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Plan for Syrian Refugees; Do Women's Products Cost More?; Super Tuesday
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Plan for Syrian Refugees; Do Women's Products Cost More?; Super Tuesday
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You think of Sharapova, Becky, and where she came from. She was such a great story. She was born in Sibera, moved to the U.S. at a young age. Her dad worked several jobs to really pay for her career, had the chance to work with some of the best coaches in tennis and everything was going well.
I mean, she builds this empire, this brand empire. We talk about Brand Beckham, well there was Brand Sharapova, launches her own company in Sugarpova, and everything going swimmingly, one five Grand Slam titles, let's not forget that. And for this to happen towards the end of her career, it certainly was not in the script.
ANDERSON: Ravi, thank you. And plenty more to come shortly on Maria Sharapova's stunning revelation. I'll be asking a sports PR expert whether or not it matters that she's owned up to it.
Well, after rallying near the open, crude oil prices dropping quickly despite surging yesterday as well. Under heavy volatility, a barrel of brent crude now costs just under $40.
Well, emerging markets editor John Defterios was at the CNN Money pump for us to explain what is fueling the market.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN MONEY: Well, what's been extraordinary about this rally to date, it's been driven by words and not production cuts. And we've come a long way in a short period of time.
Let's come to the pump and take a look at what I'm talking about. This is a 12-year low back on January 20th of just $27.10 a barrel. And it's been a very volatile 2016. You see the sharp spike down, a move higher. But this the crucial window, February 16th when we saw OPEC and non-OPEC producers come together in Doha.
Why was that so important? Well, first and foremost, it brought together two of the world's biggest producers in Russia and Saudi Arabia. The largest Latin America producer was there in Venezuela, and the great unifier Qatar having the rotating presidency of OPEC.
Now, on March 20th they have a meeting in Moscow. Will more producers agree to freeze output -- not cut production, but freeze output? So far the UAE and Kuwait have committed. But according to the International Energy Agency there's about 1.5 million barrels the size of this overproduced on a daily basis.
The freeze does not address that overproduction. And there are a few wild cards to consider both on the demand side and the production side as well.
First and foremost on the demand side, if China is aiming for growth of 6 to 6.5 percent, well it needs to import 7 million a day going forward. I think it's a big question mark for 2016, particularly in the second half.
Iran, they don't want to be party to the freeze. They just came out of sanctions. They want to increase production by 1 million barrels a day, adding to the glut in 2016.
And nobody talks about Iraq, but they have record output of about 4.3 million barrels a day.
So we have this extra production coming onto the market. Will this rally continue? If the rally continues, maybe some of that very expensive deep water production or the shale production comes in the market putting this rally at jeopardy.
John Defterios, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Good stuff, all right. Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson for you. Coming up, three women and three different journeys to sporting success. We are going to have their story in tonight's Parting Shots. It is after all International Women's Day.
And do women pay more than men for the exact same item? We put that to a test in about 10 minutes time.
You're watching CNN. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:42:16] ANDERSON: Well, those are just some of the staggering numbers associated with sex trafficking, of course. The vast majority of the victims are women.
We want to bring you those -- I'm going to get you those numbers for your attention, especially on a day like today, which is of course International Women's Day.
You're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Welcome back.
To one of our top stories now and this is one that stunned pro tennis. Maria Sharapova faces a ban from tennis after failing a drugs test. Now, one of the most recognizable sports figures on the planet, Sharapova made her professional debut at the age of 14.
And since then, she's won five grand slam titles and more than $36 million in prize money. But she's made much more in sponsorship deals. Last year, Forbes named her the highest paid female athlete.
Well, our next guest says Sharapova has followed the crisis playbook to the letter.
David Alexander is managing director of sports PR firm Calacus Public Relations, he's joining us live from London this hour. Explain what you mean by that, she's followed the playbook to the letter.
DAVID ALEXANDER, MANAGING DIRECTOR CALACUS PUBLIC RELATIONS: Good afternoon.
Well, in most instances where there is some sort of crisis such as a drugs scandal in sport, the story tends to leak out in advance. That didn't happen in this instance. And Maria Sharapova was in a position to take control of the messaging. She staged the press conference. She broke the story. She was able to explain and put her position first, which meant that she was able to explain all the mitigating circumstances about why this happened.
ANDERSON: All right.
In the past, some female athletes have faced serious repercussions related to drug tests, male as well, of course, we're looking at females here. American sprinter Marian Jones, for example, was sentenced to six months in jail in 2008 -- I'm sure they will remember this -- for lying to federal prosecutors in the U.S. about using banned substances.
The judge in that case said athletes should serve as, quote, role models in society. No one like a cheat, not least if you are a big brand paying through the nose to be associated with glamour and success. So, should it matter that Sharapova held her hands up in this case?
ALEXANDER: I think we have to wait and see what the investigation says from the ITF and WADA, the World Anti-Ddoping Agency.
What I would say is that the drug Maldonium that she been detected to have taken, she admitted to taking it for 10 years. And it has only been banned since the beginning of this year, from January 1.
I would will say that whilst she has a huge team as you said earlier, she's probably one of the most successful female athletes of all time in terms of her brand, her recognition and her success on the court. She is known to have a very acute attention to detail. She has a large team, a large entourage around her. And between them they should probably have known that this substance was being banned from that time. And there are still some questions that need to be answered regarding that.
[11:45:40] ANDERSON: Yeah, OK. Well, as you mentioned, Sharapova called the press conference herself and spoke calmly and deliberately when revealing the news.
I just want to show our viewers a clip just in case they haven't seen that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARAPOVA: I know that with this I face consequences and I've -- I don't want to end my career this way. And I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So there as you have rightly pointed out, more questions to be answered still.
But how is the way that she has handled the situation so far likely to affect any possible ban that she may receive?
ALEXANDER: Well, as I said earlier, she has explained the mitigating circumstances that she's been taking this substance for almost a decade. I think there were questions that the Latvian manufacturers of the drug have said that it should only really be taken for four to six weeks. And she said she's been taking it over the course of 10 years.
It's supposed to be used for diabetes and heart complaints. It was banned because it seemed to be benefiting athletes in terms of recovery. It will be interesting to find out exactly what she has been using it for and why she's been taking it and certainly further information needs to be divulged regarding the medical conditions she had or has not been suffering from.
As far as her profile as brand is concerned, I think we need to wait and see quite what the investigation divulges. But certainly, you know, we've already seen Nike have suspended their support for her, Tag the watch brand have stopped supporting her, Evian have issued a statement this aftertnoon saying they're waiting to see what happens and Porsche as well another of her blue ribbon brands has suspended their support for her.
So, this could be very damaging.
ANDERSON: Yeah, there's definitely some short-term fallout here.
Some big names on Twitter divided over the issue. One of the top tennis players of all time, Martina Navratilova says it seemed, quote, an honest mistake. Retired British star Andrew Castle, though, implying that it was hard to believe that Sharapova or her team could overlook the sport's list of banned substances.
I guess the question is, and this is what we've been discussing isn't it, how will investigators decide whether it was an accident or intentional?
ALEXANDER: Well I think the Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said today needs probably three or four years to get its doping house in order to recover from all the drug scandals that it has suffered over the last year or so with athletics at the forefront of that controversy.
How they establish whether or not this has been deliberate or accidental, I'm sure that Sharapova has -- if her attention to detail is to be believed, then certainly they will have to use that to try and establish the validity of her claims.
ANDERSON: Pleasure having you on, sir.
Thank you.
ALEXANDER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Live from Abu Dhabi, this is Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Coming up, a figure skater, a sky diver and a weightlifter, perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when you define an Emirati woman, but we have the story of three who are challenging stereotypes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[11:51:03] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, ladies. Is everyone ready?
One, two, three...
CROWD: Let's dune it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's dune it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let's dune it.
That was one of our interns Khamail al Nuwaimi (ph) at the start of a women's heritage walk here in the United Arab Emirates.
This group of women are in the midst of a six day walk honoring the women of the UAE who used to make this long journey twice a year. They are walking up to 25 kilometers a day through the very heart of the desert here in this region.
We're going to hear more from K when she gets back from the trek and see how they fought through, I've got to tell you, some pretty tough weather conditions that are hitting the UAE right now.
Well, on International Women's Day, you're watching CNN. This is Connect the World with me Becky Anderson. Welcome back. Some people are asking today, do women make people are asking today do women pay more than men do for certain products.
Claire Sebastian and Samuel Burke hit the streets of New York to investigate the so-called pink tax.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLAIRE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Samuel, so these are the rules for today. We have exactly the same shopping list with only one difference.
SAMUEL BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's that?
SEBASTIAN: You're going to buy the men's products.
BURKE: And you're buying the women's products.
SEBASTIAN: And we're going to see who spends the most.
BUKE: All right. Let's hit the shops.
Excuse me.
First on the list an every day item.
Do you really think I need a razor?
SEBASTIAN: So, we've got three different types of razors.
BURKE: But all very similar.
SEBASTIAN: All very similar. We tried to get the closest equivalent male and female.
BURKE: How much did you spend?
SEBASTIAN: $35.79.
BURKE: I spent $33.83, so I saved about two bucks.
SEBASTIAN: The store told us there are many different factors that go into the pricing. One of the manufacturer told us the items were not identical.
BURKE: I knew it. I knew it.
Our next item, a plain white t-shirt went the other way.
SEBASTIAN: This was $5.99.
BURKE: And gents, this was $6.99.
SEBASTIAN: When it came to the perfume, though.
We got exactly same brand, Eau de Toilette for men and women, exactly same size.
BURKE: $76.21. Not cheap.
SEBASTIAN: Not cheap. Neither was mine. It came to $84.92.
BURKE: Dior declined to comment on the difference.
Online we found female equivalent brands also priced higher by Calvin Klein and Armani. Neither of those companies responded to our request for comment.
SEBASTIAN: A recent study by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs surveyed almost 800 items from health products to kids toys and clothes and found in 42 percent of cases women pay more.
MICHAEL CONE, TRADE LAWYER: Consistently we find women are paying more for goods in the aggregate than men. And it's not enough to say, hey, we have an item, look here, this costs more for a man than a woman. That doesn't negate the aggregate result.
SEBASTIAN: The retail industry says prices are set all along the supply chain from manufacturing to distribution, and gouging never pays off.
TED POTRIKOUS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RETAIL COUNCIL OF NEW YORK: It's gotten so competitive, that if a merchant of any stripe says, oh, well this one is for a girl, so, let's add another 10 percent to it. They will be gone. They will be gone in no time flat.
BURKE: For a last stop, we're off to the cleaners each with a plain white shirt.
SEBASTIAN: This is our biggest difference so far. For my shirt, the women's shirt cost $6.50.
BURKE: And for a men's shirt, which I thought looked like Claire's shirt, only $2.50.
The cleaners told us it cost more because they have to press the women's shirt by hand. For men, they use a machine.
SEBASTIAN: So, I paid more for the razor, the perfume and the dry cleaning.
BURKE: The only thing where us men came out ahead was the white t- shirt.
It's a short list for a very complicated issue.
You know, somebody in one of those shops thought I was your husband.
SEBASTIAN: He wishes.
Claire Sebastian.
BURKE: And Samuel Burke.
CNN Money, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:55:13] ANDERSON: Before we get out of the show this evening, I want to bring you the stories, three Emirati women steering away from tradition in pursuit of their sporting dreams. Their journeys were documented in a film called Know your Freedom showing how these women walk the thin line between culture, religion, and ambition.
In tonight's parting shots, then, we sit down with the two women behind the film.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUPRIYA SRINIVAS: I'm Supriya Srinivas.
GHALA AL AQILI, FILMMAKER: And I'm Ghala Al Aqili. And we were both the director, producers and directors for the film Know your Freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, before competition, like I do get really nervous. And I keep on telling myself, if you do fall, nothing is going to happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The film is about three UAE (inaudible). One a figure skater, one is a weightlifter and one a sky diver. And we basically follow their lives and look at the extraordinary choices they made in a very traditional society.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, the goal (inaudible) is to be -- to beat my previous last year.
AQILI: Was it hard for them to wear the (inaudible) the first time she went to first figure skating or for the first jump, or for the sky diving?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why you should wear this all the time. She doesn't have hair.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know how -- when women would see it, you know, because I'm sure most of her trainers or you know people around her are men.
SRINIVAS: When they make these choices to pursue an Olympic dream like Zara (ph) is or like Ama (ph) is, it's not very easy because you're moving away from the herd. You're standing out as an individual. And so what happens is everyone is questioning you. Society is questioning you. So, these girls are working a very fine balance between, you know, traditional norms and pursuing their dreams.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I admire them a lot, because they need to push boundaries not only beyond their physical and mental state.
AQILI: We're very politically correct in this society so to make them speak what really made it hard for them to be where they are right now is truly difficult.
SRINIVAS: The journey towards the Olympics is something that probably many athletes around the world they are doing it right now. But one of the persons speaking to us in the documentary said, you know, the journey -- Amna's (ph) journey, she's a weightlifter. And she's trying for Rio. He said her journey is gold to me. She does not have to get there for me. Society does not understand what she's doing right now but they will. And that journey itself is gold. He doesn't even -- even if she doesn't get there, it's not important for them.
And I think that's the value of their journey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have to be brave enough to take one step, just one step.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And that was Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. Thank you for watching.
END
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