Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

27 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes In English Channel; France Calls Urgent Meeting Over Migrant Crisis; EMA Recommends Approving Pfizer's COVID Vaccine For Kids 5-11; Religious Group At Center Of Outbreak In South Korea; Backlash To New Regulations In French Caribbean Territories; Signs Of Authoritarian Trends In Recent Elections; Crowds Return To 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Swiss Football Team Thank Northern Ireland With Chocolates; Pochettino Refuses To Blame Man United Rumors For Loss; Rivals DeChambeau and Koepka Go Head-To-Head. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired November 25, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:29]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: France vows to prevent the English Channel from becoming a graveyard as dozens die after inflatable -- uninflatable boat

capsizes coverage from Calais, France and Dover in England. What will it take to curb the surge in COVID cases in Europe? Government scramble with

new booster campaigns and new restrictions. And the crowds are back for one of New York's most iconic parades as the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving.

Well it's 10:00 a.m. in New York, it's 7:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. Hello, and welcome to Connect the World from our Middle East

programming hub.

Outrage grief, finger-pointing and vows to stop it from happening again, after one of the worst ever migrant boat tragedies in the English Channel.

Twenty-seven people drowned on Wednesday when their inflatable boat capsized and sank near the French side of the channel. Two people were

rescued, five suspected smugglers are now under arrest. This tragedy just a snapshot I'm afraid of what's happening in the channel, almost daily now.

On Wednesday alone, more than 200 migrants made it safely across into the U.K. 106 others were rescued trying to make that crossing. Both countries

say they will work together to prevent future tragedies even as their leaders accuse each other of not doing enough to stop what has become a big

uptick in migrant boat crossings with more than 25,000 crossing into the U.K. so far this year.

French President Emmanuel Macron defending his nation today while calling for cooperation. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translation): We are holding this border for the U.K. They don't want asylum in France. We will improve

our means to increase protection, but we need to work as partners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well President Macron also vowing that France will not let the English Channel become a graveyard.

I want to connect you to both sides of the channel today. Cyril Vanier is on the French side in Calais. Nic Robertson is in Dover in England. Let's

start with you, Cyril, this is a tragic story. You're seeing evidence of what is going on on -- as we understand it now, it's sort of daily basis.

Tell us what you've seen in there.

CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Becky, after what happened yesterday, the worst loss of life in the English Channel since these

numbers started being recorded, we really wanted to understand the circumstances behind that tragedy. Why is this happening and how. So we

came here to beach near Calais to try and understand really what happens, what these migrants are going through.

And when you stand at the top of this dune, there are really multiple lessons that you can learn just from being here. Number one, is I can see

the cliffs of Dover from here. And when you can actually see them, bearing in mind that these are migrants that many times have come from Asia,

Africa, Middle East, we know that the two survivors from yesterday's tragedy were from Iraq and Somalia. They have come all this way. And now

their El Dorado is in sight.

You can understand how desperate people would go and risk their lives get on those boats. That's the first lesson that we're so close to England,

less than 40, 50 kilometers.

The other lesson is that this entire stretch of French coastline, Becky, provides very favorable terrain for the smugglers and the migrants to evade

detection. Look at this. So this is a natural reserve but a long stretch of coastline looks exactly like this. You see all those little dunes, Becky.

Those are countless pockets in which the migrants and the smugglers can hide.

And we spoke to local police, they told us that 13 migrants were found in dunes just like this one near here yesterday. If there were migrants hiding

behind that dune there right now, I couldn't tell you. And we've seen police, you know, patrol this area, they clearly are not in a position to

tell you who is where at every moment in time along this entire stretch of coastline.

Here's the third lesson, Becky. Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has said that this is about smuggling routes. This is one of the boats provided

by the smugglers to the migrants.

[10:05:02]

It's, in a way, it's quite impressive. I didn't expect them to be that long, these inflatable dinghies, about 10 meters long. In another way, it's

very rudimentary, they're cheap to buy, pretty simple to assemble. This is the bottom of the boat, Becky.

Local police told us that these can be hidden, they can be buried along these dunes. GPS coordinates sent. And when it's time, migrants can inflate

them. We actually found pumps to inflate these boats. So these trafficking networks are alive and well. They can put dozens of people on a boat like

this.

On -- during Wednesday's tragedy, 34 people were on the boat, each of them paying several $1,000. Listen, Becky, to what the French President Emmanuel

Macron had to say about these networks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACRON (through translation): They fled their country, they fled their families because they suffered from misery, political oppression for some

and absence of freedom. And they were the victims of the worst system which is that of the smugglers and traffickers of human beings. Because it is

that which operates on the European soil today. When these men and women arrive to the English Channel, it's already too late.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VANIER: And Becky, this boat was intercepted, it was slashed, so it can't be used anymore. But, you know, many are not. And on Wednesday, the day of

the tragedy, 250 migrants were able to cross the channel. Becky?

ANDERSON: Cyril Vanier on the story for you.

And Nic, Cyril just rightly pointing out that Emmanuel Macron is spoken about this. He's spoken about the human trafficking, gangs that are behind

this despicable, despicable action. And we're hearing a lot from politicians and they are talking about working together, vowing, certainly

from Macron side, that the English Channel will not become a graveyard. But they're sniping at each other as well, and just explain what's going on

here.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, this sniping is perhaps no surprise to those who sort of track British-French relations

already in the doldrums over fishing rights, post-Brexit, of the fact that the U.K. replaced France in a deal to make submarines for Australia. And

the tension over migrants has been going on for many years.

Becky, I remember being here 21 years ago, when 58 Chinese migrants were found dead in a truck in the port behind me. That really was a galvanizing

moment for the governments to cooperate with each other. There are French officials on this side of the channel. There's legal crossing British

officials on the other side of the channel, the legal crossing there.

And there's been a huge amount of scrutiny put on trucks and making sure that migrants don't get into trucks. And this is why in recent years, we've

seen this increase in the number of migrants that are taking the risky, risky measures of getting in these flimsy craft.

But what we heard in the hours after this tragedy struck was the French Interior Minister saying that the British contribution to helping France is

minimal compared to the French contribution. We heard the British prime minister after he held an emergency Cabinet session, saying that they'd

offered the French to put, you know, British officers on the ground in France to help patrol the beaches and that had essentially been turned

down. And he hoped that this would be a moment that would change the French perception of this offer of help.

So there is this acrimony and it's within this acrimony and the lack of a coordinated, fully coordinated effort. It appears that the migrants,

smugglers are finding the loopholes in the system. And this is something Boris Johnson says both sides now must step up to change this. These were

his words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And it also shows how vital it is that we now step up our efforts to break the business model of the

gangsters who are sending people to see in this way. I say to our partners across the channel, now is the time for us all to step up, to work

together, to do everything we can to break these gangs who are literally getting away with murder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And these gangs that the Prime Minister speaking about, unfortunately, not just operating in France and the U.K. because they get

picked up here by other elements within these criminal organizations. It appears that they're in Germany, that they're operating in the Netherlands

and Belgium as well because in many occasions, these migrants that are departing from France have only arrived there in the hours or the day

before the smugglers are keeping them in other countries bringing them in at the last minute. They don't get caught before their attempts to cross.

Becky?

[10:10:03]

ANDERSON: Nic Robertson in the U.K. and Cyril Vanier in Calais, thank you very much indeed for joining us.

Naomi Phillips is the Director and Policy -- of Policy and Advocacy for the British Red Cross. She joins me via Skype from London. And you've been

tweeting about Red Cross support for a fair and safe asylum system in the U.K. with the point that trying to toughen the system won't work, because

these migrants are desperate. The U.K. being accused of not providing adequate legal routes for those seeking asylum. Firstly, let's just get

your response to this tragedy that happened overnight.

NAOMI PHILLIPS, DIRECTOR OF POLICY & ADVOCACY, BRITISH RED CROSS: Absolutely. So, you know, this is an absolute tragedy in the fact that so

many lives have been lost so close to British shores, it needs to be a wake-up call. And hopefully it is a chance to redouble efforts to find

lasting solutions. Now, there are no simple solutions to this, these are really complex issues. And it's really, really important that we do three

things I would say.

So one is that saving lives at sea is an absolute priority and making sure that the treatment that people get on either side of the channel, people

are treated with dignity, with respect, with kindness and have the things that they need, like dry clothes and a way to call home. Secondly, as I

mentioned, governments need to redouble efforts as France, Germany, Belgium, you know, these European governments working hopefully, in

partnership with humanitarian and other organizations, not only to look at people smuggling, but the other wider solutions are getting the signer

systems better working and the processing of asylum pays (ph) working across these different countries.

And then third of all, absolutely, we need to have more and strengthened safe routes for people to claim asylum in the U.K. The government talks a

lot about resettlement. And we've seen what a great scheme can happen, for example, with the Afghan resettlement, making sure people have a warm

welcome, that's got a huge amount of public hand political support. But what we now need is a firm commitment of at least 10,000 people a year to

come over and resettlement schemes from all over the world, in the places where they're most at risk in order to really firm up that commitment and

make sure they are properly safe routes.

We'd also like to see refugee family reunions strengthened as well, so that people, you know, who already have relatives here are able to join them --

ANDERSON: Right.

PHILLIPS: -- as well, so they can seek safety in a safe way.

ANDERSON: Why have three times as many people, 25,000 this year alone made what is such a dangerous journey to the U.K. in small boats? Why is there

such a significant rise in those numbers?

PHILLIPS: Well we know that actually. By the time people could have reached France and try and cross the channel, people may have been on the move for

many, many years. And of course, we're only seeing a tiny, tiny proportion of people on the move around at 1 percent of the world's population is on

the move. And people are fleeing war and conflict and persecution.

At the moment, there are -- you are not able to claim asylum in the U.K. unless you're actually in the U.K. And of course, because of the pandemic

and the fact that actually we have very few and quite restricted safe routes to get to the U.K. to claim asylum. And over the past couple of

years, it's actually been even harder for people to get here and claim asylum.

And people we know are desperate. The system here is already penalizes people. The government's proposals in the Nationality and Borders Bill

twice to make the asylum system even harsher actually for some people creating a system where refugees are treated differently by how they got

here.

But we know from speaking to refugees themselves, that actually making the asylum system even harsher is not going to actually prevent people to try

and get him because people are really desperate. And it's the push factors fleeing persecution, which are really forcing people to be on the move and

trying to seek safety for themselves and their families.

ANDERSON: Yes. The story is at source where these people are coming from and certainly more needs to be done to improve conditions for people who,

otherwise, have just decided, you know, they need to leave. The human smuggling stories is another awful one that needs to be addressed with a

lot more urgency.

And then as you've been suggesting, we need to talk about why Britain does not provide the sort of legal routes that it might otherwise do to prevent

these sort of accidents in treacherous waters like this. The other issue, of course, is on the European side, isn't it? I mean, Emmanuel Macron

calling for an emergency meeting of European ministers concerned by the migration challenge. He doesn't want to see the channel become a cemetery,

but what the Europeans need to do in addressing their own migration and asylum policies at this point?

[10:15:07]

PHILLIPS: Well I think that touches on a point that no one country has a solutions for this and can solve on their own. So the more diplomacy across

borders, the better. And people are on the move across borders. And therefore, it's really important that we have joined up solutions to these

things.

If people stopped closing their borders, they're really kind of pushing the problem onto somewhere else, and it's not going to solve anything. So more

diplomacy is better. What we would say is that you need to be putting humanitarian needs at the heart of that. So what is it that people need

while they're on the move? What is it that we can be doing potentially to prevent people from being on the move?

So it's attacking the problems at source in a more robust way, but also making sure that when people do arrive, whether it's in the U.K. or in

other European countries, that the asylum systems are working properly, that people have their asylum claims processed quickly. We've got more than

-- we've got tens of thousands of people in this country have been waiting more than six months, just to even have their claim process.

They're not allowed to work. Many are living in destitution. That's not an appropriate way to be living. So I think that European countries and the

U.K. included could do more to make sure that all our asylum systems are working properly, as well as having that really, really critical and cross

border dialogue and putting humanitarian needs at the heart of all considerations.

ANDERSON: Dozens dead, including a little girl as a boat sinks while trying to cross the channel to the U.K. Naomi, thank you very much indeed for

joining us.

Well, the U.S. is expected to restart the remain in Mexico border policy next week. The controversial program was started when Donald Trump was in

office. It forces migrants to stay in Mexico until their immigration cases are heard by U.S. courts. U.S. President Joe Biden suspended the policy at

the beginning of his term this year and terminated it months later. But over the summer, a federal judge ruled that decision violated federal law.

International borders don't seem to be stopping the spread of COVID-19. Certainly not in Europe. And on the show, more on the E.U.'s decision to

green light Pfizer's COVID shot for children as young as five. Then why concern is growing over new COVID clusters in South Korea? That, after

this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back, European drug regulators have cleared Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID vaccine for children aged five to 11. If approved by the

European Commission, the move will then allow countries to protect what is such an important group in which the virus is spreading quickly.

[10:20:00]

Almost two years into this pandemic, the E.U. as a whole is reporting more new daily cases than ever, according to this data from John Hopkins. Even

France, which has so far resisted imposing new lockdowns or curfews is now strengthening rules that are already in place. It's expanding its booster

campaign doubling down on mass squaring and policies around health passes. Its neighbor Germany surpassed 100,000 COVID-related deaths on Wednesday.

Phil Black is tracking developments across the region. He joins us live from London today. Let's start with European Medicines Agency then green-

lighting these shots for children as young as five. This follows U.S., Canada and Israel as I understand it, and this couldn't come at a more

important time, Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Becky, as you say. Children in that age group are often considered a reservoir for transmission. And indeed,

there is a potential threat to them through long COVID as well. In this case, the European Medicines Agency looked at the evidence and decided that

it was safe and effective for children that age.

The clinical trials, we are told, showed that it is 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in children that age. The dose will be a

little lower than for people over the age of 12, but it's still two shots. It must now go to the European Commission for final approval. But if that

does happen, it's the first vaccine we are told targeting children that age to be approved in the European Union.

ANDERSON: OK, so we're talking about booster campaigns here and getting shots into the arms of youngsters. We're also talking about other

government campaigns and decisions around Europe. That will -- as far as the governments are concerned, try and help to prevent this surge getting

any worse.

France refusing to go into a lockdown, but certainly extending some of the restrictions that are already in place. What sort of changes will people

there be seeing?

BLACK: So the French government today, the Health Minister said we don't want to do tough restrictions, we don't want to do those more onerous

things. Instead, they are doubling down what they consider their existing tools, essentially vaccinations and the health pass. The health pass is the

document that people have to show to essentially do a lot of everyday stuff and also the things they enjoy, like go to restaurants, bars, and cafes. It

shows or must show that you are either -- you have immunity through vaccination, through natural infection or that you've tested negative

recently.

Now under the changes for those health passes to stay current, if you are vaccinated, you must also have a booster shot if you're an adult, within

two months of becoming eligible. If you are unvaccinated, it becomes harder still. Instead of being tested every 72 hours for a valid health pass, U.S.

now be tested every 24 hours.

Now, the thinking here has never been settled. These health passes have always been about guiding, motivating reluctant people towards getting

vaccinated by simply complicating their life if they choose to not do so. So this is a continuation of that logic. And you can see there particularly

for the unvaccinated people, their lives are going to be significantly trickier if they are determined to stay unvaccinated under these

circumstances.

And as you mentioned, there is also the return of masks in France as well. They become compulsory indoors in indoor settings from this weekend. And

the hope for France is that it can manage the winter, and all the difficulties that come with it through these steps alone. And it has a

chance of doing that, it says, because its vaccination rate, as a result of the health pass move, is already pretty high. Around 75 percent for the

total population, Becky.

ANDERSON: And this really echoes what was WHO chief said yesterday, doesn't it, Phil, that while vaccines are so important, they provide, to a certain

extent, a false sense of security. And there's all the other measures around that ensuring that you continue to try and keep yourself safe that

are equally as important. Thank you.

COVID concerns also growing in South Korea, where more than 200 people have tested positive in one small religious community. South Korea is trying to

live with the virus but now it is battling a spike in serious cases. CNN's Paula Hancocks with a look at what is happening there.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An easing of COVID-19 restrictions here in South Korea means that we have seen a record number of new cases this

week. Not really a surprise for officials, though, as they did bring in their policy of living with COVID from November 1st. But what is concerning

officials is the fact that there's a record number of critical cases.

Now health officials say many of them are over the age of 60. They would have been vaccinated early on in the process. And so that efficacy is now

waning. They're hoping to give a booster shot to everyone over the age of 60.

And what we're also hearing from the Prime Minister is that he believes the situation in the greatest Seoul area is urgent, suggesting that some of

those ease restrictions might actually be walked back.

[10:25:04]

There is also a concern about the lack of ICU beds in Seoul trying to secure more that can accommodate COVID patients.

One cluster of concern today is very similar to what we saw 21 months ago at the start of the pandemic, and that is an outbreak at a religious group.

Now, this particular one is a religious community here in Cheonan, it's about 2.5 hours drive size of the Capitol. And city officials tell us that

some 427 members are within this community that they worship together, that they -- many of them have communal living, and more than half of them have

so far tested positive. Results are still coming in as well.

And official say that off those that tested positive, more than 90 percent were not vaccinated. That they could not tell us why that was such a high

level we've been unable to get hold of anybody from the church itself. It's not reflective though in the nationwide vaccination figures. Close to 80

percent of people here in South Korea have actually been vaccinated.

There is a hope among city officials that because this community kept themselves, to themselves for the most part, that there won't be a larger

outbreak in the community. But outbreaks that religious groups have been a recurring concern during this pandemic here in South Korea.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Cheonan, South Korea.

ANDERSON: All parts of the Caribbean are seeing violent backlash to new COVID restrictions. CNN's Patrick Oppmann tells us why so many people are

angry in the French territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the French Island territory of Guadeloupe, this is the response to recent COVID mandates. A

barricade of cars burned out and overturned, pile of debris littering the streets, businesses looted, storefronts charred. The results of a violent

backlash to pandemic regulations imposed by government overseas.

GERALD DARMANIN, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER (through translation): The present situation in Guadeloupe is very difficult. There were shots using

real ammunition against police forces. There are barricades preventing people from going around, from going to work that keep dialysis patients

from going to the hospital, for example.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Police enforcements are working to restore calm as the authorities impose a nightly curfew and arrest dozens in the unrest.

This is the second week of a general strike against coronavirus restrictions that include health pass rules and mandatory vaccinations for

health workers. Compulsory vaccinations are striking a particular nerve in Guadeloupe, whose people want suffered exposure to toxic pesticides used in

banana plantations where they were forced to work as slaves.

Now the recent protocols, reopening a wound of distrust and catalysing deeper resentments coming to the floor.

ELIE DOMOTA, SPOKESPERSON, LKP CITIZEN'S COLLECTIVE (through translation): The pre-faith (ph) would not speak with us, elected officials would not

speak to us. We have no answer to our demands. And the only answer the French state has given us a sense soldiers and police here. That's how

we're being treated in this country.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Nearby Martinique since post-chaos, and another French colony, anger over the same COVID rules, along with a wide range of

grievances voiced by protesters subject to rules imposed from half a world away.

SERGE ARIBO, GENERAL SECRETARY OF UGTM HEALTH (through translation): Today, it is a widening of the conflict. It's a general strike that affects all

sectors today in the Martinique. And no longer just the health and social sector.

OPPMANN (voice-over): In Martinique and Guadeloupe, protesters demand not only an end to COVID curves, but also action to tackle high fuel prices,

cost of living and unemployment. The French Prime Minister says disruptive strikes and violence must end but acknowledges the need for dialogue.

Protesters in the French territories hoping their voices can be heard by far away leaders as a turbulent pandemic continues.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: You're watching Connect the World. Still ahead, a recent elections in Latin America paint a dire picture for the future of democracy

in the region. Details on that are head. And the violence escalating the Solomon Islands where the Prime Minister now is calling in help from

Australia. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:31:50]

ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi where it's just after half past 7:00. You're watching Connect the World.

The prospects of a democratic Latin America it seems are declining. Recent election results indicate that the political pendulum is swinging to the

far right. Local elections in Venezuela are the latest example, even European election observers couldn't call the vote free and fair.

Matt Rivers reports on the status of democracy in Latin America today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're a fan of democracy, November has been a very bad month in Latin America. The latest example,

Venezuela, which held local and regional elections on Sunday. President Nicolas Maduro claiming victory for his party, which won 21 of 24 state

governorships.

He says the result is because of our hard work and our honesty. Critics, though, and the outcome was already determined. The vote can't be trusted,

they say, in a country where Maduro controls state institutions. Allegations, of course, voting and violence against opposition members

during yesterday's vote have already surfaced.

And then there's Nicaragua where on November 7th, President Daniel Ortega won another term in what can only be described as sham elections. His

regime unleashed a campaign of political terror back in June, arresting any prominent would be opposition candidates and tossing them in jail.

Those in jail are sons of -- of the imperialist Yankees, he says. They're no longer Nicaraguans.

We even tried to get into Nicaragua ourselves to see what was happening there, but authorities deported my team and me after just a few hours in

his victory speech or take a spoke about journalists like us.

The scoundrels want to come cover the elections. We already know they're employees of the American intelligence agencies. So Ortega wins a fourth

consecutive term and Nicaraguan democracy is on life support.

(on-camera): But it's not just those three countries that are having problems. This is a map from Freedom House, a pro-democracy research group,

and each country is given a score that measures its liberal democracy. Green means an improving score. And as you can see, there's not a lot of

green on this map.

From 2019 to 2020, nearly every country in Latin America and the Caribbean either became less free or stayed the same. There are signs of creeping

anti-Democratic norms all over the place.

(voice-over): Like in Latin America's largest country, Brazil, led by right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, who, earlier this year, reminded many

of the country's dark days of military dictatorship. He'd approved a military parade on the same day that lawmakers were voting on a

controversial change to the country's voting laws. The law didn't pass but Bolsonaro has since suggested he won't respect next year's election

results.

From what I see, he says, I will not accept any election results that do not declare me the winner. My mind is made up. A dictatorial declaration,

the kind of language some say, is also coming from another country, El Salvador, currently run by world's coolest dictator Nayib Bukele. Not my

words, of course. He wrote that himself on his Twitter bio earlier this year.

[10:35:15]

The millennial president might have been joking, but his attacks on democratic institutions and the opposition are no laughing matter and have

some concern that he could be Central America's next strong man. What's happening in these places might not stay there.

DAVID ALTMAN, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF CHILE: There is a threat of contagion, of diffusion, of these authoritarian

trends.

RIVERS (voice-over): Across 18 Latin American countries, only 49 percent of people said democracy is the best form of government, according to a late

2020 poll by Latinobarometro.

MARTA LAGOS, FOUNDER, LATINOBAROMETRO: The next four years, yes, you might get very worried because things can get very worse, you know, that we will

have all these monsters that will appear here and there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: But Marta Lagos also told me that she's actually really hopeful about democracy in Latin America, that so many people actually still

support democracy, even after all of the corruption and economic hardship and even violence that so many countries in this region have dealt with

recently. As one expert told me where it's bad, it's really bad. But with thriving democracies in places like Costa Rica and Uruguay, if you are a

fan of democracy, he says, there are still a lot of hope to be had.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

ANDERSON: Well, today is Thanksgiving Day in United States and American tradition has returned to its former glory. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving

Day Parade is back in full swing in New York City. Millions of people once again lining the streets as giant balloons and festive floats go by. That

is a big difference, of course, from last year, when Americans could only watch it on TV as the pandemic had really taken hold.

Let's get you to Miguel Marquez, who is at the parade in New York. It looks like an awful lot of fun. Iconic floats, giant balloons at a cold Chris

(ph) day in New York. It must be the Macy's Parade. How people feeling about it being back with a bang this year?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: People are in the best mood that I have seen at this parade ever. I mean, it's always a fun parade

to cover. The crowds are always great, but people are just ecstatic to be out here. Can I just say Happy Thanksgiving to you all?

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (in unison): Happy Thanksgiving.

MARQUEZ: This has always been like the entire day. They're cheering for the police officers that come by, the sanitation workers that are cleaning up.

And I want to show you, you guys actually -- this is the -- your timing, Becky, is impeccable because we're here at 70th Street in Central Park

West, just under with those red balloons are, that Santa Claus, that's the end of the parade here. So we've seen all these balloons come by.

They've had 15 of the big balloons. The winds has stayed down today. The day has been perfect. We've seen -- the one that everybody went crazy for

was Baby Yoda, which pass a little while ago --

ANDERSON: Yes.

MARQUES: -- which was very, very cool to see. And there are 28 floats, thousands and thousands of people helped put this thing together. And then

they were planning for 2.5 people along this route. Tens of millions to watch us around the around the globe. To think of what New York, the U.S.

and the world has been through in the last couple of years. It is starting to feel just a little bit like normal again. Back to you.

ANDERSON: Wow, it's fantastic. And this, of course, is the 95th year, I think I'm right in saying, am I? The 95th year that this parade has been

ongoing. Just reminders and then we are watching. We've got a close up of Santa Claus (ph) way up behind you, just reminders of the history of this

parade, if you will.

MARQUEZ: Yes. 95 years last year, it was not canceled, it was only about a block long, it was only for TV. They filled up the balloons and they sort

of just did it for the cameras. Only three years did they actually cancel the parade during World War II, 41, 42, 43 or 42, 43, 44. And that was it.

The parade has taken on sort of a life of its own. It is the the parade that kicks off the holiday season for certainly New York and and for the

country. It is something that to have it back on the streets of New York. Of all the things that happened in New York, this is the one parade that is

really a great time.

And we have Santa Claus coming. We have -- one of the last bands from Alabama coming down the street this now and then right behind him is Santa

Claus. So all these kids, they're -- you guys waiting for Santa Claus over here?

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (in unison): Yes.

MARQUEZ: They are ready for it. Here we go. Becky?

ANDERSON: Oh fantastic. It's good to hear New York is back in action and to see it in its full glory that lovely. Thank you, Miguel.

Still ahead, Switzerland's football team bosses sending a huge box of chocolates to a rival team. Why, and to whom?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:42:20]

ANDERSON: They say that nothing tastes as sweet as victory except maybe chocolate. Just watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: He's Murat Yakin, boss of the Swiss national football team and he's just sent 9 kilograms of chocolate bars to Belfast. You may well ask

why. Well, his team just booked a ticket to the World Cup. Thanks to Northern Ireland.

Let's let Amanda tell you the rest of that story. That's a whole load of chocolate, Amanda, isn't it?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: That is, Becky, it's 9.3 kilograms of chocolate because the 93 minutes Northern Ireland stopped Italy, the

European Champions, of course, conceding a goal they earn to a goalless draw. So that meant that Switzerland went through the only team going

through automatically from their World Cup qualifying group. So "A Sweet Caroline", the song he was humming there is synonymous with not only

England but with Northern Ireland, as well.

So it's a -- he really promise something special. They're going to get something special. You suspect Northern Ireland quite would have liked a

place at the World Cup finals. But --

ANDERSON: Yes.

DAVIES: -- that weight of chocolate, you know, not a bad concept.

ANDERSON: It'll -- yes, I should say, it'll provide some consolation, I'm sure. Thank you for that.

And World Sport coming up, we're going to leave you with the shots of the end of the Macy's Parade as Thanksgiving kicks in and the holiday season

starts in the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:36]

DAVIES: Hi, thanks for joining us. Welcome along to World Sport. I'm Amanda Davies live in London. The Paris Saint-Germain Boss Mauricio Pochettino has

refused to blame the speculation about his future for his side's Champions League defeat to Manchester City. Amidst all the talk of his future across

town with the team in red, it was Pep Guardiola side in blue, who took the spoils despite the might of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, all in

action.

Pochettino has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left his job on Sunday. He started all three of his

PSG superstar trio and is starting 11 for the game, against the side is desperate to win the trophy as his is (ph). It looks to be going well when

that happened. Mbappe gave PSG the lead five minutes after halftime. But City hit back with goals from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to seal a

two on victory and guarantee a placed in the knockout stage of the competition for the ninth straight season.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAURICIO POCHETTINO, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MANAGER: We are living in a business that rumors are there, sometime negatives and the positives,

sometime positives, sometime negatives. I think that is not a thing to talk about the rumors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Well, how much of an impact did all the talk around Pochettino and PSG have on the performance on the pitch earlier? On London (ph) is CNN's

Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis.

DARREN LEWIS, CNN SENIOR SPORTS ANALYST: With PSG for me, it was less about the noise of the field and more about the lack of performance from the

front three. Yes, Mbappe scored, Neymar had his moments in the final third. But when it came to hard work, the entire city team worked their socks off.

Eight of the PSG team work their socks off. The PSG front three not so much.

And I think last night, Amanda, there was a snapshot of what we've been talking about here on world sport this week were united. They have so much

more of a team ethos in PSG. Bear in mind the last two managers to leave PSG and they're underachieving superstars where Unai Emery and Thomas

Tuchel, they have gone on to win the Europa League and the Champions League respectively.

DAVIES: It's interesting, isn't it? You know, Manchester United are desperate, I think, for one to a better word, for a manager and a top

quality manager. But there's obviously something that isn't going right here at PSG at the moment. How much do you think Pochettino's standing as a

manager is being impacted by what's happening at PSG particularly, given the raft of superstars at his disposal?

LEWIS: Yes. I mean, perversely, I wonder if last night's game shown to a global audience will actually help him rather than hinder him because

everybody can see, laid bare the trouble with PSG. As I said before, half the team work, the other three, well, they do what they like. And because

they are such superstars, they get away with that.

Everybody in the Premier League, Amanda, knows that Pochettino is a man who likes to base his teams on a sound defense around which everyone does their

jobs. He did it at Southampton, he did it at Tottenham Hotspur. Everybody also knows all about the egos at PSG, about the fact that the sporting

director Leonardo had, shall we say, an uneasy relationship with Thomas Tuchel.

The word is that things aren't exactly rosy between Leonardo and Pochettino. And it's a real shame because PSG are top of the French League,

11 points clear. They should be a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League. But with that front three doing so little work, they

simply cannot win the competition. And I think although the focus is on Pochettino, I think everybody can see that the problems lie within his

team.

DAVIES: Yes, and it's interesting, isn't it, particularly given this relationship, you know, how big of a role he played it in Messi heading to

PSG. Let's move on, though, because Liverpool we knew that already qualified as well ahead of last night. They got another victory, the second

place in their group, though, all to play for. It means there's likely to be, you know, some giants of the game who are going to miss out.

But before we talk about who, I have to ask you for a word on Junior Messias, I mean, an amazing story for AC Milan's goal scorer last night.

LEWIS: Yes, absolutely, a wonderful story there. He's 30 years of age but eight years ago, he emigrated from Brazil to Italy.

[10:50:06]

He used to deliver fridges and household appliances for a living. He'd never played professional football. Five years ago, he was in the amateur

game. Three years ago, he was in the Italian Fourth Division. Last night, that special goal in his first Champions League appearances -- appearance

and it came against Atletico de Madrid, the Spanish champions in their house, it was a good goal too.

He dedicated it, Amanda, to his family and friends in Brazil. He said that he wanted to give it to those who believed in him because he had a

different path to everyone else. He said that it was a special moment for him and he wanted to remember them at that time.

DAVIES: Perhaps the biggest shock among Wednesday night's Champions League matches.

And in Portugal where Sporting Lisbon beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1, knocking the German giants out of the competition. Starting the game level in the

group of six points, both sides knew they were fighting it out for a second place behind one of the group see leaders Ajax but it all went wrong for

Dortmund. Pedro Goncalves scoring twice in the first half of the sporting. They then won a penalty in the second half after a VAR review.

And after sport kick (ph) was saved, sporting scores from the rebound. So three nil, that made it. They did get a consolation goal, Dortmund, but it

did nothing to help the Germans who fail to reach the round of 16 for just a second time in the last nine seasons.

Ajax, though, continued their flawless campaign with victory in Turkey. They'd be task (ph) to won despite the home side leaving one nil at

halftime. Ajax had hit back after the break, two goals in 15 minutes was enough. Both of them from Ivory Coast forward Sebastien Haller. He now has

an incredible tally of nine Champions League goals this season. Uani (ph) came on as a second half substitute in this one.

Now, Friday sees the head to head. We have all been waiting for 12 holes it is. It's happening at last to Brooks against Bryson.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DAVIES: Welcome back. Hours after being found guilty of conspiring to blackmail, a former teammate with a sex tape and being handed a suspended

prison sentence. Karim Benzema took to the pitch with Real Madrid, and found the back of the net to help his side reach the knockout stage of the

Champions League for an incredible 25th straight year.

Three nil, a finish for Real Madrid on a comfortable nights against the Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova. David Oliver (ph) is scoring the first, where

Carlo Ancelotti side after half an hour there. Before Toni Kroos added a second before half time. Benzema's goal then came 10 minutes after the

break to his side through with a game to spare his lawyer has said they're appealing the verdict of the trial.

Well, into Milan beat (ph), (INAUDIBLE) two nil, low, a low for much of the game as if it would be goalless to second half goals from Inter's veteran

striker Edin Dzeko that turned things around that shocked their boss Roberto. Deserve, he's saying afterwards it was more than a fair result. He

was disappointed in his side for first time into reach the knockout stages though, in a decade. It really has been that long.

Now it could be one of the most talked about relationships in sport this year. The one between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. The rivalry, the

needle, the verbal sparring on course and of course on social media.

[10:55:07]

And finally on Friday, we gather one, we've all been waiting for when the pair go head to head in the match. They're made for TV jewel on the golf

course. So what should we be expecting?

My World Sport colleague Patrick Snell has been finding out from one of their Ryder Cup winning teammates, Xander Schauffele.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE, WORLD #5 GOLFER: It was a really, really cool team that we had. Everyone got along. Everyone put, you know, all our differences

aside and playing under Captain Stricker and all the vice captains really made things very simple.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORT ANCHOR: You mentioned the team camaraderie in those words, you use overcoming our differences. Your Ryder Cup teammates

Brooks and Bryson, they hugged it out. It was another great moment at a press conference. I think you get the microphone and you say something

like, let's get the trophy between you. When you see that bro hug unfold, what was it like to witness?

SCHAUFFELE: They may have only hug because they were both drinking, I have no clue. But it was fun. It really added, you know, the extra kick to their

interview. You know, our interview is pretty funny all along with all the personalities we have up on stage. And so to finish it off with Bryson and

Brooks, it was a very nice touch.

SNELL: Take us inside the golf world, because you're on tour with them. You save a lot of Cup team. What is that relationship really like?

SCHAUFFELE: In all honesty, I wouldn't call myself close to either of them. They're both very individual just like every other pro out here. Some pros

play more with others. Everyone has their separate teams. That's why Ryder Cups are so hard to get everyone's, you know, on the same page.

And so, I mean, I look at it like a workspace, you're sitting in an office, you know, you have people around you. And so that's the same thing out

here. I look at this workspace like an office. And so there's some people you want to talk to you in the office and there's some people you don't

want to talk to and at sometimes you don't talk to anybody because you're too busy getting your work done.

So, I mean, I really don't think they're really, you know, that whole drama thing everyone likes to point to I don't think it's that big of a deal in

all honesty.

SNELL: OK, so you think it's overblown?

SCHAUFFELE: Yes, of course.

SNELL: What should we be expecting between these two when they go head to head?

SCHAUFFELE: A lot of long drives from Bryson, probably some smack talking from Brooks, something of that nature.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: All part of the show isn't a suspect there. It's definitely going to be an entertaining 12 holes of action. But that's it from myself and the

world sport team for now. Back to you Becky?

ANDERSON: Co-way, thank you for that.

That's World Sport. Connect the World is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:000]

END