Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Rescuers Struggling To Reach Remote Areas; Protests In Israel Ahead Of Supreme Court Hearing; Rubiales Resigns As Soccer Chief After Unwanted Kiss Backlash. Aired 10-10:45a ET
Aired September 11, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:32]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: I'm Becky Anderson live from Abu Dhabi where the time is 6:00 in the evening. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
Coming up this hour. Rescue and struggle to reach survivors of the earthquake in Morocco that killed almost 2500 people.
Protests in Israel against the latest judicial overhaul legislation. United States marks 25 years since the September 11th attacks. And history made at
the U.S. Open.
Well, time may be running short for anyone buried alive in Morocco and rescuers are still struggling to reach them. Nearly three days after the
earthquake that killed nearly 2500 people. Many roads in the Atlas Mountains remain blocked by boulders and other debris. You can see
Moroccans here digging through mounds of wooden stone.
Well, in some cases crews are helicoptering in Morocco says it is accepting aid offers from Spain, the U.K., Qatar and the UAE. CNN's Sam Kiley is in
the hard-hit village of Asni. And Sam, just describe where you are and what you are seeing at this point.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, if there is any kind of positive news to come out of this, it is now the arrival of
this world Moroccan field hospital, Royal Moroccan Army Field Hospital highly sophisticated design, Becky, to be deployed around the world. They'd
been in the DRC in the Congo, in Syria dealing with refugees from that civil war.
And now they find themselves here at the foothills -- at the bottom of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains because this hospital which can -- has 24
-- 25 doctors, 48 nurses is set up to deal specifically with disasters but the disasters up in those hills there. And this is what it looks like.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY (voiceover): Another victim buried returned to the earth that killed when it shook. More than 2000 people who perished in the worst Moroccan
earthquake in over 100 years. Most of the deaths were in villages in the Atlas Mountains, where homes cracked and crumbled late on Friday night.
KILEY: The pancaking of these buildings down a side street here in Moulay Brahim killed 25 people. Three or four are still missing believe buried in
the rubble. And this is a pattern that has been repeated throughout this province. And it looks very often like there's been some kind of air
strike, the collapsing buildings here actually leaving holes as if they've been hit by Russian bombs in Ukraine. But this has been an all too natural
disaster.
KILEY (voiceover): At least three elderly people have been in tuned here in the remains of their hotel. And a fourth guest is missing. After the quake,
Sami called his parents for a day and a half. It rang out until the battery died too.
SAMI SENSIS, PARENTS DIED IN EARTHQUAKE: I'm here just because I have lost two of my best thing that I have in this life. My parents, my father and my
mother, I have lost them here.
KILEY (voiceover): His grief turns to anger at the government as it does for so many here.
SENSIS: They have no planification only they have words. It's a (INAUDIBLE) only that they have worth. That's all.
KILEY (voiceover): Aid is arriving but slowly. In Asni nearby, authorities tell me that 27 people were killed in the quake and 1200 lost their homes.
KILEY: So Fatima (ph) and her husband have said that when they were in the house, she was in the bath. When this series of explosions broke out, they
said there was no shaking of the ground. She's saying that it felt likely blast from a Kalashnikov automatic rifle that this was like a sense that
the place had been hit by a war.
[10:05:00]
They had no idea that they were suffering from an earthquake. Luckily for them, they evacuated their family very rapidly. Nobody in their family was
killed but in the village, there was (INAUDIBLE) 27 people were killed.
KILEY (voiceover): The house is now abandoned. But Fatima led a team of local women to find food and shelter for the homeless before any aid
arrived. All the food here, the result of private donations. Many villages here remain isolated. Roads cut by landslides. Relief operations will focus
on getting to them. Firefighters consider searching for bodies beneath the hotel. Their conclusion is disappointing.
Amidst shocks and shattered masonry, it's just too dangerous to rescue the dead. So, for now, Sami's parents will stay buried where they are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Sam, this is heartbreaking. You talked about age in that piece and indeed about of course, about the rescue. I just want to concentrate on
the aid at this point, Morocco is accepting some international aid. But as I understand it, officials are worried about bottlenecks at this point.
Just explain if you will.
KILEY: So, Becky, in the past, when you've seen these interventions and massive movements of international aid into disasters, particularly on the
African continent, there's been an assumption in the rich west that they know how to do things that they do things better. The reality is on the
ground in countries like Morocco, they've got pretty efficient government structures, particularly the Armed Forces designed to respond to this.
And so, they are saying, no, we can pick and choose exactly what we need. Tell us what you can offer. So, they've got the UAE, you've got very
specialist emergency rescue operators, the British and others that you mentioned there in the intro because they are trying to make sure that the
aid is appropriately targeted and is put to immediate use. There's not much point in having a massive bottleneck in the Morocco's International Airport
with people wandering around, kicking their heels and complaining about not having enough to do.
So, that's the first thing. And then in the background there is that this as you rightly point out is a different call complex emergency because the
transport communication systems are very poor up in those mountains. The only way to reach people right now, if a large number of people potentially
is by helicopter. Mountain passes and narrow roads and tracks have been destroyed by the earthquake.
And they were pretty meager to start with, Becky. So, they need to know exactly what is coming so they can deploy it appropriately.
ANDERSON: Yes. Sam, thank you. Your reporting is so important. Next hour, we'll hear more than about what Morocco does need from the international
community and why the country has responded to some offers and not others. I'll talk with the deputy spokesperson for the secretary general. That is
about an hour from now.
Well, some major demonstrations happening today in Israel ahead of a supreme court hearing on the government's controversial judicial overhaul.
The entire 15 judge court is set to convene tomorrow to hear an appeal against the law limiting the courts power passed by the government in July.
Now these pictures taken outside the home of the Justice Minister Yariv Levin earlier today.
Joining us from near the demonstrations is CNN's Hadas Gold. What are protesters telling you, Hadas?
HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. So, we're here just outside of the Supreme Court where you can see people are getting ready,
the protests are getting ready, the big stage being belt behind us. And in the next few hours, this entire area is expected to be filled with
thousands of these protesters that have been coming out now for the past 36 weeks to protest against this judicial overhaul.
But today is a little bit different because tomorrow, as you said is the day that the Supreme Court will start hearing those arguments challenging
that law that was passed just a few months ago by the Israeli parliament. Essentially, the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments about its own
power because what this law did is it took away the Supreme Court's power to nullify government actions that they believe to be unreasonable.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD (voiceover): It is now the longest and largest protest movement in Israeli history. For nine months, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken
to the streets every week. Protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned to completely reshape the Israeli Supreme Court. When Netanyahu
returned to power late last year, he brought along the most far right-wing and religious government ministers is in Israeli history but he promised he
would be in control.
(CROSSTALK)
[10:10:05]
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: I've got my two hands on the wheel and believe me, it's going to be a good direction.
GOLD (voiceover): If Netanyahu's hands have been on the wheel, it's been a bumpy ride. And the ride is about to get even bumpier. The Supreme Court
this week will begin to hear arguments on the first aspect of the digital overhaul to pass parliament. A new law that strips the court of its power
to nullify government actions it deems unreasonable. Netanyahu has refused to say whether his government would even abide by a court ruling striking
the law down, which would spark a judicial crisis setting different branches of government against each other.
AMIT SEGAL, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CHANNEL 12: The Supreme Court and the government alike possess a credible nuclear threat against the
other side. If both sides are rational actors that will put the -- they will disarm those themselves. Problem is we're in a crisis that is not very
rational anymore.
GOLD (voiceover): Netanyahu's allies say the judicial reform is needed to rebalance powers between the branches of government. But it's prompted a
crisis in Israel's defense forces reservist in some soldiers vowing not to serve. The Israeli shekel weakening as well as concern from Israel's
greatest allies. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is far-right coalition partners including Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich pushing contentious new
bills and making controversial statements about Palestinians while violence and deaths spike to record levels and the decades-old conflict across
Israel and the occupied territories.
Israeli security experts like Halm Tomer, a former Chief of intelligence for Mossad warned that Israel security is on the line as the country risks
tearing itself apart.
HALM TOMER, FORMER MOSSAD INTELLIGENCE COMMANDER (through translator): I see the collapses of Israel is already started. We should wait on the
sidelines and see how Israel is ruling itself.
GOLD (voiceover): Questions looming as Netanyahu heads to the United States next week for the U.N. General Assembly where a long-awaited invitation to
meet President Joe Biden remains up in the air just like Israel's future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD: Now, interestingly, Becky big government tomorrow will actually not be represented by the Attorney General, they're being represented by
private counsel. And that's because the Attorney General was not really a political appointee the same way they are in the United States. Well, she
last week put out an official opinion saying that this law should be struck down. Becky?
ANDERSON: Hadas Gold is on the story of you out there on the streets. Thank you.
Well, the Spanish Football Federation is now looking for a new boss after Luis Rubiales resigned as president over the weekend. Now, of course, this
follows weeks of criticism over that unwanted kiss that he gave a star player Jennifer Hermoso after their Women's World Cup victory. On Friday,
the Spanish National prosecutor filed a complaint against a Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion against the player.
With a social media post, Rubiales maintained his innocence and said he will continue to defend his honor. Atika Schubert joining us now from
Valencia. This has been some weeks in coming under huge pressure. But until this point, he did not bow to that pressure. So why now and what's next?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it's really a combination of things. I mean, for example, just now, we've confirmed that the National
High Court has accepted the prosecution's complaint against Rubiales. So, you know, they're starting to gather evidence videos from that incident in
Sydney, Australia, and in the days after. So, this is becoming quickly for Rubiales a very complicated legal situation and he could possibly be facing
criminal charges.
So, I think that's definitely one factor. Another factor, and he mentioned this, in the statement that he posted on social media is that, you know,
Spain had this bid for the World Cup in 2030, along with Portugal and Morocco. And Rubiales was the one spearheading this bid, and it was really
causing more harm than good at this point to have him tarnish that bid as this, you know, legal battle of his was gone going.
And so, I think all of these came together and he finally came to the conclusion that it was time for him to resign and to go. And the reaction
here in Spain has, I think, been a sense of relief really. We've seen a lot of politicians weighing in, especially the equalities. Minister saying it's
over for Rubiales and for this issue. And also, teammates of Jenni Hermoso also coming out in support of her.
But actually, what's interesting is take a look at this video that came in from Mexico of Jenni Hermoso. She actually was in Mexico playing with her
team Pachuca when the news of Rubiales' resignation broke and she was receiving a standing ovation from her teammates there.
[10:15:05]
And so, even though she hasn't put out an official reaction to the news of his resignation, I think those images alone say a lot about the state of
things of Jenni Hermoso. Becky?
ANDERSON: Atika Shubert is on the ground in Spain for you. Atika, thank you. Well, still ahead, a moment that shook a nation to its core. 22 years
later, America pays tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attack. CNN is live from New York with a look at some of the commemorations.
And later. Kim Jong-un appears to be heading to Russia after rumblings about a potential arms deal. We'll have a live report on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. U.S. President Joe Biden has wrapped up his visit to Vietnam. He
flew in after attending the G20 Summit in India. He said she discussed strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between Washington and Hanoi.
And this is part of an effort to reduce America's reliance on China. The White House announced a $7.8 billion deal between Boeing and Vietnam
Airlines.
Companies like Apple and Intel have already moved some production to Vietnam to diversify their supply chains. Well, right now President Biden
is on his way to Alaska where he will mark 22 years since the 9/11 terror attacks with members of the U.S. military and their families. It is one of
many events taking place across the U.S. today to pay tribute to 9/11 victims in New York. Families of victims are reading the names of loved
ones that they lost that day at a ceremony.
And throughout the morning in the U.S., moments of silence are marking the times when the Twin Towers were hit and fell when the Pentagon was attacked
and when flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
Well, 343 firefighters died on that day and almost as many first responders have died since from cancers related to their work at ground zero. For
more, let's bring in CNN's Jason Carroll who is in lower Manhattan. Jason, you are in front of One World Trade Center.
JASON CARROLL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And sobering when you consider the number that you just mentioned there, Becky. You know, for so
many of their first responders who came to ground zero on that day, they've been waiting, watching, looking at the calendar and wondering if their
names would be added to the numbers of those who have died since from post 9/11-related illnesses.
[10:20:06]
That number over the years, Becky, just continues to grow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BROSI, SON OF 9/11 FIREFIGHTER LT. JOE BROSI: I think we just miss him. He was just always present than everything we did.
CARROLL (voiceover): Jim Brosi says not a day has gone by where he has not thought about his father.
BROSI: If you were speaking to him, you were the only person in the world he was talking to. And he was as good as they come.
CARROLL (voiceover): His father, Lieutenant Joe Brosi, a veteran of the New York City Fire Department for more than three decades died this past
February 3rd after a long battle with stage four lung cancer. Doctors gave him months to live after his diagnosis in 2015. He gave this moving
interview to the FDNY in 2019.
LT. JOE BROSI, NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT VETERAN: Nothing's impossible. Just hasn't been done yet. You have to believe that you're going to be --
if you believe, it will happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lieutenant Joseph Brosi, Engine 88, February 3rd, 2023.
CARROLL (voiceover): Brosi's name, one of 43 added to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall last week, which commemorates firefighters, paramedics
and civilian support staff who died from post 9/11 illnesses. It's the second largest group added to the memorial since it was created in 2011
when 55 names were added. The number of lives lost from post 9/11 illnesses on the wall now stands at 341, almost equally the 343 FDNY firefighters
killed that day.
JIM BROSI: That number has grown each year and my fear is it will continue to grow.
CARROLL (voiceover): Rosie says his father was at ground zero on 9/11 and remained working there day in and day out. So too was New York City
firefighter Daniel Foley. Foley pledged to stay at the site until his older brother Thomas, also a city firefighter was found. Foley ended up finding
his brother's body 11 days later, he continued to help with the recovery efforts for months. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2020. He was 46.
CARRIE FOLEY, WIFE OF 9/11 FIREFIGHTER DANIEL FOLEY: He was diagnosed with 9/11 cancer. And we talk about the fact that 9/11 not only killed Uncle
Tommy, but 20 years later killed daddy.
CARROLL (voiceover): The message from firefighters and their families' years after one of the darkest days in U.S. history. First responders are
still suffering and dying as a result of their service.
JIM BROSI: The other thing is it's the people who aren't dying, but are sick, and they're not living up there alive. And no one measures that loss.
CARROLL (voiceover): A final note, both Brosi and his brother Joe are New York City firefighters who were also there on 9/11 working alongside their
father.
CARROLL: Are you concerned about your health and in terms of the future?
JIM BROSI: I will say I monitor my health very closely. I will not live my life and worry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And that's basically the outlook, Becky, that so many of these surviving first responders have. That's the way that they've got to go on
ahead. And then they're like. Brosi tells me that his brother does suffer from respiratory sort of illnesses, but that again, they get themselves
checked every single year. Really the message that they want to get out here is for folks even 22 years later, not to forget the service of the
first responders who were out here at this site 22 years ago and to remember that many of them continue to pay the ultimate price. Becky?
ANDERSON: Jason Carroll reporting. Jason, thank you.
Well, British M.P.s are demanding answers and amid reports that two Parliament employees were arrested under the U.K.'s Official Secrets Act.
Now one of them, parliamentary researcher was accused of spying for Beijing. He is said to have links to senior British Conservative Party
politicians including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat. Take a listen to what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says about what he told Chinese Premier Li
Wang about the reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: With regard to my meeting with my Premier Li, what I said very specifically is that I raised a range of
different concerns that we have in areas of disagreement. And in particular my very strong concerns about any interference in our parliamentary
democracy which is clearly unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:25:01]
ANDERSON: Well, China forcefully denying that it tried to steal British secrets. Its embassy in London calling the accusation "completely
fabricated and nothing but malicious slander."
Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And an airstrike on a market has killed at least 43 people
according to a Sudanese doctors group. It happened Sunday in southern Khartoum. The deaths make it the largest single incident death toll since
the civil war there started in April.
Lebanon's national news agency is reporting at least six people killed and dozens injured when two rival groups clashed in a Palestinian refugee camp
near the city of Sidon. The U.N. says hundreds of families are fleeing for safety after the renewed violence erupted between the Palestinian Fatah
movement and other Islamic groups. A fragile ceasefire had been in place for about four weeks.
And Northern Libya has got more than two-thirds of its normal annual rainfall in just a day. Heavy rain inundating this hospital, so flooding
streets and knocking out phone service. It came from the remnants of storm Daniel which pummeled Greece last week. The head of the international
nuclear watchdog, the IAEA says he cannot assure the world that Iran's nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful."
Rafael Grossi says Iran has yet to provide an explanation for uranium traces found at previously undeclared nuclear research sites. Well, the
IAEA censored Iran last year over traces found in 2019. Iran dismissed the move as politicized and then removed surveillance cameras at key sites.
Rafael Grossi will join us live next hour to talk about this developing story.
Before that and up ahead, we will check on the progress in Morocco as more victims are found from Friday's earthquake. We'll take a look at the
arduous effort to reach remote areas and find survivors.
And later, it appears North Korean leader Kim Jong-un his on his way to Russia. We'll have report on what is likely to be doing there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:17]
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Time here just before half past 6:00 in the evening. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
Morocco, reporting nearly 2500 people confirmed dead from Friday's earthquake and that number I'm afraid is expected to continue to rise as
searchers dig through hard hit areas. But CNN's Nada Bashir tells us that many mountain roads is still blocked, slowing down the process.
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, the death toll is still continuing to climb. And it is unclear at this stage how many people are
still buried beneath the rubble. But the search and rescue operation is very much ongoing and it could be for several days. And it has been a
struggle over the weekend for search and rescue teams to make it to some of the areas hardest hit by Friday's earthquake.
Many of these villages are located in remote areas of the Atlas Mountains, which are typically hard to get to but also the roads have also sustained
damage. And that has posed an obstacle to rescue teams. But what we are beginning to see now is international search and rescue teams joining the
effort coming to Morocco to support on that front. But there will also be a focus on the humanitarian relief front as well because many of those across
the Atlas Mountains, across the area's impacted around the epicenter have lost their homes, have lost absolutely everything.
And so, they will be needing that support for some time to. Home here in Marrakesh, what we have seen over the weekend for three nights in a row now
actually as families sleeping in the street. Choosing to sleep outside for fear of another aftershock or potentially another earthquake. Many have
said that they're too afraid that their homes aren't safe and the structures of their buildings could give way.
So that is a real fear for many across the country in those areas impacted by the earthquake. But we have seen an outpouring of community support as
well. There has been a real push for people to go out and donate blood. We've seen queues of people lining up to support on that front and we're
beginning to see people gathering crucial items for those impacted, loading vans and traveling almost to the areas impacted to support with the
humanitarian relief efforts.
But this is going through a process that takes days if not months, and when it comes to the recovery effort, the rebuild effort that could take years.
Nada Bashir, CNN, Marrakesh.
ANDERSON: And another story that we are keeping a close eye on today. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be heading to Russia. Kremlin has
confirmed Kim will visit Russia in the "coming days" and this comes a week after U.S. officials warn that Putin and Kim are expected to meet to
discuss a possible arms deal. Paula Hancocks watching this develop from Seoul in South Korea.
Paula, what do we know about his departure, when he will arrive in Russia and how long he is expected to be there?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we know at this point that a government source says that He is believed to have left. He's believed to
have left on a train from Pyongyang heading northeast effectively towards the Russian border. Now that is pretty much all we know at this point
because we don't know exactly when he will arrive in Vladivostok.
We know that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president is already there. He is hosting an Eastern Economic Forum. But we don't know for sure when Kim
Jong-un will there -- will be there. We do know that this is a meeting that the two of them have been working towards and certainly the delegations in
the previous months have been working towards. Back in July, the Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu was in Pyongyang.
He was given the red carpet treatment by Kim Jong-un. He was taken to a military parade and arms expo. So, it was very much that Kim Jong-un was
showing what North Korea has in terms of weapons capabilities to the defense minister. A significant visit by him there. And we also know from
the South Korean intelligence that at the start of August, there was a second Russian delegation that went to Pyongyang and a week later, a
Russian plane believed to have left Pyongyang, believed to be carrying unknown military supplies.
Now, I should say that Moscow and Pyongyang at this point both deny that there is any kind of arms deal that has been done or that will be done or
is being discussed at this point. But it is what intelligence both here in South Korea and in the U.S. is pointing towards that both Russia and North
Korea are working together and moving closer together. And it's certainly something that concerns both Washington and Seoul.
When it comes to Russia, what it needs at this point is ammunition, it needs small arms to be able to use effectively on the frontlines in
Ukraine.
[10:35:05]
And we know that analysts have said North Korea has that kind of mass production capability to be able to supply that kind of ammunition. There's
also similarities between the two militaries, between them weapons that they use. So, certain ammunition, if it is sent from North Korea to Russia
could be used in Russian weapons almost immediately. And then when it comes to what North Korea gains from this most assume, and U.S. officials
confirmed to CNN, they believe there would be satellite technology.
There could be nuclear submarine technology that is being passed back to Pyongyang. Now, neither side of those deals is appealing to many in the
region. Certainly, Seoul and Tokyo do not want this to happen. Washington doesn't want it to happen. But for Russia and North Korea, this is a
mutually beneficial strategic alliance. So certainly, it will be interesting to see over the next few days in the coming days we've heard
from the Kremlin, exactly what kind of meeting this is.
Now, of course, we don't expect to have a detailed communicate from these two countries as to what exactly they agreed on. But certainly, it will be
something that Washington, Seoul and Tokyo will not likely be happy with. Becky?
ANDERSON: North Korean leader on the move as we understand it. Paula Hancocks reporting on what intelligence agencies believe an arms deal, a
potential arms deal might look like. Paula, thank you.
Well, 24, for the magic number, Novak Djokovic ties the record with his latest Grand Slam title and also pays tribute to another legendary sports
figure. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hawaii's most active volcano is erupting for the third time this year. Mount Man's Kilauea began spewing lava on Sunday afternoon after a
period of strong seismic activity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, scientists there say the lava flow is currently confined to the surrounding
crater floor and isn't threatening any residents. It last erupted back in June.
Well, there is a new U.S. Open tennis champion. The crowds at Flushing Meadows went wild on Saturday for the teenage sensation, that is Coco
Gauff. The 19-year-old American defeated the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in a dramatic comeback victory in the final. Clinching of first Grand Slam
final win. When Coco was just 17 and breaking on to the international tennis scene. And actually hit a few balls with her in Dubai and I got the
time to ask how she deals with so much pressure at such a young age. Take a listen.
[10:40:02]
COCO GAUFF, U.S. TENNIS PLAYER: It's definitely I guess a difference when you, you know, people expect you to win and compared to when, you know,
you're kind of the underdog and I found myself, you know, as I continue to win and continue to win matches, you know, it wasn't so much of a shock
that I was winning people were more OK, she's going to win and then when I will lose people will be more disappointed than before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Just wonderful maturity from someone so young in her career. Certainly, looks bright at this point. Will Novak Djokovic making history
this weekend. The Serb added another U.S. Open title to his bulging trophy cabinet. He now ties Margaret Court for the most grand slam win of all
time. And celebrated his 24th title by paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Another sporting legend in basketball.
Amanda Davies joining me now. Mama forever. That t shirt says. Amanda, tell us more.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. The mamba mentality, that phrase that became so well known when people were talking about the late great
Kobe Bryant who of course was tragically killed in that helicopter accident a couple of years ago. It was really that phrase that was coined because of
his incredible, relentless pursuit to just keep on going. And that was something that Novak Djokovic spoke about after his victory last night.
He called Kobe a friend, a mentor. Somebody who he had relied upon, called upon so often when he was able to share thoughts about how to succeed, how
to overcome injury and keep on in that pursuit of greatness. And the reason that Novak Djokovic chose this moment last night, of course, he equals that
historic 24th Grand Slam title of Margaret Court. But 24 was the number that Kobe Bryant wore on his jersey at the L.A. Lakers for so long, and of
course, playing out in New York in the United States.
And there was a really lovely message after the victory from Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa, saying real recognizes real. The obvious love and affection
that Novak Djokovic has for Kobe Bryant was so apparent in the interviews that he gave afterwards. And my colleague Carolyn Manno was fortunate
enough to catch up with him after this photo shoots on the court and that is what we've got coming up in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: Super. And, you know, this was a tennis tournament where he in the past back in the day didn't really carry the crowd and it's fantastic
to see that they are getting behind him now. Thank you, Amanda. World Sport is up next with Amanda. I'm back top of the hour for you. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
