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Pledges for Yemen from Donor Conference "Disappointing"; Interview with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Crisis in Yemen; Third Woman Accuses New York's Cuomo of Unwanted Advances; Violence Intensifies in Arab Israeli Towns. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 02, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yemen remains the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yemen could be of biblical proportions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It could be a death sentence for millions who are suffering.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Tonight, millions in Yemen face the prospect of starving to death as the world shirks its responsibility to

help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Then as hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria are freed after a mass kidnapping, we look at why it's happening there again and again.

Plus --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even now I look at it, I have sleepless nights, where I imagine it might sink to the bottom.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Damien Hirst tells me what keeps him awake at night and what doesn't. Spoiler alert: we are talking zombies, folks.

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ANDERSON: It is 6:00 pm, same time in Baghdad, bang on 7:00 pm here in Abu Dhabi. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.

Leading our show this hour, when it came time to act in Yemen, the world failed. For all the noble talk, governments around the world didn't even

get close to raising the amount of money the United Nations says is needed to help avoid people starving to death.

And the consequence of that, warns the U.N. secretary-general, is a death sentence for the Yemeni people. Antonio Guterres voicing disappointment

after a crucial United Nations donor conference Monday came up short, way short.

The conference aimed to raise more than $3.75 billion to fund the U.N.'s work in addressing extreme poverty and food shortages, with a particular

focus on the plight of Yemen's kids. The reality: donations total less than half of that amount, $1.7 billion.

The director of the World Food Programme has warned that that is not enough to avoid a famine in Yemen in 2021.

Yes. So why the disappointing result?

Well, many nations still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, of course, with donations dropping off over the past two years. That includes the U.S.

America's contribution yesterday, $191 million. $35 million less than last year. And that was one of the bigger donations.

Saudi Arabia gave the most, $430 million. Remember, it's been leading the ongoing conflict against Houthi rebels that's wrought so much destruction.

One official says it's outrageous that aid agencies overstretched and underfunded have to beg and scrape for money while the countries

responsible for the suffering spend way more on the fighting.

An official spoke to me from Yemen yesterday, offering a withering critique of this world's failed response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: I can be very clear. The shortfall will be measured in lives lost, in children's lives

lost.

The children and the youth, the women, the most vulnerable, whom we all must agree, have nothing to do with this senseless conflict among grown men

that, on both sides, are willing to quarrel and fight each other to the last child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: That's Jan Egeland in Yemen speaking to me yesterday. Ann Linde, the foreign minister of Sweden, who co-hosted along with Switzerland, she

says the pandemic, economic collapse and brutal conflict have pushed Yemen to the cliff's edge. Ann Linde joins me from Stockholm.

Great to have you with us. As we just laid out, yesterday's appeal fell way short of what is needed in Yemen. The U.N. chief, Antonio Guterres, said in

a statement that cutting aid is a death sentence. You co-hosted the event and pledged $31 million.

What's your response to the amount raised?

ANN LINDE, SWEDISH FOREIGN MINISTER: I must say that Guterres is right. We had hoped for more. We wanted nearly $4 billion U.S. dollar and we didn't

get even half of it. But at the same time, we have to say that it's better than our worst fear.

[10:05:00]

LINDE: The situation with the pandemic and the other priorities have made Yemen far too low on the agendas in many countries.

And I think that one positive thing was that the Gulf state are back in the game and that they are giving more now than last year. We have had, both me

and my Swiss co-host, we did a lot of phone talks before, to try to get governments to pledge more.

Yemen has to be on top of the agenda. It's not. And the only thing to give people the possibility to live a life in Yemen is to end the fighting. And

that means a political solution. So there is both the political necessity and then there is the humanitarian catastrophe that is going on.

ANDERSON: The Saudis offering some $430 million. The UAE, where I am, offering some $230 million, they say, on a regular basis, they have

donated, not necessarily through the U.N. track but they've donated some $6 billion over the course of this conflict.

And you will hear that around this region, that the U.N. Is not the only track but that is the track that we are discussing today. And you've

brought up a very good point. I want to talk about the situation on the ground that will not get better unless this conflict is ended.

But I just want to look at a number of these pledges. For example, the U.K. pledging a little over half of what it offered in 2020. It also still

supports the Saudi coalition in Yemen with arms sales.

"The Times," a British newspaper, wrote, and I quote here, they quote the chair of the Commons Defense Select Committee, that "Britain has failed the

first test of post-Brexit global Britain and what that means in practice."

There are a lot of countries that failed to stump up what they have done in the past.

Is that comment about Britain fair?

LINDE: I would say that we want every country to step up and to pledge more to Yemen. And I don't want to go in and say for one country or

another. I will say we, as an international community, has failed to give as much as it's needed in Yemen.

ANDERSON: Let's just discuss what's going on on the ground then because we've got 16 million Yemenis, about half the population, will face hunger

this year. Nearly half a million Yemeni children under the age of 5 could soon die from malnutrition.

Our viewers just heard Jan Egeland say bluntly, this shortfall is going to be measured in lives lost and in children's lives lost. None of this will

improve unless the situation on the ground improves. The U.S. secretary of state, Tony Blinken, is calling on all sides to find a diplomatic solution.

Let's have a listen to what the new U.S. secretary of state said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We can only end the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by ending the war in Yemen. So the United States is

reinvigorating our diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The Saudis and the Republic of Yemen government are committed and eager to find a solution to the conflict. We call on the Houthis to match this

commitment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Quite frankly, the Houthis are not matching that commitment at present. They've intensified operations against Saudi Arabia and are in the

midst of a campaign to seize the all-important government stronghold of Ma'rib.

Do you believe that things are looking optimistic for a diplomatic political solution at this stage?

Because, you ask any Yemeni on the ground, they are not convinced.

LINDE: I would say no. It's not optimistic.

But what is optimistic is for the -- as Antony Blinken is saying, that USA is going to engage more and they have also now presented a special envoy.

And he has talked with my special envoy. And they are really engaged in this.

And the E.U. is stepping up the engagement. I mean, for still, after seven years of war, I'm the only foreign minister who has spent a full day in

Aden and both talked with all the U.N. agencies and talked with the people, not least the women organization. And we need more engagement for the

international society.

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LINDE: There have been small steps forward. We had discussions in Stockholm that led to the Stockholm agreement. We've stopped bloodshed in

the town of Hodeida. It also made it possible for U.N. to establish U.N. presence there. And it led to a prison exchange. So prisoners have now been

exchanged. Not all of them was agreed but it has started.

This is the way we have to go, to take step by step for final solution. It's a political agreed solution.

I also urge all the partners who are in the conflict to sit down and talk. I have talked with foreign minister, also with Iran's Zarif. Iran is having

very close relation with the Houthis who is there, apart from the government. And all the foreign minister in each of the Gulf countries.

And it's very difficult but I think that's the only way to go. We need a political solution and we know what that could look like. The U.N. special

envoy Martin Griffiths has several proposals. But there has not been enough political will or enough political pressures to get a final result.

ANDERSON: Let me press you on this point about what's going on in Ma'rib. There are those who say the fall of Ma'rib will facilitate the fall of

Yemen. And as Martin Griffiths, the U.N. envoy on Yemen, has worked tirelessly over the past few years to try and facilitate a political

solution, I'm sure you will applaud his efforts as so many people do.

But things are changing on the ground and they are changing, as you rightly point out, for the worse. Houthi fighters have intensified operations

against Saudi Arabia. This is since the Biden administration pulled out of support for Saudi Arabia, direct support in its war against Yemen, and

decided to delist, as it were, the Houthis as terrorists, a decision that the Trump administration had taken.

The Houthis now in the midst of a campaign to seize Ma'rib. Coalition air raids continue to pound Houthi areas in the north. The latest round of

peace negotiations failed to yield meaningful results. I hate to be pessimistic here but we hear so often people say we must have a political

solution.

Are we anywhere close at this point?

LINDE: I wouldn't say that we are close but we cannot give up.

I mean, where would we go if we say, OK, so now it has been another escalation in Yemen, which is true?

There has been an escalation on the ground the last weeks. But the solution is not to say that those of us, who really, really are trying to get a

political solution and step by step has come some ways, as I just explain about the Stockholm agreement, for example, and the agreement that managed

to get a new government in place a few months ago, we cannot give up and say, just because it's going up and it's going down, then we say, OK, we

don't have any hope.

We must have hope. We must continue and we must support a U.N.-led peace process. And, therefore, I am optimistic that the United States show more

engagement now by having this special envoy and engaging and that E.U. is also engaging. And they also have a special representative on Yemen.

In the end, it is only the parties. It has to be a Yemeni-led and Yemeni- decided agreement.

But to get there, we need a push. And I think that, even if we cannot be satisfied with the donor conference, it has put Yemen higher on the agenda

now. And you can see that the around -- the media in around the world, Yemen is on the agenda now. And I want to keep it there, because Yemen is

the worst catastrophe in the world right now.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: I applaud your efforts and this is a show that is well and sure that Yemen stays front and center, as we have done throughout this

conflict. And I applaud your words to suggest that this has to be a Yemeni solution.

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ANDERSON: And you're right to say, with support and it's good to see the renewed efforts by the E.U. and by the U.S., who have ended their

complicity, of course, in this war but not providing a solution.

LINDE: Can I just --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: We'll have you back -- certainly.

LINDE: I just want to say one more thing and that is that I think there is untapped resources. And that's the women. I have spoken with so many Yemeni

women the last year by virtually. I also met them in Aden. I've invited them to different meetings.

They are so constructive, so smart, so engaged and they are not let in, in the talks. And I always try to bring this up, that you have the possibility

for Yemeni women from all over the country, from the different parts, that could take part and could play a much bigger role.

And we should use that. And I think it's very, very important that, also in Yemen, they see that they have this untapped resources politically of their

own women. And I really hope that this will change and we will push for more women in the whole, all parts of the conflict cycle in the Yemeni

conflict. Sorry, I just wanted to --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Ann Linde -- no, I'm very pleased I gave you the time to do so. Thank you, Ann Linde with us today, thank you.

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ANDERSON: Right now, hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls have been released, following an horrific ordeal that's become all too familiar there.

Authorities say the 279 girls were kidnapped by armed men from a school in the northwestern state of Zamfara on Friday.

Parents now breathing sighs of relief and crying tears of joy that at their daughters' return. They agonized over where their kids were.

Are they OK? Will they come home?

The pain just seems unbearable. The government says no ransom was paid, telling CNN repentant bandits negotiated the girls' release. But this

incident is just the latest in a string of mass abduction cases in Nigeria.

That raises the question, are these schools safe enough for the country's children?

Nigeria's president says the government is working hard to end these grim and devastating abductions. We get the latest from Stephanie Busari, on the

ground in Lagos in Nigeria.

Steph, what are you seeing and hearing on the ground?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN.COM SUPERVISING EDITOR, AFRICA: Afternoon, Becky. So we're really just seeing extraordinary scenes of emotion. And any parent

can really imagine the relief and joy these parents feel, that these girls, who they feared they may never see again, have come back.

We've been getting some reaction on the ground in the town where these girls were taken. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is my daughter. (Speaking foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm very glad indeed that God has made this ordeal, that we found ourselves in, come to an end. We're happy.

We thank God for everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUSARI: The president himself has been very vocal about these kidnappings. And he posted a message saying that this news brings him overwhelming joy

to welcome these girls back. And he promised that the military and the police would do everything to go after the kidnappers.

One thing that people are wondering here is, after these high-profile releases and these scenes of joy, what you don't see is the prosecution.

You don't see any major arrests.

So people are just wondering what it will take to really end this vicious cycle of kidnappings -- Becky?

ANDERSON: Stephanie Busari, reporting for you. Thank you, Steph.

The U.S. and European Union are slapping sanctions on Russian officials over the poisoning of the -- and jailing of the opposition leader, Alexei

Navalny. U.S. sanctions will affect seven Russians and the E.U. is targeting four.

U.S. intelligence blaming Moscow for trying to poison Navalny last year, which Russia denies.

Well, Arab Israeli towns find themselves in a precarious situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It turns out the formula is obvious. Either police in the Arab street or crime in the Arab street.

ANDERSON (voice-over): We'll take a look at the efforts to keep the town safe, despite distrust of the police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Plus, Iraq getting ready for the first papal trip to the birthplace of Abraham. But there are worries the pope's trip could

turn into a superspreader event. We'll be live in Baghdad and in Rome next hour.

[10:20:00]

ANDERSON: Plus, new accusations of inappropriate behavior against New York's governor. This time, there is a picture obtained by "The New York

Times" that could back up these allegations.

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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Welcome back.

"The New York Times" reports a third woman is coming forward with accusations of unwanted advances by the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo.

What's different this time is that there is evidence of the encounter, at least in this picture obtained by "The New York Times."

It appears to corroborate accusations by Anna Ruch. She told the newspaper that the advances happened at a wedding reception in 2019. She came forward

just days after two other women accused Cuomo of sexual harassment at work. Athena Jones has been following this story from the New York state capital

of Albany -- Athena.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Look, there are growing calls from New York Democrats, including a member of Congress, for

Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign, now that a third woman has come forward to "The New York Times" with new allegations.

She's accusing the governor of making an unwanted advance at a wedding reception back in 2019. And this comes after two former aides to the

governor have accused him of sexual harassment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): Embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo silent Monday as a third woman came forward, accusing him of an unwanted advance; 33-

year-old Anna Ruch recalling to "The New York Times" a wedding reception in September 2019, where Cuomo approached her, put his hands on her face and

asked if he could kiss her, loudly enough for a friend nearby to hear.

The moment seemingly captured in this event obtained from "The Times." They said they corroborated Ruch's story through contemporaneous text messages

and photos.

Ruch, who worked in the Obama administration and for President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign, was bewildered, "The Times" reports, and pulled away as the

governor drew closer, telling the paper she was so confused and shocked and embarrassed, she turned her head away and didn't have words in that moment.

Cuomo did not directly respond to Ruch's allegations. His spokesperson referred "The Times" to his previous statement on Sunday, where he wrote,

"I acknowledged some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly

sorry about that."

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: The governor issued a total nonapology earlier and, in effect, treated sexual harassment as some kind

of laughing matter.

It's not a laughing matter. It's not a joke. It's very, very serious stuff. And we need a full investigation.

If it proves that these allegations are true, how can someone lead a state if they've done these kind of things?

JONES (voice-over): Ruch never worked for the governor but her allegation comes after two of Cuomo's former aides in the last week have accused him

of sexual harassment.

[10:25:00]

JONES (voice-over): Charlotte Bennett, who recounted her alleged incidents to "The Times" this weekend, responding to the governor's statement,

writing, "It took the governor 24 hours and significant backlash to allow for a truly independent investigation.

"These are not the actions of someone who simply feels misunderstood. They are the actions of an individual who wields his power to avoid justice."

On Monday, New York attorney general Leticia James announced she had received the referral for an independent investigation with subpoena power

from the governor.

JESSE MCKINLEY, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": That investigation could have some teeth. You know, with the subpoena power, you can draw down documents, you

can compel testimony. You can get recordings, if there's any recordings. Charlotte did speak to a lawyer inside of the Cuomo administration.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Now Ruch has not responded to CNN's request for a comment. CNN has not been able to verify her allegations.

But I want to make one more point about this independent investigation with subpoena power, that you heard "The New York Times" reporter Jesse McKinley

talking about. It's important to stress that that means they can request documents, recordings, to speak with witnesses and that means that the

governor himself could be called to testify -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Athena Jones is in the state of New York, thank you.

Also in the U.S., Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman is renewing her call for an independent investigation into the nation's gymnastics organization.

Former Olympic team coach John Geddert died by suicide last week. That's after he was charged with human trafficking and criminal sexual conduct.

But Geddert had ties with former gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar. He, of course, is jailed for life after more than 150 women and girls accused

him of sexually abusing them for decades.

That includes some of the top U.S. Olympic gymnasts, such as Raisman. But in an interview about an hour ago, she said the problem is much bigger than

those two men.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALY RAISMAN, U.S. OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Monsters don't thrive for decades without the help of people. And we need to understand what happened, how

this happened.

Like people don't thrive for decades being abusive without the help of a lot of people. And we really need a fully independent investigation. And

the scope of the investigation, it matters, and there has not been one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: USA Gymnastics Association says it has already participated in six independent investigations.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, 27 minutes past 7:00 in Abu Dhabi, where we're broadcasting to you from our Middle East

programming hub. I will be right back after this.

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ANDERSON: Arab Israeli voters are getting a lot of attention from Israel's right wing as the country's general election draws closer. They make up

more than 20 percent of the population and could be the kingmakers in any coalition government.

This comes as Israel announced a $45 million push to quell violence in Arab Israeli towns. Critics call it a Band-aid, not a solution, since many in

the towns are just as fearful of the police as they are of the criminals roaming the streets. Sam Kiley went to one of these towns, where the call

to end violence is growing louder.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Newly qualified nurse Ahmed Hijazi (ph) got to wear his uniform for just a day

before he was killed in crossfire between Israeli police and Israeli Arab suspects. Another victim of growing underworld violence that's hitting Arab

Israeli towns.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): He wore the white nurse uniform only for one day. We didn't get the chance to celebrate. They snuffed out

the light in my heart.

KING (voice-over): The number of Arabs murdered in Israel went up by more than a quarter last year, according to the Arab Center for Safe Society.

Ahmed (ph) died February 1st in Tamra. In the previous month, there had been 28 shootings and 18 arson attacks in this Israeli city, that's being

stifled by organized crime, according to police figures.

In nearby Umm al-Fahm three weeks earlier, this former mayor, Dr. Suleiman Agbaria (ph) was shot several times in his car by masked gunmen. He

survived and remains in hospital. Locals often believe that the police turn a blind eye to organized criminals.

ANAS AGBARIA, DOCTOR'S SON (through translator): Anyone in Amman (ph) can tell you the names of people who have guns. We have seven families who are

gangsters here and the police and everyone knows they are gangsters. And the police are doing nothing.

KILEY (voice-over): Distrust of the police is deep in this town. It goes back 21 years when, 13 Israeli Arabs were killed by Israeli police during

protests in support of the Palestinian uprising in the nearby West Bank.

Israel's parliament estimates that there are 400,000 illegal weapons in Israel, mostly stolen from the army and police, and mostly in the hands of

Israeli Arabs. The innocent here pray for an end to the mayhem guns bring. And they march every week to demand better security.

Distrust of the police is reinforced when, unprovoked by any crowd violence, the police react like this.

KILEY: The Israeli police have opened fire with stun grenades and, with the foul smelling, what is known as skunk gun.

KILEY (voice-over): Still, some Israeli Arabs blame their own people for the violence which has engulfed them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My cousin has been shot like one month ago because he was in a place, in a store, that some guys started to shoot at that store

and my cousin was there. So he was shot in his foot. I can't blame the police for what's going in our society. But I blame the police for the way

he treats us and he treats in the opposite way in he treats the Jews.

KILEY (voice-over): Israel's Arab cities only got permanent police stations in 2017. Arabs make up 21 percent of Israel's population. Although

they often complain of being seen as second-class citizens in the Jewish state, Arab political parties are capable of winning 10 to 15 seats in

elections to the 120-seat Knesset.

They're still largely shunned by Jewish parties but could one day be kingmakers in coalitions, especially for the Israeli Left. So violence in

Arab towns is slowly becoming a mainstream Israeli issue.

This Israeli police general, a Muslim Arab, says the police actions during the protests filmed by CNN are already under investigation. Distrust, he

agrees, does run very deep.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For decades, the police were not in the villages. For decades, we were not there. It turns out the formula

is obvious. Either police in the Arab street or crime in the Arab street. In the past, there were no police. There were criminals.

Now we're putting in police. Wherever we go in, we get rid of crime.

KILEY (voice-over): The general says it will take time to win over Israeli Arab towns. But he has a new budget of about $30 million for extra policing

in Arab areas, including five new police stations. How much time it takes may depend on how often this happens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:35:00]

ANDERSON: Sam Kiley joining us now from Jerusalem.

A fascinating piece, Sam, an important piece as we look toward what is this fourth election in, I've forgotten, is it two years?

Just over two years?

I know you've been doing the election arithmetic. Certainly traditional Israeli Jewish parties are reaching for votes wherever they can get them.

What are the polls showing at this point as far as whether there is a clear winner?

And who is jockeying for whom at this point?

KILEY: Well, first of all, of course, especially with an Israeli election, a health warning on polls, which have a margin of error of 3 percent to 4.5

percent. And secondly, they're notoriously unpredictable here in Israel.

If you look at the Ha'aretz poll of polls, pretty much broadly in line since it's an average with recent polling, you see Likud winning, say, 28

seats. That is the party of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Now the next party down, likely to win 18 or so, that is the Yair Lapid's center, center leftist party, Yesh Atid, and then two other Right parties

and Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope and Yamina of Naftali Bennett.

Bennett's to the right of Benjamin Netanyahu but, at the moment, sees him as a sworn political enemy and, really, at the moment he's playing his

cards close to his chest but quite likely to throw his lot in with the "anybody but Bibi" type bloc.

And that's what it's all about. It's not just who gains the most seats in the first round, effectively, of elections. It's the next round of horse

trading, coalition horse trading that really gets complex and complicated.

That's where the really fringe parties might come in, trying to build up enough of a bloc to be given the option to go forward into negotiations

over coalition, which is why the Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, have gone into a kind of coalition ticket, if you like, electoral tickets with a

very extreme religious Zionist group, which includes some homophobic elements and why on the Left there is increasing effort to not only court

the Arab voters but have Arabs on the ticket.

That might dilute the showing of the Arab Joint List, which is showing about nine seats in the 120-seat Knesset at the moment. But that will

depend on how many people from each community go into the polls.

In these elections they can really turn on 20,000-40,000 votes. It's an extraordinarily close process and, as you point out, unlikely to produce a

clear winner in the fourth election in two years, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. We've been there for the last three and don't we know it. These things are extremely difficult to call. Thank you, Sam.

Still ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a big eruption on the Pacific Ring of Fire, sending out this massive blast of ash and smoke. More of these

stunning images are coming up.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not really about what you do. It's about what you try to do. So I think and I just want, you know, kind of young eyes to just be

amazed and to believe that anything is possible.

ANDERSON (voice-over): One of the world's most famous artists talks to me about life and legacy and why he is not afraid of zombies. My interview

with Damien Hirst in the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.

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[10:40:00]

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ANDERSON: Check this out, Indonesia's Mt. Sinabung at it again. It erupted early Tuesday, creating this huge cloud of smoke and ash that reached

several kilometers into the sky. No one was hurt. But people are being warned to stay away from the crater.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: This is Mt. Sinabung's first big eruption since last August. It had been quiet for centuries until it started erupting again in 2010.

Sinabung is in the north Sumatra province of Indonesia. It's on the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for its abundance of volcanoes.

Well, imagine rowing an ocean alone and only months after you've picked up an oar for the very first time. This can-do spirit and then there is

jasmine Harrison. The endurance athlete is the youngest female ever to row solo across any ocean.

At one point, I am told, that she was just moments away from calamity but she managed to hold onto her nerve. Good for her.

Don Riddell, who always holds his nerve, is back with us today, joins us with more.

I do often, you know, my first question often with a story like this is, why?

But she's an endurance athlete. You'll tell us more about her. Go on.

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I've been lucky enough to interview some of the world's most famous and successful athletes. I think

I love this interview more than any other. She is just amazing. She's only 21.

As you say, had never rowed before until she decided to do it and put in a bit of training for a few months and off she went, broke a record and is

just so chill about it. The stories she told about her adventure are incredible. We'll have those coming up in just a few moments.

She doesn't understand what the fuss is about. She's so humble. It's very refreshing. It's very cool.

ANDERSON: I can't wait. That's in "WORLD SPORT." One way to spend COVID- 19; when everyone else is locked up at home, hit the high seas.

I'm Becky Anderson. I'll be back at the top of the hour for you. Don is back with "WORLD SPORT" after this short break. Do not go away.

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