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Four Matches on Day 6 of World Cup Tournament in Qatar; Interview with Paris Saint-Germain Player Maxwell; IAEA Chief Warns Threat to Nuclear Plants Deeply Worrying; U.N. Passes Resolution to Investigate Protest Crackdown in Iran. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 25, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:37]
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will not back down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: NATO offers its support as large parts of Ukraine remain without power, heat or water. Temperatures dropping
every day so what can be done? We are live in Zaporizhzhia this hour.
As China hits another record high in COVID infections, the voices of millions of people forced to lock down rise in protests. We'll be in
Beijing for an update this hour.
And World Cup surprise results continue. Iran defeat Wales to the delight of many football supporters. We'll have all the action.
Well, I'm Becky Anderson, hello, and welcome back to a special CONNECT THE WORLD, live all this week from Doha.
We are on day six of the World Cup here in Qatar. Two matches down already today and two to go. We have two huge hours of incredible interviews, fan
reactions and game coverage coming your way. Boding well for the weekend, the day's first match ended with high drama.
Well, Iran netting two goals late in stoppage time to defeat Wales 2-0 to keep their hopes of advancing alive. A real turnaround after Iran got
thrashed by England, 6-2 in their World Cup opener.
Well, Qatar and Senegal faced off in the day's second match with a loss by either team, sending them to the brink of elimination. And that match is
just over with Senegal winning 3-1, despite a spirited effort in the first goal of the tournament by Qatar that sent the crowd and fans around here --
fleeting to the highly anticipated face off later today between England and the U.S. England riding high after that first game against Iran.
And the United States, coming from a disappointing 1-0 draw with Wales. England can clinch a spot in the final 16 with a win tonight and make some
history in the process. Here's what both sides are saying about that game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARETH SOUTHGATE, ENGLAND MANAGER: Have we ever beaten States in a major tournament? No, I don't think so. So tomorrow we have to try to make
history, number one. We're good at, we're good at talking highly of ourselves as a nation, and on the basis of very little evidence. So what
we've got to do is perform on the field and we know that we'll play a highly motivated team.
TYLER ADAMS, U.S. MIDFIELDER AND TEAM CAPTAIN: Yes, I mean, England is still a big team at the end of the day. Intimidation factor, I wouldn't say
there's many things out there that intimidate me other than spiders so it's fine for me to obviously have the opportunity to play against all these big
players. I have done it before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Amanda Davis is in Doha, watching all the action for.
Amanda, let's start with that England-U.S. tie-up because that's in a couple of hours from now, I love what Gareth Southgate was saying earlier
on.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I mean he has been around the block both as a player and as a manager, that is what you call managing
expectations and managing the media. He's smart because when England would beat Iran 6-2, it would've been so easy for people to get carried away.
England are ranked fifth in the world, being talked about, amongst the favorites, against this U.S. side where 25 of 26 players, this is their
first World Cup experience.
And you saw some of that and experience in their opening game against Wales. He is right, you know, the U.S. has sprung two surprises, not one
but two against England in World Cup history. In 1950 and in 2010. But they are very much the favorites heading into this match, particularly given
Harry Kane has been given the big tip. He is fit to play and of course he was the Golden Boot winner in Russia four years ago.
[10:05:05]
ANDERSON: He didn't score against Iran. They did net six. I mean, it was a terrific performance. Iran then going on of course to get a win today.
DAVIES: It was a really, really special occasion, wasn't it? And incredibly emotive. Carlos Queiroz, the Iranian coach who, this is his second stint in
charge. He was only brought back in a couple of months ago. He really pleaded with the media in the buildup to this one. Please let my boys, as
he puts it, play football, focus on the job in hand. They've talked about the politics. They've sent their message of support to those back at home
by opting not to sing the anthem ahead of that first game.
And he said they are here to play football and win a tournament. They've definitely not win a tournament, compete in a tournament, and they have
definitely regrouped. It was a much more together collective performance, if the emotion was still running very, very high amongst the crowd. They
stuck in there. It was Wales who lost their head because it means so much to them as well, this first World Cup since 1958.
And it was really, really incredible to see the emotions amongst the players, the staff on the touchline. And then to all the credit for Welsh
fans afterwards, the red wall gave Iran an incredible ovation at the end because it puts them not into the second round, but it gives them a
fighting chance to make it out of the group stage for the first time in their history.
ANDERSON: Yes. I love seeing the Welsh fans here. They're out in force, folks, and a really good spirit. Look, you know, nobody expected the Welch
team to go too far in this competition, and they won't be going any further at this point. I don't think. I'm thinking --
DAVIES: It's not guaranteed but --
ANDERSON: But it's unlikely at this point. But they've given it a good go. Spirited performance by the host nation. Much better performances
afternoon. The game is just over. They lost it 3-1 against Senegal but they came out and they played a decent game of football.
DAVIES: And a moment of history, a first ever World Cup goal for Qatar. Their coach Felix Sanchez has said I just want our team to show up with
their A game. I think probably the players will still be a little bit disappointed after this. It wasn't their A game. They didn't probably put
on as good as a show as they would've hoped against Senegal, but Senegal are a decent side and that first goal, the 78-minute, Mohammed Muntari, 28-
year-old, was actually born in Ghana, naturalized as the Qatari.
And you could hear as you rightly said, the cheers going around here. Sadly, I think a lot of fans again had left before the goal had gone in. So
they didn't necessarily see that historic moment but I know a couple of members of our team were there. And the pride as we've talked about for
this region having this tournament here, having that moment that they will be able to talk about for years to come really shouldn't be underestimated.
ANDERSON: Terrific. Good stuff. Thank you. Well, ahead of tonight's huge game between the United States and England, I sat down with the CEO of the
U.S. Soccer Federation, JT Batson. We discuss the country's chances this tournament, the federation's new equal pay agreement, and with the next
World Cup being in North America. What the U.S. can learn from Qatar and we'll bring you that interview in the next hour.
In case today's excitement made you forget what happened yesterday, I'm going to remind you. Brazil showed the world why they are ranked number one
by defeating Serbia 2-0. Both goals were from Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison. Amidst the joy, there were also tears from football star
Neymar. He suffered an ankle injury and it's not clear if the PSG player will be able to play in the next game.
One person who has a unique view on Brazil's success is the former Brazilian left back, Maxwell. He played for them in the 2014 World Cup and
is the current assistant sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain where Neymar plays. As I just mentioned, he sat down with me a short time ago to
talk about both of those iconic teams. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAXWELL, BRAZILIAN FORMER FOOTBALLER: It was great to see Brazil performing yesterday. Amazing finish from Richarlison, so very happy as a Brazilian. I
think they look really strong. They look in shape. Individually we knew that they came really confident and in shape, but they showed yesterday
that they have a good group.
ANDERSON: Well, they certainly turned up. Can they go all the way?
MAXWELL: Yes, I think so. I think they have all the conditions, very confident, performing really well and this is important. They have a
support of many Brazilians here in Doha, so I think they're looking good for the tournament.
[10:10:03]
ANDERSON: Let's talk about the atmosphere here because it's been fantastic. What do you think? How do you think the tournament is going?
MAXWELL: Great experience. I think the fact that everyone is united, one city changes everything. So the infrastructure that the city has and give
to the fans and to the players, it has been an amazing experience and on the positive. I'm always happy to be here but this time this atmosphere of
the World Cup it is amazing.
ANDERSON: Aside from Brazil, who do you rate so far in this tournament? And who surprised you most?
MAXWELL: It was not a surprise for me but I really believe in Spain. I think they have an amazing coach, an amazing coach who really understands
football and has the team on his hands. I really believe in Spain from the beginning. A young squad but with a fantastic coach. I really like Luis
Enrique, and I think they are looking really strong to go for the end of the competition.
ANDERSON: What about the Saudis?
MAXWELL: Big surprise?
ANDERSON: What do you think?
MAXWELL: Big surprise. They did an amazing --
ANDERSON: Do you think they can go all the way? I mean, I'm not suggesting to the finals.
MAXWELL: You never know.
ANDERSON: Can they get out this group stage?
MAXWELL: After their first victory, the first game is always important. They have three points and nothing to lose, it makes them really strong.
They deserve to win against Argentina, they really performed well, aggressive, intense. So let's see, let's see what happens but they deserve
it and nothing to lose.
ANDERSON: It would be good to see a team from this region go through, wouldn't it?
MAXWELL: Yes.
ANDERSON: After all, this is the first time that this region has hosted this tournament. How important is that?
MAXWELL: It's an amazing, I mean, I said before world sport unifies people. And the fact that here we have the World Cup today is an opportunity for
everyone really to be united. And this is the meaning of the sport. So let's enjoy the competition and enjoy the teams, the players, and the city.
ANDERSON: You are familiar with Doha. You work for, played for and work for PSG now as the assistant sporting director. Of course owned by Qatar.
What's going on right now with Kylian Mbappe? Is he all right as he's saying?
MAXWELL: Yes, of course, of course. He just signed and then happy so they have an amazing team actually. He has a piece, fundamental piece of this
project in Qatar. I think he was as always since he arrived in the club. Good to see him there, I think they have, with Messi, Neymar and all the
squad behind, all the conditions to win. What is dreaming by everyone is the Champions League. So yes, I see him very well and positive. And I think
concentrated now for the World Cup.
ANDERSON: You did play with Messi.
MAXWELL: Yes.
ANDERSON: What's that like as a player?
MAXWELL: It's a big privilege. It's a dream I think. The last 15 years what he has shown, he's unique. I don't see any other player comparing to him
for so long in this high-level performance. And for me to spend three seasons with him was a big pleasure, big privilege. I learned so much, not
only about the player but also as a person. He is an amazing person.
ANDERSON: What did you learn from him?
MAXWELL: You learn from the strong moments to have big personalities, how simple he can be, even without his image, he's a very simple person. Very
humble. So you can always -- then technical things, you tried to do something but it's never possible. He's too good. But it was an amazing,
amazing experience. He's a lovely boy. I'm always supporting him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Maxwell speaking to me earlier.
Still to come tonight we'll take a look at other stories making news across the world, as you would expect us to do including the race to restore power
in Ukraine as cold and darkness threatens to become the lethal enemy for people there.
And Amnesty International is calling it a landmark U.N. move. How a new resolution could help hold Iran accountable over its deadly crackdown on
protesters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:16:36]
ANDERSON: Well, it's a race to get light and heat restored in Ukraine as temperatures plummet below freezing. People are being told to prepare for
more blackouts two days after Russia inflicted major damage on Ukraine's energy backbone. The U.N. says Russia has sent millions into extreme
hardship with the attacks. Kyiv has set up hundreds of power supply point so that people can get warm and recharge their devices.
Well, bad weather making it harder for crews of course to get people back on that grid ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency fears the
outages could lead to a nuclear accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: Yesterday, for the first time ever, all of Ukraine's four operational
nuclear power plants, Zaporizhzhia, Rivne, South Ukraine, Khmelnytskyi, lost external power and were disconnected from the grid. This unprecedented
situation would have been unimaginable just months ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And there have been more Russian strikes near the largest nuclear plant in Europe. That's where we find CNN's Sam Kiley, he is in
Zaporizhzhia.
Just describe the atmosphere and the scene there, Sam, if you can please?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, Becky, a little bit anxious. The air raid sirens are currently going up, I don't
know if my microphone can pick them up. They're slightly in the distance there. By area, this is a big city. But normally, once they go off there
normally are airstrikes. There was a loud detonation this morning. There was an attack on what turned out to be a gas station on the outskirts of
town yesterday and there have been repeatedly attacks close to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
That's been going on now for months, Becky, because also that location is also, as you know, a fire based used by the Russians. But one of the things
that's interesting about this whole relentless campaign by Russia now to try to break the power generating capabilities and distribution systems of
Ukraine is that it's another example of the Kremlin going after Ukraine civilian population.
Having been not back in its attempt to catch a Kyiv, catch a Kharkiv, it switched to bombarding those cities particularly Kharkiv. You saw of course
the mass destruction of Mariupol, and now we're seeing this latest effort to try to break the will of the Ukrainian people. It shouldn't come as any
surprise. Jens Stoltenberg talked about the Russians weaponizing winter in this campaign. Well, if you're waging a war to try to win it, that is
exactly what you would do.
What the Ukrainians' response to that is yes, of course he's doing that. Give us the capability to defend ourselves against these swarms of cruise
missiles that the Russians are sending to attack our generating capability and then we'd be able to not only get through winter but continue to have
military success on the ground. At the moment, there is anti-aircraft capability coming in but it's not the top end stuff. It's not the stuff
that's going to give the Ukrainians the strategic or even tactical edge -- Becky.
ANDERSON: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, our viewers heard him earlier. Fearing the outages could lead to a nuclear accident.
[10:20:02]
It's these sort of warnings just don't get any more concerning. I mean you talk about these defense systems that the Ukrainians are, you know, intent
on getting from the international community and have been asking for, for months now. What likelihood that those supporting them will actually send
what they need at this point?
KILEY: Well, one of the countries that they've been repeatedly asking for help from is Israel, which has its own issues with Russia, relating to
Russia's role and support of Assad in Syria. The Israelis have been giving moral and other humanitarian support to Ukraine but are refusing to supply
their highly sophisticated anti-missile systems, the Iron Dome, and the other bigger system that we've seen so frequently in action there.
So that is something that they are continuing to work on, but they haven't got -- the Ukrainians haven't got access yet to the Patriot missile.
Germany and Poland are kind of discussing whether or not they ought to supply them, but they need to negotiate that also with the United States.
That will be a very effective anti-missile missile system. There's a lot of equipment out there.
What I think the pattern has been so far, and this goes back to 2014 when Ukraine was first invaded by Russia and her proxies, is that the NATO and
her allies have been somewhat behind the loop. They've always been anxious about an excessive reaction coming from Moscow, and particularly with the
use of sophisticated missile systems, and then they eventually catch up. You know, so back in 2014, Ukraine got no lethal aid.
Now it's getting tank-killing equipment, it's getting tanks, it's getting armored personnel carriers. It's getting stinger missiles. It's getting
other missiles that can bring down incoming aircraft from Russia. But it's not the top end stuff here -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Sam Kiley is on the ground in Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine. Sam, thank you.
Well, popular Iranian footballer Voria Ghafouri wasn't part of his country's winning sport in Qatar earlier. He wasn't called up, but now he
is attracting attention back home. He is under arrest after being supportive of anti-government protests that have gripped his country since
September.
Hundreds of people marched in the capital Tehran on Thursday night. Authorities are accused of committing widespread abuses of course and
demonstrators there. The U.N. also taking action, its Human Rights Council has voted to investigate Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters.
I wanted to bring in CNN's Jomana Karadsheh who is in Istanbul.
The U.N. Human Rights Council's resolution forming what's known as a fact- finding mission. Amnesty International, the rights group, has said that they believe that this is a sort of landmark decision. The question is,
what will -- how effective can any mechanism be if ultimately that mechanism needs access to events on the ground, to what is going on in the
ground, in order to collate those facts, Jomana?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we're going to have to wait and see how they're going to go about collecting this evidence. But
what we expect to see in the next few weeks is the United Nations forming this fact-finding mission. It will investigate these violations that have
been taking place over the past two plus months of these protests and are still ongoing.
They will collect evidence, document it, analyze it and preserve it for any sort of future case building against these perpetrators of these human
rights violations so that they are held accountable for their crimes.
But speaking with experts, Becky, what they say is they're hoping for an immediate effect that this would be some sort of a deterrent. Because they
say what we've been seeing over the past couple of months is the result of decades of impunity and that no one has been held accountable for any of
the human rights violations that have been taking place for decades.
And you've had so many Iranians and human rights organizations that have been pushing the international community to do something like this. To
establish an independent, investigative body. Some sort of an accountability mechanism. So they're really hoping that this could be a
first step and a very significant one towards that accountability they're hoping to get to and impunity.
And this is coming at a very critical time when we are seeing that already brutal and vicious crackdown intensify -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Jomana, what do we know about popular footballer Voria Ghafouri?
[10:25:05]
KARADSHEH: Well, the Iranian government says that he was arrested. Voria Ghafouri is an Iranian Kurdish football player. They say they arrested him,
accusing him of inciting against the regime. He is an outspoken critic of the government. He has come out in support of the protest. He has done this
in the past as well. Earlier this year there were protest over this hike in food prices and he was arrested after showing his support for these
protests and speaking out against the government.
He is the latest in a long list that we have been reporting on for the past more than two months of high-profile Iranians who have been arrested for
showing solidarity with the protest for speaking out against the regime. You have scores of athletes, actors, directors, artists and many
journalists as well who have been arrested for doing their jobs covering the protest and what is going on in the country.
And of course, this is part of the ongoing crackdown. More than 14,000 people according to the U.N. have been arrested over the past two months.
The big concern, Becky, is what happens to them next? We know from the Iranian regime that more than 2,000 people have been indicted so far. And
we're talking about a country where human rights organizations tell you there is no such thing as fair trials.
And already, at least six protesters have been sentenced to death. So a lot of concern when you hear the news about more and more people, whether it's
the high-profile, prominent Iranians or the protesters taking to the streets getting arrested -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Jomana, thank you.
The coronavirus is staging a serious comeback in China. That has led to backlash against the country's zero COVID plan. We'll take a look at why it
is hurting rather than helping the situation there. That is after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in downtown Doha at the World Cup. You may be able to hear the fans behind me. You are watching what is a
special addition this week of CONNECT THE WORLD.
Well, more on the World Cup shortly, first up though for the second consecutive day, China has recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases
ever. More than 32,000 locally transmitted cases have been reported by the National Health Commission there. Keep in mind, these numbers are higher
than in the initial days of the pandemic when many cases went unreported.
[10:30:05]
Well, the voices against the country's zero COVID policy are meantime growing louder because of incidents like this. Fire broke out in a locked
down building in the Xinjiang province, killing 10 people, and officials say the building is being locked down since August. And that may have
hindered firefighters.
Selina Wang joining us from Beijing with more on what we understand to be the details. As I understand it, the area of the apartment fire was deemed
low risk. What would that mean in terms of restrictions?
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Becky, state media here is claiming that people in the compound were allowed to leave the building. But this is
not what the video evidence shows. The videos indicate COVID lockdown measures very likely delayed firefighters from getting to the scene. Most
parts of Xinjiang, the far western region and China have been under lockdown for more than 100 days. And these deadly fires sparked nationwide
outrage because those widely circulated videos, which have now been censored in China show that fire trucks were unable to get close to the
scene because the compound entrance is partially blocked.
The video shows it's blocked with fences, tents and metal barriers. We frequently see these. This is normally used as part of COVID measures. The
videos also show smoke and flames coming from the high floor of the building but the water failing to actually reach the fire because the
firefighters are not close enough. We know that 10 people were killed and nine were injured in that fire at the apartment building in a room.
And what adds to the tragedy, Becky, is that those victims likely spent their last three months largely confined to that building if not entirely.
This whole situation has really struck a chord with the public here because we've seen scenes of tragedy and suffering play out over and over again
since the start of the pandemic. Countless stories of people struggling to get enough food, daily necessities and emergency care in lockdown -- Becky.
ANDERSON: China has said it was ready to ease up on some of these zero COVID restrictions. How are these new numbers going to affect that decision
or that vision so far?
WANG: Well, Becky, state media has been very careful to say that the easing of restrictions was not an easing of restrictions, this is an optimization
of zero COVID. So they had announced a whole list of rules that are really just incremental baby steps that are tweaking the COVID rules. Not getting
rid of zero COVID whatsoever. In fact, on the contrary, as we see these cases surging, coming into the wintertime, these local governments are
doubling down on zero COVID.
Going back to the playbook of draconian lockdowns. Mass testing, quarantines, but of course we know that with the new variance which are
more contagious but less deadly, you cannot completely stamp out COVID. And a lot of these local governments are coming under a lot of pressure because
it's expensive to be running these mass PCR tests. It's expensive to upkeep these mass quarantine facilities to house all the COVID cases and close
contacts.
Now the position from authorities is that zero COVID is the best way forward. They are worried that opening up would lead to a mass number of
death. That it would overrun China's uneven health care system. But at this point, we are seeing so much public discontent and more people asking the
question, that is it really COVID that is the danger? Or is it the COVID restrictions that are the danger? Because it is the measures right now that
are leading to these scenes of suffering and tragedy -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Selina Wang is on the story, Selina, thank you.
Well, in other news, a cruise ship passenger has the U.S. Coast Guard to thank for being alive when he went overboard into the Gulf of Mexico. The
man was last seen in a bar on Wednesday on the Carnival Valor, as the ship was heading from New Orleans to Cozumel in Mexico. Yesterday around noon
his sister reported him missing. And that is when the search began, and the U.S. Coast Guard was called in with the launch of several aviation and both
rescue crews.
When the Coast Guard found him, airlifted him out of the water in responsive conditions and flown to New Orleans where medical personnel took
over. Passengers say they noticed the commotion but weren't told what was happening until hours later.
Well, Twitter's CEO Elon Musk says he will restore most of the accounts that were banned by the social media platform's previous management. This
after he polled followers on Wednesday about whether to offer, quote, "general amnesty" to suspend accounts, if the account holders haven't
broken the law. He polled, got more than three million with about 72 percent in favor.
[10:35:02]
So on Thursday, Musk tweeted the people have spoken amnesty begins next week. Well, last week Musk announced he would reinstate Donald Trump's
Twitter account after another poll showed a slight majority was in favor of that. Trump was banned after the attack on the Capitol on January 6th,
2021.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD live from Doha in Qatar. We are at the World Cup for you.
Adidas starts the probe into allegations of misconduct by Kanye West, while the rapper designed for the brand. Details on that are after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Adidas or Adidas as it's known in the States is launching an investigation into the behavior of Kanye West only weeks after ending a
partnership with the controversial rapper over his antisemitic remarks. The new investigation centers on allegations of inappropriate incidents
involving employees working on his Yeezy brand.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich tracking this story for us. And the brand has already dropped it. What would they hope to accomplish with what is this
new investigation at this point? Is it clear?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are going to be looking into Kanye West and whether or not his behavior was
inappropriate, there have been allegations of misconduct. And this is coming after reporting from "Rolling Stone," which says that former high-
level employees from Yeezy sent a letter to the executive board of Adidas.
And they're calling on Adidas to, quote, "address the toxic and chaotic environment that Kanye West created." And in this letter exclusively
obtained by "Rolling Stone," it details these allegations as you can see there. Verbal abuse, bullying, offensive remarks and misconduct
specifically directed towards women. Also in this letter, they talk about how Adidas knew about this behavior and ignored.
And we're hearing from Adidas on all of this. They released a statement in part saying, quote, it is currently not clear whether the accusations made
in an anonymous letter are true. However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent
investigation of the matter immediately to address these allegations."
Now Kanye West also known as Ye and Adidas had a very successful partnership for about 10 years before the brand decided to end that
partnership over antisemitic remarks that Kanye West made.
[10:40:01]
We here at CNN have reached out to an associate of Kanye West but have not heard back about these allegations. Also important to note that Kanye West
doesn't have anyone representing him right now, an attorney or a publicist about this matter -- Becky?
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, thank you.
Folks, we are live from Doha in Qatar where the World Cup is well underway. And "WORLD SPORTS" up after the break. And you will get an awful lot more
from me with my colleague, Amanda Davies.
Before we leave you for the time being, we are back at the top of the hour, all this week we've been looking at successful start-ups and why one city
in this region is playing such a critical role. Abu Dhabi has become a hot spot for young entrepreneurs. And this report explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Danny Aridi moved to the UAE from Canada in 2018 to pursue a career in music.
He struggled with the same challenges most young upcoming artist face.
DANNY ARIDI, MUSICIAN: I think for us musicians the hardest thing is getting your music out there, getting your song heard. And everyone just
wants to be heard in life in general.
GIOKOS: Danny says he found support in Anghami, a music streaming platform headquartered in Abu Dhabi which helps artist build up their audience and
gain revenue. Anghami is the brand child of Eddy Maroon and Elie Habib.
ELIE HABIB, CO-FOUNDER ANGHAMI: So you're using one (INAUDIBLE) from my lobby.
EDDY MAROUN, CO-FOUNDER, ANGHAMI: Yes, but basically --
GIOKOS: The two founders made headlines this year when they listed their start-up on the Nasdaq.
MAROUN: It was a great moment honestly. We felt that we're really bringing with us the whole nation, literally. It was the first Arab tech company to
reach that milestone. It was something.
GIOKOS: In world where 90 percent of start-ups fail, taking the company public would be any entrepreneur's dream. But Eddy and Elie say they have
no time to relish in the moment. Now is when the real work begins.
HABIB: It's a bigger challenge. We have something to do. We have something to do and we are not yet at the point where we say OK, fine, we've ended or
we don't know what to do. We're still empowered every day.
MAROUN: Actually what you want to do is actually making a bigger impact. And keep growing, right? That is what keeps us going and no matter how old
you become, you still have something that you need a purpose. You need to have something that you're trying to achieve. So I don't think it will
defer whether you're two, three-year-old or 10-year-old company.
GIOKOS: Boasting more than 70 million users on their platform, Eddy and Elie say they are now focused on evolving Anghami from streaming music to a
fully integrated entertainment platform. The company is venturing into concerts and live events. It even recently launched a joint record label
with Sony. But the founders say their coalition remains the same. Continue empowering artists like Danny with the tools to be successful.
Eleni Giokos, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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[10:45:16]
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