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One World with Zain Asher
Harry And Meghan Survive A Car Chase In NY Involving Paparazzi; Ukraine Reports Russia Is Targeting East And West With Shelling And Missile Strike; Northern Italy Floods Leave At Least Eight Casualties; Cyclone Mocha Claims Hundreds Of Lives In Myanmar; U.S. Convoy Attacked In Nigeria; Biden Travels To Japan For G7 Summit; Ecuador Security Forces On Patrol Outside National Assembly; China Issues $2 Million Fine For Army Joke. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired May 17, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Live from London, I'm Christina Macfarlane and this is ONE WORLD. We are following breaking news
on what by all accounts was a very scary and dangerous incident involving Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and Meghan's mother, Doria
Ragland. Harry's spokesperson says they were in a near catastrophic car chase in New York City involving aggressive paparazzi that went on for two
hours.
Our law enforcement source says there were numerous close calls but no actual car accident. The couple has been attending an awards ceremony
Tuesday night in which Meghan was honored. These are images you're seeing now of Harry and Meghan leaving that event.
Well, let's bring in CNN's Royal Correspondent Max Foster for us. So, Max, tell us what new details you're learning on what actually unfolded on
Tuesday night and how close this came to disaster because we're hearing that this car chase could have been fatal.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so when they talk about it being fatal, they're talking about the fact that there were several vehicles,
cars -- blacked out cars but also bikes and motorbikes chasing them from the event that Megan was at last night where she received an award. Went on
for about two hours, they had to swap cars, they had to go through lots of different dangerous situations and at certain points there were people
crossing the road, there were people on the pavements as well and they looked like they were in danger and they could have been killed by the
process here.
So, they were jumping red lights for example, they were blocking in the limousine that Meghan and Harry and Doria Ragland were in and they said it
was deeply traumatizing and there were lots of violations along the way. And they're basically saying that it was deeply traumatizing and they were
very, very relieved to have got back.
There wasn't a crash but it was a very dangerous situation and I've just been speaking to the head of their security detail who described how they
were trying to stay within the law which is why it took so long to, you know, negotiate these streets. But it was very difficult when everything
was so chaotic around them. So, a deeply traumatizing moment happened around midnight, the early hours of the morning.
So, we've got this long statement from the Sussexes. We're told that no members of the royal family have reached out to them yet. We haven't heard
anything from Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace about this. So, we're waiting to get responses all round. But obviously, a deeply traumatizing
moment and obviously speaks to Harry's upbringing where he's traumatized by how his mother died, chased by paparazzi in Paris and he always vowed that
he would protect Meghan from a similar fate. He's afraid that she would suffer in a similar way, which is why they moved to America.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, absolutely deeply traumatizing for him, given the nature of how his mother was hounded by the paparazzi and how she died. I mean,
Max, to your point, they moved to the United States, to L.A. to avoid this kind of invasion of privacy. And we know that Harry himself is already
embroiled in legal cases here in the U.K. on exactly that issue. I mean, is this going to be another turning point for him? Do you think moving
forward, given just how close they came here to real danger?
FOSTER: I think, you know, there are multiple cases that he's involved with in the U.K. relating to tabloid press, how they hounded him, how they
breached his privacy, how they compromised relationships and they use illegal techniques to get that information. Separately, there's a case he's
pursuing against the British government who refused to give him British police protection when it comes to the United Kingdom. He feels he needs
that because there's a high threat level against him and only they are armed. His own security can't be armed.
He also had this bigger issue, of course, when he went to America that he said he accused his father effectively but it was the British government in
reality of stripping him of his police detail because he was no longer a working member of the royal family.
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He felt he had a right to that because he was only famous, because he was a member of the royal family. So, it will be interesting to see whether or
not he felt that he was under greater threat because he didn't have the full security detail that he had wished for and whether or not this
incident would have happened without that. So that's certainly going to be part of the debate. I think right now they're just obviously recovering
from the trauma of what happened last night.
And the Secret Service, the former secret service agent, their head of security described this as one of the worst experiences that he had ever
been through. So, clearly everyone in the team was traumatized by what happened.
MACFARLANE: Max Foster, live with us in London. Max, thanks very much. I just want to turn to some information, some sound we're getting actually
from the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, who has just been speaking out regarding this incident. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: It's clear that the, you know, the press, paparazzi, you know, they want to get the right shot, they want to get the
right story. But public safety must always be at the forefront. The briefing I received, two of our officers could have been injured.
New York City is different from a small town somewhere, you shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city. And I think all of
us, I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mom died, and it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like
this, and something to have happened to them, as well.
So, I think we have to be extremely responsible. I thought that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.
MACFARLANE: Well, we are still getting details about what happened as Harry and Meghan tried to get away from the aggressive paparazzi. CNN's Chief Law
Enforcement Analyst John Miller spoke a short time ago about the chaotic scenes on the streets of New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: They were overwhelmed by paparazzi. These were people in cars. These were people on
motorcycles. These were people on scooters that had surrounded the vehicle in midtown traffic. And now you've got the NYPD team, that is the
protective detail, behind the principal car. And there's scooters and motorcycles running in between them, ahead of them, crossing in front of
them. They're trying to create some distance. And this is becoming worse and worse.
So finally, in frustration, they made a command decision, you know, trying to first slow down traffic, block a street and get some distance that
didn't work because then the scooters and the motorcycles flew down the sidewalks with pedestrians scattering, you know, no regard to law or
traffic regulations or people to keep up.
So, they went to the 19th precinct, that 67th street in Manhattan, they blocked off both ends of the street. They created basically a buffer, and
then they spent some time trying to cool down from this and say, all right, what's our strategic plan to get to the next location without bringing this
entire crowd because the protective detail is to protect from stalkers, attackers, the things that royals and famous people have to deal with.
The actual threat and the hazard had become the paparazzi and I don't have to remind us. We all know the history of that. And you know, that has led
to terrible consequences within that family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Joining me now is British journalist Bidisha Mamata. She has written extensively about social justice in the U.K. and the Royal Family
for the "BBC", "The Guardian" and others. Thank you for joining us.
Just picking up on what John was just saying, just then John Miller, we know of course, the history that this family have been through and endured
with the death of Diana, 31st of August 1997. Some will be saying, you know, decades later, how is it possible that a member of the Royal Family's
personal security is once again being compromised here by the paparazzi?
BIDISHA MAMATA, BRITISH JOURNALIST AND COMMENTATOR: That's, in fact, what's really shocking about this, because the death of Princess Diana was so
iconic in a totally and utterly negative way, so shocking, so distressing, so tragic. You would think that we have learned and yet what we are finding
out from this breaking news, which is extremely dramatic, is that all of those putative lessons about paparazzi culture, stalker and harassment
culture that's then been co-signed by the mainstream media, tabloids and broadsheets alike that bought up these images, nothing has apparently
changed in decades.
I'm very wary when we're talking about this, of making it seem exciting, making it seem like a Hollywood movie, because of course it isn't. Exactly
as Harry and Meghan's statement showed, this is perilous, it could be fatal.
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It is dangerous for absolutely everyone involved, including the paparazzi who were doing it and who are causing the situation. It's dangerous for the
people in all the cars and bystanders and onlookers. It shouldn't be a source of scintillation. In fact, everybody should condemn it.
I think it's very significant that, so far, the NYPD haven't released a statement somehow climbing down from the statements made in Harry and
Meghan's document there. They haven't said, oh no, you know, it wasn't as bad as they're saying. I think it really is as dangerous for everyone as it
appears to be.
And it reminds you of that completely untrammeled paparazzi culture of 20 odd years ago, where just because you were in the public eye for one thing
or another, Meghan is being honored as being a woman who stands up against this kind of macho- aggressive behavior. For her to receive an award
doesn't then say to the rest of the world, you have my permission to chase me and my family for two hours, putting everybody at risk.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, it seems absolutely extraordinary that in New York City, a car chase of two hours could have even occurred, frankly, given the
nature of that city. Bidisha, we know that Prince Harry has been embroiled in two very high-profile legal cases here in the U.K. over his own private
security. Can you just talk us through those two cases and how he has really been taking them on head on, not afraid to appear in court in
person? And whether or not you think this could signal another watershed moment for him in terms of stepping up from what we've seen already?
MAMATA: His life is so dramatic and so pained that everything in Prince Harry's life feels like a watershed moment. One thing that's clear is that
he is litigious and he's not afraid of taking the tabloid press or the British media as he calls it. I don't think he really distinguishes between
the mainstream media or the broadsheets and versus the tabloids. He's not afraid of taking them to court, not just for paparazzi behavior,
photographing, following what he regards as harassment, but also for even more covert methods, things like phone tapping, phone hacking, voicemails,
speaking to people off the record, using back channels.
This certainly gives him more grist to the mill. And he's unafraid precisely because of his own wealth and privilege, the fact that he really
feels that he has right and virtue on his side. He certainly has proof on his side as tragically, we know. And the reason we are all compelled by it
is precisely because of the source of pain in his life which was his mother's death.
He has a fair chance of standing up against the media equally in court but it depends how cynical you are about the ways of the media and the media
will always say listen, we would not employ this paparazzi or these methods unless there were lots of eyeballs out there looking at the photographs.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, and we know that he has been attempting to sue over the need for his own protection, his own personal security protection. It's
difficult to say, but how much of what has occurred here could be as a result of the fact that he doesn't have the level of protection that is,
you know, afforded, that would be afforded him if you were working royal, you know, that of diplomatic or royal status?
MAMATA: This is such a key question because I was wondering this, too. If you go to an event, you have security surrounding you, now that keeps off
people who are on their feet, stalkers, weirdos, harassers. Once you're outside of that individual venue, yes, you can have a police escort.
Yes, you're in a kind of armored bulletproof car and you might have your own motorcade at either corner. But really, that is exactly as you say,
that's for royals, it's for aristocrats, it's for working heads of state. I'm not sure if an A-list, let's say Hollywood star celebrity would
necessarily have that.
There is no way to protect yourself completely, as indeed Princess Diana found out. I mean, that's the source of Prince Harry's pain that nothing
you do can ever make you or your family completely and utterly 100 percent safe. You can fly in a private jet but you still have to land at an
airport.
One thing that Harry and Meghan are absolutely vindicated in is their claim that they are vulnerable. Many people heard their claims in the Oprah
interview or the Netflix documentary about feeling unsafe, feeling vulnerable, and they scoffed at it slightly and said, well, you know, why
are you more vulnerable than anyone else? Maybe your sense of being unsafe is not completely tallying up with reality.
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I think this breaking news shows that their sense of vulnerability was justified.
MACFARLANE: That's a very important point. Bidisha Mamata, for now, thanks very much for giving us your thoughts. I want to turn to CNN's Richard
Quest, who's joining me now. Richard, it seems extraordinary to so many people that this is the first we're hearing of what actually occurred some,
I don't know, 15 hours ago, yesterday evening. I mean, knowing New York City as you do, and what appears to be the level of people involved in this
car chase, I mean, how surprising is that to you?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's not really surprising because there's a very fine line between the entire panoply of mayhem that will
follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a regular basis and that level which reaches inappropriate and dangerous, which is what the police used to
describe it. And that's the key here.
The key to what took place is, with great respect to Harry and Meghan, it's not what they say. It's what the police say happened, because they are the
ones that had to instruct and execute the evasive maneuvers. And in some sense, they are the ones who can and should work out what needs to be done
vis-a-vis the paparazzi.
Yes, there's the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, but it's not an absolute and this was clearly a dangerous situation. From Harry's point of
view, this is the biggest I-told-you-so that you can imagine and if I've got time, can I just read a quote from the book, from "Spare", the book, he
says --
MACFARLANE: Please do.
QUEST: History was repeating itself. My mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone who wasn't white. You want to
talk about history repeating itself? They're not going to stop until she dies.
That was in the Oprah Winfrey interview. And then in the book, he goes on to make the same point again. I never want to be my children to have a
single parent. So, Harry can legitimately say, I told you so. It happened in New York with the NYPD, the New York's finest.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, and that's the point I think Bidisha is making that they are vindicated really in their claims that they are and have been
vulnerable. We heard that of course in the Netflix documentary, as well, Richard. I think --
QUEST: But what do you do about it, Christina? What do you do about it? This is the age-old problem that the Sussex's, the Wales', Charles, when he
was Prince of Wales, this is their problem. Now, in the United States. It's the First Amendment. We're merely exercising our free right to speech.
As I said earlier, it's not an absolute right. In the U.K., well how do you stop the foreign press from doing it with the intrusive paparazzi eyes?
Remember in Diana's case, most of the paparazzi were non-British, they were foreign press. So, what do you do about it? Once you've got this situation,
that's where the focus has to go.
MACFARLANE: And in this case, Richard, what this couple did about it was to move away from Britain, to move to the United States, where they thought
they would have a degree of safety or a degree of privacy.
QUEST: Oh, come on, Christina.
MACFARLANE: Well, to that point, what did --
QUEST: They moved, all right, so they moved out of the royal den and straight into the Hollywood paparazzi den.
MACFARLANE: It can't have been as bad, though, Richard. The focus on the royals in the U.S. as it had been here in the United Kingdom? Or are you
saying they went straight out of the frying pan into the fire?
QUEST: Totally, and I think if you look at what happened yesterday, they actually had to seek shelter in place at a precinct. Now, it's for
constitutional lawyers, not me to say, what are the limits of what the NYPD and the authorities can impose on paparazzi? Because clearly, they're not
supposed to drive in a dangerous fashion as they were on the pavement in such a way.
From Harry's point of view, it's where you take it next. How do you ensure the safety of your wife and your family and let's not be sexist, how does
Meghan ensure the safety of her husband and family when you've already got the protection of the Metropolitan Police sometimes, the NYPD, vast array
of other services? What do you do next?
MACFARLANE: And let's not forget, Richard, that all of this comes, what, just a week, a week and a bit after the coronation of King Charles. You
were here in the U.K. for that and this was, I believe, Meghan's first appearance since that actually took place. Covering the royals as you have
for so many years, Richard, I mean, we have not heard from the Royal Family yet on this incident. Do you think we're likely to?
QUEST: It's a difficult one, again.
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QUEST: And you're asking all the tough ones today because on the one hand, they will want to be seen to give support because it's a problem they face,
as well. And it was one of the biggest problems. So, they will want to be seen to do something or say something. But how you balance that with the
Royals' never-complain-mantra and then that's going to be really very tricky for them.
I think what -- Harry's right again, I'm sorry, Harry, I told you so, Sussex, Harry will say, oh, here they go again. They're doing it through
their briefers, their best friends. They're doing it through people who cannot be named, sources close to the royals. And that's how they'll get
the message out.
MACFARLANE: Yeah.
QUEST: Harry will say, once again, I told you so.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, I think to that point, whether or not a comment from the Royals -- family would be welcome. We will wait to see. Richard Quest, so
great to have your thoughts. Appreciate it, Richard there, live from New York.
QUEST: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: And we're gonna have the day's other news after this quick break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: We're turning you now to Ukraine, where all eyes are on Kyiv ahead of its counteroffensive, expected to begin at any time and what may
be a last-ditch attempt by Russia to gain the upper hand. The Southeastern regime came under heavy shelling in the latest barrage of strikes by Moscow
that one U.S. official described as an attempt to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses.
It comes days after Ukrainian intelligence says Russia lacks the resources for any large-scale offensive action. And an intense fighting meanwhile
continues around the embattled eastern city of Bakmut, where in recent days, Kyiv says it has gained ground. Well, CNN's Nic Robertson joins me
now live from eastern Ukraine. Nic, what do these last-ditch attempts by Russia tell us about their strategy as we wait for the expected
counteroffensive to come?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Well, I think in some ways Russia's strategy mirrors Ukraine's strategy. Ukraine has a huge number of
sources and support for weapons from NATO countries, and it's able to bring those in and get units trained up. But, you know, there's a recognition on
the Ukrainian side that the Russians are doing the same, too. They are bringing new equipment to the front lines that they are manufacturing
within Russia. They may not be able to bring as much new and as much sophisticated equipment in as Ukraine brings in.
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So, while Russia pushes now, it doesn't seem to have the shoulder, if you will, to be able to roll through Ukrainian lines. However, in the center of
Bakhmut, where the fighting is intense, Russia still, in this urban environment, is able to succeed where, around the edges, not so much.
Ukraine has an upper hand there at the moment in a limited way. It's really a fight in two parts around Bakhmut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE))
ROBERTSON (voice-over): On Bakhmut's destroyed streets, two Ukrainian soldiers bolster flagging spirits with dark humor. Oh, that boom, boom,
boom. Is that on us, one says? Oh, no, the other jokes. We're enchanted. They're not for us.
Russia's push for the remaining Ukrainian-controlled high rises around them has not relented, despite recent successes taking ground north and south of
the meat grinder town. In a field hospital nearby, troops concussed by heavy Russian shelling inside Bakhmut. How was the fight in Bakhmut
compared to Kherson and other places?
UNKNOWN: Bakhmut is similar.
ROBERTSON: Olsyn White (ph), a 47-year-old former warehouse manager, tells us Bakhmut is his hardest battle yet. It's hell, he says. How is the morale
at the front line? He pauses, sighs and whispers. It's hard. Tanks, too, are getting chewed up in the Bakhmut meat grinder.
This Soviet era T-72 blasted by shelling there. Repairs made in hedgerows because workshops are getting targeted. The shrapnel holes don't matter,
this tank commander tells us. What's important is the engine and the reactive armor.
Locations of repair hideaways like this one are a closely guarded secret. Once the counteroffensive begins, they will be even more vital to keep the
military and its machines moving. In a combat bunker buried outside Bakhmut, troops have no idea when or where the big offensive will come.
They're monitoring the battlefield from here. We can't show you the screens that they're looking down from drones. As soon as a Russian soldier puts
his head up and moves, you see it. Morale here, high, because they've recently made gains across fields surrounding the town. Early success in
the coming counteroffensive will be critical. The lessons of Bakhmut, momentum and motivation is all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on-camera): And what the Ukrainians are seeing is that where they do make those successes in and around Bakhmut, the Russians have to
pull in troops from other areas and of course, all of that helps Ukrainians figure out where the Russian lines become weaker when they push in another
place and where they therefore might exploit for this expected counteroffensive.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, that's great insight, Nic, and just another quick note, because we have been waiting for announcements on this, and it was
confirmed today that the Black Sea Grain Deal has been extended. What more details do you know about that?
ROBERTSON: Yeah, this sort of came a little bit unexpectedly, although in the context of the grain deal that was originally established last summer,
that was going to last for 90 days and does get routinely extended and does sort of come to crunch points where Russia seems to sort of pause and it
leads over the past month, for example, to a diminution of about 30 percent of all the grain and other products that are supposed to be being exported
by Ukraine via the Black Sea. It is now done and that will give food security, in theory, to East Africa, for example, when 90 percent of the
population there, hundreds of millions of people, effectively depend on the food coming out and the grain coming out of Ukraine.
Now, what we've seen with these deals in the past, there's one deal between the U.N. and Turkey and Ukraine and one deal between the U.N. and Turkey
and Russia. And Russia gets to export fertilizer and some food. We don't know why Russia was sort of holding this deal up again, is what they've
routinely been doing but whatever it was, that now appears to be solved.
MACFARLANE: All right, Nic Robertson there, live from Eastern Ukraine, appreciate your reporting, Nic. Thank you. All right, coming up, a close
call. We'll have more on a dangerous chase by paparazzi to capture pictures of Britain's Prince Harry and his wife.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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MACFARLANE: Hello and welcome back to One World. More now on the breaking news out of New York and a dangerous incident involving Britain's Prince
Harry and his wife Meghan and Meghan's mother. Prince Harry's team says the couple were in a near-catastrophic car chase Tuesday night involving
aggressive photographers. His team says the chase could have been fatal with paparazzi running red lights and driving on sidewalks.
The couple have been attending an awards ceremony Tuesday night, at which Megan was honored. These are images you're seeing in front of you here from
that event. Well, let's bring in CNN's Royal Correspondent Max Foster. And Max, I understand you have some new reporting for us on what actually
unfolded that Tuesday night.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the idea. I spoke to someone in the security detail, and when you were talking there about this
potentially being fatal, what they're talking about is people on the pavements and crossing the road who were at risk from the paparazzi who
were acting very chaotically, very erratically.
And at one point the car -- the limousine that the Sussexes and Doria Ragland were in was blocked off and the paps were taking pictures, I'm told
by the head of security, and they had to maneuver their way out to get away and it was very dangerous situation. It's going on for something like two
hours and they had to swap cars so, it was a really detailed operation.
So, that's really where the concern was. They, at no point, felt as if their lives were at threat because what they were trying to do in the
convoy was adhere to all the road rules. They were much more concerned about people on foot, effectively, on the pavements, with about a dozen,
you know, about a dozen vehicles, cars, bikes, push bikes, but also motorbikes, were sort of driving very erratically and jumping through red
lights.
So, we're getting a better sense of what they were going through and how traumatic it was for them. Very relieved to eventually get safe and they're
very -- sort of upset by them -- from the couple themselves -- but several people around them and they were telling the same sort of story.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, and Max, I'm just reading from their statement here that these near-collisions involve drivers on the road, pedestrians, NYPD
officers.
[12:35:00]
Have we had any statement at all from the NYPD with their own version of events?
FOSTER: Well, we're hearing different -- from different parts of the NYPD and they're all effectively telling us the same story and how this is
completely unacceptable for anyone to go through this, no matter how long it went on for, let alone two hours effectively. So, we'll get more detail
from them, I think. They're working -- the security detail of former Secret Service, they're working quite closely with the NYPD. They've also gotten
former NYPD, as well, within the security detail.
So, I think there's a lot of coordination there. We'll wait to see what Harry eventually says but of course he wanted much more security, he wanted
public funded security from the U.K. He never got that and I don't know whether or not he feels this would have been better handled if he had a
bigger detail but it seems as though the people that are around him at the time did a pretty good job keeping everyone safe and thankfully there
weren't any fatalities around what was clearly a very chaotic situation.
MACFARLANE: Yeah, absolutely. Max Foster for us, live there in London. Thanks, Max. Let's turn to CNN's Melissa Bell, joining me now live in
Paris. And Melissa, we know that Prince Harry has been dealing with the paparazzi -- fear of the paparazzi his whole life and this has very
uncomfortable associations with what happened to his mother, of course, in Paris where she was chased by the paparazzi where she died really in that
tunnel on the 31st of August 1997. Just tell us what the reaction is that you're seeing there.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, for anyone who's old enough to remember Christina, it's one of those moments everyone can remember where
they were. Now, it's such important context we heard from Max here that they themselves, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, had never felt threatened,
but had feared for the lives of others.
Because, of course, that does draw an important distinction between what happened here in Paris nearly 26 years ago and what unfolded in the streets
of New York City last night, which doesn't take away, of course, from the fact that for him specifically, who was 12 years old when he learned of his
mother's death, and has been speaking at length ever since about the profound impact it had on him.
There's nothing to take away from what he would have felt and the perils that he would have felt, that sense of being hounded that we've been
speaking about so much this morning as we try and imagine how they felt. And that is precisely what happened to Princess Diana. She had been hounded
in what was her new life with Dodi Al Fayed, had come through Paris for a night, extraordinary lengths had been taken to try and get them safely from
the Ritz Hotel to an apartment not very far away from where they were due to stay.
A decoy car had been sent to try and get the paparazzi off the scent. They had, nonetheless, been found. That car crash, terrible car crash, of
course, ensued in the tunnel under the Pont de l'Allemand and she died very shortly afterwards.
Now, of course, ever since then, so much attention has been paid to the specific circumstances in which she could have found herself so -- not just
scrutinized but hounded by the press that that should have been able to happen. There have been inquests, there has been so much talk about it over
the years. And yet, of course, here we are realizing that Prince Harry is as little protected from that press interest as was his mother 26 years
ago.
There are different consequences, of course, in the events, nonetheless. Also, I think Christina, it's important to remember that at the time some
of those images that emerged from those terrible incidents under the Pont de l'Alma on the morning of the 31st, some of those dreadful pictures that
were taken of the immediate aftermath of the crash were initially published in countries like France, Italy, further afield, before being retracted,
and then they were taken offline, and you really won't find them anywhere.
Now, what we understand is that Prince Harry did at one point ask to see those pictures for himself. So, he's taken a very personal and graphic
interest in exactly what happened to his mother. And I think, of course, when you think about that and you bear that in mind, I think it puts into
context a bit better what he might be feeling today having escaped those two hours and looked back on them and felt what he did, Christina.
MACFARLANE: Absolutely, and it's almost surreal, Melissa, that we're having to cast our minds back to what happened that day and remember the
circumstances under which Diana died as a result of what happened in New York yesterday. Melissa Bell, live from Paris, thanks very much, Melissa.
And we'll be back with more after this quick break. Stay with us.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back. Extreme flooding in Northern Italy has claimed at least eight lives. The Italian Coast Guard and firefighters are helping
with rescues. Many people were stuck on their roofs. The region has experienced severe droughts, which dried out the land, reducing the amount
of water it can absorb. That's making the floods even worse.
Meanwhile, more rain is expected. Barbie Nadeau joins us now live from Rome with an update. And Barbie, as I was saying there, this comes after, I
think, months of drought. So, what has been the scale of the damage of these floods?
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (on-camera): Well, you know, they haven't even begun to count the economic damage. This is a very important part of
the farmland -- farmland of Italy here, and they suffered a terrible drought last year. There was almost no snow this summer. So, the River Po,
for example, is almost dry. We took a closer look at some of the incredible rescue operations going on here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADEAU (voice-over): Roads turned to rivers, as rain many hoped would alleviate drought conditions, now a serious threat in the central Italian
region of Emilia-Romagna. There are already victims, and rescuers are searching for the missing. Hundreds of people were rescued from flooded
homes, many brought to safety in rubber dinghies on flooded streets. More than 5000 people are under evacuation, according to the Civil Protection.
Among them, a four-month-old baby and an elderly handicapped man.
The region had been undergoing severe drought. In 2022, low rainfall and extreme heat depleted the River Po, a crucial waterway for transport and
irrigation. A winter with very little snow did little to help. And as bad as these floods are, they are only a drop in the bucket for what is needed
to reverse the drought.
Earlier this month, a downpour swelled the Po by five feet. This deluge of water will raise it even more, but it is still well below average. Extreme
weather events are threatening other Italian regions, from Venice, where the Moselle floodgates have been raised to protect the city from high
water, to Sicily, where heavy storms downed trees and flooded homes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NADEAU (on-camera): And you know, you just look at the devastation there. It's gonna take months, if not longer, for people to try to get their lives
back. They've had to cancel sporting events, the Formula One that was supposed to be held this weekend in Imola, canceled.
But you know, when you come to talk about the loss of human life, eight people we know so far, and that death toll could rise because there are
people missing, that's what's really important here, Christina.
MACFARLANE: Absolutely, those pictures are extraordinary. And as we say, more rain unfortunately expected, as well. Barbie Nadeau there, live from
Rome. Thanks, Barbie.
Now, hundreds of people are feared dead after a powerful storm barreled into Myanmar. Cyclone Mocha unleashed widespread destruction on Sunday,
hitting conflict-scarred Rakhine State especially hard.
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It's home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. CNN's Vedika Sud has the story.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The United Nations says a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha that pummeled
the western coast of Myanmar, Sunday. More than 5 million people are estimated to have been in the storm's path across Rakhine and the
northwest. Hundreds of people, including Rohingya Muslims, are feared dead and unspecified numbers still missing.
The storm, one of the strongest to hit the country, washed away shelters, destroyed homes, uprooted trees and brought down power lines. The embattled
state of Rakhine, home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, has been hit hard. Videos from the region bet testament to the widespread damage,
especially around state capital, Sittwe. Myanmar's shadow government, the National Unity Government, says people living in refugee camps drowned in
floods after seawater raced into the city.
Sources speaking to CNN say many bodies of Rohingya victims have already been buried according to their religious customs. It's been a truly
terrifying experience for those in the path of the cyclone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN (through translator): Nine out of fourteen of my family members were killed because they couldn't resist when strong winds swayed them
away.
UNKNOWN (through translator): All of my belongings, rice, and even dishes are gone. Now, I have no money to rebuild my house. We are starving. I
haven't eaten for two days. How many days does a person have to go hungry?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD (on-camera): Damage to communications and road infrastructure is making it difficult for agencies to deliver aid to affected areas. It may take
days to understand the true impact of the cyclone in one of Asia's least developed countries. Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
MACFARLANE: Global temperatures are set to soar over the next five years. That word from the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization, which warns
that a key global warming target is likely to be breached within the next five years.
The WMO's annual report also predicted major changes to the weather, saying the chance of one of the next five years beating 2016 as the warmest year
on record is almost certain at 98 percent. The Arctic will see disproportionate warming with temperatures there rising three times the
rate of average global increases. We'll be right back with more after this break. Stay with us.
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MACFARLANE: Welcome back to One World. Let's catch up on the latest headlines now. Four people were killed when a U.S. convoy was attacked in
Nigeria, Tuesday. Three others were kidnapped. The dead are two personnel from the U.S. Consulate and two police officers. They were not American
citizens. The attack happened in the southeastern part of the country.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal against a 2021 corruption conviction. The Paris Court of Appeals upheld his three-year
prison sentence with two years suspended home on one at home wearing an electronic bracelet. Sarkozy's lawyer says he's innocent and will appeal to
the French Supreme Court.
U.S. President Joe Biden is on his way to Japan for the G7 Summit. Looming over his trip, debt ceiling negotiations. That prompted Mr. Biden to cancel
his second leg of his trip. It included stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden met with Republican leadership calling those
talks productive.
Turning now to Ecuador where the country's security forces are on patrol outside the National Assembly. This comes after embattled President
Guillermo Lasso announced the assembly's dissolution earlier today as he tries to avoid impeachment. In a speech to the nation, President Lasso
called for snap elections. He's accused of turning a blind eye to embezzlement, which he denies.
Well, I want to bring in Journalist Stefano Pozzebon with more on what the President's decision means for Ecuador. And Stefano, how unprecedented is
this and what are gonna be the next steps here?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, it's definitely unprecedented, Christina. It's the first time in Ecuador's recent history that both a
President faces an impeachment trial in the National Assembly, in parliament. And at the same time, it's the first time that a President
invokes this provision of the Ecuadorian Constitution called Muerte Cruzada, the mutual death, which grants the President the power to dismiss
the National Assembly, call for new elections --snap elections for both his charge, his Office as President and Congress.
He probably realized overnight, because he made the announcement early this morning at around 7 a.m. in Ecuador's time. He realized overnight that he
didn't have the numbers to survive to that impeachment trial that was looming before the end of the week. And in his address, he spoke, why he
thinks that going to a new election is the best way forward for Ecuador.
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GUILLERMO LASSO, ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is a democratic decision, not only because it is constitutional, but because it
returns to the Ecuadorian people, to you, the power to decide their future in the next elections. This is the best possible decision, which opens the
way for us to regain hope, tranquility, and will allow the government to focus all its efforts on meeting the needs of Ecuadorian families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And what in terms of what comes next, it's a very fluid situation, as you said, Christina, the Electoral Council has about seven
days to call for a new election that have to take place within six months. Until that moment, there is no Congress, but LASA will remain in place and
we're ruled by decree to allow the everyday activities of government before the new election takes place, Christina.
MACFARLANE: All right, Stefano, I know you'll be tracking this as it develops day by day, fast moving situation at the moment. Thank you. Now,
when Chinese comedian told a joke about that country's army, the punchline was delivered by Chinese authorities. They have issued a $2 million fine
for the joke. We get more now from CNN's Steven Jiang.
STEVEN JIANG, BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: To China's cultural czars, the offending joke amounts to a serious insult to the Chinese
military and causing bad social consequences. But to most people outside of China, the costly punchline sounds innocuous. That's when Comedian Li
Haoshi, known by his stage name, "House", described his thought when seeing two stray dogs he had just adopted chasing a squirrel.
The phrases he used find style of work capable of winning battles. The problem is, this is a well-known slogan to describe the Chinese military
first uttered in 2013 by China's supreme leader Xi Jinping who also heads the military and in 2021 the country enacted a law banning any insult and
slander against military personnel.
Now, the comedian and his company have since apologized several times promising to deeply reflect on their mistakes and re-educate themselves.
And on Wednesday, the company announced it has fired Lee and promising to further strengthen content review and even installing on-site monitors in
performance venues.
[12:55:00]
But it may not get any chance to do so because the Beijing cultural authorities have also banned the company from staging any more shows in the
capital and even pledging to conduct further investigation into this incident.
So, for many of these art forms, mostly young fans, this episode could indeed deal a fatal blow to a very young industry which had just gone from
underground to mainstream. And to many other people, this is a rather tragic reminder of this extremely delicate line that comedians and other
artists and public figures have to strike in this highly-censored environment where politics is never a laughing matter.
All of this according to analysts, is a reflection of the governing philosophy of President Xi who wants to reassure the Communist Party's
dominance including ideological control in every aspect of Chinese society. Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.
MACFARLANE: Thanks to Steven for that. And thank you for watching a very busy edition of ONE WORLD. I'm Christina MacFarlane. Stay tuned because
"AMANPOUR" is coming up next on CNN.
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