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Blatter, Platini Banned From Football; Passenger Detained After Hoax Bomb Found Aboard Air France Flight; Star Wars Shatters Box Office Records. Aired 8:00a-9:00p ET

Aired December 21, 2015 - 08:00:00   ET

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


[08:00:14] ANDREW STEVENS, HOST: I'm Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong. Welcome to News Stream.

The two most powerful men in world football are banned from the sport. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned for eight years by FIFA.

One passenger has been taken into custody after a bomb scare forced this Air France flight to make an emergency landing on Sunday.

And the force is strong with Star Wars, again, Episode 7 shatters box office records.

One ran the world's most popular sport for over 17 years, the other is one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Now, the two most

powerful men in football have been banned by FIFA for eight years.

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were banned for breaking FIFA's code of ethics relating to gifts, conflicts of interest, and breach of loyalty.

Well, Blatter says that he's prepared for a fight, refusing to accept that

his reign is over. Speaking to the media in Zurich a short while ago, he issued an

apology, but not for his actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEPP BLATTER, OUTGOING FIFA PRESIDENT: I am sorry. I am sorry that I'm

still somewhere a punching ball, but I am sorry that I am as president of FIFA this

punching ball and I'm sorry for football. I'm sorry for the Federation Internationald de Football Association I'm serving now more than 40 years,

I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for the 400 plus FIFA team members that are working in FIFA. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry.

But I'm also sorry about me, how I am treated in this world of humanity, of humanitarian politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: That was very defiant Blatter at that press conference and he's

been a leading figure at FIFA for decades now. As secretary general he was often the face of events like the World Cup draw. He served as second in

command to the disgraced former FIFA president Joao Havelange for years before succeeding

in him in 1998.

And remember, Blatter was just re-elected to a fifth term in May days after the arrest that marked the start of FIFA's current crisis.

Meanwhile, Michel Platini has long been hailed as one of the finest footballers Europe has ever produced. His crowning moment coming when he

led France to the European championship in 1984.

Well, after his playing career finished, Platini later moved into administration. He headed France's organizing committee for the 1998 World

Cup, a role which saw him work with FIFA and more important with Sepp Blatter.

Now he's head of UEFA, that is European -- Europe's football governing body. And that puts him in charge of the richest and most powerful of

FIFA's confederations, effectively making him the second most powerful man in football.

Well, the bans are a result of investigations by FIFA's ethics committee into a $2 million payment that Blatter authorized to Platini back

in 2011.

Let's get more now from World Sport anchor, Alex Thomas, joins us from London live. And certainly Sepp Blatter very combative at that press

conference. But I wonder, Alex, does this mean that the two top men in world football, their careers are now effectively over?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORT: A massive question mark hanging over both of them and to try and put into context how big this is for the

planet's most popular sport, Andrew, it would be like Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin being banned from

global politics or music with no juice Justin Bieber or Adele. Now, maybe that's a good thing, but for some people out there.

But this is huge for Blatter and Platini. They are such significant figures in the world of football. And some of the language in the FIFA

ethics committee's judgments is very damning, although they admit there wasn't enough evidence to convict either man on charges of bribery and

corruption, which would have meant lifetime bans. The eight years because of breaches of four of FIFA's code of ethics article.

And some of the language says that Blatter's assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber

and when Blatter and Platini said they had a gentlemen's agreement and that was legal in Switzerland.

They went on to say, the ethics committee, that Blatter did not show commitment to an ethical attitude and he demonstrated an abusive execution

of his position as president of FIFA. No wonder he was so defiant and angry in the news

conference an hour after the verdict came out.

[08:05:20] STEVENS: Absolutely.

Now, the irony here is of course that he set up the ethics committee that has found him guilty, Alex.

But listening to his press conference, he came across as a man who thinks very much that he's been wronged. It was not his fault. He hasn't

broken any laws. What did you make of his press conference?

THOMAS: I think he was back to his best. There were times since those

arrests back in May, just days before he was reelected for a fifth term as FIFA president when Sepp Blatter has started to show his age. He is 79.

And if this ban is not overturned that is the end of his life in football, which has been his biggest love.

There's no doubting the man's passion. I interviewed him back in 2010 -- 2011, sorry, just after the votes for -- just after the South African

World Cup. And he's a charming man. He's got bags of personality.

But he is adamant that his role as FIFA president is almost one that can't be denied by any other body, that he's almost got a right to it.

You're right when you say that news conference was absolutely fascinating. He claimed the ethics panel didn't have the right to remove

him as FIFA president, only congress can do that. And to some extent there is some evidence for that, that he seems that having been voted in by

congress last May, he's going to stay in power contractually until February, even if he's not allowed into FIFA house, or allowed to have

anything to do with the day to day running of the organization, Andrew.

STEVENS: All right, Alex, thanks very much for that. Alex Thomas joining us live from London.

And for more on the future of FIFA, and the immediate past, make sure you tune into CNN World Sport in just over half an hour from now to get all

of the expert opinion.

Now, India's supreme court has rejected an appeal against the release of a young man convicted in a gang rape.

The man was released on Sunday despite protests to keep him in custody. He was 17 years old at the time of the attack in 2012 and served

three years, that was the maximum sentence for a juvenile in India, under Indian law. Now, the victim died of her injuries two weeks after that

assault.

The 2012 case made headlines around the world. Let's go to Mallika Kapur now. she joins us live to New Delhi.

Indeed, they did make headlines around the world. The sheer brutality of that incident just shocked not only India but so many people everywhere,

Mallika. There was a lot of reaction, a lot of outrage in India. Have we seen the same sort of response after his release?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We haven't seen the same kind of response. We haven't seen tens and thousands of people take

to the streets to protest, no, we haven't seen that.

But I have to say there is definitely a palpable sense of disappointment, of dismay and of anger here in India that this juvenile

rapist is now a free man.

There are people who say, you know, that the level of punishment, which is just three years in a reform home, does not match the severity of

the brutality of the crime he committed. So there is a lot of anger about that.

And Andrew, there is a huge sense of disappointment and of pain when it comes to the victim who feels every day they have failed their daughter

and with one of her rapist walking free, they really feel they lost their fight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[11:05:12] KAPUR: It's back, the savage gang rape and murder of a young New Delhi woman in 2012 is all over the news again. One of the

rapists, then 17, a minor, is now free.

But Renat Singh (ph) can't bear to watch. But he can't tear himself away. The victim, dubbed Nirbhaya, The Fearless One, was his daughter.

Singh tells me he feels like he's losing, crime is winning.

Convicted of rape and murder, the minor was sentenced to three years in a reform facility, that's the maximum term possibility for a juvenile in

India.

Now that the three years are up, the law says he must be released. Nirbhaya's mother, visibly distraught, says it's a severe miscarriage of

justice.

"Now you decide," she asks me. It's almost like she's asking society. "Should Nirbhaya get justice or should the culprit walk free?"

Many here believe the limited time the juvenile spent in a reform home was hugely disproportionate to the heinous nature of the crime he

committed.

"What kind of incident will it take? What kind of murder will it take? What kind of rape will it take," asks ash is Asha Singh, "for India

to open its eyes?"

All this time later, Asha Singh still can't forget the words of her dying daughter.

"She wanted them burned alive.

I asked, she said this?

"Yes," she says. "She told a visiting magistrate that the culprits should be

burned alive."

Three years ago, India rallied behind Nirbhaya in solidarity. I remember covering the protests from right here and it was so crowded I

could barely move.

Today there are just a handful of protesters over here and it seems like the only two people who are still pressing on with her fight are her

parents.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:06] KAPUR: The interesting thing here, Andrew, is that no law has been broken. What's happened, actually, just follows the Indian

juvenile law, which says that the maximum punishment for a juvenile, which is anybody who is short of his 18th birthday is three years in a reform

home. And in this case, because the three years were up for the juvenile - - remember, he was just shy of his 18th birthday when this incident took place, he has been set free. And that's just following the law.

So there is definitely a sense of helplessness here at this loophole in the Indian law, which allows him to go free.

STEVENS: OK, Mallika, thanks very much for that. Mallika Kapur joining us live from New Delhi.

Now, weapons fire was exchanged along the Israel Lebanon border after the death of this Hezbollah militant leader, that is Samir Kuntar.

Hezbollah TV reports Kuntar was killed in an air strike in Damascus in Syria. After the strike, rockets were launched from southern Lebanon into

Israel which retaliated with artillery fire.

Now Hezbollah accuses Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Kuntar. The Israeli military has refused to comment.

Kuntar served 30 years in an Israeli prison for murder and was released in a prisoner swap in 2008.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the show, crews are frantically searching for survivors under a landslide in China. What

investigators say caused a massive pile of Earth to collapse.

Plus, pollution in Beijing soars to dangerous levels, we'll tell you what the

Chinese capital is doing to combat that threat.

Also ahead, hundreds of passenger forced from an Air France by a bomb scare. Why officials now say it all seemed a nasty joke.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:36] STEVENS: Welcome back. Chaos broke out on the Las Vegas strip on Sunday when a woman drove into crowds of people. One person was

killed and at least 37 others were injured. Police say the woman who is in her 20s barreled into the pedestrians deliberately, but after an initial

investigation they are ruling out terrorism.

A 3-year-old in the car with her was unharmed.

Witnesses say people tried to stop the woman but she just accelerated and kept running people down.

The woman is now in custody.

Well, hundreds of rescue workers are scrambling to find at least 91 people still missing after a landslide in the southern Chinese city of

Shenzhen. A huge pile of mud and construction waste collapsed at an industrial park on Sunday. There are now questions over why so much debris

was allowed to build up at that dump site.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVENS: This was the moment a wall of mud slammed into three industrial parks in

southern China on Sunday. The sheer force of the landslide toppled multi- story buildings, burying some of them and smashing others to rubble. Hundreds of rescue workers are still combing through the debris and mud as

the number of missing climbs higher.

More than a dozen people are being treated at a local hospital. Among the injured, an 8-year-old boy.

"It was so scary, we just jumped off the building," he says.

About 1,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes. They spent Sunday night sleeping in temporary shelters.

Officials now say the cause of this landslide was man-made, a pile of earth and construction waste that grew as high as a 3 story building.

Locals tell state news agency Xinhua that hundreds of trucks dumped construction waste here every day for at least two years. Premier Li

Keqiang have ordered an investigation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEVENS: And this is a picture of Shenzhen, which is right on the border with Hong Kong here. It's one of China's fastest growing cities.

In fact, it was chosen in 1980 by the then supreme leader Deng Xiaoping to be one of the first cities to lead China's economic revolution. And from a

quiet fishing village, it's now home to 10.8 million people, it's also the center of China's tech industry.

And as we said, the premier has now ordered an investigation.

Now, the Chinese capital is now in its third day of a dangerous smog alert. And this is Beijing's second red alert for air pollution and it's

set to last through until Tuesday.

The alert has forced schools to close throughout Beijing and central China and authorities are also reducing road traffic and advising residents

to stay indoors if they can.

Spain is now facing political uncertainty after voters dealt a serious blow to the ruling party in Sunday's parliamentary election. The

conservative People's Party won most of the seats, but still fell far short of the 176 needed to form

a majority government.

Well, the party now may try to form a coalition government that leftist opposition parties could unite to block that.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the show, the newest movie in the Star Wars saga is making box office history. We'll look at

the incredible numbers just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:22:43] STEVENS: 22 minutes past 9:00 in the evening here in Hong Kong. Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.

Now, biggest film in movie theaters right now is smashing records, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is basking in a flood of glowing reviews and a

whopping $517 million from its global debut. And it's even -- hasn't even opened in China yet, which is the world's second biggest film market.

The Force Awakens made $30 million more in the U.S. in its opening weekend than the previous record holder, Jurassic World. And this came

despite the film opening in December, far from the preferred summer opening for most blockbuster films.

The Force Awakens almost tripled the previous December opening record for the U.S. And now that Star Wars has the opening weekend record, what

about the all time record? Well, the movie to beat there, you guessed it, it's Avatar. That took in $2.7 billion worldwide, one of only two films

ever to cross that $2 billion threshold

Well, for more now on Star Wars' incredible success, let's bring in our Brian Stelter.

Brian, incredible really is the word to use with what's happened so far with Star Wars. Did anyone in the industry think that it would have

this sort of December opening when the sort of perceived wisdom is you want a big hit open it in the summer?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There definitely were rosy expectations, but I think these numbers have exceeded those expectations.

And the ticket sales are actually still being added up as we speak.

We've just heard from Disney a couple of minutes ago. They say they now believe the overall

worldwide projection will be $528 million. So, about 10 million more than they were thinking this time yesterday.

The reason why that matters is because that would be a worldwide opening weekend record.

So the worldwide record was Jurassic World six months ago, $525 million. So, if in fact as all the sales are added up, Star Wars does go

ahead and surpass that record, that would mean it would set a new record all around the world as well as just in North America, which has

already been confirmed.

It just goes to show that this movie has a really unique capability of drawing people out to theaters in markets all around the world and like you

mentioned, it hasn't opened in China yet, it's going to make a lot more money there in a couple of weeks.

STEVENS: Well, I think the last time I saw a Star Wars movie was when they released Return of the Jedi. So, we're talking about the early 80s.

And I thought it was fantastic.

[08:25:06] STELTER: You were lucky, you skipped those messy movies in the middle. But a lot of reviewers themselves say this is the best one are

saying this is the best one since 1983.

STEVENS: Yeah, all of the true believers have told me that I did the right thing by accidentally missing those, or maybe I knew something.

I just want to ask you, Brian, about where we're going from here. Because China hasn't kicked in yet, the world's second biggest film market.

How realistic do you think it is that The Force Awakens can actually beat Avatar, $2.7 billion?

STELTER: $2 billion is definitely in sight. Surpassing Avatar will be a much, much tougher feat. But this is a movie that's going to reach

many more people in the weeks to come. It is going to probably get get past that $2 billion mark, which is an extraordinary success for Disney,

because they bought all of Lucas Film, which owns Star Wars, all of the franchise, for $4 billion.

So, this is the first movie they are making with the new deal. They've got two more in the

works plus a spin-off. Clearly that $4 billion bet is paying off for Star Wars and the CEO Bob Iger is doing a victory lap today even, like I said,

as the ticket sales are added up.

And by the way, we also haven't even it open in India and Greece. China is the biggest market by far where it hasn't opened yet. But so far

the movie is only out in about 68 percent of international territories. So there's still a ways to go for Star Wars. And a lot of people who want to

see it and haven't seen it yet who will be seeing it over the coming weeks.

STEVENS: Yeah, got to be a bit careful, because we're still in spoiler alert territory, I think.

STELTER: Yes, we are.

STEVENS: What do we know about Star Wars 8.

STELTER: very little, and that's exactly how Disney wants it to be. There is a -- won't give it

away, but there is a scene at the end of this new one that does set up the next movie very nicely.

If these directors know anything in Hollywood, it's how to set up the

sequel.

STEVENS: Keep them hanging. I know. And I won't say a word either. Brian, as always, thank you, sir.

STELTER: Good to see you.

STEVENS: Brian Stelter there on what has been a phenomenal weekend for Star Wars fans and

the movie itself.

Now, you're watching News Stream. Still ahead, authorities in Paris now arrested a passenger after an Air France flight was diverted by a bomb

scare on Sunday. We've got the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:45] STEVENS: Well, one passenger has been taken into custody after a bomb scare

on an Air France flight traveling from Mauritius to Paris. The plane made an emergency landing in Kenya on Sunday after a passenger found a

suspicious device in the restroom. The airline says the object did not contain explosives.

Well, the passenger was taken into custody after landing at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. Now David McKenzie is tracking the

investigation. He joins us now live from Nairobi.

What do we know about this passenger and the circumstances surrounding that person on the

plane?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Andrew, what we do know is the passengers who were stranded here in Kenya, when that

plane was diverted because of a suspicious object, they were then sent via Athens to Paris by Air France after that ordeal. It was a horrifying

ordeal certainly for them to have that middle of the night emergency landing. But one of those passengers on board the plane, which was taken

to Paris, was in fact detained by the border police according to a prosecutor in Paris, on suspicion on involvement in

this issue and in the framework of obstruction and the obstruction to the circulation of an aircraft and reckless endangerment, according to the

statement from the Paris prosecutor.

So, it seems like the person who is the suspect in this incident was in fact one of those passengers who was reverted back to Paris -- Andrew.

STEVENS: David, tell us what this device that was found on the plane actually was.

MCKENZIE: Well, it was a device that was -- it seems to be made to look like a bomb. The Air France CEO saying it was a hoax, a nasty joke as

he put it.

Now what happened was a passenger on that flight went to the lavatory, opened the cupboard in the lavatory and saw that device, well, at least

that is what Air France is saying. They then diverted the plane in an emergency landing in Kenya.

Now, the Kenyan officials and bomb squad went in to take it pretty quickly it turned out that

device was not in fact explosive and some kind of prank hoax, unclear at this stage. But certainly it's been a very tricky month, to say the least,

for Air France in the last few weeks and months because at least four planes have been diverted in hoaxes of this nature, either called in or in

this case a device seemingly to be a bomb, which is really created havoc with that airline in this particularly sensitive period post the Paris

attacks -- Andrew.

STEVENS: All right. David, thank you very much for that. David McKenzie joining us live

from Nairobi.

Now, Slovenia has rejected a law that would allow same-sex marriage. Preliminary results show over 60 percent of voters said no to marriage and

adoption rights for same-sex couples.

Parliament approved the bill in March, but opponents forced a referendum to throw out legislation. Supporters voice their

disappointment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is high time that this country, this society stop pushing a certain group of people in the back of the bus with

fewer rights just because of who they love.

So I think it is now time for equality for everyone and it is time to have a choice whether you want to get married or not. Now, we do not have

that kind of choice and I think this is important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:35:18] STEVENS: Now, Slovenia's same-sex couples are allowed to adopt children from a

partner's previous relationship.

Still to come here on News Stream, a mistake of universal proportions. Why this beauty queen is likely the shortest reigning Miss Universe in the

history of the event.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEVENS: Earlier in the show we told you about the new Star Wars film's recordbreaking box office debut. But whether you've seen the film

or not, you've be hard pressed to avoid all the Star Wars branded merchandise out there from toys to clothes, even fruit would you believe.

Anna Stewart shows us now how seemingly everyone is trying to cash in on the galaxy far,

far away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Force is strong with the latest Star Wars

movie, with record box office sales on its opening weekend.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Nothing will stand in our way.

STEWART: Disney is set to make $2.4 billion in ticket sales, according to Imura (ph). But that pales in comparison to the mega brand

cashing in on merchandise deals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we've estimated Star Wars could generate $5 billion in global merchandise sales for

Disney this year. For Disney in terms of revenues, a 10 percent cut of that, which is kind of a standard licensing fee for a studio film would

generate $500 million for Disney.

STEWART; And the branding really is everywhere. It's found its way into your cereal. And a trip to Subway, could be, well, out of this world.

It's fairly easy to for Disney to find some merchandising opportunities, this shop here in London is filled to the brim with

everything from lightsabers, Darth Vader fancy dress, you can even get your own personal droid. Of course, for some of the other brands, finding a

Star Wars tie-in is a little bit more of a challenge.

So, this year the ads have got creative.

Take Covergirl, helping you channel a Stormtrooper look.

ANNOUNCER: New from Covergirl.

STEWART: Or HP, which can help even the biggest Star Wars geek get the girl of his dreams.

Possibly far fetched, but all of these brands hope their efforts will pay off and win over the hearts of consumers, Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEVENS: Now beauty queens from around the world descending on Las Vegas on Sunday to compete in the 2015 Miss Universe pageant.

And it was Miss Colombia who was awarded the coveted title: at first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HARVEY, MISS UNIVERSE HOST: Miss Universe 2015 is -- Colombia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:40:01] STEVENS: You probably know where this is going, don't you? There was a small problem. Host Steve Harvey apparently misread the card

with the official results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARVEY: OK, folks, there's -- I have to apologize. The first runner up is Colombia. Miss Universe 2015 is Philippines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: Look at that face. Can you imagine the look on the face of Miss Colombia as well. Talk about awkward.

Harvey visibly embarrassed by the bizarre ending, as he should be, calling it a horrible mistake and let's hope he's not planning a trip to

Colombia or Philippines any time soon.

We'll say good-bye for now, though. That's News Stream. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Andrew Stevens.

END