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Quest Means Business
Trump Unveils New Presidential Plane Gifted by Qatar; Iran: Working to Reorganize Technical Talks with Iran; Labour Party Rival to Keir Starmer Wins Seat in Parliament. Nearly 10 Years Since Britain Voted To Leave European Union; Basketball Grows In Popularity Across Africa Through Franchises; USA Lead Australia 2-0 In Second Group Game. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired June 19, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": No closing bell from Wall Street for today. U.S. markets are closed for Juneteenth. So
instead, let me show you what oil is doing. Oil is hovering around $80.00 a barrel, and the markets in Europe, they were mainly tedious and mainly
boring. They all sort of treaded a bit of water on the way through. But those are the markets and these are the main events that we are following
today: The knives are out for the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Calls are growing for his resignation after a resounding by-election win
from a potential challenger, Andy Burnham.
President Trump has just unveiled the brand new Air Force One, the revamped jet that was a gift from the Qatari government.
And 10 years on just about since Britain voted to leave the European Union. A new study lays out the economic cost of Brexit.
We are live in London on Friday, it is June the 19th. I am Richard Quest and yes, I mean business.
Good evening.
I want to show you the brand new Air Force One. President Trump has just unveiled the plane, no longer the powder blue of Jackie Onassis, the First
Lady when she did that as one of the early iterations. Instead, Air Force One is now this deep red with gold and blue and still got the United States
of America. This is the aircraft that the U.S. accepted, the $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, the country, last year. It is a 747-8. It had been
owned and was being used by the Qatari Royal Family, but then, of course, they decided it was too expensive and so they offloaded it to the U.S.
government. And since then, the Pentagon has been working to prepare to transport the President.
The Air Force says the plane is safe, secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies. And President Trump, who was visiting and witnessing
it today, is now expected to spend the weekend at Camp David and with a new push to get a ceasefire and talks with Iran back on track.
A moment ago, he spoke at Joint Base Andrews, saying he thinks everything is going to work out just fine.
Mr. Trump also says he urged Israel today to agree to a new truce with Iran's proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Apparently, he was persuasive. Sources
tell CNN that both sides have agreed to the ceasefire.
It all comes after deadly fighting in Lebanon postponed the planned talks between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland, a lot there to pull together.
Kevin Liptak is with us.
Kevin, first of all, before we do the geopolitics, we love planes on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. So let's look at planes and I am envious because you're
much more likely to get a chance to fly on that Air Force One than I will. But I am told that one of the reasons that they've been able to do this so
quickly, we were told originally it was going to take years, but now it is going into final testing is because they haven't really changed the
interior. They've just made sure the whole thing is safe and secure.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, apparently the interior is the same as it was for the Qatari Royal Family. You know, there had
always been a question of why it was going to take so much less time to retrofit this plane than the additional two Boeing 747s that Boeing has
been trying to make Air Force One ready for years and years and years, and has gone well past their time limit and well over budget and that was the
reason that the Air Force explained why this plane was going to be ready so much quicker.
President Trump, you know, when he first came into office the second time around, had made it a real priority to have a new plane by the time he left
office in 2029, it was becoming clearer and clearer that just wasn't going to happen with the Boeing Program that was already underway.
You know, I've flown on Air Force One a lot. I've been on it, you know, thousands and thousands of miles. It is old, you know, the people who take
care of it do a great job. It is always clean, it is always tidy. But you can tell that this is a 30-year-old Boeing 747.
You know, they have barely -- they are barely in use in commercial aircraft anymore. The parts to replace the current fleet were becoming hard to come
by as well. And so it is true that the plane needed some revamping and needed it fairly quickly. And so I think a lot of people lump this into the
other vanity projects that the President is conducting around town.
[16:05:10]
But there is some, you know, facts to the idea that this plane was just getting too old for the President. And so we will have to see what the new
one looks like on the inside.
The color scheme is also different, which I think is going to catch a lot of people off guard just because the old one is so iconic -- Richard.
QUEST: And let's talk about geopolitics. I am not sure where we are. I sort of understand that the Geneva talks didn't take place because the Iranians
weren't happy about the overnight attacks from Israel into Lebanon. Now, that is all sort of sorted, apparently. So is there a feeling that more
talks will now take place sooner rather than later on the wider nuclear issues that have been shunted to one side for the second?
LIPTAK: I think there are, and I think that's because both sides feel it is in their interest to get this going fairly quickly, at least from the U.S.
side. President Trump has every reason to get this 60-day clock going, because all of the difficult issues that the war was supposed to resolve,
namely the nuclear ones, have not been resolved yet and he is coming under all kinds of withering criticism, even from his own supporters, that this
deal makes concessions to the Iranians while getting none of that back for the U.S.
And so it is in his interest to get these talks underway and get the Iranians discussing some of the nuclear issues. And so, J.D. Vance, his
office says that he is essentially standing ready to fly to Lucerne or to wherever to get these talks underway. It is the Iranians that I think, at
least some people here in Washington feel are dragging their feet somewhat.
You know, they called off their trip to Lucerne because of what was happening in Lebanon. You now have a ceasefire in place. But we have seen
those ceasefires don't tend to last very long. And it all, I think, just shows that this Memorandum of Understanding remains hostage to all of these
world events that the President may or may not have a ton of control over, and I think it just shows that the 60-day period is going to be very, very
difficult.
QUEST: I am grateful, Kevin. Thank you.
When you see what you can snaffle next time you're on Air Force One, I will settle for a napkin or a spoon. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Now, believe me, it wouldn't be the first time.
The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, says he will contest any leadership challenge that follows now a Labour Party rival has been
returned to the U.K. Parliament. He is Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester in Northern England. He convincingly won the seat for
the Makerfield by-election. The race was held to give Burnham specifically a seat in Parliament and a chance to challenge Starmer.
Now, of course, Burnham is only able to do so as an MP. A growing number of Labour Ministers have now calling on Starmer to quit, and Burnham is a
person many of them support.
After his victory, he said it is time for a new era in British politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY BURNHAM, U.K. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: We've been on a path for 40 years that simply hasn't worked for people and places in this part of the world,
and this now is the change moment. We have an opportunity to turn the tide, to make the country feel like it is working again, to make people see that
politics can make a positive difference, to make people feel hope again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: And so now the scene seems to be set for a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister.
By any account, the events of the Makerfield by-election were extraordinary, as Clare Sebastian reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Standing between a fox and a trash can, a surreal picture to end a five-week whirlwind campaign for
Labour's Andy Burnham, the man who may now challenge British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his job, making it clear he plans to shake things up.
BURNHAM: Everyone knows that politics isn't working. Everyone can feel that the country isn't where it should be.
Tonight could, just could be the turning point.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): The scale of that victory may now strengthen his case for change. Burnham secured 55 percent of the vote, a comfortable lead
over Robert Kenyon of Nigel Farage's hard right Reform U.K. Party, who came in second place with 35 percent.
It was a campaign fought on the doorsteps of a collection of former coal mining towns in Northwest England.
BURNHAM: We are doing everything possible. We are not taking anything for granted.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Burnham, a former Cabinet Minister who has been the popular mayor of Greater Manchester for the best part of a decade, talked
as little as possible on the campaign trail about his larger leadership ambition, focusing instead on local issues.
[16:10:12]
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM U.K. PARTY: What really happened here is it was vote Burnham, get Starmer out.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Reform leader Farage admitting Friday he is disappointed in the result, his party beaten at its own game.
Meanwhile, uncertainty ahead for Starmer and for Labour as Burnham plots his next move.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: If there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then yes, I will run, I will stand. And I've said
repeatedly, I am not going to walk away from that.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Another battle may lie ahead for Burnham, but first, a victory lap.
BURNHAM: The word Makerfield in the future must be known as a byword for the change that came to British politics.
SEBASTIAN (on camera) Andy Burnham, speaking to supporters at a local football club, isn't directly addressing the big question when and how he
could challenge Keir Starmer's leadership, instead focusing on what the campaign now believes won it for them, that core message of hope and the
promise of change.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, in Ashton in Makerfield, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: So John Rentoul is with me, the chief political commentator at "The Independent." He joins me.
As we look at this, there is no -- the only thing everybody seems to agree on is that this is a mandate, and this was quite an extraordinary victory,
bearing in mind Labour was drummed only a few weeks ago in local government elections.
When do you expect Burnham to "make his move."
JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, "THE INDEPENDENT": Well, he is clearly very popular and he has proved it by winning this by-election so
decisively.
It is a little bit puzzling as to what -- why he is so popular because he hasn't really set out any really different policies, but he comes across as
a more rooted, more affable, more relaxed personality, and the Labour Party, I think is desperate and is looking for an alternative to try to
turn things around.
I think, Andy Burnham is obviously waiting because he knows that everything is moving in his direction. He is hoping that the Prime Minister will
decide over the weekend to pack it in.
If he doesn't, then I think Andy Burnham will be forced to launch a leadership challenge next week.
QUEST: Now, they will almost certainly, the requisite number of MPs that would do it -- that would support it. The problem, of course, is Andy
Burnham. Yes, he has been a Cabinet Minister and he has run Britain's second largest city, but he could do with a bit longer just to bed down in
Parliament and just sort of learn, get back at the top level of politics in a sense. He may not have that luxury.
RENTOUL: Goodness me, no, Richard. The last thing he wants to do is take his time. He is at his moment of greatest strength, having just won this
convincing by-election. The longer he waits, the more his flaws will become apparent, and the more, you know, Labour MPs will wonder whether he has got
the guts and the courage to go for it. So I think he has to -- he has to strike quickly. I know he would like more time. I mean, everybody would
always like more time to prepare for something quite as daunting as becoming Prime Minister.
But, I think circumstances will force his hand next week.
QUEST: All right, so realistically, let's just play it out. If Starmer agrees to go, then it could happen relatively quickly, just as a matter of
logic. And if nobody else stands. But if Starmer decides to force the issue and it does go to a contest, how long will this draw out, bearing in mind
the convoluted way the Labour Party chooses its leader?
RENTOUL: Well, yes, I mean, it is not that convoluted. I mean, in this in this day and age, people can vote online in these things. So, I mean, it
would have to last for at least two weeks. It has never been that short in the past. I mean, it has usually been something like four or five weeks,
but it could be shorter.
But I don't think we are going to get to that situation because, I mean, we heard the Prime Minister in that clip you just played there saying he would
definitely be a candidate if there was a leadership challenge. But I mean, that's what he has to say. He can't say, well, if somebody challenges me, I
am going off, because that would just -- that would be the end of it. So he has to say he will be a candidate, but I don't think he really will be.
[16:15:07]
QUEST: Right. Is Burnham hobbled if hasn't fought to get it? If it is a coronation instead of a contest?
RENTOUL: Not really because I mean, Gordon, the same thing happened with Gordon Brown. He took over from Tony Blair nearly 20 years ago without a
contest. There were no other candidates prepared to go up against the Steamroller Brown. And Andy Burnham is in a similar position. He is not
quite as intimidating as Gordon Brown in his personality. But in the depths of his support, he does make it very hard for any other candidate to stand
with a realistic chance of doing well.
And most of the rivals, such as Wes Streeting or Angela Rayner would probably be bought off by the promise of a big job in Andy Burnham's
Cabinet.
QUEST: Oh thank you, John Rentoul. Have a lovely weekend and I will thank you for reminding me that it is 20 years since Gordon, 20 years. Good Lord!
Where have the years gone? John, have a lovely weekend. I am grateful for you. Thank you.
A diplomatic spat between the U.S. and Italy, perhaps proving the point that no -- everybody eventually falls out with Donald Trump. Every leader.
Now, the Italian Prime Minister is refuting a report that she begged President Trump to take a photo with her, extraordinary allegations, one
way or another. In a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Italy's Foreign Minister has cancelled a planned trip to the United States over President Trump's reported comments about the Italian Prime
Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Now, according to Italian outlet, the President Trump told them that Prime Minister Meloni, in his words, begged him for a photo at the G7 summit in
France. The Prime Minister said online this morning that did not happen and she accused the U.S. President of treating allies worse than enemies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIORGIA MELONI, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don't know
why the President of the United States behaves like this toward his allies. It is not the first time, moreover, I can only say it is disappointing that
he does not shown the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater
indulgence.
There is one thing he should remember, neither I nor Italy ever beg.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:20:10]
QUEST: There you have it. Nic Robertson, our international diplomatic editor, who is in Zurich in Switzerland, waiting for talks that never
happened. But instead of that, we can talk about Meloni.
Listen, what I don't understand is why she felt the need to put in all that last bit about, you know, it is not -- I mean, she could have just simply
laughed it off. It never happened. Oh, there we go. Off we go. There we go. Yes, yes. He says these sort of things.
But to throw in the allies bit and the enemies bit. That's the bit I don't understand, because there, she is shifting her ground.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, look, President Trump has been on something of a tear against European leaders, Meloni
included, who was sort of for so long considered the Trump whisperer amongst the Europeans, someone who was sort of right of center populist
herself at home, sort of akin to Trump, you know, kindred spirits.
The Europeans could channel questions through her to Trump and understand what Trump was thinking. But that is sort of becoming a toxic proximity,
now, clearly for her, this is why she is putting distance in there.
There are a lot of European leaders who feel that Trump is over playing his criticism of them and I think this is a reflection of that. I think this is
a reflection of the moment where Europeans have frankly, been really put out by Trump's war of choice in the Gulf that's driven up energy costs in
their homes, in their countries, put their voters backs up and I think that is what we are seeing.
I think we are seeing frank push back on it.
QUEST: Right. But she must have made the political calculation that at home, it is better for her to be seen as against the U.S. President, that,
you know, the exact opposite of that calculation, which she has done for so long in favor of Mr. Trump.
ROBERTSON: Right, and I think we should take this as a bellwether of what other politicians in Europe who are less friendly to Trump, let's stand
Macron outside of that circle for a second, who just hosted the President at Versailles.
But this shows the temperature and mood across European parliamentarians and leaders. If the Prime Minister of Italy, who was so close to President
Trump at one point, is prepared to do that now and feels the need to do that now, that should be telling the U.S. President something that in
Europe, his currency is not worth what it was that his, sort of global relations attitude is out of kilter with theirs.
Bottom line, they are not prepared to put up with it. There is a moment in any leader. Look, I will give you President Bush, Hurricane Katrina in
2006, he was heavily criticized for that and suddenly the war in Iraq that had been going off rails and badly wrong for three years, but kept going on
positive messages because of, you know, post 9/11 nationalism, if you want, a patriotism in the U.S., suddenly Bush's currency at home cracked and he
was unpopular for everything.
Are we at a watershed moment like that with European leaders, where if Meloni is prepared to come out and criticize him for a slight that he has
done before, well, what are the others going to do? I kind of sense we may be in that moment.
QUEST: And I am grateful. Have a good weekend. You may get talks or you may not get talks, in which case you're still in Zurich, which is a great city,
frankly, to be in with some good food and wine. Thank you, Nic Robertson, who will be enjoying the weekend there.
Now, Gulf Air has returned to full flights for the first time since the U.S. and Israel's coordinated attack on Iran began. It has returned to full
capacity faster than the region's biggest airlines. That includes emirates and Qatar.
Gulf, though struggled even before the war from keeping its fleet in operation. The relatively new chief executive, Martin Gauss, has been in
position for several months. He came, of course, from Air Baltic. I asked Martin at the AITA general meeting earlier this month. So, it really is a
challenge for a small Gulf carrier like his.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN GAUSS, CEO, GULF AIR: We have actually now, for the first time in three years, zero missing engines on the whole fleet in July, which is a
big achievement. So we have all of our aircraft. Yes, ticket prices will eventually be a bit higher until fuel prices come down, but that is
something we have in common with everybody.
QUEST: Youve now got the Gulf 3 and you've got other carriers -- Riyadh Air coming online as well. You're going to get nutcrackered in the middle.
GAUSS: I think we have a chance now because we didn't grow as they grew. I agree that we can focus on what we want to do and that is a premium
signature connector for the Gulf. We do not have to become the next mega carrier. We don't have that ambition.
[16:25:10]
We want to connect the Kingdom of Bahrain and play the role we play because we are connecting at an airport, which is much smaller and faster than the
large airports around us, and that is, I think, a unique selling point.
QUEST: Okay. But the other small airline in the region, of course, Oman Air, that has a large population. It is not large, that has a large land
mass and a very large tourism potential. You have a small mass tourism potential, you have finance there, but you are going to end up being a
sixth freedom carrier.
GAUSS: Yes. But if we look at what we are doing today, if you look at the tourism coming inbound, then we have most of the tourists coming either
from Saudi over the bridge from the GCC states, while we take passengers from Europe to Asia, even to New York, and we fly only some of the key
points. We are not having hundreds of destinations today. We fly to 54 destinations for many, many, many years.
So we have established connectivity, but we are doing it smarter, faster than the others because of the size we are. So now the size becomes an
advantage.
QUEST: Are you going to be introducing a lot of the NFTs, all the different ideas that you did at Air Baltic?
GAUSS: I think that time is behind us, but there are other innovations coming and looking at A.I., being a small airline, having all that history
behind us, we can come up with some innovations in the industry coming.
QUEST: You see, that's what you really have to do, isn't it? Because you can't compete on size, you can compete on product, but you're going to have
to be smarter and more innovative to actually raise your voice against all the others.
GAUSS: What I want is that the passengers say, I want to fly Gulf Air. We have Starlink now. So one of the innovations, the 14 airlines having
Starlink, so that that helps a lot.
And then on top of that, you can do a lot of other stuff, but looking at all the system an airline has, I think, a lot of innovations we can bring
in Gulf Air, where people then will say, okay, that small airline from the Kingdom of Bahrain connecting the world, but they are smart and it is too
early after seven months to say all of it, but a lot of it in the pipeline.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Martin Gauss, Gulf Air.
Breaking news to bring you: There are reports of injuries following the collision of two trains north of London. These are live pictures apparently
happened just outside Bedford on a line that is popular with commuters. When we get more details, we will of course let you have them.
Nearly 10 years, a decade since Britain voted for Brexit. It took many more years to actually complete it. The Bank of England data suggests the
decision to leave the E.U. has cost the U.K. economy significantly. Apparently, it is the sheer confusion of the post-Brexit period, after the
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:31:00]
QUEST: Hello, I'm Richard Quest. Together, we are going to have a lot more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
Nearly 10 years since the Brexit vote, the economic impact of saying goodbye to the E.U. is being raised again and again. London's nightlife is
still trying to recover from COVID-19, according to some reports. A close - - exclusive social clubs have become all the rage. Well, they'll let me in, doubt it.
Anyway, all of that and more after the news. Because this is CNN, and on this network, the news always comes first.
Sources say that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to renew their cease fire. A diplomat says Iran wants guarantees that the fighting will end
before it begins technical talks with the United States. Those negotiations were set to begin today. On Friday, in Switzerland they have been
postponed.
The British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, is facing a growing threat to his leadership of the Labor Party and the government. A top rival, Andy
Burnham is to return to parliament after winning a by-election on Thursday. The prime minister says if there is a leadership contest, he will not step
down and will fight.
Group games are underway in the FIFA World Cup. Team USA and Australia are facing off in Seattle. Australia's Cameron Burgess scored an own goal in
the 11th minute. Both teams were tied for the lead of Group D going into the match.
Also today, Scotland versus Morocco, Brazil against Haiti, and Turkey versus Paraguay.
On Tuesday, it will be 10 years since Britain voted to leave the European Union. That referendum on June 23rd, 2016.
I spent the weeks leading up to it traveling around the British country in a Freddy Brexit campervan, you may remember. Yes, Freddie Brexit, my trusty
1978 Volkswagen van. And we saw the most fervently pro-Brexit parts and anti.
Even so, it was a shock when it became clear what voters had decided to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: I'm Richard Quest. The people have spoken. The majesty of the process, whether or not you like the result. The reality tonight is that
the British people have voted, or ever before, to leave the European Union. All the major networks have called it. It will be the smallest of
majorities, but as I say, the ballot has spoken, and it seems -- and it appears tonight Brexit has won.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: It took many more years to actually complete Brexit. But now, a new report analyzing Bank of England data suggests the U.K. has paid an
economic price, it estimates the U.K. economy is six percent smaller compared to where it would have been if Britain had not left the E.U.
Adam Posen is the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. From '09 to '12, he was an external voting member of the
Interest Rate Committee, the MPC at the Bank of England.
And yes, when I saw these numbers this morning, data from the Bank of England, I mean, it's not the Bank of England saying this per se, it is
internal data based on surveys, et cetera. But do you buy the headline number that the country is six percent poorer because of Brexit?
ADAM POSEN, PRESIDENT, PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: Richard, thanks for having me on this sad, almost anniversary. And yes, I
buy the number. It's a very well-done paper, but more importantly, a bunch of different papers, a bunch of different analyzes, some by British, some
by not, some by public sector, some by academics, have all come to roughly the same number, a range of around six to eight percent of GDP lost versus
what might have been.
[16:35:02]
Another way to think of that is that's basically two substantial recessions worth of lost growth.
QUEST: And this was because of what? Because of the delay in executing it, or because of the terms upon which Brexit was finally done?
POSEN: It was because of two things, Richard. The first is that it's just suicide, as the U.S. started to find out with China to engage in a trade
war with your largest trading partner. You can't replace things at cost just because you want to, in any short length of time.
The second is that Brexit inherently disrupted a huge amount of business investment of people's planning, of jobs planning, and this uncertainty,
again, similar to what's happened in the last year, plus, since Trump's April Fool's Day in the U.S., has disrupted investment, and therefore,
constrained growth.
QUEST: How much of the bad effect was because of the toxicity that neither side was prepared to concede to a middle ground.
Now, the Europeans wouldn't -- think the cherub-making argument, any idea that the -- that they would -- that the government or the U.K. government
would go for some sort of Brexit, some sort of customs union, was immediately jumped upon by the Brexiteers. There was no possibility of
compromise.
POSEN: I think you are right, Richard, to raise that, that, that is part of the story. And that is something, as opposed to the overall cost, where
there is some debate.
My view, going back to 2017, and I said it at the time of the deal in 2020 is that hard Brexit, soft Brexit didn't matter so much. The problem with
Brexit was Brexit. But there are other serious analysts who believe that you could get back to -- you could have then, and you could get back to now
a better deal.
QUEST: And that's where we are at the moment, because we have had Brexit one, Brexit two. We've had all the various different deals put on the
table. But the truth is now, both sides do seem to be inching towards a more satisfactory trading arrangement.
Although, just in the last 24 hours, Michel Barnier said, well, you know, the U.K. could have swapped out if it wanted to join in again.
Do you believe that there is the possibility? Let us not go down the road of, will U.K. join again. That is far too toxic.
POSEN: Right.
QUEST: Even now in the U.K.
Let us just look at whether you think a more reasonable accommodation is possible.
POSEN: Absolutely, on paper. There is no question, Richard. It's just like what the E.U. makes trade deals with different countries, with Mercosur,
with Turkey, with Switzerland. And part of the issue of making such a deal is you get what's been referred to at times is regulatory alignment, which
is a fancy way of saying different industries know terms on which they can trade. So, it reduces uncertainty and reduces cost.
But there is a strong argument within the European Union that they don't want to allow cherry picking, as you said. And then, there is a strong
argument within the U.K. of people who will view it as a betrayal.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Right.
POSEN: Do they do it? So, I agree with past the toxicity, there is a deal.
QUEST: Adam, finally -- No, let's just get away from all the facts, in a sense, and get down to the sort of the feelings.
Did you -- like myself, did you ever just want to hit your head against a brick wall at the inability of both sides to say, look, it's not the end of
the world that Britain is leaving, but by the same token, you don't need to throw them over the cliff and stomp on them at the same time.
Reasonable people can find an obvious way for the benefit of both, and that was what has always frustrated me about the whole Brexit process.
POSEN: Yes, yes. I think, I disagree with you slightly, because in the end relationships matter.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: All right.
I'm afraid -- I'm afraid. I think, you are right.
Yes. If I'm sure you're right, Adam. I'm sure you're right. And on a Friday night, I'll think we'll do it.
Thank you very much for joining us. It's very good to talk to you on this. We'll talk more. Thank you.
QUEST MEANS BUSINESS tonight from London. Team USA are leading Australia. It's 2-0. Some may not be surprised.
[16:39:43]
This hippo at a zoo in Thailand. Oh, here we go. Picked the U.S. to win the match earlier today. The hippo index. It's reached this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Africa's sporting economy is growing rapidly, and basketball wants a bigger share. The NBA is creating Africa's version of the U.S. pro
basketball league. It's launching a franchise-based business model.
CNN's Eleni Giokos traveled to Rwanda to see their plans for the future of the game across the African continent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): As night falls over Kigali, basketball fans are descending on this vast arena. It's Basketball Africa
League weekend, and inside the venue is a buzz with excitement.
CLARE AKAMANZI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NBA AFRICA: The Basketball Africa League has been around for about six years. It was a proof of concept that
has proven a couple of things. One, that Africa is ready. That there is demand for a sports brand, entertainment brand that we can have on the
continent at a premium level.
GIOKOS (voice over): Among the fans are investors who have been invited to take a stake in the game's future.
They are being offered a franchise. The right to own and operate a team in the league. The goal is to turn the game of basketball into a long-term
sports business model across Africa.
AKAMANZI: It's a more commercially relevant structure compared to what we have today. So, you have, you know, recurring revenue models that teams can
actually tap into, whether it's merchandising, whether it's ticketing, media and broadcasting partnerships, events.
They can host events, they can have digital programming, and all other avenues to really make money.
GIOKOS (voice over): But for the league and the franchise to succeed, Africa needs state of the art facilities.
By day, you see the expanse of what Rwanda has built and what is possible. A 45,000-seat sports stadium used for football, athletics, concerts, and
major events.
Behind it, the 10,000 capacity B.K. Arena, where basketball and other games are played. And right next door is the recently opened Zaria Court, built
by this man, Masai Ujiri.
MASAI UJIRI, CO-FOUNDER, GIANTS OF AFRICA: Eleni, this is it.
GIOKOS (voice over): Zaria Court is a community and hospitality hub with a multipurpose court, hosting numerous sporting events, festivals, and
concerts.
UJIRI: It has to be in Nairobi, it has to be in Lagos, it has to be in Abidjan, in Accra, in Johannesburg.
[16:45:02]
There is no other choice. There is no -- I mean, if this works here, look at the BAL coming here, concerts.
GIOKOS (voice over): Back in the B.K. Arena, you really see what is possible, young Africans getting to play in a professional league and young
fans being inspired to potentially become the next generation of players and possible leaders of the continent's sporting ambitions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: And let me just update you before we go to a break. The World Cup. The U.S. is still 2-0 over Australia.
In a moment, we'll see if Australia can get something going off their own. In a moment. QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: The U.S. is leading Australia 2-0 so far in the second half, and it's a football -- it's a showdown that many football fans have been
waiting for after their last match in October.
Emotions are still flying high in the friendly. Today's game is going in the same direction. Several yellow cards fans are cheering on. And look at
these two pictures, where the fans are at the moment. You have got Arlington, Texas, and you have got Australia, where it's already quarter to
seven in the morning, and fans are watching in Sydney.
And that silence, Patrick Snell. Patrick, that silence and that look. I saw the other day, and I was in Toulouse with the fans watching on screens.
There is an intensity that they dare not miss a second.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm in an office here, Richard, in Atlanta, which is full of my American friends and
colleagues, and they are loving every minute of this one. I can tell you, Team USA, as you just said, Richard, in control of that match against the
Socceroos, which doesn't have too long to go in it.
Now, I will say an unfortunate start for the Aussies. America scoring again. Thanks to an own goal this coming in the 11th minute of play.
Cameron Burgess, who plays his club football for Swansea City in Wales, the unlucky defender there, just turning it into the back of the net. He just
couldn't get out of the way, really, of following Balogun's great run and cross field pass into the box there. So, that was 1-0 team USA.
And then, they would get another one. Alex Freeman with the head, a bit of controversy around this one. The Australians feeling, I think, a little bit
hard done by.
[16:50:01]
They fear it was checked by VAR, the Video Assistant Referee. The goal did stand in the end. So, that gave the U.S. real momentum, 2-0 up.
What's on the line here, Richard? If America wins, if they get another three points off the back of that easy win over Paraguay, they will be
confirmed as booking their spot in the round of 32, which is great news for another of the three tournament co-hosts, because Mexico did it last night
after their 1-0 victory over South Korea, in Guadalajara last night. So, that's one of the three co-hosts through America will also advance to the
round of 32, not yet confirmed as group winners, that depends on the outcome of the other match in this group later.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Right.
SNELL: So, certainly a lot of excitement here.
The big news ahead of kickoff, though, no Christian Pulisic, Richard. He is their best player by a country mile. He was basically ruled out due to a
calf injury. He cannot play, he is being rested. My understanding is Pulisic missing out as a precaution only.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: All right.
Unlikely that Canada is going to get there to make the three, but there we go. We've got a long -- we have got some time, but get to get to that, but
-- I know -- I know.
(CROSSTALK)
SNELL: Big win for Canada. 6-0, Richard.
QUEST: I'm being -- I'm being -- I'm being previous. I'm being previous.
SNELL: OK.
QUEST: Thank you, Patrick Snell.
In just a few hours, Scotland will square up against Morocco. Morocco fans chanting and banking drums today near the stadium in Massachusetts. The
match kicks off at 6:00 p.m. local time, 11:00 here in the U.K. Bars in England and Wales won't be allowed to stay open until the early hours,
until the knockout stages, and only of England or Scotland are playing. That's what happens.
It's not stopping fans from flocking to watch parties elsewhere, like BoxPark. They have screening venues across London and one in Liverpool.
Matt Snell, no relation to our Patrick, is the chief executive of BoxPark. This is the -- this is the silent success. Well, not so silent in a sense.
Everywhere I'm reading, people are saying the atmosphere is phenomenal. This is really a good way to be a part, and it doesn't seem to have any of
the vulgarity and nonsense that you will get in other places.
How are you doing it?
MATT SNELL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOXPARK: Yes. I mean, certainly not by being silent, Richard. So, our venues are very, very loud. We will sell thousands
of tickets for each game, whether that be England or even Brazil or even Scotland this evening, and in -- and in the early hours. So, it's loud,
it's in your face, and it's lots and lots of fun.
QUEST: And it's attracting all sorts, and everybody, and you have -- you have, of course, as with everything, you have -- you have found the
Director's Box, so, you have gone premium as well, which -- what do I get for each -- what do I get from a premium?
M. SNELL: Well, we sell lots of different types of tickets, so you can buy an entry-only ticket, you can buy a ticket with food, you can buy a ticket
with food and drink, you can even buy a ticket with a football shirt, box pop football shirt included.
The Director's Box guarantees you a table and a seat, because lots of the rest of the venues are standing only. We try and create a real sense of
being at the match. And it is, as I say, very loud (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: How do you create -- when I say a family atmosphere, you know what I mean by that. I have covered World Cup matches where my heart has sank
because I've been covering it at the middle of the day -- morning or early hours of the night in a pub where I don't -- I know I'm going to have beer,
you know, thrown all over me.
How do you manage to get the right atmosphere? And reading about your venues, people are loving the atmosphere.
SNELL: Well, look, I can't guarantee that you won't get covered in beer if you come to a BoxPark. Fan Park, so, it's become a -- it's become a part of
the experience that fans like to throw beer in plastic glasses around. I don't quite guess it, if I bought myself a beer, I want to drink it rather
than throw it at somebody. But people do that.
We do have different -- we have different parts of the venue dedicated for different people.
So, if you do want to bring along family, we can put you in different places. But as I say, it is not for the fainthearted, it's meant to feel
like a football match. It is meant to feel like you are part of the experience. And that's why it's so successful. We really carefully curate
these evenings. We have talent come in to get the fans going right up until kickoff, and then, through kickoff, it's constant chance, and cheering on
your team, whether that be England or one of the other teams that are playing.
You know, Brazil at 1:30 this morning, that will be a really -- that will be a busy game for us as well.
QUEST: And as we move closer and closer and closer to the final, I imagine the demand for tickets to your venues is going to go up as well.
SNELL: Being frank, it can't really go up much more than it is. So, you know, we are -- we sell out every single game.
[16:55:02]
So, you know we only have so many tickets that we can sell. But to your point, they will sell more quickly. The further we go through the
tournament.
So, obviously, we are all praying that England go really deep into this tournament, because this ends up being bigger than Christmas for us.
QUEST: Is this -- does this have legs for other sports?
SNELL: Yes, it's a good question. So, we show all kinds of sports throughout our venues. But in the U.K., really, it's only football or
soccer that is activated in this way that commands such a big following in such a dramatic fashion.
Rugby is a close second and will be very, very busy for Six Nations or Ruby World Cup, but it's a very different atmosphere.
QUEST: Right. I'm sorry, Matt, you just called it soccer. That's going to cost to -- going to cost you a quid in a charity box. We are brutal here.
I'm sorry, we are brutal on QUEST FOR HIS BUSINESS. Quid enough to any. Next time you are going past the charity box. Go ahead. Let you have the
last word.
SNELL: Amazing.
QUEST: Thank you very much. Lovely to see you. There you go.
Soccer, football, whatever it is, we'll -- we are all enjoying it at the best of times. We will take a "PROFITABLE MOMENT" after the break. QUEST
MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's "PROFITABLE MOMENT", I'm going to talk, if I may, and you'll forgive me about the Brexit decision 10 years ago, because I'm away
next week, actually, on the 10th anniversary, or the anniversary when it actually took place, I should say.
Now, the actual time, and when the vote happened is still for me the longest broadcast I've ever done. It was some 13 hours. And it was sort of
a surprise when Britain voted for Brexit, but at the end of the day, if you traveled the country enough, you could feel the mood of the nation. You
knew what people were thinking, and they were feeling.
For me, it's not the actual decision that I found the most difficult in the following years.
The hardest part was the inability of both sides to recognize that there was a deal to be done, if only they could get rid of the toxicity around
it, and neither side could, and that was to me the greatest tragedy of all.
Yes, Britain had voted, yes, the E.U. did not want cherry picking.
[17:00:03]
But somewhere in the middle, common sense should have said, look, let's make the best of this rather shabby honorable situation for both sides.
END
