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Dominique Strauss-Kahn Released on Own Recognizance; Interview with Dennis Kucinich on Syria; Georgian Food Hopes to Break into World Market
Aired July 01, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight, cracks appear in the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. With the credibility of his accuser in doubt, can this man restore his reputation and make a political comeback?
Plus, as we witness protests in the Syrian capital, one U.S. lawmaker who has just met the president tells me why the country would be chaos without him.
And Monaco celebrates a royal wedding, but is that wedding gripping the rest of the world?
These stories and more tonight as we CONNECT THE WORLD.
Well, in the case of he said/she said, her credibility is so much in doubt that the scandal that shocked the world is threatening to derail. We begin with a stunning reversal of fortunes for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
A judge in New York has freed him from house arrest, releasing him on his recognizance after prosecutors found serious problems with the story of a hotel maid who is accusing Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.
Look at his face as he left court. His smile pretty much tells it all. Yet his legal troubles aren't over. The judge did not dismiss the case, nor drop any charges. Lawyers on both sides spoke out after Friday's hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN BRAFMAN, DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN'S ATTORNEY: At each appearance in the last six weeks, we asked you and we asked the world not to rush to judgment in this case. And now I think you can understand why.
We believed from the beginning that this case was not what it appeared to be. And we are absolutely convinced that while today is a first giant step in the right direction, the next step will lead to a complete dismissal of the charges.
KENNETH THOMPSON, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIM: The suggestion by defense counsel that this was consensual is preponderous (sic). The victim wants you to know that all of Dominique Strauss-Kahn's power, money, and influence throughout the world will not cheat the truth about what he did to her in that hotel room from coming out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. Both sides there. The fallout from these allegations not only forced a leadership change, remember, the International Monetary Fund, but also upended Dominique Strauss-Kahn's political domestic aspirations where, of course, he was a presidential contender.
So what evidence led prosecutors to step forward now and drop this bombshell? Let's bring in Richard Roth in New York.
You couldn't make this up, these twists and turns in this case, quite remarkable, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, here and inside the courthouse today was almost like an episode of "Law & Disorder." In terms of what really brought us to this situation, it may not be the physical evidence or what happened in the hotel room. It's the fact, according to the prosecutor's office, that the hotel maid, the alleged sexual victim, her testimony, her discussions with the investigators conflicted at various points.
Was she indeed, as she first claimed, gang-raped by people in Guinea in West Africa? It turns out maybe not, though she had a different story when she applied for asylum. She said she called the hotel manager immediately after the alleged incident, now it turns out she cleaned the room, took a little bit more time, then decided to call. And there is many more things.
For the prosecutor, though, they've taken a hit, they're embarrassed, but they still say the criminal charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn still stand, the case goes forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYRUS VANCE JR., MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: After the indictment against the defendant was filed, we continued as an office to investigate the case rigorously as we do and our obligated to do. That investigation raised concerns about the complaining witness's credibility. And we turned over to the defense the information that gave rise to those concerns, as we are ethically and legally obligated to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Other problems for the prosecution as they try to bolster the case for their witness, the fact that she spoke on the phone, Becky, with a prison inmate, a drug dealer, immediately after this whole incident broke out, asking for advice on whether she should go after Dominique Strauss- Kahn.
Also that she used a friend's child as an illegal tax deduction to gain more income, that she had multiple cell phones, and there were questionable amounts of large money, perhaps up to $100,000 in different bank accounts.
They need her to prove the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, that's the problem now for the prosecution. Next court appearance, July 18th. We may know by then whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn is completely exonerated.
ANDERSON: All right. So, Richard Roth there as we look at pictures of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife, leaving the courthouse today, certainly looking a lot more relaxed than we've seen him of late.
Let's get you a timeline of the events, shall we, as we know them. Do think back for a moment on May 13th, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, checks in to the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan.
Well, this is what happened after that. May 14th, a 32-year-old alleges that Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted her in a room, Room 2806, we're told. And he is pulled off a plane, an Air France plane, and later arrested.
Move on to the May 15th, the allegations stun the world. He is held in a police precinct. The maid identifies him in a lineup. Moving on to the 16th, and this is the picture we all remember, Strauss-Kahn formally charged and sent to Riker's Island.
He resigns on the 18th as the head of the IMF. On May the 20th, he is released on bail but restricted to house arrest. Moving on to June the 6th, he enters a formal not guilty plea.
And today, July 1st, it seems a long time, doesn't it, Strauss-Kahn is released on his own recognizance, as it's known, freed from house arrest after serious issues were raised about the credibility of his accuser.
Well, our next guest going to talk about these fast-moving developments in this case, it's unprecedented. Paul Callan is a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor in New York. He joins us now.
Perfect guest for us to have on tonight. Your reaction to what you've heard today?
PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I'm stunned by it. I mean, this case has been an enormous case in the United States and across the world. And for prosecutors to reveal today such absolutely damaging information about their own witness, and for Strauss-Kahn, who was laboring under one of the largest awards of bail I've ever heard of, possibly the biggest in 25 years, and to be released on his own recognizance suddenly, that, it is a stunning development.
ANDERSON: Yes. Put yourself in Vance's shoes. This is the prosecutor who is also, of course, as we -- most of us know, looking to make a name for himself at this point, he has already been accused of trying his case in the court of public opinion, not least because of this.
Let's remember what the French were so indignant about, this. And our viewers are going to see it now, these are the pictures of the perp walk. Let's have a look at those for our viewers, if we can.
What went wrong here? What has he done which is effectively sort of blowing his case apart?
CALLAN: Well, you know, it's ironic, because the pride and joy of the American justice system is that it is so public. Even a great wealthy, powerful man is tried in a public courtroom in the United States.
And the perp walk, for which we get criticized -- Americans get criticized, it's just part of the very public justice system we have in this country.
But of course, the Achilles heel of the system, I guess, is that when a mistake is made, it's also very public. There are no behind-closed-doors mistakes. And this case many lawyers might say that it should have been vetted far more carefully by the Manhattan district attorney before charges were lodged against Strauss-Kahn.
But, of course, he was about to board an airplane, fly back to France, eventually, which has a non-extradition policy, and there was fear that we would never get him back in the United States again.
So the prosecutor jumped far more quickly than he normally would have in a case like this.
ANDERSON: And let's remember, on the courthouse steps, with the world watching, he characterized the charges, and I quote, as "extremely serious," and said the evidence supports the commission of non-consensual forced sexual act.
Was he undermining the presumption of innocence by doing that?
CALLAN: No. Under U.S. law, a prosecutor is allowed to publicly state the charges that are being lodged against an individual. And I think that Cyrus Vance's statement probably was legal under U.S. law.
There are some restrictions. You can't get into a lot of detail. But that was proper under U.S. law. So I don't think he went too far there. I think the criticism of the New York district attorney would -- you would have to focus on, did he jump too soon? Did he -- shouldn't he have investigated the Strauss-Kahn claim that it was consensual sexual activity before he decided to lodge charges like this, which would be utterly destructive of DSK's reputation?
I think if there's going to be criticism, that's where the criticism is to be found. But, of course, you know, Vance will say that he was about to board an airplane and leave the jurisdiction, and he possibly never would have returned to the United States.
So a decision had to be made quickly, and police recommended this arrest.
ANDERSON: Paul is a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, and therefore knows how both sides of these arguments work. We thank you very much, indeed, for joining us this evening.
Well, if the French were indignant then, they are even more indignant now. Today's revelations have revived anger over the way that Strauss-Kahn has been treated in the U.S., in what many French consider a rush to judgment by overzealous prosecutors.
Well, the dominant reaction to this story on the streets of France today is simply shock. One former prime minister called the news a "thunderclap." Here's the headline of the French daily Le Monde, it translates as "Twist in the Case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Doubts in New York, Speculation in Paris."
Well, that speculation refers, in large part, to Strauss-Kahn's political career, some of his fellow Socialists hope he can soon make a comeback and pick up where he left off in challenging President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Well, I talked earlier with Razzy Hammadi, he is the national secretary of public services for the French Socialist Party. I began by asking what his party makes of the sudden turn of events. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAZZY HAMMADI, SOCIALIST PARTY: During all this time we tried to continue to have dignity, decency in our words, and respect, a great respect for the American justice.
ANDERSON: Well, the case is not over, but certainly I know you and your colleagues in the Socialist Party have already begun talking about whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn could potentially be a presidential hopeful once again.
Before we talk about that, let me just play you and our viewers some voices from Paris today, some voices on the street. This is what people said about the potential for him being president going forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he can't come back -- you mean in the presidential competition? No, I don't think so.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he is really out of the presidency, because anyway this story will have an input on his character and on his popularity, so I don't think he will be able to make it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think for him, politics party is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Would you support Dominique Strauss-Kahn as a presidential hopeful now?
HAMMADI: There is the man and there is the potential candidate. Today we are thinking about the man. And all our good feelings are going to him and for the man, before the candidate. If he wants to say, if he feels that he want to run, and if he has got this ambition, I think that the first person that can talk about this is him, himself, his decision.
ANDERSON: Do you think the Socialist Party would back him as a candidate in the primaries, which would, if he won, allow him to stand as a presidential candidate?
HAMMADI: It's his own decision. It's to him to talk. It's to him to decide. And it's to him to have the expression for this. I don't think that it's the time.
ANDERSON: Last question to you, yes or no, simple question, will the Socialist Party back him or not as a candidate if he were to stand and get through as a presidential candidate?
HAMMADI: I can't say yes or no. There is a primary. If he wants to run in this primary, the electors and the citizens of France will decide.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Isn't a month-and-a-half a long time in politics? This all started around May the 13th. It's July 1st, who knows what happens next? The case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
It's 15 minutes past 9 in London. Venezuelan authorities say nothing to worry about as details emerge about Hugo Chavez's health, reassuring words from the government. That in 2 minutes' time.
Then, now the crackdown (INAUDIBLE) protests on Friday and government forces respond.
And they're finally set, we now know who is squaring off, the top prize at Wimbledon. We'll reveal all in 20 minutes' time.
This is CNN. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. It's Friday evening in London. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. A look at the other stories that we are following for you this hour.
In Venezuela, officials say the country remains calm and stable after Hugo Chavez revealed that he has cancer. The Venezuelan president says doctors in Cuba were treating a pelvic abscess when they discovered and removed a tumor. He underwent emergency surgery three weeks ago.
Preliminary results could come in within hours on a landmark referendum in Morocco that would curb the king's powers there. Millions of voters cast their ballot on a new constitution on Friday. King Mohammed VI himself offered the reforms after facing protests inspired by the Arab Spring.
Now if the referendum passes, as expected, the king will remain head of state, but the prime minister will take over the government.
American protesters on a ship bound for Gaza have been stopped shortly after setting off from Greece. The activists want to break Israel's sea blockade and deliver aid to the Palestinian territory.
Well, Phil Black is back in Athens after being on one of the ships which is part of the flotilla. And he joins me now live.
Phil, what happened?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the organizers behind the U.S. boat The Audacity of Hope say for the last week or so Greek maritime officials have been unreasonably not letting them set sail. So today they decided to make a break for it.
There were pretty happy, thrilled, jubilant scenes aboard the boat as it finally got moving. But it didn't last long. Now after about 10 minutes of sailing, it was intercepted by a Greek coast guard patrol vessel, literally stopped in front of it. The Audacity of Hope had no choice but to do the same.
And that developed into a float off. Over the next few hours, the captain of the coast guard vessel tried to negotiate with the captain of The Audacity of Hope, claiming that the vessel wasn't seaworthy, didn't have its papers in order.
The Audacity of Hope maintains that they were being kept from sailing illegally. And so this continued for some time with the activists on board trying to make as much noise as possible, singing, chanting, waving signs.
And it continued in this way until another boat entered the dispute. This was the inflatable boat carrying an armed commando team, which boarded the coast guard vessel. And then the crew of The Audacity of Hope were told that unless they followed that coast guard vessel back into port, they too would be boarded.
And so faced with that threat, they complied. The boat is now back in the port -- the Greek port Perama. What happens from here is unclear because there are nine other boats in this flotilla that hope to set sail. Today the Greek government has come out and said very clearly that it will not allow any boat that wants to sail to Gaza to do so.
It says that it's the responsible thing to do because their mission is simply too dangerous. The organizers believe that the Greek government is buckling under pressure from the Israeli government.
And the Israelis themselves have said very openly that they've been mounting a diplomatic offensive to try and stop this flotilla from setting sail at all -- Becky.
ANDERSON: You are bang up to date. Phil, thank you for that. Phil Black in Athens for you this evening.
You're with CONNECT THE WORLD and me, Becky Anderson. We are inside Syria up next. We're the only U.S. network inside the country where record numbers turned out for anti-government protests. More demonstrators didn't live through the day. I'm going to get you into Damascus shortly.
Then in about 20 minutes, it's all about family, friends, and food, and giving thanks for the flavors that make you feel fortunate to be alive. You'll want to be here for the final part of CNN's "Eye on" series, that, as I say, in about 20 minutes' time.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
Now the resilience to succeed, the declaration of a Syrian activist tonight as record numbers of pro-democracy demonstrators flood back onto the streets across the country. Several of them won't see home again, they were killed this Friday.
Yet protesters are still willing to take their lives or risk their lives to make their voices heard. CNN is there. We are the only U.S. network inside Syria, and had the rare opportunity to see firsthand an anti-government demonstration in the heart of the capital today.
My colleague Arwa Damon joins us live from Damascus with the details - - Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky.
And it was the first time that the government did in fact take us to one of these anti-government demonstrations. And when we arrived there, we did manage to in fact break away from the rest of the media, break away from our government escorts.
And we found ourselves really in the heart of this demonstration. People again chanting the same chants that we have been hearing for weeks now, calling for the downfall of the regime.
Now this neighborhood is important in the sense that it was in this neighborhood of Barzeh, in Damascus, where last weekend, last Friday, for example, residents were telling us that five people were killed when they claimed Syrian security forces opened fired on them. The Syrian government, of course, saying that it is simply targeting these armed gangs.
Now while we were there, we did see bullet holes in some of the walls. We spoke to people about what had taken place. The demonstrators at one stage were actually carrying a banner with a message to the military on it saying "please only shoot us with rubber bullets."
There was no sign of the Syrian security forces in the neighborhood itself. The military, we did see (INAUDIBLE) on a hilltop. Among the people who we met, Becky, was one young doctor. He didn't want his identity disclosed. He said he was concerned for his own safety.
And he has set up something of a makeshift clinic that he showed us. This clinic used to treat demonstrators, he was saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have serious injuries. We can't take them at this hospital. We have to -- an operation room, we need an operation room. We have like a fracture in the hip bone that needs like an operation room.
They refuse to go to the government hospital, because they would be arrested, and if they died, we can't take their body. After we like -- their family come and make a signature, that there are armed troops here.
DAMON: So have you had many people die because you don't have the proper equipment?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, from like bleeding. Most of them bleeding and some of them we can't like do anything.
DAMON: That must be very difficult for you as a doctor to not be able to save somebody's life because...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's right. Yes. We spend all that to help people and that's so, hurtful to see people dying and we can't do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: Now, Becky, the government does deny the doctor's allegations that people cannot go to the government hospital. The government basically saying that they do not target wounded demonstrators when they do arrive there.
That being said, in the heart of Damascus, we also saw a pro- government demonstration. It was something of an incredibly festive atmosphere in central Damascus. Thousands coming out, chanting their support for the president himself, saying that they do love him, that he is, they believe, the only person who is fit to lead the country.
The government and their supporters by and large continue to maintain that the violence is being caused by these armed gangs. They say that they are deliberately infiltrating the peaceful demonstrators, trying to deliberately foment unrest.
But we most certainly have been seeing for the very first time the two sides here. On the one hand you have those pro-government supporters chanting "God, Syria, and only Bashar," and on the other hand you have the anti-government demonstrators who believe that as long as Bashar stays in power this country cannot survive, cannot move forward -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right. Arwa Damon, one of the very few reporters actually inside Syria today. Arwa, thank you for that.
Well, our next guest is the American Congressman Dennis Kucinich. He has recently been in Syria. He met with Assad himself. He is now in Lebanon. And the Lebanon press are quoting him as saying, and I quote: "There are sectarian elements behind the protests in Syria," end quote.
And for that reason, the overthrow of the Syrian president, Bashar al- Assad, he says, at this point in Syria's crisis, could have ramifications on it and its neighbor Lebanon.
Well, I spoke to the U.S. Democrat just a few moments before we came on air. And I started by asking him to detail those sectarian elements that he was referring to. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: There are various at play here that are not necessarily democratic aspirants, who see an opportunity here to surf a movement towards democracy by pushing in a direction that will inevitably mean sectarian breakdowns.
This is a concern. This is a concern that was expressed by the president of Lebanon and the prime minister of Lebanon and the speaker of the house of Lebanon, when I talked to them. And this is what I have heard in the street in Syrian people I talk to.
They don't want a breakdown in the society.
ANDERSON: You'll be aware of the "Road Map" doing the rounds. For USA, they've had nothing to do with the drafting of that document. But whoever did draft that document, it doesn't ask for Assad to stand down at this point. Should he?
KUCINICH: Well, this is up to the people of Syria. And let me say this...
ANDERSON: Well, most of whom are...
KUCINICH: ... there are people...
ANDERSON: Most of whom are demonstrating against the regime and are asking for Assad to stand down. Why don't you support their aspirations?
KUCINICH: Well, I do support their aspirations. You said "most" are telling him to stand down. There is 20 million people in Syria. If you want to start splitting hairs, I'm looking for 10 million people.
We should support the aspirations for democracy for the people of Syria. But we should also be aware that the partnership with President Assad has to form with those who are democratic aspirants as a partnership that is not necessarily accepted by everyone in the opposition.
And you should know that.
ANDERSON: How does what is going on in Syria, sir, differ from what is going on in Libya? Fifteen hundred people have lost their lives -- I don't know whether you agree or not, but the regime, it seems, is responsible for that loss of life.
It's about the amount of people who lost their lives in Libya, and it seems the rest of the world has decided that Muammar Gadhafi should go. Why not the Syria president?
KUCINICH: Well, first of all, what's happening in Syria, in terms of the violence, is wrong. We can agree on that. And the people in Syria have these democratic aspirations that should be realized.
In Libya, the situation is that a U.N. Security Council resolution has been brought forward. And in the midst of the aspirations of people in Libya for freedom, we have seen NATO intervene in a way that's actually fulminating (sic) a civil war. That's the difference.
And not only that, but France is shipping in arms to the insurgents or the rebels, and helping to further a civil war.
ANDERSON: Are you telling me on CNN...
KUCINICH: You know, this is...
ANDERSON: ... tonight that you'd rather that Muammar Gadhafi...
KUCINICH: ... a big difference.
ANDERSON: ... continue to lead...
KUCINICH: Oh, no.
ANDERSON: ... the country?
KUCINICH: No, no. You can't say that. No, I'm saying that NATO has violated the U.N. mandate, no question about it. France has violated the U.N. mandate...
ANDERSON: That wasn't my question, sir, with respect...
KUCINICH: ... and if we want to protect...
ANDERSON: With respect.
KUCINICH: If we want to protect civilians, we shouldn't be supporting a civil war. If you want...
ANDERSON: With respect, sir...
KUCINICH: ... to protect civilians, you don't...
ANDERSON: ... why should either...
KUCINICH: With respect to you, if you...
ANDERSON: ... the Libyan leader or the Syrian leader...
KUCINICH: ... want to protect civilians then don't support a civil war
ANDERSON: ... still be in place if they're murdering people?
KUCINICH: Look, I'm not for murder. But I'm not for forcing changes in a country for the benefit of interests that are not necessarily those of the people in that country.
You know, the people in Libya have to be able to make their own decisions. The people in Syria should be able to make their own decisions towards democratic governance.
It's not up for outside interests -- for narrow outside interests to try to determine that they might have something at stake in, you know, one leader going or another one coming.
So, you know, don't put me in a situation where I'm supporting dictators. I support the democratic aspirations of people. And the game of nations that's going on in Libya right now is something that needs to be looked at carefully, because it's no longer about the people of Libya.
It's about something else that isn't very tidy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right. Dennis Kucinich, who has recently been in Syria, currently in Lebanon. He met with Assad just earlier on this week.
After the break, crushing Britain's dream for a Wimbledon champion yet again. That's after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: This is CONNECT THE WORLD at just after half past the 9 in London. I'm Becky Anderson. Let's get you a quick check of the headlines this hour.
Freed from house arrest, a New York court has released Dominique Strauss-Kahn on his own recognizance, as it's known, after prosecutors said that they have serious doubts about his accuser's credibility.
The charges, though, against him, including sexual assault, still stand.
A prominent Syrian human rights group says security forces have killed several people today during protests. Activists say tens of thousands of demonstrators have been rallying across the country. Syria blames the violence on armed men.
The Venezuelan military says it will maintain peace and keep taking orders from President Hugo Chavez while he continues cancer treatment in Cuba. The Venezuelan president says doctors there removed a cancerous tumor, but there is few other details.
Moroccans have cast their ballots for a referendum on constitutional reforms. If it passes, it will weaken the king's powers and make officials more accountable. The big ballot follows a series of protests across the North African country.
And Monaco's Prince Albert has tied the knot with his South African fiance. The couple were married in an elaborate civil ceremony at the palace, ahead of a high profile church service on Saturday.
We have had another thrilling day on-court at Wimbledon here in London. "World Sport's" Alex Thomas is with us for more on that. (INAUDIBLE) Pedro Pinto, I believe, joining us a little late, a bit. Take it away.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You've got to wait for the best, though (INAUDIBLE) a bit later on. But I can tell you that either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal will be the Wimbledon's men's champion this year.
The Serb and Spaniard will compete for the trophy on Sunday after coming through their respective semifinals in four sets earlier on Friday.
Now Nadal disappointing most of the home fans by knocking out Andy Murray, who was trying to become the first Brit for three-quarters of a century to reach the men's final, and he took the opening set against his good friend and rival. But Rafael, the defending champion, took control of the match after that.
Earlier in the day, Djokovic dispatched France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man who knocked out Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Just as he had in that match, Tsonga lost the opening two sets before winning the third. But unlike Federer, Djokovic didn't let the Frenchman stage a remarkable comeback.
The Serb's victory means he will be the new world number one next week no matter what happens in the final against Nadal.
Well, another sport, Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye have been staring each other down on the eve of their big heavyweight boxing showdown in Germany. The pair went face to face at the weigh-in in Hamburg where Klitschko will be putting WBO, IBO, and IBF belt on the line against Haye, the WBA champion.
The Ukrainian didn't respond to the Brit's provocative chatter. He let the scales do the talking, weighing in 30 pounds or 13 kilograms heavier.
And the Copa America kicks off in Argentina later. Twelve countries contesting the world's oldest international football tournament, and the opening match sees the host take on Bolivia. We'll have more on that "World Sport" in just under an hour -- Becky.
ANDERSON: We forgot to tell which camera to look in. Well done. You coped magnanimously at the beginning of that. You and I have met the haymaker. And he has got long reach. But Klitschko, I mean, (INAUDIBLE).
THOMAS: It's too close to call, isn't it?
ANDERSON: All right. Thank you for that.
For the time being, Pedro is with us. We promised him for you. He has been watching that tense Nadal-Murray semifinal. I mean, all British hopes, of course, on Murray. I guess we should have probably all gone home though earlier on in the day.
I mean, it was a great match for him, but he was outclassed, wasn't he?
PEDRO PINTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Becky, it's so unfair to have so much pressure on Andy Murray, because he is playing in probably the best era in the history of tennis.
When he has players like Roger Federer, who has the all-time record of Grand Slam titles, he has got Rafael Nadal, who is a minotaur out there, this guy is a beast, he runs down every single ball.
And now you've got Novak Djokovic who is the new world number one, who has only lost one match all year. So when people say they're disappointed with Andy Murray, I really think that's unfair.
He is the world number four. He has played incredibly well this season. He reached the semifinals for the third straight year. And to be fair, when I talk to the fans as they walked out of the All-England Club here, they were disappointed, but they believed he did well.
Let's see what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has happened every year. Every year he beats the medium (ph) players easily, yes. When he comes up against the class of Rafael Nadal, he just hasn't got mentally the strength to beat him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say I think everyone is a bit down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Distraught.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Distraught would be the world I would use.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He'll do it in the next few years, I'm sure. He will take a few more years. But he'll get there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Murray will probably win it one day.
PINTO: You think so? You believe that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Hundred percent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just fell apart, absolutely fell apart. I really do think that, is he every going to win one? Honestly, I'm beginning to think maybe not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PINTO: So that was the feeling that most local fans had as they walked out. And it has to be said now we're going to have a final featuring the outgoing world number one and the incoming world number one. Should be a fantastic affairs.
When it comes Novak Djokovic, I've had the pleasure and privilege to talk to him at various times, Becky. I can tell you that it has been a lifetime goal for him and his family to reach top billing. Now he just has to make sure that he doesn't celebrate too much, because he has still got one more match to play.
I had a chance to speak with his uncle earlier. And I believe we can hear what he had to say about what this means for Novak and his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORAN DJOKOVIC, NOVAK DJOKOVIC'S UNCLE: Novak was so, so, so happy. He was tense, his (INAUDIBLE) is unbelievable. Tsonga played -- some shots were unbelievable, you know, like racquet kept going up and down, up and down. And they were really playing good tennis.
And we are really happy because Novak is doing that by winning, to get number one. Not by losing to Rafael getting number one. This is very important for his mental (INAUDIBLE) and generally for the sport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PINTO: And that match, of course, is taking place on Sunday, the men's final. On Saturday, it's Petra Kvitova versus Maria Sharapova in the ladies singles final. Becky, back to you.
ANDERSON: Good stuff, Pedro, thank you for that.
Well, you've been watching them all week on court. Their skill, their fitness, and their absolute determination, but you've also been noticing what goes on around the game. What the players do and maybe don't do to ensure a win. Lately there has been a lot of chatter on social media about Scottish player Andy Murray's facial hair.
His beard has been growing and growing since the tournament began. A lot of fans suspect it was a lucky charm though Murray maintains it's actually just laziness. So, regardless, he's probably off to shave it right now.
Well, his opponent, Rafael Nadal is notoriously superstitious. He lines up all of his water bottles before every game, making sure all of the labels face exactly the same way. He is also known to avoid walking on the white lines on court.
Another semifinalist, Djokovic, apparently tries not to use the same shower twice in a row. But he calls it simply a routine. Well, the best to him as these chaps make it into the final for Sunday. The women, of course, on Saturday.
All right. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. When we come back, a taste of success for a cuisine you've probably never thought of trying. CNN's "Eye on" series serves up more delights for you out of Georgia after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it's one of the world's oldest Christian nations with an ancient yet turbulent history, at a crossroads between Europe and Central Asia. All this week we've been focusing on Georgia as part of CNN's "Eye on" series, which each month travels to a new country.
So far we've gone from the Ukraine to Germany and India during the spring. And this month we've our "Eye on Georgia," home to about 4.5 million people. Its economy depends on tourism, from the unique cave cities and rugged mountains, people have long been drawn to its stunning scenery.
Well, in the last part of our series this week, we are looking at what may be the next attraction, or at least they hope so, a delicious draw card once the word gets out.
CNN's Paula Newton sits down to sample the very best of Georgian cuisine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, no one ever says, I'm going out for Georgian tonight. It's, I'm going out for a pizza, let's have Indian, let's have Chinese. What many people in this country want to do is bring a lot of their food and their flavors to the rest of the world.
This is walnuts inside, again, it's immersed in dried fruit. And when you heat this up, all of those juices from the dried fruit make the dish even sweeter.
So this is a wild -- it feels like a wild berry, but it has already been dried. And it tastes very much like a fig. They're saying that this is basically dried berries, cherries, and, as you can see, it's actually quite leathery right now. And they're going to use it for a dish.
(voice-over): From the market to the Georgian table, we got to a rural setting to unearth some of those Georgian secrets.
(on camera): The Izata (ph) family has gladly agreed to have us around for their family meal. And, you know, we're quite a bit a ways from the capital. And we are very close to the Turkish border, actually, in southwest Georgia.
And here we are looking for some very traditional Georgian cooking with the help of chef Maho (ph).
Thank you. Thank you very much. And what are you doing there? What are we going to making first?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
NEWTON: So it's dried meat, cured meat, pork?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, this is dried beef.
NEWTON: Chef Maho, I have never heard of putting this in dumplings. Chef Maho is going to put this in dumplings for us.
So the idea here is we have to have some openings. And I think I did that all right.
I'm thinking I'll let you do this.
So as Chef Maho makes short work of this salted duck here, it reminds us that salting is what was used in these communities when they didn't have refrigeration, but now it has become a distinct flavor of the region and meats.
So this is the leathery stuff that we took from the market. It is dried fruit. And, Chef Maho, what do we do this now, it goes in here?
And so you're going to boil this down? It becomes a very sweet sauce, OK?
Wow, you can really smell that. It smells very sweet.
Hey, so, we've settled down for our Georgian feast. And these are what they call the treasures of the Georgian feast. These are the dumplings that we made, but also on the table, you see another kind of a cakey dumpling that we have here. I've already one of these.
Pickles, the great Georgian bread, the fish, the vegetables -- the vegetables here that are amazing. But now we have our great Georgian wine, a staple at every table, but also the mulberry vodka, which is special to this region.
I think we should all do a toast.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
NEWTON: To Chef Maho and to the branding of Georgian cuisine around the world. There we go. Yes.
(EVERYBODY DRINKS)
NEWTON (voice-over): Paula Newton, CNN, Simokavi (ph), Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Way to close out our series on Georgia this week.
Well, still to come tonight on CONNECT THE WORLD, Canada is in the grip of royal fever. So too Monaco. In just a moment, find out which royal couple is stealing the biggest headlines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On foreign soil they may be, but what a welcome for Britain's royal couple. A sea of people greeting the duke and duchess of Cambridge as they arrived in a carriage to join in the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa, Canada.
It was among the highlights on day two of Will and Kate's first official visit abroad since their April wedding. Well, our royal correspondent, Max Foster is along for the royal journey. And he joins us out of Ottawa this evening.
Sir, how was it?
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a bit like the wedding, I think, in a way. They turned up in that carriage, the Canadian state landau, and it was spectacular sunshine when they arrived. And then they had full military honors. There was a fly-past, the 21-gun salute, full pomp and pageantry on display here. And the crowds absolutely loved it, I have to say.
They made their way up the red carpet and they came to the stage. And they later on watched a show celebrating the various cultures around Canada. And everyone really enjoyed the spectacular -- it's a Canada Day celebration.
But last year there was about 100,000 people that turned up to it when the queen was here. This year, three times as many, 300,000 people turned up, Becky. And that was helped partly by a speech as well. William got up on stage, Catherine doing those speeches throughout the tour.
But William taking this opportunity, really, to speak on behalf of Catherine, saying that she has a strong connection with Canada. She found out about Canada through her grandfather who passed away last year, but who had trained as a pilot during World War I in Calgary.
And the speech went down incredibly well. And then afterwards, Becky, you saw them working the crowds on the way back to the motorcade. And this is where they were really working their magic. And people absolutely loving them and they were very responsive and speaking to people one-on- one.
A veteran royal commentator, Penny Junor, who used to follow Princess Diana around, actually said she thinks that Catherine is better, more talented at working with people than Diana, which is quite a thing to say. But she has got -- you'll know her, Becky, I mean, she has got the credibility to say it, in a way.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. All right. Max, thank you for that. It's not all about Will and Kate today. Monaco also in the grip of royal fever with Prince Albert marrying his South Africa fiance Charlene Wittstock earlier.
Now the couple were married in an elaborate civil ceremony at the palace, ahead of a high profile church service on Saturday. Now their vows follow a week of intrigue, it has got to be said, amid rumors that the bride-to-be was having cold feet after discovering Prince Albert had allegedly fathered a third illegitimate child.
Well, the -- Prince Albert and the princess of Monaco, as she, his bride, will now will be known, may have moved on from the rumors, which, of course, they vehemently denied, but newspapers have delighted in the scandal.
Here's a headline out of Luxembourg, "un mariage mine par la rumeur," "a marriage undermined by rumor." Despite the scandal, the global interest though in Monaco's royal couple is small when you compare it to that of William and Kate.
In a Google search over the past 24 hours, the British royals' trip to Canada gets 2.7 million hits while the Monaco wedding will bring you just over 900,000 results.
And as for how newspapers are reporting the bigger story, perhaps, William and Kate's Canadian trip, Britain's Daily Mail gives you a fair idea, describing Kate's reception as a mobbing.
Well, let's get back to Max Foster, shall we? And mobbing is how The Daily Mail described the reception to Catherine, as we must call her these days. They do look as if they're enjoying this trip. But it is important, isn't it, for the royal family here that they got a really rapturous welcome.
After all, William's father, who was recently in Canada, a trip which some people might suggest was less than successful.
FOSTER: Yes, he's just generally not as popular either as the queen or as William. And that's just the problem he has had ongoing, despite, it has to be said, working very hard and raising lots of money for charity. It just doesn't work in his favor.
And it's interesting when you consider the Monaco royal family and the British family, they get so much more attention, the British royal family. And I think partly that's just to do with the fact they have a much bigger base.
Britain is a bigger country, and they also have links with all of the Commonwealth realms: Canada, Australia, for example, but also the whole Commonwealth, countries like India, a huge country.
So there is a bigger base for them to work from. But, of course, Diana was the star power that sort of throttled (ph) the royal family to the headlines. She was widely regarded as the most photographed woman in the world, a bigger star in the world.
And now that is being re-energized through William and through Catherine. So you sort of see the star power coming in with a big base, which makes them the much bigger royal family than any of the others.
It's an interesting sort of process. But -- because there are other interesting royal families. But somehow this royal family has captivated the world's imagination. And Catherine really is the fairy tale. She's a middle class girl who has now got the prime princess position (INAUDIBLE) in the world.
ANDERSON: Yes. All right. Yes, you make a good point. Thank you, Max. Max Foster is in Ottawa this evening. The (INAUDIBLE), royal wedding, of course, this weekend.
Well, Justin Bieber's girlfriend, karaoke, weeping, and cats, what could they possibly have in common? Well, they are all part of Phil Han's look at what captured your -- let me start again, what captured your imagination this week online.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL HAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER: Welcome to another addition of "Week on the Web." This is the place where we want to bring you up-to-date with everything you may have missed from the world of social media over the past seven days.
First up, though, this video is the number one video on YouTube, and it's all about Selena Gomez.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAN (voice-over): In this karaoke-inspired song, Selena teams up with The Scene and in just seven days, it has reached nearly 9 million hits.
Selena's other half was also a popular topic online. Justin Bieber released this Google Chrome promo chronicling his rise to stardom, from unknown YouTube user to global icon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. My name Debbie. This is my first attempt -- oops.
HAN: At first, this video profile for dating site eHarmony appears to sound like any other. But then things take a weird twist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just -- sorry, I'm getting emotional. I love cats.
HAN: The American named Debbie is overcome by emotion when she starts talking about cats.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I just want to hug all of them, but I can't because it's crazy. I can't hug every cat.
HAN: That video already has more than 11 million hits.
If Debbie is that in love with cats, she may be a fan of this YouTube video from this week. It has nearly 9 million hits.
(on camera): Now this next video on YouTube has more than 1.5 million hits, and all it shows is the unbelievable dancing skills of this 4-year- old boy.
(voice-over): He was putting the moves on in a Microsoft store to Rihanna's "Disturbia" as part of the Kinect game "Dance Central."
Here's another toddler, this time though he's rocking out to some heavy metal music by Pantera.
Now an animal shelter in London put this video out, showing how one of their chihuahuas has a hidden secret. He can act as a sheep-herding dog too.
And finally, who knew fishing could be this easy? This video shows Asian carp swarming this boat as it drove through a ditch near the Spoon River. Asian carp are well-known for being able to jump up to three meters in the air.
I'm Phil Han, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And that is your world connected this evening. I'm Becky Anderson in London. Thank you for watching.
The world news headlines and "BACKSTORY" will follow this short break. So don't go away.
END
