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Major Quake Strikes Pakistan; Hu Jintao Arrives in the U.S.; Duvalier in Custody
Aired January 18, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Breaking news here into CNN Center -- an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 has struck Pakistan, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Let's go straight to this story and to the Weather Center.
Jenny Harrison is there.
And she is monitoring events for us -- Jen, what have you got?
JENNY HARRISON, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, we've got some more information, actually, Becky, that's just come in literally in the last couple of moments.
I just want to show you, as you say, the location, the southwest of Pakistan, very close to the border with Afghanistan to the north and, also, of course, Iran off to the west.
Now, this is a particular region which is fairly low population. But this was an extremely powerful earthquake, 7.4. Magnitude. And the preliminary report from the USGS says the depth is about 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles. But that is often just, again, what comes in with the preliminary report.
But we have had reports filed that it's been felt as far afield as New Delhi, up in Northern India, and also Abu Dhabi out toward the west from here. So quite a long distance away.
Now, the actual closest town to this particular earthquake is the town of Dalbandin. And I think we can probably show you the shake map, which will give you an idea of the intensity of this. There it is. So what you're looking at here is the intense red around the epicenter.
This is the area, the region that would have felt what is described as violent to extreme shaking. Now, you can see that Dalbandin is just on the outer edge of that. So it is probably likely that in Dalbandin, they were feeling severe to very strong tremors from this earthquake.
There's a population there estimated at about 15,000 people. And that particular town is approximately 55 kilometers, or 34 miles, away from the epicenter. So that is what we know about this town.
But, also, you have to bear in mind the time of day that this earthquake struck. In local time, it was getting on for 1:30 a.m.. In fact, 1:23 a.m. local time in Pakistan.
This is just a close-up view there, showing you some of the actual buildings down on the ground. So this is the location, 7.4 magnitude, in the southwest of Pakistan. We have had reports that it's been felt as far afield as New Delhi in Northern India, Abu Dhabi and, as I say, very shallow depth.
At the moment, the first preliminary report telling us estimated to be just 10 kilometers. And as I say, the epicenter around there, Dalbandin is the closest town or city, with approximately 15,000 residents -- Becky.
ANDERSON: All right, Jenny.
One of our correspondents at the Dubai bureau said he felt the quake that struck Pakistan. He said it was moderate and lasted about 30 seconds. That's in Dubai. Twitter accounts in -- in New Delhi and in Jodhpur in India saying they felt the quake. And Twitter accounts, of course, in -- also in Bahrain, saying they felt the quake.
Let's get more on this.
Reza Sayah joins us on the phone from Islamabad in Pakistan -- Reza.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, we just spoke to an official at Pakistan's meteorological department. And he tells us a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Pakistan around 1:23 a.m. local time here in Pakistan. That's roughly 40 minutes ago.
The official says the quake's epicenter is near Haran, a town in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, about 200 kilometers southwest of the city of Quetta.
Now, we're monitoring television reports. And they're saying this quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in cities as far away as Karachi, Lahore, Quetta. You mentioned somebody feeling this quake in Dubai. I spoke to one of our producers who is in Larkana, Pakistan, which is 300 kilometers north of the southern port city of Karachi. And he said the quake woke him up. He described it as about 30 seconds of shaking.
It's not clear, at this point, how much damage this quake has caused. But the good news is the area where this quake was centered is sparsely populated. In -- in the province of Baluchistan. The bad news is many of the buildings are -- are not built very strongly. Obviously, a 7.3 earthquake, many of these buildings wouldn't stand a chance.
But we're waiting to -- to get pictures from the local television stations here. Obviously, a 7.3 earthquake has the potential to cause major damage. At this point, it's not clear how much damage it has caused. What is clear is that this earthquake was felt in a very widespread area -- Becky.
ANDERSON: All right. Reza Sayah reporting from Islamabad.
And just to confirm, Reza, of course, an earthquake in 2005 in Pakistan, a story that I covered myself, that was in -- in a quite different area, up near what was known as Muzaffarabad in that time, up by Afghanistan.
This is a very different area. This, as you described, quite a remote area.
SAYAH: Yes, it -- it is. Baluchistan Province is the most sparsely populated province in Pakistan. The earthquake that you're mentioning -- the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir -- was in northeast Pakistan. Of course, that one measuring at 7.6 on the Richter scale. Seventy-five people were killed in that earthquake. And earthquakes aren't that unusual in Pakistan. Every few months, we -- we get one here.
But 7.3 is a big one, so obviously a lot of concern here. And, again, we're monitoring to see exactly how much damage this particular earthquake has caused. It happened about 45 minutes ago here -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. OK.
And we are, as we speak, looking at pictures coming into us from Karachi, where there are reports that people were woken by this earthquake. And as far as I can tell, as we look at these pictures and as we get back to them, you'll see some cracks in the buildings. One assumes the cameraman is showing us cracks as a result of this earthquake, but I can't confirm that as of yet.
These pictures coming into us from Karachi. I'm looking at some Twitter reports here. Somebody is saying they're trying to get through to their brother in Karachi. They say the telephone lines are blocked there at the moment.
Let's get back to Jenny Harrison at the CNN Weather Center for more -- Jen, what have you got?
HARRISON: Well, interesting what Reza was just saying there, Becky, about the reports coming from the Pakistan meteorologic agency that it was 7.3 magnitude, because we have just received another report from the European Mediterranean Seismological Survey. And they're saying, again, it was 7.3 magnitude. Their depth is very different. They are estimating 200 kilometers deep. And that is what I meant when I said that when we have these initial -- these preliminary reports that come through, very often the depth is given to standard 10 kilometers. So not always a good gauge in terms of, as I say, the actual depth that will be confirmed at a later stage.
But what we do know is this is a very powerful earthquake. 7.4 magnitude is what the preliminary report is saying from the USGS. That, of course, is the United States Geological Survey.
And you can see some pictures here. We're looking at people, obviously, in the streets because, indeed, as we were saying, this earthquake happening at 1:23:18 a.m. local time. So it would have been the very early hours of the morning. Many people would have been fast asleep in bed. And with an earthquake of this magnitude, it would have certainly been enough to wake you up. And, of course, the damage yet really has yet to be discovered.
Now, the nearest town to the epicenter is a town named Dalbandin, estimated to have about 15,000 residents in this particular town. And it's right on the cusp of where the -- the shaking would have been either severe or to very, very strong. But, also, it is a, generally, a population area of fairly low density around this magnitude.
But we know, as we're hearing, as well, Becky, that it has been felt very far afield.
ANDERSON: Yes. We just heard from one of our correspondents here, Leone Lakhani in Abu Dhabi, who said she felt it there. She was woken up by it. And a friend in Bahrain said they felt it. So -- so an earthquake that has certainly been felt around the region.
Jenny, thank you for that.
Let's talk now to Dr. Kurt Frankel from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
What can you tell us at this early stage from -- from what we know at this point?
DR. KURT FRANKEL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF ECONOMIC AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES: Hi.
Thanks for having me.
It's a -- well, like you said, it's a magnitude 7.4 earthquake. And - - and Jenny was absolutely right in -- in her assessment, that I don't think we can pay too much attention to the depth of that earthquake as reported right now. That's pretty hard to constrain.
But it's not uncommon for -- for this region to -- to have earthquakes. It's -- it's where two tectonic plates are coming together, so the -- so India, the continent of India is moving northward and crashing into -- to Asia in this area. And more commonly, we have earthquakes along the -- the Himalayan front, like the Pakistan earthquake from 2005 that you mentioned just a little while ago.
But that's not to say that there's not deformation associated with those plates coming together further to the south and to the west. And so -- so it's not unexpected to have an earthquake in this area.
ANDERSON: Would you say it's quite normal that an earthquake, at this depth, of this magnitude would be felt as far afield as we are hearing?
As I say, you know, we're hearing about reports from New Delhi and Jodhpur in India, from Bahrain, from Abu Dhabi, from Dubai, for example.
FRANKEL: Well, it -- it's -- it's highly dependent on the -- the type of crust in the area. A lot of the -- the crust that makes up, say, India, for example, is -- is very old and very dense crust. So it -- so the earthquake waves -- the seismic waves travel through that very efficiently. And so to feel a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that far away, I think is -- is reasonable to expect something like that.
ANDERSON: Yes, so 1:3 the morning in -- in Pakistan, as we take a look at the pictures coming to us from our affiliate in Pakistan.
We're moving between shots. We've been looking at Lahore, as we are now. We've seen pictures out of Quetta and out of Karachi. People are looking, really, quite perturbed, looking up into the sky. Certainly, as you can see here, wondering what's going on. And -- and one has to assume that there will be aftershocks, Dr. Kurt Frankel, on this.
Let's, before we come back to you, just get, as we look at these pictures out of Karachi, Lahore and Quetta, one of our correspondents on the phone.
And I -- I just mentioned I had had a -- an e-mail from Leone Lakhani, who is in Dubai -- Leone, I know you are -- you're from Islamabad, in fact, and -- and covered the 2005 earthquake with me there in the north of the country.
You felt this in Dubai.
LEONE LAKHANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Becky. I was just getting ready to go to bed. So it was about a half an hour ago, I think, about 40 minutes ago. And I just started feeling my bed shaking for -- it felt like about -- it was a substantial amount of time, like 20 seconds or so, I would say.
And I just started messaging my friends. And one of my friends in Abu Dhabi said she felt it. One of our friends in Bahrain said he felt it there. And then we just switched on the television. So when we saw that it was in the southwest of Pakistan then I got a bit worried, because, obviously, my family is in Islamabad. So just checking and calling around.
But I mean if it's in the southwest of Pakistan, we can kind of understand why we'd feel it all the way here in Dubai and Bahrain, on this side of the water that Pakistan has -- has here.
ANDERSON: In a fairly remote area, Leone, as -- as Reza and Jenny have been reporting. But as you know, you know well, given that you're from the region, aftershocks can happen, as we're looking at pictures here of people across Pakistan.
There will be some concern about what happens next, of course, won't there?
LAKHANI: Yes, absolutely, Becky. As you mentioned, I mean, when we were here in the earthquake of 2005, in the north, which was heavily populated and we felt those tremors every single day. And that was, obviously, very, very worrying.
So the -- the good -- I mean the saving graces, of course, as you mentioned and as Reza mentioned, as well, that in this sparsely populated area, we just hope that not many people are hurt or there's not much damage done.
But just the fact that we felt it all the way here in Dubai just make you very, very concerned. And I know that a few of the friends that I've been speaking to here in Dubai, were just all a bit worried, as well, because if we're feeling it all the way here and you just think you can go back to bed, but you're just worried about any aftershocks, as you mentioned, as well.
ANDERSON: Well, we wish the best for everybody.
Leone Lakhani on the phone from Dubai for us.
You're looking at pictures coming to us from our affiliate in Pakistan, as we report on an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 striking southwestern Pakistan, in a fairly remote area.
Let's get back to you Jenny Harrison at CNN Weather Center for more -- Jenny?
HARRISON: Yes, we just had our latest update, actually, Becky. Of course, this is what happens. The USGS, the United States Geological Survey, they put out the preliminary report and then if they get more information, they obviously issue that.
So we've had another report. They are now saying that the magnitude is 7.2 and the depth -- again, we were talking about this and Kurt Frankel, indeed, was saying that, you know, these preliminary reports, it's not always accurate.
And so now the USGS is saying it was 84 kilometers deep. But, still, that is relatively shallow. And, of course, 7.2 magnitude.
And I mentioned the European Mediterranean Seismological Survey. And they are saying it's 70 kilometers deep.
So, obviously, a little bit of a difference there. But generally it's felt that it was now not as shallow as 10 kilometers, it was deeper than that, at 84. And as I say, the magnitude has been revised and slightly lowered to 7.2. But and we know, that is still an extremely powerful earthquake.
This is the region. It's a fairly low populated region, certainly in terms of Pakistan. To the north, you'll notice the border. That is the border with Afghanistan and out toward the west, not that far from the eastern border of Iran.
So there you can see the population density around that area. But the closest town, Dalbandin, we know that has about 15,000 residents -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Jenny, we thank you for that.
And just updating you on the news coming into CNN Center, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 striking southwestern Pakistan. As we get more on this story, of course, you can rely on us here at CNN to bring it to you.
All right, let's move on at this point.
China's president, Hu Jintao, arriving in the U.S. for crucial talks aimed at finding some common ground in an increasingly rocky relationship. These are live pictures coming to you from Andrews Air Base, as Hu comes down the steps, to be met by U.S. vice president, Joe Biden, welcoming the Chinese leader at the beginning of his four day state visit. The first meeting with President Barack Obama will come later tonight, when the pair will sit down for a private dinner at the White House.
Well, of course, the trip will be full of pomp and ceremony. Behind the scenes, though, there's some tough talking to be done.
Let's find out what's at stake.
Jill Dougherty joining us as we look at these live pictures now from the State Department -- Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, you know, as you look at that picture, you have to think that this is the leader of a country the relationship of which, with the United States, is really going to define things for a very, very long time. Really, this century -- and it's no exaggeration -- could be defined by the relationship between China and the United States.
Right now, China is still a burgeoning power. But it has reached that critical mass where now its economy is the second biggest in the world, eclipsing Japan.
So you're talking about this major economic power. And now, during these talks that will be coming up, beginning today, kind of an informal part of it and then tomorrow very formal, the official state visit and a dinner, a state dinner, etc.
You're going to be hearing, at least the United States' side, saying that it hopes that China will now, as a power, step up to the responsibilities of a power and exert the influence that it has in many different parts of the world for good. And that would be, as the United States, at least, would see it, helping out where -- on -- let's say, controlling the nuclear program of Iran, the program of North Korea; obviously, helping out in terms of economic development around the world.
And for this administration, it certainly will be increasing the amount of American goods that are sold in China.
ANDERSON: Jill, if we look at these pictures coming to us live from Andrews Air Base, just how important a trip is this for the Obama administration?
DOUGHERTY: It's extremely important, because when President Obama visited there, when he went to Beijing, it was perceived that he kind of -- I guess the word might be caved or at least he was not as strong as he could have been.
Now, the message from the United States and from this president could be stronger. It could be stronger on some economic issues. It could be stronger on, we expect, on human rights. And the United States, certainly President Obama, is going to try to show that this relationship can have -- pay off for both sides, that it can be managed successfully.
He has to prove that internationally, but he also has to prove it domestically, so that Americans really believe that there is some sort of payoff from this relationship.
You know, if you talk to most Americans, they tend to think that the relationship with China has nothing but negatives, that jobs are leaving the United States, that Chinese goods are everywhere. There's a lot of negativity. And don't forget, when we have a new Congress in town, which is dominated by more conservatives. And many of them believe that China is a country that -- that has malevolent intentions toward the United States, at least economically, if not militarily.
ANDERSON: Jill Dougherty reporting out of Washington for us.
Jill, thank you for that.
My next guest has a unique perspective on this story from both East and West, as we look at the pictures out of Andrews Air Base.
Jamie Metzl worked in the Clinton White House and now runs the Asia Society in New York.
Cooperative but competitive, that is how the U.S. sees its relationship with China.
Is this, though, a view that is shared, Jamie?
JAMIE METZL, EXCLUSIVE VICE PRESIDENT, ASIA SOCIETY: Absolutely. The United States and China are the two most important countries in the world. The relationship between them is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. As Jill said, how this relationship plays out will have an enormous impact on so many issues that are important to the United States and China and the rest of the world over the course of the coming decades and even over the course of the -- of this century.
And so there is a lot of collaboration, but there is a lot of rivalry. And, frankly, over the last year, the rivalry and division has been growing, which has concerned a lot of people not just in the United States, but around the region, as well.
ANDERSON: President Hu Jintao arriving here in Washington. You're looking at live pictures there as he made his way down the steps and into the car.
Joe Biden, the vice president, of course, meeting him there in Washington. He's off later for dinner with President Obama.
We're talking to Jamie Metzl here.
Jamie, ahead of the trip, Hu said -- and I quote -- "We both stand to gain from a sound China-US relationship and lose from confrontation."
Would it be going too far to say that on this trip, both sides hope to hit the reset button?
METZL: Absolutely. Both sides want to and both sides have basically said the same thing. I was in Washington last week, where Hillary Clinton made, basically, almost word for word, the exact same point.
But the real challenge is it's easy to come on a visit and to have photo-ops like you're -- we're seeing now and to feel good about things. And I think we can be guaranteed that we're going to have that. We can be guaranteed that business deals are going to be announced.
But the real question is, how are these two superpowers going to work together on the big issues -- nuclear proliferation is a key one. There will be a real litmus test -- what is China willing to do on issues like Iran, like North Korea, on the economic issues. There are huge issues relating to intellectual property rights protection, to currency valuation, to whether there can be a more level playing field for American investors in China.
So the test will not be the words and it won't be the pictures. It will be the concrete, tangible results. And, frankly, there's a long, long way to go.
ANDERSON: And I think we've probably heard enough over the weeks about what the U.S. wants out of this trip. And we can allude to North Korea and Iran and -- and stability on the...
METZL: Right.
ANDERSON: -- on the Chinese currency.
Perhaps we should just spend a moment talking about what the Chinese want. On a day that is...
METZL: Right.
ANDERSON: -- quite important, an historic test for the national debt, of course, in the U.S., as it may -- just may, today, tick over the $14 trillion mark.
Now, the Chinese, of course, want to know that Obama is doing something about that. They don't want to feel that they are in hock, effectively, to Beijing for the rest of Washington's life.
METZL: Yes. And that's a very big issue for China. But it's an even bigger issue for the United States. I mean this debt is a -- is a ticking time bomb. And either the United States is going to address it for its own reasons -- let's forget about China for a moment -- or, at some point is the fact that, the bond market is going to force, in a very, very painful way, the United States to address its -- its growing debt.
So I -- I definitely an sympathetic to President Hu and -- and other Chinese leaders when they say that America needs to address its -- its debt. There are a lot of issues, but we shouldn't at all think that the issues are just American concerns about China. There are issues that go the other way.
ANDERSON: Jamie, we appreciate your thoughts on the subject tonight, as Hu Jintao drives or is driven, one assumes, away from Andrews Air Base, with the vice president, Joe Biden, on their way, of course, to the White House and a dinner with President Obama -- an historic trip for the Chinese and an important one for both sides.
Those are the pictures there in Washington, as we see them coming in to the CNN Center first, of course, to you.
More on Pakistan's earthquake up ahead -- a 7.2 magnitude -- magnitude earthquake has rocked the country and been felt as far as New Delhi and Dubai.
Also ahead this hour, after 15 years in exile, he made a surprise return to Haiti on Sunday. But now, Baby Doc is in custody. The latest on the former dictator up next.
Plus, this hour, the revolution isn't over -- protesters in Tunisia want a whole lot more.
And hip-hopping his way to success, let me introduce, if we can, to our Connector of the Day. Russell Simmons, your man tonight, coming up.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
A major earthquake has hit Pakistan. According to the United States Geological Survey, a 7.2 quake struck southwestern Pakistan at around 1:20 a.m. local time. The onshore quake hasn't triggered a tsunami warning, but a major quake of this magnitude is capable of causing a lot of damage.
Do stay with us here at CNN, as we bring you more details as soon as we get them.
Well, former Haitian dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier, has been taken into custody by heavily armed police in Port-au-Prince.
CNN's John Zarrella joins us with the very latest -- John, what do we know at this point?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the story continues to change periodically throughout the day. What we know now is that for the better part of the afternoon, Jean-Claude Duvalier has been at the courthouse downtown. And he had gone before one judge first. And now he is before an investigating judge.
What we understand is that the government did bring charges, did file charges, but that Duvalier himself has not been officially charged with any crimes. Nor do we know what those charges are that were presented by the Haitian government.
The way it should work out now is that this investigating judge, or an investigating judge, would be appointed to look into these charges and decide whether there is merit -- merit enough to go ahead and bring the charges formally against Duvalier. Now, that could take up to 30 days under Haitian law. They have about 30 days to go ahead and make that determination.
There remains a possibility that he could be returned here to the hotel tonight. At this point, we do not know if he will be detained or if he'll be allowed, Becky, to come back here to the hotel. He was picked up here, as you mentioned, by heavily armed police at about -- just shortly after -- about four-and-a-half hours ago, just after noon Eastern time here in Haiti. And he was escorted down the stairs. He waved to the people who were outside and then got inside of a police vehicle and was taken to the courthouse, Becky, where he has remained throughout the afternoon -- Becky.
ANDERSON: And let's just remind people who may not have been watching the news over the past 24 hours, this is the former president, of course, of Haiti, who left the country in 1986. He has voluntarily flown back into the country. We know not why at this point -- John.
ZARRELLA: Yes, we do know that. And everything that we have heard up to this point from sources close to his family, people that grew up with him who had talked with him since he came back, was that it was non- political. That his intention was to come and show solidarity with the Haitian people -- not to get involved in any of the election fuss that's going on here, but simply to show solidarity with the people after the earthquake.
He said that according to his -- his family friend, that his heart was here and he wanted to make this trip.
We were also told that he was not ever going to give a news conference, but that he would issue a statement today. That was before the arrest. And that in that statement, there would be no political messages at all, but strictly a message of how he wanted the solidarity with -- wanted to be here with the Haitian people and show the solidarity with them.
But nothing directly from him yet as to why he decided to come back. Certainly, Becky, he must have known that there was a possibility that some charges might be brought against him -- Becky.
ANDERSON: All right, John Zarrella with a -- a story that continues to develop there in Haiti.
John, we thank you for that.
Now, the Irish prime minister keeps his job -- for now, at least. This just in to CNN. Brian Cowen has survived a challenge from his finance minister, wanting a confidence vote. The prime minister has faced widespread anger at his decision to seek an international financial bailout. That news just in to CNN Center.
Well, at least 65 people are dead after a suicide bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit. A hundred and sixty others are wounded. The bomber struck while in line for a police recruitment center. The explosions caused a fire, we are told, at a nearby fuel station.
And flooding and mudslides in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil now killed 665 people. Many more are feared dead, and thousands have lost their homes. Towns and villages have been washed away, and rescue workers are still looking for survivors amid the rubble.
Some of the bigger stories out there in the world for you today. Up ahead, more on Pakistan's earthquake. This is a story that has been developing over the past hour. We'll be live in Islamabad after this.
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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in London at just after half past nine locally here, let's get you a check of the headlines now.
A major earthquake has hit Pakistan. According to the United States Geological Survey, a 7.2 quake struck the southwestern part of the country at around 1:20 AM local time. Let's go live to Reza Sayah in Islamabad for you. Reza, what do we know at this point?
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, we know that this was a powerful earthquake. What's not clear, at this point, is how much damage was caused, if there's any injuries, if there's any fatalities. We're working to get that information, but it could be a challenge, because this earthquake took place at a very remote area in southwestern Pakistan.
Let's tell you what we do know. We spoke to an official at Pakistan's meteorological department. He tells us that an earthquake magnitude 7.3 hit southwest Pakistan around 1:23 AM local time, that's about an hour and 15 minutes ago. The official says the epicenter of the earthquake was near the town of Kharan in the southwestern province of Balochistan, about 200 kilometers southwest of the capital city of Quetta.
Now, we're monitoring television reports, and then they're saying that this quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in cities like Lahore, Karachi. Spoke to a producer in Larkana, Pakistan, which is about 300 kilometers north of Karachi. He said this earthquake woke him up around 1:23 AM. He described it as about 30 seconds of severe shaking.
We're looking at some live pictures from the city of Karachi, and they appear to show some cracks in the buildings. And again, Karachi is about 400 kilometers west of the epicenter of this earthquake. We have yet to see pictures of the epicenter of the area itself, Becky, so it's not clear exactly how much damage this very powerful earthquake has caused.
ANDERSON: This is some distance away from Islamabad. Can I confirm, did you feel this earthquake there?
SAYAH: We didn't -- we didn't feel it. Islamabad is way up north, we're very far away from the epicenter of this earthquake. We didn't feel it, but a lot of people hundreds of kilometers away did feel it. As I mentioned, the southern port city of Karachi. I know you've had some contact with people who've felt it all the way in Dubai.
So this was a powerful earthquake. People hundreds of kilometers away felt it. Again, the good news is that the epicenter of this earthquake, and the Balochistan province, for that matter, is a very sparsely populated area. In fact, Balochistan is the most sparsely populated province in Pakistan.
The bad news is, many of the buildings, many of the structures are not very strongly built. When you have an earthquake of this magnitude, they don't stand a chance. So, we're very eager to get some pictures, get some information from some people who are near this epicenter to determine exactly how much damage it has caused and how severe that damage is, Becky.
ANDERSON: And we won't be surprised if we hear stories of aftershocks, as well. As you say, earthquakes do happen in Pakistan, this a particularly strong one, but in a fairly remote area. Of course, there will be people, though, there in that area.
All right. Reza Sayah for you out of Islamabad this evening on what is a developing story here at CNN.
And our other main story this hour, China's president Hu Jintao has arrived in the United States for a four-day state visit. US vice president Joe Biden welcomes the Chinese leader, who will sit down with President Barack Obama for a private dinner at the White House later this evening.
Just two days in office, Tunisia's unity government has run into some major trouble. Many people are furious that it didn't sever all ties with the ousted president's regime. So, once again, they have taken to the streets to demand change. Ben Wedeman joins us now from Tunis with details.
We spoke at this time last night and Ben, you told me then that you wouldn't be surprised if you were -- we were still looking at people on the streets protesting at this time today.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and what we saw today, Becky, was more people and sort of stronger protests. For about four or five hours in the center of Tunis, there were running battles between these protesters and the police. And why they're protesting is because they feel the unity government simply contains too many people from the old regime --
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WEDEMAN: And the prime minister. The unity government is already showing signs of falling apart. Several ministers in it have already resigned.
And this evening, the prime minister and the interim president, who are members -- or, rather, were members of the ruling party -- resigned from that party in the hopes of being able to bolster that unity government, but their ex-partners in the unity government have said they're not going to come back.
So, I may be venturing a prediction here, but I don't think this government has 48 hours to live. Becky?
ANDERSON: And if that were the case, Ben, what happens next?
WEDEMAN: Well, another government will be formed. And if it's done, it will probably be without or very few members with any ties to the old regime.
But the political situation is in complete flux. You have old exiled leaders from the opposition coming back to Tunisia. You have Islamist groups that are beginning to reassert themselves. You have the banned Communist Party is -- clearly wants to get back into the political game.
So, it's really a political vacuum into which so many different people, parties, political trends are coming that we're going to be having weeks, if not months, of political turmoil, so to speak, in Tunisia. Becky?
ANDERSON: Ben Wedeman reporting under curfew from the hotel there in Tunisia. Tunis, Tunisia. As Ben warned, it's too early to tell whether Tunisia's revolt might ignite a similar revolutionary spark elsewhere in the Arab world. But we are seeing more public signs of discontent. Ivan Watson is going to tell us about some protests in Jordan. First, though, Nic Robertson reports from Cairo.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, so far Tuesday, three people we know about have tried to set fire to themselves here in Egypt. One of them, a young man in Alexandria, burned himself so badly he died. A lawyer here in Cairo set fire to himself, and another man was trying to set fire to himself here in Cairo. Police intervened, took the gasoline away from him.
But in this hospital behind me, here, is the man who set fire himself, a baker, a local baker, set fire to himself outside the parliament building Monday. We can't get access to him. Only state media's been in to see him.
According to local media reports, some government officials have been implying that he is mentally unstable. His friends say that's not the case, but Tunisian officials, here, keen -- rather, Egyptian officials, here, keen to play down any ties between what's happening here, what happened in Tunisia saying all countries in this region are different, different economic, different social, different political situation. Becky?
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IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Everybody you talk to here in Jordan complains that the cost of living has increased dramatically over the past year. In this butcher shop, for example, the butcher says his prices have gone up consistently over the last six months, and his customers have been forced to buy smaller portions of meat. The economic hardships in this society are putting increasing pressure on the Jordanian government.
On top of the high cost of living, there is the unemployment in Jordan, according to official figures, hovering around 13 percent.
Now, every Jordanian I've talked to here says they were thrilled and inspired by the Tunisian street protesters who helped bring down their government. And they also say that that has helped inspire them and push them, in some cases, to protest against their own government. We've seen protests here in Amman and in other cities around the country, small ones, peaceful ones, calling for the resignation of the Jordanian prime minister.
And the Jordanian government is feeling the pressure. They recently unveiled a package to try to cut commodity prices, cut taxes, and try to create jobs for a country that is feeling the economic pinch. Ivan Watson, CNN, Amman.
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ANDERSON: All right. Some regional impact of what is going on in Tunisia for you here on CONNECT THE WORLD. This is CNN.
Up next, getting rich in Ukraine. How chickens have helped to breed a millionaire in a country where 35 percent of the population lives in poverty. That is up next.
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ANDERSON: Well, it's been 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and all this week on CONNECT THE WORLD, we are taking you inside one of the countries to emerge from that break-up. We are turning the spotlight on Ukraine, looking at how this Eastern European nation is trying to forge itself a future on the global stage through its business, technology, and culture.
Well, tonight, we're going to meet one Ukrainian man who is leading his country's growth and taking it beyond borders. Diana Magnay has the story of the agricultural baron who is making the most of his country's rich soils to feed the world.
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DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks a bit like a wintry version of a chicken ranch. But for these chicks, it's a one-way road to the supermarket shelf. Leading agribusiness MHP produces some 200,000 tons of poultry here each year. It's one of Europe's largest and most modern poultry production facilities.
MAGNAY (on camera): This little chick's just a day old. It was bought from the hatchery nearby yesterday, and it's going to spend the next 42 to 45 days here, eating some sour cake and grain that the company produces in the fields near here. And then, unfortunately, he'll go to the slaughterhouse.
MAGNAY (voice-over): Producing fodder in the neighboring fields radically reduces costs. CEO Yury Kosyuk doesn't believe in outsourcing. With 300,000 hectares of farming land all over Ukraine, he has the space to produce whatever he wants. Chickens, grains like wheat, rapeseed, and sunflowers, and other meat product, from sausages to foie gras.
YURY KOSYUK, CEO, MHP (through translator): Subcontractors are risk signs. We decided to develop a business model, and our motto is that if you want something done right, then do it yourself.
MAGNAY (voice-over): Kosyuk floated 25 percent of the company's stock on the London Stock Exchange in 2008 to raise capital for further expansion. It's paid off. In a December survey by "The Kiev Post," he was listed as Ukraine's eighth-richest man, alongside headlines heralding the rise of the agricultural baron.
KOSYUK (through translator): In order to be successful, you have to have hundreds of thousands of hectares of land. You have to have the right people to manage the business processes, like we do. And you have to have the strength to invest a lot of money into projects, because investment and our management style is very untypical.
MAGNAY (voice-over): It's what lies beneath the snow which makes this business model work. Ukraine's famously fertile black soil, the reason the country became known as the bread basket of Europe.
For 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the agricultural sector lagged the rest of Europe because of a lack of technology and investment.
BORYS KOLESNIKOV, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF UKRAINE (through translator): At the moment, Ukraine is gathering anywhere from 38 to 50 million tons of grain, and we can double that production just by introducing modern technologies. And that, of course, makes our market very attractive.
MAGNAY (voice-over): MHP is a homegrown company making the most of Ukraine's fertile soil to keep its costs low. There are around 1500 foreign investors operating in the agricultural sector, and the country's promising significant reforms to make the investment climate more attractive.
Ukraine knows that, at a time of global food shortages, it has the potential to feed many more mouths than its own. Diana Magnay, CNN, Kiev.
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ANDERSON: All right. And tomorrow night, we'll look back at Ukraine's most infamous event. It's been 25 years since the nuclear plant catastrophe at Chernobyl, and we head back to the site of one of the world's worst accidents to see what has changed. That is this time tomorrow night, here on CNN.
Up next, though, tonight, we meet the co-founder of the Def Jam empire. He made many of us sit up and listen to hip hop music. Russell Simmons is your Connector of the Day. Stay with us.
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ANDERSON: All right, you're with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. For many, he is the CEO of hip hop. But he's also a fashionista and author and philanthropist. It is time for Max Foster to introduce you to your Connector of the Day.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's one of music's biggest moguls, but Russell Simmons insists that, for him, it's all about the art.
RUSSELL SIMMONS, ENTREPRENEUR: What I look for, what's honestly hot or really needed, a vehicle for expression.
FOSTER (voice-over): The business tycoon and entrepreneur spent years creating the successful label Def Jam, which has gone on to become one of the most recognizable brands in the industry.
Known for his celebrity friends and bevy of beautiful women, Simmons is the ultimate jack of all trades. His hit reality show, "Running With Russell Simmons" airs weekly on the Oxygen Channel.
SIMMONS: Don't stress. Smile.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not.
SIMMONS: Giggle. Hee hee ho ho ho!
FOSTER (voice-over): And he started a series of clothing lines. Simmons has also lent his voice to many political causes, and has been an outspoken advocate of President Obama.
This month, he's out with a new book entitled "Super Rich." But don't let the title fool you. Russell told me it's about much more than flashy cars and summer homes.
SIMMONS: In fact, I wrote a book about four years ago, and it was about -- it was me taking all these teachings from all of the years of studying the Yoga Scripture, and I -- I decided that was my prescription for happiness. For me, just getting all that stuff and putting it into a book and simplifying it so it can help other people was the goal.
People still come up to me at least once a day and say, "Your book, 'Do You!' changed my life. That sentiment was so -- means so much to me, that -- because I know the book is about getting people to achieve as much as they can and give as much as they can and kind of let go of a lot of fear. And that -- the fact that I can help people do that was very powerful.
So, this book was written more as an offering. I felt that I had gotten people's ears and I could now come back and write something that would be more of a how-to book. And that's what "Super Rich" is.
And when I say "how-to," it's how to attain a state of peace or happiness, and "Super Rich" in this book is defined as a state of needing nothing, which is kind of the same definition as Yoga.
FOSTER (on camera): Can I just ask you a bit of a pointy question? I mean, you have got so much as a person, haven't you? Isn't it easy to say it doesn't bring you happiness, all of this?
SIMMONS: It's pretty easy to say, because I remember my first record, all I could think of was giving. Like, I can't wait for someone to hear this record.
I've seen the experience of people who are present and giving, and I know that the people who are happy in that -- in that mode, when they're giving. The work is the prayer, and the work is what brings the happiness. Certainly, that's my experience, and the money is a fringe benefit. The real fun, the real excitement in life is giving.
FOSTER: OK, we've got lots of questions, because you inspire lots of people, not just through your music, but because of your success that you've just been talking about. And Nhlanhla asks, "Did you always have faith that you would succeed in your ventures, or were there moments of doubt?"
SIMMONS: Well, I've had many -- my life has evolved from many stages. As a kid, I sold drugs, I was in a gang, I've had those experiences.
Then, I found my music and my passion, and I was -- I traveled. I remembering going to Amsterdam, and they called me "Mr. Simmons," and that gave me a tremendous amount of confidence, because I thought they were talking to my father but he, of course, wasn't on the plane.
So, it was a really great experience of coming, and each one, of course, gave me more confidence that could be a good giver, I could be a little bit more fearless and venture out.
Also, I learned from experiences. So many things. I like the morning meditation better than I do the late night drinking. I discovered that. I'm a vegan, I'm pretty boring in terms of -- I don't drink or smoke or anything like that.
But I've done it all. I kind of found that some of the things they promised you are true regarding operating in order. They're true. It's like, the morning meditator is much more fun than the late night drunk.
FOSTER: Benzir Khan asks, "What kind of advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who would like to start their own mu -- business in the music industry." And some people would argue there's not the same opportunity, now, because it's just so much tougher.
SIMMONS: Well, I would argue that it's so many more vehicles. What we did with our music, and what I promote in my book, stories about all the artists who became popular. And more recently, it's the only way is that you give it away.
And there's so many ways to give it away, now. Today, with all the technology, there's so many ways to give it away and get heard by so many people that you could become a very popular artist with limited social skills.
Where before, I went through so much to give away my "Kurtis Blow Christmas Rappin'," 1979, it was popular in Europe before it was in America. It was my first record, and the story about going to Amsterdam was because of that record. It was giving it away that made it popular.
And then, I got a record contract. And so, I would recommend that people -- as a manager, you find your artist, and you help him to gain exposure. The record companies only sign artists that are already hot.
Certainly, in hip hop, that's been that way for a while now. They don't know how to examine the melody and listen to the artist and kind of feel his heartbeat. They only can hear the streets pounding. So, you have to go out, get in the street, and pound the street.
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ANDERSON: And he personifies the term "hip hop." Russell Simmons for you as your Connector of the Day today. Tomorrow, well, get ready for some glamour. Mix yourself a cocktail, shaken, not stirred, and tune in to hear from a Bond girl that's just 24 years old.
Gemma Arterton landed one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood, starring alongside Daniel Craig in Bond film "Quantum of Solace." She's certainly made an impression this month. She's been nominated for the BAFTA "Rising Star" award.
Now, for all of your Connectors of the Day, they're yours, of course. It's your part of the show. Head to the website, cnn.com/connect. Find out about who's coming up, send us your questions. Don't forget to tell us where you're writing in from. We enjoy that.
All right, I'm Becky Anderson. That is your world connected. From London, it is a very good evening. The headlines, though, will be up next, including more on that Pakistan earthquake we led with this hour. That after this short break. I'll be back.
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