Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Captain Admits Mistakes; Real Madrid and Barcelona Clash; Wikipedia Blackout; Online Piracy Debate; Viewer Response; The Encyclopedia, Old School; Controversy Over Proposed New Airport in UK; Airport Projects Around the World; Big Interview: Actor Eddie Redmayne of "My Week With Marilyn"; Parting Shots of Happy Ending for Former Trafficking Victim
Aired January 18, 2012 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Tonight, Italian court documents seen by CNN show the captain of the Costa Concordia admits he did make mistakes.
Live from London, I'm Becky Anderson.
Also this hour, as hundreds of thousands of Wikipedia users are left in the dark. Well, let's look at the alternatives to get your information fix.
And taking off from the Thames -- London's mayor tells us his plan to keep the capital flying high.
First up tonight, a suspended search makes the wait even more agonizing for families hoping for a miracle ending to a tragedy at sea. Rescuers off the coast of Italy were forced to suspend their search of the wrecked cruise ship the Costa Concordia today, because it began to shift in choppy waters. Now, the Italian Navy has just released these first videos of divers trying to break windows of the ship to get inside. Rescuers are planning to blast more holes in the vessel to give the divers better access.
But more than five days after the cruise liner hit rocks near shore, hopes are fading on finding anyone still alive.
At least 11 people now confirmed dead. Nearly two dozen are still missing.
Well, quite remarkable stuff in court documents today about the captain's role in the disaster. CNN has been looking at those documents in the case.
Matthew Chance joining us now with details from the captain's hometown of Meta di Sorrento.
We've also got Dan Rivers standing by in Giglio.
All right, let's kick off, Matthew, with you today. And the captain, it appears, admitting in court that he made mistakes.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is coming from court documents that have been leaked to the Italian media, the judge saying that Captain Schettino made a navigational error, saying that -- that the -- the captain also said that at the time when the -- when the catastrophe took place, when the ship struck the rocks, that he was navigating by sight because he -- he said he knew those waters so well.
And, clearly, if those documents are correct and if those statements by the judge are accurate, it would possibly represent, obviously, a -- a gross negligence on the part of the captain. Now we know, of course, the - - the consequences of those actions.
The other charges, potentially, being leveled against him, that he abandoned the ship before all of the passengers had got off. Obviously, we saw those court transcripts -- sorry, those transcripts the other day and the conversations between the coast guard and -- and the captain, in which it was pretty clear that he was off the ship.
He was ordered, at one point, to get back on board. That's been very damaging for his case.
What's happened now is that the captain has been confined to house arrest. That's been causing some outrage, as well. Prosecutors, many other Italians, and others around the world, really beside themselves, not understanding why this individual has been given house arrest, saying that he should be -- be behind bars, prosecutors saying that they may appeal that.
The judge, though, saying that she did that because she believed there was no risk of flight, that there was no risk of him repeating the offense or tampering with the evidence and so she thought that was the best way forward.
But it still may go to appeal and -- and the captain still, within the days ahead, could be put back behind bars -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Matthew Chance there in Meta di Sorrento with what have been quite remarkable developments today on this story.
Matthew, for the time being, thank you very much, indeed, for that.
Well, news out of the shipping newspaper, "Lloyd's List," earlier on today reporting that Friday was not the first time the Costa Concordia passed dangerously close to shore, off the island of Giglio.
Take a look at what we've got here. I want to give you a real sense of exactly what -- what happened.
We're going to zoom in here to the area where the accident took place.
Now, the red line is the route that the liner took when it ran aground on Friday. But "Lloyd's" says that this blue line tracks a previous path in August of last year.
Take a look at that.
All right, it says that the -- the ship traveled within 230 meters of the coast off the island on August the 14th.
(COUGHING)
ANDERSON: You know what, I'm going to take a very short break.
All right, let's go to -- while I get a glass of water from the beginning, let's get you to Dan Rivers, who is there in Giglio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): Once again, the unstable nature of this wreck has halted the search and rescue operation. Around first light Wednesday, the ship shifted 30 centimeters -- about a foot -- forcing divers to pull out. Before they did, they took this video as they navigated through the flooded ship, strewn full of floating obstacles -- dark, claustrophobic and extremely dangerous.
As a precaution, more floating booms are being laid to protect the coast. The Costa Concordia contains 2,000 tons of heavy fuel and some 300 tons of diesel. Salvage experts won't pump that out until the search for the missing is complete. They may have to wait until the end of the week.
For Kevin Robello, it's excruciating. His brother, Russell, was a waiter on board and was last seen helping passengers escape.
(on camera): Are you beginning to come to terms with the possibility, though, he may not have made it?
KEVIN ROBELLO, BROTHER OF MISSING MAN: It's 20 percent off. It's only five days. And everything is possible. Miracles do happen. And -- and let's keep hope. That's the only thing I can -- I can at the moment, because I am not here to lose hope. I have come all the way over here. It's because I have hopes in him and I know something definitely positive will come out of this.
RIVERS (voice-over): After we spoke, he was taken for an update on the search. But so far, there's no news on the fate of his brother.
(on camera): For relatives of those who are still missing, the agonizing wait for news shows no sign of ending. Some have been meeting here, at the search and rescue center, with Giglio's mayor.
But with each passing day, the chances of finding anyone else alive are getting slimmer and slimmer.
MAYOR SERGIO ORTELLI, GIGLIO, ITALY: We are out four days from the crash, from the disaster. They hope to be alive -- to find the people alive. And the more the time goes on, maybe there is no possibility to find people alive.
RIVERS (voice-over): Posters asking for information on those still missing are springing up, poignant reminders of the tragedies still being played out. The rescue teams working here are exhausted -- four hours on, four hours off, round the clock, hoping for a miracle and praying that the calm weather continues to leave this precariously balanced ship where it is.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RIVERS: And the wind is due to pick up tomorrow, Becky.
And the ship behind me is balanced, we're told, on two rocks, with the sea surging beneath the hull, beneath those two rocks, hence, it's sort of rocking back and forth. There are real concerns that if the wind and the sea swell pick up, it could really start to move it significantly the -- the nightmare scenario is that it topples off that ledge completely and sinks. And that could mean the fuel tanks rupture, causing an environmental catastrophe here.
ANDERSON: Yes. And do remember, 2,500 tons of fuel on that ship.
Dan Rivers there in Giglio.
As Dan said, there are very real fears this hour that that ship could slip into deeper waters. Right now, it is resting on a rocky shelf that is about 20 meters under the sea. But it's a very precarious perch, vulnerable to shifts in the weather.
The pictures you are seeing are the very latest videos to come to us from the Italian Navy, showing divers in this desperate attempt to get this search and rescue completed and then the salvage operation underway. These pictures of divers trying to get into the boat there, trying to get in through the windows of the Costa Concordia, as I say, as it lies on its starboard side there on the rocks about 20 meters below the water.
Y Harrison is following this part of the story from us from the CNN Weather Center -- Jen, what do we know at this point?
JENNY HARRISON, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Weather conditions are, indeed, going to break down, actually, Becky. It has to be said, the last few days, really, the weather has been fairly good. It's been clear. The conditions have been calm.
This is the satellite for the last 12 hours. And you can see barely anything across this entire region.
So if we just have a look, first of all, on Google Earth, you can see again where this ship is. This is a Google Earth image.
Now I'm going to show you an actual photograph so you can really see what it looks like in actual real life. And, of course, it's so very close to shore.
But as we've been hearing, particularly just heard from Dan, it is very precariously balanced right now. It's very close to shore, so it is much shallower, the water. And you don't have to travel far out into the actual sea to them see this -- this shelf actually drop away.
So you can see here, we're looking at about just 10 meters right now, 10 to 20. The further out you go, that dips about 25, maybe 50. And then not far, as well, away from there, 100 meters.
So with the winds picking up, the concern is it could, indeed, shift it. And then again, as Dan pointed out, this could be disastrous if that then ruptures the fuel tanks.
These are the conditions right now. The temperatures aren't bad. The winds are still very light. Conditions are still calm. This is what is coming in toward the end of the week. And this system is bringing with it some very, very strong winds. And they're going to extend all the way down into that western portion, just off the coast of Italy. The rain will come with it.
So Friday certainly looks to be quite, potentially, anyway, quite a rough day. As I said, the conditions are going to deteriorate as we head toward the end of the week -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Y Harrison there with the picture, as things stand weather- wise off the coast of Italy.
Joining me now is Captain William Wright, who's a fleet captain with many years of cruise liner experience here with us in the studio tonight.
When you hear y talking and you see the pictures, these new videos coming to us from the Italian Navy as divers desperately attempt the final stages and -- let's admit, that's probably what it is at this point -- of this search and rescue, what are your thoughts?
CAPTAIN WILLIAM WRIGHT, CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION: Well, first of all, it's -- it's a tragic event. And -- and certainly my compassions, my thoughts, my prayers -- and I think with the whole industry -- go out to all of those who have been -- been impacted, not only the -- the -- those who Aare deceased, but also the crew and -- and guest passengers who were on board the ship.
Right now, certainly it's a precarious situation. I've seen the -- the underwater charts showing that the ship is, as just mentioned, lying on a ledge. And with changes in weather and tides, there -- there -- there certainly is a possibility that she would possibly slide into the -- the deeper water. And that would be -- that would be a very -- a very significant event.
ANDERSON: A couple of fascinating bits of information out today on this story.
The first is -- and this is the court documents that we've got a hold of here at CNN, showing that the judge -- I'm sorry, the captain admitted in this preliminary court proceeding yesterday, Tuesday, he admitted to making a mistake and that at the moment of the collision, he was navigating by sight.
Admitting to the mistake, firstly, your reaction?
WRIGHT: Well, navigating by sight, I mean we don't -- we don't do that. I mean we always -- we look out the windows. The windows are there and that's something we continually remind ourselves of, although we have the remarkable sophistication of technological, you know, systems on board for navigation -- GPS, radars and whatnot. So prudent navigation always tells you -- you learn that your -- your first year of going to -- to -- to to navigation school, is that you use whatever -- whatever available technologies you have. And you try to compare those technologies on top of each other.
So if you have a GPS position, that's great. That's coming from space, a satellite. That's wonderful. But yet we have radar. And radar can give you a range and bearing from land. And certainly that was clearly obvious -- obvious here. They were close to islands, so there was -- there was good, what we call radar land.
And -- and what you want to do is you want to combine those two positions, saying that my -- my radar position agrees with my GPS position and even you go to looking at the fathometer, telling you how much water you have under the keel, that that agrees, also, with what the charts show.
ANDERSON: So this admission that the captain was navigating by sight shocks you tonight, does it?
WRIGHT: Very surprising. I -- I would never do that.
ANDERSON: The second thing we learned today was that "Lloyd's List" reporting -- this is a navigation organization, of course -- reporting that back in August, it seems, that this ship charted a similar course. Now, there's a possibility tonight, although we haven't had a comment from the company, that that had been acknowledged by the company way back when.
Does that surprise you, something like 230 meters off the coast of Giglio, this island?
WRIGHT: Well, there's -- there's a lot of times that we navigate ships close to what we call the grounding line. But we do that with very - - very high level procedures in terms of making sure that we, again, are using those multiple referencing systems, not just relying on GPS, not just relying on radar, not just relying on what the echo sounder is telling us and putting all of those things together to make sure that we are in -- in safe water.
So -- and -- and again, looking out the windows. I mean I -- I will not discount that. Certainly visual navigation is something that we -- we also take -- take advantage of. But -- but that should, by absolutely no means, be your -- your primary sense of position referencing.
ANDERSON: Eleven dead, 22, sadly...
WRIGHT: (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: -- still missing.
What will the industry have learned from this?
WRIGHT: Well, I think there always will be lessons learned. I think the -- the important story for the cruise industry as a whole, the passenger ship industry is -- it's a remarkable safety record. I -- I think I'm correct in saying that we are the safest form of transportation that's out there in -- in terms of the -- the literally hundreds of millions of persons who take cruises, enjoy wonderful vacations on a -- on a weekly, yearly basis. It's a -- it's a -- it's a very, very safe process.
Accidents do happen. We see that in our everyday lives. And this was -- this was a tragic event. There certainly will be lessons learned from it. Certainly the -- the International Maritime Organization will be engaged. The Italian authorities will be engaged. And we'll walk away from this -- this tragedy with -- with -- with additional knowledge that will certainly help us to in -- ever increase our -- our safety record.
ANDERSON: Bill Wright, we thank you for joining us this evening.
WRIGHT: My pleasure.
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD live from London.
I'm Becky Anderson.
Still to come, the EU poised to slap new sanctions on Syria. But not everyone agrees.
And the first El Clasico of the new year is upon us. I'm going to have an update from one of football's biggest games later this hour.
And why landing into London one day could look like this. The mayor of London explains why he's backing a controversial plan for a new airport.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD on CNN, the world's news leader.
I'm Becky Anderson.
Welcome back.
Now, if you are trying to visit Wikipedia's English language page right now, this is what you will find -- a digital demonstration. The information Web site, along with others, are blacked out for 24 hours. It's a protest against anti-piracy bills in the U.S. which critics say would be the death of a free and open Internet. We're going to get you much more on this story in about 20 minutes time.
A look now, though, at some of the other stories connecting our world tonight.
And Russia's foreign minister has warned that any military strike on Iran would be a, quote, "disaster." Sergei Lavrov said an attack would be inflaming existing tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and drive a wave of refugees into Russia. Well, those comments come as Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, said a decision to strike Iran's nuclear program was, quote, "a long way off."
Well, Russia also weighing in on Syria today, rejecting new sanctions against the country. Now it's accused the West of trying to remove U.N. restrictions on using force. The EU says sanctions could start as soon as Monday.
Britain's prime minister, David Cameron, says new measures are needed, insisting the U.K. must get in front of this effort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER: And I think Britain needs to lead the way in making sure we tighten the sanctions, the travel bans, the asset freezes on -- on Syria. In terms of who is actually helping the Syrian government to oppress their people, there is now growing evidence that Iran is providing a huge amount of support and there have been some interceptions of some shipments by Turkey, which are particularly interesting in this regard.
But people should also know that Hezbollah is also an organization that is standing up and supporting this wretched tyrant who's killing so many of his own people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Myanmar democracy activist, Aung San Suu Kyi, registered today to run in the country's April parliamentary elections. Now, crowds of supporters greeted the Nobel Peace Prize winner as she turned in her paperwork. A long time activist for democratic change, of course, in the military-run country, Suu Kyi has welcomed the regime's efforts toward reforms. A recent peace deal with a rebel ethnic group has gotten support from Western governments, including the United States.
Hungary may be giving in to European pressure -- European Union pressure, at least. The head of the European Commission says Hungary's prime minister is now promising to modify new laws that the EU says are illegal.
Well, Tuesday, the Commission threatened to take Hungary to court over legislation tightening controls of several public bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We, therefore, call on the Hungarian government to clearly demonstrate its commitment to the principles of democracy, freedom and rule of law. It is important to address these political concerns and I appeal to Prime Minister Orban to tackle this in a determined and unambiguous way. We believe that this is in the best interests of Hungary and of all our European family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Coming up, David Beckham has reportedly decided to remain in the City of Angels. Don Riddell has more just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're back with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN.
Twenty-four minutes past nine out of London.
I'm Becky Anderson for you.
Now, arguably, the world's biggest football rivalry is upon us once again, as Spain's Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in the first leg of what is known as the King's Cup quarter finals today. Madrid, the holders of the competition, as they beat Barca in last year's finals.
And what's going on at present?
Well, Mr. Don Riddell is here in the studio with an update.
What's the score in the (INAUDIBLE)?
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twenty-six minutes gone. Real Madrid are up by a goal to nil, one goal to nil. Cristiano Ronaldo scored after 10 minutes...
ANDERSON: Wow!
RIDDELL: -- for Real. I shouldn't think Barca are too worried. Remember, they've played Real Madrid three times already this season.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RIDDELL: They haven't lost against Real. And remember, the last time they played the benabau (ph) in the league, they were a goal down very early on and they came back to win it 3-1.
But I mean these are great rivals...
ANDERSON: Aren't they?
RIDDELL: Fascinating rivals.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RIDDELL: And it is thought Real might have their number this season. Remember, they're five points ahead of them in the Premier League.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RIDDELL: So...
ANDERSON: And Ronaldo, I mean how many -- how many goals has he put in already?
I mean it's something like 26, 27 or 28.
RIDDELL: And he's having a...
ANDERSON: I mean this is just another one, isn't it?
RIDDELL: -- phenomenal year.
ANDERSON: Yes, unbelievable.
RIDDELL: Of course, he had a lot of, you know, a hugely disappointing night a couple of weeks ago when he lost out to Leo Messi the World Player of the Year.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RIDDELL: Again. But he's staking his claim for this time next year.
ANDERSON: A former Real player has decided on his future, I believe. Mr. David Beckham.
RIDDELL: Yes.
ANDERSON: What's the update?
RIDDELL: Well, it looks like he's staying in Los Angeles. Remember, he had a five year deal, which expired at the end of last year. He ended it on a high, winning the MLS Cup...
ANDERSON: Yes.
RIDDELL: -- with the Los Angeles Galaxy. And after that, he said he was keeping his options open. He wasn't saying who he was going to sign for next, but it did look as though he was going to leave.
However, it looks like tomorrow he's going to resign with them, having turned down an $8 million contract from Paris Saint-Germain, which equated to $1 million per month. He said...
ANDERSON: That's amazing.
RIDDELL: He said no to that. It looks like he's staying in LA. And I think that's partly because his family is very settled there.
ANDERSON: Sure.
RIDDELL: He always said that would be a big part of the decision. And it also should allow him to play for Team GB at the Olympics next year, which I know is something he's really wanting to do.
ANDERSON: Next year?
RIDDELL: This year. I mean -- I mean 2012.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Too far.
RIDDELL: Oh.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Listen, David Beckham, of course...
RIDDELL: I was just taking a (INAUDIBLE)...
ANDERSON: You know, he is...
RIDDELL: -- very sharp tonight.
ANDERSON: -- in his mid-'30s, do you get a million -- what is that, a million a month?
RIDDELL: It would have been...
ANDERSON: Oh, my lord.
RIDDELL: -- a month, yes.
ANDERSON: I'd have taken that.
Day four of the Australian Open, of course.
What's -- what's the news out of that?
RIDDELL: Yes, Novak Djokovic will be on the course soon. He, of course, was the man who just dominated last season. He's up against the Colombian, Santiago Giraldo later today. Of course, it already is their first day in Australia.
On Wednesday, we saw mix fortunes for two of the other top stars. Rafael Nadal, who injured his knee in a hotel room rather bizarrely at the weekend. He took two and-a-half to get through to the third round. By contrast Roger Federer just strolled to the next round, because his opponent pulled out injured.
So Roger got there with his feet up.
ANDERSON: Right.
RIDDELL: Rafael did it the hard way. They're -- they're both in the third round. We've got Serena and Petra Kavitova on court in the women's draw today.
ANDERSON: Good stuff.
"WORLD SPORT" in an hour with Don.
Don't miss that here on CNN, of course.
Thank you, Don.
Still to come on this show, CONNECT THE WORLD, wiki withdrawal -- as millions cope with a 24 hour blackout on one of the world's most popular Web sites, we look at why it and others went offline.
Jam packed runways, it's especially a problem here in London, of course. Mayor Boris Johnson, though, is backing a proposal for a new island hub.
But will it take off?
And the story behind the story of how life imitated art on the set of "My Week with Marilyn." My big interview with actor Eddie Redmayne, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Just after half past nine in London, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. It's time to check the world news headlines for you.
An Italian judge says the captain of a wrecked cruise ship has admitted to making a mistake, saying he was navigating by sight when the Costa Concordia hit rocks and took on water. Eleven people are confirmed dead, nearly two dozen are still missing.
Russia's foreign minister is warning against a military strike on Iran. Sergei Lavrov says any attack would have grave consequences. He also said Russia will never support sanctions against Iran.
And Russia won't back sanctions for Syria, either, despite the continuing crackdown against pro-democracy activists. Moscow also ruled out sending foreign troops. The EU, however, is pushing for new sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Myanmar pro-democracy activists Aung San Suu Kyi is formerly registered to run in April's parliamentary elections. Her party won elections back in 1990, but the military junta refused to recognize the results.
And protesters in Romania are demanding that the government resign and that new leaders organize an early election. Opposition and government leaders met on Wednesday to try to resolve the escalating crisis. Romanians are angry over austerity cuts and unemployment and corruption.
Those are your headlines this hour.
Well, Wikipedia addicts the world over are going through withdrawal right now. If you haven't already noticed, one of the internet's biggest information sites has taken itself offline for 24 hours. This message is what you will find if you go to Wikipedia's English language home page, explaining the reason for the blackout.
It's all part of web-wide stand against proposed US anti-piracy legislation, with several popular websites also shutting down their services. On the streets in New York, members of the city's tech community have also been protesting against these proposals.
On the other side of this fight are media and film companies. They say web piracy is siphoning profits and destroying American jobs. CNN's Dan Simon takes us through what is a heated debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN SILICON VALLEY CORRESPONDENT: Thousands of people this very minute are downloading pirated videos from overseas websites. Movies still in the theaters, like "War Horse," can be watched on a computer screen for free, depriving the film industry of millions of dollars.
With websites like thepiratebay.org operating in Europe, the US has no authority to shut them down. That has prompted Capitol Hill legislation known as SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act, in the House, and PIPA, Protect Intellectual Property Act, in the Senate.
The bills as now written would require that internet providers in the US block the offending sites. Media companies like CNN's parent firm, Time-Warner, are among those supporting the bill.
CHRIS DODD, CHAIRMAN, MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: Illegal conduct is not free speech. Illegal conduct is what it is. It's stealing, and that's what's at the heart of this legislative effort.
SIMON: Former senator Chris Dodd heads up the Motion Picture Association and is a huge backer of the legislation.
DODD: This bill is exclusively focused on the foreign criminal elements that are stealing.
SIMON: The bills would give Washington unprecedented authority in regulating content.
DECLAN MCCULLAGH, CNET REPORTER: Think of it as a black list, and this is something we haven't seen before in the history of the internet, sort of an internet black list bill.
What would happen is that copyright holders in the US Department of Justice would come up with this list, and then with a court order, serve this on internet service providers.
SIMON: Search engines such as Google also would be banned from displaying the sites, and advertisers as well as payment processors, like PayPal, could do no business with them, either.
Collectively, Silicon Valley has said no go, not because they want piracy, but don't feel they should be the internet police and hurling words like "censorship" at the legislation.
David Ulevitch runs a successful internet security company which gives its customers the tools to block websites in their own homes or businesses.
DAVID ULEVITCH, CEO, OPENDNS: We've never wanted to be in the position to try to be the editorial directors. We certainly don't think the government's probably the right people to be up to this, either.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Given that some 23.5 or 24 million of us use Wikipedia on a daily basis, we wanted to know how you've been getting on without it, so I reached out to you on CONNECT THE WORLD's Facebook page. Lucky that wasn't down today, I suppose.
Keira says, "I can't say I'm affected by the Wikipedia blackout as I rarely use the site." You're fairly unique, then, Keira. "However, if it had been Facebook or Twitter," she said, "I'd probably be climbing the walls."
Others were clearly struggling without it. This person writes, "I have had to suspend sourcing for information until they call off their strike."
Crystal agrees. She says, "We have become lazy in our old age. I would like my internet back that I pay for."
David writes, "I'm glad they're doing this to show the government they can't run everything. I can live through 24 hours," he says.
And Francisco admits defeat. He says he's, quote, "back to my manual Oxford advanced dictionary."
Well, given that we've seen that, we wondered just how many of you have been doing the same, dusting off the old dictionary from the bookshelf. Well, I headed down to the London offices of Britannica to look up one age-old alternative to the online encyclopedia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Millions of you may have tried to use the Wikipedia site today, but of course, it's down. But it doesn't seem that long ago that we used to use one of these if we were looking to find things out.
I remember using the Encyclopedia Britannica with my mum breathing down my neck as I looked things up for my school homework.
The original Encyclopedia Britannica, the first edition, was actually published way back in 1768. Back then, 15 learned gentlemen decided that they would assimilate as much worldly information as possible in one place.
And did you know that Einstein was a contributor to the Encyclopedia Britannica way back when?
These days, Encyclopedia Britannica is online. In fact, 90 percent of its revenue comes from its online and mobile sales. Eoghan works for the company. In a world of free information, why should I pay for it?
EOGHAN HUGHES, BRITANNICA UK: Because there's so much stuff out there, and it's all of varying degrees of quality. Some of it's excellent, some if it's less so. So, people come to us to go and find quality information, which we're renowned for.
ANDERSON: Do they -- who's doing the fact-checking? Who's the editor on this?
HUGHES: We have a team of editors based over in Chicago, and they take contributions from 4,000 credible contributors. Some of those are quite famous, the likes of Desmond Tutu, Bill Clinton. But they're all sourced as being experts in their fields, academics, journalists, and writers and so forth.
ANDERSON: Quick question: do you use Wikipedia?
HUGHES: Not today. And I couldn't comment.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, if you're a frequent flier, I don't need to tell you how bad it can be at Heathrow or Gatwick when it gets really, really busy. Well, now the capital's mayor is throwing his weight behind a new airport, which you and I could be using in the future. Not everyone is happy with the idea, though. That story up next here on CONNECT THE WORLD.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, long queues, crowded halls, and sometimes, quite frankly, a plain grim experience. Many of us have traveled through London's Heathrow airport at peak holiday rush hour, and if you haven't, well, you've probably heard about it.
Welcome back. The UK government is set to look at controversial plans to build another airport in what is known as the Thames Estuary. London's mayor, Boris Johnson, is leading the campaign for the new site at the mouth of the River Thames, about 55 kilometers, they say, east of the capital, with planes approaching from the sea.
There is, though, huge opposition to the idea from conservation groups who are worried about the impact on the area, which is known for it's bird population.
Well, take a look at these pictures, artistic impressions of the proposed four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary.
The proposed new airport is being dubbed "Boris Island" after its main supporter. Earlier, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, explained to Max Foster why he's backing the plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BORIS JOHNSON, MAYOR OF LONDON: This is something that British business has been pushing for with increasing determination in the last few years, particularly once it's become clear to people that you can't keep expanding Heathrow. And in particular, you can't build a third runway at Heathrow because that will just add to the noise and the congestion in West London and all parts of London.
I'll give you one statistic: 25 percent of the people in Europe who suffer from aviation noise pollution live in the vicinity of Heathrow. That's 25 percent of that total number of people in Europe.
And therefore, even if you put in a third runway, you would not only be aggravating the quality of their lives, but you would not provide a long-term solution.
The other countries that we're competing against, France, Germany. Look at what's happening in Madrid, look at the expansion of Schiphol. They offer flights to crucial destinations for communication in the global economy, particularly to China, the growth markets of Asia, and also to Latin America.
Heathrow can't be left out. Britain can't be left out.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You seem to have the support of the prime minister, but not the deputy prime minister. Huge concerns -- political concerns, also environmental concerns about this area of land you're talking about. How are you going to overcome these incredible hurdles just to get an agreement?
JOHNSON: Well, I'm confident that the logic of the case will speak for itself. I know that there will be political difficulties, and in the end, this is a political question. But the greatness of Britain and the greatness of London was built on successful investment in transport infrastructure.
This place we're standing on was the site of the docks of London, and those docks in the end collapsed because they failed to invest in areas large enough to cope with containerization.
Constraints on capacity at Heathrow will ultimately undermine Britain's long-term competitiveness. That's why you need a new solution, and I think the government is going down the right track.
FOSTER: What we do know is it won't be ready in time for the Jubilee later this year --
JOHNSON: It certainly won't, Max.
FOSTER: This scene's going to be pretty spectacular --
JOHNSON: It is.
FOSTER: -- you've released details about that today.
JOHNSON: Yes.
FOSTER: Give us the sense of what's going to be around this bridge.
JOHNSON: Well, this is going to be a fantastic party zone that you will see a flotilla of, I think, about 1,000 boats. I very much hope to be on one of them in whatever capacity I then am, with her Maj. Her Maj will be in a barge --
FOSTER: Translation, the queen.
JOHNSON: Her Majesty the Queen of this country will be in a barge especially -- a new -- a new, or newly reconditioned barge, which will have all sorts of beautiful features.
And not least, I think, a bank of oarsmen that -- and this was one of our ideas, by the way. It's going to be absolutely beautiful. And she will be rowed in -- like an Elizabethan aquatic pageant in a stately procession with oiled and manacled representatives of the financial services industry or something like that.
And it will be absolutely beautiful, and I -- I think what people will see is London at its finest, and the river, which is the heart of London, and which makes the city, looking fantastic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Something for everybody in that, whatever your preference or taste, I guess. The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, talking there about London at its best.
But in terms of competing with the world's global hubs, there's some pretty big competition out there. So while the debate over, let me tell you, a number of competing airport projects here in London continues, billions of dollars are being poured into mammoth airport projects around the world.
One of those is the new Doha International Airport. While the city currently has a fully-functioning airport, a new one is being built just a few miles away. It's expected more than 50 million passengers will pass through the gates of Doha as it opens its doors at the end of the year.
The old airport also going to be a busy hub for cargo, about two million tons of it. They plan to handle the cost, more than $11 billion.
One of the world's largest transport projects is Dubai World Central. A new international airport, the Al Maktoum, is being built at a cost of -- ding! -- $82 billion. It's expected to be one of the busiest airports in the world, handling more than 160 million passengers a year.
Now, in the last decade, Asia's countries have poured huge amounts of money into new terminals and airports. Seoul's Incheon Airport opened in 2001, that was a cost of $5 billion.
Located on the outskirts of the city with high-speed rail links, it's ranked as one of the most efficient and passenger-friendly airports, with more than 33 million passengers each year. Remarkable numbers, aren't they?
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, Eddie Redmayne's leading lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDDIE REDMAYNE, ACTOR: I hadn't realized how extraordinarily talented she was, as well as being breathtakingly beautiful, so it's a hard call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Find out which Hollywood start the British actor was so taken by in tonight's Big Interview. That up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it's going to be 50 years this year since the death of Marilyn Monroe, and despite that passage of time, fascination with the Hollywood starlet remains very much alive, to the point that just one week in her troubled life has now been made into a film.
In tonight's Big Interview, I sit down with one of the stars of that movie. He plays a young man who then kissed and then told in his memoir, "My Week With Marilyn."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): England 1956. Hollywood screen siren Marilyn Monroe and British golden boy Sir Laurence Olivier meet to make a film.
REDMAYNE: It was meant to be the greatest actor in the world meeting the greatest movie star. It was meant to be a match made in heaven. It was a complete disaster.
The making of "The Prince and the Showgirl" created quite a stir back then, and its backstory is making headlines again, thanks to the film "My Week With Marilyn," starring Kenneth Branagh and Michelle Williams.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN": Marilyn, is it true you wear nothing in bed but perfume?
(CROWD OOHS)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS AS MARILYN MONROE, "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN": Darling, as I'm in England, let's say I sleep in nothing but Yardley's Lavender.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Monroe and Olivier reportedly did not get along. Rather, it was the film's runner, Colin Clark, played this time around by Eddie Redmayne, who won the glamorous star's affections.
WILLIAMS AS MONROE: Are you frightened of me, Colin?
REDMAYNE AS COLIN CLARK, "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN": No.
WILLIAMS AS MONROE: Good, because I like you.
REDMAYNE: The real issue was watching Ken and then Michelle Williams playing these icons, and they would sort of come in in the morning and sit in the makeup trailer, and I would come in and sort of brush my hair and leave again.
But they would -- Ken would be listening to Sir Laurence Olivier reading the Bible on his headphones, and Michelle would be watching on her iPad Marilyn Monroe films.
And piece by piece -- Ken had a prosthetic chin and Michelle had all these things placed on her, and it was like you just began to see these characters awake from -- it was a really formidable thing to watch.
ANDERSON: Williams is already reaping the rewards for her performance, picking up a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.
ANDERSON (on camera): You spent more than a week with Michelle Williams, of course.
REDMAYNE: I did, yes.
ANDERSON: How was she to work with?
REDMAYNE: She's extraordinary. She's -- she works -- on this film, she wanted to recreate what Marilyn did. And when Marilyn worked, it was a time in the industry when you would have movement coaches and you would have practitioners, craftsmen around you.
And so, Michelle got a voice coach and a verse coach and a -- sorry, a movement coach, and it was amazing to watch her find all the pieces, the elements that everyone expects of Marilyn Monroe, but then to push it to another level of finding the sort of different layers of Marilyn Monroe, and she has -- it's almost like she had three different personalities.
And yet, whilst playing all that, still being able to be spontaneous and precious in the moment. And it really was -- it was amazing to witness.
ANDERSON: You play a character who had an affair with Marilyn Monroe in the week that she spent here in the UK working with Laurence Olivier on a movie. You know what my next question is going to be, and I know you're say "I'm not going to answer it."
REDMAYNE: Yes.
ANDERSON: Your relationship with Michelle Williams, I hear, was slightly similar to that of your character with Marilyn Monroe, am I right in saying that or not?
REDMAYNE: Well, I'm not sure you are. I was -- what was interesting was that there were a lot of life imitating art aspects of that film.
Principally, I went to Eaton. There was a moment when Michelle became a good friend and I -- and there was a moment in which I was showing her around, and Colin was showing Marilyn Monroe around, and there were all these Eaton boys, and they were all coming up and saying, "Oh, what's Michelle like? What's --"
There was -- we shot it in Pinewood, we shot it in -- Michelle was in the same dressing room where Marilyn Monroe was. So, there were lots of those elements kind of infused in the film. But it was all a fairytale, so, yes.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Redmayne himself is also in the running for a gong this season, the BAFTA Rising Star Award. But the Eaton graduate is no novice to acting. He already has an Olivier award and a Tony under his belt for his role in the acclaimed stage play "Red," the biopic of the artist Rothko.
ANDERSON (on camera): You've been around for some time, and I don't mean to suggest that you're sort of 142 years old, but you've been in the industry for some time. You've already won a newcomer award for your work on stage. How important is knowing that you're sort of -- you've arrived, as it were, in film, as well?
REDMAYNE: Well, I -- what I love about what I do is the kind of variety of it, and I love that it's a completely different experience doing a play every night. I'm doing a play at the moment which -- it's a sort of, almost like running a marathon.
Whereas the skills that you need on screen are like short, sharp bursts, and then lots and lots of waiting. So, it's -- it's really -- it's quite an interesting investigation into attention span, basically. But it's lovely. It's a really lovely thing.
ANDERSON: You've done a lot of costume drama in the part --
(CROSSTALK)
REDMAYNE: Done my fair share of theater.
ANDERSON: You've starred in or been part of productions around Elizabeth I, for example --
REDMAYNE: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- Anne Boleyn and various others. Elizabeth I or Marilyn Monroe, who is the greater woman in your -- to your mind?
REDMANYE: Ooh! There you go! I love that. I've been asked lots of questions about which icon would you spend -- who is the greater woman? I mean, I did spend a lot of time in that period.
I was sort of -- there was one moment in which I was playing an assassin trying to assassinate Elizabeth I and also playing her step-father in two different films. I was all kinds of confused. I am -- I remain, and I think our country remains, sort of endlessly fascinated with her.
Although, I was so ignorant to Marilyn Monroe when I started this film that one of the great experiences about making it was really seeing her work and seeing her genius. I hadn't realized how extraordinarily talented she was as well as being breathtakingly beautiful.
So, it's a hard call. I would probably go for Elizabeth, if I'm being honest. But if it was to actually spend a week with, maybe Marilyn.
(LAUGHTER)
REDMAYNE: But I don't know. You got me there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: There's a rising star if ever there was one.
In tonight's Parting Shots, a heartwarming update for you from CNN's Freedom Project. You may remember recently we told you the story of a 21- year-old Taiwan woman who was called Isabel. Born into a world of poverty, her mum wanted to sell Isabel's younger sister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISABEL, HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM: And then, I told my mom, I said, "No." You want to sell her, sell me. Because she was so little.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Isabel was sold to a rich Taiwan family who eventually moved to California. She was forced to sleep in the garage, endure horrendous beatings, and give scraps -- just given scraps to eat.
Isabel, though, finally managed to escape and to tell us her story. But the cost, of course, was a lost childhood.
Well, her story provoked a huge response in Taiwan. The foreign minister even met up with her whilst he was in California. Startlingly, Isabel told him she wanted to find her mother, and he offered to help.
And tonight, we can happily report Isabel has arrived in Taipei. We expect her to be reunited with her mum on Thursday. And of course, we're going to follow this story for you and keep you updated on all the developments. A happy ending to a story which, I'm afraid, happens day in, day out, all over the world.
I'm Becky Anderson, that was CONNECT THE WORLD. World news headlines, "BackStory" up after this. Stay with us.
END
