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Connect the World
Reminder of What Gazan Civilians Face Every Day; U.S. Secretary of State to Land in Turkey to Begin Important Middle East Trip; Rift in Israel Cabinet Grown as War Rages; Iran Mourns Blast Victims as ISIS Claims Responsibility; North Korea Fires Roughly 200 Artillery Shells off West Coast; Oscar Pistorius Release from Prison; Republican Presidential Candidates Talk Global Politics; How Investors are Reacting to the Final Jobs Report for 2023; Jobs Day in the United States; McDonald's Impacted by Boycott; 1.6M Tesla Cars Recalled in China; Buzzer Beater Lifts the Defending NBA Champs to Victory. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired January 05, 2024 - 09:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Well, the U.S. secretary of state is in the air. His first stop will be Turkey. It is the first leg of his Middle East tour
at what is a very sensitive time.
It is 5:00 p.m. in Istanbul. It's 6:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. This is "Connect the World."
Also happening this hour, a rift appearing. In the Israeli cabinet over what should happen in Gaza after this war.
New pictures out of Iran as the funerals for victims of twin blasts that ISIS now claims.
And Oscar Pistorius is out on parole after nine years in prison.
And the markets in New York will open in about 30 minutes from now on Jobs Day in the United States. This is a look at the futures for you. Those jobs
numbers dropped within the last hour. The U.S. economy adding 216,000 jobs. That is stronger than expected with increased wages to boot.
And what is good for workers, not necessarily good for investors. These numbers will likely impact what the Federal Reserve will do next on
interest rates. And this sort of strength in the labor market doesn't help the argument for lower rates. We'll discuss that at the bottom of the hour.
Well, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to touch down in Turkey today for his latest diplomatic push in the Middle East region, more on
what he may face in a moment. But war does not stop for high level meetings.
So first, a reminder of what civilians in Gaza are facing every day right now. Jeremy Diamond brings us that and a warning, his report does contain
graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The lifeless body of yet another child carefully pried from the rubble. Gaza's civil
defense says this is the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Deir el- Balah, a city where tens of thousands are seeking shelter, heeding evacuation orders like this one dropped by the Israeli military.
ABDUL RAHMAN, INTERNALLY DISPLACES PERSON IN DEIR EL-BALAH: There is no place to seek safety in this area. There is no water, there is no
electricity. We are just surrounded by all the war and they bomb and attack us without any alarm.
DIAMOND (voice-over): It's not just Deir el-Balah, several cities where civilians have been told to flee have been hit in recent days, including
this camp for displaced Palestinians in the southern City of Rafah, where the Hamas controlled government media office says Israel has struck six
locations over the last three days.
At Al Nasr Hospital, the dead lay waiting after an Israeli airstrike killed 14 people, including nine children, according to the Hamas controlled
ministry of health.
MAHMOUD SALEH, GRIEVING UNCLE (through translator): Where is international law? There is no law. They killed children. Children, they are getting
shelled as they are sleeping. They are bombing them, killing them. With what blood? What blood?
DIAMOND (voice-over): Even the emblem of the Palestine Red Crescent Society is no shield. The group's headquarters in Khan Younis struck for
the second time just this week, killing one and wounding six.
The IDF told CNN it was reviewing the previous strike and held a "operational debrief" to draw immediate lessons.
Amid the strikes, some are once again on the move, mattresses and blankets carried however they can.
FULLA QADOUHA, INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON IN DEIR EL-BALAH (through translator): My house is gone. The houses of my sisters are also gone. I'd
rather go back home and live in a tent than living here.
DIAMOND (voice-over): For many, that exhausting, elusive search for safety is over.
ABU ADNAN, INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSON IN DEIR EL-BALAH (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I tried to go back home twice, but my children pulled me
back. There are no toilets, no food, no water, no clothes. With all this, I prefer to go back home and die with dignity than dying this way.
[09:05:00]
DIAMOND (voice-over): That pursuit of dignity is all that remains.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, as we said, the U.S. secretary of state is on his way to begin what is or will be a weeklong visit to the Middle East. It is Antony
Blinken's fourth trip to the region since the start of the Israel Hamas war post October the 7th. He'll be walking into an atmosphere, frankly, of
heightened concern that this conflict could expand, could escalate. That in addition to the very real grave concern for the welfare of civilians in
Gaza.
Nic Robertson joins us with the view from Tel Aviv. And Alex Marquardt is in Washington. That's where I want to start. Because, Alex, give us a
sense, if you will, of what Blinken's goals are on this trip and frankly, how realistic they are.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think very broadly speaking, they fall into two camps, the pressure that
the U.S. will continue to apply to Israel and then the broader concerns that Washington has about a wider regional conflict. We see these flare ups
all across the region and concerns there that more fronts could be opened up.
But Becky, you know, Secretary Blinken, he left last night. He's about to touch down in Turkey. I think it's very telling that the State Department
hasn't laid out clearly what he hopes to accomplish, the concrete goals that he hopes to come back to Washington having accomplished what diplomats
called deliverables.
And I think that is a reflection of the fact that when going into these conversations in Israel with Israeli officials, they're going to be very
difficult. It is unclear what he might actually be able to accomplish in terms of breakthroughs. He knows that there will be some resistance, that
it's going to be a fierce negotiation, but it is clear that the major pressure points that the U.S. wants to apply when it comes to Israel is
their concern over civilian casualties.
The U.S. has expressed time and time again the -- how horrifying the growing number of deaths and injuries to Gazan civilians, the lack of
humanitarian aid that is getting to where it needs to be in Gaza. And then, the overall fighting, Becky. There has been this growing U.S. pressure for
Israel to switch from what has been called the high intensity operations that we've seen over the course of the past few months to a lower intensity
phase that would be much more targeted Israeli forces going after top Hamas leaders, for example, and of course that would result the U.S. and others
would hope in fewer civilian casualties. So, that -- those are really the biggest topics of conversation when it comes to Israel.
ANDERSON: And it's interesting, isn't it? The last couple of times that he was in region, he tried to get U.S. regional allies, and I'm talking here
around the region, as he will do once again, Jordan, Egypt here in the UAE, Saudi, various countries to talk about the day after these guns go silent.
What happens in a post conflict Gaza?
And frankly, I'm not going to call it thumbing their noses to Blinken because perhaps that's slightly too strong. But pretty much those
conversations were closed down. This region wants to see a ceasefire.
Nic, let me bring you in at this point. I want to talk about two things. Firstly, are we seeing evidence of a lower intensity fight by Israel as the
Americans want to see? And secondly, what are we hearing from Israel about this day after narrative, about what happens after the guns go silent? Two
questions to you there. Let's start with what we are actually seeing on the ground as we speak.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There is, or has been, since Secretary Blinken was here last, a change on the ground. But it's not
to -- it's not at a threshold that the United States is satisfied with. It wants to see, as we were saying there, the -- as Alex was saying, the
improved security, welfare, humanitarian situation, rights, ability to return home for Palestinians inside of Gaza. That's not at a level the
United States is satisfied with.
We have heard in a three-page document from the defense minister laying out what he sees as the change of faces in military operation. And you can sort
of say that he'll have this ready to show and share with Secretary Blinken when he arrives. So, Secretary Blinken kind of left with a message for the
Israeli government and Gallant in this document in a way deals with it, this phase three military operation in the north of Gaza is more sort of
special operations focused on the tunnels.
[09:10:00]
And in the south of Gaza, it's focused on going after the military, Hamas' military leaders and securing the release of hostages. Briefly, that is.
And then the day after phase, that's the next phase. And there's no timeline linking the two at the moment, but that is a phase where Israel
sees no Israeli civilian presence inside Gaza, the removal of any security threat by Hamas, the free -- operational freedom of movement for the IDF to
continue operations should they need inside of Gaza, an international agreement, as you were just outlining there, that would be the United
States, Europe, European Union countries, other allies and regional partners that would sort of head the humanitarian reconstruction point of
contact, but scant detail on what the political leadership would look like in Gaza.
And really, as you were outlining, That day after, it lacks the substance of agreement that's going to allow any real vision to form. So, will this
be enough for Blinken? It's certainly causing political consternation already here in Israel.
ANDERSON: Yes. And let's just talk about that, because this is the perspective in a document from the defense minister, Yoav Gallant. There
has been very little, as you say, sort of, detail from the Israeli political elite, as it were, on what happens next in Gaza.
We've heard a lot of talk about the intention by the right-wing of the Israeli political establishment to push out, to displace Gazans --
Palestinians out of Gaza. Yoav Gallant has sort of -- he's presented his perspective on the day after to fellow cabinet ministers. And as you say,
there's been some consternation about the scant detail today on what that might look like. By whom? Just explain how this has gone down.
ROBERTSON: Yes. The finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a hardliner within Netanyahu's governing coalition, has said that he thinks the day after
looks just like the day before. He said he thinks that there should be more imaginative, out of the box thinking such as the migration of people from
Gaza to other places.
This is something, of course, that has caused considerable pushback and has been put down very clearly by the U.S. State Department. It's not something
that has wide acceptance and support publicly or politically in the region at all.
It's not saying that this doesn't -- these conversations don't exist. However, that is a clear rift when you have a cabinet member saying the
defense ministers got this all wrong. But I think what's in Prime Minister Netanyahu's favor at the moment is Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, another sort of
right-wing outlier there, who in the broader cabinet and not in the war cabinet. Benny Gantz is part of that war cabinet. The defense minister is
part of that war cabinet, and the prime minister makes up the third member of that war cabinet.
So, as long as that war cabinet is together, you're not sort of teetering towards the -- you know, the breakdown of government and the need to call
for elections. We're not near that. But we are getting, again signs, of it.
And another point to that came again some disagreement over the forming by the military of the beginnings, the groundwork, framework of an
investigation into why October 7th attack happened, principally from an IDF view so that lessons can be learned for immediate operational effect right
now.
Now, Benny Gantz came out to support that, and again, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir had criticized the IDF's move to form this body, but Benny Gantz coming out
and saying in support of what the defense ministry is doing sort of shows the strength of the cabinet. But it also shows the time -- limited time
frame of that war cabinet too, because he said it's up to Prime Minister Netanyahu now to figure out, does he want unity and security or does he
want to play politics?
So, even the unity member of that war cabinet is indicating, look, Prime Minister, this is -- you've got to settle this, you've got to straighten
the ship here.
ANDERSON: No, it's really important stuff. And Alex, I'm going to let you both go, but I know that you'll be keeping a keen eye on Blinken's trip to
the region. Of course, the U.S. has struck the Houthis in the Red Sea, targeted a member of an Iranian proxy group in Iraq.
The question we've all been asking ourselves is, you know, there -- just how big is the danger, the risk of this conflict spreading and of a
significant escalation around this region where I am broadcasting from. It's good to have you both. Thank you much indeed.
[09:15:00]
To that point, Iran's president, among those attending funerals for victims of twin explosions on Wednesday. ISIS has claimed responsibility for those
blasts in Kerman, which killed at least 89 people. President Ebrahim Raisi and other Iranian leaders had first blamed Israel.
Well, Paula Hancock is back with me today in the studio. And Iran's interior minister telling state TV that a number of suspects have been
arrested. As top Iranian official, or officials, do vow revenge. What are we hearing here and what are we seeing?
PAULA HANCOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, at this point, Becky, it's an unidentified number of people that have been arrested, we understand. We
don't know the background. We haven't got more information on that. We're looking for it. But the fact is, ISIS has claimed responsibility, and they
did this saying that it was two suicide bombers that they had used, brothers.
There are discrepancies, though, in what we've heard from ISIS and what we heard from the interior minister in Iran yesterday, saying that they
believe the first blast, for example, was a suitcase bomb in a car detonated remotely. They also have not offered any concrete evidence or
proof that they are responsible. But we had heard from the U.S., we had heard from other analysts. that it did bear the hallmarks of ISIS, despite
the fact that Iran's president had suggested that it was Israel to blame at that point.
So, what this means is it was a very deadly twin blast, 89 people having lost their lives in just that one event. But it also means that it is
slightly detached from what we are seeing elsewhere in the region when you look at the U.S. and its allies against Iran and its proxies. This does, at
this point, if it is ISIS in fact, appears to be more of an internal issue for Iran itself, that this is something Iran has to deal with.
ANDERSON: It doesn't help the kind of tension in the region by any stretch of the imagination, but thank you.
Well, tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula after North Korea fired roughly 200 artillery shells off its West Coast on Friday morning.
South Korea responded with a naval shooting exercise of its own and asked people on its northwestern islands to shelter as that was carried out. Now,
the South Korean military says the North's shells fell within a maritime buffer zone.
CNN's Marc Stewart joining me now from Seoul. Marc.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, what's happening here is a pattern that we have been seeing time and time again, North Korea does something,
South Korea does something back, and vice versa. Very much this tit for tat relationship.
Why this is happening now Perhaps is because North Korea is responding to a series of military drills that took place just this week by South Korea,
drills that took place on the water, took place on the sea.
Now, we should point out that in this most recent exchange, the one that happened today, Friday morning here in Asia, there's no damage. There is no
injuries. But it, again, is just raising the level of tension in this area.
Now, over the last few days, we have seen some pretty stunning statements from North Korea. For example, on Sunday, we reported that North Korea
expressed interest in launching more spy satellites. Why is that significant? These spy satellites are crucial in the North Korean military
plan, especially when it comes to those long-range ICBM missiles.
Also, this weekend, a statement, again, from North Korea saying that it does not want to reunify with South Korea, not necessarily a surprise, but
yet again, it was articulated. And then a statement saying to the effect that it views the relationship between South Korea as hostile. So, clearly
Kim Jong Un is trying to flex his muscle. And now, we have some actual occurrence today, this shooting of the shells by North Korea, South Korea
responds.
So, the question is, Becky, is this going to be calm for the moment, or is this going to prompt North Korea to do something more now that South Korea
has responded? It's so much a back and forth, as you well know.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Marc, good to have you. Thank you.
North Korean aggression, conflict in the Middle East, not to mention an expansionist China and war in Eastern Europe, all the stories that we
connect for you, of course, here on this program seem sure to land on the next U.S. president's desk by the end of this year of 2024. We will know
who that is.
[09:20:00]
Here's what we learned Thursday from CNN Town Halls with two of the Republicans seeking the presidency in terms of foreign policy. Let's first
take a listen to Nikki Haley, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My opponents have said it's Israel's issue. No, it's our issue too. Because 33 Americans were
butchered that day. We have American hostages now as we speak. But Israel is a bright spot in a tough neighborhood. They're the tip of the spear when
it comes to defeating terrorism. It has never been that Israel needs America. It has always been that America needs Israel.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What bugs me about what's going on in D.C. is they ignore problems here in the
United States and they're focusing on things that are halfway around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, for more let's bring in CNN's Jeff Zeleny who is in Cummin, in Iowa. Jeff, I guess we should be asking who came off best in the
eyes, at least of Iowa voters. I mean, this broadcast around the country and indeed around the world. And I wonder whether who came off best in Iowa
is the same in the eyes of the wider electorate at this point. Is that clear?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It's always a question, but there's no doubt that both candidates, Florida Governor Ron
DeSantis and Nikki Haley, they both had very strong nights. In fact, some of the strongest performances we've seen them have, but that is what you
would expect toward the end of the campaigning is the voting is just around the corner here. The question though, of course, is it enough to sort of
eat away or erode some of the support for Donald Trump?
But Becky, one thing we heard more than we have in recent weeks is really sharpening that argument about the electability of Donald Trump. You heard
DeSantis say directly, look, all of these legal cases, all of the courtroom drama that really has built up Trump's support, in the short-term, that
might be good for his Republican base. In the long-term, that is not good in a general election.
Nikki Haley making the argument that Donald Trump has contributed to the record high U.S. debt through his tax programs that were never paid for.
So, we're starting to hear some of the arguments about, you know how, Trump may not be the best nominee for the party the question is, is it too little
too late or his supporters just locked in or not? But certainly, an interesting evening of discussion here in Iowa.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you.
Right. Coming up, Oscar Pistorius is a free man again. Details ahead on his release from prison more than a decade after a killing that shock the
world.
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[09:25:00]
ANDERSON: Well, the former Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, has been released from prison in South Africa. It's more than a decade since he shot
and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Now, the double amputee athlete is being released on parole after serving more than half of his 13-year
sentence for murder. He will be bound by parole conditions until 2029.
Well, David McKenzie joining us from the Western Cape, South Africa, with more. And what are the conditions, the terms of his parole, David?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, his parole conditions are pretty strict, but the parole board saying that this
is no different from anyone else who would be released from prison for murder here in South Africa. He can't talk to the media. And in fact, he
was shepherded outside of that prison, west of Pretoria, without any cameras catching a glimpse of the former Olympian Oscar Pistorius.
You'll cast your man back to those extraordinary events. He was a global icon in many ways, was able to compete in the London Able Bodied Olympics,
getting to the semifinals of the 400 meters. And then, it all came crashing down on Valentine's morning, 2013, when he shot four times through a
bathroom door, a locked bathroom door, killing his then girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
These are strict conditions, but still the family of Steenkamp certainly say that the pain is still very raw and very real. In fact, Reeva
Steenkamp's mother saying that she doesn't even believe the version of the story that Oscar Pistorius said, which was that he thought it was an
intruder behind those doors. Becky.
ANDERSON: Thank you. Good to have you, David. Thank you.
Coming up, a look at the U.S. markets as they open for the trading day. And we're going to see how investors are reacting to the final jobs report for
2023. You might be slightly surprised by the numbers. Stay with us.
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ANDERSON: Well, the New York Stock Exchange just about to kick off its trading day. The opening bell happening any second now. Ringing it in today
will be representatives from Professional Bull Riders and Anheuser-Busch, the company behind Budweiser and Michelob, which are celebrating a new
sponsorship deal.
Well, here it goes. Let's hear it.
[09:30:00]
I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World."
And as we get this trading day underway, it is, of course, Jobs Day in the United States. And this is how markets on Wall Street are reacting. We'll
get those numbers as they come in.
The market really, as far as futures were concerned, lower to pretty much flat. The jobs numbers likely to have an impact on what the Federal Reserve
may do in terms of interest rate cuts.
It's interesting. Look, I mean, we're literally looking at a flat Dow Jones, an almost flat S&P. And look, the NASDAQ off by less than 0.1 or a
tenth of 1 percent.
So, story here suggests that investors are sort of treading water, taking in what they've seen. Matt Egan watching all of this from New York.
And, Matt, jobs data always a big signal to investors of how the U.S. economy is faring. And for those looking for good news, are these numbers
going to satisfy?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Becky, I think that they will. And this is another impressive number here. The U.S. adding 216,000 jobs in December,
easily beating expectations.
The unemployment rate was expected to tick up, but it did not. It stayed at 3.7 percent. If you look at that chart with the unemployment rate remaining
at a very low level, below 4 percent still, what's interesting is the reaction over on Wall Street. The initial reaction was actually slightly
negative. We saw stock futures dip. Bond yields go up.
There was maybe a little bit of concern that this will delay when the fed can start cutting interest rates, but not even Wall Street could turn this
into bad news because, as you mentioned, seeing the U.S. Stock Market open a basically unchanged better than where things were indicating before the
jobs numbers came out.
So, this feels like good news for Main Street for sure. And from a Wall Street perspective the thinking seems to be that this is not going to
drastically change the outlook for the Fed, where, again, investors are hoping the Fed is not just done raising rates, but can soon start cutting
rates, which would be good news for everyone.
ANDERSON: Yes. And let's be quite frank. I mean, I don't think the volumes in this market are so high that we can really deduce too much about how
investors are taking this in. But you're right to point out, those arrows were in the red ahead of these numbers. So actually, not a bad reaction
here.
Ultimately, before I let you go, what is the forecast going for? When you talk to analysts, when you see these notes, what's the sense of where this
U.S. economy is headed as we move into 2024 and into what, of course, is going to be a very, very consequential election year?
EGAN: Well, Becky, the U.S. economy is heading in a much better direction than people thought a year ago, right? Remember, there were so many
recession predictions. There were some models out there suggesting there was a near 100 percent chance of a recession in the U.S. And obviously,
those models were completely wrong because this economy keeps chugging along. I mean, we pay so close attention to the jobs numbers because
consumer spending is the biggest driver of the economy.
And so, for as long as people are able to keep getting jobs, as long as this jobs market can stay on track here, well that means people are going
to have money to spend. And, you know, we actually have holiday shopping numbers that also came out yesterday showing that Americans spent $222
billion online shopping this holiday season, up by 4 percent from the previous holiday season.
So, people have money, they are spending it, and all of those worries about a recession because of everything the Fed has done, so far those have
proven unfounded, which again is good news for Wall Street and Main Street.
ANDERSON: Yes. Good to have you Matt. Thank you very much indeed.
EGAN: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We've been talking throughout the show about the devastating impact that the Israel Hamas conflict has had inside Gaza. And the plight
of the Palestinians there has some demonstrators unleashing their anger on some of the businesses around the world through boycotts.
McDonald's CEO releasing a statement on Thursday saying that he recognizes "that several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are
experiencing," and I'm quoting here, "a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like
McDonald's." He said, "This is disheartening and ill founded."
[09:35:00]
McDonald's faced pro-Palestinian backlash after McDonald's in Israel offered discounts to soldiers and security forces following the October 7th
attacks by Hamas.
Well, in China, Tesla is recalling 1.6 million cars, virtually all the cars that it's sold there. It's to fix a problem with the driver assistance
system, which has been associated with a higher risk of collisions. Now, it can be updated remotely, so owners don't have to take their car to a
garage. Last month, Tesla recalled all 2 million of its cars in the U.S. over same issue.
Right. We're going to do some sports news for you. After this short break, a buzzer beater lifts the defending NBA champs to victory. More of what is
this incredible game winning shot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right. You're watching "Connect the World." I'm Becky Anderson. Time in Abu Dhabi, where we are broadcasting to you from is 37
minutes past 5:00.
Well, figuring out what to have for dinner used to feel like a chore, but the era of smartphones and food delivery apps have made that process a lot
convenient, haven't they?
And now, one company in Dubai is taking things a step further, exploring innovative ways to shift towards a cleaner future. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Dubai's Silicon Oasis is the beating heart of the city's tech scene. And for some residents, like Annette, who moved here
eight years ago from the U.K., a quick stroll around here might feel a bit like a time travel adventure towards the future.
ANNETTE, DUBAI RESIDENT: I got this delivered by a robot and it's all easy on the app and it comes straight to your door. It's just good seeing them
around the community. It's fun. All the kids like them, you know, and they're just a fun thing to see.
ANDERSON (voice-over): These automated robots deliver takeaway meals to about 300 homes in Annette's neighborhood within roughly 15 minutes. While
they can only travel about five kilometers from this local shopping mall, the sensors and algorithms they're built with helps them move safely to
avoid obstacles while sharing the road.
And A.I. software that blocks facial recognition protects the customer's identity when the food gets to their doorstep. It's all part of one trial
project spearheaded by Dubai based food delivery company Talabat. They are putting a focus on innovation and sustainability.
MARIA ESTEV, DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PROJECTS TALABAT: What we realize after pandemic, we needed to be more efficient with our fleet. There were
shortage of riders. In certain circumstances, robots have the same added value as a rider for shorter distances.
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON (voice-over): Ordering food on delivery apps might be quick and easy, but convenience can come at an environmental cost, depending on the
mode of transport. Researchers in the U.K. found that in congested cities like London, delivery sent by cars or motorbikes can be five to 11 times
more polluting than bicycle deliveries.
Robots like these could potentially help curb those emissions because rather than using petrol, they're powered by electric, rechargeable
batteries.
ESTEV: We are trying to decrease our carbon footprint. I know this is a small action, but we were always looking to develop new technologies that
are better for the environment.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Globally, the food delivery business is worth over $150 billion, having more than tripled in size over the past six years.
This growth makes operating sustainably a top priority.
STEPHEN ANDERSON, MIDDLE EAST STRATEGY LEADER: We've got a huge way to go in terms of meeting net zero commitment. Technology is going to be a huge
part of getting to that. I think there's massive benefits in moving away from traditional forms of delivery.
The use of robots, use of electric vehicles, potentially drones. So, investing early in technology generally pays off. I think Dubai is a good
example of that.
ANDERSON (voice-over): But while the so-called Talabats can only travel short distances for now, it seems they're just getting warmed up to reach
the finish line toward the ultimate goal of becoming greener.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (on camera): Well, the defending NBA champions, Denver Nuggets, are back near the top of the standings this season. Thanks in large part,
to one of the league's top players. And on Thursday, he won the game for the Nuggets with one of the season's top plays. Who am I talking about?
Well, Andy Scholes joins me now. Andy, take it away.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Steph Curry's face right there said it all. He was just shocked that Nikola Jokic was able to do
what he did. Nuggets had three seconds on the clock, Becky. They get it into their big man, and he's able to get his shot off, almost near half
court, banks it in. Just incredible. And that was an incredible comeback win for the Nuggets.
We'll show you how they did it coming up here on "World Sport." And, you know, their coach said, great players make great plays, and that certainly
was one of them.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. I'm going to take the C out of your name, by the way, because every time I come to you, I call you Andy Scholes, and I know
it's Andy Scholes. So, I shall take that C out.
SCHOLES: It happens all the time. Paul Scholes.
ANDERSON: Let the family know. Good stuff. Thank you, Andy. "World Sport" coming up with Andy Scholes after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
SCHOLES: Hello, welcome to "World Sport." I'm Andy Scholes live from CNN Center in Atlanta.
Well, there were just two NBA games on the schedule Thursday night, but both were incredible clashes with juicy highlights, and Nuggets coach
Michael Malone said after their game that great players make great plays. And that's exactly what two-time MVP Nikola Jokic did with time winding
down against the Warriors.
Now, it didn't even look like the Nuggets were going to be in this game at the end. Steph Curry here, going to hit the three. Warriors are up by 14 at
that point. They lead by 18 with less than seven to go, but Jokic leading the comeback. Here he gets the ball, gets it into the lane and is able to
get the fadeaway to go with under 30 seconds left.
Then after Denver got a stop, they were inbounding the ball, tie game, three seconds on the clock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aaron Gordon looks in, throws it off over to Jokic. Two seconds, he's across the timeline from 45 feet. Got it. At the horn. Nikola
Jokic buries the Golden State Warriors, for the second year in a row. Denver stuns the Warriors with a last second three-point shot. And the
Golden State Warriors can go ahead and take that out on the way out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: How many seven-foot centers can make that play dribbling up the court? Not many. Nuggets closed the game on a 25 to 4 run to win it 130 to
127. And afterwards, Jokic talked about the incredible comeback and that great shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKOLA JOKIC, PLAYER, DENVER NUGGEST: It was one of the really big comeback. I think we were down 12 in the last 3:40 to go. I think they
scored only three, actually four points -- three points in the last 3:40, something like that. So, it was a really, really nice comeback win for us.
We really didn't give up. That's what I think -- this is one of the best description of us, is we never quit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So did you call glass on that?
JOKIC: My friend, I'm happy.
MICHAEL MALONE, DENVER NUGGETS HEAD COACH: I think everybody on that bench, like right when he left his hands, all the coaches in the back were
saying that, like it's -- that's online, that's going in. But great players make great plays. And you know, and Nikola catching the ball there, and
then making something happen behind that is just incredible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. Victor Wembanyama meanwhile, celebrating his 20th birthday by going up against Giannis Antetokounmpo for the very first time.
Second quarter. Wemby picked up his dribble, but then just threw it off the backboard to himself. Look at that. He picked up the ball at the three-
point line. It's just incredible.
Third quarter, Wemby then using that eight-foot wingspan to get the steel. Then he's going to go around the world and slam it over Brook Lopez plus
the foul. Now, the ending of this game was also incredible. Spurs were down three. Wemby, he's going to hit the three here to tie it with a little over
a minute to go, but then Giannis, just an alpha move, takes it in for the monster slam plus the foul. He had 44 in the game.
After a Spurs miss, Giannis, he tried to slam it again, but this time Wemby there for the block. Not many people can do that to Giannis. Wemby had five
blocks in the game, but the Bucks would hold on to win 125 121.
Afterwards, Giannis said he was very impressed with Wemby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS FORWARD: I've never seen anything like him. 7'4 7'5, I don't know how tall he is. He's not 7'3. He's way 7'3.
So, whoever say he's 7'3 that's a lie. But like, at the end of the day, like, you haven't seen anything like that. You know, I haven't, maybe you
guys have seen it. I don't think you guys have seen everything. So, the sky's the limit.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, SAN ANTONIO CENTER: Trying to gain knowledge from as many great players as they are, you know. And Giannis is one of them, one
of the players I watch the most, of course. So, it's always extra motivation. And I'm a competitor. So, I'm -- I want go at everyone and be
the bad guy on the court, you know. So, it's -- it was a great matchup.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. Well, we've reached the final week of the NFL regular season. Coming up, we take a look at who is still fighting for a playoff
spot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:50:00]
SCHOLES: Welcome back. Well, the NFL regular season will wrap up on Sunday, and there's still much to be decided when it comes to the playoffs.
And take a look at the AFC standings right now. The Ravens, they've locked up the one seed in a buy in the first round. The Dolphins Bills, meanwhile,
are playing for the two seed on Sunday, but that game is super important for the Bills a win and they get the two seed. If they lose, they can
actually miss the playoffs if the Steelers beat the Ravens on Saturday.
Now, the game between the Colts and Texans, it's a virtual playoff game with the winner getting in and potentially winning their division if the
Jaguars were to lose to the Titans. And the NFC, the 49ers, they've locked up the one seed in a bye in the first round. The Eagles free fall has given
the Cowboys the opportunity to win their division and get the two seed with a win against the Commanders on Sunday. For the Bucks and Packers, a win
and they will be in the playoffs.
And for more on the NFL as the season wraps up, earlier I was able to speak with senior NFL writer for "The Athletic," Kalyn Kahler. And I began by
asking her if rookie sensation quarterback CJ Stroud, does he have what it takes to lead the Texans into Indianapolis and get a win?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KALYN KAHLER, SENIOR NFL WRITER, THE ATHLETIC: I think his season has been one of the most impressive ones by a quarterback that we've seen this year.
He missed a couple games with concussion, but he's been back. And I think this -- the team that shocks me that they're even playing for the playoff
contention right now. I mean, the first-time head coach, DeMeco Ryans, they selected a quarterback that none of us thought was really the top
quarterback in that draft class and he has proved us all wrong.
So, this is all going to be a really exciting game and I think he's absolutely capable of doing it. He's a great passer and he's shown that
he's grown almost every week.
SCHOLES: Yes. As someone who is from Houston and has been a Texas fan for a long time, I'm personally shocked at how well they've done this season.
Hopefully, they can pull out one more win.
But, you know, as I mentioned earlier, I don't think I've seen a situation before where a team can either be the two seed or also miss the playoffs
altogether. But that's where the Buffalo Bills are right now. They've had such an up and down season.
Quarterback, Josh Allen, take a listen to what he said the team's mindset is going into this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK: We've just kind of taken the mindset of it's that we've been in the playoffs, you know, it's been
survived in advance or when I go home and it's no different this week. You know, we don't want to rely on anybody else. We got a -- you know, in our
minds, it's a must win game, you know, we got to go get this done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: So, Kalyn, the Bills, they handled the Dolphins earlier this season at home, how do you envision Sunday's game in Miami playing out?
KAHLER: I think the Bills are getting lucky here. The Dolphins have hit a run of really bad injury luck. They've lost their two best defensive
players for the season. They will now be back. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Jaelan Phillips has been gone for a few weeks now. Bradley Chubb
just tore his ACL last week, which is really disappointing because it came in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss. There was no reason that he needed
to really be on the field in that situation.
So, the Bills are getting the Dolphins at a point where they are weakened by injuries. And so, I think the Bills will be able to win this game and
lock up the division and the playoff.
SCHOLES: All right. Elsewhere, you know, the Packers, just like last year, they needed to beat the Lions to get into the playoffs. They lost that
game. This time around, they need to win again to get into the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers, you know, he was their quarterback last year. He went on -- moved on to the Jets. Now they have Jordan Love, and potentially in the
same exact spot they were last year. Will they be able to pull it off this time around?
KAHLER: I don't think so. I think it's going to end in a disappointment again, just because the Bears are viewing this as their Super Bowl.
[09:55:00]
I live in Chicago. I know how this team is feeling about this game. There's a lot of optimism surrounding the Chicago Bears right now. Justin Fields,
after coming back from a thumb injury, has played some of the best football in his career. He's trying to prove that he is their quarterback of the
future, that he should be that franchise quarterback for them.
So, I think that the Bears are coming into this game just as motivated as the Packers. I think it's going to be a really good game. And I think the
Packers defense here is just -- has been really struggling under Joe Barry in the second half of this season. And I think that's what it's going to
come down to because I think the Bears offense is going to be able to run the ball really well against this Packers defense.
SCHOLES: Yes. All right. So, you're calling for the upset there, Bears over Packers. What about -- I mean, can the Panthers, can they win a game
to end the season? Do you think they could actually play spoiler and send the Bucs home as opposed to --
KAHLER: No.
SCHOLES: No, no. Just not having it?
KAHLER: I don't. I don't -- I think the Buccaneers, with Baker Mayfield, are one of the better stories of this season. Sort of similar to the
Packers there, where this is a team that we really didn't think was going to be a contender for the playoffs in this season. And Baker Mayfield has -
- you know, went to Tampa on a prove it deal and he's proven -- I think they want him there, you know, to -- for the next few years and they're
going to do an extension with him this offseason.
His season there. He's done everything he needed to, to kind of revive his career. And in doing so, he took advantage, the Bucs have taken advantage
of a weak NFC South this season. And I think, you know, barring some very freak circumstance, I really don't see the Panthers winning their final
game and playing spoiler to the Buccaneers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right. And just before we go, Rafael Nadal's run at the Brisbane International has come to an end. The Spaniard had won his first
two matches after returning to the sport after nearly a year on the sidelines with a hip injury, but after taking the opening set against
Australian Jordan Thompson, Rafa lost the second in the tie break before succumbing to the home favorite in the final set.
Nadal now sets his sights on the Australian Open, which begins a week from Sunday. The 37-year-old tennis great has not won a tournament in over 18
months.
And, you know, Becky, Nadal's not going to catch Djokovic for the most Grand Slams ever on the men's side, but, you know, here's hoping that he
can have one magical run and maybe we get a joke if it's Nadal final one more time.
ANDERSON: Yes. Wouldn't that be nice? And you can never write him off, can you?
SCHOLES: Certainly not.
ANDERSON: I mean, it is absolutely remarkable to see him playing as well as he is at present and we wish him the best. And we look forward to
Australia. Thank you, sir.
I'll be back with more "Connect the World" after this short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00]
END
