, to ask for

money. That's according to a new CNN report.

And we have learned that Trump mostly refused his requests. Giuliani faces staggering legal bills, many of them related to lawsuits against him for

falsely claiming that the 2020 election was rigged.

His lawyer said in court recently that he is effectively out of cash. Giuliani is now a codefendant with Trump in the U.S. state of Georgia,

where they and 17 others have until next Friday to turn themselves in after being indicted for their alleged election scheme. CNN's Paula Reid joining

us now from Washington.

Paula, thanks for joining us. As we understand it, Trump's team negotiating his surrender with Georgia authorities.

What's the latest?

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So the district attorney, Fani Willis and Fulton County, gave all 19 defendants

until next Friday at noon to surrender. And that surrender is usually done to the sheriff, the county sheriff's office.

It involves a mug shot, fingerprints. We don't know if the former president will be asked to submit for a mug shot; usually those are for people who

law enforcement would need help recognizing if they went on the lam.

There could be some special considerations for the former president, as there have been at the federal level. But what's really going to be

different here at the state level is, you do the surrender. And then a judge schedules a hearing, where in his previous cases, everything was kind

of done all at once.

So they're still negotiating the terms of his surrender next week and then it'll be up to the judge when he comes for that initial appearance.

ANDERSON: Right. That's the details as we understand them, with regard Donald Trump. Let's just try and understand a little more about what's

going on with Giuliani here. Asking the former president to help on legal bills and, as we understand it, that help not forthcoming.

REID: Yes, so remarkable that Rudy Giuliani and his longtime lawyer went down to Florida in April to effectively beg the former president for help

in paying a seven-figure legal bill.

And we are told that, in his Trumpian, indirect way, he did agree to help but he wasn't specific about when or how much he would pay. Now I will say,

a month later, Giuliani was facing sanctions as he didn't pay this 300-some odd thousand dollar bill in one of the many cases that he's facing.

And the Trump aligned political action committee actually paid that bill for him. But he hasn't received any other additional help from the former

president. And this is significant for many reasons.

One, Trump certainly has an incentive; even his own advisers are telling him to pay Rudy Giuliani's legal bills, to keep him happy and keep him in

the fold, to discourage him from cooperating in these many investigations.

Also Rudy charged in the state of Georgia, (INAUDIBLE) Georgia's state attorney. And it's really hard to get a lawyer when one of the other

lawyers that's in court is saying this guy isn't paying his bills.

So Rudy Giuliani in a very complicated situation of his own making. And the former president not really helping him out.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you.

Well, the governor of Hawaii is warning that more than 1,000 people may still be missing in the wake of Maui's deadly wildfires. That is as the

number of those confirmed killed in the disaster rises to 111.

Police and rescue crews have now searched nearly 40 percent of the burn zone. The fire crews on Maui are still battling smaller fires at multiple

locations. Meanwhile, a power grid monitoring company says faults were detected in the system, in the hours before the fires started.

The residents of Maui have a long road to recovery ahead of them. If you'd like to help those relief efforts, we have got a list of vetted resources

and ways that you can donate. Please have a look at cnn.com/impact or you can scan the QR code at the bottom of your screen here.

And those resources that are listed there include organizations that provide food, medical support, temporary housing and even care for animals.

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Let's get you up to speed on the other stories that are on our radar now; 92 migrants are feared dead after their boat capsized

near Cape Verde, off West Africa. That's according to a Spanish human rights group.

Just over 3 dozen survivors were found 35 days after leaving Senegal. Their boat was reportedly carrying 130 people.

A South Korea lawmaker briefed by intelligence officials says --

[10:35:00]

ANDERSON (voice-over): -- there are signs that North Korea is preparing an intercontinental ballistic missile launch and other provocations in the

coming days. The lawmaker says it could happen during a trilateral summit with the U.S. and Japan, Friday, or during military drills with the U.S.

later this month.

Searchers are looking for more than a dozen people missing after deadly rains and landslides here in India's northern Himalaya region. At least 71

people were confirmed to have died. Monsoon rains are hitting parts of India especially hard this year.

ANDERSON: We often look at the ravishes of weather, extreme weather and climate change on this show and the impact of natural disasters that we are

seeing around the world. Next hour, one possible solution to a factor contributing to the problem.

How AI Is changing the aviation industry, helping fight the climate crisis. We're going to take a deeper dive on that next hour.

Also ahead, in the show, this hour, Lionel Messi is set to face the media for the first time since his move to the States and his goal scoring

bonanza with Inter Miami.

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ANDERSON: Today on our Going Green series, we are looking at household technology that hasn't seen much improvement in more than a century. But if

a London-based company has its way, that could soon change, thanks to an innovative waterless toilet, designed to improve sanitation around the

world. Bianca Nobilo has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We live in a world of shimmering cities, with skyscrapers soaring above the clouds. But

amid all this technology is an uncomfortable, often taboo topic of conversation.

The World Health Organization estimates more than 40 percent of the world's population does not have access to safely manage sanitation in their home.

VIRGINIA GARDINER, FOUNDER, LOOWATT (voice-over): If you're walking down the street, you look and you'll see perhaps a canal, which is obviously

full of human waste. And you'll see bubbles coming up. Those bubbles are greenhouse gases.

NOBILO (voice-over): From her small office in southwest London, Virginia Gardiner is working to revolutionize sanitation for many people in the

developing world.

GARDINER (voice-over): There's no one size fits all solution for sanitation. It's important in any city, I think, to have a diversity of

solutions available.

NOBILO (voice-over): Gardiner's company, Loowatt, has developed waterless toilet systems that flush, which can be used in urban or portable

environments.

GARDINER (voice-over): So what we have here is a per spec (ph) model of the electrified version of the toilet. When you flush the toilet, it pulls

what is in the toilet --

[10:40:00]

GARDINER (voice-over): -- whatever you put in there --

(LAUGHTER)

GARDINER (voice-over): -- down through and it then goes into a container underneath. Eventually, once it's full, you change the refill and you swap

out the container. So the act of servicing our toilet is a really hygienic experience as well.

NOBILO (voice-over): So far Loowatt has created partnerships in South Africa and Madagascar. In Madagascar, the social enterprise consists of

about 860 families, each paying about $4 a month for the service.

GARDINER (voice-over): So in Madagascar, the brand name of our toilet is a Malagasy word. So the home service is called Soomsor (ph), which means

serenity and well-being.

NOBILO (voice-over): After the waste is collected, it's taken to Loowatt's biodigester, which processes the waste into liquid fertilizer, compost and

even some electricity. Loowatt says the waste deposited each month is processed and converted into about five tons of fertilizer and four tons of

biogas.

It's waste that, without the Loowatt system, might otherwise end up in a nearby lake.

GARDINER (voice-over): I think all human beings want hygiene and health. And so, it's nice and, I guess, comforting in a way, to realize that some

things are universal for everyone. And I think that's one of them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: For this and more stories about the innovative solution to our climate challenges, you can visit cnn.com/goinggreen.

In mere weeks he's taken American soccer fans by storm and that is no understatement. Just now hours for now, Lionel Messi will face reporters

for the first time since his big move from French giants Paris Saint- Germain, to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami.

In the meantime, he'll just keep scoring goals, Patrick Snell joins me.

I would say face the press, as if that's going to be a tough ask. This is not going to be difficult. He's going to be applauded, surely.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, he need do nothing more than just walk in the room, sit down and just say nothing. It's his football

that does all the talking, Becky. Incredible impact, his moving here to the United States.

We know he could've gone to Saudi Arabia but he chose Major League Soccer, nine goals from six games so far and counting. And his team, Inter Miami,

have never had it so good. They are now through to the final of the newly launched League's Cup.

They play Nashville. What a moment what it would be for David Beckham's Inter Miami if they could win a first piece of silverware in franchise

history. That coming up on "WORLD SPORT." Messi, Becky, due to face reporters in five hours, 38 minutes and about 40 seconds.

But hey, who's counting?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: More on that on "WORLD SPORT," up after this. We're back top of the hour for you.

[10:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[11:00:00]

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