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Connect the World
Conviction in Honor Killing; Interview with David Cameron; Nadal Ousts Federer; Hostage's Father Receives Phone Call From President Telling Him of Daughter's Rescue; Rescue of Somalian Hostages; UN Secretary-General on Somalia; French Police Arrest Maker of Faulty Breast Implants; Women With Faulty Implants Concerned Despite British Government Not Recommending Removal; Big Interview With Director of Documentary on Chinese Boxing; Parting Shots of Australian Politician Using Speech From "The American President"
Aired January 26, 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: At first, it seemed like a tragic accident, but police now say it was anything but. Why four women in Canada may have been killed by their own family and how the world is cracking down on murder in the name of honor.
Live from London, I'm Becky Anderson.
Also tonight, under arrest -- the founder of a French company that made potentially dangerous breast implants is now in custody as the investigation ramps up.
And delivering good news -- what the U.S. president said to the father of a hostage in Somalia as soon as he knew that she was safe.
A tragic accident or first degree murder motivated by family shame. Well, a jury in Canada will soon begin deliberations in a case that has horrified the country.
As my colleague, Paula Newton, now reports, a man, his wife and son are accused of methodically orchestrating the murder of four relatives, three of them teenage girls, all to protect a twisted sense of family honor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): In so many ways, the Shafia sisters were typical teens -- smart, beautiful. They enjoyed going out with friends and flirting with boys. But that's what might have gotten them killed.
It was during a family vacation in June 2009, when the car carrying 19 -year-old Zainab, 17 -year-old Sahar, 13 -year-old Geeti and the woman they knew as auntie, Rona Amir Mohammad, mysteriously plunged into this open canal, drowning all four.
The girls' parents, in tearful interviews, explained it was a horrific accident during a pit stop on their trip back from Niagara Falls. The parents said the girls took the car out for a spin while the rest of the family remained at the hotel in Kingston, Ontario.
(on camera): But even as their bodies were being taken out of the water, as the vehicle was being dragged up from out of the locks, police say they were learning something very different about what went on here that night, and, more importantly, what was going on in the Shafia household.
(voice-over): Suspicious police bugged the Shafia minivan. What they heard, they say, evidence of first-degree murder.
Investigators claim hours of wiretapped conversations reveal how and why the parents, Tooba Mahammad Yahya and Mahammad Shafia, along with their son, Hamed, planned the murders. They also learned so-called Auntie Rona was, in fact, Mohammad's other wife, co-wife to Tooba in a secret polygamous marriage.
Mother, father and son were charged with murder in the summer of 2009. Now they're on trial. They've all pled not guilty.
Prosecutors are relying heavily on the bugged conversations. In one, Mohammad Shafia says, in the Afghan language, Dari, "I say to myself, you did well. Would they come back to life a hundred times, you should do the same again."
In another, "May the devil defecate on their graves. This is what a daughter should be? Would a daughter be such a whore?"
CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD, EDITORIAL WRITER: I think the -- the wiretaps are extremely damaging to all three of them.
NEWTON: Columnist Christie Blatchford has sat through all the evidence, every wiretap, every witness. She's become an advocate to the victims.
BLATCHFORD: We've been treated to the amusing sight of defense lawyers saying, "Well, when you said, 'may the devil (EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE) on their graves,' what did you mean by that?"
Well, what other possible explanation but that is there for any of these things?
NEWTON: But interrogations of the family never uncovered a motive.
Why would a mother, father and brother kill four members of their own family?
The prosecution contends these were honor killings, carried out by parents from a very conservative Afghan background to punish rebellious, increasingly Westernized daughters. Zainab ran off to marry a Pakistani man her parents hated. Sahar wore revealing clothes and had secret boyfriends. And little Geeti was failing in school and calling social workers to get her out of a violent home.
Auntie Rona was her advocate.
Exactly how these girls died is also a mystery, but the prosecutors say they have clues. The shattered headlight on the family Lexus matches the damage on the rear bumper on the girls' car, suggesting it was rammed into the canal.
Police also believe the victims may have been killed or beaten unconscious before the car hit the water. That would explain why they didn't escape, even though the seat belts were unbuckled and the canal was only seven feet deep.
In one of the most chilling conversations recorded, Mohammad Shafia labeled his daughters "dirty whores." "Steadfast," he says, "my "conscience is clear."
Prosecutors are now trying to prove that to the Shafias, honor was more important than life, even if it meant killing their three daughters.
Paul Newton, CNN, Kingston, Ontario.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, here at CNN, we believe that the phrase honor killings does not properly describe cases like this. These are allegedly acts of murder and CNN will now describe such cases as honor murders.
One of the defense attorneys says the idea that these deaths were murders is preposterous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK MCCANN, DEFENSE LAWYER: It's such a rarity. I mean the evidence is it's almost unheard of in -- in Canada, and little known in North America.
What was going on with these girls, even if you accept what they were telling the teachers and so -- and shelter workers and so forth, can't, you know, conceivably be likely that it was an honor killing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I've got two expert guests with me this evening.
But before we talk to them, I just want to contextualize this somewhat for you.
The case could be in the jury's hands in Canada by the end of the week. According to the United Nations, up to 5,000 women are killed in the name of honor every year, many of them unreported. But we know killings have taken place in the countries here in red.
Take a look, for example, at Pakistan. A human rights group tells us that during the first nine months of 2011, at least 675 women were murdered in Pakistan, supposedly in the name of honor, a stark rise from 2008, when that number was around 574.
That tops the world's rankings, as I'm going to call them, which isn't a great word for it, is it?
In -- in Turkey, a human rights organization says at least one honor- related murder happens every single week.
Well, in the U.K., the numbers are slightly different, but get this, last month, one of the groups here detailed some 2,800 honor attacks targeting women in 2010. They're not all murders, but they include everything from mutilations to acid attacks. And if you've seen the result of those, you'll know just how horrific that is. And as we've been hearing, it's a big issue, of course, in -- in Canada, too. Canada's citizenship test now refers to honor murders specifically, saying the country does not tolerate barbaric practices.
Well, experts say these murders cannot be compared to crimes of passion because the details are methodically calculated in advance.
So what's the best way to fight these crimes and change the mindset that somehow they protect family honor?
Well, I'm joined now by two guests this evening.
Diana Nammi, who's director of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organization. We thank you for coming in.
Also with us tonight, Ms. Nazir Afzal, the national lead on honor- based violence in the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service.
Nazir, the jurors in Canada are expected to have the case in their hands by Friday. What they will be deliberating on is effectively first degree murder, right?
NAZIR AFZAL, U.K. CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE: Organized crime. This is -- we take the view that honor-based violence, honor murders, are organized crime. And you have a number of defendants. You've got to be able to justify or prove that every single one of them had the intent. And evidently, the evidence seems quite strong in this case. But obviously, the jury will have to determine that.
ANDERSON: Yes.
AFZAL: We find it very difficult sometimes to prosecute these cases because the -- they -- there is a wall of silence assigned -- around this. And people are not prepared to talk. And it takes a lot of forensic, a lot of undercover work, sometimes, covert listening devices, all manner of devices, in order to build the very strong cases.
But we believe it's absolutely important that you bring every single person to justice...
ANDERSON: Sure.
AFZAL: -- because you want to deter other people from doing it.
ANDERSON: Diana, what's your experience of cases like this?
DIANA NAMMI, IRANIAN/KURDISH WOMEN'S RIGHTS ORGANISATION, INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST HONOR KILLINGS: It is a very brutal case. And it's not only the first case that -- that happened in Canada or around the world. There are many of them. But I have to say that as Nazir just mentioned, many of the people around this case who may be aware of the situation, they will keep silent. They try even to cover up for the perpetrators. And it is important really, to -- to, quote, to find every single evidence to not let the perpetrators go free.
ANDERSON: Nazir, there will be viewers tonight who say, come on, guys, there are cultural differences around the world. So I don't want to be -- I don't want to be seen to be partisan here, although I do have a sense of my own understanding of this case and my own thoughts on this.
Do you, Nazir, have any sympathy for the perpetrators, the families, in cases like this?
AFZAL: No, I have no sympathy. There are various motives and -- and justifications given. You want to protect your community. You want to protect the reputation of your family. You want to protect other children that you may have because of the slight that they may encounter.
But at the end of the day, murder is murder. There's no faith on earth, no community on earth, that justifies this. The Abrahamic faiths say thou shalt not kill. So you don't kill to support your faith.
And I think people tend to use all manner of excuses, unfortunately. I've heard several hundred, probably. At the end of the day, nobody should die for this. Nobody should be harmed for this.
But we know -- and your figures are underestimates. We know there are millions of people who are being harmed every year in the name of honor. And when people say in the name of honor, they mean -- they mean in the name of the father...
ANDERSON: Yes.
AFZAL: -- the son and the blessed male members of the family.
ANDERSON: And, Diana, for many of our viewers, the very use of the term honor will be confusing tonight.
What sort of defense of the term is used by supporters of cases like these?
NAMMI: Yes, of course, I have to say that there is no honor in killing and murdering someone.
But the issue is that, when you are looking at the communities that are practicing that brutal practice, all of them, they -- in -- in the community languages, it says sharaf, izat (ph), namous (ph). And all of them means honor.
So for targeting exactly that problem, it is the reason that we have to use honor, for the community to know that this is a brutal crime and for women to know that this is the dangerous area and they must know it.
But, of course, there is not any honor in killing women.
ANDERSON: And Nazir, you suggested that our numbers, which are official numbers that we've got from human rights organization underestimate the problem, which -- which alarms me somewhat when we're having this discussion tonight.
You've prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the U.K., and advised, of course, on -- on many others.
Is this a crime that is on the up around the world in 2012?
AFZAL: I hope -- I hope it's not on the up. I think what we are seeing is greater victim confidence, so people are prepared to come forward.
I've trained Canadian judges, Canadian prosecutors. I've trained -- I've been speaking very recently to the American State Department.
There's a recognition that everybody needs to have the tools to tackle these kinds of -- of behaviors.
And, also, importantly, we've got to give the victims, those who aren't killed, those who are harmed, the ability to seek confidence in the authorities that they will be protected. And if -- if they are, then we can prevent these terrible, terrible killings. And my view is that it might not be increasing, but we're certainly becoming more aware of it.
ANDERSON: Finally, Diana, if there is somebody watching tonight whose family is involved in an honor murder, or thinks they might be involved going forward, what's your message to them?
NAMMI: I would like to -- to pass this message to every family, by telling them, really, it is respect for themselves if they respect their children, which is if it's having a boyfriend, loving someone, doing something that they want, supporting them is the best way of respecting the family's honor, the community's honor.
When they are killing them and beating them up and torturing them, then they are committing a crime and nothing can justify that, not under the name of culture, not under the name of religion, not under the name of honor.
So it is this practice is very shameful and it's not -- no one can -- can feel that has been honored and respected by committed it.
ANDERSON: Diana, Nazir, we're going to have to leave it there.
We thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.
NAMMI: Thank you so much for having us.
ANDERSON: And we'll do more on this story...
NAMMI: Thank you.
ANDERSON: -- sadly, if it comes up again.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN, live from London.
I'm Becky Anderson.
Still to come...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER: These are difficult decisions, they're sometimes expensive decisions, and they involve politicians having to give up power, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: No gain without pain -- apparently Britain's prime minister gives Richard Quest his description to heal the Eurozone.
Also tonight, protesters force Australia's prime minister to head to the exits. We're going to show you her dramatic escape from what was a very angry crowd.
And its implants have caused a worldwide health scare. Now its founder has been arrested. In 30 minutes time, here on CNN, I'm going to tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN, the world's news leader.
Welcome back.
Eighteen minutes past nine in London.
Now, the two aid workers held hostage in Somalia have arrived at a U.S. naval air station in Cicely, where they will undergo physical and psychological testing. We're told American Jessica Buchanan will be reunited with her father today. She and colleague Poul Thisted were rescued by U.S. commandoes, you'll remember, three months after they were kidnapped.
Earlier I spoke to the U.N. Secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I was very much relieved that American hostages were relieved by operations. In any way, the situation and stability in Somalia has been a source of concern of international community so many years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, ahead on the show, more from Mr. Ban on the security situation in Somalia, despite ongoing militant violence in the country. Find out why, after 17 years, a top U.N. official has now moved back to the Somalian capital, Mogadishu.
A look at some of the other stories that are connecting your world tonight, as ever.
And aid groups are raising red flags about alleged torture in post- Gadhafi Libya. Doctors Without Borders says it's halting its work at detention centers in the city of Misrata because the detainees being, quote, "tortured and denied urgent medical care." Amnesty International also issued a statement describing widespread torture there. Libyan officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Britain's prime minister has told Europe's leaders they must be bolder if they want to fix the Eurozone. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, David Cameron said it would take more than just tinkering to solve the crisis.
Well, Richard Quest got a chance to speak to Mr. Cameron earlier today. And he joins us now -- Richard, what exactly is the prime minister asking Europe's leaders to do when he said -- says stop tinkering, as it were?
RICHARD QUEST, HOST, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": Stop tinkering and get on with it is the basic gist of it. It sort of follows on from what Angela Merkel said in the opening address. But this time, David Cameron speaks slightly from aside, because, of course, Britain is not part of the Eurozone. He has refused to join the new treaty. He said he would veto it if he didn't get certain guarantees, which he didn't get.
So for David Cameron to come here, what he's really saying is that Britain stands to be affected as the Eurozone goes into further recession. And, indeed, as I said to him afterward, the first question was very simple -- prime minister, you seem absolutely frustrated by the lack of progress.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course it matters not just to the countries of the Eurozone, but also to their neighbors, like Britain, that the crisis is resolved.
But I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying that there are some simple switches they've got to flip. These are difficult decisions. They're sometimes expensive decisions. And they involve politicians having to give up powers, as well. These are very tough things they need to do.
But if you want the single currency to work, it seems to me there are some short-term things that have to be done and some longer-term issues that have to be grappled with.
QUEST: Both Chancellor Merkel and yourself are basically saying the same message in a different way -- get on with it.
CAMERON: Well, you could put it like that. But what I prefer to say is short-term, to ease the current crisis, you've got to resolve the Greek situation. You've got to strengthen the banks and the firewall has got to be big enough to deal with any contagion in the system.
We've been saying this -- you could almost set it to music, because politicians have been saying it for so long. But we got to deliver it in the beginning of this year and that's only the start.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
QUEST: And that really, Becky, is now the thrust and theme -- everybody is saying, 2012 is the year to do it. Now is the time to get on with it.
There's -- look, I don't want to be too skeptical or cynical, whichever you want. And I don't want to pour too much vinegar into it, but frankly, they said the same thing this time last year.
ANDERSON: Yes. I think we both agree with that. And don't sit on the fence ever, young man.
Thank you for that.
Richard Quest at Davos for you.
Australia's prime minister is downplaying some tense moments today, saying she's made of pretty tough stuff. Julia Gillard needed a police escort to escape an angry crowd of aboriginal rights protesters in Cambria. They surrounded a restaurant where she and opposition leader, Tony Abbott, were commemorating Australia Day, marking the arrival of British settlers in 1788.
TV cameras captured a security guard giving her advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: we feel that the situation is deteriorating and you just can't stay too much longer.
JULIA GILLARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: OK. All right.
What about Mr. Abbott?
Where have you got him?
We'd better help him through too, hadn't we?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Look at this. I think they found him. Riot police eventually hustled the two into a car outside. Prime Minister Gillard lost a shoe in the chaos. It was picked up by protesters and claimed as a trophy.
In the U.S. tonight, it's the final Republican debate before a crucial primary in Florida. Four remaining Republican candidates for U.S. president will face off in less than four hours.
It's looking more and more like a two horse race, though. The latest opinion surveys of Florida Republicans show a virtual tie between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. You can catch that debate, of course, right here on CNN, Friday, one in the morning London time.
Coming up here tonight, Rafael Nidal and what's his name -- oh, yes, Roger Federer -- produced another classic on Thursday. And the Spaniard, well, he got the best of his nemesis yet again. Details on that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD live from London.
Twenty-six minutes past nine here.
Welcome back.
I'm Becky Anderson.
Well, the first men's semi-final at the Australian Open is in the books and it followed a very familiar script, as Rafael Nidal ousted 16 time major champion, Roger Federer, in what was a thrilling four second counter Down Under. The Spaniard will face either world number one, Novak Djokovic, or the Brit, Andy Murray, in the final.
Pedro Pinto joining us now.
He'll hate me for saying the Brit, actually. The scot, I think we should probably call him.
PEDRO PINTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think he is -- that is the eternal...
ANDERSON: Why is it that Rafa just has set those numbers, do you think?
PINTO: You know, it comes down to -- to heart and it comes down to fighting spirit, if you ask me. I've heard the privilege of watching these guys go at it a few times now throughout their careers.
And this was the seventh time in the last nine grand slam meetings between them that Rafa came out on top.
ANDERSON: Yes.
PINTO: And even if he loses the first set, which happened in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Thursday, he just starts grinding and grinding. And that gets under the skin of Roger Federer, who's used to beating players what kind of superior technique he has. When it turns into kind of battle in the mud, so to speak, he just doesn't really know what to do. And Rafa comes out on top.
ANDERSON: Which leads me to the second semi-final, which is going to be an absolute classic, I hope...
PINTO: Um-hmm.
ANDERSON: -- Djokovic and Murray, who tends also to lose the first set and then -- and then sort of grind himself down as he does his opponent.
What's your betting on this one?
PINTO: I think Novak still...
ANDERSON: Yes?
PINTO: -- has the upper hand. Yes, he's the only player, as well, who -- who can kind of fight with -- with Rafa on the same level.
ANDERSON: Yes.
PINTO: I -- I still think he's the favorite to win the title.
I will tell you that on the women's side, as well, both semi-finals were played on Thursday. And we'll have Mara Schiavocampo against Victoria Azarenka. If you watch this on Saturday, you might want to turn the volume down, because it will be a shrieking contest with two...
(LAUGHTER)
PINTO: -- two of the loudest players on the court. And if you kind of weren't watching and you just listened to it, you'd think that maybe people are getting whipped somewhere. It -- it's really loud.
ANDERSON: It's the grunting final extraordinaire.
PINTO: Yes.
ANDERSON: Golf's new season, of course, has teed off, as well, Thursday night in Abu Dhabi. Some pretty big names on display.
PINTO: Yes, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a major tournament, because there are some amazing players out there -- Tiger Woods, Rory McElroy and Luke Donald were actually in the same playing group on -- on Thursday. And all of them did particularly well.
Tiger Woods, who says he feels completely fit for the first time in about a decade, he played well, two under a bogey, a free round of 70. Rory McElroy is in a share of the lead after firing a 67 in the opening round. And McElroy looking to follow-up his fantastic 2011 season.
I do think if we have them just to show you quickly a hole in one, the best shot of the day, from Abu Dhabi, from Sergio Garcia. Even if you've never played golf, you'll appreciate this. I mean it comes down to luck, as well, Becky, I think. We can't blame -- we can't say it's only skill, because he didn't know much about this before it hit the...
(CROSSTALK)
PINTO: -- cup. But there you have it, the shot of the day. And we will be following this tournament throughout the weekend.
ANDERSON: Have you ever hit a -- a hole in one?
PINTO: No. Never.
ANDERSON: A hole in two?
PINTO: No.
ANDERSON: Three?
PINTO: No.
(LAUGHTER)
PINTO: You can go on for a while here.
ANDERSON: Eight?
PINTO: Yes, I have, actually.
ANDERSON: Oh, good for you.
PINTO: All right.
ANDERSON: Pedro back in an hour's time, of course, as ever, with "WORLD SPORT".
Join us for that.
Thank you, Pedro.
Still to come this hour, the moment the father of a U.S. hostage got the news his daughter was free. Details of that incredible phone call next on CONNECT THE WORLD. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YUNG CHANG, DIRECTOR, "CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT": It's Western, it's capitalist, and it's kind of violent. And for those reasons, it was banned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But China is back in the ring and packing plenty of punch. I speak to the filmmaker who looks at how China is managing to punch above its weight in the ring. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A very warm welcome back, 33 minutes past 9:00 in London. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. Let's get you a check of the news headlines at this point.
Civil defense officials in Brazil say they've recovered three bodies in the wreckage of three collapsed buildings in Rio in the center of the city, 16 people are missing. The cause of the destruction is still unclear.
A suicide bomber killed at least three people in a blast near a governor's compound in southern Afghanistan. An official says the bomber was in a car, apparently targeted an armored convoy in Lashkar Gah. At least 30 other people were wounded.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has announced plans to cut half a trillion dollars in military spending over the next ten years. He says it will make the US military leaner but better equipped to meet future challenges.
And two Western aid workers have arrived at a military base in Sicily after being rescued by US special forces in Somalia. American Jessica Buchanan will reunite with her father soon. It's unclear if her colleague, Poul Thisted, is heading straight back to his native Denmark. They were rescued Wednesday morning.
Well, just imagine the situation. Your daughter has been held hostage for months in a country far away. Every minute of the day, you've had to deal with the agony of not knowing whether she will ever come home.
And then, you get the news that you've been dreaming of. But it's not just any phone call. "John, this is Barack Obama. I'm calling because I've got great news for you. Your daughter has been rescued by our military."
Well, this is the picture of the US president making that call with his wife, Michelle, at his side. Mr. Obama went on to talk about his own daughters and said, quote, "People just can't do this to our citizens." John Buchanan says the operation has left him with an overwhelming sense of patriotism.
It was that daring rescue execute -- let me start that again. It was a daring rescue executed with remarkable results. Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence takes us inside that operation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROWD APPLAUDING)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just seconds into the president's arrival at his State of the Union speech, the first hint something had happened.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good job tonight. Good job tonight.
LAWRENCE: At the moment he congratulated his defense secretary, US Special Operations forces were winding down a dramatic rescue operation halfway around the world.
The US military and FBI had been searching for the humanitarian aid workers since October when Somali kidnappers abducted American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted. Now, they had found them, more than 100 kilometers away. Officials obtained specific intel, where the hostages were and who was holding them. But a sense of urgency was building.
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Jessica's health was beginning to decline. She's a young woman in her 30s, so we wanted to act, and they did.
LAWRENCE: President Obama greenlighted the mission Monday night. And the weather was perfect for a Tuesday night assault.
As Secretary Leon Panetta monitored the situation from the White House, Special Operations forces parachuted into the area. Among them, SEAL Team Six, the same elite unit that killed Osama bin Laden, if not the same men from that mission.
They confronted nine kidnappers with guns and explosives nearby and killed all nine. They found the hostages at an outdoor encampment, then hustled them onto helicopters and out of Somalia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: CNN's Chris Lawrence reporting for you, there.
Well, the UN Secretary-General says that he's relieved the hostages were freed. Home to countless militant groups and criminals, Somalia is considered one of the most militant and dangerous places in the world.
The UN has not been in the country for years, but this week, despite the violence, a top official did return to Mogadishu. The UN says the move signals a commitment to support Somali leaders as they prepare for elections.
With that in mind, I asked Ban Ki-moon for his assessment of the security situation there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BAN KI-MOON, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: The security situation in Mogadishu is relatively calm at this time, with the help of African peacekeeping missions, AMISOM. The al-Shabaab had been retreated.
I had been urging, therefore, that the -- they have a very small window of opportunity to establish their leadership, their institutions, and therefore, variable regions have been liberated. The Somali government should establish their administrative offices there.
ANDERSON: Right.
BAN: UN and AMISOM are going to help them.
ANDERSON: With respect --
(CROSSTALK)
BAN: That is why we have deployed our political mission.
ANDERSON: With respect, Mr. Ban, you can't honestly --
BAN: Now the --
ANDERSON: -- be standing there today suggesting that al-Shabaab are on the run given their ability to launch attacks in Mogadishu despite the Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Somali offensive there.
BAN: The African Union Peace and Security Council has recently decided to increase the level of AMISOM soldiers up to more than 17,000 from 12,000, and I welcome that, and I'd like to report to the Security Council about all of these changes in the situation, how we can strengthen the capacity to fight against terrorist attacks by al-Shabaab.
Now, this is one of our strategies, but more importantly, the Somali government and people, they should also be able to strengthen their own capacity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Secretary-General speaking to me earlier. I also spoke to Mr. Ban about two other big global issues right now, and that is Iran and Syria. Head to the front page of cnn.com to watch that full interview.
Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROWENA MACINTOSH, PIP IMPLANT PATIENT: It's like a ticking time bomb inside me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The woman fearing for her life after falling victim to a global breast implant scare. Her tale and new developments on that story, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, its breast implants have created a worldwide health scare affecting hundreds of thousands of women. Now, police in France investigating the death of a woman from cancer have arrested the founder of PIP, Jean-Claude Mas.
CNN's Jim Bittermann has been following the story for you from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: French police swept into the home of Jean-Claude Mas shortly after 7:00 this morning, and then spent six hours searching the place looking for evidence to see if he can be further charged with involuntary manslaughter.
He's already under investigation for fraud basically because his company, over the course of a number of years, produced hundreds of thousands of breast implants which now are proven to be defective and, in fact, he said to police, according to media reports, that he knew that he was using second-rate silicon, that's silicon not approved by health authorities in the breast implants.
As well, the breast implants have a high likelihood of rupturing and, in fact, about 1 in 30 has ruptured over the course of the years, and that leads to the silicon circulating within a woman's body, and that can lead to inflammations and some say it could lead to cancer.
The medical authorities here have not made a connection between second-rate silicon and cancer, but nonetheless, this investigation about involuntary manslaughter stems from a woman who died of cancer in 2010.
If, in fact, Mas is charged and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, he could go to jail for five years.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
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ANDERSON: Well, here in England, health authorities say that they can't rule out that some of the implants may be toxic, but despite agreeing to pay for their removal, they say there's no evidence that they pose a health risk.
That is little comfort to some women, as CNN's Atika Shubert now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rowena MacIntosh shows us the certificate from her breast enlargement surgery in 2009.
MACINTOSH: That's his name. That's the manufacturers.
SHUBERT: PIP, the French implants made of industrial-grade silicon, reportedly prone to leaks and ruptures.
MACINTOSH: It's like a ticking time bomb inside me. Until somebody says you can have them taken out and put back in again, I'm going to be worried.
SHUBERT: Britain's National Health Service won't pay for cosmetic surgery, so 95 percent of breast enlargement surgeries are private. MacIntosh paid almost $8,000 for implants like these. To assure her, she says, the surgeon at a private clinic split open an implant to reveal the solid silicon inside, which looked, in her words, like a jelly candy.
MACINTOSH: See, when I was told that there was absolutely no chance of this breast implant leaking because of the fact that it had this jelly baby effect, if you like, that was -- pretty much 50 percent of the decision, because it felt safe, and it was guaranteed for 25 years.
ANDREW LANSLEY, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: We're not recommending the removal of these implants because they -- I think, to an extent, should understand that there isn't any specific safety concern been identified of either toxic effects or, certainly, of any link to cancer.
We expect -- I expect, and the expert group want to see private providers offer that same standard of care, because the NHS is always there to support women, as we do other patients, on the basis of we will take responsibility for meeting their clinical need if no one else will do so.
SHUBERT: MacIntosh says she now has a hard mass in one breast that she fears may be silicon. She says the clinic has refused to pay for a scan, removal, or replacement of the implants. The clinic refused to comment to CNN, citing privacy concerns.
MACINTOSH: When you go to doctor, you don't say, "Who makes your medicine?" You just assume that it's going to be safe.
SHUBERT: Trust that has clearly eroded. MacIntosh doesn't regret taking the decision to get implants, but she does regret choosing the clinic that provided them.
Whatever the government's guidance, she says she wants the implants removed and replaced as soon as possible.
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
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ANDERSON: You're with CONNECT THE WORLD here on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson. When we come back, fighting their way onto the global stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHANG: I guess there's just so many children in China that -- that I think playing that ratio game is worth it. It's a gamble, but it's worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The documentary that gives you a ringside seat as China fights for dominance in the sport of boxing. This is a fantastic filmmaker. My interview coming up with him next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Women's boxing is set to make its debut at the London Olympics this year, and the greatest stable of fighters are expected to come from China. Now, that may seem rather unlikely, given that boxing was outlawed in the country until 1987.
A documentary that has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival gives us an insight as to why these latecomers, as it were, have become such heavyweights in the sport. In tonight's Big Interview, I speak to the film's acclaimed director, Yung Chang.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Banned for almost three decades, China's boxers have now come out of the shadows fighting. Zou Shiming heralded their arrival at the Athens Games in 2004, and he won bronze and went on to cement China's place on the boxing map four years later when he took home the gold at Beijing.
Now, as we count down to London, Chinese boxers are among the top- ranked competitors and dominate the women's division.
The new documentary "China Heavyweight" by acclaimed director Yung Chang goes some way to explaining this rapid rise in the ring.
ANDERSON (on camera): Boxing was banned in China until 1987, oft been considered too Western. Why has there been such a strong revival?
CHANG: Well, boxing is a very American sport. It's Western, it's capitalist, and it's kind of violent, and for those reasons, it was banned.
And it's very interesting to me now to see that and to put this into a film where it's inverted and put onto Chinese society, a society that is -- it's Confucianist, based around collectivism, where a sport is -- this sport of boxing is really about the individual.
And I find that that theme is so prevalent now in China, where kids and young -- the younger generation want a fast track to success and they really look -- they're really looking into themselves to find a way to get there as fast as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The reason we come to this temple is to be blessed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): And as demonstrated in the documentary, China's boxing coaches offer one of the quickest paths to glory. They scout for future stars in rural China, taking teenagers out of their impoverished villages and putting them into boxing schools.
ANDERSON (on camera): Well, these teenagers are effectively hot- housed. They're training to be boxers every waking hour. Did you come away from this documentary with any sense, any particular view of that method of training?
CHANG: I was struck by the rigor and the -- the severity of the training. It's not -- it's kind of brutal, but it's -- I wouldn't say it's shocking for Westerners.
I think it -- the conditions are a bit shocking. They train in -- they don't have a lot of funding support, so they're training in concrete courtyards without proper gear or equipment.
But they're doing it because the stakes are high for these kids. These are kids who are recruited form the countryside. There's -- essentially, they're the sons of peasants or daughters of peasants who are tobacco farming -- from tobacco farming families.
And the chance to be a boxer means a chance to go to high school and to pursue a bigger career, to make money, to see fame and glory. That's -- and you really see the hunger in the eyes of these children.
ANDERSON: Well, is this system of recruiting unique to boxing, or do other sports in China also scout talent in rural areas?
CHANG: Yes, the -- the state sport system is built around the idea of recruitment. And to me, it's fascinating because it's so arbitrary. You - - I have friends who've been professional -- or amateur divers, high divers. And they've been selected because they have the right body shape at the age of six.
Or for example, with the boxing kids, they are recruited because they come from the countryside, high altitude, it's about 2,000 meters in the town that I filmed. Big lungs, the endurance.
One of the questions that the master asks is, "How long does it take you to walk to school?" If it takes two hours, then you've got potential fighter here.
I guess there's just so many children in China that I think playing that ratio game is worth it. It's a gamble, but it's worth it.
ANDERSON: But is it? Is it worth it? I'm thinking of the kids that don't make the cut, for example. What impact does it have on their lives, do you think?
CHANG: The coaches feel that the children that they train, whether or not they make it or not, are going to gain these sort of life skills. Boxing isn't about punching, really. It's a mental sport. It really is about building your character. And I think that's really what these coaches are hoping to do with these children.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In fact, boxing can train one's perseverance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The coaches in this documentary. Heroic or opportunistic?
CHANG: There's two. There's the master, and there's the coach. The master is sort of a figurehead. He has a Fu Manchu. He really does play the part. He's a Buddhist, pacifist.
He -- he has -- I think he has a sort of ulterior motive. I think there is certain sense that by gaining -- by training these champions, you're kind of fostering your own environment as a successful trainer.
But I think that the coach that I follow, predominantly Coach Chi, truly represents the ideals of what it means to be a teacher, a mentor. I left making this film very emotional and very close to the -- to every subject, and especially to Coach Chi. He's inspiring.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Either way, Chi and coaches like him, are ushering in a new era in boxing.
ANDERSON (on camera): Are there differences in the way that Chinese boxers fight compared to boxers from other places around the world?
CHANG: Chinese boxers, and because most of them are trained to be amateur champions, really go for the point system of boxing. They really aim to -- to just hit those numbers out, and they know that the -- kind of where to aim.
The problem is right now is that with the coming of professional boxing in China, a lot of these boxers have to be able to face the -- themselves in the ring. There is certainly a stress about who are you fighting for? Are you fighting for the country? Are you fighting for yourself?
Some of these professional coaches tell me that if a boxer that wants to become a boxer tells them that they want to be fighting for the nation, they usually open the door and let them out. But they tell them that they're fighting for themselves, that's what it really means.
ANDERSON: OK, I'm going to put you on the spot, here. How many boxing medals are you predicting for China at the London Games?
CHANG: The female fighters are going to be very competitive. I'm -- I think that China's really going to use this opportunity, London, to step out on the world platform and present these boxers to the world. And I know that professional coaches and promoters in America have eyes on these fighters, as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Watch this space. What a chap. Excuse his hat, it was very cold out there, I guess, in Utah.
In tonight's Parting Shots, an embarrassing gaffe for an Australian politician after he gave a speech attacking his opposition that sounded pretty familiar to some people. Take a listen to this.
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ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRAILIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER: In Australia, we have serious challenges to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. Unfortunately, Tony Abbot is not the least bit interested in fixing anything. He's only interested in two things, making Australians afraid of it, and telling them who's to blame for it.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS AS PRESIDENT ANDERW SHEPHERD, "THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT": We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Plagiarism? Well, despite the identical language, Anthony Albanese says he has never seen the 1990 film -- 1995 film "The American President" and blamed his speech writers for including the paragraph. But he did accept some responsibility.
Writing on Twitter, "D'OH! Stuff up (for the record, that comes from another great American, Homer Simpson)."
I'm Becky Anderson. That was CONNECT THE WORLD. Thanks for watching. Headlines and "BackStory" up after this.
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