Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

U.S., European Heat Waves to Intensify This Weekend; Putin: Wagner Group "Simply Does Not Exist"; ICC Opens Sudan War Crimes Investigation; Actors Strike Over Stalled Talks With Studios. Aired 10- 11 am ET

Aired July 14, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:27]

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Eleni Giokos. Live from Dubai, This is Connect The World. Coming up this hour, a record heatwave grips Europe

and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin says Wagner doesn't exist. The International Criminal Court opens a war crimes

investigation into Sudan. And more than 100,000 actors go on strike today.

Welcome to the show, and we are in the grips of the worst crisis we have ever seen. That's not a call to panic but to action, as the U.N. flashes

a warning that climate change is in its words, out of control today, after the world saw its highest temperatures for three days running last

week, around 100 million people under heat alerts across the United States.

Now, the U.S. government's just releasing a report saying the earth saw its warmest June on record. And for the second month in a row as well-

known Europe, Dante's Inferno has nothing on the dangerous heatwave gripping Italy. 15 Italian cities are under extreme heat risk alerts for

this weekend. Look at that map. And a short time ago Greece had to shut the Acropolis in Athens for the day.

Now, we're not talking about sweating through a handful of uncomfortable days. Because it's summer in the Mediterranean. This kind of heatwave is

a health hazard. And climate scientists at the European Space Agency say it's only just begun. You've also got soaring temperatures, as well as

hot wind sparking a raging wildfire in Croatia. Firefighters there are working flat out to contain the flames near a town on the Adriatic

coast. Keep in mind, the U.N.'s last big study of climate change tells us we have to cut emissions by 43% soon to limit global heating. Here's

what the head of COP28, the Climate Change Conference has to say about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SULTAN AHMED AL JABER, PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE, COP28: We truly don't need a report to tell us that our climate is already warming to unprecedented

levels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is tracking the intense temperatures and is watching this, of course in terms of what's to come.

Let me tell you, Derek, I'm seeing temperatures that are mimicking what we have here, and I'm in the desert. We're in the UAE. Here we stay

indoors, but I want you to take me through these extreme weather patterns that we see and the ability of people to deal with it.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, this is the problem, Eleni, because what was the normal now is -- is actually the climate change

happening in our present day, right? I mean, we have to get used to these trends, these records being shattered day after day after day. And

that is why we keep raising the flag. That is why we keep talking about this because it is highly unusual to see the level of records that

continuously -- continuously be broken across the world.

So I'm going to take you into the United States first because we're in the midst of a heatwave as well, especially across the southern U.S.

Just since the beginning of June, that's meteorological summer, we had high temperature records at over 1000 locations throughout the United

States. And we have right now about 90 million Americans under some sort of excessive heat alerts stretching from the Florida Panhandle where I

was located yesterday reporting on heat, all the way to the southwestern parts of the country where we could rival some of the hottest

temperatures every recorded on the planet.

Now, over the next day or so or through the course of the weekend, we have the potential to break 65 record high temperatures. The majority of

them located throughout the Southwest but Miami in the Florida Peninsula, this is just incredible heat because it's a different kind of

heat than Eleni experiences in the UAE. It is a very warm and muggy heat. And so we have this index value, the heat index value which

factors in relative humidity and air temperature and get this, we have had 33 days with temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius.

And that has warmed the temperatures across the Florida straits, the Gulf of Mexico and into parts of the Atlantic to near record levels.

Record levels for these locations but almost planetary record levels. That's how substantial this is. And that's impacting corals, sensitive

marine life across the area. Look at these temperatures over the Deep South. Those are not, you know, typos, their actual height temperatures

and it's all about this heat dome.

[10:05:02]

Look at that Death Valley, 52 degrees, it's one of the notoriously hottest places on the planet but it's not just the U.S., it's also

Europe. We're focusing in on the Mediterranean and specifically across southern portions of Italy, where we have a red alert, extreme heat, the

risk of dehydration. That is, according to officials, from the Italian Meteorological Agency.

Look at these temperatures, Athens 41, Rome to 38. It even goes up from there. Look at the seven-day forecast, Eleni, I think will top the lower

40s by Tuesday. So just incredibly, incredibly oppressive heat spanning the globe across the northern hemisphere.

GIOKOS: Wow. Wow, wow. Well, I was just looking at some of the stats. I mean, they've been around 900 heat record sets in the U.S. so far.

Already in July 100 more records expected today and throughout the weekend. Scary stuff, Derek Van Dam. Great to have you on. Thank you so

much.

VAN DAM: OK.

GIOKOS: All right. Lucy Kafanov is standing by in the State of Arizona and in the southwestern U.S. and we've got Barbie Nadeau in sweltering

Italian Capital of Rome. Barbie, I want to start with you. Look, we are in full tourist season across Europe. It's coinciding with this

heatwave. How a tourists and governments dealing with us in terms of making sure that people are safe?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Well, you know, they can't really do much to make sure people are safe because you can't -- we haven't had like

you had in Greece, anyone even think about closing the tourist sites here. The Roman Colosseum behind me, we've watched people stand in line

for hours and hours under the sun to go inside. Of course, there's no air conditioning inside the Colosseum. You know, there are museums,

there are places like that where you, you know, you can kind of get some rest. But -- but what we're seeing is the city, you know, trying to make

sure people stay hydrated, there are about 4000 water fountains in Rome in which you can, you know, fill up your water bottle, you know, put

water on yourself, you can't swim in the fountains, you'll get a big fine for that.

But, you know, the authorities are trying to do what they can. They're responding to people who have collapsed. They're trying to, you know,

encourage people to go to museums during the hot, hot part of the day. But I got to tell you, it's not even cooling down at night here right

now. It's really, really, really hot. And it's really, really, really humid, whether you're in the shade, whether you're in the sun. And, you

know, the idea that this is the coolest, it's probably going to be for the next five or six days is really, really, really something difficult

to think about. Eleni?

GIOKOS: Yeah, really difficult. I'm seeing those numbers. They are scary. Barbie Nadeau, thank you so very much.

Lucy, I would like to come through to you. The numbers for the United States are absolutely terrifying. 100 million people are into heat

alerts right now. Take me through what we're seeing?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Eleni, it's not breaking news that it gets hot in the summer in a place like Phoenix or Scottsdale,

where we are after all, this is the desert you can see the climate behind me. But what's unusual and what's dangerous about this particular

heatwave is just how long it's lasting every single day. In July, so far here in Phoenix and Scottsdale have seen temperatures and above 110

degrees Fahrenheit. That is extraordinarily hot. And the problem is it doesn't cool down at night. And so you don't have that relief. There's

this thick stifling air that is difficult to escape from so folks are being urged to stay indoors. The city has taken this climate change

problem so seriously that it's actually dedicated a special office to heat mitigation. We talked to the city's so-called chief heats czar.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HONDULA, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HEAT RESPONSE: Unfortunately, in our region, and many thousands more all across the United States, heat is

fatal. It is something that the public needs to take seriously and it can impact everybody, nobody is immune.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAFANOV: And officials are warning people to be on the lookout for heat sickness, heat strokes, but in this kind of temperature, even a small

mistake can be deadly, we spent the day at the Phoenix Children's Health Hospital yesterday and they're warning parents to be extra careful in

this these kinds of conditions because they're seeing the potential for deaths from children being forgotten and left behind in cars. People

think it'll never happen to me, but it does. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLANCA VILLASENOR, PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Parents think is that it's never going to happen to me. I would never forget my kid in the

vehicle. But that is actually one of the biggest mistakes that parents think not believing it can happen. It can happen to anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAFANOV: You know, the other issue is there are people whose jobs require that they work outside, construction workers, mail delivery

people. We spent the day yesterday with workers up staff for a mom-and- pop air conditioning company that's been running around the city scrambling to install these AC units, including on an emergency call to

a women's shelter where lives were literally at stake. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCEL KING, OFFICER MANAGER, ALAN'S AIR: We're slammed with calls all today. This was an emergency call. I'm sure in the weekend we're going

to be slammed here because the phone is non-stop

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:10:03]

KAFANOV: You know, and the other thing that it's important to think about in these kinds of conditions people who are well off or even

middle class might have access to a home and an air conditioner. But places like Phoenix have seen an explosion in the number of residents,

including the number of people who are on house who do not have a safe place to go to, to deal with that potential crisis, the city has opened

up more than 200 cooling and hydration centers, just a safe place for folks to go and get away from this. These deadly temperatures. But of

course, Phoenix has these resources, other cities, other smaller areas in America and the Southwest might not. And so these are extremely

dangerous conditions, especially for the parts of the United States that aren't like Phoenix aren't necessarily used to seeing highs this high

temperature wise. Eleni?

GIOKOS: It is absolutely terrifying to think that this is happening now. And if this doesn't make everyone sit up and think about climate change,

I don't know what will. Lucy Kafanov, thank you so very much. Stay hydrated and cooled down. Thank you.

Right so as the world keeps breaking heat records, its two biggest polluters are set to hold crucial climate meetings this weekend. U.S.

climate envoy John Kerry is in China Sunday, both countries are seen as key to meaningful action on climate change and like other nations around

the world, both are feeling the impacts of intense heat on home soil this summer.

The United Nation says $125 trillion in investment is needed by 2050 to reach net zero, but the money is not pouring in near fast enough. Coming

up, my colleague and regular host of this show Becky Anderson takes a deep dive into how the private sector is looking to ramp up capital for

the clean energy transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANJALI BANSAL, FOUNDING PARTNER, AVAANA CAPITAL: Today markets are hungry for solutions. Companies are hungry for solutions which will not

come from within large corporates. They will come from the innovation world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: We'll have that interview next hour on Connect The World.

What has been three weeks since that short-lived revolt in Russia and now according to the country's President Vladimir Putin, the mercenary

fighter group behind the doesn't even exist, legally at least. So the mystery deepens as to the fate of the Wagner Group and the whereabouts

of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, hasn't been seen in public since the failed rebellion. CNN Senior National Security Correspondent Alex

Marquardt joins us now live from Dnipro in Ukraine.

Alex, look the questions about where Prigozhin is? What his fate might be? And now these comments on Wagner not existing, according to Putin,

so much confusion and a lot more questions about what Putin's move might be?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It appears that the Russian President is saying two things here. First of all, that

legally speaking in Russia, mercenary groups are not allowed legally. And secondly, that Wagner as we've known it, here in Ukraine during this

war no longer exists. It raises all kinds of questions about the future of Wagner and its leader of Yevgeny Prigozhin, what its operations may

continue to look like in Africa and the Middle East, where it has been operating for years. And of course, what the fate is for its leader,

Yevgeny Prigozhin, which very much hangs in the balance. But Putin making clear here that at least under Russian law, mercenary groups are

not allowed to operate.

Here's a little bit more of what he told the Kommersant newspaper that I want to quote from. He says, "We do not have a law for private military

organizations. It simply does not exist. There is no such legal entity." He goes on to say, that it is not an easy question to answer. Of course,

the full name of the Wagner group is the Wagner Private Military Company.

Now, Putin also detailed an extraordinary meeting on June 29, that's just five days after the Wagner insurrection in which some 35 commanders

from Wagner came to the Kremlin and met with Putin. And in Putin's own telling, he says he told them that they could continue to fight and they

could continue to do so under their direct commander whose callsign is Sedoi, which means a gray hair. The men according to Putin nodded in

agreement. But then Prigozhin himself piped up from the front row saying, no, the guys do not agree with this decision.

So a split between the Russian President and the head of the Wagner company on full display. But what is apparent here is that the Russian

President is trying to divide Prigozhin from his men while being able to maintain the option that the Wagner fighters who are considerable and

very capable fighters may continue to fight for Russia. Back to you.

GIOKOS: All right, Alex, thanks so much. Great to have you on.

You're watching Connect The World live from Dubai. Still ahead, the International Criminal Court opens a new investigation into alleged war

crimes in Sudan. What the U.N. says it found in Darfur that prompted the probe.

[10:15:08]

Plus, the migrant crisis in Europe, our Anna Coren has a story of a 14- year-old Pakistani boy who tried to dive trying to make a better life for himself.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: The International Criminal Court has opened a new investigation into alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. The announcement

Thursday at the United Nations came just after the U.N. Human Rights Office revealed the discovery of a mass grave in West Darfur with dozens

of bodies. Sudan is three months into a raging conflict led by warring generals that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

Stephanie Busari has been reporting on this conflict since it started in mid-April and joins us now live from Lagos, Nigeria. Stephanie, mass

graves, horrific atrocities continue to be revealed as this conflict rages on.

I have to say, look, we've had these conversations about mediation talks in Egypt. We're seeing now the ICC coming out with this announcement,

tell me about what's -- what the next step is here to try and get these generals to stop fighting?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA: So Eleni, firstly, we must talk about the casualties, it seems that the -- the bodies, the 87

bodies that the U.N. has talked about is just the tip of the iceberg. Because daily, we're now hearing accounts of more bodies, say the

children staff who were fleeing Al Junaynah, which is West Darfur's capital have reported that they've seen hundreds of bodies, including

children strewn across the streets. And last one CNN did report that eyewitnesses said about 500 -- 500 bodies were seen by eyewitnesses who

were fleeing and more bodies may be buried in home.

So just to give you a sense of the toll of the numbers that we're talking about here, the horrific violence and also the use of rape as a

weapon of war targeting women and children. So that's what we're talking about here. And that's what the ICC is attempting to investigate and

prosecute. These real wars, crimes against humanity. And Karim Khan, he was talking at the U.N. Security Council when -- when he announced this

investigation did not mince his words when he talked about what's going on in Sudan. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARIM KHAN, CHIEF PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: We are, by any analysis, not on the precipice of a human catastrophe but in the

very midst of one, it is occurring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:20:09]

BUSARI: So, Khan also called for urgent action, because he says that we're in danger of history repeating itself. Now, Eleni, it's 20 years

since the Darfur genocide when more than 300,000 people were killed, and millions displaced. And we are looking at a similar situation here if

care is not taken, and that's what Khan and others who are urgently asking for this intervention are saying and the U.N. has squarely blamed

the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF for this violence, they've denied being involved, but they were also accused of being involved in the last

genocide. Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah, time is of the essence here, Stephanie. Tragic situation there. thank you so much for bringing us the latest. Stephanie Busari.

The Senegalese Navy intercepted a boat carrying some 70 migrants bound for Europe, Thursday, their boat was stopped at the mouth of the Senegal

River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Just a day earlier, separate migrant boats capsized in the same area, leaving at least eight people

dead. And three other boats that had departed from Senegal carrying around 300 people are reportedly missing. Dangerous journeys from

migrants in West Africa pick up during these warmer months due to favorable wind conditions.

Now, nearly 100,000 migrants have already arrived in Europe this year. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency. Italy is by far the most popular

destination, followed by Spain and Greece. And it was near Greece that a dangerously, the overloaded boat crowded with more than 750 migrants

capsized in June. Almost everyone on board drowned, including a 14-year- old boy from Pakistan. CNN traveled to the boy's home in Punjab province and spoke to his devastated father. Our Anna Coren has this exclusive

report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The lush plains of Gujarat in Punjab province, are home to some of the most fertile land in all of Pakistan.

The mighty Indus River and its tributaries the lifeblood. But not everyone here prospers from its richness. 14-year-old Mohammad Abuzar

filled the heavy burden of responsibility. His father, a school van driver, earning less than $90 a month was struggling to provide for the

family. Abuzar worried about the future of his younger brothers, especially six-year-old Azan (ph) who is severely disabled.

My son pleaded with me to be sent abroad, he explained. He said look at how we live or die of hunger. It's best for me to leave so I can support

our family.

Many older boys from the village had already made the trek to Europe through human smuggling operations, sending hefty remittances back home.

Abuzar's uncle had decided to go and the teenager knew this was his chance. The people smugglers said it would cost more than 8000 U.S.

dollars to send my son to Italy. I said I can't afford it. He told me your kid will earn that in a couple of months.

At the beginning of May this year, Abuzar, his uncle and a small group of teenage boys from the village set off. Human smugglers organized for

the group to fly from Karachi to Dubai, then to Egypt before transiting to Libya. From AAA International Airport, they drove to the Libyan port

city of Tobruk and waited in a camp filled with other illegal migrants for the next month.

The day before the group set sail for Italy, their final destination, Abuzar sent a video to his brothers hoping to make them laugh. He then

recorded the group's final prayers. That night, he called his father.

My son was really happy. He said, don't worry, Dad, it will be OK. We'll have life jackets. It's a big boat. Once I'm dead, you'll have nothing

to worry about.

On the ninth of June, Abuzar boarded the ADRIANA, a fishing vessel with a capacity of 100 instead, 750 illegal migrants were crammed aboard, of

which almost half were from Pakistan, according to the Pakistani interior ministry. Within days, the trawler would capsized off the coast

of Greece, as a Greek Coast Guard ship was done. More than 600 people drowned in what would become one of the deadliest migrant boat

tragedies. Among the survivors, only 12 Pakistanis, Abuzar was not one of them.

[10:25:06]

Dying of hunger is better than this, don't send your children away. For us life in hill are now the same. But this grieving father's warning is

falling on deaf ears. According to U.N. migration, last year, Pakistanis weren't even among the top 10 nationalities arriving in Europe. This

year, however, they're ranked number five with economic migration fueling the search. A financial crisis in Pakistan and record high

unemployment is driving many families to make this life altering decision.

ROBERTO FORIN, HEAD OF EU OFFICE, MIXED MIGRATION CENTRE: The common narrative is that smugglers are there to sort of lure people into this

dangerous journey. We look at who are the people influencing the decision of migrating and it is mostly family. So migration is a family

investment.

COREN: For this mother in Vandally (ph) in Pakistan administered Kashmir (ph), her 20-year-old son was supposed to be on that ill-fated vessel.

She says the human traffickers disembarked him because of overcrowding. He is now waiting for the next boat.

I asked him to come home but he won't, she explains. He wants to go to Europe like other boys from our village. I pray that he makes it. Anna

Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: We're going to a short break. We'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos and you're watching Connect The World. Here are your headlines this hour. The next few days in Europe

could bring the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the continent. Wildfires are spreading rapidly in the Balkans, soiling homes and some

villages in Croatia and Italian officials have issued extreme health warnings for 15 cities this weekend including Rome.

The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan. It comes after the U.N. Human Rights Office

announced the discovery of a mass grave in West Africa containing dozens of bodies. Three -- the three-month long conflict in Sudan has killed

thousands of people and misplaced millions.

[10:30:04]

And Russian President Vladimir Putin now says the Wagner fighter group simply does not exist, legally at least. His comments come three weeks

after its failed revolts in Russia, with the fate of the group and the whereabouts of its leader still a mystery.

Well, later today, members of the union representing about 160,000 actors are expected to pick us in front of major studios and streaming

services. The actors have joined the screenwriters in solidarity, who have been striking for the past two months. They say they want improved

wages and benefits, and a deal to limit the use of artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, the TV and film studios say they offered the highest pay increase in 35 years and offered a proposal to limit AI's impacts. Chloe

Melas has been watching all of this develop from New York. Chloe, great to have you with us. This strike has prompted so many debates on who is

getting watts. And if you follow the money, the argument is that people in this value chain are showing enormous discrepancies on pay. And then

you've got the AI issue as well.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I mean, like you hit the nail on the head. There are a lot of issues at stake. And you have the

Writers Union, you have the Actors Union, SAG-AFTRA, drawing a hard line, a hard stance on wanting to be met, where they want to be, where

they feel like, you know, their value is most endangered, especially with artificial intelligence and the age of streaming. And then you have

the studios saying we are offering -- offering you historic pay. This is the best we can do. And it looks like for right now it's a moot point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELAS: The actors of Hollywood are on strike.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a moment of history. That is a moment of truth.

MELAS: Disrupting the industry in the midst of its critical summer movie season. The actors of the forthcoming movie, Oppenheimer walking out of

their premiere Thursday.

FLORENCE PUGH, ACTOR: It's been a really, really tense few days for a lot of people, not just actors, but everybody in the industry who are

going to be affected by the decision but affected by decision that is necessary.

KENNETH BRANAGH, ACTOR: We know it's a critical time at this point, the industry and the issues that are involved need to be addressed that

difficult conversation. Everybody's trying to get a fair deal. That's what sublime. So we'll support that.

MELAS: And the actors from the highly anticipated Barbie movie voicing their support for their union amidst their global promotional tour.

MARGO ROBBIE, ACTOR: Yeah, absolutely. No, I very much in support of all the unions and I'm a part of SAG so I would absolutely stand by that

strike.

RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: I would support the actors. Yes.

GRETA GERWIG, "BARBIE" DIRECTOR: I love the unions, I've always protected all of the artists I know and I really want them to stand

strong and win their fight.

MELAS: The Union is fed up over compensation in the streaming era enough to walk the line.

FRAN DRESCHER, PRESIDENT, SAG-AFTRA: We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in

business with, are treating us.

MELAS: The strike crippling a TV and movie business. Already limping during the Writers Guild of America Strike, SAG-AFTRA reps around

160,000 entertainment professionals of all kinds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And action.

MELAS: Along with better pay actor see residuals for past work have dried up in the streaming era. Add to that artificial intelligence.

Actor say AI threatens their future. The Guild claiming that studios want to use AI to replace background actors.

DUNCAN CRABTREE-IRELAND, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAG-AFTRA: They proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned,

get paid for one day's pay, and their company should own that scan, their image, their likeness and to be able to use it for the rest of

eternity in any project they want, with no consent, and no compensation.

MELAS: Studios say they've offered the highest percent increase in minimum pay in 35 years, and that the actors aren't seeing reality.

BOB IGER, DISNEY CEO: This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption.

MELAS: Disney CEO Bob Iger notes the decline in revenue from traditional platforms and the industry wide struggle to make streaming a viable

alternative.

IGER: There's a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic. And they are adding to a set of challenges that this business

is already facing. That is quite frankly very disruptive.

DRESCHER: How they plead poverty, that they're losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is

disgusting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MELAS: So shortly you're going to see in both Los -- in both Los Angeles and in New York, you are going to see people taking to the picket lines,

and you're going to see people, you know, voicing their concerns in front of these studios, in front of where, you know, the brunt of the

big streamers. And you might see some famous faces. We saw some very famous faces walk off the red carpet of the Oppenheimer movie last

night. Emily Blunt and Matt Damon spoke out many people at the Barbie premier. Margo Robbie, Ryan Gosling saying that they are standing in

support of their fellow actors and solidarity. So this is something that could potentially cost a billions of dollars in revenue. And this could

go on for quite some time.

[10:35:24]

GIOKOS: Yeah, really good point there. But I have to say, it was great to see Fran Drescher in action again, I haven't seen her in a while as

the story, of course, continues. It's a big one, Chloe, thank you so much for your update. Yeah.

MELAS: Thank you.

GIOKOS: All right. You may know Actor Joely Fisher from the 90s sitcom Ellen, or 'Til Death, or the numerous movie she's been in. While she's

also the National Secretary for and treasurer for the Actors Union we've been talking about earlier. She spoke with our Phil Mattingly why the

last offer the union received was a non-starter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOELY FISHER, SAG-AFTRA NATIONAL SECRETARY/TREASURER: We listened to members in what's called the W&W process. And we listened to what

everybody cared about and what they needed and their hopes and their fears and their dreams. And we put together a proposal package that

didn't leave anyone out. So there's 160,000 members of our union, and I want to fight for all of them. It's not just people screaming from ivory

towers, movie stars and things like that. We have background artists, we have stunt performers, dancers, singers, broadcasters. And we -- we did

a very thorough combing through of and really tried to leave no one out. And then we went to our plenary and put together a really massive,

aggressive proposal package, brought it to the MPTP and started to sort of, like I said, come through and see which things they were amenable

and which things they weren't.

And it was devastating. It was like shocked -- like Fran says shocking and disgusting. I was really -- you know, my mother, Connie Stevens was

the Secretary-Treasurer Legacy SAG and I never -- I can't imagine her doing what I did like for the past month.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In what sense?

FISHER: We went before -- it's a very -- it's designed -- well, it's the process of going before the MPTP and going please, could I have some

more? You know, it's a very -- it's designed to really be little you and demean you and disrespect you. And there are things that are, you know,

maybe there are some giant asks, and then maybe there are some just common sense, humane things that for the cost-of-living increases that

we haven't had, you know, things change since 1983 when I joined the Union, nothing changed in certain base pay minimums since 1983. I'm

sorry, but the world is a very different place right now and you can't have a family or a mortgage. You can't be a journeyman middle class

actor and have this as your career, you have to have two side hustles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: All right, let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now. Japan Space Agency says a combustion

abnormality caused a huge explosion during a rocket test. It happened 57 seconds into the test of an Epsilon S rocket engine spending fire and

plumes of smoke into the air. The cause is not yet known and no injuries are reported.

India has launched a historic lunar mission sending a spacecraft into orbit with the aim of landing it near the moon's unexplored South Pole.

If successful, India would become the only -- only the fourth country to execute a controlled landing on the moon.

Meantime, Indian Prime Minister Modi is the guest of honor as France celebrates Bastille Day. He's been awarded the Grand Cross France's

highest honor during his state visit to the country. The celebrations come while police are still on edge after recent protests.

You're watching Connect The World. When we come back, it's the men's semifinal day at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is looking to advance to the

final on his quest to tie a men's record at the championships and updates coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:30]

GIOKOS: Welcome back, by the end of the day the men's final will be set at Wimbledon. The top two seeds are looking to advance to set up an epic

final and the day's opener, also has another storyline as Novak Djokovic looks to make more tennis history. It is exciting. Patrick Snell is

going to take it tell us all the exciting stories for Wimbledon. I've been keeping a close eye on what's been happening on the courts by the

way.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: I'll tell you why. If you blink, Eleni, you might miss Djokovic's victory. He's very much in control over the

young Italian player, Jannik Sinner at this hour, the two men on courts fame Center call, Djokovic winning the first two sets. They're in the

third set. Djokovic will be looking, I'm quite sure to close this out in straight sets. The book is place in yet another final, he's trying to

make more history, he's trying -- this is incredible. He's going for a fifth straight Wimbledon men's singles title, a record equaling 24th

Grand Slam title, and a record equaling eight men's Wimbledon singles crown as well. It's just incredible. You just cannot script the amount

of history that's on the line for him. Jannik Sinner will have his work cut out, I'm sure. Who will remain in the final, who gets there, we'll

know who, as you say, by the end of the day. Back to you.

GIOKOS: Yeah, a lot at stake. Patrick, we'll see after the break, I'll be back at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:33]

(CNN WORLD SPORT)

[10:57:18]

SNELL: Well, I'm pleased to say Andy did make it back from Las Vegas. Join him for later Friday edition of World Sport right here in Atlanta.

For now, it's right back to you, Eleni.

GIOKOS: So, Patrick, I mean, Andy looked really happy on that assignment, it was in my imagination. His smile was bigger than I

remember.

SNELL: He was certainly enjoying that assignment, I'm quite sure. But in only in a professional capacity, of course.

GIOKOS: Only, of course, Patrick, thanks so much. I'll be back with more Connect The World after this short break. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END