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One World with Zain Asher
CIA Chief Predicts Putin Likely Plotting Revenge Against Prigozhin; White House Still Trying To Obtain Information On Travis King's Status; Extreme Weather And Heatwaves Expected To Get Worse In The Years To Come; India's Prime Minister Calls For Justice After An Appalling And Very Graphic Video Emerged Showing Two Women Being Sexually Assaulted; Sudan Violence Increasingly Impacting Foreign Aid Groups; Women's Sports Popularity Seems To Be Exploding; Legendary Singer Tony Bennett Dies At 96. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 21, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Zain Asher in New York and this is ONE WORLD. Vladimir Putin is likely plotting revenge against Wagner boss
Yevgeny Prigozhin but right now, he's apparently biding his time. That is according to America's CIA Chief who calls the Russian president the
ultimate apostle of payback. William Burns' prediction comes nearly one month after Yevgeny Prigozhin's short-lived march on Moscow.
The CIA Director is also warning about potential Russian plans to carry out a false flag operation on vessels in the Black Sea. The White House says
Kyiv has begun using U.S.-supplied cluster munitions on the battlefield. It comes as Ukrainian air defenses are struggling to repel a wave of
intensified Russian missile strikes targeting the country's southern region. The port city of Odessa came under attack for the fourth night in a
row. One official said grain infrastructure was hit, with 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley destroyed.
Alexander Marquardt joins is live now from Kyiv. So, of course, the unintended consequences of this is for the millions of people that depend
on food from Ukraine. I mean, we're talking about millions of people in parts of Africa who are incredibly vulnerable to the food insecurity that
this now generates. Walk us through that.
ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Zain, or does very much the intended consequences to destroy these
facilities, to destroy the capabilities of Ukraine to ship this out to the rest of the world, to drive food prices up and food supplies down. That
puts all kinds of pressure on Ukraine, on the West and on the countries that need this most. This may very well be exactly what Russia is trying to
do.
Ukraine has said that what Russia is attempting is racketeering to drive up their exports, to drive up their profits on the backs of those countries
that are the hungriest. They call this a cynical ploy to exert leverage or to use this leverage to exert pressure on Ukraine and the West. Russia is
saying that these bombardments of Odessa that we've seen over the past four days are, in fact, a response to Ukrainian attack earlier this week on the
Kerch Bridge. They say that the sea drones that were sent across the Black Sea to attack the bridge came from Crimea, that they were produced in
Crimea. I'm sorry, excuse me produced and repaired in shops in Odessa.
So, what we saw earlier today in the daylight hours, just after dawn and throughout the course of the morning, Zain, was a cruise missile strike
with seven cruise missiles against an infrastructure facility. Ukrainian officials said, not in the city itself, but just to the southwest of the
city, still in the Odessa region. And that, of course, was the fourth day running of these incredibly intense strikes on Odessa, on the Odessa
region, which we witnessed ourselves more than 150 drones and cruise missiles used against southern Ukraine. Zain.
ASHER: And let's also talk about the CIA Director's comments that Vladimir Putin is biding his time before seeking revenge against Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Just explain to us why waiting before seeking retribution would be a smarter move for Vladimir Putin.
MARQUARDT: Well, according to Bill Burns, the Director of the CIA, Putin doesn't want to appear rash. He doesn't want to seem like he's doing
anything too quickly. And so, Burns doesn't think that Putin will respond now against Prigozhin, that he is buying time. But he does expect that
there will be retribution for pre-Goshen for this mutiny on June 24th at some point in the future. And in addition to calling Putin the apostle of
payback, he said that revenge is a dish best served cold in Putin's opinion. Here's a little bit more of what Burns had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BURNS, CIA DIRECTOR: Putin is trying to buy time as he considers what to do with Wagner and what to do with Prigozhin himself. You know, Putin
hates, in my experience anyway, the image that he's overreacting to things. So, he's trying to settle things. But I think what he's gonna try to do is
separate Prigozhin from what's of value to Putin and Wagner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: And Zain, we have, in fact, seen attempts to do that. We heard from Putin himself in an interview that there was a meeting at the Kremlin
just five days after that mutiny, in which he told Wagner commanders that they are welcome to join the Russian military and continue to follow their
own commander. It does appear that Putin is trying to weaken Prigozhin and separate him from his men.
[12:05:00]
Zain, we also heard the Russian military continue to follow their own commander. It does appear that Putin is trying to weaken Prigozhin and
separate him from his men. Zain, we also heard the CIA Director talking about what could be a false flag strike by Russia against Ukrainian ships.
Russia has said publicly that they will assume that ships that are heading towards Ukrainian ports could be carrying military cargo, and therefore
that makes them valid targets.
The U.S. administration, the Biden administration, is saying that is giving Russia a risk pretext, at least in their own minds, to carry out attacks on
those civilian ships. And what the U.S. is trying to do right now is to raise the possibility of these false flag attacks to try to deter Russia
from carrying out that kind of attack, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Alexander Marquardt, live for us there. Thank you so much. The extreme weather gripping Europe, turning almost surreal in one
part of Italy, Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Take a look at this video showing literally tennis ball sized hail in the town of Veneto. More than 100 people were injured by the falling
clumps of ice. Another extreme weather event in Greece where forecast temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius could add more fuel to wildfires there
that are already burning. In Italy, the health ministry held emergency meetings, Thursday, to come up with new protocols for employers whose
workers spend hours in the sweltering heat. The heat wave is also putting the travel industry on edge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: In fact, observers are already seeing a shift in people's destination preferences. CNN's Anna Stewart joins us live. out from London.
So, Anna, just explain to us how this is affecting tourism.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, it's interesting. There's been a survey by the European Travel Commission, and it looks like from their survey,
eight percent of Europeans have said that extreme weather conditions are now their biggest concern when they're looking at booking a holiday. Now,
we have seen a fall in terms of Europeans planning a holiday in the Mediterranean for the summer and autumn of this year. It's dropped 10
percent from last year.
Part of that could be to do with affordability, inflation is very high, but part of it may be this extreme weather because we had a heatwave in Europe
last year. In fact, nearly 62,000 people died from heat-related deaths last year as a result of that. We're also seeing, according to the ETC survey, a
surge in popularity for much cooler climes -- Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Ireland, all slightly unusual destinations, particularly for a summer
holiday, I would say.
But the heat in southern Europe is extreme. It's not what people possibly want for a holiday. It's not just uncomfortable. It's actually quite
dangerous and it's becoming quite hard, particularly for cities, to navigate how to create a pleasant tourist environment that's also safe. So,
the Acropolis in Athens actually had to temporarily close for afternoons.
In Rome, there's a command center, which has been set up so that tourists queuing for attractions are given water. There are misting stations.
They're kept in the shade wherever possible. These are things that cities in southern Europe are having to do to try and ensure that it's safe and to
keep tourists coming, because tourism important to many of the nations who are impacted by the heatwave.
For Greece, tourism accounts for 18.5 percent of their economy. It's 10 percent for Italy. And unfortunately, speaking to scientists, of course,
with climate change, events like this, extreme weather and heatwaves, are only going to get worse in the years to come. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Anna Stewart, live for us. Thank you. There's still no word yet on what happened to a U.S. soldier after he crossed the border
into North Korea this week. The White House says it's still trying to obtain information on Travis King's status. The Pentagon adds that King is
currently listed as absent without leave or AWOL. He suddenly bolted across the border into the North, into North Korea, while on a tour of the
demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. Paula Hancocks breaks down what we know so far.
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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A U.S. soldier running across the border into North Korea this week has raised some serious
questions about security and protocols. Travis King did not board his plane at Incheon Airport Monday to take him back to Fort Bliss in Texas, where he
was due to face the consequences of assault charges in South Korea. But his military escort was unable to take him all the way to the gate.
So, King reported a missing passport. The airline staff escorted him back to departures and he was free to leave. The very next day on Tuesday, he
was on a tour of the DMZ, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Now, the talk group tells CNN that you need to submit your passport
details at least four days in advance for security clearance, suggesting King may well have booked it before U.S. officials try to deport him. So,
this may be all more planned than opportunistic.
Also, no red flags were raised during that security check, even though he had been in detention in a South Korean facility for an assault charge.
Now, here you see King photographed during this tour. This is Panmunjom, this is the truce village in the DMZ, where previous talks between North
Korea and assault charge.
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Now, here you see King photographed during this tour. This is Panmunjom, this is the truce village in the DMZ, where previous talks between North
Korea and South Korea have been held. It is the joint security area here where you see these three blue huts. They reach across into both Koreas and
this one in the middle here. This is T2 and this is where the tour groups are allowed to enter.
Very strict instructions are given though on these tours. You are told do not make sudden movements, do not gesture to any North Korean soldiers,
dress appropriately, no shorts, no short skirts. And every time that I visited Panmunjom, there have been South Korean soldiers standing between
me and the border with their backs to North Korea. They are focusing solely on the group that I am with to ensure that there are no incidents.
Now, eyewitnesses and U.S. officials say that King then ran across the MDL, the Military Demarcation Line. Now, this is the effective border. It runs
the full length, 250 kilometers or 160 miles from coast to coast. We haven't been told exactly where he crossed, but this is the sort of area
that a tourist would be restricted to. Now, there is simply a very small concrete slab to step over and you're then on the North Korean side, just
as the Former U.S. President Donald Trump did in 2019, also as the former South Korean President Moon Jae-in did one year earlier.
Now, once King crossed that MDL, there was absolutely nothing that U.S., U.N., or South Korean soldiers could do. Now, U.S. officials tell us that
King at first tried to enter Panmungak Hall. This is the main building on the North Korean side. But the front door was locked. They then say that
King ran to the back of the building, at which point he was hurried into a van and driven away by North Korean guards.
Now, this whole area is very small. It's about 300 meters from the South Korean side. This is the building tourists would come out of over to the
North Korean building, which is where King tried to access. That's just 300 meters. And there would be an awful lot of guards there. It is very heavily
monitored. United Nations Command would have multiple camera angles on the incident.
There are no weapons in Panmunjom, though. No soldier is allowed to carry a gun. This is part of a military agreement that happened between North and
South Korea back in 2018. The only way guards can stop someone doing what King has done is by using physical force. Not surprisingly, all tours to
the Joint Security Area are currently suspended. Paula Hancock's CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: India's Prime Minister is calling for justice after an appalling and very graphic video emerged showing two women being sexually assaulted.
Protests broke out after the video was played on social media. CNN has decided not to air this video out of respect for the survivors of this
brutal attack.
An indigenous group says that the assault happened in early May in the northeastern state of Manipur. The video shows the terrified women being
forced to walk naked through a crowd of fully clothed men. The women were then allegedly taken to a field to be gang raped, an allegation which is
under investigation. CNN's Vedika Sud reports.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anger in the northeastern state of Manipur and across the country. In Delhi, huge crowds gathered
protesting after graphic videos showing two women being sexually assaulted circulated online.
SUD (on-camera): In the 26-second horrific clip that's gone viral on social media, two women were forced to walk naked on a road with a mob of
at least three dozen men surrounding them. The women were groped and sexually assaulted. They were terrified, crying out for help, covering
their bare bodies with their hands. They were led to a field where they were allegedly gang raped.
SUD (voice-over): The horrific incident took place on May 4. But police only made arrests after the video surfaced. A massive manhunt is underway
for potential other suspects. The sexual assault has renewed attention in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic clashes since May. More than
a hundred people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced during violent clashes between two communities. The Kuki is a tribal group in the
state and the majority of its population. They're fighting over access to government benefits.
As national outrage over the video spreads, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally made his first public statement.
NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA (through translator): And I want to assure the countrymen that no culprit will be spared. The law, with all its
might and strictness, will take steps one by one.
[12:15:00]
Whatever has happened with the daughters of Manipur will never be forgiven.
SUD (voice-over): But the opposition wants more from the Prime Minister.
UNKNOWN: And we want a discussion here on Manipur. We want a discussion, and the Prime Minister has to open his mouth on the matter of -- Manipur,
Manipur!
SUD (voice-over): Despite the Prime Minister's assurances, Manipur remains tense. Women in the state have torched the house of one suspect, and
questions remain as to why it took so long for authorities to take action. It could take months for peace to return to the state. Vedika Sud, CNN, New
Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, still to come here on ONE WORLD, foreign aid groups are under increasing risk amid Sudan's civil war. Why that could throw the
capital into further chaos, next. And later, the global excitement over the Women's World Cup. How many people FIFA expects to watch this year, when
ONE WORLD continues.
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ASHER: The violence in Sudan is now increasingly impacting foreign aid groups. A team with Medecins Sans Frontieres say they were aggressively
assaulted by armed men while transporting medical supplies to a hospital in Khartoum. MSF says their staffers were beaten, but they were whipped,
raising safety concerns that could jeopardize their ability to maintain a presence in Sudan and help run one of the two remaining hospitals in the
southern part of the capital.
The fighting continues in Khartoum, while ethnic violence is increasing in Darfur, the site of a genocide some 20 years ago from which the fabric of
Sudan has never quite fully recovered. CNN's David McKenzie has more on this dire state of affairs and we want to warn you that this report we're
about to show you does contain graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In al-Janaina, the survivors have fled but the bodies remain. The city came under coordinated
attack by the rapid support forces and Arab militia, witnesses tell CNN. This, the awful consequence of Sudan's civil war and decades of ethnic
hatred in Darfur. In Misdere, a town of 40,000, Human Rights Watch say attackers swept in at dawn in late May, executing at least 28 men, burning
and looting the town, like so many others in Darfur.
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Now, extensive reports of mass graves are emerging.
MOHAMED OSMAN, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Fear of accountability, of sure, I think that's not that much for many of the perpetrators in Sudan.
MCKENZIE: And what could that lead to?
OSMAN: With the stories we are hearing, I think the concern that we might be heading to a situation in which would amount to be an ethnic cleansing
or a genocide. I
MCKENZIE: If this oft-repeated phrase of never again is to mean anything, it must mean something here and now for the people of Darfur. But justice
then and now hasn't come. The images eerily similar to Darfur's genocide of 20 years ago. You're all dead, dead! Yells a child in Arabic at a convoy of
refugees. You sons of bitches, shouts another. Witnesses say snipers target civilians on the road trying to flee.
Refugees are often harassed and robbed near the border, like in this video obtained by CNN. If they make it out alive, they end up in sprawling camps
in Chad. More than three million Sudanese have fled their homes, say the United Nations. In Sudan's heart Khartoum, the vicious fighting goes on.
The generals of the Sudan Armed Forces and RSF holding the country at gunpoint.
ALAN BOSWELL, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: The big fear was that a civil war in Sudan would not only collapse the state in the center, but it would
eventually prove almost difficult to unravel any time soon because so many other conflicts across the country would flare up.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): The paramilitary RSF, with its roots in the Janjaweed Arab militia, seem to be gaining the upper hand in Khartoum and
Darfur. And ceasefire talks brokered by the U.S., Saudis and others are going nowhere.
BOSWELL: Whatever happens in Sudan won't stay inside Sudan. And I think the major concern is we could be looking at a Somalia type situation where
if we don't re-stabilize the situation soon, it could be decades before the window arises again.
MCKENZIE (voice-over): David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Joining us now is Sudan's Former Ambassador to the U.S., Nureldin Satti who is also a global fellow and the Co-Chair of the Wilson Center,
Sudan's working group. Mr. Sati, thank you so much for being with us. There is a human catastrophe happening right now in Sudan. It's been 20 years
since the start of the genocide in that country, and it's evident that the world still has not learned its lesson from that particular crisis.
You've got evidence of ethnic cleansing. Of course, one example that we all know well by now is the 87 bodies from a particular ethnic group that was
found in a mass grave just recently. Mediation efforts have not worked so far. Where does this country go from here?
NURELDIN SATTI, FORMER SUDANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Thank you, Zain, for having me. Well, I'm sure that we are going on a most dangerous road. I
agree with the previous speaker that, you know, this is really bordering on genocide. And really, really now we are at a very critical point where we
need to do something about what's going on there. We have been watching that for so many years and now it's repeating itself again. So, I fear the
worst for my country, Zain.
ASHER: And when you think about where Sudan was as a country before the civil war, I mean, it was already dealing with food insecurity, for
example. It was already dealing with a struggling healthcare system. It was already dealing with climate change. It was already dealing with a lot of
political instability because, you know, it was controlled by military leaders while the people of Sudan were trying to fight for democracy.
And now on top of that, you have a civil war that has broken out, and it's very, very hard to get humanitarian assistance into the country. I mean,
obviously, if mediation efforts haven't worked, what can the international community do to ensure at this point that at least humanitarian assistance
gets to the most vulnerable inside Sudan?
SATTI: Well, I think what the international community can do now is to act very quickly and see what can be done in order to create safe corridors and
safe areas where, you know, humanitarian assistance can be brought to those who are in need. Of course, I know it's not an easy job, bearing in mind
the insecurity and actually the way that the two sides are carrying this war. But really, really now, we need to envisage some kind of intervention,
are carrying this war.
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But really, really now, we need to envisage some kind of intervention in order to prevent those guys from continuing killing each other and
preventing even humanitarian aid to be, you know, provided to them.
ASHER: You know, ever since Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power in 2018, the people of Sudan have been promised that at some point in the future
they would become a true democracy, that Sudan would be handed over to civilian rule. Obviously, that is the furthest from happening at this
particular point in time. Even after the war ends, where does Sudan's quest for democracy go from here?
SATTI: Well, you know, the reason why the people of Sudan launched, you know, the protests, the popular protests against al-Bashir is because
things were not going well at all. And we're asking for freedom, peace, and justice, because they thought that this is the way they are going to access
to whatever they have been denied under al-Bashir. But of course, there are counter forces who have denied the Sudanese people this opportunity. And
those are the ones who are fighting now. They denied their people, the country, their rights, you know, and access to freedom, peace and justice,
and now they are destroying their country.
So, democracy will always remain to be a hope and a beacon of hope for the Sudanese people. But of course, we have to see how we can enforce that, how
we can -- what measures we can take in order to bring democracy to a fractured country, I would say.
ASHER: Both the RSF and the SAF, the Sudanese armed forces, have been accused of war crimes in Sudan. The United States, and obviously, as we
point out, the mediation efforts haven't worked, calls for a ceasefire haven't really worked and that the ceasefires haven't really held. But the
United States has decided to levy a package of sanctions against RSF and SAF affiliated companies. Do you think that will have any sort of tangible
impact on the ground whatsoever?
SATTI: Well, it should. I mean, we need to have, you know, all embracing sanctions which target the assets of those who are fighting, the supply
lines and see whoever is supporting them in order to stop the support, because they need a lifeline in order to continue and supply some of the
war. The sanctions can work, provided they are well, you know, organized and well enforced, I mean, followed with particular and practical measures
to enforce them, and ask and request all those who are supporting this side or the other in order to abide by those sanctions. I think it's only then
that they can work.
ASHER: All right, Ambassador Nureldin Satti, thank you so much. We'll be right back with more.
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ASHER: Hello and welcome back to ONE WORLD. Let's catch up on the headlines. Volunteer searchers made a grisly discovery in the Mexican
border of Reynosa near the U.S. border. Twenty eight bodies were found in unmarked graves, as according to the Mexican authorities. Forensic experts
are working to identify the bodies, some of which were badly mutilated.
A U.S. judge has set May 2024 for Donald Trump's classified documents trial. To begin, the former president and an aide are accused of keeping
national defense information after leaving the White House. In a separate case, the deadline has passed for Mr. Trump to respond to a letter from the
special counsel looking into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The letter gave him a chance to testify or present evidence before a possible
indictment is brought.
Team USA begins its quest for a third straight Women's World Cup title in just a few hours from now. The Americans will be heavily favored in their
match against Vietnam, taking place Saturday afternoon in New Zealand. But it is worth noting that several of the top American players are dealing
with nagging injuries, as well. Patrick Snell joins us live now. So, Patrick, these are the defending champions. They've won the World Cup
twice, back to back. What can we expect from this game?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi Zain. Yeah, we can expect another American victory I'm quite sure. But I'll tell you what, the USA are
looking to do what no team has ever done before. No team in either the men's World Cup or the women's World Cup if they can go on and win a third
straight World Cup title that would be history in the making for Team USA. I wonder, we're also gonna get Megan Rapinoe making her eagerly anticipated
200th and historic cap for America's national team. Those are big questions going into the game.
Meantime, let's get on to what already happened on this day. The talented Spanish national team in action on Friday against Costa Rica. Alexia
Putellas one of the world's top stars starting on the bench for La Roja. Aitana Bonmati though, a really nice one into the net there for the opener.
Third goal from Esther Gonzalez for the second goal, I should say, for Spain. Gonzalez with the third. But the icing on the cake for Spain, two-
time Ballon d'Or winner, Alexia Putellas as I say. She would come on for the last 13 minutes as she recovers from injury. She sustained that really,
really serious knee injury just before last year's Euros. Hasn't played a full match since. We wish her all the very best on her comeback.
Elsewhere, the Olympic champs, Canada, are ranked 33 places above Nigeria in the world rankings and their Skipper, ,Christine Sinclair won a moment
for him -- as she tries to make history for her -- she tries to make history. The 40 year old is one of just three players to score in five FIFA
World Cups but she's denied as she looked to become the first player to score at six editions of the tournament. It's a really good penalty, say,
from the Nigerian Keeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, there, what a great stop from her nil-nil the final score in that game. Huge disappointment for Sinclair.
And Friday's other matchup seeing Switzerland go to the top of Group A with a win over the Philippines. They got off to a winning start in Dunedin
thanks to Ramona Bachmann's first half penalty and a close-range effort from Seraina Piubel in that one, as well.
[12:35:00]
The 2-0 victory taking them to the top of the group ahead of New Zealand on goal difference, but a memorable start, I do want to say, for the
Philippines, making history as the first team from their country, male or female, to appear at the finals of a global soccer event. That is quite an
achievement there. The Swiss, though, get the win. The very latest from down under, Zain, as I send it right back to you.
ASHER: All right, Patrick Snell, live for us there. Thank you so much. And be sure to tune in to World Sport in about five hours from now with all the
highlights previewing the upcoming matches from the Women's World Cup. The popularity of women's sports seems to be exploding. Officials are hoping
that more than two billion people -- they're hoping that more than two billion people will watch the Women's World Cup this year. That would be
almost double the number of people who caught the 2019 Cup in France.
French telecom company, Orange, is showing its support for the women's game in a clever new advert. It depicts French men's football stars like Kylian
Mbappe scoring spectacular goals but then the ad shows who is really responsible for those highlights. The goals are actually being scored by
the French women's national team. The ad has gone viral and has been seen by millions of people who are being taught a lesson about the actual
quality of the women's game.
Time now for The Exchange. I want to talk about not just promoting women's football but about the ways women's football can actually make a positive
change in the lives of the people who play it. Joining me live now is Thuba Sibanda. She is women's football's development specialist for FIFA. Thuba,
thank you so much for being with us. When you think about how much the football industry is actually worth, the football industry is worth about
$200 billion worldwide.
Obviously, a lot of that wealth is concentrated in premier clubs in Europe. It's also concentrated in the men's game. What do you think can be done to
ensure a more equitable distribution of that wealth so that developing nations can participate and also women can participate more fairly and
equally?
THUBA SIBANDA, FIFA WOMEN'S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Thank you for that question. I think, I mean, we can look at what FIFA is doing as an
example, in terms of going back to think about behind every player that we see right now on the world stage is a young girl that dreamt of playing
football at the most grassroots level. And I think if we can put a player back into the grassroots football and plow back into the world level of the
women's football pathway, we're able to ensure that we not only make sure that every girl that dreams to play football can access it, but that
football can indeed lead to that place of elite, visual elite that we see now at the world stage.
But as you are rightfully saying, there must be invested, intentional investment, and there must be the program that supports that investment, of
course. And I think FIFA has done that by investing in these incredible women's football development programs. There are eight of them currently,
that are ensuring that from the most grassroot part or element of the game. Girls can access football through the women's football campaign, and then
ensuring that there's some level of competition across all the MAs with their league development program or the capacity building that's obviously
also enhancing the quality and professionalization of the game.
And ultimately also capacitating the very people that are driving the game on the ground, be it your administrators or your coaches. And I think
that's the start of what we should do. But also looking at how FIFA is intentionally -- ensure that World Cup right now is has its own individual
investors by commercializing the women's game. And I think if we can sustain it across the different countries, we can ensure that football can
receive the investment that it needs and the message that goes to belong.
ASHER: Yeah, it's important to know that the women's game, as you point out, is being marketed as a standalone event. One of the reasons why the
men's game, though, is so profitable is because of what's known as the flywheel effect. So, essentially, big broadcasts deals and sponsorships,
pump so much money into the game that attracts more players, it attracts better players, that leads to better coverage, that leads to more people
watching the game. And so, the cycle continues. That is why the men's game is so much more lucrative than the women's. What can be done to sort of
disrupt that dynamic, especially when it comes to broadcasting rights? Because that is a huge part of the equation here financially.
SIBANDA: I think that, I mean, as you're rightfully saying, there's a ripple effect to it, right? It's -- there must be a collective effort of
some sort to intentionally point in that direction.
[12:40:00]
So, I think for, as you're rightfully saying, right now, the Women's World Cup is being broadcast live in so many countries so people can access it
and see it. And the more visuals that are there of women playing football, the more that we're looking at the women's football product as a lucrative
product that is worth investing in. And so, I think it's just a step at a time, but continue to do what we're doing.
Because I'm in Namibia right now, but I can watch the National Women's Super League, for example, in soccer league in America, for example, from
my TV screen. So, I think that is slowly through, that we're able to see visuals of competitions from where we are. We're able to access the footage
of women playing football. And I think it's just the right start. It's obviously not a level, as you're saying, of the men's game. But I think
that the fact that a girl 12 years old can now see their hero on TV, if it's a woman, and it's the image that they dream of becoming one day is
already very inspiring.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, one of the things that is, you know, still unfortunate is the gender pay gap, of course. And I'm linking this back to
broadcasting rights, because in order to tackle the pay gap between the men's game and the women's game, you have to look at the broadcasting
rights. Do you think that broadcasting companies understand the value of the women's games?
Because from what I understand, you've got these rising viewership numbers, so more and more people are watching the viewership -- more and more people
are watching the World Cup -- the Women's World Cup. But unfortunately, the actual value of the broadcasting deals is still relatively low compared to
the rising numbers. What can be done to ensure that the broadcasting companies themselves understand just how valuable and lucrative the women's
game actually is?
SIBANDA: I mean, I'm not sure from a broadcasting angle what can be done. But I think from that -- as you're saying, the viewership numbers have
increased over the years, starting with 1.1 billion viewers of the 2019 World Cup, and they're projected 2 billion viewers right now of this
current World Cup. And I think it's only a matter of time before the product itself is seen as viable.
And it's just about keeping on doing what we're doing, which is putting it in front of our screens. And I think that where there's aligned interest
intention and there's synergy across sort of wanting to do a certain work together, there will be the specific people that are willing to invest in
it to continue to push it further, including the broadcasting stakeholders that could come on board to help us to bring it on the screens more.
ASHER: All right, Thuba Sibanda, thank you so much. I mean, it's incredible just how much things have changed. I mean, when I was a little
girl, very few people were watching, you know, women's football. And now it's almost, not quite, but almost becoming a mainstream event. Thuba
Sibanda, live for us, thank you so much.
All right, still to come here. Ukraine's southern region endures a relentless Russian bombardment for the fourth night in a row ahead the
impact this could have on the rest of the world.
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[12:45:00]
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ASHER: The U.S. Secretary of State says Ukraine's counteroffensive is still in its early days, but he believes Kyiv's military has what it needs
to be successful. Antony Blinken's comments come as Ukraine struggles to repel a relentless wave of Russian attacks on the country's southern region
and as Moscow warns that any ships traveling to Black Sea ports will be considered potential targets. CNN's Scott McLean has more.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Zain, today has been a much quieter day in Odessa compared to the last three days. Still, the city, the
region has withstood at least two attacks. One we know was on a grain elevator or a grain warehouse. At least two people were injured. And this
particular attack really illustrates the difficulty that the Ukrainians have had as of late in shooting down incoming Russian missiles aimed at
this part of the country.
The Ukrainians say that the first missile strike on that grain elevator came in so low into Ukrainian airspace over the Black Sea that it wasn't
initially picked up by air defenses. In fact, it wasn't picked up until around the same time that it was actually striking its target. And it has
been a similar story over the last few days. Of course, the Ukrainians have been asking for months and months for better air defenses and for more air
defenses, like the Patriot air defense system from the Americans. They already have at least two batteries. but this system is pretty stationary
and it's not easily moved from place to place. And so, of course, the Ukrainians are asking for more of them.
In this latest attack, Ukraine says that some 100 or more than 100 tons of peas and barley was destroyed. That of course is a drop in the bucket when
we're talking about the overall global food market. The much bigger threat though is Ukraine's ability to actually use its port, now that its grain
deal with Russia has expired, and the Russians are now saying that any ships headed into Ukrainian ports could be considered legitimate targets
because they may be carrying weapons.
The U.N. says all of this and the attacks on Odessa will have impacts far beyond Ukraine because, of course, Ukraine is responsible for a very
significant chunk of the global market for wheat, corn, and barley. Z3ain.
ASHER: Scott McLean, thank you. The world has lost one of its most beloved singers.
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ASHER: After the break, we'll look at the life and career of Tony Bennett.
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[12:50:00]
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ASHER: Legendary Singer Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96. Bennett carved out one of the most remarkable careers in entertainment history,
performing over eight decades. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016, but continued to record and perform, as well. Stephanie Elam looks back at
a man whose golden voice spanned genres and generations.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, TV JOURNALIST: A legend on stage, Tony Bennett's career spanned more than 70 years. He was opening up for Pearl Bailey when Bob
Hope discovered him in 1949 in a New York City club.
BOB HOPE, AMERICAN COMEDIAN: You know it's been about 16 years since I discovered you singing in a Greenwich Village nightclub. How come this is
your first appearance on my television show?
TONY BENNETT, AMERICAN SINGER: Well, I've been waiting for you to make good.
ELAM: Bennett had a string of hits in the 50s, but the best was yet to come. He won his first Grammy Award in 1963 for his song, "I Left My Heart
in San Francisco", and performed it on the Judy Garland Show. The crooner's unique voice and timeless style helped him win a total of 19 Grammys and
two Emmys throughout his career.
FRANK SINATRA, AMERICAN SINGER: Tony Bennett, ladies and gentlemen. Maybe the best pop singer in the whole world.
BENNETT: You know, I asked Sinatra, why do you think we stayed around so long? And he said, because we stayed with good songs.
ELAM: But the classics weren't always hits. In the 70s, Bennett found himself without a recording contract. He was in debt and battling a drug
problem.
BENNETT: I realized that I thought I was doing well with the drugs and I really wasn't.
ELAM: That's when Bennett's son Danny stepped in as his manager. Bennett resigned with Columbia Records and began to revitalize his career. It was
then he discovered a new audience, the MTV Generation.
SIMPSONS: Look, it's Tony Bennett.
BENNETT: Hey, good to see you.
BENNETT: I had the Simpsons, we did a commercial for MTV, and they liked it so much they gave me an unplugged special and that one album of the
year.
ELAM: Bennett went on to collaborate with singers like Amy Winehouse for "Body and Soul" and Lady Gaga for "The Lady is a Tramp". At 85, he became
the oldest living artist to hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart with his Duets II album. Several years later, he toured with Lady Gaga to
promote their album "Cheek to Cheek". Yet Bennett's talent went beyond singing. He was an accomplished painter with artwork at the Smithsonian.
BENNETT: I have a charmed life because I've always known what I wanted to do. The son of a grocer and a seamstress, Bennett married three times and
had four children. He and his third wife Susan founded the Exploring the Arts Foundation and opened the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New
York.
BENNETT: Everybody has a dream, a hope that something's gonna work for them and then when it happens it's a great joy. Bennett was diagnosed with
Alzheimer's in 2016 but with the encouragement of his doctors, kept doing what he loved best, singing.
[12:55:00]
ELAM: He cut his final album, "Love For Sale" with Lady Gaga, and performed with her one last time in two sold out concerts for his 95th
birthday.
LADY GAGA, AMERICAN SINGER: He's my musical companion. He's the greatest singer in the whole world.
ELAM: Aired on CBS, it was a moving tribute to a musical legend.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: And thank you so much for watching ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. "AMANPOUR" is up next. You're watching CNN.
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