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One World with Zain Asher
U.N.'s Top Court Rules Immediate Stop To Offensive In Rafah; AAA Says Some 44 Million Americans Will Travel This Weekend; Low-Hanging Clouds Approach The Western Suburbs Of Chicago; More Disturbing Allegations Against Sean Diddy Combs Surface In A New Lawsuit; Filmmaker And Former CNN Series Host Morgan Spurlock Dies At 53; Landmark Deal Expected To Pave The Way For Colleges To Pay Student Athletes. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired May 24, 2024 - 12:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Israel must immediately stop its offensive in Rafah. That's the ruling of the U.N.'s top court. ONE WORLD starts right
now. The court says Israel has one month to submit a report on its progress in the matter. But is the ruling even enforceable? We'll discuss.
Also ahead, here in the United States, it's the unofficial start to summer -- forty-four million Americans are taking to the skies and roads for
Memorial Day. We'll take you to one of the world's busiest airports live. And later, chance encounter. She left the house for a hike. Moments later,
she met the love of her life. That story, just ahead.
And a warm welcome. We are live in New York. I'm Paula Newton, and you are watching ONE WORLD. And we begin with what could be a pivotal moment, not
only in the Israel-Hamas war, but in the eyes of the international community. The United Nations top court is ordering Israel to immediately
halt its military offensive in Rafah, and to report back to the court within one month of its progress.
Now, the ruling is part of the wider case that South Africa brought to the International Court of Justice against Israel under the Genocide
Convention, the ICJ citing, quote, exceptionally grave developments. They said that the humanitarian situation in Rafah has seriously deteriorated
since its last hearing in March, and can now be classified as disastrous.
And the court says it's not convinced that Israel has taken sufficient measures to alleviate the, quote, immense risk to which the Palestinian
population has been exposed. Now, meantime, the Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of three people killed by Hamas on October 7th.
The victims were identified as Hanan Yablonka, Michel Neissenbaum, and Orian Hernandez.
Two of them were, in fact, attacked at the Nova music festival, and one was killed as he was picking up his granddaughter. According to the IDF, the
bodies were recovered in a joint overnight operation with Israel's domestic security agency.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Jerusalem as he's been following all of the latest developments. To that court ruling first, give us an
indication of how Israel is reacting, and not just the politicians. I mean, I'm quite curious, given the moves of the ICJ and earlier in the week the
International Criminal Court, has this served to actually bolster the war cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that it bolsters this sense that Israelis have that the world is kind of out to get
them no matter what they do. That is certainly a sense that existed before October 7th. It is one that has only been amplified in recent months as
international criticism of Israel's war effort in Gaza has heightened.
But that being said, it is also an indication of just how much Israel is being increasingly isolated on the world stage between the ICC decision to
seek arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister at the beginning of the week, and the ICJ, the International Court of Justice,
today ordering Israel to halt this military offensive in Rafah.
Now, Israeli officials are already discarding this ruling by the ICJ, showing no indication that Israel will comply with what is indeed a legally
binding ruling. But it is one where the International Court of Justice has no enforcement mechanism to actually ensure that Israel is complying with
its order.
What could happen though is that multiple other countries, European countries for example, could seek to impose sanctions on Israel if it
disregards this ruling by the ICJ. So this isn't just a symbolic measure, but one that could actually have an impact on Israel.
NEWTON: And Jeremy, before I let you go, there is the recovery of those bodies. I mean, incredibly sad, and we have to remember again what sparked
all of this and the suffering that some of those Israeli families are still going through.
DIAMOND: Yeah, for the second time in two weeks now, the Israeli military in northern Gaza has recovered the bodies of Israeli hostages in
underground tunnels. Today, the Israeli military announcing the recovery of three hostages, the bodies of those hostages -- Orion Hernandez-Radu, a
French-Mexican tourist who was visiting, was attending that Nova music festival with his girlfriend Shani Luke, whose body was found last week in
Gaza by the Israeli military.
[12:05:00]
Hanan Yablonka, a 42-year-old father of two from Tel Aviv, he made a last- minute decision to attend that Nova music festival, and his family until today did not know that he was dead. So, that was a blow to their family to
get this news today, of course.
And Michel Nissenbaum was a 59-year-old Brazilian-Israeli citizen from Sderot. He was a father and a grandfather. He was rushing to try and get
his granddaughter. On that morning of October 7th, he was killed on his way to get her, his body, then taken into Gaza, taken hostage.
There are nearly 40 Israeli hostages who are still being held in Gaza who are believed to be dead, nearly 130 altogether, both alive and dead. And we
know that negotiations are set to resume this weekend in Paris, it seems, to see if a ceasefire and hostage-release deal can be struck, but no
indication yet of whether the bridge between Hamas and Israel on this topic can -- this gap, rather, can be bridged.
NEWTON: Yeah. Jeremy Diamond for us as we continue to follow developments. Appreciate it. Okay. So, the unofficial start of summer is here in the
United States. Many across the country are starting a three-day weekend. That often means outdoor fun, of course, the cookout, swimming, and, of
course, travel.
AAA says some 44 million Americans will travel this weekend. Many will be flying, like those folks you see there at the Atlanta airport, but most, in
fact, will be hitting the roads. In fact, the Auto Club says it expects to see the highest number of travelers since it started keeping track back in
2000.
Now, in the central and eastern United States, meantime, those celebrations may have to be held indoors. A line of severe storms could bring hail,
damaging wind, and possibly tornadoes. However, across the Gulf Coast, it is the heat that could be making things outside unbearable.
We are looking at all those angles, and we've got Derek Van Dam tracking severe weather. But we begin with Ryan Young at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
airport. What are you seeing right now there with those travelers? Things still running smoothly, as far as you can tell.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Things are running smoothly, but they're already breaking records. And I'm talking about
record numbers of people coming through this airport. Over 111,000 people went through this airport TSA checkpoint alone yesterday. And already this
morning, they've broken the morning numbers when it comes to travelers going through here.
More than about 40,000 people going through so far. You can see the lines. And look, they are prepared for this. All lines are open. But you're not
even seeing the international travelers where we are right now. When you talk about the 3.5 million Americans who are going to be traveling all
across this country, this is pre-pandemic numbers. 2019, some people calling this revenge travel because they want to get out. They want to
experience getting ready for the summer.
I talked to one family that says it was tough budgeting for this because obviously things are more expensive these days. But at the same time, they
wanted to be out. But take a listen to these travelers who said they are excited to get on the road and get in the skies to go on their trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: This is our son Ethan's first trip. So, I got him and his Grammy right here pushing him through. And we're excited to go on a visit his 92-
year-old grandpa in Texas.
YOUNG: It's going to be the busiest travel day since 2019. Did you go -- or are you okay with that?
UNKNOWN: Oh, I was a little -- I was a little scared and excited. So, we left super early. So, we're used to Atlanta traffic. We know you had to
leave early. One of the parking decks was closed. So, we're good now once we get through TSA.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG: Paula, for our international viewers, you think about this. They're telling some people they need to be here three hours ahead of time,
especially with that international travel. For domestic travel, they're really suggesting about two hours. You can see the lines that are open
here. They have more than 18 lanes open to move people through already.
Like I said before, they have broken the record here, but you got to think about this -- JFK, got to talk about O'Hare in Chicago and out at LAX. They
are expecting crowds that will certainly test the TSA today. Got to pack your patience just a little bit.
But it seems like the public here is energized to travel, which is a good news because it's going to probably stimulate that economy. At the same
time, you understand if that weather hits it, I'm sure Derek will talk about it could be some pain. All the flights so far, all green, no
cancellations so far.
NEWTON: And Ryan, you teed that up perfectly because we are going right to Derek there. It's hard for Americans to really catch their breath from all
the severe weather they've been looking at in the last two weeks. So, how's the weekend shaping up?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, well, here it is. To Ryan's perfect segue, we've got a live look at what Chicago skyline is bracing
for. Look at the distance here, some low hanging clouds. Well, yeah, that is part of a broader storm system that is approaching the western suburbs
of Chicago, and it will rock the skyline with some thunder and lightning here in the next 15 to 25 minutes.
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Of course, that could impact Chicago, O'Hare and the surrounding airports, including Midway. Here it is on radar. In fact, Chicago currently under a
severe thunderstorm watch until 1 P.M. local time. The storm system that's brought this severe weather threat has slowly started to weaken. So, that's
good news, but there are definitely some gusty winds. There's even a few embedded severe thunderstorm warnings that are still on-going across
central Illinois.
But overall, the larger picture here is that just some kind of rough weather just moving through Chicago. But really this afternoon and evening
is when we want to focus our attention on because there's another round of storms that will come. I'll show you that in just a second.
But this is part of a larger storm system that's, get this, brought over 85 tornadoes since the beginning of the week, and today we have no rest for
the weary. We have over 80 million Americans under some sort of severe weather threat. That includes Chicago, greatest probability of severe
weather just to our west where an enhanced risk exists across western portions of Illinois, and that also includes portions of Oklahoma and
central Texas, as well.
That area with the shading of yellow, that's a five percent probability of tornadoes, and we have eclipsed the year-to-date average. The typical
number of tornadoes we see for the end of May, we have already skyrocketed past that number. This is part of a multi-day severe weather setup that
will on-go right through their extended holiday weekend. Look at Saturday and Sunday as these storms just continue to fire. Paula?
NEWTON: Yeah, Americans really have to brace themselves here both at the airports and on the road. Derek Van Dam for us, and Ryan Young, appreciate
it. Now, a remote village in Papua New Guinea has been overtaken by a landslide said to be the size of three to four football fields.
Now, it happened in the early morning hours when most of the village would have been asleep. More than a hundred people are feared dead. The disaster
has cut off the area's main highway, making relief efforts even more difficult. Anna Coren has our update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Emergency crews in Papua New Guinea are trying to access a remote village in Enga province in the north of the
country, where a landslide is believed to have killed more than a hundred people.
Around 3 A.M. on Friday, Kaokalam Village, situated in the highlands, was hit by an enormous landslide, flattening houses. One eyewitness said that
the entire village was gone. Pictures and video on social media show villagers trying to find survivors in the earth and rubble. Large boulders,
tree trunks and collapsed buildings scatter the earth. One resident said the debris was making it hard to find the bodies.
The highway to the area has been cut off, making it inaccessible for rescue workers to get to the scene of this natural disaster. A Red Cross official
told CNN that a recent earthquake and heavy rainfall in the area may have been responsible for triggering the deadly landslide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET PHILEMON, CARETAKER, NATIONAL TREASURER, PAPUA NEW GUINEA RED CROSS: There was a 4.5 earthquake in the area about four days ago, so that could
have shaken things up a bit, opened up some cracks. If rain followed, you'd possibly get the weakening, and then sometimes these landslides in those
circumstances just happen like this one did overnight with seemingly no cause.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, issued a statement saying, we are sending in disaster officials, PNG Defense Force
and the Department of Work and Highways to meet provincial and district officials in Enga and also start relief work, recovery of bodies and
reconstruction of infrastructure. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide disaster.
Now the scale of destruction is enormous and many fear the death toll will rise. Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So, CNN has received a peek behind the scenes at how Joe Biden and Donald Trump are preparing for their debate here on CNN next month. Aides
say Trump is not planning formal practice sessions for the time being at least, instead believing his freewheeling style will carry the day.
Biden's aides say the President's goal on stage will be to needle and taunt Trump, confronting him about what one person described as, quote, the crazy
stuff, he says. Now, part of that effort was unveiled today with the release of a new ad campaign by the Biden campaign, narrated in fact by
actor Robert De Niro. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR (voice-over): From midnight tweets to drinking bleach, to tear gassing citizens and staging a photo op, we knew Trump was
out of control when he was President. Then he lost the 2020 election and snapped. Trump wants revenge and he'll stop at nothing to get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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NEWTON: Now, a reminder, so far they've both agreed to have two presidential debates. Meantime, Donald Trump is making up for a with a
formal rival that he refused to debate. You'll remember this speaking at a reporter, speaking with a reporter at a rally on Thursday. Trump said he
expects Nikki Haley to in fact be part of his campaign team, though he didn't specify what role she might play. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARA ROSENBLUM, NEWS 12 REPORTER: Big night last night, Nikki Haley making her first public remarks since dropping out of the race. She said that Joe
Biden has been a catastrophe and she said she's voting for you. I'm sure those were welcome remarks for you, but it also left a lot of people
wondering, is there room for her on your team or better yet your ticket?
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (R) AND CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (R): Well, I think she's going to be on our team
because we have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts. I appreciated what she said. You know, we had a nasty campaign. It was pretty nasty, but
she's a very capable person and I'm sure she's going to be on our team in some form. Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: CNN's Steve Contorno is tracking all of these developments for us and I do want to get, of course, to the issue of Nikki Haley, but I do want
to talk about, in fact, that rally in the Bronx. This is traditionally Democratic territory, right?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: It is, and there's a logistical reason that he was there, Paula. He was supposed to be potentially in court that day.
Obviously, the judge moved the rest of the proceedings to next week, so he had a free day on the calendar. But it was intended to initially be
something that he could easily get to after appearing in a Manhattan courtroom.
But look, there was definitely another purpose to this event. This was part of his outreach toward black voters, minority voters, Hispanic voters, and
Trump in this rally really spoke to what he felt was the issues that concern these communities. And yes, this is a Democratic part of the
country in a very Democratic state, but Trump is trying to reach these communities in swing states, as well.
He has made similar outreaches to African American communities in Detroit, in Atlanta, to Hispanic voters in Nevada and Arizona. So, this is part of
his effort to drive a wedge between Democrats and one of their traditional bedrocks of their voting base. And there is -- suggestions in the polling
that it is working so far.
NEWTON: And that is incredibly interesting when you think about that. Nikki Haley, meantime, what we were just hearing, that was quite some
contrition from Donald Trump. In fact, the most you're probably going to get. But here's the issue. Could this sway Haley's voters? Those are the
people he needs, many of whom are Never-Trumpers.
CONTORNO: Not only are they Never-Trumpers or they need swaying, but a lot of them continue to vote in these Republican primaries for Nikki Haley long
after she has dropped out of the race. That is a troubling sign for Trump's campaign because her coalition is made up of a lot of voters who might end
up swinging this election. She was speaking to a lot of college educated voters, a lot of suburban voters. Those are areas where Trump had struggled
in 2020 and he needs them again if he's going to win in 2024.
Now, my understanding of this thawing of relationship between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump is it's still very young. In fact, we have just confirmed
that the two have not even spoken yet. So, even though there is this public dethawing going on where Nikki Haley is saying she will vote for Trump and
Trump is saying nice things about Nikki Haley, there's still a long way to go there, Paula.
NEWTON: A long way to go. And what's in it for Nikki Haley, right? We'll see if Donald Trump is elected. She said that she doesn't want anything
from him and what we shall see in the coming months. Steve Contorno for us, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Now, Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet,
literally, for Kenya's President last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON (voice-over): The U.S. President and first lady held a gala dinner, state dinner for Kenya's William Ruto and his wife Rachel. This is the
first White House state visit by an African leader since 2008. Now, earlier in the day, the two leaders spent much of their time talking about Kenya's
decision to send security forces to Haiti. This is to help counter gang violence there. The deployment could happen soon. And Mr. Ruto said his
nation feels an obligation to help Haiti.
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: Kenya believes that the responsibility of peace and security anywhere in the world, including in Haiti, is the
collective responsibility of all nations and all peoples who believe in freedom, self-determination, democracy and justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, for a bit more on this important Kenyan mission to Haiti, I am joined by Vanya Andre. She is chief operating officer of "The Haitian
Times". And good to have you. You know, we just heard from the President there. And finally, Kenyan troops may arrive. What kind of a difference do
you believe they can make on the ground, if any?
[12:20:00]
VANIA ANDRE, COO, "THE HAITIAN TIMES": Thank you so much for having me. Honestly, that's a question and an answer that's yet to be seen. When we
are talking about this in the newsroom, one thing that is very clear is that whatever happens with this mission, because it is one of the first
ones that's been led by a country from the African continent, from Kenya, it's yet to be seen how much of an impact that this really will have.
One thing that I will say, though, is that of all of the nations that were considered to lead this mission, one of the questions that we ask amongst
ourselves is, why was Kenya the one chosen, especially since they're getting opposition from their own citizens about sending troops here, given
the situation that they have dealing on their own front?
NEWTON: Yeah, incredible challenges, in fact, just with security in Kenya itself and you make a good point there. Now, for people in Haiti, though,
and I'm talking about the people on the ground, we have heard that they don't necessarily want foreign troops on the ground. Do you believe some
may still welcome this security force, given how things have deteriorated so much in the last few weeks?
ANDRE: I'm actually going to push back against that notion. What we've been seeing is that there's really two frame of thoughts when people are
thinking about this mission and what international intervention looks like in Haiti.
On one side, you have folks who, yes, they may be living in Haiti, but they have foreign passports, they're able to travel to other countries if need
be. And then also, you have folks that fall under that same umbrella that are part of the diaspora, that have an outsized influence on how policy is
shaped and how the interactions in Haiti happen.
So, those are the folks that you really see that are protesting any type of intervention, whether it's U.S.-led, led by one of the core group nations,
such as Canada, France, or Brazil. And then on the other side, you have the folks who are in Haiti who live their day-in-day-lives there. They do not
have the luxury to be able to get on a flight to head to the D.R. or head to Miami or head to New York.
And they are the ones that we have spoken to. We have our own team that's in Haiti that is very clear in saying that they need help. Now, I
understand that intervention, whether it's, you know, a Kenyan-led intervention, U.S.-led, whoever it is, that there are complications to that
due to the historical experiences that folks have had with Haiti and foreign intervention.
However, the common thread for all of these people that, despite that, before any progress can happen in the country is that we need to have
stability. There needs to be safety. There cannot be this overwhelming rush of violence where folks are not even able to go about their day-to-day
lives.
So, while the concerns about what the implications for any type of foreign intervention may look like in Haiti is very valid and I understand where
that's coming from, in the immediacy, this is not something that should be politicized, because there are people who are losing their lives and people
who are really, in a way, they described it as an open-air prison.
NEWTON: Yeah, it is how so many come to describe it. I do want to point out that we do have some news into CNN about David and Natalie Lloyd, who
apparently were attacked by gangs yesterday. They were both sadly killed. Natalie Lloyd's father, in fact, is a Missouri state representative, Ben
Baker, and he obviously treats this as such heartbreaking news for him and his family, putting on a post that they went to heaven together. That was
both her and her husband.
But listen, you and I both know that this is a daily occurrence for so many Haitians. It speaks to the really unspeakable violence that is occurring at
this hour in Haiti. So I ask you, regardless of if there is any kind of a security force on the ground, what has to be done about that gang violence?
Do you have to co-opt the gangs? Do you have to contain them? Or do you have to just fiercely take them on? I mean, what do people think?
ANDRE: I think it's twofold. On one side, we've heard folks say that these gangs should, for whatever reason, I say loosely embraced, but these gangs
are made up of individual young men, a lot of men who feel as though they do not have a future in the country. And this is what a lack of hope and
desperation has devolved into.
So, there are folks that think that there's an opportunity to really refocus this energy into something positive, into something that can
overwhelmingly in the future help the country. And then on the other side, I think it really is about showing a force of strength. However, there are
challenges logistically.
The Haitian National Police, they are not well equipped with the resources and the tools that they need to be able to do so. So, again, you hear a lot
of competing voices, a lot of folks that mean well, and they all want the best for Haiti, but what that looks like in practice is anyone's guess
about what will work.
[12:25:09]
And again, this will be a great case study for us to see in the years to come about the effectiveness of this. Yeah, there is no doubt about one
thing, the Haitian people deserve so much better as they continue to struggle day in, day out. Vania Andre from "The Haitian Times", thanks so
much, appreciate it.
ANDRE: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, more legal problems for Sean Diddy Combs. The rap mogul faces yet another lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault. We have those details
after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: There are more disturbing allegations against Sean Diddy Combs in a new lawsuit. It was filed Thursday by a woman who says she met the rapper
when she was a student in New York in 1994. The complaint accuses him of four instances of sexual assault from the mid-'90s to the early 2000s. It
also accuses him of battery. CNN has reached out to representatives for Combs, who has previously denied allegations in other lawsuits against him.
Joining me now with more is CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister.
And Elizabeth, it just continues your very important reporting on what is heartbreaking news of domestic violence in so many spheres of American
society and this in the music industry. What more can you tell us about this case and its significance given allegedly it happened so long ago?
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely and you are correct that all of these cases are shining a light on the prevalent
issue of domestic violence. This is the most recent. This is the eighth lawsuit against Sean Diddy Combs and the seventh that is accusing him of
sexual assault.
The woman's name is April Lampros and as you said she was a student in New York City studying fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology when she
claims that she met Diddy. This was in 1994. She says that Diddy promised to be a mentor to her and help her make connections in the fashion industry
but that relationship she says in her complaint soon turned into being coercive.
She says that she was raped, she was drugged, she was battered. This went on four separate occasions as you stated from the mid-'90s up until the
early 2000s. Now, I have reached out to this woman and she has given us a statement. I want to read it to you here. She says that the reason why she
came forward is to help other women.
[12:30:01]
She says, "I'm confident that justice will prevail and the veil will be removed so no other woman will have to endure what I did." Now, I do want
to point out that while these are allegations, these allegations are very similar to many of the accusations that we have seen in all of these suits
that started back in November 2023.
As you said, Diddy has previously denied. He gave a blanket statement of denial in December with many of these allegations. But, of course last
week, our team here in the Los Angeles Bureau unveiled that disturbing violent surveillance footage of Diddy beating Cassie. So, now, his denial
has a lot of people questioning his credibility here.
NEWTON: Elizabeth, I want to thank you for continuing to follow this issue again, not just in the music industry but throughout domestic violence,
certainly a problem plaguing many. I appreciate your reporting.
Now, to some sad news from the world of entertainment. Morgan Spurlock, a filmmaker and former CNN series host, has died. His family says Spurlock
died in New York following complications from cancer. Spurlock is perhaps best known for his documentary about America's relationship with fast food.
"Super Size Me" was nominated for an Academy Award.
He also made other films including a documentary about searching for Osama Bin Laden and was host of a popular CNN series, "Morgan Spurlock, Inside
Man". Spurlock was just 53 years old. And we'll be right back with more news in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:12]
NEWTON: And a warm welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Paula Newton in New York. More now on our top story. Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz
has responded to the International Court of Justice ruling that the country must immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah. Gantz issued a
statement saying they will continue with their operation in accordance with international law. Gantz also held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken after the verdict.
The ICJ ruling follows an emergency request by South Africa two weeks ago, which is part of a wider case by the country. While the court's rulings are
binding and cannot be appealed, the ICJ in fact has no way of enforcing them, and they have been ignored by countries in the past.
Today's decision is among a series of setbacks for Israel this week. On Monday, the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, said it
was seeking arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and defense minister, as well as top Hamas leaders.
And on Wednesday, the prime ministers of Ireland, Spain and Norway said they would formally recognize the Palestinian state next week, calling it
the best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.
Time now for the exchange, where we want to take a closer look at the implications of this ICJ ruling. Henry Lovat joins me now from Glasgow,
Scotland. He's a senior lecturer in international law and politics at the University of Glasgow, and has published widely on international law
issues.
Good to have you here as we continue to parse what has been a very busy week on the front. You know, what material impact could this latest ruling
from the ICJ have? I mean, we've already learned that it's binding, okay, but likely not enforceable.
HENRY LOVAT, SR. LECTURER IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW: Yeah, thanks for inviting me on, Paula, that is correct. We're
looking at roughly four different provisional measures, as they're called. The Israel has said that contrary to what we think, it will continue as a
military offensive.
There is some debate, I think, as to the extent to which the wording of the first provisional measure actually allows Israel that, if you like,
discretion, that wiggle room to defensively claim that their military offensive is not prohibited by the courts. There's a whole discussion
there, it's not unarguable.
There's a second measure about maintaining open the Rafah crossing, and there the key question, of course, is what's going to happen with Egypt, as
I understand the cross is currently closed. And that's not just done to Israel.
The third measure is really interesting. It's about ensuring unimpeded access to competent U.N. or competent investigative bodies that come from
or authorized by the U.N. And that runs counter to Israel's traditional approach here. So that, if it materializes, will be a stage to watch. And
the last is another measure to report back in one month, which I think would be expected. You know, I'm wondering what Israel's level of
engagement, though, would be with any of this. And again, what material difference it would make?
LOVAT: Yeah, it's very hard to say. And what's also interesting so far is, I think, if you look at the team, the way Israel engaged with the initial
application going back to January, they took it incredibly seriously, very much bringing their A-team through the Hague, and they continue to engage
throughout. So, at that level, and the legal process, there's no question Israel is taking this seriously and is engaging.
When it comes to the question of how will all this play out domestically in Israel, will it affect the conflict, the, you know, the military behavior,
military action, that's a different question. And there, I think, it probably helps to look at this in the broader context with, as you said,
the ICC application that's gone in this week and other cases around that. There's also an advisory proceeding continuing.
So, all that together seems to be causing an almost rally-around-the-flag effect within Israel, certainly that's the way it's being played by Prime
Minister Netanyahu and the government and so on. So, you do wonder, in that case, if despite these measures, they may not actually be making, if you
like, a peaceful resolution to this conflict further off.
NEWTON: And in fact, you first highlighted that point earlier this year. You wrote that few can, in good conscience, expect the case to have a
material bearing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. And this is what I ask you. Could it in fact elicit more belligerence on the part of Israel,
less cooperation, and as you said, more rallying around the flag?
[12:40:00]
LOVAT: I think that that's a very real danger. And it works both ways, right? So, on the one hand, there is a risk that you sort of embolden that
Israeli sense of siege, a siege mentality, right? You know, the world's against us, we're hanged no matter whatever we do.
So, what's the phrase, you know, I'm in for a penny, in for a pound, right? We're going to be hanged regardless and let's just do what we think we need
to do, kind of thing, within our understanding of the particular legal rules.
And the other aspect of this is that I worry about the institutions themselves. International courts are not necessarily robust institutions.
You know, you see in other contexts, these courts can cease functioning. We saw previously with the Trump administration's sanctions on the ICC itself.
We're kind of into unknown waters here. It's the first time we've seen like a Western notion, liberal democratic state and ally of the U.S. in this
situation. Who knows how it's going to play out. But I think there are genuine risks all around here. This is my sense at least.
NEWTON: Yeah. And more and more in a multipolar world, where do you have those international institutions, how effective can they be? And that
actually brings me to my next point.
LOVAT: Exactly.
NEWTON: While this case specifically didn't have anything to do with Hamas, of course, there should be international law that helps deal with
Hamas, as well. Legally, most institutions now have been impotent against a terror organization.
And I go to the case of ISIS. That was a terror organization that was met with brutal military actions, actions that the international community said
were necessary. Actions that, again, killed, injured, and yes, kept humanitarian aid from thousands of civilians. You know, people are asking,
where's the equivalence there? What are the measures being taken against Hamas?
LOVAT: Well, I mean, I think, as you say, they're very, very limited, right? For a start, politically, you don't have, if you like, that
coalition to lend support and, if you like, lean into Israel and support there, helping things perhaps better. At the same time, you know, who has
leverage over Hamas here? You've got to be fair -- the ICC. What you've seen Karim Khan do is what you would expect and want, right? These are the
tools that are available to these institutions, but they're extremely limited.
You could perhaps ask questions. Could the Israeli government have gone about things a little bit differently, perhaps a bit smarter? Are there
things now that the U.S., Western Europeans, others, Egypt, Qatar might be able to do, but we're just not there. So it's, you know, there's legal
tools available at the moment to address Hamas. I'm afraid we're struggling a bit.
NEWTON: But such a good point that you've made, that in fact some of these rulings may bring us further from peace, not closer to it, as we continue
to watch those negotiations. Henry Lovat from Scotland's University of Glasgow, appreciate it.
LOVAT: Thank you.
NEWTON: And still to come for us, some say it's long overdue, others contend a scholarship is payment enough, how collegiate sports is about to
change. Those details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:50]
NEWTON: Now, a landmark deal could soon rock the college sports world, paving the way for colleges to pay student athletes. Now, the NCAA and the
five power conferences, which represent the teams, agreed to that each school can share up to $20 million of revenue a year with its athletes.
They also reached a settlement to pay more than $2.7 billion in damages to past and current student athletes. For more on all this, Polo Sandoval
joins me. Look, Polo, nothing is final in this decision yet, but how transformative could it actually be for these student athletes?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Paula, you hit on some really important fine print there. This is still a tentative deal, albeit a
significant and groundbreaking one that has the potential to reshape the world of college sports. That is because those students are now positioned
in a way that they can potentially expect, finally, to be paid for their performance by some of their universities.
It's certainly a landmark deal, and we could see those payments potentially in fall of 2026. The NCAA, which is the governing body of collegiate
sports, together with five major conferences, are announcing that they've reached this agreement. They described it in a statement as a, quote,
"roadmap for college sports" and it stands to financially benefit students.
As you mentioned there, the $2.7 billion that would be owed to current and former students, you're talking about those student athletes that were
unable to profit from any sort of sponsorship -- any sort of deals in the past because of previous NCAA rules.
But then also the other big headline grabber here, which is setting up that profit sharing, allowing some schools to share close to $20 million a year
with their athletes, specifically those that are participating in Division I athletics.
Now, there's still a lot of questions here, Paula How will that piece of the pie be divided, right? Like, how much will the star quarterback get
compared to those who participate in some of those sports that perhaps aren't as popular? So, there's still a lot of questions to be ironed out
here. But the other one that you really hit on here, which is the judge still needs to approve this.
ESPN, that's been widely reporting a lot of these details, also saying that they've spoke to an anti-trust attorney that says this very well could
unravel if one of these student athletes decides to join a separate deal. But again, this is all tentative. And finally, in exchange for
participating in this settlement, student athletes would also agree to not present any sort of antitrust litigation against the NAACP in the future.
NEWTON: Right. There's supposed to be, yeah, it's supposed to be a dead end for that, you know, for more legal action. Before I let you go, though,
I do want to ask you how this also affects women athletes, because, you know, there's something called Title Nine in the United States, and that
means that there has to be some equivalence there. And full disclosure, I am a mother of a D1 athlete. So, I'm listening closely, Polo.
SANDOVAL: So, another question. I'm sure Caitlin Clark's mother would also be interested in this, right? You do have these students who have
previously worked, previously performed and played sports for these universities. There will certainly be pressure and an expectation on these
universities to adhere to those really important Title Nine laws that you just mentioned here.
So, ultimately, these universities will have to work with the NCAA to try to form some sort of framework to make sure that students are compensated
appropriately. So, I think to answer your question, there really isn't an answer quite yet. However, there will certainly be an expectation, and not
only would people require that, but most importantly, the law would require for that compensation to be dealt out accordingly.
NEWTON: Yeah, incredible transformation, and it might lead to college sports looking more like pro sports and future.
SANDOVAL: Yeah, absolutely.
NEWTON: Polo Sandoval, thanks so much for wrapping it for us. Appreciate it.
SANDOVAL: You bet.
NEWTON: Now, imagine going out for a jog one day and unexpectedly running into your soul mate. That story, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:52:26]
NEWTON: So, she decided to go out for a run one day and so did he. Little did they know that they'd end up finding their soul mates. Here's a
touching story of a couple who met unexpectedly and have grown stronger through facing hardship together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISH TORO: He didn't have a shirt on the second time I saw him. I think it was intentional. He says it wasn't.
AARON TORO: No, I was sufficiently lost. We met in July in the desert.
T. TORO: I'm Trish Toro.
A. TORO: I'm Aaron Toro.
T. TORO: This is Bryce Toro, and he's named after our chance encounter. When we met, I was in a place in my life that I thought I was going to be
single forever.
A. TORO: I had totally given up on dating. The apps are silly. I was home in Salt Lake City visiting my family. We were going to go the day in Bryce
Canyon National Park to go hiking.
T. TORO: I decided to take a road trip to southern Utah. I had never visited any of the national parks. I'm going down the trail, stopping for a
photo. He's running up the trail. He's like, let me take your guys' picture for you. And then he just kept running. I was like, oh my gosh. He looked
like a Hemsworth brother.
A. TORO: She's delusional.
T. TORO: Within five -- 10 minutes, see him again. And that's when I was like, well, here's my chance. I just hollered, and I said, hey, are you
single?
A. TORO: I had nothing to lose, so I said yes.
T. TORO: I had no idea what my follow-up was going to be. I saved his number as Trail Aaron in my phone, and he is still Trail Aaron in my phone.
A. TORO: We hit it off immediately.
T. TORO: And we had a lot in common. We were both training for big races.
A. TORO: And then everything else just fell into place from there.
T. TORO: But unbeknownst to me, he was also in the Navy and deploying 12 days later. But we decided to go all in. And thank goodness we did, because
I was faced with one of the toughest challenges of going through cancer.
I had to tell him, you know, this is my diagnosis. It's stage two. And we'd only been together for five months, maybe. I wanted to give him the option
of, like, if this isn't a journey that you saw for yourself, like, I totally understand.
A. TORO: You know, part of me was just like, you know, shut up, Trish. A lot of tear-filled nights talking to each other and coming up with plans,
even though, you know, there's nothing we could really do about it.
[12:55:04]
T. TORO: It was still the middle of COVID, and I was having to do a lot of these doctor's appointments by myself.
A. TORO: The hardest part was just the time zones.
T. TORO: Having to wait to tell him news. We found out that I had to have a hysterectomy.
A. TORO: I just said, like, I need to get home for that. And my direct leadership, they didn't hesitate.
T. TORO: He waited outside that hospital, I don't even know how long, eight hours, 10 hours of surgery.
A. TORO: Yeah.
T. TORO: I'm so thrilled to say that I'm two years cancer-free.
A. TORO: All the hard things we've gone through, I think it's really galvanized our relationship.
T. TORO: We had written our own vows, and we both called each other an adventure buddy. We met each other adventuring, and we really haven't
stopped since the day we met. We're all in the story. Start catcalling. Don't put that in there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: They are absolutely adorable, and we wish them the best. So, happy to get you into the weekend with that lovely story. That does it for ONE
WORLD. I'm Paula Newton. I want to thank you for watching. "AMANPOUR" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
