Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

El Paso Buying School for Emergency Migrant Shelter; Ukraine: Russian Attacks Damage Odessa Infrastructure; Despite Losing Her Eye, Iranian Protester has no Regrets; Brent, WTI Prices Fall Slightly; Russia Looks to Raise Oil Revenues Despite Sanctions; Kelce Jersey Sales Surge 400 Percent after Swift Sighting. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired September 26, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: I'm Becky Anderson live from Abu Dhabi. This is "Connect the World".

Coming up this hour at our new earlier time the Mayor of Eagle Pass Texas will extend an emergency declaration says thousands of migrants stream

across the southern U.S. border. At least 20 people in Nagorno-Karabakh are dead after a fuel depot explosion there, meanwhile, thousands of fleeing

the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELAHE TAVAKOLIAN, INJURED IRANIAN PROTESTER: My children were just shouting they killed our mom help. When this person started shooting, we saw him. He

was 30 or 40 meters away. I saw him aiming at us. I turned sideways to shield my children and I was shot. I could see only blood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The brave story of an Iranian protester injured last year and continuing her struggle for freedom. And President Biden is expected to hit

the picket line with auto workers in just a few hours becoming the first sitting U.S. President to do so.

Alright, the markets in New York will open in about 30 minutes from now and we are heading towards a lower open on Wall Street. The prospect of

interest rate rises in the U.S. and a looming government showdown there weighing on investor sentiment. September is historically a bad month for

stocks and it is living up to its reputation.

All three major indexes are on pace to end the month lower. But more than that, as we get it we begin with a crisis situation on the U.S.-Mexican

border. Cities in Southern Texas absolutely overwhelmed with a surge of migrants crossing into the United States.

The Mayor of Eagle Pass plans to extend an emergency disaster declaration today and in El Paso in Texas where thousands of migrants have arrived

needing housing. The city council is buying an old school to use as a shelter. The U.S. immigration courts simply cannot keep up.

We've learned they have a backup of more than 2.6 million deportation cases. CNN's Rosa Flores has been speaking to her sources about that and

she joins us now, Rosa?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky more on that backlog because what a lot of the migrants who are arriving into the United States right

now don't realize is that they're also entering into this backlogged U.S. immigration court system that has about 2.6 million cases.

Now this is according to a group by at Syracuse University that analyzes all of this federal data and what they found that from October of last year

to August of this year, there were 1.2 million new deportation cases. Now let me explain this because this is what's happening on the ground right

now.

What happens when migrants enter the U.S. border in between ports of entry is at that point, law enforcement has to process them. They have to

determine what U.S. law applies to them if they have basis to stay in the United States. Then they enter this U.S. immigration court system if they

don't they get deported.

And so every time that a migrant is handed over what is called a NTA or a notice to appear before immigration court. That's when you get this new

deportation case, because then these migrants actually have to go into court and defend their state in the United States. Most of them try to seek

asylum.

Now, according to this group, out of Syracuse University, migrants have been going to every single state in the United States, all 50 States and

the District of Columbia some of the most popular destinations in the U.S. are California, Florida, New York, Texas, and so migrants have been going

to all these areas.

But now back to the latest as to what's happening on the border right now. According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, the two

hotspots there monitoring right now are Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. Both of these communities are grappling with a large number of migrants, Becky.

And so what the federal government is doing is sending resources there and also doing something called decompression. It's a really fancy word, in

essence for transferring migrants from areas that are at capacity or over capacity to processing areas that actually have space, Becky.

[09:05:00]

ANDERSON: Thank you, Rosa Flores on the story for you. Unprecedented migration surge not only impacting the U.S. southern border, it's also

overwhelming Mexico's border with Guatemala. CNN's David Culver is there with a look at the migrant influx headed north.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To get a better sense of the migrant crisis impacting the U.S., we wanted to come to the border, not the border,

you might be thinking, rather, we're at Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. Now it's Guatemala over there and that if you look here, are

folks crossing, waving at us.

Migrants who have made the journey from various countries, we've met folks from Haiti, from Cuba, from Honduras. Ultimately, though, many of them tell

us if not all, they want to go north. By the way, that's the official crossing that bridge, not many people using that instead, they come to this

side, the Mexico side.

And this is in to a city that's called Ciudad Hidalgo, and they've set up little encampments, you can see here, you've got folks with tents set up,

they've got clothes hanging, they're cooking food, you see a lot of families, a lot of young children in particular.

And the plan for many of them is to be here and Ciudad Hidalgo until they can find a way usually by bus or by car to get to Tapachula, which is the

largest city in this area in the state of Chiapas, in Southern Mexico. And many of them plan then to go meet with officials.

And they hope to then claim asylum here in Mexico, or at the very least try to get transit documents. And that buys them time to stay in Mexico as they

plan their way into the U.S. Most of them will tell you and they've told me this directly, they want to enter the U.S. legally.

But what you've noticed here, and we've seen this in the past several months here in Mexico in particular, is the influx and the surge is a real

strain on the resources for Mexican cities. And you notice it, as you see a lot of these folks are really trying to, on their own, figure out how to

find food, how to find clothes, and they're filling up cities like Tapachula.

15,000 to 17,000 right now, that's the number of migrants alone in Tapachula. Huge numbers that plan to wait and stay. So essentially, if you

look at the U.S. border as a river, and you've cut it off in one part, please. That's the intention from U.S. border officials, well, upstream,

it's still flowing, and it's flowing rapidly.

And this is the impact. It's coming on over the banks. You've got migrants here who ultimately yes, want to go to the U.S. But frankly, most of them

don't know how or where they end up. It really has become a humanitarian crisis. And most everyone you speak with here acknowledges that. David

Culver CNN, Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We'll a brewing migrant crisis also happening in the troubled Nagorno-Karabakh region in Asia, which today is dealing with the aftermath

of a deadly explosion. Armenian authorities, say a blast that have fuel depot killed at least 20 people and injured hundreds more.

The injured evacuated by helicopter to Armenia when the explosion happening and extremely volatile time less than a week after Azerbaijan's lightning

offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh lift hundreds dead and triggered a refugee exodus into Armenia, United States today calling on Azerbaijan to protect

the rights of ethnic Armenians who remain in Nagorno-Karabakh. The USAID Chief is in Armenia today talking about their plight. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA POWER, USAID ADMINISTRATOR: It is absolutely critical that independent monitors as well as humanitarian organizations get access to

the people in Nagorno-Karabakh who still has dire needs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Scott McLean tracking developments for us from London. And CNN has spoken to residents who are on the move from their homes may never

go back. Scott, what have people been telling us?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there are a lot of questions right now, Becky, as to what exactly will happen now with Nagorno-Karabakh and

it's important to remind our viewers that this is a territory which is internationally for decades recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

But as you mentioned, it has an ethnic Armenian majority population that has lived in this sort of gray area for quite some time of self-governance

with the help of Armenia. In 2020 things reached ahead. There was a brief war there Armenian troops agreed to pull out ultimately in the ceasefire

agreement this time.

The local troops have agreed to disarm themselves. So now, who will remain in Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic Armenians? What will happen to them? How will

they be treated?

[09:10:00]

And so people are having to make the choice either stay in the home that you've had for decades or longer that is rooted in your history and live

under a zero rule or go to Armenia and many are obviously taking that decision too. 19,000 have crossed the border into Armenia thus far as of

about an hour ago, according to the Armenian Deputy Prime Minister. And as you said, Becky, many of those arriving, say that they will likely never go

back, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no one is going back, that's it. We are over this Karabakh topic for good, I think, unless the world turns upside down,

and everything is good again, for everyone, everywhere because right now the world is a complete mess. No one knows what's going on. But maybe we

will have some kind of a payback although that is not possible, just not possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So if you're trying to get out of the country, or out of that territory, I should say right now, Becky, good luck. One family that we

spoke to you said they waited six, seven hours, they barely moved at all. They ultimately turned back they'll try again tomorrow. And that is the

case was so many people.

It is also a huge challenge for organizations like the Red Cross who said that even before that gas station explosion or that fuel depot explosion,

which killed at least 20 people, injured hundreds, they had 60 people who were critically injured, only 23 of them managed to actually evacuate.

Obviously, there is many more now going by road, though to get in and out is almost impossible. And so they are trying to arrange Medivac for those

people to get out. But the situation is extremely complicated at this point, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. And Scott will speak to the ICRC on the ground about exactly what they face in these humanitarian efforts in the second

hour of "Connect the World". Thank you. Well clashing claims from the Kremlin and Kyiv over the fate of a top Russian Admiral.

On Monday, Ukraine said it killed the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. But take a look at this video, which the Russian Ministry of Defense

released just a short time ago, it appears to show Admiral Sokolov appearing via video conference in a meeting with Russian military leaders

implication of course that he is alive.

And well Ukraine now says it's, "Clarifying its information" all this hours after Russian drones bore down on Ukraine's Odessa region overnight. Let's

try to make sense of this. CNN's Fred Pleitgen he is live from Eastern Ukraine for you this hour. So competing claims, Kremlin says one thing Kyiv

says another. What do we know about the alleged death of Admiral Sokolov?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, Becky, the Ukrainians aren't at least officially backing down from their

claims. And you mentioned that they said they were re-evaluating or clarifying the information that they got.

We have to keep in mind that they had said that after a strike that they conducted on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol in the

night from Thursday to Friday of last week that they had killed 34 senior officers in that strike, including the commander of the Black Sea Fleet,

Admiral Viktor Sokolov.

Now, of course, the Russian seem to be trying to show that he is still very much alive at least you had that video of the Defense Minister Sergei

Shoigu, holding a meeting with some of his top commanders, some of his top generals, and there seems to be Viktor Sokolov on the screen there.

Now the interesting thing that we've gotten from the Russians in the past couple of days is actually that they really haven't said very much. The

Ukrainians have put that claim out there that Sokolov had been killed, and the Russians were really silent for about 24 hours saying nothing about

that, and they still haven't officially said anything about it.

In fact, earlier today, there was a conference call between the spokesman of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov and journalists where he was asked if he knew

anything about the faith of the fate of Viktor Sokolov. And he said that this is something for the Defense Ministry to answer and certainly

something that was not in his remit.

So officially, the Russians have not denied that he has been killed. However, it seems as though they're trying to portray that things are

business to usual maybe that they won't even comment on all of this, but certainly they seem to show that he is very much alive against impossible

to independently verify when that video was taken.

The Ukrainians are saying that they're reevaluating it, but certainly right now it seems as though the indications are that he could very well be alive

and all this of course, as you mentioned, Becky, as those attacks in the Odessa region continue with grain facilities having been hit there in the

overnight hour in the massive drone attack that happened there, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is on the ground for you folks. Fred, thank you. 4:14 pm in Eastern Ukraine, 9:14 in the U.S. on the Eastern Seaboard.

[09:15:00]

And later this hour, U.S. President Joe Biden heads to Michigan where he is set to join striking auto walk workers on the picket line. Mr. Biden has

expressed his solidarity with the union and repeatedly touted his status as the most pro-labor President in American history. So far, though he has

stayed out of negotiations.

His trip to the crucial battleground state comes on the eve of a visit from his political rival, Former President Donald Trump who is set to make his

own appeal to union members. CNN's White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins us live with the very latest.

What is the perspective from the White House? How important is it that Joe Biden is seen to join and support these striking workers?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, it's certainly a historic visit. It is believed to be the first time ever that a sitting

President has joined a union picket line during a strike like this. And it comes as President Biden has certainly tried to tout his pro-union

bonafides.

He has described himself as the most pro-union President in American history, and this is certainly an opportunity for him to put that on

display today. What it is also an opportunity for him to do is also to draw a contrast with Former President Trump, who is the most likely candidate to

become the 2024 Republican nominee at this stage in the race.

Former President Trump is heading to the state of Michigan as well tomorrow and the White House despite the comparison here, the White House insists

that they are not going because Former President Trump is going to the state of Michigan. Former President Trump had announced his visit before

Biden did.

But nonetheless the White House is taking the opportunity to contrast the policies of the two Presidents talking about the fact that Trump has

"talked big and delivered little contrasting". Trump's policies like tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited wealthy Americans with President Biden's

policies which they say have brought a resurgence of American manufacturing here in the United States and deliver pro-union policies as well.

Now the UAW for its part is certainly welcoming President Biden's visit to the state Shawn Fain. The union's President is expected to join Biden on

the picket line in Michigan. He has by contrast, criticize a Former President Trump, but there's no question there are major electoral

implications here.

Michigan is a state that Trump won in 2016. Biden narrowly won that state back in 2020. And there's no question that appealing to working class

voters is something both of these candidates have tried to do, and that both of them will need to do if they want to win the White House next year.

ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond is in Washington, Jeremy, thank you. Well sticking with the U.S. and -- could be looking at a government shutdown in just five

days, Congress still has not been able to come up with a plan. And the sense from both chambers is that federal funding will expire at the end of

the week without one.

Now House Speaker Kevin McCarthy seen here doesn't have enough Republican votes to pass what's known as a stop gap bill to provide short term

funding. A shutdown, of course would have major impacts that would be felt across the country, many government operations would come to a halt while

some services deemed essential would continue.

Alright, you're watching, "Connect the World" with me, Becky Anderson time here just after quarter past 5 in the afternoon in Abu Dhabi. Coming up,

she lost her eye protesting in Iran yet she says she has no regrets. CNN speaks to one of those demonstrators who risked their lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:20:00]

ANDERSON: Well it's been more than a year since the death of Mahsa Amini. The 22 year old who died after being detained by Iran's notorious morality

police and women in Iran are still facing oppressive restrictions on what they can wear. Country's new hijab bill carries severe punishments

including imprisonment for up to 10 years for those who don't obey what is the strict dress code.

The law was passed only days after the anniversary marking the beginning of protests sparked by Amini's death. Or many of those demonstrators have

risked their lives and suffered for their courage. My colleague CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more on just to warn you some of these images that you

are about to see in Jomana's report are upsetting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the chance of death to the dictator, a protester tears down a poster of Iran Supreme Leader.

TAVAKOLIAN: A young girl was murdered because of the compulsory hijab. We couldn't take it anymore. It was like a fire hidden under the ashes.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): And like a wildfire, the protests spread to every corner of Iran. The rage was met with violent repression. In the small town

of -- the chaos captured in this shaky cellphone video also captured this security forces opening fire protesters. It seems so hard to watch as the

crowd rushed to help a woman screaming and pain after she was shot in the eye.

TAVAKOLIAN: That moment when I got shot was the bitterest moment of my life.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): That woman is 32 year old Elahe Tavakolian. She was at the protest with her 10 year old twins.

TAVAKOLIAN: My children were just shouting they killed our mom help. When this person started shooting, we saw him he was 30 or 40 meters away. I saw

him aiming at us. I turned sideways to shield my children and I was shot. I could see only blood. I covered my eye with my hand. I felt like if I take

my hand off, it might fall out of its socket.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Elahe is not alone. Activists say Iranian security forces we're using metal pellets and rubber bullets deliberately and

systematically shooting the eyes and blinding more than 500 protesters according to Rights groups. Many have shared their photos online, but the

regime's called them liars spreading propaganda.

TAVAKOLIAN: I'm in pain, it burns, and I'm dying. I don't want to be blind.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Elahe lay in hospital in this agonizing pain for hours, doctors reluctant to help her as security forces were hunting down

the injured and those who aided them. After a surgery to treat her wound, Elahe stayed at home in a darkroom for more than three weeks.

TAVAKOLIAN: I could hear them from my room chanting slogans. Something was pulling me outside, to speak, to shout, to demand my rights. I felt like my

fight wasn't over yet.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): But she also wanted to save her eye. With the help of an Italian journalist Elahe made it to Italy where she's undergone more

surgeries. It was too late. Doctors discovered that the pellets still lodged behind her eye had moved and were forced to remove the eye.

She was fitted with a prosthetic but life has never been harder for Elahe. She still lives with the physical pain, the trauma alone in a foreign

country, now relying on donations and friends to survive and hardest of all, not knowing if she will ever see her children again.

[09:25:00]

TAVAKOLIAN: I never regretted this and I never will. If I returned to Iran, I will do it again. So many say this revolution is over, but it is not

over. All across the country, women are now going out without hijab, because they are no longer afraid of them. This is our method of civil

resistance.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The regime may have crushed the protests, but the resilience of Elahe like so many others remains unshakable.

TAVAKOLIAN: No matter how many times they cut the flowers, they cannot stop the spring from coming. They shot my eye and they shot others but the

struggle is going on. No matter how many they kill. They cannot stop the spring from coming. They cannot keep freedom from returning to us.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Milan, Italy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the Iranian government is not directly responded to widespread allegations that it security forces intentionally meme at

protesters spot. Last year, Amnesty International said it obtained a leaked document which appeared to instruct commanders of armed forces in all

provinces to "mercilessly confront demonstrators".

Well, you can read more about Elahe's story including how she is rebuilding her life in Milan that is in our newsletter, "Meanwhile in the Middle

East". You can use a QR code on your screen there or sign up at cnn.com/mideast. And next hour, we'll be speaking with the Director of Iran

Human Rights about its own statistical analysis of eye injuries sustained during the crackdown on the 2022 protesters.

I'm Becky Anderson you're watching "Connect the World" from our broadcasting hub here in Abu Dhabi. Coming up, how long before a barrel of

oil $100 or more, a new price milestone costs is in sight but there are headwinds like the whole of the U.S. economy, the big picture up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, you're watching "Connect the World" trading then kicking off in New York amid the

prospect of a looming U.S. government shutdown. And of course, the potential for interest rate rises, all three major indices are on pace to

end September lower.

Well, interesting moves on the oil markets right now prices for both West Texas Intermediate WTI and Brent lower by less than 1 percent not

significantly lower, but they're off their highs. That's despite production cuts by key producers, including of course, Saudi Arabia, and Russia to try

and boost prices.

The outlook uncertain after the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank restated their commitment to fight inflation holding interest

rates higher for longer slows economic growth, of course, and with it, the demand for oil put that price dip into context. And you can see it comes

off a trend of rising prices this year and as crude heads north towards $100 on the barrel.

Russia has reasons to benefit from this despite being hit by Western sanctions. There is an awful lot to unpack here, Isaac Levi, heads Europe-

Russia policy and energy analysis team at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air joining us now. First and foremost, I want to take a look at

the short term forecast here. Do you see a cap on oil prices at this point below 100 or are we headed higher, sir?

ISAAC LEVI, ANALYST AT CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON ENERGY AND CLEAN AIR: Thanks very much, Becky, for having me today. This is a very interesting question.

Whether we'll head to the mark of $100 per barrel, we're seeing strong growth from the world's largest oil importer, China, and whether this

continues into further months could pull prices upwards.

However, high interest rates insinuating lower growth could enable prices to fall kind of slightly, also increased supply from other oil producers

such as Brazil, U.S. and Guyana outside of those that have announced cuts, as you mentioned, Saudi Arabia and Russia could mean that actually oil

prices stabilize and don't suppose --

ANDERSON: Yes, Isaac you're sitting on the fence here. I think it's important that we discussed the inflationary impact of 100 bucks dollar

price on oil. How quickly would you expect to see that inflationary pressure? Were we to see that price crossed, because that's a really

important number at this point?

LEVI: Yes, of course, if the oil prices did pass 100 bucks dollars per barrel, this would significantly increase inflationary pressures. And I

assume that the Central Banks would have to react accordingly to hike interest rates against their willingness to do so. I think this is an

unlikely for the rest of the month.

As we've seen, Russia had announced their ban on gasoline and diesel exports, and perhaps loosening on that in recent announcements that they

may be selling marine fuels as well. So I guess it depends on Russia's ability to sustain the supply cuts as they're very much dependent on oil

exports to a few federal finances but also the war on Ukraine. So I guess it will depend on how long they can hold out basically.

ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about Russia. Despite the West's best efforts, Russia is benefiting from a rise in prices. According to a report in the

Financial Times this week, and I quote here, Russia has succeeded in avoiding G7 sanctions on most of its oil exports, a shift in trade flows

that will boost the Kremlin's revenues as crude rises towards that 100 bucks on the barrel level. Have the West's best efforts to starve Russia of

oil revenues failed?

[09:35:00]

LEVI: Well, I'd start by saying the sanctions imposed by Europe and G7 countries on Russia have massively reduced Russia's export revenues from

fossil fuels. If you look at export revenues they've achieved this year compared to last year, they're much higher as a result of the EU's bands

and other oil price cap measures, too.

However, there's so much more that could be done to make the sanctions more effective in reducing Russian export revenues and Putin's ability to fund

the war on Ukraine. Expanding on that, I think the article you're referring to is on their ability to develop what is often referred to as the shadow

fleet.

So these are vessels or tankers that are owned or insured outside those countries in imposing the sanctions. So for example, their tank is owned or

insured in Russia. Russia was previously very reliant on the west to transport its oil on these boats. And therefore they to use these boats or

insurance, they were forced to sell at a low price.

ANDERSON: Got it.

LEVI: As they've increased their ability to use their own vessels. They're able to sell their oil at prices that are above this price cap level. And

that's one of the contributing factors to raising rational prices.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Good to have you, sir. Thank you very much, indeed. Keep an eye on those all prices, folks. Amid all of this

discussion, we can't ignore the climate change issue. Of course, today, the International Energy Agency says that global demand for fossil fuels will

peak by 2030. But that's, "not nearly enough" they say. Or for more Anna Stewart joins us now from London, Anna?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: So this is the roadmap to 2050. What the world needs to do to ensure that global warming doesn't reach that 1.5 degree

limit. And there was some good news in the report. Firstly, it's entirely possible that we get there. And secondly, there has been record growth in

clean energy capacity, particularly solar and electric vehicles.

But then you look at what needs to happen next and the goals are pretty steep by 2030, the IEA is saying there needs to be a tripling of renewable

energy capacity. And by 2030, there needs to be a 25 percent drop in fossil fuel demand. Now, it's going to cost a lot. So currently, investment in

clean energy is around $1.8 trillion this year.

The IEA is saying that in the early 2030s, it needs to increase to 4.5 trillion dollars a year. Now, Fatih Birol, who's the Executive Director of

the IEA, has already said that he believes oil will peak before 2030, which didn't go down particularly well with OPEC, I have to say, and today's got

a warning actually for governments.

He says we have a very clear message strong international cooperation is crucial to success. Governments need to separate climate from geopolitics,

given the scale of the challenge at hand. And I wonder actually, whether this warning is quite pointed towards us and governments in particular.

For instance, China, their climate envoy recently said they don't believe that phasing out fossil fuels entirely is realistic. Or of course here in

the U.K. where they've actually watered down some of their climate policies believing that they're already on target so why is more ambitious.

And all of this of course just weeks ahead of COP 28 which I believe will keeping you rather busy, Becky, given it's being hosted by the UAE this

year.

ANDERSON: It most certainly is very much looking forward to it that the end of November of course. Good to have you thank you very much indeed an

important story and an important line out of the IEA today. Well ahead in sports a swift rise towards the top of the NFL jersey charts for one

player. After music superstar attends his game more on that, after this.

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Alright, 22:6 here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. This is "Connect the World". And Taylor Swift pop music superstar and now sports

fashion influencer. Wow. Amanda Davies joins me with more, Amanda?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Becky, I think I'm probably getting I'm hoping I'm getting a few brownie points with my daughter given I've spent

so much of the last 48 hours talking about Taylor Swift but they are, they aren't they discussion about Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs player

Travis Kelce.

Well, people think they got an answer when she turned up sitting next to his mum to watch the Chief sit in action on Sunday night, they pretty much

broke the internet and it turns out. She has also led to a 400 percent increase in jersey sales for Travis at the Chiefs. He's been there 10

years.

He's won two Super Bowls. He is not a new phenomenon. But he has sent their jersey sales off the charts. She's always said she doesn't like speculation

about her love life. We still don't really know whether or not they are together. You have to say it's a great marketing campaign.

And there is another Swift, Kelce relationship that is coming up a different one. We've got to talk about in just a couple of minutes so I'm

well thought.

ANDERSON: No, stop it. That's a tease and a half. "World Sports" up after this short break with Amanda. We're back down with the outfield stay with

us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[10:00:00]

END