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One World with Zain Asher

Trump Tells Other Nations To Buy Oil From U.S. Or Go To Strait Of Hormuz and "Just Take It"; Hegseth: Primary Goal Is Getting Iran To Make A Deal; Trump Threatens To "Obliterate" Iran's Energy Sources; Iranians Look To Telegram To Bypass Communications Blackout; Impact Of Conflict Threatening Humanitarian Work In Africa; New India Bill To Amend Transgender Rights Sparks Protests; Final Six Qualifying Teams To Be Determined; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired March 31, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:36]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. The U.S. says regime change has already happened in Iran. And the new leaders should be wiser than the last.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I didn't mean it flippantly when I said in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The administration says Donald Trump's primary focus is pursuing a deal, brand-new reaction from one of the region's top diplomatic leaders,

just ahead.

ASHER: Plus, will there be American boots on the ground? The Pentagon suggests, it's good to keep the enemy guessing. We'll discuss with an

expert.

And later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marblehead is a little safer, a lot brighter, all because of Super J.J.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Super J.J. to the rescue. How Make a Wish is celebrating its 11,000th wish.

ASHER: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You're watching the second hour of "One World."

ASHER: Now, with no deal in sight, the war in Iran drags on. This is what we know 32 days into this deadly conflict.

New targets inside Iran, as Iran dealing with power outages, as Isfahan came under heavy bombardment overnight.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. For the first time in almost two weeks, the Pentagon held a briefing on the war.

One key question remains, will America have boots on the ground in Iran? Here's what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: Our adversary, right now, thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. The

point is to be unpredictable in that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: President Trump is threatening to obliterate Iran's electric plants and oil wells, if it does not agree to a deal soon. Experts warned

that that could constitute a war crime.

At the same time, Secretary Hegseth says, America's primary effort is to reach a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: On the talks, I can tell you, having been with -- with Steve and Jared and the Vice President and many -- Marco and many others yesterday,

they are very real. They are ongoing. They're active and I think gaining strength. And we appreciate that. As I said in my remarks, we would much

prefer to get a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Let's get a quick check for you on oil prices. Let's see where Brent crude is, just over $107 a barrel. U.S. gas prices are heavily influenced

by the international market. Hence, the importance of Brent crude.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And then let's take a look at the U.S. benchmark, WTI. That is at $104 a barrel up. Almost one and a half percentage point.

In the U.S., meantime, the average price of gas at the pump has already hit $4 a gallon. And experts say it could go a lot higher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALYSSA, PROTESTER: I mean, it's literally insane. Like gas went up at -- at the very beginning, a dollar within like a couple days, not a day. That's

like an insane, insane jump.

No, I'm not OK with this costing us a hundred -- an extra couple hundred bucks, personally.

Once again, this was a war that nobody wanted. This is a war that gets us nothing except for enriching the very few.

NATE, RESIDENT: Hell, no, I'm not fine with it, man. I feel like they should be giving me money. Why should I pay for something that I -- I

didn't participate in?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's go to Alayna Treene who's live at the White House, the president making quite a number of statements on Truth Social

overnight, Alayna, that is getting a lot of attention here.

And number one is that he's telling allies, basically, get your own oil. This following the "Wall Street Journal" report saying that the president

may be willing to even end this war without the Strait of Hormuz being fully open.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And it's also something, I'd argue, this idea that reopening the strait is not a

prerequisite for ending the war, at least for the Trump administration.

And the president did declare essentially mission accomplished with the war in Iran is exactly kind of what we've been hearing, you know, parsed out

from different Trump administration officials over the past couple of days now.

One, you heard White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She was asked specifically if they viewed reopening the straight as being mandatory

before the war is ended. And she clearly said yesterday, talking to reporters, she said, look, we have clearly stated the objectives for this

war and essentially said reopening the strait is not one of those specific objectives.

[12:05:13]

And you had the president today saying that essentially, as you mentioned, to other United States allies, go and take that oil yourselves. He said

specifically, build up some delayed courage, go to the strait, and just take it.

And then you heard Hegseth kind of reiterating that statement and doubling down on the president's words when addressing reporters at the Pentagon

this morning. He essentially said that he believes that the president's comments laid out their strategy on the strait very well.

And he said specifically that it's, quote, very clearly is not just a United States of America problem said. And he said other countries need to

know to, quote, learn how to fight for yourself.

To take this all together, I want to bring in some context from what I'm hearing in my specific conversations with people throughout the Trump

administration. They do recognize that reopening the strait is within their own self-interest.

It's within their best interests to try and get it reopened. And, of course, negotiations to do so are ongoing. They continue to work on plans

behind the scene to do that. But they also recognize almost that it's a competing interest with what you've seen the president declare from the

beginning when the U.S. first launched strikes into Tehran with Israel, which was that he declared that this would be over within a four to six-

week timeline.

That is proving to be a very difficult timeline when it comes to reopening the strait. So again, some competing interests there.

And in my conversations, you know, a lot of people are saying this idea of trying to share the blame for the strait or try to place some of the

responsibility for reopening it at the feet of U.S. allies is a way to put some of that pressure away from the United States and on to allies.

And the argument there, just to get into why the president has been saying this both privately and publicly, is because he argues that so many

European nations rely on the Strait of Hormuz far more heavily than the U.S. does for its oil.

Now, again, I'd also remind viewers that this war between the U.S. and Iran, Israel and Iran was not one that the United States actually consulted

these allies on beforehand, the same allies that the president is saying, this is now part of your problem as well.

And so look, this is messy. I don't think there is a definitive answer here. I think there's no question, of course, that it is a key priority of

this White House and the broader Trump administration to try and solve the strait issue and get it reopened.

But it's also likely one that I've heard in multiple conversations, including with those in the U.S. intelligence community, is much harder to

solve for than some people had anticipated.

So really, we're just going to have to see what happens. And I think that's partly why so much impetus is being put on this White House on trying to

find a diplomatic pathway here and really using that to maybe get a deal instead to reopen the strait.

GOLODRYGA: Alayna Treene, thank you.

ASHER: All right. Let's bring in Matthew Chance who's keeping a close eye on things as well. He joins us live now from Doha, Qatar.

So, Matthew, one of the things that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth talks about in that press briefing was this idea of whether or not the U.S. is

going to be sending troops, ground troops. I mean, it's a question that a lot of people do want to know the answer to. He intimated this idea that

it's important to keep the enemy guessing.

But this would be a huge risk for the United States. I mean, not least because obviously direct combat is very different than sort of simply

airstrikes.

And then you have this idea that Iran has very sort of mountainous and difficult terrain. Plus, they have 610 active duty military personnel. This

would risk escalating this war dramatically if this were to go ahead.

I understand that you've been speaking to Qatari officials about this possibility. What have they said to you, Matthew?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, look, it's certainly true that the risks of staging, you know, a ground operation

would be extremely high, not just in the initial invasion, but in sort of securing those -- those areas that were taken and resupplying the troops.

And without a sort of like clear objective, political objective, to which the military can work towards, you know, this is a potentially open-ended,

you know, kind of quagmire that the United States is considering.

You have to remember from the point of view of the Gulf states, like Qatar. And I'm speaking to you from Doha right now. They're being attacked on a

daily basis. They're intersecting missiles and drones that have been fired by Iran.

And it's caused enormous economic damage and continues to do so. And so they're very apprehensive about anything that is going to cause more

retaliation of that kind from the Islamic State.

And so, you know, earlier, I spoke to the foreign ministry spokesperson here in Doha and -- and -- and asked him about that issue, about his

concerns of U.S. boots on the ground. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:10:09]

CHANCE: Thank you, sir. Matthew Chance from CNN. There's a lot of talk at the moment about the possibility of a U.S. ground invasion of Iran.

How concerned are you about that? What -- how do you assess that would have consequences for Qatar and for the region?

MAJED MOHAMMED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: We are against any escalation that could endanger the stability of the region any

further. We have said from day one. We are not going to comment on the operational strategies of both parties.

But what we will say is that any kind of escalation that goes beyond the current parameters of the -- the conflict threatens to further destabilize

the region.

CHANCE: Do you understand why other countries in the Gulf region are less cautious than you on that point and are actually pressing the United States

to take military action that will remove any future Iranian threat?

AL-ANSARI: Our understanding is that there is a very unified position in the Gulf on calling for de-escalation and then end to -- to this war, but I

would say that you should ask, you know, every country about their own positions on this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Yes. Interesting last point there. The spokesperson was saying that there's been a lot of talk about how some countries in the Gulf Arab states

want to take a much harder line with --with -- with Iran and have actually been pushing the United States to finish what they started and make sure

that Iran can't pose the same kind of threat that it poses now in the future.

But the much bigger risk is that this conflict escalates and that the energy infrastructure, the desalination plants and the residential areas of

those Gulf Arab states are targeted more and more by the Islamic Republic and the economic damage continues to -- well, continues to spiral. Zain.

ASHER: Matthew Chance live for us there. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Joining us now is CNN military analyst Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz. General Schwartz, welcome back to the program.

So as we've been spending the first 10 minutes of this show discussing the president's latest comments about perhaps even leaving the war and calling

an end to the war without the Strait of Hormuz open for navigation and directing his ire once again at NATO allies saying, get your own oil.

That aside, what we're seeing on the ground is at odds with what he is saying and publishing. We're seeing an -- a troop amassment there in the

region, in fact, a forced posture that it only keeps increasing and not the opposite.

So, what should we be reading, the president's post on Truth Social or what we're seeing build up in the region, in terms of what happens next?

LIEUTENANT GENERAL MARK SCHWARTZ (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I would, you know, pay most attention to the troop buildup that's occurring in the

region.

So, obviously, the first Marine Expeditionary Unit, week two, the decision was made or maybe even the end of week one to start moving that MUE from

Japan into the CENTCOM area of operations.

But the subsequent deployments of the second Marine Expeditionary Unit, the troops from the 82nd Airborne, the command and control element from the

82nd Airborne, are all indications that as, you know, the secretary mentioned this morning, the president wants to continue to keep his options

open for areas that he believes will be necessary to put troops on the ground to support, you know, achieving the objectives that he's laid out in

the campaign.

ASHER: Obviously, troops on the ground would carry huge potential risks, just in terms of escalating this conflict even further.

In terms of what options the president has, I mean, his options are severely limited, mostly because, I mean, obviously, aside from the Strait

of Hormuz, the president of the United States is supposed to be on the side of the Iranian people.

And therefore, when he makes threats, like taking out desalination plants, for example, I mean, those options really either are not or at least should

not be at all on the table because that would have severe humanitarian consequences in a country like Iran, which is obviously extremely dry and

they rely heavily on these desalination plants to have access to clean water.

What do you make of that particular threat that the president is making?

SCHWARTZ: Yes. I -- I would agree that, you know, the -- the pain and suffering that going after the electric infrastructure, going after

desalination plants, going after even the energy infrastructure is only going to have an impact on, you know, the -- the population that's

underneath the -- the thumb of the regime.

What I think is guaranteed is that the IRGC and the state security -- other state security forces, the religious layman, they're not going to go

without water, right? They're -- they're going to -- you're going to make sure that whatever is available, they're going to receive. So I would

agree.

[12:15:14]

I'm concerned that we have that listed as part of the targeting deck going forward. You know, one thing that really struck me today when I heard the

chairman briefing, General Caine, was that, you know, the -- the increase in what they call dynamic targeting, meaning that they have the ability to

re-task aircraft after they're -- after they've launched based on actionable intelligence.

So what that -- what that informed me with is the fact that, I think, a lot of the principle targeting going after the, you know, the -- the weapon

development industrial base, whether that's drones or ballistic missiles and even the nuclear research and development on centers and certainly all

the command and control, the major ones across the country have been effectively either destroyed or degraded.

So it sounds like, based on what we heard today, what I read and what was inferred is that absent of going after this -- this national infrastructure

that -- that you just mentioned, the water, the electricity and -- and the oil infrastructure, a lot of this significant targeting minus what's very,

very deep underground has been eliminated.

GOLODRYGA: Right. And so that is really setting the stage for an infrastructure war. I mean, we spent so much time focused on the energy

aspect of this here, but it is interesting to see where both the United States and Israel are directing their most recent attacks, and that is

strikes against, I would call it the components of their weapon making facilities.

I do want to ask you, because we touched on this yesterday, and that is the Red Sea and the potential threat that still looms there from the Houthis.

We saw them enter this war, perhaps just symbolically with the ballistic missile strike over the weekend towards Israel.

Nonetheless, the risk that they pose for the Red Sea and the passage of vessels there remains elevated. What should the United States be doing to

address that?

SCHWARTZ: Well, and, you know, to your earlier point about it, if the United States makes the decision to go after the infrastructure, I think

we're going to see more than just a symbolic act by the Houthis as they fired into Israel over the weekend.

I think they certainly have a pretty significant capability. The numbers aren't, you know, advertised. I don't have any specific insight, but they

still have anti-ship ballistic missiles, even after the major March 25 air campaign against their -- their missile infrastructure and their -- their

storage area.

So that will make the level of complexity in terms of maritime commerce and -- and obviously impacting both regionally and the global economy very

significant, even more so than it is since the straits been closed since the outset of the conflict.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz, we'll have to leave it there. Thanks so much for taking the time.

ASHER: Thank you.

All right. Still to come, how are people in Iran bypassing communication blackouts to track strikes and learn what's happening in real time?

GOLODRYGA: Also, the International Rescue Committee warns that the war with Iran could have a dramatic impact on humanitarian operations in Africa.

We'll talk to them after the break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Also ahead, demonstrations in India after a controversial bill that's marking fears of a major setback for transgender rights. Stay with

us for that as well.

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[12:20:20]

ASHER: All right. Throughout Iran, missiles are flying and the government has imposed a communications blackout. So, how do people get information to

try to stay safe?

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Leila Gharagozlou reports, people in Iran are looking to Telegram to find out what's happening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): These are just some of the messages on the anonymous telegram channel, RahBandoon, Persian for traffic

jam.

Hi. It's 9:20, continuous explosions in Resalat. The power has gone out. The power went out in parts of the east of the city as well, but not all of

it.

In the Nobonyad area, there were two explosions loud enough to shake the whole house.

The channel currently has about 47,000 followers and is used by Iranians to stay connected, to let each other know critical information, like, where an

airstrike has hit, what areas have lost power and the extent of the damage.

It also provides comic relief, users posting jokes and quips, bonding over the dire situation.

Over the course of the last month, Iranians have worked to bypass the regime's communication and information blackout, despite the high risk.

Telegram channels like this one have strict rules for users, no full names, no arguments, no politics, no talk of where to buy and sell VPNs and no

screenshots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These channels have been around from before the war. They used to alert people as to where the checkpoints were.

During the protests in January, they were waiting to help people where to gather.

GHARAGOZLOU: Due to the sometimes sensitive nature of the information, RahBandoon is a private channel. New users have to ask to join.

Other channels like Vahid Online or Ilyahoshimi don't allow user interactions. They focus on news alerts and aggregate information, videos

and photos from their followers all around the country, helping to paint a picture of the broader impact of the war.

GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): Vahid Online has recently been a target for its work, with Iranian state media reportedly uncovering the account owner and

even reporting a possible arrest in connection with the account.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These channels are incredibly helpful, allowing information to be shared. People go and see what's happened in that very

moment, compose something that can really help people and keep them safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. The impacts of the war in Iran is being felt around the world. The International Rescue Committee warned this week that high fuel

prices and disrupted supply chains are putting humanitarian work at risk right across Africa.

According to the IRC, it's a logistic crisis that is rapidly turning into humanitarian one.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Shortage of fuel can mean no power for a hospital, no gas to run ambulances, vaccines can't be chilled and food can't be delivered to

crisis-hit communities.

Now, if it continues, the committee says operations from Sudan and the DRC to Somalia and Nigeria could reach a breaking point.

And it all comes with the international humanitarian system already under severe strain following global aid cuts last year.

ASHER: Yes. Joining us live now from New York is Ciaran Donnelly. He's a senior vice president for crisis response, recovery, and development at the

International Rescue Committee.

I mean, it's interesting and I'm so glad to have you on the program because we've been so focused on this war from the U.S.' angle and the reopening of

the Strait of Hormuz and what it means for oil prices and Americans having to pay more at the pump.

But the fact is, and I think it's really important to note, that there are people who are very dependent on humanitarian aid to survive across the

continent where I'm from, who are really suffering right now.

And this -- it's -- this crisis is multi-fold, it's layered because, yes, you have higher fuel prices, which raises the prices for everything and

causes a lot of fuel and food insecurity for the continent.

But also, it's not just oil vessels that go through the Strait of Hormuz. When you have the Strait of Hormuz closed, humanitarian aid that a lot of

Africans are depending on simply cannot get to their destination. And that means that meals are scarcer, people are showing up to hospitals and being

told, listen, we don't have your treatment today.

[12:25:12]

I think this is an important aspect of this war that is not getting covered enough. So just walk us through what people are going through on the

continent, Ciaran.

CIARAN DONNELLY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR CRISIS RESPONSE, RECOVERY, AND DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: Indeed. And -- and thanks for

having me on. As you say, this highlights just how interconnected our world is today and how impacts that happen in one place can have a tremendous and

devastating set of consequences in other parts of the world.

And for global context, obviously, the immediate impact of the crisis in the Middle East is being felt by civilian populations in Iran, in Lebanon,

in countries around the region.

Our teams are responding in Iran -- or excuse me, in Lebanon, where we have a large program. But further afield, globally, there are 239 million people

estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance by the United Nations.

One hundred million or more of those live in Africa, people caught up in conflicts like Sudan, like Northeast Nigeria and the Sahel and places like

Ethiopia and so on.

And this is an -- an environment in which global humanitarian funding has been reduced by around 30 percent globally over the past year with cuts

from the U.S. government, but also many other European donors impacting on the ability of humanitarians, international organizations working in

partnership with local stakeholders to meet the needs to keep alive essentially many of those people.

What we're seeing from our programs across -- across the African continent is an increase in the cost of delivery. So in Nigeria, for example, the

cost of fuel has gone up by 50 percent. That means we are less able to provide mobile health clinics. These are ambulances and health clinics that

will drive out to displaced communities in remote and insecure environments to provide basic healthcare.

It means that in Somalia, the cost of delivering aid has gone up by over 30 percent with finite and reduced budgets that has a direct impact on our

ability to serve the most vulnerable people.

In Sudan, we're waiting on a delivery of medications and drugs to serve about 20,000 people. That is stuck in Dubai in transit.

In Somalia, we're waiting on therapeutic feeding products for malnourished kids. We have materials that could save about a thousand lives that are

currently stuck in India because of the blockage on global goods.

And all of this, of course, at a time in which the cost of living has gone up, not to trivialize in any way the impact on Americans, you reference the

cost of -- cost of fuel at the pumps. But as costs of fuel and food continue to spike in many of these countries, people who are literally

struggling day to day to provide for themselves and their families find themselves pushed further into humanitarian crisis.

GOLODRYGA: It's so important that we're talking about this, Ciaran. Can you give our viewers some examples of the impossible choices that your medical

teams are now forced to make on the ground?

I mean, are we at a stage five weeks into this war where hospitals are forced to turn patients away?

DONNELLY: So we're going to have to make some very difficult choices about services, in particular, that depend on critical fuel supply.

So, you know, in -- in refugee camps in northern Kenya, for example, in Kakuma, we run hospitals, are the only source of quality healthcare for

refugees living in those -- in those places. These are people who fled from violence in -- in South Sudan and Sudan and neighboring countries and

sought safety in northern Kenya.

When fuel prices spike and fuel supplies run low, that means we're not able to run the generators. That means that we can't keep incubators going for

neonatal care for vulnerable newborn kids. It means we're -- we have less availability to provide oxygen. We have to cut back on surgeries.

It means we may not be able to run the lights that are needed to be able to -- to provide medical care at night so that people who come seeking safety

during nighttime may have to wait until daylight.

All of these incredibly difficult choices as to how do we use scarce resources to triage and treat the most urgent cases now, knowing that the -

- the costs may just continue to increase as the war drives on.

ASHER: I think you brought up a really important point because Africa was already dealing with the cuts from USAID. And the United States provided

about a quarter of all aid to Africa and that saw dramatic cuts under the Trump administration.

And now you're dealing with inflationary pressures because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because of oil prices going up. And I think it's

really important to understand that different parts of Africa, and you touched on this, are affected differently.

I mean, you already have a place like Zimbabwe that has a history of hyperinflation. But then you also have Nigeria, which is also dealing with

massively rising prices as well that you touched upon. But you also have conflict in Sudan, for example.

When you have conflict already leading to shortages of necessary aid. And then you add the fact that humanitarian aid cannot be delivered because of,

you know, let's face it, preventable reasons, that's also exacerbating the problem as well. So it's really uneven how it's affecting different parts

of the continent for better or worse.

[12:30:18]

DONNELLY: That's exactly right. And the IRC publishes every year our watch list, which identifies the 20 countries most at risk of deterioration.

There are 37 million people in the world who are living in emergency levels or wars of food insecurity. Eighty-six percent of those live in the watch

list countries that we've identified. The majority are in African countries.

When we see cuts in aid, cuts in our ability to serve people coupled with an increase in food prices and transport costs, what ends up happening is

those people, the levels of food insecurity just worsen in those places, in places like Sudan where people are -- millions of people are already living

in food insecurity in conflict environments.

And the impact is not just in the near term. The impact is going to be played out over months to come.

Even if the war stops today, we're already seeing farmers in many of these countries having to cut back on planting or cut back on fertilizers because

of the increased cost of the limited supply, most of the global fertilizer supply in the world that comes through the -- the Straits of Hormuz also.

And so what we'll see is a -- is further contraction of food supply in many of these countries, which will only increase the numbers of people in need

as aid budgets will be further depleted because we're spending down the money we have now. Our budgets are finite and limited by our donors.

So it really is a squeeze, as you say, uneven because it's impacting on the most vulnerable people in the worst possible ways.

ASHER: That is actually a very important point. I mean, yes, fertilizer supply, but also this idea that even if the war did stop tomorrow, even if

there was a ceasefire tomorrow, that's obviously not going to happen, but let's assume there is still a knock -- I mean, the train has left the

station, right? There's still a knock-on effect and a ripple on effect on Africa that's going to last, I mean, hopefully not too long, but definitely

weeks if not months.

Ciaran, thank you so much for coming on the show and explaining this to our audience. I think it's such an important aspect of all of this. We

appreciate it.

DONNELLY: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you, Ciaran.

Well, today, marks transgender day of visibility around the world and it comes as concerns grow in India's transgender community over legal changes.

India's parliament passed a controversial bill that changes how transgender people are legally recognized and their right to self-identify.

ASHER: Yes. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more on what critics call a major setback for transgender rights in India.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are legal. We exist here.

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On March 30th, the Indian government passed an amendment to its transgender protections law

first enacted in 2019. Supporters say the new amendment is meant to prevent protections for vulnerable groups from being exploited, but activists say

the changes not only narrow who qualifies for protections and require medical proof of identity, but also actively excludes people, particularly

transmen and those who identify as non-binary.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Despite backlash from opposition, parliament moved quickly to pass the bill, claiming legal definitions were too vague and

should only protect individuals who they say are the most in need.

The amendment also introduces harsher penalties for, quote-unquote, "forcing someone to identify as transgender."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our teacher, our school supporting a gender non- conforming child to dress in the uniform that they are comfortable with, can get covered under this provision. That's the level to which this

provision is brought vague and going to criminalize every one girl.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Activists warned, this could be turned against the very community it claims to protect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a rolling (INAUDIBLE) entitlement, benefits, protections. Are we supposed to keep fighting on our entire life? And are

we supposed to -- to start living?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:35:30]

ASHER: All right. The final six spots at the men's football World Cup will be set today as the last round of playoffs takes place.

Among the teams battling it out are Iraq. I said that deliberately because one of our producers is Iraqi. And so she's very excited. Camille (ph),

that one was for you.

Bolivia, who have had lengthy advances from the World Cup.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. European giants, Italy and Poland, are also in contention. Jamaica faces the Democratic Republic of Congo in Mexico tonight. Congo are

the stronger team on paper. And one of their stars said yesterday, competing on football's biggest stage would be a dream come true.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOANE WISSA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO STRIKER: It's something that I can't even imagine, because the last time we've been to the World Cup, my

dad was a (INAUDIBLE) five years old. So -- so, yes, it's something amazing.

We are ready for that. And hopefully, we can go through something amazing tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Don Riddell is keeping an eye on all the matches ahead. Don, hard to say that we're objective here as our dear Camille is rooting for

Iraq. So I guess we are too.

What -- what are you going to be watching?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, I'm going to be watching all of them. My teams have already qualified, Scotland and England, so I can just relax

and enjoy the show.

But I think, guys, if your team is going to be involved, it is going to be highly stressful. Of course, it's going to be exciting, but I mean, drama

is guaranteed. Because for all of these teams playing tonight, there is just so much on the line.

As you say, six more spots will be filled, which will take the total number of teams qualified for this World Cup, which is expanded from 42 to 48.

There are a lot of other teams and fans eagerly anticipating this as well, because six of the groups only have three teams in them currently, and they

need to know who their final opponent is going to be.

I think if we're talking about the stress and the pressure, nowhere is that going to be felt more than by the Italian team, who are one of the most

successful teams in world football. They've won the World Cup tournament four times before, but they've missed out on the last two. They failed to

qualify. They absolutely do not want to make it three failures in a row.

And it might be difficult for them tonight, though, because they're not playing at home. They're going to be away playing against Bosnia and

Herzegovina, who, by the way, have a star player in Edin Dzeko, who knows all about Italy, because he played for three Italian clubs during his

career.

He's 40 years of age. Dzeko, if he can make it to the World Cup, would become one of the oldest outfield players ever to partake in the

competition at the age of, as I say, 40.

[12:40:07]

But the Italians, you would think, are probably favorites. They know what's at stake. They know what their entire nation wants them to do.

Let's hear from their coach Gattuso.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENNARO GATTUSO, ITALY COACH (through translator): There's an awareness that we're playing for a lot. I know it. My staff knows it. All the members

of the Federation know it. My players know it.

We all know very well that we're playing for a lot. We're playing against a strong team with quality players, with physically very strong players. And

it would take a truly great Italy team to succeed in fulfilling the dream of returning to the World Cup.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: So, 12 will have to go into six in the next few hours. These are all of the games that are being played. Four in Europe. Two of them are

intercontinental.

And we've got some kind of long-lost World Cup teams hoping to make it back to the tournament. I mean, Iraq, for example, this is their biggest game in

40 years. They haven't played in the World Cup since '86.

Bolivia, not since '94. Turkey, not since 2002. And Democratic Republic of Congo have been there under the name of Zaire, but not since 1974. And

Kosovo, who are at home in Prishtina against Turkey tonight, have never played in the World Cup.

It's only what a decade since they were officially recognized by UEFA and FIFA. And just 10 years later, they could make it to the game's biggest

stage. They might do it too. They've got a really exciting, young, confident, fast and energetic team.

So look out, Kosovo. That could be a great story.

ASHER: I was looking for Nigeria on that list, and then, oh, I remembered.

RIDDELL: We've had -- we've had this conversation before.

ASHER: I remembered. I'm going to root for younger brothers, Ghana, instead.

RIDDELL: You need to move on, Zain.

ASHER: They're our little sisters and brothers.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. PTSD for Zain right now.

ASHER: Our siblings, Don

GOLODRYGA: Don -- Don Riddell --

RIDDELL: All right.

GOLODRYGA: -- thank you.

ASHER: All right. A four-year-old boy battling an aggressive brain tumor received an incredible gift from the Make a Wish Foundation.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The nonprofit grants life-changing wishes to kids with critical illnesses around the world.

Watch as J.J. Weiss transforms into a superhero for a day in front of friends and family and proves that his condition is not going to slow him

down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING J.J.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, Make a Wish Massachusetts, Rhode Island celebrating our 11,000th wish, and we're doing it extraordinary way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Such a great job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Super J.J.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: J.J. wanted to be a superhero for a day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: J.J. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not very often that we have superheroes come into town to help us on a case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can only do so much. It was really the efforts of Super J.J. that really transformed the day's events. And that allowed us to

take Triple Z into custody safely.

SAM WEISS, J.J.'S MOTHER: A love of superheroes really is what brought us here today.

Last December, he was unfortunately diagnosed with a medulloblastoma. It has been a very long 15 months of intensive treatment. He's a fighter and

he's determined.

You can't hold him back. And so just seeing that and letting everyone else see, you know, there's more to his story than just his medical history, and

the excitement and joy that he brings every day really was incredible to witness and be a part of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marblehead Police Department is proud to report the successful apprehension of the notorious super villain and Triple Z earlier

today.

Marblehead is a little safer, a lot brighter, all because of Super J.J.

(CHEERS)

GOLODRYGA: OK. I just love J.J. and there's no one we should be rooting more.

ASHER: I know.

GOLODRYGA: Even footballers aside. That -- that is the -- that is the star of the show.

All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "African Voices Playmakers" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(AFRICAN VOICES PLAYMAKERS)

END